Arnold Named OVC Female Athlete of the Year

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. -- Eastern Illinois women's track and field standout Kandace Arnold has been selected as the Ohio Valley Conference Female Athlete of the Year for 2009-10, becoming the second Panther to win the award.

Arnold was named the Female Athlete of the Championship at both the Indoor and Outdoor OVC Championships this season, helping EIU win both titles. She joins Erica Gerth (volleyball, 2004-05) as Panthers to win the OVC Female Athlete of the Year award since EIU joined the league in 1996-97.

Southeast Missouri State's Jim Klocke, a senior catcher on the baseball team, was named the OVC Male Athlete of the Year. The winners are selected via a vote of athletics directors and sports information directors from around the conference.

The two winners will receive their awards at the League's annual Honors Luncheon on June 4 in Nashville.

Arnold had a dominant year as a field athlete, re-writing the Eastern Illinois record books and winning OVC Championships. The senior domisteeplewebd both the OVC Indoor & Outdoor Championships in 2010, being named "Athlete of the Championship" for both events this year. At the Indoor Championship she won the shot put and weight throw and at the Outdoor Championship she took home titles in shot put and discus. Those performances were instrumental in Eastern Illinois winning the OVC Championship at both events. At the OVC Outdoor Championship she set a new league record in the shot put with a throw of 51 feet, 7.75 inches. Most recently she participated in the NCAA West Regional in both the shot put and discus, qualifying for the NCAA Championship in the shot put, becoming the first EIU woman to accomplish that feat. Overall in her outstanding career, she won 11 OVC Event Championships. Arnold holds the Eastern Illinois all-time records for indoor shot put and weight throw and outdoor shot put, discus and hammer.

Klocke capped a brilliant four-year career this season earning first-team All-OVC honors for the third-straight season after leading Southeast Missouri State to 30 victories for the eighth time in the past 16 years. Along the way he was named one of just 16 semifinalists for the Johnny Bench Award, named after the former Cincinnati Reds star and given to the top catcher in collegiate baseball. Drafted last season by his hometown St. Louis Cardinals, our winner decided to come back to school and finish his degree, an honor that was bestowed to him on May 15 when he graduated Summa Cum Laude. Those traits also earned him a spot among the final 10 nominees for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award as well as being named the ESPN The Magazine Baseball Academic All-America of the Year by CoSIDA. Along the way he broke the Southeast Missouri State career RBI record (190), breaking the mark of Jeremy Johnson, who was named OVC Male Athlete of the Year in 2000. In 55 total games this season the catcher compiled a .370 batting average with 85 hits, 59 runs scored, 22 doubles, 13 home runs and 66 RBI.

Other nominees for the award included Austin Peay junior running back Terrence Holt, Eastern Illinois senior offensive lineman Chaz Millard, Eastern Kentucky junior tennis player Alex Das, Jacksonville State senior quarterback Ryan Perrilloux, Morehead State senior shortstop Drew Lee, Murray State senior forward Danero Thomas, Tennessee State senior golfer Chris Seibel, Tennessee Tech junior desigsteeplewebd hitter A.J. Kirby-Jones and UT Martin offensive lineman Joe Gibbs.

The other female nominees included Austin Peay senior outside hitter Stephanie Champine, Eastern Kentucky junior trackster Kat Pagano, Jacksonville State senior first baseman Nikki Prier, Morehead State junior guard Chynna Bozeman, Murray State freshman rifle athlete Emily Quiner, Southeast Missouri State senior libero Molly Davis, Tennessee State senior forward Oby Okafor, Tennessee Tech sophomore guard Tacarra Hayes and UT Martin senior outfielder Megan Williams.

The OVC first awarded a Male Athlete of the Year award in 1977 and gave out the first Female Athlete of the Year in 1981.