• OVC Female Athlete of the Year Award History
The 11 finalists for the 2025-26 OVC Female Athlete of the Year Award have been announced.
Each OVC member school was allowed to nominate one individual for consideration for the award. The award will be voted on by school administrators and Conference office staff and announced at the end of next week.
This marks the first year the awards have been announced in June, instead of at the annual OVC Honors Dinner at the end of May. The updated timeline now allows the voting panel more time to consider the entirety of the athletic seasons.
2025-26 OVC Female Athlete of the Year Finalists
Lizzie Stiverson, Eastern Illinois (softball)
• OVC Player of the Year
• Earned third-team NFCA All-Region honors
• Led Panthers to a program best 23 conference wins
Chanel Honeywell, Lindenwood (Track & Field)
• Named OVC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year
• Indoor 200-meter champion
• Three-time Track Athlete of the Week
Eleonore Aernouts, Little Rock (Golf)
• Captured individual medalist honors at the OVC Championship, leading team to NCAA berth
• Named OVC Golfer of the Year
• Earned First Team All-OVC and OVC All Tournament
Kalynn Pease, Morehead State (Track & Field)
• Named 2026 OVC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year and OVC Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year
• First individual in OVC history, all sports, to win three weekly honors in the same week; accomplished twice
• Won 12 OVC weekly awards
Anna Thomason, Southeast Missouri (Track & Field)
• OVC Indoor Female Field Athlete of the Year
• OVC Outdoor Female Athlete of the Championship
• Claimed titles in the indoor 60-meter hurdles, the pentathlon, the outdoor 100-meter hurdles and the heptathlon, while qualifying for the NCAA West Preliminaries (100m hurdles)
Margaux Guibal Britt, SIUE (Tennis)
• Named OVC Player of the Year while earning first team honors at singles and doubles
• Qualified and competed with doubles partner at the ITA Conference Masters Championships
• Led SIUE to first regular season title since 2017
Elli Hall, Southern Indiana (Cross Country/Track & Field)
• OVC Cross Country Athlete of the Year
• Placed 60th at the NCAA I Great Lakes Region Championships
• Won both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the OVC Outdoor Championships
Aaniya Webb, Tennessee State (Basketball)
• Led TSU in scoring with 11.6 points per game
• Recorded 13 double-digit scoring performances
• Averaged 14.0 points, 4.3 points and 2.2 steals over final seven games
Lucia Cuadra, Tennessee Tech (Soccer)
• Earned third career OVC Midfielder of the Year award
• Led the conference in assists
• Recorded a hat trick against Western Illinois
Avary Makarewicz, UT Martin (Softball)
• Earned All-Ohio Valley Conference second team accolades
• Led the OVC with 11 home runs while ranking in the league’s top-10 in seven categories
• Named UT Martin’s Bettye Giles Female Student-Athlete of the Year
Mia Nicastro, Western Illinois (Basketball)
• Named OVC Player of the Year after leading the OVC in nine categories and ranking in the top 50 nationally in 13 categories
• Was one of five finalists for the 2026 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award
• Selected and played in the Lilly Women’s College All-Star Game during the Final Four weekend