MOREHEAD, KY - Morehead State freshman T.R. Hannan of Chesapeake became the first Eagle or Lady Eagle track and field athlete to ever earn the Ohio Valley Conference's Field Athlete of the Week honor.

He shared it with Eastern Illinois sophomore long jumper Monty Buckley, when the league announced its weekly winners last week.

This is the first year the OVC is awarding Athlete of the Week honors in indoor and outdoor track and field.

Each week, the league chooses both a men's and women's track and a men's and women's field event recipient.

In his collegiate debut, Hannan leaped 6-7 (2.01m) to win the high jump at the Otterbein Invitational last Saturday in Westerville, Ohio.

The mark was the highest in the OVC this year and also equaled the winning leap at the last two OVC Indoor Track and Field Championship Meets.

The 5-foot-10 Hannan's jump was three inches short of tying the school record and the best by an Eagle since 1978.

The 6-7 result tied his personal best, but was the first time he ever reached that height in a meet.

Hannan began last Saturday's meet by making the opening height of 5-10 on his first try.

He then skipped the next height of 6-0 and made 6-2 on his first try.

As the bar moved upwards in two-inch increments other competitors fell by the wayside.

Hannan made 6-4 on his second try and then 6-6 on his first try.

After reaching 6-6, and with only two competitors remaining, Ashland's Adrian O'Dell elected to pass on 6-7 and move to 6-8.

Hannan made 6-7 on his third try and O'Dell missed all three attempts at 6-8 to give Hannan the victory.

"My goal for the day was to hit 6-4," said Hannan.

"When I hit 6-6 on my first try I was ecstatic, and then when I made 6-7, I just could not describe the feeling.

To win my first college track meet was unbelievable."

"T. R. demonstrated a great deal of mental toughness in pulling out a close win in his first college meet," said MSU head coach Dan Lindsey.