May 4, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- As the 2006 Samford University track and field teams ready for the Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championship, two Bulldogs earned prestigious end-of-season honors. Senior April Howell was named OVC Female Field Athlete of the Year and Cameron Bean was named OVC Male Freshman of the Year, it was announced by the conference office on Thursday.

A senior jumper, Howell is looking to take her second triple jump crown at this year's championship. The Valdosta, Ga., native won the event at the 2004 outdoor championship and finished in third at the 2006 indoor event. She holds the top jump in the Conference this season (41'01.50") while also occupying the top spot in the 100-meter hurdles (14.06).

Howell turned in her conference-leading leap of 41'01.50'' on April 15, at the 2006 Jace Lacoste Invitational. The senior is a mere 3.50 inches off the NCAA regional qualifying standard.

Earlier this season Howell was awarded OVC Female Track Athlete of the Week, following her performance at Troy's Coach `O' Invitational. Howell ran a school-record 14.06 in the women's 100-meter hurdles to win the event. Her time was OVC-leading time is 0.14 seconds off the NCAA regional qualifying mark.

Bean, a freshman distance runner, ranks second in the league in the 5,000 meters with a time of 15:05.78. The Soddy Daisy, Tenn., native is also seventh in the 10,000 meters with a mark of 33:37.90.

Bean was also named 2005OVC Men's Cross Country Freshman of the Year, after he was the top freshman finisher at the OVC Cross Country Championship.

Howell, Bean and the rest of the Samford University Track and Field team head to Cape Girardeau, Mo., for the 2006 O'Reilly OVC Outdoor Track And Field Championships on Friday and Saturday. All-OVC honors will be awarded following competition. The top-three finishers in each event are named all-conference.