Ole Miss’ Feldmeier Named SEC Freshman Runner of the Year

She wasn’t even an 800-meter runner when she was recruited to join the Ole Miss track & field team.

But Brooke Feldmeier has transitioned to her new college event remarkably well and was voted the 2015 Southeastern Conference Women’s Indoor Freshman Runner of the Year by the league coaches, as announced Monday.

A standout multi-eventer in her high school days in Olympia, Washington, Feldmeier has become one of the nation’s best collegiate 800-meter runners in her first year with the Rebels. She was runner-up at the SEC Championships with a school-record time of 2:04.34 and did so by surging from sixth place to second during the final lap of the race.

Feldmeier is the nation’s top freshman in the 800, ranking second in the SEC and ninth nationally in the event this season.

She also broke the Ole Miss 600-meter record earlier this year (1:28.42). Both the 800 and 600 records were formerly held by All-American Sofie Persson.

This continues an impressive string of SEC postseason awards for the Rebels under head coach Brian O’Neal. Previous award winners include:

– 2014 SEC Men’s Cross Country Co-Freshman of the Year: Sean Tobin

– 2014 SEC Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year: Ricky Robertson

– 2014 SEC Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Year: Sam Kendricks

– 2014 SEC Men’s Co-Freshman Runner of the Year: Sean Tobin

– 2013 SEC Men’s Outdoor Runner of the Year: Isiah Young

Feldmeier will compete at this weekend’s NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, alongside teammates Fabia McDonald (pentathlon), Jalen Miller (60 meters) and Phillip Young (triple jump).

For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissTrack and on Facebook at Ole Miss Track. And follow Coach O’Neal at @CoachBrianOneal.

2015 SEC Indoor Track and Field Awards

Men’s Runner of the Year: Omar McLeod, Arkansas

Men’s Field Athlete of the Year: Marquis Dendy, Florida

Men’s Freshman Runner of the Year: Christian Coleman, Tennessee

Men’s Freshman Field Athlete of the Year: KeAndre Bates, Florida

Women’s Co-Runners of the Year: Dominique Scott, Arkansas and Remona Burchell, Alabama

Women’s Co-Field Athletes of the Year: Sandi Morris, Arkansas and Erica Bougard, Mississippi State

Women’s Freshman Runner of the Year: Brooke Feldmeier, Ole Miss

Women’s Freshman Field Athlete of the Year: Keturah Orji, Georgia

Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Maicel Uibo, Georgia

Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Sandi Morris, Arkansas

Men’s Coach of the Year: Mike Holloway, Florida

Women’s Coach of the Year: Lance Harter, Arkansas

Courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics