Award winning runner

JSU distance runner Lesley Binning was among the six athletes named Ohio Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete winners Friday morning.

She was selected from a group of 19 finalists -- among them, JSU punter Zach Walden -- by a vote of OVC Faculty Athletics Representatives. Honorees must have performed athletically with distinction, earned at least a 3.25 grade point average and conducted themselves in an exemplary manner. The award is based on achivements during the 2007-08 school year.

The other winners were Austin Peay's Carrie Burggraf (track and field), Murray State's Amber Guffey (women’s basketball), Eastern Illinois' Brian Morrell (baseball), Tennessee Tech's Bradley Thompson (football) and UT Martin's Andrey Yesipov (men’s tennis).

Binning is in her fourth year at JSU and has been the team’s No. 1 distance runner. She was All-OVC in track in 2007 and 2008. She was third in the 10,000 at the 2008 OVC Outdoor Championships after finishing seventh in the 5,000 meters at the Indoor Championships. She also holds school records in the indoor 3,000 and 5,000, and the outdoor 5,000 meters. In four years with the cross country squad, she set program records for both 5K and 6K.

In the classroom Binning has a perfect 4.00 grade point average in exercise science/wellness, health and physical education. She has been a recipient of the OVC Medal of Honor three times, the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll three times and the JSU President’s List three times.