CHARLOTTE, N.C. — High Point University track and field freshman Famke Heinst has been named the Big South Women’s Runner of the Year, as voted on by the conference track and field coaches at their annual meeting.
The honor of Runner of the Year encompasses the entire school year, including cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field. Heinst is the first female Panther to be named Big South Runner of the Year and the second to earn a conference year-end award. Christine Rickert was named the Big South Field Athlete of the Year in 2014.
Heinst is the first High Point honoree for the Runner of the Year award and second overall Track & Field annual award winner. She was voted the Outstanding Women’s Track Performer at the 2018 Big South Outdoor Track & Field Championships, and was both the Big South Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Year and Freshman of the Year after winning the individual title at the conference meet in a time of 17:55.1. Heinst won six total Big South crowns in 2017-18, including the Indoor Track & Field mile and 3,000m, plus the Outdoor Track & Field 1,500m, 3,000m Steeplechase and 5,000m.
A five-time Big South Athlete of the Week honoree this past year, Heinst set the High Point and Big South Championship meet record with her time of 16:51.45 in the 5,000 meters, and re-established the conference and school standard in the 3,000m Steeplechase with a record-breaking time of 10:11.03 at the NCAA East Preliminaries on May 25. In addition, she was part of the Big South record-breaking indoor track Distance Medley Relay squad that posted an all-time best 11:45.81 at the Darius Dixon Memorial in February. In all, she picked up 15 event wins over the season (2 cross country, 5 indoor, 8 outdoor).