Ohio State’s Anavia Battle Earns Big Ten Track Athlete Of The Year Honors

By May 25, 2020 (12:00 pm)Sports, Track & Field

Anavia Battle – a junior on the Ohio State women’s track and field team – won Big Ten Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. 

Battle also earned the honor of the Big Ten’s Track Athlete of the Championships, becoming the fourth student-athlete in the past six years to sweep both honors. Ohio State’s Sade Olatoye received both field awards in 2017.

The Inkster, Mich., native became the second Buckeyes to earn Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year honors, following Christina Manning’s back-to-back awards in 2011 and 2012. 

The Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year won Big Ten titles in the 60-meter dash in a blazing 7.29 seconds and in the 200-meter dash at 22.79 seconds at the Big Ten Championships Feb. 28-29.

Battle became the fifth Ohio State student-athlete to earn the honor of Big Ten Track Athlete of the Championships after helping lead the Buckeyes to their second straight ring. 

Showing her prowess beyond the Big Ten conference, Battle also clocked the nation’s second-fastest 200-meter time this season at 22.66 seconds at the Clemson Tiger Paw Invitational on Feb. 14, breaking the facility’s meet record. That feat helped Battle garner Big Ten Athlete of the Week honors.  

During her first season at Ohio State, the sprints specialist earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year after her breakout performance at the 2018 Big Ten Championships.

Anavia Battle – courtesy of Ohio State athletics.

Additionally, Ohio State head coach Karen Dennis garnered unanimous Big Ten Women’s Indoor Coach of the Year honors, marking the fourth honor of her distinguished career. Dennis guided the Buckeyes to their fourth Big Ten indoor title and second straight after winning in 2011, 2015 and 2019.

Ohio State’s Sportsmanship honoree is Alexus Pyles. The Clarksburg, Md., native is an Ohio State Scholar-Athlete who specialized in the heptathlon and hurdle events. Pyles finished seventh in both the 60-meter hurdles and pentathlon at the Big Ten Indoor Championships.

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