LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Little Rock graduate runner
Jordan Smith and freshman
Eva Tice have been named to the Ohio Valley Conference 2025 Runners to Watch list. The list showcases runners who have high potential for the new season.
Smith will be entering his second year of graduate school and looks to build on his first season with the Trojans. In the 2024 cross-country season, he ran in five races and placed second at the UCA Invitational before a stress fracture sidelined him for the remaining races and the indoor track and field season. Smith bounced back for outdoor track, winning the conference title in the 10,000 meters and finishing runner-up in the 5,000.
"Jordan had a strong summer of training coming into preseason healthy, which was the goal. He was injured through most of last year, so it will be fun to see how he performs. He has built a strong base through cross training and we know he is a strong competitor in races so I'm looking forward to seeing how he continues to develop as he stays consistent. He shows a lot of commitment to his training and the team and that has helped bring up his teammates in the process. He's looking to be one of the top competitors in the OVC this season along with his training partner, Shane, which will be fun to watch!," said head coach
Jordyn Naylon.
Tice joins Little Rock with an impressive résumé from Westmoore High School, where she was a four-time state qualifier in cross-country, a three-time state qualifier in track and field, and earned Athlete and Runner of the Year honors.
"Eva was our top finisher in our time trial and has shown early signs of being a great competitor as well. She has also been a great addition to the program in adding to our supportive culture along with her teammates. She's also been a great training partner and has been supportive through tough workouts with the team. I'm excited to see how she continues to perform and how her and the team continue to build each other up as we move through the season. She has a solid group of women she's working with that are all capable of some fun performances this season and I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out!," said Naylon.
Little Rock starts the 2025 cross country season on Saturday, August 30th, at the UCA Bear Invitational in Conway, AR.
The full OVC Runners to Watch list can be viewed below.
2025 OVC Runners to Watch
Eastern Illinois: Cale Smith (Jr.) and Rylea Borgic (Sr.)
Lindenwood: Isaac Ndiwa (So.) and Cadynce Shipman (So.)
Little Rock: Jordan Smith (Grad.) and Eva Tice (Fr.)
Morehead State: Aidan Massey (Grad.) and Abby Taylor (Sr.)
Southeast Missouri: Evan Fuller (So.) and Lexie Dockstader (Sr.)
Southern Illinois: Tanner Emerson (So.) and Kinze Shea (Fr.)
Southern Indiana: Alex Nolan (Jr.) and Hadessah Austin (So.)
Tennessee State: Robert Hooper (Sr.) and Sydney McGee (Sr.)
Tennessee Tech: Carter Bradford (Sr.) and Makaleigh Jessee (Jr.)
UT Martin: Will Douglas (Jr.) and Maggie Roy (Sr.)
Western Illinois: Robert Perry (Sr.) and Lydia Bennett (Jr.)
