Cullowhee, N.C. -- The Western Carolina track and field team picked up a few more honors as Lexie Durban and Kwan Oates were named the Female Freshman of the Year and the Most Outstanding Men's Field Athlete respectively. Durban is the first Catamount female freshman of the year since Tayla Carter earned the award in 2013 and is only the fourth Catamount to earn the honor since Virginia LaCombe received the first in 1999. Oates is the first Catamount named the Most Outstanding Men's Field Athlete since Javell Brown did so in 2022. He's the fourth men's athlete to earn the award for WCU with six total awards spread over the four winners (Matt Evans 2x, Jared Johnson 2x, Javell Brown 1x). 
 
Durban's honor comes after a strong season, with the freshman Catamount ranking fourth and seventh in the shot put and the weight throw in the Southern Conference. She saved her strongest performance in the weight throw for the biggest conference stage, taking sixth in the event with a 15.17m toss which was the top mark for a freshman this season. She earned silver in the shot put with a 12.73m throw, putting up 11 points for the Catamounts at the conference championships.  
 
Oates was the top-scoring field athlete at the conference championships, recording 14 points and ranking ahead of three other Catamounts as WCU took 2-5 in the long jump. The freshman leaper finished third in the event with a 6.64m mark before taking second in the triple jump with a 14.06m attempt. His triple jump mark was the best by a freshman in the SoCon and the fourth-best attempt this season.  
 
The two join fellow freshman Ethan Long as the major award winners for the Catamounts this season as the Lakeside Park, Kentucky product was named the Heath Whittle Award recipient after recording a championship-high 20 points for the Catamounts at the SoCon Championships. Long finished as the individual champion in the 200m and took second in the 60m before running a leg on the second-place Catamount 4x400m relay team, helping WCU post 26 points across the three events.  
 
Durban, Oates, and Long will be back in action for the 2025 Outdoor Season, which begins March 27-29 as the Catamounts take on the NC-State-hosted Raleigh Relays. WCU will also make an appearance at the Davidson Relays on March 29.