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** During the month of July EIUpanthers.com will take a look back at 13 moments, events or performances that helped shape the 2014-15 school year. **
 
Eastern Illinois Athletics had a pair of athletes win Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year honors as Cornell Johnston from men's basketball and Maria Baldwin from women's cross country earned OVC honors in their respective sports.   Both freshmen athletes were later named the EIU Male & Female Newcomers of the Year in the inaugural season of that EIU Athletic Department Award.  

Johnston was a catalyst for the EIU men's basketball team this past season as he helped the Panthers post only their second winning season since 2001 when the Panthers played in the NCAA Tournament.  This year's team was the first to play in the postseason since that 2001 season as EIU advanced to the second round of the CollegeInsiders.com Tournament (CIT).  Johnston averaged 9.1 points as he was named the Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year and to the OVC All-Newcomer team.  His 4.7 assists per game ranked third in the league while he set the EIU freshman assists record with 156.  Johnston set the EIU single season record for 3-point shooting percentage going 55-of-106 as he led the OVC at 51.9 percent.  He was the only Panther to play in all 33 games as EIU finished the year 18-15.  Johnston became the fourth EIU player to win OVC Men's Basketball Freshman of the Year.
 
Baldwin was one of the top runners on the EIU women's cross country team in the fall as she earned OVC Freshman of the Year honors.  She was a second team All-OVC performer placing 14th at the OVC Championships with a time of 17:59.98.  She participated in the NCAA Midwest Regional and during the season posted the 10th best 5K time in school history.   During the indoor track season she was part of the Panthers OVC Indoor Championship squad running the 3K and 5K during the year.  She posted the seventh best 3K time (10:05.17) in school history and fifth best 5K time in school history (17:33.87).  During the outdoor season Baldwin had the fourth best time in school history in the 5K finishing at 17:16.90.  She ran the 3K at the Indiana Billy Hayes meet posting the third best time in school history.  Baldwin became the third EIU runner to win OVC Cross Country Freshman of the Year.

Men's Basketball Home Page   |  Women's Cross Country Home Page 
 
EIU Year In Review
No. 13 – Akers, Blackburn Win OVC Coach Of The Year Honors
No. 12 – Women's Basketball Makes 8th Straight OVC Tournament Appearance
No. 11 – Three New Coaches Hired During 2014-15 School Year
No. 10 – EIU football players look to continue career in NFL and CFL