Female Athlete of the Year was presented to an athlete currently in the midst of one of the greatest careers by a Golden Eagle, sophomore women's cross country and track & field member Purity Sanga. Between this year's cross country and indoor track & field campaigns alone, the youngster claimed both Athlete of the Year and Athlete of the Championships between each sport.

She qualified for the NCAA Championships for the second straight year in cross country and posted the top four marks in program history for the 5K. During the indoor track & field season, she collected first-place finishes in each of her four events while guiding the Golden Eagles to their second straight OVC title.