MOSES LAKE - Holly Martin, a senior at Moses Lake High School, will soon be sporting the colors of royal blue and red.

Martin signed a national letter of intent Monday to enroll at Ohio Valley University (OVU in the fall) and will become a member of the Fighting Scots cross-country team.

OVU is a private Christian-based liberal arts school located between Parkersburg and Vienna in West Virginia, and is a member of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

"I am really excited for the opportunity," Martin said. "I owe everything to Childers. I never ran competitively before coming to Moses Lake High School."

Loren Childers is the coach of the Chiefs cross-county team.

"Holly has been a great true leader and a captain on the cross-country and track team the last two years," he said. "She has a strong work ethic and was really coming on strong this year."

Childers said she was one of the top girls on the team, turning in a personal best of 20.59 in the 5K.

"We're really going to miss her," he said. "There will be some pretty big shoes to fill once she gone."

Martin is receiving a partial scholarship ($20, 000 for athletics) and has also raised money to attend the university.

West Virginia is a long way from Moses Lake, but it's not the farthest place from home she's traveled to participate in her sport.

"I was a member of the International Exchange Down Under Sports team that went to Australia to run cross-county," she said. "It was a nine day fund-raising trip.  I got to run with kids from the U.S., Japan and Australia and raise $5,000 for school."

Her parents, Andy and Sherry Martin, couldn't be happier for Holly.

"We are so proud of her, the said. "We going to miss her, but it's a great opportunity for her to get a good education and to be able to continue to run cross-country."

Martin will be a running for the Chiefs one last time this spring.