Men's Cross Country Wraps Up Season with Annual Awards
12/14/2021 1:57:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Cross Country
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Mountain Hawks celebrated the end of their season by presenting their annual team awards. The men's cross country team finished fifth at the Patriot League Championships and twelfth at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional, which was held at Goodman Campus.Â
"We lose three seniors and two graduate students and I will be forever grateful for the commitment, trust, and passion they have provided our program," said head coach Todd Etters. "They faced unprecedented challenges over the second half of their careers and yet they remained positive and forward-thinking the entire time. They will be missed and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for them."
Etters presented Connor Melko with the team's Outstanding Athlete award. The award is presented to the athlete who makes the most outstanding athletic contribution to the accomplishments of the team. Melko had a sensational junior year highlighted by three PRs this season. He grabbed PRs in the 6k at the Lehigh Invitational (18:18.0), the 8k at the Lehigh Paul Short Run (25:00.5), and the 10k at the NCAA Regionals (32:20.7).
"Connor stepped up this year and was our number one runner in all but one of our races," said Etters. "I think he is still scratching the surface of what he is capable of and I look forward to watching him continue to develop."
Senior Kyle Burke was given the team's Scholar-Athlete award, which is given to the student-athlete who exemplifies the ideal of being a scholar athlete. Burke is a Computer Science & Business major with a 3.66 GPA. He is a four-time member of the Dean's List, five-time Patriot League Honor Roll selection, and a six-time winner of the Faculty Athletics Council Award.Â
"Kyle has done an outstanding job over the course of his career of challenging himself as a scholar-athlete," said Etters. "He has excelled in both areas and is proof that you do not have to sacrifice one for the other."
Nick Wilson was presented with the Coaches Award after facing some adversity in the beginning of his career. This award is presented to the student-athlete who made a significant contribution to the team's well-being in terms of attitude, improvement or special leadership. The senior had several strong performances in his last season as a Mountain Hawk including his collegiate PR of 32:48.4 in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional.Â
"We are proud of the way our student-athletes develop, and Nick is the epitome of that," Etters said. "He struggled early in his career, but once he got his footing, he hasn't looked back."
​​Follow Lehigh Cross Country/Track and Field on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
"We lose three seniors and two graduate students and I will be forever grateful for the commitment, trust, and passion they have provided our program," said head coach Todd Etters. "They faced unprecedented challenges over the second half of their careers and yet they remained positive and forward-thinking the entire time. They will be missed and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for them."
Etters presented Connor Melko with the team's Outstanding Athlete award. The award is presented to the athlete who makes the most outstanding athletic contribution to the accomplishments of the team. Melko had a sensational junior year highlighted by three PRs this season. He grabbed PRs in the 6k at the Lehigh Invitational (18:18.0), the 8k at the Lehigh Paul Short Run (25:00.5), and the 10k at the NCAA Regionals (32:20.7).
"Connor stepped up this year and was our number one runner in all but one of our races," said Etters. "I think he is still scratching the surface of what he is capable of and I look forward to watching him continue to develop."
Senior Kyle Burke was given the team's Scholar-Athlete award, which is given to the student-athlete who exemplifies the ideal of being a scholar athlete. Burke is a Computer Science & Business major with a 3.66 GPA. He is a four-time member of the Dean's List, five-time Patriot League Honor Roll selection, and a six-time winner of the Faculty Athletics Council Award.Â
"Kyle has done an outstanding job over the course of his career of challenging himself as a scholar-athlete," said Etters. "He has excelled in both areas and is proof that you do not have to sacrifice one for the other."
Nick Wilson was presented with the Coaches Award after facing some adversity in the beginning of his career. This award is presented to the student-athlete who made a significant contribution to the team's well-being in terms of attitude, improvement or special leadership. The senior had several strong performances in his last season as a Mountain Hawk including his collegiate PR of 32:48.4 in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional.Â
"We are proud of the way our student-athletes develop, and Nick is the epitome of that," Etters said. "He struggled early in his career, but once he got his footing, he hasn't looked back."
​​Follow Lehigh Cross Country/Track and Field on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
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