#WETHET
temple Men’s cross country
teMPLe university
Location.......................Philadelphia, Pa.
Founded..........................................1884
Enrollment ...................................39,000
President .....................Neil D. Theobald
Director of Athletics.............Kevin Clark
2014 Men’s cross country scheduLe
date
Meet ................................................................................................Location
Aug. 29
Covered Bridge Open ......................Boone, N.C. (Appalachian State University)
Sept. 12
Big 5 Invitational .........................................Philadelphia, Pa. (Belmont Plateau)
Sept. 27
Ted Owen Invitational .....New Britain, Conn. (Central Connecticut State Univ.)
Oct. 11
Penn State National Invitational .........................State College, Pa. (Penn State)
Oct. 31
American Athletic Conference Championships. .....Tulsa, Okla. (Univ. Of Tulsa)
Nov. 14
NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional ................................State College, Pa. (Penn State)
Nov. 22
IC4A Championships.........................................Bronx, N.Y. (Van Cortlandt Park)
Nickname........................................Owls
Colors.........................Cherry and White
Conference................American Athletic
coAchinG stAFF
Head Coach...........................Elvis Forde
Phone ...............................215-204-8258
[email protected]
Assistant Coaches ...........James Snyder,
..........................................Steve Fuelling
seAson resuLts
2014 AAC Finish ................................6th
AthLetics coMMunicAtions
Contact..................................Kayla Cook
Under Armour® is the official outfitter of Temple Athletics. The originators of performance
Office Phone ....................215-204-3850
apparel, Under Armour has transitioned athletes into moisture-wicking apparel since
1996. Under Armour products are sold worldwide and worn by athletes at all levels, from
youth to professional, on playing fields around the globe.
Office Fax .........................215-204-7499
E-mail [email protected]
credits
Website .................www.owlsports.com
template and cover design by Kelli Sheesley, Karen Auerbach, and Kayla Cook. Additional editing provided
The 2014 Men’s Cross Country Media Guide was written, edited and designed by Kayla Cook. Layout,
by Larry Dougherty and Al Shrier. Cover photos by Paige Ozaroski and interior photography provided by
Mitchell Leff, Joseph V. Labolito and Paige Ozaroski. Published by the Temple University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
2
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
2014-15 TEMPLE MEN’S BASKETBALL
COACHING STAFF
OWLSPORTS.COM
2014 TEMPLE MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
head coach elvis Forde
Elvis Forde, who has a quarter century of experience as a head track
and field/cross country coach at
the NCAA Division I level, was
named the track and field/cross
country coach at Temple University
in August of 2014.
Forde, a four-time All-American and two-time Olympian, came to the Owls after spending a dozen years as the head track
and field coach at Illinois State. He had previously served 13 years as the head track and field coach at Austin Peay State.
A native of St. Andrew, Barbados, Forde has dedicated his life to the sport of track and field, helping student-athletes succeed not only in competition but in the classroom.
In his 12 years at ISU (2002-14), Forde was able to foster a successful environment, and coached many outstanding student-athletes including 10-time All-American and Capital One Academic All-American Brittany Smith, NCAA javelin champion Tim Glover, and two-time Missouri Valley Conference Female Student-Athlete of the Year Devon Williams, who
amassed 11 conference titles and set four school records and one MVC mark.
Named the 2001 Ohio Valley Coach of the Year during his 13-year tenure at Austin Peay State (1989-2002), Forde coached
four Capital One Academic All-Americans, an NCAA Outdoor All-American and three conference Student-Athletes of the
Year.
A successful runner in his own right, Forde started his collegiate career at Murray State, where he earned All-America honors as runner-up in the 600-yard dash at the 1982 NCAA Indoor Championships. He later transferred to Southern Illinois
Carbondale where he earned multiple All-America honors for the Salukis. In 1984, as a member of the SIUC 1600-meter
relay team, he helped set NCAA records during both the indoor (3:07.15) and outdoor (3:00.78) seasons. Named the Southern Illinois Student-Athlete of the Year as a senior in 1984, he was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 1995.
Following his successful college career, Forde competed in both the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, representing Barbados. He
was a two-time national champion at 600 yards at the USA Track and Field Indoor Championships and he still owns the Barbados national record in the 400-meter dash.
Forde owns a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from Southern Illinois (1986) and a Master of Science degree in athletic administration from Austin Peay State (1994).
Forde, and his wife Beverly, are the proud parents of two children, Chante' and Kevin.
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#WETHET
Assistant coaches
James Snyder joined the Temple Athletics staff as an assistant cross country and track & field coach in July,
2013. Snyder handles the day-to-day
responsibilities for the cross country
team as well as the distance runners in
track.
state poised to elevate the competitiveness of the Owls’ distance running program.
No stranger to the Philadelphia area,
Snyder is a Downingtown, Pa., native
and graduate of Downingtown East
High School. He returns to his home
Snyder came to Temple from Florida State University where he served as the operations assistant for the Seminoles’ cross country and
track & field program for a year. Among other duties, Snyder was responsible for managing the equipment budget, planning team travel,
assisting with home meet management, coordinating on-campus recruiting and assisting with the day to day administration of the Seminole men's distance program. Team accomplishments during the 2012-13 season included an NCAA fifth-place finish for men’s cross
country as well as an ACC Men’s Outdoor Track & Field title.
Prior to his summer 2012 arrival in Tallahassee, Snyder spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Appalachian State University, where
he assisted with both the men's and women's distance programs. The Mountaineers enjoyed wide-ranging success both in cross country and on the track, with both the men and women establishing numerous school records, NCAA East Preliminary qualifying marks and
Southern Conference championships and honors.
Snyder is a USA Track & Field Level I and II (Endurance) coach and was selected by USATF to participate in the inaugural Coaches Mentorship Program held in conjunction with the 2012 Olympic Track & Field Trials. A firm believer in the importance of resistance training
for distance runners, he is also a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning
Association and has received the distinction of Sport Performance Coach from USA Weightlifting.
Snyder graduated as the '09 class valedictorian from the exercise science department at George Mason University, where he was a multiple letterwinner for the cross country and track & field programs. In 2012 he completed a master's degree in exercise science (strength
& conditioning concentration) from Appalachian State.
An active researcher of sport science and distance runner performance, Snyder has presented his work before the American College of
Sports Medicine and the National Strength & Conditioning Association. Snyder has also had his work published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, as well as the International Journal of Athletic Therapy and
Training.
As a student he completed an internship with the United States Olympic Committee in Lake Placid, N.Y., and also spent three summers
working for ZAP Fitness, a Team USA Distance Running Training Center in Blowing Rock, N.C.
Steve Fuelling joined the Temple cross
country and track & field staff in August, 2014, as an assistant coach specializing in coaching the distance
runners. Fuelling came to Temple from
the University of Illinois in ChampaignUrbana, Ill., where he served as a volunteer assistant coach for the men’s
cross country and track & field teams.
During his time at Illinois the Fighting
Illini received their first national cross
country ranking in over 15 years. Jannis Toepfer earned All-Big Ten honors and also qualified for the NCAA Championships. During the
indoor track season, eight individual Illini entered Illinois' all-time top-10 lists. Outdoors, the distance crew racked up 21 points at the
Big Ten Championships, led by Big Ten 800 meter champion Joe McAsey (1:47.73). McAsey also earned second-team All-America honors after placing 14th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Fuelling graduated from Grand Valley State University (Allendale, Mich.) with a bachelor's degree in sport management in 2013. At
GVSU, Fuelling was a member of the cross country and track & field teams, where he was a two-time All-American and a 10,000 meter
and 5,000 meter NCAA finals qualifier. Fuelling also helped the team earn two third-place finishes and a seventh-place finish at the Division II NCAA Championships, scoring points for the team each year.
Fuelling is from Milford, Mich., and attended Milford High School, where he is a member of the MITCA cross country "Team of the
Decade" (2000-2009). He is also a USATF Level I Certified Coach.
5
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
2014-15 TEMPLE MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEET THE men’s cross country team
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#WETHET
2014 Men’s cross country roster
name
year
hometown
high school/Previous school
Jefferey Craskey
R-Fr.
Aldan, Pa.
St. Joseph’s Prep
Ryan DeBarberie
Jr.
East Norriton, Pa.
Lansdale Catholic
Owen Glatts
Jr.
Drexel Hill, Pa.
St. Joseph’s Prep
Praneeth Gottipati
So.
Plainsboro, N.J.
West Windsor-Plainsboro North
Alex Izewski
Jr.
Doylestown, Pa.
Central Bucks East/Florida
Matt Kacyon
R-Jr.
Whitehall, Pa.
Whitehall
William Maltin
Jr.
Harrington Park, N.J.
Northern Valley-Old Tappan
Christoper Miller
Fr.
Boyertown, Pa.
Boyertown
head coach: Elvis Forde (Southern Illinois Carbondale ‘84), 1st year
Assistant coaches: James Snyder, Steve Fuelling
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TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
2014 TEMPLE MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Meet the owls
2013 cross country: Red-shirted.
hiGh schooL: Ran cross country for the first time his senior year...Was a varsity letter winner
in track and soccer at St. Joseph’s Prep.
PersonAL: Majoring in actuarial science.
2013 cross country: Placed 41st at the American Athletic Conference Championships in
25:38.80...Competed in all seven meets for the Owls...Finished 57th at the ECAC Championships...Ran season-best 8K time of 21:27.03 at the Big 5 Friend Invitational.
2012 cross country: Placed 16th at the Friend Invitational with a time of 30:23.
hiGh schooL: Four-year letterwinner at Landsale Catholic High School in Lansdale, Pa...Named
Most Outstanding Athlete for the senior class...Two-time state medalist...Team MVP for cross
country as well as indoor and outdoor track as a senior...Qualified for the state meet in cross
country and outdoor track as a junior...Placed third in districts in track as a sophomore and
sixth as a freshman.
PersonAL: Majoring in criminal justice.
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#WETHET
Meet the owls
2013 cross country: Placed 43rd at the American Athletic Conference Championships in
25:47.23...Ran season-best 8K time of 20:46.63 at the Big 5 Friend Invitational.
2013 cross country: Ran season-best 8K while finishing 53rd at the American Athletic Conference Championships in 27:22.68.
hiGh schooL: Six-time letterwinner at West Windsor Plainsboro High School North...As a senior, placed ninth in the 4x800 at the NJ Meet of Champs...Competed at Sectionals, Groups, and
Meet of Champs...Placed second in the Mercer County 4x800...Medaled at Mercer Twilight, Counties, Sectionals and Groups...As a junior, placed second in the county in the 4x800...Team went
11-2 in cross country in his junior year.
PersonAL: Majoring in information science and technology...In high school, was involved with
the Red Cross, FBLA and Environmental Club...Was also a Junior Civitan Officer and Plainsboro
Township Volunteer.
9
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
2014 TEMPLE MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Meet the owls
2013 cross country: Placed 11th at the ECAC Championships in 26:19.6...Ran season-best 8K
time of 20:10.91 at the Big 5 Friend Invitational.
Prior to teMPLe: Competed for the University of Florida cross country team in 2011.
hiGh schooL: Finished ninth at 2010 PIAA cross country championship...Finished third in the
3K at the 2011 PTCFA Indoor State meet...Logged personal-best times of 9:24.36 (3200m),
9:03.45 (3000m) and 16:25 (5000m) at Central Bucks East…Brother, Josh, competed for the University of Florida cross country and track & field team.
PersonAL: Majoring in finance.
2013 cross country: Red-shirted...Did not compete...Named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic
Track & Field Team.
2012 cross country: Named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track & Field Team...Placed 37th
at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals in a time of 31:25...Placed 27th at the Atlantic 10 Championships in a time of 26:34.5...Was the team's fourth-fastest finisher at the Paul Short Invite in a
time of 25:51...Finished fourth overall at the Friend Invitational in a time of 28:06.
2011 cross country: Named to A-10 Spring Commissioner’s Honor Roll…Had Temple's fastest
finish time in the squad’s 16th place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional…Led the Owls at
the Paul Short Invitational (9/30) with a finish time of 26:35…Took a 66th place finish time of
28:07 at the Penn State National Invite (10/14) to place as Temple’s fastest runner…Ran Brother
Doyle Meet of Champions (9/17) in 26:59.83 to place 72nd in his first collegiate run.
hiGh schooL: Team captain…Went undefeated twice in regular season and invitational
meets…Two-time first place champion at PIAA XC Foundation meet…Two-time first place and
Leigh Valley champion and record holder…Two-time first place and District II, holds record…
Eighth place in National Elite PIAA State Meet…First team All-State Cross Country Team…Twotime Leigh Valley All-Star team MVP…Took 17th place at National Elite PIAA State Meet…Second
team All-State Cross Country Team…Fourth place Leigh Valley Conference Championships…Fourth place at District II Championships…Four-time Leigh Valley All-Star...Took 11th place Leigh Valley Conference Championships…Ninth place District II championships.
PersonAL: Majoring in film and minoring in digital media technologies, with a certificate in entrepreneurship.
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#WETHET
Meet the owls
2013 cross country: Competed in all seven meets for the Owls...Placed 46th at the American Athletic Conference Championships in 25:55.69...Ran season-best 8K time of 20:41.04 at Big
5 Friend Invitational.
2012 cross country: Placed 14th at the Friend Invitational with a time of 29:54.
hiGh schooL: Seven-time letterwinner at Northern Valley Regional High School, graduating in
2012...Earned Wendy's High School Heisman Award and YMCA Student-Athlete Award as a senior...Was also the league champion and led team to Sectional Championship in cross country...Named all-county in cross country and broke the school record in the 5k...Was league and
sectional indoor and outdoor champ as a junior and senior, as was the team...Also earned two
letters in soccer.
PersonAL: Majoring in civil engineering...Grandfather, Alfred Sappia, played college football at Auburn University and Stetson University...Grandfather, Charles Wood, played on the Professional Tennis Circuit.
hiGh schooL: Was the captain of the
Track & Field Team during his sophomore, junior, and senior years...A part of
the 4x800m team that placed first in the
Pioneer Athletic Conference Championship Meet with a time of 8:00.00 his
senior year...His 4x800m team placed
eighth at the District meet in a time of
7:57.95...At the PIAA State Championship meet his senior year, his 4x800m team made it to the finals and ran a time of 7:51.77, placing
nineth...A part of the 4x800m team that set a school record with a time of 7:51:77...Awarded the coaches award for outstanding Leadership and Performance at the end of his senior year.
PersonAL: Majoring in secondary education/history...Part of the Temple Undergrad History and Social Science Association (TUHSSA)
and Army ROTC.
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TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
2014-15 TEMPLE MEN’S BASKETBALL
2014 Season review
OWLSPORTS.COM
#WETHET
2014 season review
Juniors Matt Kacyon and Alex Izewski
lead the men’s cross country team with several strong performances in the 2014 season, and were the top-2 runners in each of
the seven meets that the Owls competed in.
The team started the season on Aug.
28 at the Covered Bridge Open in Boone,
N.C., placing 6th out of 11 teams. Izewski
had an impressive showing, placing 10th
overall and Kacyon finished in 33rd place.
Matt Kacyon
Juniors William Maltin and Owen Glatts
were the next top finishers, coming in at
53rd and 56th, respectively. The team then
spent the rest of the Labor Day weekend at
Temple’s first ever cross country training
camp in Boone, N.C.
Temple stayed home to race on Belmont Plateau for its second meet of the
season, the Big 5 Invitational, dedicated to
former teammate Roswell Friend. The top
finisher was Kacyon, who placed 17th in a
time of 19:05.8 to lead the team to a thirdMen's Xc
place finish. Izewski was not far behind, in
22nd place (19:21.5) while freshman
Christopher Miller placed 28th (19:41.3).
The Ted Owen Invitational on Sept. 27
was a highlight of the season for Kacyon,
who won the 8K race out of 135 competitors in 25:50.52, leading the men to a thirdplace finish out of 14 teams. Izewski also
had a strong performance, placing fourth
overall in a time of 26:13.43. Maltin also
had a top-20 performance of his own, placing 19th in 27:46.86. Kacyon’s performance
at the meet earned him the American Athletic Conference Cross Country weekly
award for Sept. 30.
The next meet for the men was led
once again by juniors Izewski and Kacyon.
The Penn State National Invitational on Oct.
10 was won by Temple’s Izewski in 26:20
and Kacyon posted a second-place finish in
a time of 26:29. Glatts was the next-fastest
runner for the Owls, placing 10th in 27:59.
Maltin, sophomore Praneeth Gottipati, and
freshman Jefferey Craskey were not far behind, in 15th (28:09), 16th (28:14), and 18th
place (31:55), respectively. Izewski’s firstplace performance earned him the American Athletic Conference Cross Country
weekly award for Oct. 21.
Temple placed sixth out of nine teams
at the American Athletic Conference Championship on Oct. 31, led by Kacyon’s eighthplace finish in a time of 25:23, earning him
all-conference honors. Izewski was the
next-fastest finisher for Temple, who placed
19th in a time of 26:07. Two other Owls finished in the top 50, led by Maltin in 31st
(26:26) and Glatts in 45th (26:59).
Following their sixth-place finish at the
American Athletic Conference Championship, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross
Country Coaches Association ranked the
Alex Izewski
men’s team No. 14 in the Mid-Atlantic Region, the first regional-ranking for Temple
since 2012.
At the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship on Nov. 14, Kacyon once again
paced the Owls, placing 20th in a time of
30:45 for the 10k race, earning him all-region honors. Behind Kacyon, Temple's nextfastest finisher was Izewski who placed
66th in a time of 31:54. Temple placed 16th
out of 23 teams at the regional meet.
In the final race of the season on Nov.
22, the IC4A Championships, Kacyon was
once again the top finisher. He led the Owls
with a 32nd-place finish in the Men’s Championship Division and finished the 8K race
in a time of 26:06. Two other Owls finished
in the top 75, with Izewski placing 32nd in
26:38.4 and Maltin finishing 75th in 26:49.6.
As a team, Temple placed 13th out of 15
teams competing.
covered Bridge open
Big 5 invite
ted owen invite
Psu national
4 mile
6k
8k
5.2 mile
8k
10k
8k
Craskey
24:57.26/85th
21:32.3/57th
29:19.95/55th
31:55/18th
28:56/71st
36:11/151st
DNR
DeBarberie
23:56.36/75th
DNR
28:19.98/34th
DNR
27:26/57th
DNR
DNR
Glatts
22:49.17/56th
DNR
DNR
27:59/10th
26:59/48th
33:21/115th
27:14.3/86th
Gottipati
23:01.24/60th
20:13.2/44th
29:12.40/54th
28:14/16th
27:50/63rd
34:30/142nd
28:29.6/117th
Izewski
21:17.67/10th
19:21.5/22nd
26:13.43/4th
26:20/1st
26:07/20th
31:54/66th
26:38.4/61st
Kacyon
21:52.35/33rd
19:05.8/17th
25:50.52/1st
26:29/2nd
25:23/8th
30:45/20th
26:06/32nd
Maltin
Miller
22:43.64/53rd
DNR
20:06.6/42nd
19:41.3/28th
27:46.86/19th
DNR
28:09/15th
DNR
26:26/33rd
DNR
DNR
DNR
26:49.6/75th
DNR
13
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
AAc championship
ncAA regionals
ic4A
2014 TEMPLE MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
2014 training camp
Temple's men's and women's cross country teams
participated in the program's first-ever training camp
in North Carolina over Labor Day weekend. After
competing in their first race of the season at the Covered Bridge Open, the Owls spent the rest of the trip
training at ZAP Fitness, running trails, and doing various team bonding activities.
"This trip gave the team an opportunity to get away
together, go to a place they've never been, and race
people they've never raced before," said coach
James Snyder. "We wanted to get off to a fresh, new
start this year. The trip made it possible to get to
know one another better while also laying out the
goals and expectations of the season."
Each day of training camp was highlighted with a morning trail run or hike through the mountains surrounding the teams' training facility; followed by team lunches, meetings, dinners, and bonding. The weekend allowed the team to get out of the city
and train on some of the most unique and beautiful trails the south has to offer.
The Owls spent Saturday morning running a trail in Virginia called the Creeper Rail Trail in order to take advantage of its flat
terrain. A short run on Sunday led the team to Trout Lake where they hung out and cooled off in the water together. The last
workout on Monday morning tested the teams' endurance and mental toughness as they climbed the Fire Tower Trail at Moses
Cone National Park, which was a grueling five and a half miles uphill.
Aside from the training aspect of the weekend, a lot of time was devoted to team bonding and learning from the professional
runners who live at the ZAP Fitness facility. The team spent their evenings together playing games, having campfires, and just
spending quality time with one another.
"The trip really allowed us to get to know the new freshmen better," said junior William Maltin. "After the weekend was over
we went from just putting a face to a name to actually getting to know each other as individuals. It was a great team bonding
experience."
Not only did the Owls learn about their teammates over the weekend, they also learned from the professional runners who
were staying at ZAP Fitness with them. "Living with the professional runners for the weekend exposed the team to the sport
at the highest level," said Snyder. The team ate healthy meals prepared by the chef at the facility and conversed with the pro
runners around the campfire in the evening.
"They sat down with us and gave us tips about what they
thought was important at the collegiate level and told us to always appreciate every opportunity you have because it goes
by so fast," said Maltin. "They gave us a lot of running advice
but also life advice, which was pretty awesome."
Even though each day started very early with a demanding
training schedule, coach Snyder said he was very pleased with
the teams' attitudes this weekend. "As we continue to develop
and grow this program, we want the right people who have
the right attitudes in order to compete and be successful at a
higher level."
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14
2014-15 TEMPLE MEN’S BASKETBALL
RECORDS AND HISTORY
OWLSPORTS.COM
2014 TEMPLE MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
honors & Awards
Atlantic 10 Performers of the year
Travis Mahoney........................................2012 Cross Country
All-American Athletic conference
Performers
Matt Kacyon .............................................2014 Cross Country
ustFcccA All-Academic track and Field team
Matt Kacyon............................................................2013, 2014
Mahoney Leaves his Mark at temple
Travis Mahoney (‘13) became Temple’s first All-American in cross country on Nov. 17, 2012. It was the second time in that
calendar year in which Mahoney had earned All-American honors, and he completed his career with a total of three AllAmerica honors at Temple after earning two in track & field.
The Old Bridge, Pa., native ran the 10K course at the 2012 NCAA Championships in 29:58.6 to place 37th overall.
In 2011, Mahoney redshirted the cross country season in order to primarily focus on getting back to the NCAA Championships performing in the steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
"I came back for a fifth year with three goals in mind: win the A-10 title, win the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional and be named
an All-American," said Mahoney after the race. "To be able to sit here and take in that I have done all of those things, I couldn't be happier."
Going up against the nation and even the world's top athletes, Mahoney felt privileged to be part of the meet. In what is
deemed the most difficult national championship among all sports to qualify for, Mahoney secured his slot on Nov. 9 by
running the 10K course at Penn State in a first-place time at the Mid-Atlantic Regional, setting him up to run against 31
teams and 37 other individual qualifiers.
"Having the chance to qualify to run at the hardest races you can ever run and to walk away an All-American, I feel completely satisfied to close out my career here and leave my mark at Temple University," said Mahoney.
In his Temple career, Mahoney was a three-time All-American, a seven-time Atlantic 10 Champion, a three-time A-10 Outstanding Performer of the Year and the Mid-Atlantic Athlete of the Year in 2012.
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