Wingate's Mrochen Named 2023 South Atlantic Conference Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Wingate University's Bastian Mrochen was voted the 2023 South Atlantic Conference Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the conference announced today.
The South Atlantic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is presented annually to one student-athlete in each of the Conference's championship sports and is voted on by the SAC's Faculty Athletic Representatives Committee. The winners are selected based on their achievements in academics, athletics, service and leadership.
Mrochen, a senior psychology major, holds a 3.97 grade point average and is a three-time SAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honoree. He is a consistent addition to the Wingate Presidents List and the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll, appearing six times on each. Mrochen was recently named the SAC 2023 Elite 23 award winner for Men's Indoor Track and Field.
Mrochen's success continues from the classroom onto the course, as he finished 27th out of 393 runners in the Paul Short Run at Lehigh with a time of 24:34.0 in the 8K. The Paul Short Run at Lehigh University is the largest cross country race in the country. Mrochen was a member of the 2023 NCAA DII men's cross country national champion team, as the Bulldogs won their first-ever national title. Mrochen is a two-time All-Southeast Region honoree in cross country and as a co-captain has led the Bulldogs to South Atlantic Conference and Southeast Region titles for three consecutive seasons. Mrochen has compiled numerous additional athletic honors throughout his career, including South Atlantic Conference First Team honors, Wingate Cross Country Rookie of the Year, and South Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year.
The Liebenau, Germany native has been extremely involved in various service and leadership positions. During the summers and holidays in Germany, Mrochen works as a private tutor for high school and middle school students in math, English, and French. He participated in Wingate's One Day, One Dog event, volunteering at the East Elementary School for six hours and the United Way Day of Caring, volunteering to do yard work.
2023 Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete Finalists
Isaac Riggs, Lenoir-Rhyne
Nick Hallis, Coker
Tanner Smith, Catawba
Bastian Mrochen, Wingate
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