by Director of Athletic Communications Luke Tracy 

RINDGE, N.H. (12/28/2023) – The 2023 fall season will go down in the history books for the Franklin Pierce University men's cross-country team which saw a list of top finishes and even a visit to the Division II National Championships. With the team success, was the individual accomplishments which continued to grow at the tail end of the season for the team's top runner Wondu Summa (Burlington, VT.).

In November, Summa was named both the Northeast-10 Men's Cross-Country Athlete of the Year and U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division II Men's East Region Athlete of the Year. For Summa, the prestigious accomplishments mark a repeat, as he won both awards in fall of 2022.

During his 2023 fall season Summa earned first place four separate times including the NCAA East Region Championships, Northeast-10 Championship, the UMASS-Dartmouth Invitational, and the Bruce Kirsh Cross Country Cup. The in-season success often caught the attention of the Northeast-10 Conference as he was named Athlete of the Week on three separate occasions which in a way acted as a prequal to his second consecutive Athlete of the Year Award.

The Northeast-10 Athlete of the year award is decided by votes casted by coaches across the conference. Similarly, the USTFCCCA Regional Athlete of the Year honors are determined by a collective vote from all USTFCCCA member coaches, and only athletes from member programs are considered eligible for the yearly awards.