NEW ORLEANS, La. (12/1/22) – As the Franklin Pierce men's cross country team gears up for the upcoming NCAA Championship meet, news broke that junior Wondu Summa (Burlington, Vermont) was selected as the NCAA Division II East Region Male Athlete of the Year. The announcement came on Wednesday afternoon by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) following the conclusion of the season.

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.

Summa recently claimed the individual title at the East Region Championships on November 19^th, finishing with a time of 31:27.7. Throughout six competitions this season, the Raven junior has never finished outside of the top-2, which also included a total of three victories as the top finisher. From the Northeast-10 Conference standpoint, Summa crossed the finish line as the runner-up Cross Country Championships.

Wondu Summa and men's cross country will have one last run for the 2022 fall season in the upcoming 2022 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships on Friday, December 2^nd in Seattle, Washington.