Nick Wolk honored as ACC Men’s Cross Country Freshman of the Week

First-year Nick Wolk will race at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals over the weekend. Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

Pitt runner Nick Wolk was named the ACC Men’s Cross Country Freshman of the Week after an impressive showing at last weekend’s Tommy Evans Invitational in Akron, Ohio.

Wolk has quickly established himself as one of Pitt’s most valuable assets after posting a time of 20:23.1 in the 6.4K. He finished fourth overall and third on the team behind Panthers junior Aaron Lauer and redshirt senior Michael Runco — helping the men’s team take first at the event

This was the second race of Pitt’s 2016 season and Wolk’s collegiate career. A native of McMurray, Pennsylvania, Wolk finished his first race at the Duquesne Duals in third place overall and first for the Panthers with a time of 26:23.4 in the 8K.

“Nick has competed very well early in the cross country season,” Pitt men’s head coach Bryan Jackson said in a press release. “It is exciting for him to get this recognition. I know he has big goals for this fall, for this year and for his college career.”

The young Panther is one of eight first-year runners on the men’s team this season and was the first member in the program’s history to garner the ACC Freshman of the Week honor. The last Pitt men’s cross country runner to receive a weekly recognition from the ACC was senior Cullen Davis, who was named ACC performer of the week on Sept. 9, 2014.

Wolk and the men’s team will compete next at the Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Saturday, Sept. 24. The 8K race is set to begin at 1:20 p.m.

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