NEW ORLEANS – Following his victory at the Spiked Shoe Invitational on Friday, Sept. 7, Colin Abert (Easton, Pa.) has been named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I Men's Athlete of the Week on Monday, Sept. 10. This is the first weekly USTFCCCA honor in cross country for the Penn State men's program.
Abert, a senior, has begun his final cross country season donning the Blue & White with a pair of victories. He opened up the 2018 season with a win at the Dolan Duals (17:41.2) and then followed that up with a first-place finish at the Spiked Shoe Invitational (25:24.2).
Monday's honor is the second plaudit for Abert in 2018 as he was tabbed the Big Ten Cross Country Men's Athlete of the Week last week.
With Abert's title last Friday, he is the first Nittany Lion to win the Spiked Shoe Invitational in back-to-back years on the men's side since Eric Carter won three straight titles from 1985-87.
Including Abert, the Nittany Lions have had a USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week award winner in four straight seasons (Jillian Hunsberger – 9/11/17, Tessa Barrett – 9/12/16, & Tori Gerlach – 9/14/15).