Emily Goldberg, Staff Writer

The men’s cross country team season was capped off by the addition of another Moccasin into their Freshman-of-the-Year Hall of Fame.

Dean McGregor, a native of Fort Myers, Fla., not only was awarded the induction honor, but was also named a member of the All-South Region Team on Nov. 9.

McGregor has been running competitively for eight years. Having been previously awarded Runner-of-the-Week back in the beginning of October, he is now able to add another title to his resume; SCC Men’s Cross Country Freshman-of-the-Year.

McGregor finished sixteenth at the 2015 Sunshine State Conference Championship at Holloway Park on Oct. 24 with a time of 26 minutes and 16.1 seconds.

“I never let myself ‘expect’ to receive this award, or any award for that matter. That type of thinking breeds complacency, and especially in running, it’s never enough to just be content,” McGregor said.

McGregor is now the fourth Moccasin to take the SCC Freshman title.  He follows Robert Ormsby (2013), Chris Yanichko (2010) and Eric Larson (2008).

He proceeded to place 13th at the NCAA South Region Championship at Abbey Golf Course on Saturday, Nov. 7. Florida Southern College placed fifth out of 14 teams, making the Mocs two-time south region champions.

With McGregor placing in the top 25, he was one of the 198 male runners from 142 schools who took home an All-South honor recognition, an award given by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association of America.

“It’s definitely been a confidence builder for my athletic career, and my Facebook has been more active than it’s been in years,” McGregor said.

This was the fifth time McGregor has finished as one of FSC’s top two runners.

Senior Kyle Butler was the second Moccasin to finish his second collegiate 10K, followed by senior Anthony Pollizzi in his first 10K in his collegiate career.

As the Moccasins wrap up a terrific season, the runners reflect on how well they’ve done and what they can improve on for next year.  With a base of young runners like McGregor, the Mocs look forward to the future competitive season.

“I hope to be the best runner, teammate and example I can be. I hope that my dedication and perseverance will be evident in my personal results and my team’s success,” McGregor said.

 

Photo courtesy of FSCMocs.com