SEGUIN, Texas - In an announcement made at Saturday's championship meet, Colorado College's James Settles was named the recipient of the 2023 SCAC Men's Cross Country Elite 19 award. It is the second consecutive year he has earned the prestigious honor.
The SCAC Elite 19 is awarded annually to the student-athlete who has at least a cumulative 3.25 GPA, at least 60 credit hours at his or her current institution and earns All-SCAC honors for that particular season.
Settles, a senior computer science from Claremont, Calif., currently holds a 4.000 GPA and took SCAC Runner-of-the-Year and All-SCAC honors with his first-place finish at Saturday's championship meet. In addition to earning the Elite 19 award in men's cross country last year, he was also the men's track and field Elite 19 recipient. His three total Elite 19 awards equal the three won by Trinity's Keaton Holt in men's cross country (2019 and 2020) and men's track and field (2021) and Trinity's A.J. Clark in men's basketball (2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23).
Two former SCAC student-athletes have won four total Elite 19 awards. Coloardo College's Megan Koch won three for women's track and field (2020, 2021 and 2022) and one for women's cross country (2021). Southwestern's Mary Cardone earned two in women's soccer (2018 and 2019) and two in women's tennis (2019 and 2020).
It marks the third time a Colorado College student-athlete has won the award as Adam Mahler took home the honor at the 2018 championship.
