Cross-country runners Michael Melchert and Tess Wilberding earned honors as the Hawkeyes’ Student-Athletes of the Month on Oct. 6.
Receiving an award given to those athletes who put in the time and effort in competition as well as the classroom, Melchert and Wilberding led in their peers’ votes.
Melchert started off the 2016 season with a bang, breaking the 6,000-meter record at the Hawkeye Invitational. Since then, the Monticello native proved himself to be a consistent scorer and one of the fastest Hawkeyes on the team.
Senior Wilberding, a senior, has been the top finisher on the women’s team in every meet this season. Recently, she finished second overall in the Regional Preview at Carver-Hawkeye. At the Hawkeye Invitational, she won her first meet at the college level.
Melchert, Wilberding, and the rest of the Hawkeye cross-country team will compete in Terre Haute, Indiana, for the Pre-Nationals on Oct. 15.
— by Adam Hensley