Nov. 9, 2005

DAYTON, OH - University of Dayton junior Eric Contreras (Centerville, OH) was named Atlantic 10 Student-Athlete of the Year in men's cross country. The award recognizes Contreras' achievements on the course and in the classroom, and is voted on by the sports information departments from every Atlantic 10 institution.

Contreras has an overall GPA of 3.98 and majors in economics, marketing and Spanish. Other academic honors include twice being named to the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll and being on the University of Dayton's Dean's List for the past four semesters.

He is also the vice president of the Dayton Student-Advisory Board, and serves as a student ambassador to incoming students.

As a Flyer runner, Contreras has been a strong leader and an excellent harrier. He has been a model of consistency this season, scoring among the top seven runners in every race and finishing second for UD three times. Contreras also holds the 12th spot on the Harrier Heroes list with his personal best time of 26:05 this year at the Greater Louisville Classic.

Next up for Contreras and the Flyers is a trip to Bloomington, IN on November 12 for the NCAA Great Lakes Regional.