
Charles Toledo Represents Spartan Men's Cross Country on SSC All-Decade Team
MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Sunshine State Conference announces its 2010 to 2019 Men's Cross Country All-Decade honors, with former University of Tampa standout Charles Toledo among the honorees.
Voters named Fifteen student-athletes from six programs as All-Decade. Runner of the Decade and Coach of the Decade accolades went to Saint Leo University's Ronald Cheserek and Kent Reiber. All-Decade voting took place among the league's administrators and cross country coaches.
The 2010-19 SSC All-Decade awards include every SSC Runner of the Year from 2011 to 2019 and six athletes who were named Freshman of the Year during their careers. Additionally, four men earned three or more All-SSC First Team nods: Bobby Ormsby and Mason Jones from Florida Southern College and Rafal Matuszczak and Valentin Lenz from Saint Leo.
SSC Men's Cross Country from 2010 to 2019
Over the last 10 years, five SSC programs have hoisted the SSC meet trophy, led by Saint Leo with four wins and Florida Southern with three titles. FSC took home two regional championships (2013-14), while Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (2018), Nova Southeastern University (2012), and Saint Leo (2015) all have one banner. Six schools reached the NCAA finals site a total of 16 times over the past decade. Saint Leo made the finals six times, including five straight from 2013 to 2017, followed by Florida Southern with five appearances. Nova Southeastern made it twice, and Embry-Riddle, Florida Tech, and the University of Tampa represented the conference once.
2010-19 SSC Men's Cross Country All-Decade First Team (Listed in alphabetical order by last name)
Niclas Bez, Saint Leo (2013-16)
- Bez was the 2014 SSC Champion and Runner of the Year. He led the Lions to back-to-back-to-back conference titles, including the program's first title in 2014. Bez is a two-time All-SSC and All-South Region selection. He finished Top-10 three times in the SSC championship.
Ronald Cheserek, Saint Leo (2016-17)
- Cheserek was a two-time SSC Runner of the Year, two-time conference champion, and the 2016 league Freshman of the Year. Regionally, he has two USTFCCCA All-South Region nods, which follow his 2017 regional championship and 2016 runner-up performance. Cheserek is the only cross country athlete this decade to be named league Runner of the Year twice and the only one in history to win Runner and Freshman of the Year in the same season.
Mason Jones, Florida Southern (2017-19)
- Jones is one of four honorees to be named All-SSC First Team three or more times. His three honors came after sixth-place, fourth-place, and second-place finishes in his three SSC Championship appearances. He was a three-time All-South Region award winner and the 2017 SSC Freshman of the Year.
Moses Kirui, Florida Tech (2011-12)
- Kirui was named the 2011 SSC Runner of the Year after winning the conference title. He went on to win the NCAA South Region Championship that same year. Kirui was a two-time All-SSC First Team, All-South Region Selection, and NCAA Championship Finals qualifier.
Valentin Lenz, Saint Leo (2012-15)
- Lenz captured the 2015 SSC title and was named a conference Runner of the Year for his efforts. He went on to be named South Region Runner of the Year after helping the Lions to the title. Lenz is one of four honorees to earn three or more All-SSC First Team honors, grabbing the awards from 2013 to 2015.
Rafal Matuszczak, Saint Leo (2013-16)
- Matuszczak became the first USTFCCA All-American in Saint Leo program history after finishing 39th of 243 competitors at the 2016 NCAA Championship. He was named All-South Region twice and is one of two All-Decade team members to be named All-SSC First Team four times. Matuszczak helped the Lions win back-to-back-to-back SSC Titles and its lone South Region title in 2015.
Bobby Ormsby, Florida Southern (2013-17)
- Ormsby is one of two athletes this decade to be named All-SSC First Team four times and the fourth in FSC program history to reach that mark. He has four Top-5 finishes at the SSC Meet, including back-to-back second-place finishes in 2016 and 2017. Ormsby was also a four-time All-South region honoree and the 2013 SSC Freshman of the Year.
2010-19 SSC Men's Cross Country All-Decade Second Team (Listed in alphabetical order by last name)
Shane Bracken, Saint Leo (2018-19)
- Bracken was the 2019 SSC Runner of the Year after his victory at the conference championship. His efforts helped Saint Leo to the conference crown, ending a two-year hiatus. Bracken was also selected to the All-South Region team in 2019.
Shaun Bullock, Embry-Riddle (2018-19)
- Bullock became the first Embry-Riddle men's runner to win the SSC individual championship after edging out the competition in the 2018 meet. Following his title, he was named SSC Runner of the Year and First Team All-SSC. In 2019, Bullock finished in eighth and earned a Second Team All-SSC nod. He's a two-time All-South Region honoree and a 2019 NCAA Finals individual qualifier.
Chris Cacciapaglia, Florida Tech (2010-12)
- Cacciapaglia was the conference champion in 2012. Following his strong performance, he was named First Team All-SSC and conference Runner of the Year. Cacciapaglia was also a two-time All-South Region honoree.
Anthony Deleva, Saint Leo (2014-17)
- Deleva started off strong for Saint Leo by winning the league's Freshman of the Year honors in 2014. He proved consistent, finishing Top-10 at the SSC meet three times and helping his team win three conference championships and a regional title. Deleva was a three-time All-South Region and two-time First Team All-SSC award winner.
Carl Dunne, Saint Leo (2012-15)
- Dunne became Saint Leo's first-ever SSC Runner of the Year winner following his 2013 SSC title. Dunne, a two-time All-SSC honoree, was also named league Freshman of the Year in 2012. He was instrumental in Saint Leo's first two conference titles and only regional title.
Kevin Meagher, Nova Southeastern (2010-12)
- Meagher earned two All-South Region and two First Team All-SSC awards this past decade. He captained the 2012 Nova Southeastern squad, which won the university its only conference title in 2012. Meagher then led the Sharks to the 2012 NCAA South Region championship.
Calahan Warren, Embry-Riddle (2017-19)
- Warren captured three straight All-South Region honors from 2017 to 2019. He was an All-SSC First Team runner in 2018 and 2019, following a Second Team conference honor in 2017. Warren finished third place at the 2018 championship to help Embry-Riddle capture its first SSC men's title.
2010-19 SSC Men's Cross Country All-Decade Honorable Mention
Charles Toledo, Tampa (2010-12)
- Toledo won three All-South Region and two All-SSC First Team honors from 2010 to 2012. He placed second in the 2011 conference meet, helping Tampa win its only SSC Men's Cross Country title.