CORVALLIS, Ore. – Robert Swoboda of Corban University was named the 2023 CCC Men's Cross Country Rize Laboratory Runner of the Year, announced Wednesday by the conference office.
Swoboda, a senior from Ukiah, Calif., had an incredible final season for the Warriors, leading the team to end ranked at No. 14. He finished first in his second race of the season at the Oak Knoll Loop Run with a time of 25:01.7 against NCAA competition.
His next race was the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational where he took fifth overall against 244 runners and bested the closest NAIA finisher by over 20 seconds. He recorded a time of 24:18.1, breaking Corban's school record in the 8k set back in 2005 by nearly 20 seconds.
In his final regular season race, he took first overall at the LC State Invite among 156 total runners from top NAIA and NCAA D1 programs. He completed the 8K with a time of 23:54.0, achieving another personal record.
At the 2023 CCC Cross Country Championships, Swoboda became Corban's first individual champion, finishing the course with a time of 24:25.3.
At the 2023 NAIA Cross Country Championships, Swoboda became Corban's first top ten finisher. He led the conference with a fourth-place finish, completing the run with a time of 24:50.3.
In his final season, Swoboda racked up four CCC weekly honors along with two NAIA Runner of the Week recognitions. He was also named the West Region Men's Athlete of the Year by USTFCCCA.
The Corban University Warrior's received the CCC Team Sportsmanship Award for the 2023 Men's Cross Country Season.