ORLANDO, Fla. – The Sunshine State Conference announced its 2026 Cross Country Runner and Freshman of the Year awards, as nominated and selected by the league's coaches. Nova Southeastern's Andrew Youssef was named the 2026 SSC Men's Cross Country Freshman of the Year after putting together an impressive first season with the Sharks.

Youssef made an immediate impact in his freshman season, establishing himself as one of the top young runners in the conference. He started the year with a seventh place finish in the 5K at the Keiser University Flagship Invitational, running 15:42.43. He followed that performance with a second place finish at the Bobcat Invitational, recording an 8K time of 27:22.4 to help lead Nova Southeastern to a team victory with 21 points. His performance also earned him SSC Runner of the Week honors for the week of September 9-15.

Youssef continued to compete against strong competition throughout the season, finishing 41st at the FSU Pre-Regional with a time of 25:44.2. He closed out the regular season at the UAH Chargers XC Invitational, where he made program history by breaking the Nova Southeastern men's 8K record with a time of 24:47.83. The record breaking performance highlighted an impressive freshman campaign and helped solidify his place among the top runners in the conference. Youssef's strong performances throughout his first collegiate season earned him 2026 Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year honors, adding another accomplishment to his first year with the Sharks.

To stay up to date on Nova Southeastern cross country, follow the Sharks on X and Instagram @NSU_XCTF, or visit NSUSharks.com.