Hayden Bunnell received the Charger Award for the Outstanding Male Athlete for the second straight year. This award is given each year to the male athlete who has extraordinary athletic ability and has contributed the most to his team, the College and the world of sport. The award is a token of hard work, good judgment, understanding and determination.
Hayden is a junior, who competes for both the cross country and track & field teams.
Hayden, who has been team captain of both teams for the past two seasons, finished off his sophomore campaign in a very strong fashion with high hopes for the start of his junior year. Over the summer, during prime off-season training time, Hayden contracted an illness that would have sidelined most athletes for an entire season. Rather than getting upset at what could have been, Hayden took the necessary time off and patiently made his return to the cross country course, eventually regaining his spot as the team's number one runner. By the end of the season, Hayden had worked his way back to the top of the North Atlantic Conference (NAC), where he placed third at the Conference Championship, earning himself an All-Conference First Team selection. Most important was the impact that Hayden had on the team's performance. The team was in a very tight race for conference runner-up and without Hayden's score, the Chargers would not have found themselves as a top-two team. In a season cut short by the effects of the summer illness, Hayden notched one individual win, three top-7 finishes and a 58th place finish out 366 runners at the NCAA Regional Race.
In track and field, Hayden has already qualified for both the New England and ECAC Championship in the 10,000 meter race. At this time, he is currently ranked 2nd in New England, 11th in the ECAC and 52nd in the country in this event. Hayden also placed first in that 10,000 meter race at Tufts and has notched two other victories in the 5K at Wesleyan and Fitchburg. He also has helped to the 4x800 relay team to a school record and a New England Championship qualifying time.
“Hayden's impact on the program is so much more than just the race performance and times that he puts forth. He sets the standard for hard work and dedication on both the cross country and track and field teams. Hayden's marks in the record books are certainly significant but I know that it has been his leadership and character that has left a lasting mark on his teammates.” – Cross Country Head Coach Lyndsay Bisaccio
