Cross Country's Ndhlovu Named UNCP Student-Athlete Of The Week

PEMBROKE – After adding his name to the record books, yet again, in leading UNCP to a second place finish at the Peach Belt Conference Championships in Aiken, S.C., on Saturday, junior runner Pardon Ndhlovu has been named this week's UNCP Student-Athlete of the Week, athletic department officials announced on Monday.

Ndhlovu, a native of Zimbabwe, registered a time of 25:11.93 – the eighth-fastest 8K mark in program history – en route to capturing the PBC individual championship in which he out-distanced the rest of the field at USC Aiken's Pacer Path by more than 25 seconds, finishing ahead of second-place finisher and teammate Chris Schroll who crossed with a time of 25:36.99. The conference title was the first PBC cross country championship of any kind for the Braves.

The 2011 PBC Runner of the Year and three-time first team all-conference selection now owns eight of the 10-fastest 8K times in school history and has shattered the school record in each of his three years in the Black & Gold. An all-American selection as a freshman in 2009 and a two-time NCAA National Championships qualifier, Ndhlovu has turned in 15 top-10 finishes in his three-year career, including six individual event championships.

His time of 24:24 at the Charlotte Invitational in September broke his own school record of 24:28 set on Oct. 23, 2010 at the Augusta State Tri-Meet. That time had broken his previous school record of 24:35 set at the Great American Cross Country Invitational on Oct. 9, 2009.