Jace Luckoski was named Southern States Athletic Conference Cross Country Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season during the fall of 2025.
Luckoski earned the award after another consistent season in SSAC competition, where he remained one of the top finishers across multiple meets and continued to serve as a key scorer for his team. The Athlete of the Year honor is awarded to the conference runner who demonstrates the strongest overall performance throughout the season.
Throughout the regular season, Luckoski recorded several high finishes at SSAC meets and maintained a steady presence at the front of the field. His performances helped set the tone for the team and positioned him as one of the conference’s most reliable runners heading into the postseason.
At the SSAC Championship meet, Luckoski delivered one of his strongest races of the year, finishing among the top competitors in the conference. His result contributed directly to the team’s overall placement and played a role in his repeat selection as Athlete of the Year.
“I wouldn’t be able to get out the door and run without having a team to motivate me. Just being with a group of people everyday for practice motivates me to train hard and work better. Everything I do, I do for the team,” Luckoski said.
Luckoski competed in every major meet during the season and remained at the top of the team’s lineup throughout the year. His consistency across multiple races and courses was a key factor in earning the award for a second straight time.
“I wouldn’t want to think I could’ve done better, so I give it my all. Leading up to a performance, I always tell myself in my head that I can do it so I will do it,” Luckoski said.
Winning SSAC Cross Country Athlete of the Year in back-to-back seasons places Luckoski among a small group of repeat winners in conference history.
Luckoski is expected to continue competing during the upcoming track season and will return to cross country next fall, with team goals centered on conference competition and advancement to the national level.
“[We] definitely need to win the conference as a team next year, and make a trip to nationals. For the upcoming track season, I’d like to place a few times at conferences and see the team place better than last year.” Luckoski said.
By earning the SSAC Cross Country Athlete of the Year award for a second straight season, Luckoski joined a small group of runners in conference history to accomplish this. The repeat honor highlighted not only his individual performance, but also his consistency across multiple seasons of conference competition.
