True grit, hard work, commitment and dedication defined the October 2007 winner of the Hospital for Special Surgery/CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete of the Month, as Baruch senior men's cross country runner Matt Soja overcame injury to place fourth at this year's CUNYAC Men's Cross Country Championship.
"Matt is very deserving of this monthly recognition award from the conference," said Baruch head coach Jacques Noseal. "I am proud to have this young man on my team."
Soja has made his mark on the trails of Van Cortlandt Park and beyond during his Bearcats career. As a sophomore, he placed second at the 2005 conference championships; one year later, he became the first Baruch runner to win the CUNYAC title, breaking the tape with a time of 28:59.2.
Throughout the 2007 campaign, Soja had to work harder than he ever has during his running career due to an injury. Though his results were not the greatest by his standards throughout the season, Soja seemed to be building for a strong finish at the conference championships. Sure enough, at the CUNYAC Championship Oct. 28, Soja kicked his way to a fourth-place time of 30:08.4 on the 8,000-meter Van Cortlandt Park course.
"Matt Soja is one of the most committed student-athletes I have ever coached," said Noseal. "He is a very focused and driven individual both in athletics and academics. I see him succeeding in whatever endeavors he chooses."
Soja, who immigrated to the United States as a 13-year-old after growing up in Poland, has also excelled in the classroom at Baruch. The economics major has posted an astounding grade-point average of 3.976.
"I am extremely pleased to receive this award after going through my toughest season yet in running," said Soja. "However, in getting this recognition, it truly makes all of the effort I put in very rewarding."
