Parkland High School and DeSales University graduate Matt Santacoloma recently completed his fifth and final season on the Bulldog track and field team. It was a super senior year that he will never forget. “I thought my final seasons competing at DeSales went extremely well,” said Santacoloma, who also runs cross country in fall. “Before the cross-country season, I was a bit apprehensive to continue to run for a fifth and final year. I thought I had given it everything I had and wanted to focus on finishing my MBA. I ended up taking almost the entire summer off, unsure of what the future would hold with running.” With the encouragement of several teammates and coaches, the former Trojan decided to run a fifth season in Center Valley. While he might not have been quite as prepared physically as he usually felt coming into a season, he turned out to be more than ready for the season. “Despite not having a great deal of training under my belt at the start of the season, I ended up with a PR at every course we went to,” Santacoloma said. “I raced a lot more relaxed and surprised myself every time I went out there. This easy way of thinking allowed me to achieve a new all-out PR in the 8K (XC) and helped lead me to a third-place finish at our conference championship. In addition, I notched my third All-Region finish in the last cross country race of my collegiate career. “When talking about track, I think that I achieved everything I could out of my final season. Despite getting Covid again (for the fourth time) during the indoor season, I stayed physically healthy from XC to the end of outdoor track. This allowed me to prepare more and focus for the outdoor season. I ended up PRing in my two primary events, going under 15 minutes for the 5K and almost breaking 31 minutes in the 10K, placing third in this event at the MAC Championships. This further improved my 10K time which was already second on the DSU top 10.” At the end of the outdoor track season this past spring, Santacoloma earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors in the 10,000-meters with a top time of 31:12.13 during the outdoor season. “It really means a lot to me,” Santacoloma said. “Being named All-Region in track is a testament to all the hard work I have put into this sport. After looking into it a bit more I also found out I am the first distance (5K/10K) athlete to earn this distinction from DeSales.” During the cross country season last fall, the Bulldogs won just their second MAC championship in program history and Santacoloma earned First Team All-MAC honors with a third-place finish. “Winning the cross country MAC Championship last fall was special,” said Santacoloma. “Not only because it was the second time in DeSales history (2007), but also because of all the people that were on the team with me. A couple of seasons ago, my junior year, we came up four points short of winning a MAC title. This was the closest the school had ever come since their last win. Not to mention it was also on our home course. A lot of the athletes on this past year’s roster were also on that team as well and remember the heartbreak we all felt. However, that outcome allowed us to push ourselves even more this past season. “Everyone worked extremely hard, from the freshman to upperclassmen, and to make it even better, our team chemistry was in perfect harmony. We all truly wanted to be around each other, which gave us an advantage that could not be matched. I am so proud of every member of our team because I know they all work equally as hard to get better. I have seen so many positive evolutions of teammates over the years which is the real key to accomplishing a great feat. Running is a patient sport, and you have to realize that an athlete might not be there now, but they will be there in the future.” Santacoloma was able to spend five years competing at DeSales due to the extra year that the NCAA provided because of CoVID-19. So what did that time in Center Valley mean to him? “My time at DeSales has been nothing short of amazing,” Santacoloma said. “Throughout my five years I have made many lifelong connections, whether it be with the professors, staff, classmates or fellow team members. I can honestly say that several people from each category had an impact on my life one way or another. Additionally, having a program such as the 4+1 MBA has allowed me to graduate with a master’s degree at 22 years old.” It may feel like a little while ago now, but being a student-athlete at Parkland was something he’ll never forget and shaped him to have the success he had at DeSales. “My time as a student-athlete at Parkland helped prepare me for college because of the large class size that the school has,” said Santacoloma. “It allowed me to ease into a large team much easier than other teammates that came from smaller high schools. Another key area would be all the cross-country coaches I had during my time there. Loretta and Steve Dodson, Rick Grab, Chip Carnes and Courtney David provided me with the guidance I needed to have success in this sport. They made sure that I was working hard, but not overworking to the point that I could not succeed in the future. It is now, through more mature eyes, that I recognize the work ethic they instilled in me.”