Bak Selected as Trinity's Top Senior Male Athlete and Scholar Athlete

Bak Selected as Trinity's Top Senior
Male Athlete and Scholar Athlete

Hartford, Conn., June 11 - Trinity College men’s cross country co-captain and men’s indoor and outdoor track and field tri-captain Ryan Bak (Suffield, Conn.) was named the recipient of the 2002-03 George Sheldon McCook Trophy as the College’s top senior male athlete. He was also selected as the 2002-03 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Award as the College’s outstanding senior male scholar athlete. Bak was honored by the College earlier this spring at its annual sports awards luncheon.

Ryan Bak '03

Bak finishes his intercollegiate career as the premier runner in Trinity history. He holds the all-time Trinity record for the 5-mile cross country race (23:59), and the College’s all-time track and field records in the 800 meters (1:51.55), 1,000 meters (2:24.42), 1,500 meters (3:44.61), mile (4:01.45), 3,000 meters (8:19.48), and 5,000 meters (14:00.53). Bak won the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship title this fall and the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter championship titles in 2001-02 and 2002-03, respectively. He was named the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Runner of the Year for the 2002-03, and as this year’s top male collegiate athlete in Connecticut by the State’s Sportswriters Alliance.

Summarizing Bak’s other accomplishments in cross country, he earned All-American and All-New England honors twice, All-New England Division III honors twice (2002 New England Division III Champion), and All-New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) honors twice (NESCAC Champion and Performer of the Year in 2001 and 2002). In 2001, Bak helped Trinity qualify as a team (he also qualified individually) for the NCAA Division III National Championships for the only time in its history.

In the winter track seasons, Bak was an All-American three times in five events, an All-New England Open selection twice (3,000-meter champion in 2001-02), an All-New England Division III selection four times in six events (1,500-meter champion in 2001-02 and 2002-03, 1,000-meter champion in 2002-03), and an All-ECAC selection twice (1,000-meter champion in 2001-02). He was the New England Division III Runner of the Year as a junior and a senior.

In outdoor track, Bak was an All-American three times in five events, an All-New England Open selection in 2003, an All-New England Division III selection three times in five events (800-meter champion in 2002, 1,500-meter champion in 2003), an All-ECAC selection twice (1,500-meter champion in 2000-01), and an All-NESCAC selection three times (1,500-meter champion in 2001 and 2002).

Bak distinguished himself academically as well at Trinity, earning the College’s Junior Male Scholar Athlete Award in 2002 and its Senior Male Scholar Athlete Award this year. He was a NESCAC All-Academic selection in six different seasons and a United States Track Coaches Association (USTCA) National All-Academic selection the last two years. Bak attended Suffield High School and graduated this spring with a 3.71 grade point average as an economics and political science major at Trinity. He is the son of Waldemar and Denise Bak.