It’s always nice to be recognized for your talents. Dustin Wilson, a senior at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, was recently named the 2011–2012 Gatorade Pennsylvania Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.

“It’s quite an honor for me,” Wilson said. “It’s a great award. I really appreciate the recognition. I really enjoy running. I started off as a freshman. I worked on my running each year. Cross country has certainly helped me with track and field. I’ve competed indoors as well as outdoors. Coach (Paul) Hines has really helped me throughout my career.”

The award recognizes not only athletic prowess, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field. It puts Wilson in an elite class of runners. The 5-foot-6 standout raced to 13th place at the National Foot Locker Cross Country Championships this past season with a time of 15:29.4. Wilson won the Pennsylvania Independent Schools championship in 16:34.66 and earned victories at the Paul Short Run and the Briarwood Invitational. He finished fifth at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional championships.

“Dustin has a lot of talent,” Hines said. “He really dedicated himself to cross country and track. He started to improve as a freshman. You can see him develop over the years. He really sacrificed and worked extremely hard to become a great runner. He’s been successful in a lot of big national meets. He has a lot of potential. It’s been a pleasure coaching him.”

Wilson, a brilliant student athlete at SCH, has a 4.0 grade point average. He is the co-editor of his school’s literary magazine, a member of the debate club and is a student guide.

He will attend Columbia University in New York City in the fall. He’s excited about going on to the Ivy League school.

“I really enjoyed my visit at Columbia,” Wilson said. “It’s a great school in New York City. I’m looking forward to going there.”

Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .