West Orange’s Sebastian DeSimone runs in a meet for Gwynedd Mercy University.
WEST ORANGE, NJ — Gwynedd Mercy University junior Sebastian DeSimone, a West Orange native, was recently selected to the Philadelphia Area Sports Information Directors Association Men’s Cross-Country Academic All–Area Team.
During his three seasons in the Red and Gold, DeSimone has been a consistent finisher for the Griffins. He competed in all eight 2024 races and posted personal-bests with his finishes in the Bryn Mawr College Invitational (25th, 19 minutes, 33.50 seconds, 5K) and Lebanon Valley College’s Last Chance Run Fast Meet (39th, 30:12.2, 8K).
DeSimone was selected by the sport information directors from 30 institutions in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. He built on his personal 5K record at Bryn Mawr College Invitational with strong finishes at Jefferson University’s Philadelphia Cross Classic (27th, 33:09.4, 8K on Sept. 7), Stockton University’s Osprey Open (27th, 31:11.30, 8K on Sept. 14), the Penn State Abington Invitational (38th, 32:22.18, 8K on Sept. 21) and the DeSales University Invitational (95th, 30:36.4, 8K on Oct. 12), before capping the regular season with his personal 8K record at Lebanon Valley College’s Last Chance Run Fast Meet.
DeSimone concluded the season with a 39th-place finish (30:12.2) at the 2024 Atlantic East Conference Men’s Cross-Country Championship (8K on Nov. 2) and a 139th-place finish (30:48.0) at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Metro Regional Championship (8K on Nov. 16).
Academically, DeSimone is a three-time member of the AEC All-Academic Team (2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024) and a six-time member of the Gwynedd Mercy University Athletics Academic Elite (Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2021). He took part in the university’s Take Back the Night – a domestic violence awareness event – and made an appearance on Good Morning America in 2021, highlighting his role in the creation of an NCAA waiver that allows students with intellectual disabilities to compete in intercollegiate athletics.
Gwynedd Mercy University is located in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania.
Photo Courtesy of Gwynedd Mercy University Athletics
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