BOONE, N.C. -- Appalachian State men's cross country coach and distance coach
Michael Curcio has announced the signing of Dakota Mendenhall (Winston-Salem, N.C./Forbush) for the 2018 season.
Mendenhall was the 2A West Regional Cross Country champion in the 2017 season. As a junior, he finished as the runner up at the 2A State Cross Country meet.
In addition, he also has had success and will provide a boost in distance events for the Mountaineers in track & field. As a junior, he was runner up at the outdoor state championships in the 1600-meter run.
"We are certainly looking forward to having Dakota up here on the mountain. We've watched Dakota mature over that last two years. We got to see his work ethic up close last summer when he came to our summer distance camp. He shows solid range with a personal best as a junior of 4:21 over the full mile," said Curcio. "At the state meet we watched the kind of competitor he is as he battled from the gun to a runner up finish in the 1600m. I think he will be able to step up the 8k distance to join a rapidly maturing group of current Mountaineers."
