MONTGOMERY, Ala. ---- Auburn Montgomery freshman cross country runner Zach Sollie was named the second recipient of the Army ROTC Athletic Achievement Award for the 2012-13 school year on Wednesday, for his efforts both on and off the course.

In his first year at AUM, Sollie has played a key role in the significant improvement seen by the men's team this season. At the Azalea City Classic, he completed the race in 28:35, which is the fastest 8K time recorded in AUM history. This past weekend, his time of 29:02 helped lead the Warhawks to a fourth place finish at the Warrior Invitational.

"Zach is certainly deserving of this honor," Head Coach Michael Gross said. "Even as a freshman, he sets an example for his teammates during training sessions and at the meets. I think Zach is going to be a great representative of both the cross country team and AUM as a whole during his time here."

In addition to his cross country responsibilities, Sollie will be working as a referee for the AUM intramural office this fall. He is also heavily involved with the Baptist Campus Ministry (BCM), which is located on AUM's campus.

Sollie was the Valedictorian for the class of 2012 at Beauregard High School, where he was a U.S. Army Reserve National Scholar Athlete and a recipient of the U.S. Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence Award. He is majoring in exercise science at AUM.

Criteria for the Army ROTC Athletic Achievement Award includes being certified for eligibility and involved in participation of a varsity sport; performance on the field or court during the previous two weeks; contributions to the team's success through their individual leadership skills, their commitment to teamwork, their extra effort during practice and their demonstration of sportsmanship; and performance off the field of play, including academic success, character and exemplary community outreach.

Sophomore women's soccer midfielder Krista Hagen, sophomore men's soccer midfielder Elvar Sigurdsson and senior women's cross country runner Katherine Toy were also nominated for this week's award.