HPU’s Peachee Named Big South Track Athlete of the Year

Senior Dakota Peachee of the High Point University men’s track & field team has been named Big South Men’s Track & Field Athlete of the Year, the conference announced on Thursday. Peachee became HPU’s first NCAA Div. I All-American in men’s track this season.

Peachee, of Garner, N.C., closed out his collegiate career with a fifth-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Championship on June 7 in Eugene, Oregon. He ran an HPU-record time of 8:43.04, which is also the Big South Conference record.

To earn his spot in the NCAA Final, Peachee won his heat of the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Preliminary on May 24 in Greensboro, N.C., then finished fifth in his semifinal heat on June 5 in Eugene, Oregon.

Peachee had a stellar outdoor season that also included a win in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Big South Championship in a then-career best time of 8:51.00 on April 19 in Lynchburg, Va. He came back the next day to place third in the 1,500-meter at the Big South Championship.

Peachee also set a career-best of 3:46.45 in the 1,500-meter at the Liberty Twilight Qualifier and won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in a then-HPU record of 8:46.69 at the Virginia Challenge.