Proving that there is no end to an athletic career once one graduates from college, Hilbert College head cross country coach Nick Orlowski's passion for life-long competition was recognized when he was named the Buffalo News Runner of the Year this week.

The Runner of the Year series is a grand prix style competition sponsored by the Buffalo News.  Runners accumulate points over the course of the year in selected races.  The 2018 series opened at the Shamrock Run 8K in March and conclude with the YMCA Turkey Trot in November.  Runners are atomically entered for consideration and the race results are calculated by age group and overall for men and women.   The Buffalo News Runner of the Year honor is given to the top overall male and female runner each year dating back to 2001.

Orlowski opened the year with a 3rd place overall finish at the Shamrock Run (26:19) before he became the overall winner at the GBTC Grand Island Half Marathon (1:14:51) in May.  Orlowski finished second at the Tom Donnelly's 5K Hall of Fame and finished third at St. Greg's 5K Great Race as well as the Checkers AC Mueller Mile.

Orlowski, Hilbert College's cross country coach since 2017,  was a four-year runner at Niagara University and by the time he graduated in May 2015, he established new a Purple Eagle 8K distance record while earning a personal record in the 10K NCAA Division I Northeast Regional Championship.  As well, he was named NU's Most Outstanding Student-Athlete in the Class of 2015 and earned a spot on the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Academic Team (2011-12 through 2014-15).

When not coaching or out recruiting for Hilbert College's men's and women's cross country teams, Orlowski must fit his personal training schedule around his full time job as an Associate in Dopkins & Company's Assurance Services Group.