NEW ORLEANS -- University of Delaware men’s cross country standout Chris Bourke has been selected to the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Mid-Atlantic Region team.

Bourke (at right), an exercise science major from Media, Pa. (Strath-Haven High School), was one of 25 runners named to the team, which included standouts from all NCAA Division I schools in Delaware, West Virginia, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland.

Bourke completed an outstanding season in which he led the Blue Hens in five of the six races that he competed in and posted five top 20 finishes during the year, including a first place finish at the Delaware Invitational in September.

He earlier this year earned All-Colonial Athletic Association honors for a fifth place finish at the CAA Championships on Oct. 31 at James Madison and earned All-East recognition for a 16th place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships at Princess Anne., Md. on Nov. 14, just missing a berth into the NCAA Championships. He finished the season with a 19th place showing at the IC4A Championships in New York this past Saturday.

In addition, he also placed ninth at the Delaware Blue & Gold Invitational and 47th at the Paul Short Invitational at Lehigh earlier this season.

A four-year letterwinner and 2009 team co-captain, Bourke led the Blue Hens in nine races during his career and registered 16 top 20 finishes during he tenure.

He showed remarkable improvement through his career, improving from a 143rd place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Championships as a freshman in 2006 to a 126th place finish in 2007, a 68th place showing in 2008, and a 16th place finish this season.

Villanova dominated the All-Region team with six selections while Georgetown had five, Princeton and Navy each put two runners on the team, and Delaware, Maryland, Duquesne, Penn State, American, Marshall, LaSalle, Lehigh, Pennsylvania, and Saint Joseph’s each had one athlete honored.