University of Evansville cross country coach Don Walters announced on Tuesday that three-time all-state runner Jake Schwartz (English, Ind./Perry Central) will continue his running career with the Purple Aces’ program beginning next fall.  Schwartz becomes the first runner to join the UE program for the 2010-11 season.

Schwartz earned three all-state mentions in four seasons on the cross country course at Perry Central High School.  He garnered second team all-state honors as a sophomore in 2007, before earning honorable mention all-state honors as a junior and third team all-state honors this past year as a senior for the Commodores.  A four-time all-Patoka Lake Athletic Conference runner, Schwartz won the individual conference title as a junior in 2008, and has competed in the Indiana state meet in each of the last three years.

“Jake has battled some injuries during his high school career, but he has the potential to be an outstanding runner at the college level,” said Walters.  “He is a very smart runner with great leadership characteristics both on and off of the course.  I really think that Jake will be a great asset to our program over the next four years, both on and off of the course.”

In the classroom, Schwartz carries a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average at Perry Central High School, while earning awards in various subjects in school.  He hopes to major in electrical engineering at UE.  Schwartz will join a UE men’s program which will return 14 runners from this past season’s squad, including five of its seven runners from this past fall’s NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship meet.