TROY, N.Y. - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athlete Noah Falasco has been selected as the Liberty League Men's Track Performer of the Year, it has been announced. The award was voted on by each of the conference's head coaches.

A senior distance runner, Falasco (King of Prussia, PA / Upper Merion Area) ranked first in Division III in the mile and fifth in the 5000 meters heading into the 2020 NCAA Indoor Championship. He was scheduled to compete in the mile at nationals, but the meet was canceled due to COVID-19. 

He began the season by winning the mile at the Utica College Invitational in mid-January with a time of 4:15.96. Two weeks later Falasco set a personal collegiate-best time in the 3000 meters, crossing the finish line in 8:18.67. That winning effort also took place in Utica.

His top mile time of 4:05.20 - which set the Rensselaer record - took place at Boston University in mid-February. He concluded the regular season with a pair of wins at the Liberty League Championship Meet, capturing the mile in 4:19.00 and the 3000 in 8:30.43. The industrial and management engineering major was named the Track Athlete of the Meet.

Undefeated against Division III competitors this season, Falasco was honored as the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Male Track Athlete of the Year in the Atlantic Region.

Falasco, who was fourth in the mile at last year's national championship meet (4:09.51), ran in six NCAA Championships in his career, earning five All-America certificates. He was 37th at this fall's Cross Country Championship (24:56.1) after placing eighth in the 1500 (3:52.27) and 18th in the 5000 (15:45.83) at the 2019 Outdoor Championship. He ran in the 2018 XC Championship (25:46.9) after placing fifth in the 1500 at outdoors (3:54.61). Falasco's first NCAA Championship appearances came during indoor when he was a freshman when he helped the Distance Medley Relay team to a National Championship (9:56.42).

This is the third time in the last four years a Rensselaer student-athlete has earned the Liberty League Men's Indoor Track Performer of the Year award. Grant O'Connor was named in 2019 and Ben Fazio was selected in 2017.