Watch the video
As the countdown of the top five moments of the 2016-17 season continues, USF cross country runner Alex Short finds his place at No. 4.

Short, a senior from Bicknacre, England, raced to the West Coast Conference individual championship on Oct. 28 at Tecolote Shores in San Diego's Mission Bay Park. With the victory, Short joined Cheyne Inman (2007) as the only other Don to capture the individual men's title.

"Any time you win a championship it is special, but Alex's win was incredible as he went head-to-head with several All-Americans and raced with such poise and confidence," recalled USF head coach Helen Lehman-Winters.

"Alex's victory at the WCC Championship was significant for several reasons," noted USF assistant coach Benji Wetli. "He beat a great field of athletes by executing his race plan perfectly. By winning on that day he really gained some further momentum and confidence going into the NCAA postseason where he ultimately was able to finish in the top 25 at the NCAA Championships."

Short was in the lead pack of two dozen athletes through the first 6K of the conference finale, and took the lead with 2,000 meters left in the race. He closed with an impressive final 800 to finish seven seconds faster than his closest competitor, earning the individual crown and helping the Dons secure a third place team finish.

"When he made his move and broke from the pack, you just knew he was going to walk away with the title," added Lehman-Winters. "Then of course, backing that up with his All American performance at nationals made it even sweeter."

The victory at the WCC Championships propelled Short to a fourth place individual finish at the West Regionals and a qualifying spot in the NCAA Championships field. Then, he raced to 22nd in the country to become USF's first male cross country All-American, to cap his time on the course for the Dons.

Missed yesterday's moment? Catch up here:
No. 5 - USF men's tennis defeats Pepperdine for the first time in program history