Rock Hill, S.C.----Wingate University junior distance specialist Luca Poppe (Zwolle, The Netherlands) is this week's South Atlantic Conference WePlayed Sports Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week, league officials announce from corporate headquarters. Poppe earns this recognition for the first time in his Bulldog career.
 
Poppe finished sixth in Boston University's John Thomas Terrier Classic mile run with his personal-best time of 3:59.97 Saturday. Poppe was the top D2 finisher in the 230-person Boston University field dominated by D1 athletes. His NCAA provisional time is the sixth-fastest mark in D2 this season.
 
What They Are Saying
Wingate assistant track and field coach Pol Domenech
 
"Luca Poppe's sub-four minute mile was a long time coming. He's been steadily building toward a performance like this…and it's rewarding to see this work come together on race day. This result says much about his commitment and his belief in the process."
 
"With his 3:59.97 performance, Luca joins his already sub-four minute miler teammates, David Holman and Mohamed Dahmouch. As of right now, only six student-athletes have broken the four-minute mark this season…three are Wingate student-athletes."
 
Checking out the '26 NCAA Division II mile charts
 
- Adams State (Colo.) senior Housem Hrabi leads the way with his 3:57.42 mark
- Wingate's Holman and Dahmouch are second and third, respectively
- Holman ran a 3:57.99 (SR) and Dahmouch a 3:58.96 at JDL Fast Track Dec. 12
- Poppe occupies the No. 6 spot with his Saturday effort at Boston University
- WU alumnus Titouan Le Grix ('25) ran the 'Dogs inaugural sub-four minute mile
- Le Grix ran a 3:59.15 on his way to the '25 NCAA mile run national title
 
Up Next for the Wingate indoor track and field teams
 
- Wingate will compete in two JDL Fast Track-hosted events next weekend
- The 'Dogs will compete in the Camel City Sprints Invitational Friday, Feb. 6
- Wingate will participate in the Camel City Distance Classic Saturday, Feb. 7
- The Bulldog men are No. 1 in this week's USTFCCCA indoor power rankings
- The WU women are No. 11 in this week's USTFCCCA indoor power rankings 
 
Wingate University
 
Wingate University is a lab of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina and offers 60 degree pathways, including 37 undergraduate majors, 10 pre-professional tracks and five dual-degree programs. Graduate students choose from seven master's and five doctoral programs. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a leader in healthcare education where nearly one in five undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 30 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 17 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.
 
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