PacWest Release

Phoenix, AZ – In the squad's final meet before the Pacific West Conference Championships on Nov. 6, three members of the Academy of Art University men's cross country team were chosen to the PacWest Weekly Top 10 Honor Roll. Juniors Amos Maru and Daveson Marindich placed in the top six at the 2010 Western Washington University Cross Country Classic while junior Simon Mutai ran a stellar race in his first competition of the year. The honors were announced by the PacWest Media Office in Phoenix, AZ, on Monday, Oct. 25, for races contested on Oct. 23.


Running a 10k race instead of the usual 8k, Maru still managed to push his way into the 4th spot overall on Saturday. The Nandi Hills, Kenya native turned in a time of 31:30.7 and was just seconds back of the top runner from #11 Western Washington. Maru helped ART U become one of three countable schools (#9 Alaska Anchorage and WWU) placing runners in the top 10.

With Maru and the other top runners in his sights, Marindich finished 6th and posted a time of 31:44.2. This was Marindich's first 10k run as well as the first in ART U program history and on a hard-pack gravel surface no less. The performance put him ahead of the third qualifiers for Western Washington and Alaska Anchorage and a full 30 seconds in front of the top finisher from Saint Martin's.

Mutai returned Saturday to make his 2010 debut for the Urban Knights after an injury had held him out. The Nakuru, Kenya native responded well to the added distance of a 10k race, placing 43rd overall as the third Academy of Art University finisher. Mutai came through with a time of 34:54.9 that put him just tenths of a second behind another Western Washington competitor and ahead of two runners from Humboldt State.



The Weekly Top 10 honor is Maru's second of 2010 and the fourth of his career. Marindich earns his fifth selection the season and his ninth overall at ART U. Finally, Mutai takes home his first honor this year and the third in his career.