Amos Maru & Daveson Marindich

Men's Cross Country

Maru Named PacWest Runner of the Year, Marindich On All-PacWest First Team

2010 All-PacWest Men's Cross Country Team

For earning 1st place at the 2010 Pacific West Conference Cross Country Championships on Nov. 6, junior Amos Maru has been named 2010 PacWest Runner of the Year. Junior Daveson Marindich, the 2nd place finisher, along with Maru were both selected to the 2010 All-PacWest Cross Country First Team. The honors were announced on the PacWest Magazine Radio Show on Tuesday, Nov. 16.

Amos Maru PacWest
At the PacWest Championships, Maru not only defended his individual title from 2009, but the Nandi Hills, Kenya native also tied his career best. On the 8k course in Turtle Bay, HI, Maru turned in a time of 24:33.1 to match his personal record at ART U. He posted that same mark earlier this season at the 2010 Stanford Invitational.

The Urban Knights' leading runner in six races this year, Maru finished outside of the top four just once during the season. His 2010 highlights included the new career best against top Division I competition at the Stanford Invite as well as a 1st pace finish at the 2010 SF State Invite two weeks later.

Daveson Marindich
Marindich, the second part of ART U's one-two punch, had a career run of his own at the PacWest Championships. With several times just above the 25:00 mark this year, Marindich broke through for an impressive 24:37.8 on the 8k Turtle Bay Race Course. He topped his previous personal best at the 2010 SF State Invite by over 24 seconds.

This season, Marindich kept pace with Maru and consistently finished as the second Urban Knight in six races on the year. The top two results, both 2nd places, for this Eldoret, Kenya native came at the SF State Invite and the PacWest Championships to conclude the year.

PacWest logo
Maru takes home his second consecutive PacWest Runner of the Year honor after earning the distinction in 2009. Both Maru and Marindich also find themselves on the All-PacWest First Team for the second year in a row. This season, Maru captured three PacWest Runner of the Week honors to go with two selections to the Weekly Top 10 Honor Roll. Marindich was on the Weekly Top 10 Honor Roll six times in 2010.