PacWest Press Release
Phoenix, AZ -- After a strong individual finish at the 2010 Mills College Invitational, junior Cassandra Schumacher was named Pacific West Conference Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week. Her 6th place result helped lead Academy of Art University to 3rd overall in Oakland this past Saturday. In addition, senior Irinel Zamfir and freshman Kylie Long both earned places on the PacWest Weekly Top 10 Honor Roll. The honors were announced by the PacWest Media Office in Phoenix, AZ, on Monday, Sept. 20, for races contested on Sept. 17-18.
turned in her personal best (20:08) as an Urban Knight on the 5k Mills Invitational course. In three races thus far, the Sweet Home, Oregon native has improved on her time each week. Her 6th place finish led ART U and put her ahead of 110 other runners including three of the competitors from first-place Whittier.
“Cassandra just seems to get better every week,” Head Coach
Charles Ryan said.
Zamfir, who has now earned a PacWest weekly honor on all three occasions this season, crossed the line in 11th place as the second Knights finisher. Her time of 20:36 was merely a 10th of a second from the top 10 individual runners and topped the highest finishers from Cal State Monterey Bay, Holy Names, and host Mills College.
Long was the third ART U finisher after she turned in a 21:04 mark on the 5k course. Taking 16th overall, the Stevenson Ranch, California native has now bested her previous placements each week. Coach Ryan is pleased to find the entire Academy of Art University squad building on what they have learned.
“Kylie's performance was much improved and it's exciting to see [the team] moving forward,” Coach Ryan said. “They are learning how to run as a group and Kylie especially is inching closer and closer to the top of that group. The gap between her and Irinel is getting smaller every week. It's definitely nice to see a freshman stepping in and competing like that.”
For Schumacher, it is the first Runner of the Week honor in her career. This is the third Weekly Top 10 Honor Roll selection for Zamfir this season and the fifth in her career. Long has now earned two Top 10 Honor Roll honors in her freshman year.
