2016 All-Pacific West Conference Men's Cross Country Awards
2016 All-Pacific West Conference Women's Cross Country Awards
IRVINE, Calif. -- Leading the ART U men's cross country team to a second-place finish at the
Pacific West Conference Cross Country Championships, graduate students
Joshua Thorson and
Gatien Airiau plus
Marvin Thomas were bestowed three of the conference's highest honors in Wednesday's announcement of the All-PacWest Teams. Additionally, graduate students
Kris Everett and
Pierre Fontanarosa, junior
McKaela Christenson, sophomore
Giulia McIsaac, and freshman
Jessica Wunschmann received official post-season awards for their performances at the championship meet.
As the winner of the PacWest Championship by a healthy margin, Thorson was named PacWest Runner of the Year and led the All-PacWest First Team while Airiau captured PacWest Newcomer of the Year honors with an All-PacWest First Team selection too. Thomas capped a stellar first collegiate season as PacWest Freshman of the Year and All-PacWest Third Team. Finishing 11th and 12th respectively, Everett and Fontanarosa joined their teammates as All-PacWest Second Team honorees as well.
Christenson, McIsaac, and Wunschmann each made the All-PacWest Third Team from Academy of Art.
A vote by the PacWest head coaches determined the individual honors and the All-PacWest teams were determined by the results of the PacWest Championship meet. The top-21 finishers received All-PacWest honors, with seven runners on each team.
Battling the elements in a mucky Hawaii course at the PacWest Championship, Thorson opened up an impressive 18-second game for the win with a time of 26:51. A four-time PacWest Runner of the Week (
Sept. 6,
Sept. 20,
Oct. 4,
Oct. 11) in his four regular season meets, Thorson won three of his previous four races including the PacWest Championship. He became the third Academy of Art male to win the PacWest individual title, following in the footsteps of
Valentin Pepiot and Amos Maru.
Airiau was a consistent No. 2 behind Thorson for ART U lineup all season, finishing top five in three of five races. At the PacWest Championship, he finished third with a 27:22.3 mark. Thomas, a three-time PacWest Freshman of the Week (
Sept. 20,
Oct. 4,
Oct. 11), delivered on the hype as the top freshman to finish the conference 8k. His time of 28:57.5 earned him 21st overall for an All-PacWest Third Team selection.
"It is an honor to these guys to be recognized in what is quickly becoming a tough conference," said director of track & field/cross country
Torrey Olson. "All three of these guys worked hard and put out a great effort when it counted."
Adding to the Urban Knights' depth this season, Everett and Fontanarosa claimed 11th and 12th the respectively at the PacWest Championship. Everett, a member the of All-PacWest First Team last season, finished with a time of 28:13.7 while Fontanarosa went 28:18.2 both for a spot on the All-PacWest Second Team.
The
PacWest Freshman of the Year two seasons ago, Christenson emerged as the Urban Knights' top finisher in their past two meets. After taking 10th at the SF State Invitational on
Oct. 7, she made it three consecutive top 20 finishes at the conference championship with a 17th-place result, crossing the line at 24:56.
McIsaac and Wunschmann were not far behind Christenson, coming in 20th and 21st overall to open the postseason. McIsaac posted a 25:07 mark and Wunschmann finished 25:09.2 through the challenging jungle course in Hawaii.
Academy of Art sends these eight individuals along with its full men's and women's squad to NCAA West Regionals this year hosted by Montana State Billings at Amend Park in Billings, Montana on Saturday, Nov. 5.
