2017 All-Pacific West Conference Men's Cross Country Awards
2017 All-Pacific West Conference Women's Cross Country Awards

IRVINE, Calif. -- Leading the ART U women's cross country team to its best finish to date at the Pacific West Conference Cross Country Championships, sophomore Swann Phelippeau was bestowed one of the conference's highest honors in Tuesday's announcement of the All-PacWest Teams. Junior Giulia McIsaac and senior Jamie Morris plus graduate students Gatien Airiau, Freddie Hessian, Victor Moreau, and sophomore Marvin Thomas all received official post-season awards for their performances at the championship meet.

Taking third at the PacWest Championship, Phelippeau was named PacWest Newcomer of the Year and led the All-PacWest First Team while McIsaac and Morris each took home All-PacWest Second Team honors. On the men's side, Airiau picked up his second consecutive All-PacWest First Team selection, Hessian and Moreau were All-PacWest Second Team, and Thomas earned All-PacWest Third Team.

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.

A PacWest Runner of the Week (Sept. 5) after winning the PacWest Preview on the same course as the conference meet, Phelippeau passed two past two other runners in the second half of the race for third overall at a lifetime-best 21:35.6.

"Swann ran a very mature race and it was the best race of her season at exactly the right time," said director of track & field/cross country Torrey Olson. "I'm glad to see her recognized for this and her efforts throughout the season. I'm excited for what is to come for her."

The best races of both McIsaac and Morris' careers came at the PacWest Championships as well. McIsaac captured ninth place with a time of 21:54.9 and Morris pushed through for 13th at 22:15.6.

Airiau, a two-time PacWest Runner of the Week (Sept. 5, Oct. 10), remained among the top three throughout the PacWest Championship race, leading for the early portion before taking third overall in the end. He would post a time of 25:09.5. Earlier in the season, Airiau became just the second Urban Knight ever to receive USTFCCCA NCAA DII National Athlete of the Week honors for his top finish at Lewis' Conference Cross-Over.

Hessian and Moreau were less than a minute behind Airiau as they finished 10th (25:46.3) and 12th (25:54.8) respectively. Thomas moved up three spots from his 2017 PacWest Freshman of the Year effort at the championships, coming in at 18th overall with a time of 26:15.6.

Academy of Art sends these seven individuals along with its full men's and women's squad to NCAA West Regionals this year hosted by Western Oregon at Ash Creek Preserve in Momouth, Oregon on Saturday, Nov. 4.