Elite Distance Runner Mwaura Signs with Gonzaga
5/3/2018 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
SPOKANE, Wash. - One the top distance recruits in the class of 2018, James Mwaura signed his national letter of intent with Gonzaga University.
Director of GU's Cross Country and Track and Field Pat Tyson and Mwaura both attended Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Wash. Tyson graduated from LHS in 1968, and 50 years later, Mwaura will finish his stellar high school career.
"Wow we got a good one in James Mwaura," Tyson said. "This kid is the real deal! He was highly recruited by top-end Div. 1 schools and he picked Gonzaga! Many coaches consider James one of the top prospects in the country! He will elevate the men's and women's programs at Gonzaga like no other recruit before him. Our runners are incredibly excited about James being a part of our program.
"I'll tell you this, we are not just getting a runner, we are getting a young man who is chasing the American Dream! He told me he wants to get a college degree and make a difference in the world. The Gonzaga environment cultivates that mentality. I'm so pumped to help him chase his dreams."
After placing eighth at the Class 3A state cross country championships in his sophomore season, Mwaura cruised to first place finishes in his junior and senior seasons. He ran the third-lowest time ever at the state meet this past fall in Pasco.
Mwaura placed fourth at Nike's Cross Country Nationals (NXN) in 2017. He won the 2017 and 2016 Nike Cross Country Northwest Regional, and placed 18th at nationals last fall.
"I'm blessed to have the opportunity to continue my education and athletic career at Gonzaga," Mwaura said. "After meeting Tyson and my future teammates, I knew it was the place for me. Coach Tyson was the first person to recruit me, which meant he saw the potential in me before anybody else did. He's been very patient and supportive of me and my family since the beginning. I can't wait to rep the Zags on the cross country courses and track!"
On the track under Lincoln High head coach Andrew Fuller, Mwaura is one of three athletes in the nation that have ran two sub-nine minute 3,200-meter efforts in 2018. His 3,200-meter personal record is 8:51.62, while his 1,600-meter PR is 4:11.31 and he has run 14:48.30 in the 5,000 meters.
Mwaura won the 3,200-meter state title last season, after placing second in 2016. He was third in the 1,600 meters in 2017, and fourth in his sophomore season.
Following this year's state championships, Mwaura has been invited to run in the prestigious Brooks PR Invitational in Shoreline, Wash., on June 8.
Mwaura (pronounced em-wara) was born in Kenya, but his family moved to Tacoma when he and his younger sister, Patience, were toddlers. His mother, Sophia, played volleyball and his father, Stephen, played soccer at Kenya Polytechnic University.
