SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga's James Mwaura will be the second-ever Zag men's runner at the NCAA Championships, when the race starts Saturday morning at 9:15 a.m. Pacific Time. The 82^nd edition of the event will be hosted by Indiana State and run at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course located in Terre Haute, Ind.
 
Mwaura had the best-ever finish by a Zag at the NCAA West Regionals, crossing the line in third, with a time of 29:53.2. The sophomore was only the second GU men's runner to ever qualify for nationals. Matthew Crichlow was the first in 2015, after placing 18th at regionals.
 
Crichlow was the first Gonzaga men's runner to be named All-Region, last season Mwaura was the second after becoming the first Zag to run a sub-30-minute 10K, setting a new 10k program record at 29:48.9. Mwaura repeated the All-Region honor this season with his regional finish.
 
At the 2015 NCAA Championships in Louisville, Ky., Crichlow climbed 34 spots over the final 5,000 meters to finish in 134th place. The senior's time of 31:16.8 was a personal record by 16 seconds. The 2015 Championships was a historic one for GU, as Crichlow was not only the first men's runner at the event, but the Bulldog women placed 25th in their first-ever appearance, guided by an 82^nd-place finish from Shelby Mills.
 
This year, Mwaura has continued his phenomenal young career at Gonzaga. He opened the season by defending his individual title at the Cougar Classic in Colfax. Then against national competition, placed eighth at the Joe Piane Invitational in Notre Dame, Ind., before crossing the line in 15^th at the Nuttycombe Invitational in Madison, Wis. He broke the program's 8K record at the Joe Piane Invitational with a time of 23:30. He was tabbed All-Conference for the second straight season, following a fourth-place finish at the West Coast Conference Championships.
 
Iowa State's Edwin Kurgat is one of the favorites for the individual title. He placed third at last year's national championships and won the Nuttycombe Invitational this season by ten seconds with a time of 23:39.4. Kurgat then went on to win the Big 12 Conference title and the Midwest Region title. Alabama's duo of Vincent Kiprop and Gilbert Kigen will also contend for the individual crown. Kiprop won the Joe Piane Invitational (23:09.88) and the SEC Championships before finishing just behind Kigen at the regional meet.
 
Mwaura will run out Box 27 in the middle of the field assignments. NCAA cross country fans not in attendance can watch live and on-demand content and coverage of the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships on FloTrack.org. Live coverage of the NCAA Championships will be available starting at 8 a.m. Pacific time until the conclusion of the awards ceremony.