TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Gonzaga's James Mwaura placed 138^th at the 2019 NCAA Cross Country Championships Saturday. The 82nd edition of the event was hosted by Indiana State and ran at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course.
 
Mwaura was the second-ever Zag men's runner at the NCAA Championships. He crossed the line at 32:16.2.

"Not what James and the Zags XC Nation wanted, but we are still proud of James Mwaura making the NCAA finals," Director of GU Cross Country and Track Pat Tyson said. "It was a valuable experience. You have to taste the mud and the grit to really know how to deal with the tough sport of cross country.  Like our team, he had a great season! He'll lead our team to nationals in Stillwater, Okla., next November. In the meantime, we get ready for indoor track."
 
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. His 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 won the individual title Saturday. The senior finished the 10K course at 30:32.7. Colorado's Joe Klecker was second with a time of 30:37.1.
 
BYU won its first-ever team national title. The Cougars entered the race ranked third in the country. BYU dethroned three-time defending champion Northern Arizona, who entered the race No. 1 in the nation. The Lumberjacks placed second with a team total of 163. BYU's total was 109, with three runners finishing in the Top-20.