Three months was all the time required to take Gonzaga's James Mwaura from disappointment to an elation he'd never felt before.

At the NCAA cross country Championships in March, Mwaura put down a 33:44.6 on a course that head coach Pat Tyson described as a "10K steeplechase," starting out aggressively but struggling to maintain the pace in the adverse conditions. Even though the Zags finished 27th in the nation in their first appearance, Mwaura was left wondering whether he had more in the tank.

As it turned out, he did. By the time outdoor track competition came around, Mwaura was running like a man possessed. 

After top-10 finishes at WCC Championships and NCAA West Regionals, a 27:50.44 in the 10K National Final in Eugene, Ore. shattered his own previously-held program record by nearly 40 seconds — good for a spot in U.S. Olympics Qualifying.
"We weren't expecting to go out there with 27:50 and get ninth," Mwaura laughed. " We were hoping 27:50 would get you at least top three."

But in a 2021 season that was one of the fastest on record — spurred by an extended offseason for training and lower levels of fatigue across the board — ninth was just fine, too. Especially when it was the second-best track finish in program history as a sophomore.
In the past, Mwaura has been compared to former Zags basketball star Jalen Suggs — an undeniable talent with program-defining potential that used to be thought of as outside of Gonzaga's reach. His sophomore year, he became the second-ever Zag men's runner to qualify for NCAA Nationals after a program-best third-place finish at the NCAA West Regionals, and the performance at Olympic Trials in June only further solidified his place as a national contender.

The difference between him and Suggs? Mwaura is here to stay, and he's only getting better.

"James has now put himself in a rare bunch of guys," Tyson said. "I mean, I think he's definitely one of the top cross country runners if he has a good day ... he may be the best if he has a great day."

The Zags find themselves in rare company at the moment as well, cracking the Top 25 in the USTFCCA National Rankings on Monday after entering at No. 27 in the initial preseason rankings. They return nine of their top ten from last season, including WCC Freshman of the Year Wil Smith and leading 2021 Nationals finisher Yacine Guermali, who joined Mwaura on the Preseason All-WCC list for a record three selections.

Of the Zags' nine leading returners, Ben Hogan (3000m steeplechase), Alex Walde(3000m steeplechase), Jake Perrin (5,000m) and Guermali (5000m) also reached NCAA Regionals in 2021 for track.

That extended summer track foray is the reason why Mwaura has held out of racing until this Thursday, when he's set to make his debut at the Dellinger Invitational in Eugene, Ore. The Zags have been dominant in two tune-up races so far this season even without his services, sweeping the Top 10 at the Clash of the Inland Northwest in Cheney and the Top Eight at the Cougar Classic in Colfax. but Mwaura brings something different to the group of harriers — a true frontrunner.

"You have to keep mind of the team perspective, but there's always times where you want to go out and beat individuals," Mwaura said. "I feel like as long as I perform well, the team's going to perform well — it's always going to help us.

"If I go out and chase people who are as good as me or better, it's going to be part of the reason we get a low score."

At Dellinger, the Zags will get their first crack at elite national competition, primarily from national power Oregon, which took last year's team title at track Nationals, and conference rival Portland, which has dominated the West Coast in the past but was bumped to third by GU in the WCC Championships in the spring. The Ducks and Pilots sit at No. 7 and No. 13 in this week's USTFCCA National Rankings, respectively.

"I think Dellinger will definitely show us exactly where we're at in terms of going against top individuals and top teams," Mwaura said. "It's all a part of racing, but we're excited."

Streaming for the men's race at the Dellinger Invite, set for 6 p.m., will be available on GoZags.com along with up-to-date race day information, results and more. Follow @ZagRunning on Twitter and Instagram for live updates.