Gonzaga's James Mwaura is set to compete in the Men's 10,000m race for the second straight year at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. on Wednesday, looking to improve on last year's performance that saw him pick up Second Team All-American honors and qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

MEN'S 10,000 METER NATIONAL FINAL | JUNE 8, 2022 | 7:08 P.M.

STREAM | LIVE RESULTS

Mwaura holds the program record in the event with a time of 27:50.44 at last year's NCAA finals at Hayward, when he placed ninth with the ninth-fastest mark ever ran at the NCAA Championships. His best time this spring clocked in at 28:29.01, also at Oregon's Hayward Field. That time ranks 20th in the nation, per USTFCCCA's TFRI list.

Aside from his appearance last spring, Mwaura is only the second-ever Zag to reach Nationals after Troy Fraley's All-American run in the Steeplechase in 2017 and the first to do it twice.

The sophomore runner finished 12th in the event at the NCAA West Region Preliminaries with a time of 28:52.55, just making the cut to advance to nationals. He finished just seven seconds behind first-place finisher Abdihamid Nur of Northern Arizona, who crossed the finish line in 28:45.90. 

Several runners hit the deck late in the race, with Mwaura barely avoiding the carnage to close out the race and get just the place he needed.

"It was just a huge relief," Mwaura said. "Going into it, I was nervous because everyone in the race is amazing ... It's a huge accomplishment. I was so nervous, but I just knew I had to put myself in the right position."

Follow the Races

Day 1 of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships will be broadcast live on ESPN2, with a live stream on WatchESPN.  Live results will be available through GoZags.com.