Aifuwa and Holton Named to the 2005 Philadelphia Inquirer
Academic All-Area Cross Country Teams

PHILADELPHIA (12/11/05) – University of the Sciences sophomore cross country runner Joy Aifuwa and senior runner Joseph Holton were amongst the 11 female and 10 male cross country athletes named to the first ever Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams.

Aifuwa (Edison High School/Edison, NJ), was the Devils top runner this season winning four of the five regular season races she competed in this season and placing third at the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference championships, leading the Devils to their first ever team title.

Aifuwa won the Delaware Valley College Invitational to start the season. After finishing fifth at the Kutztown Invitational competing against some of the stronger Division II runners in the region, Joy captured three straight meets, the Philadelphia Metro Meet and Belmont Classic, both held at Belmont Plateau, and the Goldey Beacom Invitational. Aifuwa became just the second USP runner to break the 20-minute barrier at Belmont with her 19:34 performance at the Metro Meet.

After earning All-CACC honors by placing third in the conference championship meet, Aifuwa placed 61st overall at the NCAA East Regional meet, leading the Devils to a 16th place finish amongst the 26 teams competing, equaling the best finish ever by a CACC school.

Holton (Archbishop Ryan High School/North Wildwood, NJ) was the Devils number two runner throughout the season, saving his best performance of the year for the CACC Championships at Belmont Plateau, covering the 8,000-meter course in 31:04 to place 27th overall to help lead the Devils to a sixth place finish. Holton closed out his college career competing at the NCAA East Regional at Lock Haven University, completing the 10,000 meter course in 39:02.

Both Aifuwa and Holton have also excelled in the classroom. Aifuwa sports a 3.63 G.P.A. while Holton’s G.P.A. is 3.33. Both Aifuwa and Holton have been named to the Dean’s List twice and are pursuing Doctor of Pharmacy degrees at USP.

Joining Aifuwa on the first-ever Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Women’s Cross Country Team are Carolyn Roberts of Cabrini College (Area Performer of the Year), Joelle Diener and Rachel McCormick of Rutgers-Camden, Claire Fawcett and Clara Sheets of Haverford, Claire Kim and Jamie Liberti of Penn, Carolyn and Rachel Papin of La Salle, Marina Muncan of Villanova and Arianna Stefanoni of Rowan.

Holton is joined on the first-ever Inquirer Academic All-Area Men’s Cross Country Team by Haverford’s Grant Scott (Area Performer of the Year), La Salle’s Terrance Coyne, Daniel Urban and Nick DeSantis of Rowan, Ryan Meyer from Philadelphia University, Cabrini’s Chris Sweeney, Ian Foley from Penn, Widener’s Pat Hayburn, and Wayne Hefner from Holy Family.

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