Willard and Aifuwa named ECAC Division II Runners of the Week

Philadelphia. Pa. (September 12, 2007) – University of the Sciences in Philadelphia cross country runners Matt Willard and Joy Aifuwa added another honor to their resume this week when they were named the ECAC Division II Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Runners of the Week.

The ECAC is the nation's largest athletic and the only multi-divisional conference in the country with 321 Divisions I, II, and III colleges and universities. The ECAC stretches from Maine to Georgia and westerly to Illinois. Established in 1938, the ECAC, a non-profit service organization, sponsors 98 championships in 37 men's and women's sports . ECAC Division II consists of 41 schools from the Northeast Region conferences (Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC), Northeast-10 Conference, and East Coast Conference (ECC)) as well as some members of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.

Willard (Cardinal O’ Hara High School/Springfield, Pa.) helped lead the USP men to a fourth place finish at Saturday’s Maroon and Gold Invitational at Kutztown University. Competing against runners from nationally ranked Lock Haven University (#19) and regionally ranked Kutztown, Willard, a sophomore, placed 15th overall with a time of 28:48.66. His efforts earned him CACC Runner of the Week honors earlier this week.

Aifuwa (Edison High School/Edison, N.J.), finished in fourth place overall against runners from Kutztown (#12 nationally) and regionally ranked Lock Haven, completing the 6,000-meter course in 24:54.08. Two of the three runners finishing ahead of her were on the 2006 All-Region Team while racing for Kutztown. The senior Aifuwa led USP to a fifth place finish amongst a strong field of teams. This week’s award marks the 4th time during her college career that Aifuwa has been honored as ECAC Female Cross Country Runner of the Week. Joy’s efforts had earned her CACC Cross Country Runner of the Week two days earlier.

Willard, a former Cardinal O’Hara athlete is in his second season of competition for the Devils. As a freshman and the Devils #2 runner in 2006, he helped lead the Devils to a seventh place finish at the CACC Championships while earning All-CACC honors.

Aifuwa, a former Edison High School athlete is in her fourth and final season of competition for the Devils. Joy is a three-time CACC All-conference selection and helped lead the Devils to the CACC Championship title in 2005.

Both Willard and Aifuwa are pharmacy majors in the university’s Doctor of Pharmacy program.

Next up for the Devils will be University of Delaware Invitational at White Clay Creek State Park in Newark, Delaware on Saturday, September 15, 2007.

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