Aifuwa Named ECAC Division II Runner of the Week

Philadelphia (October 2, 2007) - University of the Sciences cross country runner Joy Aifuwa (Edison High School/Edison, NJ) was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division II Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week for the week ending September 30, 2007.

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.

For Aifuwa, this is the second time she has earned ECAC accolades this season, having earned the honor during the first week on September 12, 2007. A CACC women’s cross country runner has now earned ECAC Division II cross country runner of the week honors in three of the four weeks it has been awarded. For her career at USP, Joy has earned ECAC Division II Runner of the Week honors five times.

The senior harrier ran her best time of the season, besting 124 runners and capturing the individual title at the Belmont Classic at Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia on Saturday. Aifuwa, completed the 5,000 meter course in 19:40.23, finishing 11 seconds ahead of her nearest competition, Rory Kauffman of Wilmington University. In the race, Joy emerged from the woods at Belmont in second place behind Kauffman, with a little over ¾ of a mile to go before overtaking the WU freshman on Flagpole Hill. Aifuwa continued to finish strong, opening up a nearly 50-meter lead as she cross the finish line.

The former Edison High School athlete is in her fourth and final season of competition for the Devils. Aifuwa has finished first or second in four of her five races this year (the other being a fourth place finish behind three runners from nationally ranked Kutztown University at the Maroon and Gold Invite on September 8th.)

Next up for the Devils will be the Cabrini Invitational, hosted by Cabrini College at Belmont Plateau on Saturday, October 13, 2007.

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