Men's Cross Country

Academy of Art Wins Three Cross Country Weekly Awards

IRVINE, Calif. – In the first set of PacWest cross country awards, Academy of Art earned three of the four honors based on the races held on September 1. Hasna Kaarour and Audrey Rosencrans earned the women’s cross country awards, while Freddie Hessian was named the men’s cross country Runner of the Week and Azusa Pacific’s Ben Drew took home the freshman recognition.
 
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
 
RUNNER OF THE WEEK
Hasna Kaarour, Academy of Art
GS – Strasbourg, France/College Joseph Chaumie/Landscape Architecture
Kaarour led the Urban Knights’ sixth-place finish at the USF Invitational by taking 19th place individually with a time of 22:10.6 on the 6k course. Academy of Art defeated one NCAA Division I team, finishing ahead of St. Mary’s. Kaarour was the first NCAA Division II runner to cross the finish line.
 
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Audrey Rosencrans, Academy of Art
Fr. – Homer, Ark./Homer HS/Fashion Design
Rosencrans completed her first collegiate race in 25th place with a  time of 22:37.4. She was the third NCAA Division II runner to complete the 6k course. Rosencrans ran a very even race, finishing each two kilometers in almost exactly seven and a half minutes. Academy of Art will next compete in the SF State Invitational on September 21.
 
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
 
RUNNER OF THE WEEK
Freddie Hessian, Academy of Art
GS – Nottingham, England/Rushclifffe School/Graphic Design
Hessian led Academy of Art to a seventh-place finish at the USF Invitational, which featured primarily NCAA Division I programs. Hessian took 33rd place with a time of 25:52.19 on the 8k course, finishing just ahead of his teammate Rabah Houali in 38th place. The Urban Knights will stay in San Francisco for their next race at the SF State Invitational on September 21.
 
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Ben Drew, Azusa Pacific
Fr. – Toowoomba, Australia/Toowoomba Grammar School/Economics
Drew finished his first collegiate race in 20th place at the Mark Covert Invitational in Fullerton, California. Drew recorded a time of 26:16.9 to help Azusa Pacific take eighth place as a team. The freshman led the Cougars and finished in fifth place among NCAA Division II runners.