Days after making school history, UBC Thunderbird runner Jack Williams was named male athlete of the week by the Association of Independent Institutions Conference (AII).
At the AII men’s cross-country championships – held at Ashford University in Iowa – Williams, a graduate of Semiahmoo Secondary, became the first-ever UBC Thunderbird runner to win an individual AII title.
He completed the eight-km course in a time of 25 minutes, 20.3 seconds, to place first – just over three seconds faster than Enrique Ramirez of California State University–San Marcos.
With the win, Williams – who is in his senior year at the Point Grey campus – helped UBC take second place in the team competition, just behind CSU-San Marcos.
Next up for Williams and his teammates will be the NAIA Championships, set for Nov. 22 in Lawrence, Kansas. UBC head coach Marek Jedrezjek hoped the team’s performance in Iowa – which was hampered by injuries and a few “mid-race issues” – would spur them to an even greater showing at NAIA Championships.
“Our men’s team, as a whole, had some difficulty getting into a rhythm (at AII championships),” he said in a news release.
“If we can get fully healthy, we’ll be ready for our biggest race.”