Aifuwa Named to USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
Earns Award for Third Consecutive Year

New Orleans, La. (2/12/08) - The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women’s cross country team member Oghogho (Joy) Aifuwa (Edison High School/Edison, NJ) has been named to the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team for the 2007 season.

This is Aifuwa’s third consecutive selection as a member of the Division II All-Academic Team by the USTFCCCA, having earned this honor in 2005 and 2006. Joy was one of just two athletes from the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference to be named to the team and is the first CACC athlete to earn this honor three times. Thirty-three runners from the East Region were named amongst the 202 total athletes earning the honor.

To qualify for this honor an individual must have a cumulative grade point average through the semester of competition of a 3.25 on a 4.0 scale. An athlete must have competed in at least 50% of their teams’ cross country competitions, and finish in the top 30% at the NCAA Regional meet. The individual’s coach must also be a member of the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association

Aifuwa, a pharmacy major with a 3.434 grade point average, recently completed her fourth and final season of competition this fall for the Devils.

Joy competed in six regular season meets finishing no lower than fourth place in five of the six, including a first place finish at this year’s Belmont Classic, the second time in three year’s she has won the event. Aifuwa also recorded second place finishes at the Delaware Valley College Invitational and Philadelphia Metro Championships. At the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Championships, Aifuwa finished in second place, leading the Devils to a fourth place team finish, becoming the first CACC women’s cross country to Earn All-Conference honors in each of her four seasons of competition. Joy concluded her season with a 57th place finish at the NCAA East Regionals at Lock Haven University as the Devils placed 20th out of 29 teams.

During the 2007 season, Aifuwa was named CACC Runner of the Week twice, giving her a total of 15 Runner of the Week honors in her four seasons of competition. In addition, Aifuwa was named ECAC Runner of the Week twice during the season and earned her fourth straight selection to the CACC All-Conference Team. In November, Aifuwa was named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Area All-Academic Team for the third consecutive year in a vote conducted by the Sports Information Directors of the 28 area schools.

The former Edison High School athlete has competed for four seasons as a member of the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia’s women’s cross country team while earning Dean’s List honors in each of her seven semesters at USP.

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