San Rafael, CALIF. -- Dominican University of California men's cross country sensation Jared Wright earned the PacWest Runner of the Week after his efforts in Illinois at the Lewis Conference Cross Over. 

"This race was a perfect opportunity to see where I stand within NCAA DII regions," Wright said. "I knew it was going to be a fast race as there were regionally and nationally ranked teams, but I trusted my training and focused on getting the job done. There is still lots of work to be done, but I know when and where I need to peak. I am very grateful to have support from my coaches and teammates, they consistently make me a better runner."

Wright ran well in the cold morning air of the Midwest as he averaged a 4:55 mile throughout the 8k. Wright was in a close race with Jeret Gillingham of Western Washington as the two were neck and neck down the final stretch. Gillingham was able to gain the advantage as Wright finished 17th in a time of 24:30.4, 1.4 seconds behind Gillingham. Wright finished with the third best time for runners from the West Region and first among PacWest runners, with no other PacWest participants finishing within 40 spots of him. 

"Jared really stepped up this past weekend and tactically ran a really good race," head coach Teressa Diperna said. "He continues to improve on his closing miles and we can't wait to see how the rest of his season goes.