SPOKANE, Wash. — One of the most storied athletic careers in Gonzaga history has come to a close. Runner James Mwaura concluded his fantastic five-year run with his best race.
The only five-star recruit in Gonzaga track history went out as everyone believed he would, making history.
"Every time James lines up for a race, he never lets you down," Gonzaga cross country and track and field director Pat Tyson said.
That reliability began in high school when James began his running career at Lincoln High in Tacoma, despite Mwaura not being a big fan of the sport.
"Honestly, when I first started running, I did not like running. I hated running," Mwaura mused.
That feeling did not last long and Mwaura's outlook turned once he began winning races in his sophomore year. Another Lincoln alum came calling as Mwaura's distinguished high school career neared a close.
"By the time he was a senior, he was a blue chip prospect. He was the Jalen Suggs of track," Tyson said.
Coach Tyson made the trip to Tacoma to visit Mwaura and his family. Tyson made a lasting impression.
"Coach Tyson worked really hard to get me in to Gonzaga. He showed me he cared about me more than the athlete I was," Mwaura said.
"I promised James that I would honor his scholarship even if the running did not work out or he got injured," Tyson said.
A chance meeting with former GU basketball assistant coach Tommy Lloyd may have sealed Mwaura's decision.
"Coach Lloyd brought James down to the hall of fame and said your face could be up here. He said, 'you could go elsewhere and just be a guy, or you could come to Gonzaga and be the guy,'" Tyson said.
Once Mwaura committed to Gonzaga, he became the first five star runner in program history. He did not allow that pressure to get to him as he went on to break three school records and is listed in the top ten in five other distances.
"I knew coming to Gonzaga there were going to be challenges, I accepted that early on. That made sure I did not put too much pressure on myself at the end of the season and I was able to come back in the following years and improve every year," Mwaura said.
Along the way, Mwaura and his teammates accomplished a first time feat for the school in 2021 after suffering heartbreak in 2019.
"In 2019, we were told that we did not make nationals because of the points system, which kind of messed everything up because we thought we were in for sure. It was sad, but we knew we were definitely a team that could make nationals and we put a lot of work into it. We came back in 2021 and made it," Mwaura said.
In his final three years in college, the Zags made nationals in every single one of them. This year, Mwaura was hindered by injuries, but in his penultimate college race, the five time All-American became the highest Gonzaga race finisher in the NCAA championships with a fourth place finish in the 10,000 meter race.
"I knew coming into that race I just had to be mentally driven and resilient during the whole race because a lot of those guys were fitter than I was because they had been racing from the beginning of the season. A lot of it was just being mentally strong and listening to my coach and my body," Mwaura said.
Mwaura leaves school after accomplishing everything Coach Tyson could have ever asked of him.
"James is leaving Gonzaga as the guy. He is one of the greatest athletes to ever set foot on Gonzaga's campus ever," Tyson said.
Mwaura now hopes to continue his racing career and see how far running can take him. The next goal would be to race for team USA in the Olympics in Paris next year. As Mwaura has progressed every year of his career, it would not be a surprise to see him do just that.
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