IRVINE, Calif. – Hawai'i Pacific University's Jona Bodirsky earned PacWest Conference Cross Country Men's Runner of the Week for his outstanding performance this weekend.
 
Bodirsky, the Rettingheim, Germany junior, placed second overall and was the top Division II runner at The Master's University Cross Country Invitational last Saturday at Central Park in Santa Clarita, Calif. It's the second time this season Bodirsky has claimed the conference honor.
 
Bodirsky ran his second consecutive sub 24-minute 8-kilometer race, claiming the top scoring spot in the meet and placing second in a time of 24:47.6. He had a personal-best of 24:13.6 the week before at the UC Riverside Cross Country Invitational in finishing 10th. Bodirsky has won or finished second in five of his last six races over the last two seasons. He was the PacWest men's runner of the week on Sept. 6 after winning the UH Big Wave Invitational.
 
Joining Bodirsky for the weekly honor is Mikayla Akers of Azusa Pacific who was named the women's runner of the week.
 
The Sharks run again on Saturday when they host the annual HPU Sharks Invitational on the North Shore at the Kahuku Golf Course.