SEARCY – Harding University junior Daniel Kirwa was named the 2010 NCAA Division II South Region Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year on Monday by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

It was Kirwa's fourth career South Region Athlete of the Year award. He also won the 2008 and 2009 Cross Country honors and a 2008 Indoor Track award.

Kirwa will race alongside teammate Philip Biwott in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 27-29 in Charlotte, N.C.

A native of Eldoret, Kenya, Kirwa is the two-time defending national champion in the 10,000 meters and won the 5,000-meter national championship in 2008.

This season, Kirwa broke his own Harding record in the 5,000 meters with a time of 13:58.86 at Georgia Tech. That time automatically qualified him for nationals. Kirwa also qualified automatically in the 10,000 meters with a time of 29:24.09 at the Mt. SAC Relays. In addition to his distance successes, Kirwa has a top-20 time in the South Region in the 800 meters.