Alva Review-Courier -

NEW ORLEANS – Four former standouts at the NCAA Division II level will be enshrined into the USTFCCCA NCAA Division II Track & Field Athlete Hall of Fame.

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Wednesday that Malgorzata Biela of Lewis University, Daniel Kirwa of Harding University, Hyacinth Robinson of Kentucky State University and Vashti Thomas of Academy of the Art will join the prestigious ranks.

This is the 24th class to be inducted into the NCAA Division II Track & Field Athlete Hall of Fame which dates back to its opening in 1996. It ties 2015 for the smallest induction class that has made it into the hall over the past few years.

Daniel Kirwa was one of the most successful distance runners of his time coming out of Harding University.

The Eldoret, Kenya, native racked up 13 All-American honors (five indoor and eight outdoor, not to mention what he did as a cross country athlete that doesn't factor into him making into the T&F Hall of Fame) and four individual national championships during his time with the program.

His national titles came during the 2008 indoor and outdoor and 2009 outdoor seasons. He started the 2008 season off with a national championship in the mile (along with a third-place finish in the 5000) and followed it up with a 10,000-meter title at the outdoor meet (to go with a second overall finish in the 5000).

The 2009 outdoor season was a perfect one for Kirwa as he went 6 for 6 in his races which included national titles in both the 5000 and 10,000. His 20 points was good enough to push Harding into the No. 13 place overall.

Kirwa ended his career with the school records in the outdoor 5000 (13:58.86) and 10,000 (28:36.23) and the indoor 1500 (3:48.02) and 5000 (14:03.35). He also sits top-5 in program history in the indoor 800 and mile.

Kirwa is just the second athlete in program history to be enshrined into the USTFCCCA NCAA DII Track & Field Athlete Hall of Fame, joining Janet Kogo (Class of 2010).