February 13, 2005
(Release courtest of Mark Adkins, Wartburg College sports information director)

WAVERLY, IOWA . . . Wartburg College senior women’s cross country/track standout Missy Buttry of Shenandoah gained her second consecutive berth on the US World Cross Country Championships team Sunday, Feb. 13.

The three-time NCAA Division III champion finished third in the 4K event of the US Championships at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. The top six from the open and junior 8K and 4K races make up the US teams that compete at the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships March 19 and 20 in Saint-Etienne/Saint-Galmier, France.

“It was very exciting,” Wartburg cross country coach Steve Johnson said. “Missy ran a great race. She finished one spot higher against a deeper field than last year.

“She was battling some Olympians for the top spots at the end of the race,” he added. “(Shalane) Flanagan kind of snuck out in front of everybody late to win by around six to eight seconds. Missy was right with (Shayne) Culpepper down the stretch, and it took a strong kick by Culpepper on the final corner for her to get second.”

“I just wanted to get a good jump off the start line and race,” Buttry said. “I knew I had to stay patient and make a move during the second half.

“It was a tough field to compete against,” she added. “The runners at the front were pushing each other all the way to the end. It’s just great to be able to go back to the world championships.”

Buttry’s time of 13:29.5 was only two and a half seconds behind Culpepper for second. Flanagan recorded the victory at 13:24.3.

Complete results from the 2005 US Cross Country Championships are available here.

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