November 11, 2006

NORTHFIELD, MINN. . . . Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) cross country Champions, the men and women of Luther College, both finished second at the NCAA Central Regional Championships held Saturday at the St. Olaf College. Five IIAC teams (three men and two women) and six individuals (four men and two women) finished in the top-10.

The Norse men finished with 78 points, just two points behind winner Hamline University. Wartburg College finished third with 101 points and Central College finished ninth with 271 points. Luther senior Adam Bohach was the top finishing IIAC men’s individual with a fifth-place finish in 25:49.85, nearly two seconds ahead of IIAC individual Champion, junior Ben Grant of Loras College (25:51.30). Luther senior Matt Busche (7th, 25:52.65) and Central senior Adam Wolf (8th, 25:53.05) also finished in the top-10 of the 164-runner field. Nebraska Wesleyan University’s Chris Dunker won the 8,000-meter race in a time of 25:37.60.

Other Iowa Conference schools competing with full men’s teams in the 23-team field were Loras (14th, 344 points), Simpson College (17th, 507 points), Buena Vista University (21st, 643 points), Cornell College (22nd, 666 points) and University of Dubuque (23rd, 670 points).

On the women’s side, Luther finished with 114 points. Grinnell College won the Regional team title with 48 points. Wartburg finished sixth with 161 points. Wartburg senior Jill Wagaman finished fourth individually, completing the 6,000-meter course in 22:43.22, over 13 seconds ahead of Luther sophomore Janet Dobyns, the IIAC individual champion, who finished fifth in 22:56.32. Gustavus Adolphus College’s Hailey Harren finished first in the 160-runner field in a time of 21:37.82.

Other Iowa Conference schools competing with full women’s teams in the 23-team field were Loras (13th, 347 points), Central (14th, 390 points), Simpson (17th, 446 points), Cornell (18th, 457 points) and Coe College (21st, 572 points).

All-Region Runners: The top-35 finishers in both the men’s and women’s races are designated All-Region. Twenty-one IIAC runners, including 12 men and nine women, received All-Region honors. On the men’s side, in addition to Bohach, Grant, Busche and Wolf, Luther sophomore David McKay (11th-place, 25:58.35), Wartburg sophomore Brian Chenoweth (13th, 26:01.50), junior Andy Hodge (14th, 26:03.90) and senior Patrick Johnson (16th, 26:07.90), Luther junior Aaron Zutz (26th, 26:34.30), Wartburg junior Brian Mullenbach (27th, 26:35.0), Luther senior Eric Ellingson (29th, 26:36.50) and Wartburg sophomore Tony Fischels (31st, 26:41.15) received All-Region recognition. The All-Region honors are the third for Bohach, Grant and Johnson, and second for Hodge.

On the women’s side, in addition to Wagaman and Dobyns, Central freshman Angie Berry (13th, 23:05.47), Luther sophomores Elise Bennett (14th, 23:05.92) and Devin Parker (22nd, 23:29.12), Wartburg freshman Anna Kraayenbrink (23rd, 23:33.72), Loras freshman Erica Stevens (25th, 23:36.47), Luther senior Cathy Betterman (31st, 23:43.47) and Simpson freshman Jess Christensen (34th, 23:44.92) received All-Region recognition. The All-Region honor is the third for Wagaman and second for Dobyns.

Complete NCAA Regional cross country Championship results are here.

National Qualifiers: Beginning this year, the qualification process for the NCAA National Championship has changed, eliminating the historical component based on regions. The men’s and women’s national fields will include 32 teams and 56 individuals each. The top-two teams from each Regional plus 16 at-large teams will fill the team field. Seven individuals per region, from non-qualifying teams, will be selected.

The Luther men and women have qualified for the National Championships. It is the 15th time the men’s team has qualified for the Division III nationals, first since 1989. The women have qualified for the eighth time, first since 2004. The Wartburg men are in excellent position for an at-large spot. It would be the Knights’ ninth time qualifying as a team including each of the last eight years.

The NCAA will announce the national field on Sunday, November 12, at 2:00 p.m. CT. The 2006 NCAA cross country National Championship is Saturday, November 18 at Voice of America Park in West Chester, Ohio. The men’s race starts at 10:00 a.m. CT followed by the women’s race at 11 a.m. CT. Wilmington (Ohio) College is the host. The Championship field will be posted here. The National Championship web site here.

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