March 4 , 2008

CEDAR RAPIDS , IOWA . . . A total of nine Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) cross country teams and 15 individuals to Cross Country All-Academic Teams by the United State Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Men's teams from Luther College (3.27 cumulative GPA), Simpson College (3.32), and Wartburg College (3.19) were honored among the 99 Division III men's cross country teams to receive the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team award, while Luther's Carson Bruns (Sr., Loveland, Colo./Loveland), Matt Busche (Sr., Wauwautosa, Wis./West), Erik Johnson (Fr., Duluth, Minn./East), and David McKay (Jr., Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa City) and Wartburg's Brian Chenoweth (Geneseo, Ill./J.D. Darnall) ranked among the 150 male student-athletes to be recognized.

Haverford College was named the USTFCCCA's NCAA Division III Men's All-Academic Cross Country Team of the Year, posting a 3.51 cumulative GPA and finishing second at the NCAA Championships. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology had the highest overall team grade point average (3.68), while Chris Erichsen of Saint John's (Minn.) was named the USTFCCCA's NCAA Division III Men's Cross Country All-Academic Athlete of the Year. Erichsen placed third at the 2007 NCAA Championships.

On the women's side, six teams and 10 individuals were honored. Teams from Central College (3.30), Cornell College (3.54), Loras College (3.51), Luther College (3.54), Simpson College (3.23), and Wartburg College (3.44) were among the 141 Division III women's programs to be recognized. Central's Angie Berry (So., Norwalk, Iowa/Norwalk), Coe's Ashley Schnell (Fr., Lincoln, Neb./North Star), Cornell's Rachelle Hawkins (Jr., Boise, Idaho/Bishop Kelly), Loras' Mary Bridget Corken (Jr., Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert), Luther's Ericka Sell (Fr., Duluth, Minn./East), Flannery Cerbin (Jr., La Crosse, Wis./Central), and Rachel Wobeter (Jr., Toledo, Iowa/South Tama), and Wartburg's Amanda Kuiken (So., Fairfield, Iowa/Fairfield), Jennifer Kuiken (So., Fairfield, Iowa/Fairfield), and Emily VanOosbree (Jr., Emmetsburg, Iowa/Emmetsburg) were among the 203 female student-athletes recognized.

National champion Amherst College was named the USTFCCCA's NCAA Division III Women's All-Academic Cross Country Team of the Year, posting a 3.64 cumulative GPA while winning the national title. Hamline University had the highest overall team grade point average (3.74), while two-time national champion Sarah Zerzan of Willamette was named the USTFCCCA's NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country All-Academic Athlete of the Year.

For a team to be considered for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team award, they must have competed and compiled a team score at an NCAA Regional Meet. The team must also have a minimum 3.10 team cumumlative grade point average. To be eligible for individual honors, a student-athlete must carry a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA and must finish in the top 25 percent of the field at their respective NCAA regional meet.

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