November 11, 2007

NORTHFIELD, MINN. . . . Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Cross Country Women's Champion Luther College finished first, while the IIAC Champion Norse men's team captured second at the NCAA Central Region Championships held Saturday at St. Olaf College. Six IIAC teams (two men and four women) and seven individuals (four men and three women) finished in the top-10.

The Norse women captured the title with 87 points, 31 markers clear of Nebraska Wesleyan University. Wartburg finished third with 160 points. Loras (6th, 207 points) and Simpson (10th, 263 points) also placed in the top-10 of the team standings. IIAC individual champion Janet Dobyns finished first in the 160-runner field, completing the 6,000-meter course in a time of 21:38. The Luther junior finished nine seconds ahead of Grinnell's Sarah Spencer. Central sophomore Angie Berry took (6th, 22:23) and Coe freshman Ashley Schnell (10th, 22:43) also finished in the top-10.

Other Iowa Conference schools competing with full women’s teams in the 23-team field were Central (11th, 286 points), Cornell (16th, 412 points), and Coe (19th, 477 points).

On the men's side, Luther finished with 109 points, 21 points behind winner Nebraska Wesleyan University. Wartburg College finished fifth with 145 points. Loras senior Ben Grant was the top finishing IIAC men's individual in with a second-place finish in 25:10, three seconds ahead of IIAC individual champion, senior Matt Busche of Luther College (25:13). Luther senior David McKay (5th, 25:24) and Wartburg senior Andy Hodge (10th, 25:34) also finished in the top-10 of the 157-runner field. Saint John's University's Chris Erichsen won the 8,000-meter race in a time of 24:58.

Other Iowa Conference schools competing with full men’s teams in the 23-team field were Loras College (13th, 341 points), Coe College (14th, 366 points), Simpson College (16th, 466 points), Central College (17th, 469), Cornell College (18th, 552 points) and University of Dubuque (23rd, 738 points).

All-Region Runners: The top-35 finishers in both the men’s and women’s races are designated All-Region. Twenty-five IIAC runners, including 14 women and 11 men, received All-Region honors. On the women’s side, in addition to Dobyns, Berry, and Schnell, Cornell junior Rachelle Hawkins (13th, 22:56), Loras junior Mary Bridget Corken (14th, 22:56), Simpson freshman Catie Ellingson (23:04), Luther juniors Flannery Cerbin (17th, 23:05) and Rachel Wobeter (19th, 23:06), Wartburg sophomores Amanda Kuiken (21st, 23:10) and Jennifer Kuiken (23rd, 23:13), Luther freshmen Ericka Sell (22nd, 23:11) and Annie McKay (28th, 23:17), Wartburg junior Emily VanOosbree (29th, 23:17), and Loras sophomore Erica Stevens (32nd, 23:24) received All-Region recognition. The All-Region honor is the third for Dobyns and second for Berry, VanOosbree, and Stevens.

On the men’s side, in addition to Grant, Busche, McKay and Hodge, Wartburg junior Brian Chenoweth (12th, 25:39), Simpson junior Eric Osterhaus (13th, 25:45), Coe junior Brad O'Neil (14th, 25:48), Luther senior Carson Bruns (26th, 26:09), Wartburg seniors Brian Mullenbach (27th, 26:10) and Lucas Tjosvold (28th, 26:11), and Cornell freshman Andrew Tobben (35th, 26:19) received All-Region recognition. The All-Region honors are the fourth for Grant, third for Hodge, and second for Busche, McKay, Chenoweth, and Mullenbach.

Complete NCAA Central Region Championship men's results are here.

Complete NCAA Central Region Championship women's results are here.

National Qualifiers: 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 with their finishes at the Central Region Championship. It is the 16th time the men’s team has qualified for the Division III nationals and the ninth time for the women's team. Both teams also qualified last year. The Wartburg women are in excellent position for an at-large spot. It would the Knights' 11th time qualifying as team including seven of the last eight years. The Wartburg men have an outside chance at an at-large spot. It would be Their tenth time qualifying as a team including each of the last nine years.

The NCAA will announce the national field on Monday, November 12 (note date change). The 2007 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships are Saturday, November 17 at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. The women’s race starts at 11:00 a.m. followed by the men’s race at 12 p.m. The Championship field will be posted here. The National Championship web site here.

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