IOWA INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

IIAC SPORTS
Fall
  •  Cross Country (M)
  •  Cross Country (W)
  •  Football
  •  Golf (W)
  •  Soccer (M)
  •  Soccer (W)
  •  Tennis (W)
  •  Volleyball

Winter
  •  Basketball (M)
  •  Basketball (W)
  •  Wrestling

Spring
  •  Baseball
  •  Golf (M)
  •  Softball
  •  Tennis (M)
  •  Track & Field (M)
  •  Track & Field (W)
 

October 27, 2001

WARTBURG CAPTURES MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP
LORAS’ MURPHY AND LUTHER’S OLSON REPEAT AS INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS

DUBUQUE, IA . . .  Wartburg College captured both the Men’s and Women’s Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s (IIAC) Cross Country Championships on Saturday, October 27, in Dubuque.  Luther College senior Johanna Olson (Wadena, MN/Wadena Deer Creek HS) and Loras College sophomore Marcus Murphy (Ankeny, IA/Ankeny HS) both repeated as the IIAC individual champions.

On the women’s side, Olson captured her third consecutive IIAC Championship finishing the 5K meet in 17:52, 0:28 seconds off her Conference record which she set at last year’s Championship.  Wartburg freshman Missy Buttry (Shenandoah, IA) finished second in the 64 runner field with a time of 18:31.  Buttry was one of three Knights’ runners to finish among the top-five and one of five to finish in the top-15 as Wartburg defeated two-time defending champion Luther College, 34-40. 

Wartburg seniors Erin Van Zee  (Pella, IA/Community HS) and Amie Brunko (Brandon, IA/Independence HS) finished fourth and fifth respectively with times of 18:40 and 18:45.  Rounding out Wartburg’s team scoring were senior Kristi Blasberg (Tripoli, IA/Tripoli HS), who finished 11^th in a time 19:29, less than one second ahead of teammate Gretchen Graham (Batavia, IL/Batavia HS).

On the men’s side, Murphy won his second consecutive IIAC Championship finishing in 25:24, a conference record for the 8K distance.  He broke the old 8K mark set by Central’s Andy Goodman in 1994 by 0:14 seconds.  After Murphy, came three Wartburg runners as the Knight’s won their fourth consecutive IIAC Men’s Cross Country Championship by 29 points over second place Luther.

Junior Joe Hughes (Tama, IA/South Tama HS) finished second in a time of 26:04, followed by senior Brock Lehman (Fremont, NE/Fremont HS) with a time of 26:26 and junior Tyson Keith (Eldora, IA/Eldora-New Providence HS) with a time of 26:29.  Wartburg rounded out their team scoring with a seventh place finish by senior Mitch Cook (Monticello, IA/Monticello HS) in a time of 26:59, and a tenth place finish by junior Justin Mellman (Osage, IA/Osage HS) in a time of 27:07.

For their accomplishments at the Conference Championship as well as throughout the entire season, Olson and Murphy were named the IIAC Most Valuable Runners.  For Olson, it is her third consecutive year being recognized as the Most Valuable Runner.  Murphy receives the honor for the second consecutive year.

Wartburg College Coach Steve Johnson was named the IIAC Coach of the Year for both the men’s and women’s team.  In addition leading the Knights to varsity championships, Wartburg’s junior varsity teams both won the IIAC Championship.  This honor marks the ninth time Johnson has been honored as the women’s Coach of the Year and fifth time he has been honored as the men’s Coach of the Year.

Complete Men’s Results
Complete Women’s Results

 -30-