Chris Dunker named Athlete of the Year

LINCOLN - Nebraska Wesleyan University junior Chris Dunker has been named as the NCAA Division III Central Region Athlete of the Year in mens cross country.

The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association honors the top athletes in each of the eight Division III regions.

Athlete of the Year selections are made by coaches within the respective regions.

A Beatrice graduate, Dunker won the Central Region mens individual title, helping Wesleyan qualify for the national meet with an at-large berth. He also led the Prairie Wolves to the Great Plains Athletic Conference title with his individual runner-up finish.

Dunker is the son of Neil and Beth Dunker of Beatrice.

BHS graduate leads NWU to nationals

NORTHFIELD, Minn. - Nebraska Wesleyan junior Chris Dunker won the individual championship at the NCAA Division III Central Region mens cross country championship recently, which was hosted by St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn.

Dunker finished the 10k race in 25:37.6.

Paced by Dunker, a Beatrice graduate, the Wesleyan mens team earned an at-large big to the NCAA Division III National Championships.

Thirty-two teams were selected to compete in the national event.

The top two seven-person teams automatically qualified from each of the eight regions for a total of 16 teams. Sixteen additional teams were selected at-large.

The national meet will be held this Saturday at Wilmington College in West Chester, Ohio.

Other members of the national-qualifying team for Wesleyan include Firth Norris graduate Cody Waite, who finished 34th overall at the regional meet for the Prairie Wolves in 26:42.9; and fellow Norris graduate Andrew Laflin, who was 45th at the regional in 26:56.15.