Luther Captures 29th IIAC Title - Busche Named League MVP
Oct. 27, 2007
The men's cross country team captured a league best 29th Iowa Conference championship this afternoon in Dubuque. The title was the second in a row for the Norse as they had seven runners earn all-conference honors (top-15 individually) en route to a team total of 38 points. Wartburg was second with 48, followed by host Loras College with 87.
Individually, Matt Busche (Wauwatosa, Wis.), who finished sixth each of the past two years, won the 8,000-meter race by 10 seconds over defending champion Ben Grant of Loras. Busche crossed the finish line with a time of 25:31, while Grant was clocked at 25:41. For his efforts, he was named the IIAC Most Valuable Runner. He becomes the 15th runner in Luther history to be named the league MVP and the first since 1996.
Busche and Carson Bruns (Loveland, Colo.) joined an elite group as three-time all-conference performers. becoming the 12th and 13th Luther runners to do so. Bruns earned his all-conference honor with a tenth place finish.
David McKay (Iowa City/City) and Aaron Zutz (Middleton, Wis.) both earned all-conference honors for a second time. McKay finished fourth, moving up one place from 2006, and Zutz was 14th.
Mike Switzer (LaCrescent, Minn.), Trevor Ruwitch (Sartell, Minn.) and Erik Johnson (Duluth, Minn./East) placed 11th, 12th and 15th respectively en route to their first all-conference honor.
For the second time in as many years, Head Coach Steve Pasche was named the IIAC Coach of the Year.
The Norse will be off until the NCAA III Central Regional that will be hosted by St. Olaf College on Nov. 10. The Norse will be attempting to qualify for the national championships for the second year in a row and 25th time in school history.
