John Krueger of St. John's University (Minn.) has been named the 1999 NCAA Division III Central Region Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Year. The United States Track Coaches Association and Mondo Surfacing selects and presents the award annually to the top athlete in each of the eight NCAA Division III men's cross country regions. The announcement is held in conjunction with the NCAA Division III Championship, which is hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh on Nov. 20.

Krueger, a senior from Lake Elmo, Minn., won the individual title at the Central Regional on Nov. 13 to help St. John's University qualify as a team entrant for the NCAA Division III Championship. The social science major won the Central Regional title with a time of 25:43 on the 8,000-meter course. The Johnnies finished second at the 25-team Central Regional with 65 points. Earlier this year, Krueger won the individual title at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship.

Last year, Krueger helped the Johnnies to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Division III Championship by finishing third with a time of 25:15. Krueger's performance gave him All-America accolades.