Joe Dunham of Denison University (Ohio) has been named the 1999 NCAA Division III Great Lakes 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 made in conjunction with the NCAA Division III Championship, which was hosted today (Nov. 20) by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Dunham, a junior from Laramie, Wyo., won the individual title at the Great Lakes Regional on Nov. 13 to qualify for the NCAA Division III Championship. Dunham won the event with a time of 24:25 on the 8,000-meter course. Dunham was one of two representatives for the Big Red at the NCAA Division III Championship. This season, Dunham won seven of the eight meets that he competed in for Denision University, including the Great Lakes Regional and the North Coast Athletic Conference Championship.

Last year, Dunham finished 21st at the NCAA Division III Championship to gain All-America accolades. His 1998 campaign also included a first-place finish at the North Coast Athletic Conference Championship and a second-place finish at the Great Lakes Regional. In 1997, Dunham finished 105th at the NCAA Division III Championship.