Kortze, Morrissey tabbed GPAC Runners of the Year
Concordia seniors Sarah Kortze and Colin Morrissey have been named GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Runners of the Year, the GPAC announced Tuesday. Kortze and Morrissey clinched the individual awards by winning GPAC individual titles at the conference championships on Nov. 3. Kortze ran the women’s 5K race in 17:11, while Morrissey timed in at 25:08 in the men’s 8K competition.
The rest of the men’s and women’s all-conference teams, made up of the top 15 finishers at the GPAC Championships, were also released on Tuesday. Joining Kortze with all-league honors on the women’s side is senior Jena Schwalenberg who placed second, right behind Kortze at the 5K conference meet with a time of 17:45.
On the men’s side, junior Hayden Hohnholt and sophomore Ben Sievert combine with Morrissey to give the 13th-ranked Bulldogs a trio of all-conference honorees. Hohnholt came in third place at the GPAC Championships while clocking in at 25:16. Sievert followed close behind with a sixth place finish in 25:24 at the McCook Lake, S.D., course.
Kortze, a three-time GPAC Runner of the Week honoree in 2012, was an All-American last season with a 13th place finish at the National Championships. Running in just his third race this season, Morrissey won his first individual title after finishing second in 2010. The Omaha native will appear at the NAIA National Championships for the third time in his career when action begins on Nov. 17 in Vancouver, Wash.
Kortze, Schwalenberg and Morrissey are each collecting All-GPAC honors for the third time in their outstanding careers. Sievert’s top 15 GPAC finish marks back-to-back all-conference selections for the Frankenmuth, Mich., native.
Sarah Kortze - 2012 Results
| Date | Event | Place | Runners | Time | |
| 15-Sep | Greeno | 6K | 7 | 289 | 21:56 |
| 29-Sep | Griak | 6K | 7 | 413 | 22:28 |
| 6-Oct | Briar Cliff | 5K | 2 | 162 | 17:48 |
| 20-Oct | Mount Marty | 5K | 1 | 141 | 17:53 |
| 3-Nov | GPAC | 5K | 1 | 95 | 17:11 |
Colin Morrissey - 2012 Results
| Date | Event | Place | Runners | Time | |
| 6-Oct | Briar Cliff | 8K | 15 | 174 | 26:00 |
| 20-Oct | Mount Marty | 8K | 7 | 162 | 26:01 |
| 3-Nov | GPAC | 8K | 1 | 94 | 25:08 |