Men's cross country

  • 2012 Iowa Conference champions
  • Six Iowa Conference MVPs
  • Four national team qualifiers
  • Tied for 12th at 2012 NCAA meet

Coaching staff

Joe Dunham Joe Dunham
Head coach
Iowa Conference Coach of the Year - 2012

Joe Dunham is entering his fifth year as Central's head men's and women's cross country coach and is in his fifth season as head men's and women's track and field coach at Central.

In 2012, Dunham piloted the Dutch to their first Iowa Conference men's cross country championship ever, and led an all-underclass squad to its first NCAA Division III national team berth since 1980, earning a surprising 12th-place finish (tie) with one all-America honoree.

In 2009, his first year as cross country coach, Dunham piloted the Dutch women to their first NCAA Division III national team berth since 1981, guiding an unheralded squad to a 19th-place national finish.

Dunham led the Dutch men's outdoor track and field squad to four straight Iowa Conference crowns from 2009-12, while also guiding them to league indoor titles in 2010 and 2011. Central has recorded three national top-10 team finishes under Dunham, including a runner-up finish at the 2011 indoor championships.

Dunham has received seven conference coach of the year awards since taking over in 2009, including one in men's cross country (2012), two in men's indoor track and field (2010, 2011) and four in men's outdoor (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012). He was also tabbed the USTFCCCA Central Region men's outdoor track and field coach of the year in 2011 and 2012.

A three-time all-America cross country honoree who also earned track and field all-America recognition at Denison University (Ohio) and Keene State College (N.H.), Dunham served as head track and field coach at St. Norbert College (Wis.) for four seasons and cross country coach for three years. He resigned following the 2007 spring season to enter private business. During his tenure at St. Norbert, the Green Knights broke 41 school records and had numerous NCAA Division III meet qualifiers while capturing an individual national title in the 800 meters. His squads consistently placed near the top of the Midwest Conference despite not having an on-campus track facility.

Earlier Dunham spent two years as an assistant at Trinity College (Conn.), helping the women’s cross country squad place second in the 2003 NCAA Division III meet. He earned a master’s degree at Trinity.

Phone: (641) 628-7603
Email: dunhamj@central.edu

Video: Meet coach Dunham
 Video: Learn more about men's cross country


Stephen Fyfe Stephen Fyfe
Associate head coach

Stephen Fyfe is entering his 15th season on Central's men's and women's cross country staff.

Fyfe served as the interim head coach in 2006 and 2008 and was promoted to associate head coach for the 2009 season. Fyfe is an assistant for the men's and women's track and field squads as well.

A 1987 Central graduate, Fyfe earned three varsity letters in cross country and four in track and field. He continues to compete in road races on the masters level and has completed 13 marathons. Fyfe received his masters and doctoral degrees at Iowa State University and serves as an associate professor of computer science at Central.

Phone: (641) 628-5305
Email: fyfes@central.edu

Video: Meet coach Fyfe

Bryan George Bryan George
Assistant coach

Former all-American middle distance runner Bryan George is entering his sixth season as assistant cross country coach and is in his fifth season as assistant track and field coach.

A 2006 graduate, George served as a volunteer assistant in the 2006-07 year, then returned in 2009 after completing two years as a graduate assistant coach in track and field and cross country at Illinois State Univ., where he earned a master’s degree.

George served as a two-time track and field co-captain and was voted the squad’s MVP in 2006, anchoring Central's distance medley relay to all-America honors. He was also a three-time cross country co-captain, an all-Iowa Conference and all-NCAA Division III Central Region performer in cross country, and was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America track and field team.

George also serves as a sports information assistant at Central and was a graduate sports information assistant in 2006-07.

Phone: (641) 628-5591
Email: georgeb@central.edu

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