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TACOMA, Wash. - Throughout the rest of the semester, GoLutes.com will profile the Pacific Lutheran University senior student-athletes involved in spring sports that had their seasons cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today's installment features PLU men's cross country and track & field student-athlete Christopher Nussbaum.

 

Hometown: Portland. Ore.

Collegiate PRs: 800-meters: 2:04.73 1,500-meters: 4:10.65 3,000-meters: 8:49.50 5,000-meters: 15:18.98 8K (XC): 25:26.9 10,000-meters: 31:08.77

Christopher Nussbaum is a dedicated cross country and track & field athlete who will be graduating with a degree in Communication and Marketing.
 
In his four years as a dual-sport athlete, his favorite memory doesn't come from one of his many successes, but from the success of his teammate. Nussbaum cited watching his teammate Brad Hodkinson place seventh at 2017 NCAA Cross Country Championships as his favorite athletics memory.
 
Nussbaum is grateful for the incredible teammates he has connected with over the years, and believes they helped be the best he could be.
 
"My teammates have motivated me to push my physical and mental limits," Nussbaum said.
 
The Portland native has been an integral part of the Lutes' success over the past four seasons. On the cross country course, Nussbaum helped the Lutes win the 2018 Northwest Conference title while finishing runner-up at the Championships in 2016, 2017, and 2019. Nussbaum was an All-Conference honoree in 2019, placing sixth at the NWC meet while placing 22nd at the 2018 NCAA West Region Championships, helping PLU finish fifth in the team standings.

On the track, Nussbaum finished runner-up in the 10,000-meters at the 2019 NWC Championships held at PLU and was a sixth-place finisher in the 5,000-meters at the 2018 NWC Championships. 2020 was shaping up to be Nussbaum's best track season yet. His 10K time of 33 minutes, 6.98 seconds at the Ed Boitano Invitational, his only meet of the spring, ranked fourth in all of NCAA Division III when the season was prematurely shut down. All told, Nussbaum laced up his spikes in 38 cross country and track meets for PLU over the past four seasons, running in races ranging from 800-meters to 10,000-meters.

"Chris's growth as a person over the last four years is really special," said Head Coach Adam Frye. "Setbacks with injury, illness, and beyond have helped him to grow and become a better runner and person. Chris has become one of the best runners in the Northwest Conference. He's been a critical part of our cross country team finishing top-two in the NWC all four years and winning a conference title in 2018. We'll miss seeing him out on the cross country course making running at five minutes per mile look effortless."
 
Through his Lute athletic experience, Nussbaum has learned consistency, commitment, and how to deal with adjustments. These tools will help him be successful as he looks past graduation and into building his career.
 
Nussbaum doesn't have set plans for the future, but knows his experience at PLU will guide him along the way.