DenBeste, Johnson named Simpson Athletes of the Month for September

INDIANOLA, Iowa – Women's volleyball senior Morgan DenBeste and men's cross country sophomore James Johnson have been selected as the Simpson Athletics Athletes of the Month for September.

DenBeste powered the Storm volleyball team to its best start in more than a decade, while Johnson led the way for a regionally ranked cross country squad with three consecutive top-two finishes.

Morgan DenBeste, women's volleyball

• Senior from Ankeny, Iowa
• Recorded six triple-doubles, the most in Division III this season
• Tallied 141 kills while hitting .249
• Added 255 assists, 137 digs, 28 aces, and 18 blocks
• Named A-R-C Offensive Player of the Week and Female Athlete of the Week (Sept. 22)
• Earned a spot on the Wis.-River Falls All-Tournament Team
• Helped the Storm to a 12-3 record, the program's best start since 2013

James Johnson, men's cross country

• Sophomore from Marshalltown, Iowa
• Opened the season with a runner-up finish at the Bill Buxton Invite
• Captured back-to-back individual titles at the Les Duke Invitational and Dutch Open
• Became the first Simpson runner this season to break the 26-minute mark in an 8k at the Dutch Open, resetting his PR for the second straight week
• Named A-R-C Runner of the Week (Sept. 29)