North Dakota Runner

Thursday, December 15, 2022

ND Runner Interview #14- 2022 Class A Boys State XC Champion Brady Korsmo

On October 21st and 22nd, the North Dakota State Cross Country Meet was held at Parkhurst Campground/Pipestem Reservoir just north of Jamestown, ND. With beautiful weather in the 50s and 60s with light wind, the times were fast, the course was good, and the atmosphere was great.

In the Friday Class B races, the boys raced first and Bowman County stole the show. Scoring a dominating 18 team points, they placed 5 of the top 6 runners, broken up from a perfect score only by Hillsboro/Central Valley's Christian Brist. It was their third consecutive team title. Second place team was Kindred with 111 points, just barely beating New Town with 112. Bowman Co also had top overall performer in Austin Wanner, whose time of 16:05 was only five seconds faster than his teammate Caleb Sarsland. The time was 18 seconds faster than last year's winning time on the same course.

For the Class B girls, we had repeat winners in the individual and team. 9th grader Brynn Hanson from Des-Lacs Burlington/Lewis and Clark won her second consecutive individual state title, running 18:57 and finishing 10 seconds ahead of second placer finisher Addie Miller of Killdeer (also in 9th grade). Hanson's time was about 30 seconds faster than her state title last year. In the team battle, Rugby won their fourth consecutive team title, scoring 89 points to Bowman County's 118, taking away Bowman Co's chance at sweeping the team titles.

Saturday was the Class A races. For the boys, Williston continued the pattern of repeat team champions, winning their second consecutive state title with 46 points, followed closely by Bismarck High with 64 points. In a senior-heavy field, Brady Korsmo pulled off the victory, running an impressive time of 15:28, 8 seconds ahead of Fynn Krenz of Williston.

In the Class A girls race, Williston's girls team won their third consecutive state title, this time with 93 points, barely edging out Grand Forks Red River with 104 points. The individual race was not as close, with senior Jaelyn Ogle dominating the field, winning her first state cross country title by 45 seconds in a time of 18:15.

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Credit: Tom Mix, NDHSAA Media Specialist

At the North Dakota State Cross Country Meet in 2019, fans were treated to the second consecutive year of Brady Yoder and Sean Korsmo battling it out in the front, this time with Yoder taking the win in an impressive 15:20, to Korsmo's 15:32. There were seven 9th-graders that finished in the top 40, and fifth out of those, in 32nd place with a time of 16:57, was Brady Korsmo of Bismarck High.

When he was in 8th grade, Brady's brother Sean won the state title, and then again two years later, in 2020. In that sophomore year of Brady's, he was again just outside the top 30, placing 34th with a time of 17:06. The big breakthrough at state cross country, and his chance to be the leader up front, was just on the horizon.

In his junior year, Brady placed 5th at state with a time of 15:52, an impressive feat in one of the deepest fields in state history. However, only one of the runners ahead of him was a senior, which meant a state title wasn't going to come easy in his senior year.

This year at state, Brady won. He ran a blistering 15:28 on the Jamestown course, beating fellow WDA rival Fynn Krenz by eight seconds and breakout Grand Forks Central senior Quinn Roehl by ten seconds. As a team, Bismarck High took 2nd overall, only losing to Williston by 18 points, and that was with one of their top runners not racing! It was the highest team place since they won in 2015.

As part of the state cross country champion series, we get a chance to meet Brady and wonder what it's like to be a part of a program that is a top five team every single year, with unprecedented amounts of success in this state.

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Congrats on your victory! Now that you’ve had some time to decompress and take a step away
from state cross country, how do you feel? This was your first state cross country title, right?

Yes, this was my first cross country title. It feels really good knowing my work has paid off.
Winning the state meet was a goal I’d had for quite some time, and it was something I had worked very
hard for. Crossing the line and knowing I just accomplished my goal is a feeling I can’t quite describe.

At some point, whether it was last year, this summer, or this fall, you probably realized that
winning state cross country was something you had the ability to do. When was that point? How
did it affect your outlook on this season?

Coming off of track season, I knew I had a chance at winning if I worked hard. The moment I
realized it was actually attainable was at our opening meet the rusty bucket. I ran a PR by about
ten seconds, which is a great place to be at the beginning of the season. I knew I was only going
to get better from there.

Take us through your title-winning race. What was your strategy going in? Did you follow it? Any
surprises?

My strategy going in was to stick with the front guys, stay relaxed through the first mile, and
then go from there. I mostly followed the strategy but did end up leading earlier than I
expected. I was a little surprised Fynn was not up there right away, but knew he would come on
later and figured he was running a bit more conservative.

At the WDA Region Meet, you placed 6th, over 50 seconds behind the leader. Did that affect how
you mentally prepared for the state meet?

I think it was probably a little bit good for me. The race before WDA was Rapid City, where I
finished just a second behind a very good runner. I came back a little bit cocky and complacent,
which didn’t last long as Fynn and the Williston boys beat me by quite a bit. I knew I still had it in
me but had to work for it.

What’s the biggest barrier you had to overcome this season?

I will say after WDA I was not feeling it right away. It took me a few days to start believing in
myself again.

Your team, Bismarck High, took 2nd place, only 18 points behind Williston. Was a team title a goal
going into the state meet? How did you feel about the team’s performance?

A Team title is something we always shoot for at BHS. I think it actually helps me run faster
knowing I have a team depending on me. That being said, we had a very young team this year, I
was the only senior, and our number 2 was out. Losing by 18 points to a team like Williston
while under those circumstances isn’t bad. Very proud of my team.

Help us get an idea of what it takes to be a high-placing team. What mindset do you and your
teammates have? What’s the atmosphere at practice?

Obviously you have to have some fun at practice, but more importantly we do all of the little
things right. I think our team does a really great job of finding a balance between having fun
when we can, but also taking our training very seriously and getting it done. It honestly has
gotten to the point where most of us don’t need anybody else to hold us accountable because
we do it ourselves and understand the importance of training.

Your team headed down to Rapid City in September and you got to race some great
competition, losing by only 1 second to Simeon Birnbaum, a sub-4 miler from Rapid City
Stevens. What was that race like?

Super fun race actually. I went into the race prepared to hang on as long as possible and it
turned out great. Its awesome running against somebody that good and finishing so close behind them.

Recently, you placed 86th at the Nike Cross Regional Meet with a time of 15:52. What that meet
like for you? What was your goal, and did you meet it?

For me that race was disappointing. It's a very fast course so most people from north dakota ran
a PB. My goal was to PR and to hopefully be closer to the front pack. I didn’t meet it, but it was
a good learning opportunity. Racing in a field that big threw me off a little bit and it is something
I have to work on. It gives you perspective on how much work you have left to do.

In 2020, your brother Sean won the state cross country title. How does it feel to match that two years later?

I don’t know how to describe it. Sean has been a state champion since his sophomore year, and
when I was younger I didn’t think I would be able to live up to that. I slowly got better, and him
being as good as he was and as recognized as he was gave me a lot of motivation to reach my
goals.

What motivates you in practice to keep pushing in practice?

I think a huge part of it is setting a goal for yourself. Setting a good goal that is challenging for
yourself and then committing to it will make you better. And for me, I know that the other top
kids in the state are working just as hard as I am, which gives me that extra boost and discipline
to do all the little things right.

Do you have any plans after graduation? Are you interested in running at the college level?

I’m for sure running in college, I just don’t know where yet. I’ve been on a few visits so far
and am finding some options, but will still need a bit more time before I make a decision.

What is your background in sports? Did you start running at a young age, or is it relatively new?

I have been running since elementary school. I did it because Sean did it. However, I haven’t
always liked it. I really got into it my freshman year, when I came up to BHS. It was a completely
different atmosphere and sport, which I quickly started to like more and more.

Talk a little bit about your training. What kind of routes and workouts does Bismarck do? Do you
have a favorite workout?

We mostly run on sidewalks and bike trails. We have a few routes on gravel and dirt but we
don’t get out to those often. During cross country we do a lot of 1k’s, 800’s, and this year we
incorporated more 400’s and tempo runs. I don’t really prefer one over the other, I’m okay with
all of them.

Any plans for a winter sport, or is it time to focus on track?

In the past I have played hockey, but this year I very recently decided not to play and to focus on
track.

Speaking of track, any early thoughts about what you might want to accomplish during track this
year?

I have quite a few track goals this year, but the biggest one is a team title. We have some
talented jumpers, sprinters, and a good distance core, so I think we have a good shot.

What is running to you? Why do you do it?

It started off as something I had to do, now its something I love. It used to be that I had to get up
in the summers to run. I had to go to practice. Now, it's just kind of a part of me. I still have to go
on runs and get up early in the morning sometimes, but I’m no longer in the mindset that it's a
hassle. It is kind of hard to describe.

What’s your favorite place (so far) to run in North Dakota?

For races I really do like the Jamestown course.

Do you have any North Dakota runners that you look up to? What about college or professional
athletes? Who has inspired you?

Biggest person would have to be my brother. The amount that he has inspired me has made me
a better runner than I thought I could ever be. As a runner for BHS you kind of have to look up to
Jake Leingang as well. I don’t follow college or pro running as much, but there are a lot of
athletes at that level that are very inspiring.

Can you offer up any advice you’ve learned along the way to people who might be interested in
cross country?

It's a pretty common saying that your body can do so much more than your mind thinks it can,
but I never really understood that until recently. Cross country has made me realize how true
this saying actually is. It’s eye opening to really understand the only thing holding you back is
your mindset.

Thank you Brady for taking the time answer questions for ND Runner, best of luck the rest of your senior year!

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

ND Runner Interview #13- 2022 Class B Boys State XC Champion Austin Wanner

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Credit: Tom Mix, NDHSAA Media Specialist

Way back in 2017, before anybody had ever heard of COVID, the state course was not yet at Jamestown every year, and New Town was still dynastic, a 7th-grader from Bowman County placed 81st place at state cross country, running 19:23 and scoring as the fifth runner for fifth place Bowman County. Five years later, and that same runner- senior Austin Wanner- finished first place individually at the state cross country meet, helping his team to their third consecutive state title. His team scored 18 points, a level of dominance not often seen at the state level. For Austin, it was the culmination of years of hard work.

In 2018, he placed 36th with a time of 18:16.

In 2019, he was 16th with a time of 17:28.

In 2020, he was 12th with a time of 17:18.

In 2021, he was 4th with a time of 16:39.

This year, he won with a time of 16:04.

The progression here shows commitment to the process and a refusal to give up. He owns track pr's of 2:00 in the 800, 4:30 in the 1600, and 9:49 in the 3200. He loves running, he's worked hard, and now he finally gets to celebrate that individual championship in state cross country. Here is a question-and-answer interview with Austin Wanner of Bowman County.

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Congrats on your victory! Now that you’ve had some time to decompress and take a step away
from state cross country, how do you feel? This was your first state title, right?

Thank you! I feel great. Knowing that all the work you put in finally paid off is all you can ask for.
Our whole team had a perfect day, so I am still over the moon for them. Yes, this is my first
individual title, but I also have the three cross country team titles and a 4x800 title last track
season.

Winning a state title was my dream since 7th Grade, but it was just that, a dream. I wasn’t doing
anything at that time to prepare, it was just something I knew would be cool to achieve. Then I
saw Brian Miller win a title, I knew it would be feasible. It wasn’t until I started summer training
that the dream turned into a goal. After that point, I wrote it in my running journal every day.

Take us through your title-winning race. What was your strategy going in? Did you follow it? Any
surprises?

The Jamestown course is very memorable, so when I knew I wanted to win, I would visualize all
the time. I knew exactly where I would want to make my move when the day finally came, so I
was confident in my race plan. When we were discussing our plans with the coach, the team’s
consensus was for everyone to get out hard. We had a great last few weeks of training, so we
were confident in our abilities. I knew we were going to get out fast, but I still wanted to stay
with the race plan I was visualizing for so long. When the gun went off, Caleb Sarsland had
different plans. The race strung out instantly. We went out way faster than I ever thought we
could, so my race plan was thrown out of the window. I was just trying to hold on the last mile,
and if you know Jamestown course, you would know that it’s not a great position to be in at that
point in the course. It wasn’t pretty, but I finished.

What’s the biggest barrier you had to overcome this season?

I’d be lying if I gave this inspirational story about overcoming some major adversity. I had a few
niggles throughout the season, and at the time they were scary, but, in hindsight, they were all
negligible. The whole training block went as good as I could have hoped.

One thing I did struggle with was nerves. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself all season.
What helped me though was a message I received from Bowerman athlete Josh Thompson [editor's note: Bowerman TC is a professional distance running team in Oregon]. I got
to talk with him on a Bowerman group run over the summer, and when my nerves were at their
worst, I asked him what he does to help with his nerves. One thing he said to me was “What
always helps me stay calm and focused is my training. The phrase I love that I remind myself
constantly before every race is ‘if you are prepared, you shouldn’t fear.’” I used this mantra not
just before races, but anytime my nerves got bad.

Your team, Bowman County, won their third consecutive state championship- this one in
DOMINATING fashion, scoring only 18 points. What does it mean to you to win a team title this
season as a senior?

Yeah! We knew we were going to be solid this season, but I had no idea how good we’d be. I
believe that cross country is a team sport, so winning this title my senior year means more than
any other accolade could ever mean to me.

Help us get an idea of what it takes to win state as a team. What mindset do you and your
teammates have? What’s the atmosphere at practice? Where does success like this come from?

From the first day of practice, the goal was the state title, so the mindset was always reaching
for that goal. We know what we have isn’t guaranteed, so we always keep each other
accountable and push each other to do one more rep during workouts. We joke around and
have fun, or “loosey goosey” as our coach calls it, but when it’s time to work, we put our game
faces on.

From what I can tell, it doesn’t seem that you lost to a North Dakota Class B Runner this season,
but many times you found yourself in the mix with Class A boys or South Dakota runners. How
important was it for you to get to race faster and deeper competition? What does it feel like to
be ranked #1, but then show up at a meet with the Williston boys?

I try not to worry about who’s class A or class B. A race is a race. But I think being able to mix it
up with other runners we usually wouldn’t in the post season gives us great competition we
normally wouldn’t be able to see. I wish I would’ve been able to mix it up with the front guys a
little more, but that wasn’t how we set up our season. As far as the team results go, it’s good to
keep us reaching for something. It can get to someone’s head if you go to smaller meets and
easily win every week. It shows us that there’s always a bigger fish.

This year your team made the trip up to Grand Forks for the inaugural border battle. What did
you think of the meet?

Hands down, it was the best meet I’ve ever ran at. We rarely, if ever, have an easier week to
prepare for regular season meets, but for this meet, we were able to simulate what we would
do for state, so it was a perfect dress rehearsal. Everything about the meet seemed to run
perfectly. The course was great, the weather was great, and the drumlines were great. I also
loved that the lead ‘cart’ was a bike. If the state learns at least one thing from the meet it’s the
bikes.

What motivates you in practice to keep pushing, even when you are ranked #1?

For most of the season, I wasn’t, and I preferred it that way. If it was up to me, I wouldn’t have
ever been ranked #1. The goal for the season was the state title, not to be ranked #1, so it didn’t
affect my motivation.

Do you have any plans after graduation? Are you interested in running at the college level?

100%.
I don’t know where yet, but I know I want to continue competing. I have a lot more to give to
the sport. I’m talking with a few coaches and have some visits on the calendar, but nothing is set
in stone yet.
[editor's note: On November 9th, NDSU Track and Field announced via social media that Austin signed with them. You can see their announcement on twitter here.]

What is your background in sports? Did you start running at a young age, or is it relatively new?

My family was always involved in running. My parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all ran in high
school, so I knew I was going to be a runner too. I was doing elementary mile races since 4th
grade, but I didn’t start training until 7th grade.

Talk a little bit about your training. What kind of routes and workouts does Bowman County do?
Do you have a favorite workout?

Our team runs relatively low mileage. I peaked at 40 miles a week in season, but the team
peaked at 35, and this was a jump from what we normally do. Some of our key workouts are
800-meter, 1000-meter, and 1-mile repeats. We usually rotate between those three, so we
don’t have some secret workout, our success comes from the work we put in.
We run most of mileage and even some workouts on a long stretch of dirt road we call cemetery
road, not because it’s deadly, but because it’s by the cemetery. It’s our version of the famous
Hawley Road.

Any plans to race at a regional meet in cross country, or is your season over?

I’m planning to run NXR, but we usually don’t take the race too seriously, and training hasn’t
been ideal either, so I’ll show up to NXR to have a good time.

Any plans for a winter sport, or is it time to focus on track?

Probably not. After NXR, I’ll take some time off and gear up for track season

Speaking of track, any early thoughts about what you might want to accomplish during track this
year?

There are a few records I’m eyeing…

What is running to you? Why do you do it?

It started as something that I just knew I was going to do. Since my parents and other family
members ran, I knew I was going to run too. As I stuck with it though, it has become a passion. I
couldn’t imagine my life without running.

What’s your favorite place (so far) to run in North Dakota?

I need to go and run different places around the state eventually, my scope is pretty limited. So far, I
would have to say cemetery road in Bowman. It has the most elevation gain in the area and the
scenery is beautiful. I’m glad I like running there, since we spend most of our time on that road.

Do you have any North Dakota runners that you look up to? What about college or professional
athletes? Who has inspired you?

I look up to so many people. As far as local athletes, I really look up to Brian Miller and Alex
Bartholomay. Since they were both Bowman athletes, I would look up to their achievements and
think to myself, “hey, I can do that too.”
I also follow professional running very closely, so there are a ton of people who I look up to. One of
the biggest inspirations to me is Eliud Kipchoge. His no human is limited slogan has always been a
huge motivator for me. People like Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Cooper Teare, Cole Hocker, and Grant
Fisher are also heroes to me. Josh Thompson is another person I really admire. Like I said, him taking
time out of his day and giving me advice when I needed it and checking up on my season was so cool
to see.

Can you offer up any advice you’ve learned along the way to people who might be interested in
cross country?

You have to be obsessed. Whatever your goal is, always have it in your mind. You have to live and
breathe the goal. Obsession will beat talent 100 percent of the time.

Thank you Austin for taking the time to answer some questions and share with us what it means to be a state champion! Best of luck moving forward!

Thursday, January 20, 2022

ND Runner Interview #12- 2021 Class B Girls State XC Champion Brynn Hanson

On October 21st and 22nd, 2021, the North Dakota State Cross Country Meet was held at Parkhurst Recreation Area just outside of Jamestown, ND. The Class B races were held on Friday, and the Class A races were held on Saturday.

In the Class B races, held in nice conditions of a light breeze and temperatures in the 40s, the Bowman County men prevailed for the second year in a row, while Ian Busche of Beulah-Hazen took the individual title. On the girl's side of things, Rugby won their third consecutive team title as 8th grader Brynn Hanson of Des-Lacs/Burlington took first place.

The next day, in similar conditions for the Class A races, Williston showed team greatness by winning both the boy's and girl's team titles. They also won the individual title in the girl's race, with Eleni Lovgren winning by 17 seconds, while Aiden Johnson of West Fargo Sheyenne ran away with the boy's race.

The following is part of a series where I do a Q&A interview and each of the individual state champions. Last year's interviews, along with many other interviews and North Dakota running research can be found here.

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Photo Credit: Tom Mix / NDHSAA Media Specialist

In the fall of 2020, the top-placing 7th grader at state cross country was Brynn Hanson of Des Lacs-Burlington High School, just west of Minot, ND. She placed 10th with a 5k time of 20:15. Later that school year, at state track, she completed the distance quadruple, running all four distance events at the state meet- placing 4th in the 1600, 6th in the 800, 13th as a member of the 4x800, and won the 3200 in a time of 11:31.35, her first state title. With how young the whole state was for Class B girls, it was really a toss-up as to what would happen in the next cross country season.

Relying heavily on previous year's results, Hanson was ranked 8th in the first coaches poll and 6th in the second. Due to not seeing many girls in the top 10 throughout the regular season, she was overlooked in the polls, and she didn't even crack the top 5 until the 5th week. On the course, she was dominating, winning most of her meets during the regular season, with an exception- a loss to Hannah Westin of Shiloh at the Skyhawk Invitational on September 18th. Avenging that 24-second loss, Hanson came back and won the West Region Meet, besting Hestin by four seconds with a PR of 19:19.

Two weeks later at the state meet, she roared to a first place finish with a time of 19:25- 15 seconds better than anyone else in the field and 21 seconds better than Westin. She still has five years of track and four years of cross country left!

Now that we are soon approaching the start of track season, we have a chance to meet the final of our 4 state champions. Thanks to Brynn for taking the time to answer these questions!

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1.) Congrats on your victory! Now that you’ve had some time to decompress and take a step away from cross country, how do you feel?

I feel good about the season! Every time I think about cross country or now track coming up, I get very nervous and excited.

2.) At some point, whether it was last year, this summer, or this fall, you probably realized that winning state cross country was something you had the ability to do. When was that point? How did it affect your outlook on this season?

I think I realized I could do a lot better than the year before when I was able to get a qualifying mile time last spring. I didn’t realize what I could do, and I was still learning that up until the state meet this year. I think it really hit me when I was able to come away with first place finishes at Rugby and Regionals.

3.) Take us through your title-winning race. What was your strategy going in? Did you follow it? Any surprises?

I was more focused on racing instead of time, which I think is most people's strategy at state. I was just making sure to be in the right positions and use the tips my coaches gave me. If anything, I was surprised how strong I felt throughout the whole race.

4.) Incredibly, you only lost one race all season- to Hannah Westin from Shiloh at the Skyhawk Invitational. Even though you beat her at the Region and State Meets, she beat you by 24 seconds that day. What was different that day? How did it affect your mindset the rest of the season?

I actually placed third at a Velva meet during the beginning of the season. I had never beat Hannah in any cross country meets before the Rugby meet, so I didn’t really expect to win the Skyhawk Invitational. I know Hannah is a strong competitor and my goal was just to stick with her as long as I could. After that race, I hoped to be able to close the gap between us.

(editor's note- sorry Brynn that I didn't know about the Velva meet! It's not on athletic.net and that's what I used...)

5.) Last school year you won the 3200m title at state track as a 7^th grader. What is your background in sports and competition that allowed you to already be at that level in 7^th grade?

Winning that race was very surprising for me. I didn’t expect that at all. I really only had experience from cross country that year, but I’ve done little recreational runs in elementary school which introduced me to the sports. Before that, my only sport was hockey. Hockey is really different from running because you use different muscle groups and it’s a whole different game. So, I really have no idea!

6.) As a result of last spring, did you feel pressure or a target on your back this season?

A little, but my parents kept reassuring me that the only pressure I felt was being put on me by myself. I tried to stay calm before each race, and reassure myself that whatever happened, my family would be proud.

7.) Talk a little bit about your training. What’s your favorite kinds of workouts? What do your easy/mileage days normally consist of?

I just follow the coaches plans, and try to do them to the best of my ability. I really like speed days and lifting because I know it plays a big role behind the scenes. The farthest run we did this season was seven and a half miles. We’ve only had our program for two years, and our training plans have really grown from last year.

8.) The next girl on your team to finish was almost a minute a half behind you, and the top boy on your team was about 20 seconds in front of you. I’m assuming that there are times in workouts where you’re by yourself pushing in the front. How do you get through that? What motivates you?

I know that if I don’t push myself and try my hardest with each workout, it isn’t going to benefit me. Usually I will run with someone that is also wanting to push themselves that day.

9.) Do you participate in any winter sports, or do you get ready for track?

I play hockey and between practice and games it’s a busy schedule. I know I need to run on those few days we don’t have practice, but I don’t always get to it. I really enjoy both sports, but I try to focus and dedicate my time to the sport I’m currently competing in.

10.) Speaking of track, any early thoughts about what you might want to accomplish during track this year?

Right now I’m just trying to focus on my hockey season, and trying to get a few runs in. I don’t like thinking about it because it makes me super nervous, but I want to try and uphold everything from last track season and also do better. I might not be doing as much for track as most kids, but I hope I can use the things I learned last year to have a great season.

11.) What is running to you? Why do you do it?

Running helps me to get in shape for hockey and some time to focus on myself. I’m left with my thoughts and feelings when I run, and I like having this time to think. My mom was a runner and she helps me stay motivated through everything I choose to do.

12.) What’s your favorite place (so far) to run in North Dakota?

So far it’s the courses that I ran my state meets on. During the first race, the trees were covered in snow and it was really calm when you weren’t around anyone cheering. During the most recent race, there was a very pretty view over the water, and the weather was great too.

13.) Do you have any North Dakota runners that you look up to? What about college or professional athletes?

I had the opportunity to go to a running camp and interact with people like Maddie Van Beek and Annika Rotvold. They both are amazing athletes and I hope to be able to accomplish a fraction of what they have. Andrew Carlson is also an amazing person and runner, and he is able to make running enjoyable and put it on a deeper level.

14.) Can you offer up any advice you’ve learned along the way to people who might be interested in cross country?

I’ve learned that people really like to exaggerate on how running is hard and there’s no point, but I think that people's opinions shouldn’t always influence yours. I think the whole point is that there are lots of things that are hard, and you have to be able to get over that mental block and take on challenges. Also, it really is fun and you meet so many amazing people.

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

ND Runner Interview #11- 2021 Class A Girls State XC Champion Eleni Lovgren

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Photo Credit: Tom Mix / NDHSAA Media Specialist

Eleni Lovgren first ran at state cross country in 7th grade, placing 41st with a time of 20:33. By the time she finished middle school, she had already jumped up to 10th place. Freshman year brought her first first-team all-state placement in 8th place, and she continued climbing upwards, finishing 5th as a sophomore and 4th as a junior. However, between cross country and track, placing higher than 4th remained elusive. Last year, when she was a junior, her team benefitted from two new fast 7th graders and won the team title. But individually, it had been hard to be so close to the top year after year without quite reaching it.

Going into this season, Lovgren was not the top returner, because at the previous state meet Jaelyn Ogle from Watford City had finished 20 seconds ahead of her. This however did not deter coaches from voting Lovgren the preseason favorite in the first coaches poll. I also picked her as my pre-season favorite, and my logic was based only on the fact that she had run a really strong, course-breaking 5k race at the Maah Daah Hey the summer before the season started (evidence here). Williston as a team was ranked #2 behind Bismarck High.

As the season went on, Eleni showed that she was truly the person to beat in the state of North Dakota, and Williston as a team showed that they could tangle with anybody in the state, and in fact commandingly won the Region Meet. Eleni had a lone blemish at that same meet, placing second by 12 seconds to Bayla Weigel of Bismarck High. However, she turned loss into gain and turned around to win the State Meet by 17 seconds, her first individual title, and helped her team to their 2nd team title in a row (winning by 47 points). She stayed focused year after year, and it finally paid off!

Below is Eleni's answers to my questions. It's always fun to get to know these great athletes a little better. Thank you Eleni!

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1.) Congrats on your victory! Now that you’ve had some time to decompress and take a step away from cross country, how do you feel? This was your first state title, right?

Thank you so much! Yes it was my first state title. Winning state cross country has been my goal for a long time now, and it’s just now setting in that I actually accomplished it. I’ve watched other people win it for the other five years I’ve been in cross country, and I’m blessed that it’s my turn to be one of those people now.

I’ve known since 7th grade that I could win state cross country someday, and it’s always been my goal. More recently though, I ran a hill workout this summer and felt super fit, and after that I thought of the title as mine to lose, even though nobody else probably saw it like that.

3.) Take us through your title-winning race. What was your strategy going in? Did you follow it? Any surprises?

I had a clear strategy going into the race, and I stuck to it. My plan was to start out conservatively and work my way up to the front, using the turns and the hills to my benefit. I planned to take the lead with 800 left if I didn’t have it already.

As far as the actual race goes, it went almost exactly to plan. I was in 7th for the first 400 meters, and I worked my way up to 2nd by the first mile. I felt strong and relaxed so I made another move. I took the lead at the mile and a quarter and never looked back. The only surprise was how early I was able to take the lead.

4.) After a season where you were winning every meet in the state of North Dakota, you took second at the WDA Region Meet. What changed in that race? How did it change your mindset going into the state meet?

I’ve thought about that race a little, but I’m still not sure exactly what happened. I ran to the best of my ability for that day but came up short. It definitely changed my mindset, but in a good way. I went into state with a chip on my shoulder and focused hard on my recovery for the next two weeks. I liked the underdog position I was put in. My one and only individual goal this season was the state title, and I trusted God with that. All I can say is that I didn’t win WDA for a reason, and God’s plan is better than mine.

5.) For the last couple of years, many athletes felt like they were racing for second because Meghan Ford was running some crazy fast times. Did you feel like the competition opened up a little more this year?

Only somewhat. Athletes like Meghan don’t come around very often, and they’re tough to beat, but the competition was still strong this year.

6.) Did you feel pressure to win state this year? Like a target on your back?

The only pressure I felt was from myself. I reminded myself constantly that it was my last chance to get my goal, and that I was going to do everything in my power to get it. It was a good kind of pressure though, the kind that motivates me every day and drives me towards my goal, and tells me to do one more mile or run one more rep.

I never really felt like I had a target on my back, or like I was the clear favorite. It seemed to me like the other contenders for the title looked at winning as their goal, not beating me.

7.) Your team and the boy’s team both won the state titles as a team. What was it like to train on a team that has had such a successful season? Was that the goal for the teams all along- to win state? Do you have teammates that can push you in practice?

It’s a whole different experience training with a team that is training for a title. I’ve been on both ends (only four years ago our team took 16th at state) and the energy at practice is completely different. It felt like that last year especially; all we talked about during workouts and recovery runs was winning the title.

Winning state was the goal for both of our teams all along, and that’s all we had in mind. Most of our girls team are middle schoolers, so I trained with the boys team in the summer so that I could get some higher mileage weeks in. They pushed me a lot, both in recovery runs and workouts, and that’s where I gained a lot of confidence about the upcoming season.

8.) What did it mean as a senior to come out here and get the win when it mattered most?

It meant the world to me. All the years I’ve worked for it paid off, and coming down the home stretch I felt incredibly blessed that it was actually happening. It’s crazy thinking that October 23rd was the climax of all my training since seventh grade, and everything fell into place perfectly when it mattered most.

All of my family was there too, and I was happy to make them proud because that’s what I work for too. Whenever I’m struggling in a workout I think of them, and I keep going because I want to make them proud. I know that they’d be proud of me anyways, but I was glad to be able to win it for them.

It just felt good to end my high school cross country career on a good note, and leave North Dakota with the best race of my life and with my name in the history books.

9.) Do you have any plans after graduation? Are you interested in running at the college level?

Yes! I’m definitely planning on running in college, and I’ve visited a few schools but I’m still uncommitted. I would’ve liked to be signed a bit sooner, but I’m taking my time and making sure I consider all of my options. Besides that, I don’t have any summer plans yet except for trail and road racing.

10.) What is your background in sports? Did you start running at a young age, or is it relatively new?

I’ve been running most of my life, probably since second grade. My dad ran cross country and track in high school, and he got me into it. I ran through the rec programs, but I never wanted to go to practice. Once I got to practice I remembered how much I loved running fast. By the time I was eight or nine I was running almost every day in the summer, and “training” for the one-mile kids road races.

11.) Talk a little bit about your training. What’s your favorite kinds of workouts? What do your easy/mileage days normally consist of?

My favorite cross country workout is either start pace 800’s on the bike path or 300’s at mixed race paces. My go-to for track is eight 400’s at 1600 pace, but I’m planning on switching it up more this year. My regular runs are typically 7 miles when I’m healthy, but 5 miles or aqua jogging when I’m not.

12.) You raced at the Nike Regional Meet. How did you prepare after the North Dakota season ended? How did the race play out for you? Did you meet your goal?

I took two days off after the state meet, then got back into training. I mostly just ran mileage and regular runs, and I didn’t prepare well. My goal was top 10, but I DEFINITELY did not reach it (I got 62nd). I ran 18:43, which was a huge course PR for me, and one of my faster times this season. I gave what I had for the day so I can’t be disappointed with the results. Overall it was one of the most fun races I’ve ever ran and a great way to close out my high school cross country career.

13.) Any plans for a winter sport, or is it time to focus on track?

Time to focus on track! I started training November 29th, and I have big goals that I’m working towards.

14.) Speaking of track, any early thoughts about what you might want to accomplish during track this year?

Yes, I have one big goal that I’m focusing on, and I’m keeping it private and working towards it every day.

15.) What is running to you? Why do you do it?

I run because I love it, but also because I love winning and competing. It also gives me a purpose and goals to chase, and I’m a very goal-oriented person so that’s important to me.

16.) What’s your favorite place (so far) to run in North Dakota?

The Maah Daah Hey trail. I go to the Long X trailhead with my dad to run and bike pretty often, and we race at the Maah Daah Hey trail race every year. It’s the highlight of my summer.

17.) Have you experienced adversity with running? If so, how did you overcome it?

Yes, there've been many seasons where I've trained harder than ever before and got little to no return for it. I started putting in a lot more miles my sophomore year of off-track, and started plateauing at that same time. Between my sophomore and junior year of cross country, I only cut one place at state and seven seconds off my PR. Between my freshman and junior year of track I only cut one second off my 3200 and got the same place at state both years. I fell at the finish of the 1600 at state and got outkicked for third. I only cut two seconds off my 800 and I had one of my worst 800 races of the season at state.

Even though it was tough, I overcame it by continuing to put in the miles and working harder each season. I never lost sight of my goal and eventually it paid off. It just showed me that hard work doesn’t always pay off right away, but if you keep showing up it always pays off eventually.

18.) Do you have any North Dakota runners that you look up to? What about college or professional athletes?

I look up to Sean Korsmo a lot. He's a great role model as both a runner and a person, and he talks a lot about running for God and that’s influenced me quite a bit.

As far as college and pro athletes go, my favorite has to be Deena Kastor. I read her book Let Your Mind Run, and it completely changed my mindset and the way I thought about running.

19.) Can you offer up any advice you’ve learned along the way to people who might be interested in cross country?

Set high goals and work for them. It’s a challenging sport with not a lot of glamour, but it’s extremely rewarding.

Thursday, November 11, 2021

ND Runner Interview #10- 2021 Class B Boys State XC Champion Ian Busche

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Photo Credit: Tom Mix / NDHSAA Media Specialist

At last year's state cross country meet, there were four boys that broke 16:40 in the Class B race. Three of them of were seniors, and the junior was Ian Busche. As the top returner, expectations were that Busche would win the title this year, as evidenced by his #1 ranking in the first coaches poll. Not only did he win the big meet, but he also didn't lose to Class B competition all season. He was dominant, and finished off a great senior season with a ten second victory at the state meet, his first individual state title.

The journey to the top has been a long one for Ian, starting during the years when New Town was obliterating in-state competition and hogging places in the top-20 at the state meet. Ian started in 40th place at state as an 8th grader, moved up to 16th as a freshman, and cracked the top ten by placing fifth as a sophomore. Already close, he inched closer as a junior and finished third. This year he was able to finish the upward progression to first place, a great example of seeing success from continued hard work and focus over time.

Below are Ian's answers to my questions. It's always fun to get to know these great athletes a little better. Thank you Ian!

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1.) Congrats on your victory! Now that you’ve had some time to decompress and take a step away from state cross country, how do you feel? This was your first state title, right?

It was a great season. This is my first state title, but hopefully not my last. I just like racing, so I went out on the day and ran the race. Sometimes you win, other days it's not even close, but on the day I had what it took to win and that's what happened.

Last year cross country season was when it became obvious that I had a shot at a state title. I placed 5th my sophomore year with only one runner that placed above me returning. Last year was a great season up until state. I was undefeated and I had won every race against the two guys that would eventually beat me at state. I ended up really tightening up in the cold weather last year and overall it was not a great race. I ended up with 3rd. Last year taught me that your training and amazing races mean nothing if you can’t get it done on the right day. This year I was a lot less concerned about other meets and just really focused on the state meet itself.

3.) Take us through your title-winning race. What was your strategy going in? Did you follow it? Any surprises?

My strategy was pretty basic, but I was certain no matter how the race went out, I would be able to hang tight and make a big kick that nobody in the field could match. I always do my best to take races out hard, but many times I fall off the pace and my kick is what saves me in the end. I knew I had to use that to my advantage, so I planned to stay in a pack with the front runners until the hilly section of the course at 2 miles. I was in the lead but only by a step until 2 miles, and once I made my move on the hills, it was apparent to me that the other guys in the front pack were broken and it was just a matter of keeping up the pace and finishing.

4.) You didn’t lose to a Class B runner all season. Your closest races were West Region and State. Did you feel pressure throughout the season to not lose? Were you ever worried that someone was going to beat you?

At West Region and State it felt much different than every other race. Other races to me were just about working on my fitness and getting after it right from the gun, whereas West Region and State were all about the win, so they were closer looking at the time, but putting on a 10 second gap in 800m is pretty significant. I was not too worried about the meets during the season, or even West Region, because in the end the only race that really matters to most people is state. I won regionals last year, but ended up 3rd as I said at the state meet against the same guys I raced against at regionals. That just proved to me even more the importance of championship racing over fast times.

5.) One of the top Class B distance runners in track, Caleb Hansen, runs for a Class A school during cross country. Do you think that would’ve changed your mindset or game plan if he was in the Class B race?

Caleb Hansen is a phenomenal runner, and I raced him once this season, and I believe I beat him by about 30 seconds. In track he is a great 3200m and 1600m runner with impressive times in both events. Caleb likes to run from the front and take races out hard. On the other hand I like staying in 2nd or 3rd place and betting on my kick at the end. I think my strategy would have stayed the same, because whether he took it out slow or took it out fast I would likely hang on and put in a big kick at the end, and he would try to break me before then.

6.) The next guy on your team finished almost two minutes behind you. Assuming that means most of your workouts you have to run by yourself, how do you keep pushing? What motivates you?

My freshman year of XC was the only time I had somebody to train with. He was a senior, Isak Olson, and we both had a shot at top 20 that year, because we were both 17 mid guys. Since he graduated I have always done workouts on my own, and I motivate myself by just wanting to give my best everytime I get out and do a hard workout. The satisfaction you feel after a super difficult workout when you know that is the best you have ever ran is an amazing feeling.

7.) What did it mean as a senior to come out here and get the win when it mattered most?

It was my last year to show that I had what it takes to win the big meets. I really wanted to show people that with hard work, and a little help from the man upstairs you achieve the things you've the things you're working towards.

8.) Do you have any plans after graduation? Are you interested in running at the college level?

I have applied to the United States Air Force Academy as well as the United States Military Academy. These are both colleges that have amazing running programs and I most likely would not be recruited to run at either, but if I was able to walk onto the track and field team or XC team I would jump at the opportunity. If I am not able to run at either of these programs, I would still love to attend them for academic reasons at the least as well as serving this great nation.

9.) What is your background in sports? Did you start running at a young age, or is it relatively new?

I started Track in 7th grade and I only ran the 800m, and I ran 2:16 and I was convinced to run XC in the fall, but I ended up dual sporting football and XC that year. In track my 8th grade year I ran 2:08 for 800m and 4:49 for 1600m, so I decided to go all in on running.

10.) Talk a little bit about your training. What’s your favorite kinds of workouts? What do your easy/mileage days normally consist of?

My training does not consist of that much mileage a week, which is why I think I could have huge improvements if I continue to keep running. Every week I run between 20-25 miles a week. My long runs are either 5 or 6 miles, while my easy runs are normally 3-4 miles. A couple of workouts that I have done is 5x1000 meters at 2:57, 8x600m at 1:48, and 12x400m at 68 high. We do all of these workouts either on grass, gravel, or concrete. Another workout I remember doing is an all out 2km on the road with 5-10 mph wind at my back which I ran in 5:45. I then had a full rest which was about 10-15 minutes and then ran an all out 1km at 2:49.

11.) Any plans to race at a regional meet in cross country, or is your season over?

I am still training and I will be racing at the NXR Heartland Regionals. It is one more shot to try and break 16 minutes for 5km. My best 5km was 16:08 at regionals, but there were many sharp turns and it was extremely muddy on the turns. I think these few weeks since I started I haven't lost any fitness. I might have even gained a tiny bit of fitness.

12.) Any plans for a winter sport, or is it time to focus on track?

I don't do any winter sports, so I have a lot more free time in the winter. I'm a big outdoorsman, so I spend most of that time hunting, fishing, or doing anything outside. I normally don't start training for track until January, so I have quite a bit of time until I'll start running again. I'll sometimes do an easy 3 mile run or something in December just fun, but I don't start running seriously until January.

13.) Speaking of track, any early thoughts about what you might want to accomplish during track this year?

I’m hoping to run some really fast times. I think that will come along with getting out there and racing. I’m hoping to win the 800m and the 1600m. I only raced the 3200m twice in my life. One time I ran 10:15 to qualify, and then at state I ran 9:53 for 4th. If i could also win the 3200m that would be the cherry on top.

14.) What is running to you? Why do you do it?

This is always a question I struggle with, because I don't really have an answer. I really just enjoy getting outside and running fast, and I don't really know why. There is something about running that always keeps me coming back and I can't pinpoint exactly what it is.

15.) What’s your favorite place (so far) to run in North Dakota?

I don't really have a favorite place to run. Most times I run the same road north of my hometown hazen, because even though I live in town it only takes me a quarter mile to hit gravel. I enjoy running the Bowman County invitational, because it always happens early in the season so there is no pressure and the course is gradual uphills so you can really push up them and the downhills are just enough to let you recover.

16.) Have you experienced adversity with running? If so, how did you overcome it?

The biggest struggle I had was my freshman year of track. I was coming off a great XC season with a time of 17:16 on a tough course. My prs were 2:08 and 4:49 and I was really hoping to make a big drop in time that year. I started feeling lots of pain in my right leg, and I just kept getting told it was just shin splints, so I kept running even though it kept getting more painful. I was on and off with running because it was so painful, and I finally went to the doctor and I found out that it was a pretty severe stress fracture. This was two weeks before state, so I biked everyday and at state I just barely prd with a 2:04 and a 4:47. This was really disappointing to me, because I wanted so much more out of the season but it didn't happen. I knew the only thing I could do is look towards next season. I had an amazing sophomore XC season dropping my time to 16:34 and I thought that this track season would be a big breakout season for me. Then Covid happened and my whole season was cancelled. It was another big disappointment, but all you can really do is keep putting in the work. Running is not an easy sport in any way, and that's why it's worth it. A great man of North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt, once said, “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty. I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.”

17.) Do you have any North Dakota runners that you look up to? What about college or professional athletes?

I love cheering for North Dakota runner, but I often can't find anywhere to watch these races. I watch professional races all the time. I love watching guys like Joshua Cheptegei or Jakob Ingebrigtsen, and this list goes on, but my all-time favorite runner is Stewart McSweyn. McSweyn has some extreme range running a 3:29 1500m, 3:48 mile, 7:29 3000m, and a 1:02.52 half marathon all within a year of each other. The most impressive part about McSweyn's running is his strength. He almost always runs from the front and that is not an easy task. Not often have I seen him not lead a race, but even when he doesn't, he always makes a move over a lap to go rather than closer to the finish like most runners. I hate running from the front and that's a big reason I envy him. I know how tough leading is, and he does it so well.

18.) Can you offer up any advice you’ve learned along the way to people who might be interested in cross country?

Running is either something you love or you don't. It's as simple as that. If you enjoy running, then keep running, if not then don't. I wouldn't take much more running advice from me though. I’m not that smart, I just run fast and make left turns.