A couple NDSU grads and track studs have created the Prairie Track Podcast, which is trying to do EVERYTHING related to North Dakota and running. Episode 2 features your truly, but check all of the episodes out!
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Saturday, November 21, 2020
ND Runner Interview #8- Class A Boy's State XC Champion Sean Korsmo
On Saturday, October 24th, in temperatures hovering in the mid-20s with snow on the ground, the Class A State Cross Country Meet was held at Parkhurst Recreation Area just outside of Jamestown, ND, and the Class B State Cross Country Meet was held further north at the Cooperstown Country Club. The Class A races stayed close to the predictions, whereas the Class B meet had some upsets. This interview is the final of four interviews with the individuals who won state titles this year.
Interview with Class A Girl's Champion Meghan Ford is here.
Interview with Class B Boy's Champion Brian Miller is here.
Interview with Class B Girl's Champion Peyton Gette is here.
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| Smile, you're a state champion! Photo Credit: NDHSAA |
Going into 2020, Bismarck High School had provided 10 of the last 13 individual winners of the Class A Boy's State Cross Country meet. One of those years, 2018, was Sean Korsmo.
Korsmo has been one of the top runners in the state for a few years now. As a freshman, he placed 17th at state cross country, and doubled back by placing 5th in 1600 (4:29), 5th in the 3200 (9:46), and 4th as a member of the 4x800 (8:12) at state track.
As a sophomore, he had a breakout year. He won state cross country with a time of 15:46, and then cleaned up at state track, winning titles in the 1600 (4:25), 3200 (9:32), and as a member of the 4x800 (8:01). 4 state titles in 10th grade isn't too shabby.
As a junior, he placed 2nd at a FAST state cross country meet, finishing in 15:33 to fellow junior Brady Yoder's (Dickinson) 15:21. Of course, track season did not have a state meet because of COVID.
Entering senior year, Korsmo was a favorite in cross country. In the first coaches poll, he was ranked 2nd to Yoder, but after that, he was ranked 1st for the next 6 weeks. Going into state, he won the West Region meet (defeating Yoder), and was only ranked behind Jacob Knodle (WF Sheyenne) from the East Region. At the West Region Meet, Korsmo won by almost 10 seconds in a time 15:26. The table was set.
At this year's state meet, Sean Korsmo of Bismarck High School placed 1st with a time of 15:28, 5 seconds ahead of Jacob Knodle, with Brady Yoder in 4th at 15:38. Each of the top five runners were under 16:00. He won his 2nd state title in cross country!
Outside of that, he has been tackling some trail running as well, including racing the National High School Trail Championships in Salida, Colorado this previous summer, finishing an impressive 2nd place! Here's a description of the race, followed by an interview of him with the American Trail Running Association:
"The 5.4-mile trail championship course started on a dirt road along the Arkansas River near downtown Salida — elevation 7,057 feet –and reached a high point of 7,558 feet. After less than a mile, the course continued on the Salida Mountain Trail System, with terrain comprised primarily of mountain-biking friendly single-track switchbacks. The race finished at Riverside Park in downtown Salida."
Interview with American Trail Running Association
Below are the questions I posed to Korsmo, and his answers.
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1.) First of all, congrats on the victory at state!
There was a lot of talent in that race, evidenced by the top 4 runners all
under 15:40. You were one of the discussed front-runners going into the race.
How did you mentally prepare?
My mindset for the state meet was
obviously that I wanted to win. For me, it’s as simple as that. I have the same
mindset for every race I compete in, and it’s always that I want to win. It
doesn’t matter who is in the race, how fast they are, or how much better they
are than me. I’m not always going to win, I understand that, but I’m going to
do my best to win. To mentally prepare myself for all of my races I pray a lot.
I always feel at peace after, but I am ready.
2.) With fresh snow on the ground and sub-freezing
temperatures, did your approach for warming up or preparing for the race
change?
It was pretty cold the day of the
state meet. That is usually expected because we live in North Dakota, but I am
comfortable running in sub-freezing temperatures. I absolutely hate running on
treadmills, so during the winter I only train outside in temperatures much
colder than we had at the state meet. The cold air is a little tougher to
breathe in, so I did wear a facemask to try to make it a little easier to
breathe. I wore the facemask through warmups and took it off at the start line.
3.) Talk a little about the race. How did it play
out?
I figured the race was going to be
pretty fast right off the bat, so I decided to just follow the leaders. At the
half mile mark, Jacob Knodle put in a pretty good surge, and I followed with a
good sized pack behind me. We came through the mile just under five minutes,
which wasn’t too bad for me. I had gone out harder than that at WDA, so I was
feeling pretty good. I ran in the back of the front pack which put me in fifth
place behind Jacob Knodle, Brady Yoder, Ben Anteau, and Mason Kindle. We ran in
that same pack until just before the two mile mark. Ben put in a good surge,
and I followed closely behind. I could feel both Knodel and Yoder a few meters
behind me, but the pack had broken away from Kindle. We maintained our same
places until the four hundred meter mark. I remember telling myself “Sean you
gotta go,” and I prayed “Lord help me with this,” and I took off. I passed Ben,
and took the lead for the first time in the race. I remember everything went
kind of blurry as I sprinted towards the finish and eventually crossed the
finish line.
4.) You’ve had state titles previously in track and
cross country. What makes this title different? How does it feel?
This state title was very
different for a lot of reasons. It’s my senior year, my last chance to win a
state title in cross country, and the fact that we didn’t know if we were going
to have a season was also a huge factor. Yes, it was different, but overall, it
was the same as any other season. The goal is always to win, I might not always
achieve that, but it is always my goal.
5.) Brady Yoder (Dickinson) was 4th
today, but he beat you to take the State XC title last year, and has taken a
close second to you in many other state championship races in both track and
XC. What is like to race each other? Is there any kind of rivalry or understood
competition between the two of you? Do you feel like you bring out the best of
each other?
I love racing Brady. We are pretty
good friends. We don’t have any bad blood between us or anything. Sure, we both
want to beat each other every race, but that is just our competitive nature. He
is a super awesome guy, and an amazing competitor. I love racing him, I know he
makes me so much better, and I hope I do the same for him. I don’t think I
would be nearly as fast as I am right now without him.
6.) Obviously this year is different. We all know
that every walk of life has been changed by the pandemic. Your track season was
cut in the spring, and you didn’t know how cross country would play out. How
did you cope with not having track last season?
To cope with not having a track
season, I ran a lot. I fell in love with running more than I ever had in my
life. It’s pretty boring not having much to do, so I would go out and run a
couple times a day, and I loved it. I would have rather raced, but I knew it
wasn’t possible. I couldn’t control it, but I knew I needed to enjoy the time
God gave me to just run.
7.) What has it been like to train through the
pandemic and keep your sights on the goals you have?
I love running, so it was never
tough for me to go out and run. In the spring I knew I was training for this
cross country season, and I was going to be ready for whatever race I might’ve
been able to run this fall.
8.) Bismarck High has had now had 11 of the past 14
individual men’s State Class A Cross Country champions. What does it mean to
you to be part of that line of success and tradition?
I think more than anything, having
that many champions reflects the amazing coaches at Bismarck High. It’s really
how Anderson and Zittleman have developed runners over the last 15 years. They
don’t just get lucky with the best kids in the state always ending up at
Bismarck High. There’s no way it’s luck. They take good runners, and they make
them better. It really means a lot to me to be a part of the tradition and
success at Bismarck High. It’s awesome, and like I said, it really reflects how
great the coaches are at Bismarck High.
9.) What does
the rest of cross country season look like for you? Are there any races to go
to? How about for track- what are your
goals there?
Although Nike and Footlocker are
canceled this year, there is a race in Indiana on November 15 that I competed
in. I ran at a national meet with guys from 35 different states, so I knew
there was going to be good competition. Even knowing how fast some of the guys
could run, I still wanted to win. The conditions were not ideal with winds up
to forty miles per hour. I was trailing the lead pack for the majority of the
race. My goal was to run down the pack in the last mile, and pass as many guys
as I could. I ended up giving the lead pack a little too big of a lead. I still
ran down quite a few guys in the last mile, but it wasn’t quite where I wanted
to be. I took 16th overall, and earned All American honors. I am happy with how
I did, but I always want to do better. Right now, I will continue running
normal mileage, but for track the goal is to be better than I currently am. I’m
not a big time guy, but I’m going to try and get very fast. For me, it’s as
simple as that.
10.) Do
you have plans to run in college? Have you committed anywhere?
I plan on running in college, and
I am very excited to compete at the collegiate level next year. I have talked
to a few colleges, but as of right now I am not sure where I will be running.
11.) To
what or to whom can you attribute the success that you’ve experienced?
First, all the success I’ve had
has been given to me by God. I thank him everyday for all that he has blessed
me with, and allowing me success in running. I couldn’t have done anything
without God’s help. That’s where I credit all of my success. Obviously, Darrell
Anderson has done so much for me through my five years competing for Bismarck
High, and he is a huge part of who I am, and what I’ve done. He is one of the
greatest coaches out there, and the runners coming out of Bismarck High are
proof of that.
12.) What
does running mean to you?
The root of running for me is
using my talents to glorify God. I’ve been given a gift, and I love to use it.
I couldn’t imagine my life without running, or who I would be without running.
It has changed my life in so many ways, and it’s taught me so much about life.
Running has been a part of who I am, and even when I can’t run anymore, what
I’ve experienced will still have a huge impact on me.
13.) What’s
your favorite place to run in North Dakota?
My favorite place is a ten mile
route that Anderson has shown me that he calls Dead Rabbit. It is in the north
western part of Bismarck. It mostly consists of hilly, dirt roads that really
show off the beauty of North Dakota. It almost doesn’t feel like North Dakota,
it is much hillier than most people would expect from North Dakota, and doesn’t
feel like just flat plains. It’s super beautiful and a super fun run.
14.) What
adversity have you experienced with running, and what did you do to overcome
it?
I had severe back problems my
freshman year that prevented me from competing at WDA, and left me injured for
state. I injured it a few days before WDA in the middle of the run. I couldn’t
make it back to Bismarck High, so I had to walk the rest of the run which ended
up being around three miles. That was super tough for me. I still wanted to
race with one of my teammates, Morgan Fairbairn. We had raced all season
together, and usually placed within ten seconds of each other. The week of
state, I couldn't practice for the first few days of the week. I finally came
back on Thursday, two days before the state meet. During the meet, I tried to
run with Morgan for as long as I could, but after the first mile of pain, I
started to fall back. I remember just trying to hold on as long as I could to
the top twenty and found myself in twenty-first with only a few hundred meters
left. I put my pain aside and ran as hard as I could. I ended up finishing
seventeenth, which was super frustrating for me. I was happy that I was All
State, but I had wanted to do much better. I rested, healed, and did physical
therapy in the off season, and I thank the Lord for healing me. I remember
praying during that time, and I mainly said, “Lord, I don’t know why this is
happening, but I know it’s for the best,” and it was. I have gotten much
stronger since then, and I think the experience made me better. Another huge
difficulty I faced was breaking my toe sophomore year. I broke it in September,
and I knew I needed to get back to running. It was tough, I had trained a lot
for the season, but I never got down about breaking my toe. I remember I prayed
that I could continue to run, and that this was part of some awesome plan, and
then I went to work. I broke it on a Wednesday, I biked on Thursday and I tried
to run on Friday. I made it two blocks. I went back to biking, and over the
weekend I swam. On Monday I ran on an antigravity treadmill, and on Tuesday I
was back. I went for my first real run on Tuesday, and although it hurt, I made
it through. I spent the rest of the season in a boot, only taking it off when I
ran. I also couldn’t get my foot into my spike, so I had to wear a racing flat
with more support instead of a spike. I was determined not to let my toe slow
me down, even at state. God helped me get through the season, and I ended up winning
state. Other than that, I have never been ranked first going into a state meet,
but that has never mattered to me. I will always try as hard as I can to win.
15.) What
words of advice can you give to those who are interested in running?
A lot of people ask me how I enjoy
running. They always say they want to get into it, but they don’t enjoy it. I
can’t make people love running, but I can help people get better. I think the
main key to getting better at running is consistency. Cross country is not a
sport that you can fake. If you want to be good, you have to train. There is no
way around it. There is no secret to getting better, it’s just running everyday
and working hard. This applies to everyone, but especially for people who want
to start running.
16.) Do
you have any runners from North Dakota that you’ve drawn inspiration from or
look up to? What about professional runners?
I really look up to the guys that
graduated before me, Jake Leingang and Sam Clausnitzer especially. There are a
lot more guys that Anderson has told me stories about, and I really look up to
those guys as well. I look up to everything they did while running at Bismarck
High. Everytime I walk by the trophy case, and the majority of it is filled
with cross country trophies, it amazes me. Hearing their stories makes me want
to be a better runner. I want to be more like those guys, but those guys also
set high goals. I am very competitive, and a little part of me compares myself
to them. Of course, I want to be better than they were, but I know that might
not be the case, and that’s okay. More than anything, those guys just help me
become better. I know I may never be as good as they were, but I really want to
try. Those are the main guys I strive to run like. Sure there are cool
professional runners, but it means a lot more to me, and I feel much more
connected with the guys who graduated before me. That being said, I was
introduced to Tayte Pollmann who is a Nike Trail Runner. Through friends I was
given the opportunity to stay with him this summer, and we became friends. As
professional runners go, he is by far my favorite, and he is an incredible
person.
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
ND Runner Interview #7- Class B Girl's State XC Champ Peyton Gette
On Saturday, October 24th, in temperatures hovering in the mid-20s with snow on the ground, the Class A State Cross Country Meet was held at Parkhurst Recreation Area just outside of Jamestown, ND, and the Class B State Cross Country Meet was held further north at the Cooperstown Country Club. The Class A races stayed close to the predictions, whereas the Class B meet had some upsets. This interview is the third of four interviews with the individuals who won state titles this year.
Interview with Class A Girl's Champion Meghan Ford can be found here.
Interview with Class B Boy's Champion Brian Miller can be found here.
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| Smile! You're a State Champion! Photo Credit: Hillsboro Banner |
Much like the Class B Boy's race, the Class B Girl's race did not have a clear favorite going into the state race. Many of the girls in the top 10 in the polls came from the East Region, and many of those girls had won at least one race at some point during the season, and even head-to-head comparisons would fail to produce any consistency.
Ranked 7th going into the state meet was a 9th grader from Kindred. She had only won one regular season race, and that was in a meet with only three teams competing. She had not been ranked higher than 3rd all season in the polls, and was ranked 6th in the final coaches poll leading up to the state meet. Her only placement at state track was a 6th place in the 3200 meter run back as a 7th grader in 2019. In her first cross country race of the season, she lost by over a minute to girl who would be at the state meet.
But there were signs pointing in the opposite direction. In her last race of the regular season, she took 2nd place by 8 seconds. At the region meet, she placed 2nd, 5 seconds behind the #1 ranked runner in the polls, and beating many of the rest of the top 10 in the process. The table was set.
At state, Peyton Gette of Kindred High School placed 1st with a time of 19:08.7, two seconds ahead of Norah Entzi (Edgeley-Kulm), and 20 seconds clear of everyone else. It was the first state title for the 9th grader from the small Red River Valley town southwest of Fargo. Gette burst onto the scene as a 7th grader, placing 11th overall and being the 1st 7th grader to cross the line. In 8th grade, she placed 17th, a few places back from the year before. This year, she had the breakthrough and won it all. She was the only non-senior to win an individual title this year, and she helped her team to a 4th place overall finish at state.
Below are the questions I posed to State Champ Peyton Gette of Kindred High School. I have to admit a little bias, because I grew up in Horace, ND, just up the road from Kindred. I learned that Peyton is a team player and already understands how important relationships are in running. .
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1.)
First of all, congrats on your victory! You came
from a tough region, as evidenced by 8 of the top 10 all coming from the East
Region. You took second at the east region meet last week. How did you mentally
and physically prepare for this race?
Physically,
I made sure that I was eating good all week and that my sleep schedule stayed
the same. Mentally, I told myself to enjoy the moment and to not stress.
2.)
With fresh snow on the ground and sub-freezing
temperatures, did your approach for warming up or preparing for the race
change?
Last year
at state it was really cold as well, I was nervous and didn’t feel as prepared.
This year, I tried to not over think the weather and just felt more
confident.
3.)
Talk a little bit about the race. How did it
play out? What was your race strategy?
I was really determined to get out fast and around the first
few turns. After that, I settled in with the front pack until a little after 2
miles. At that time, I was able to move out front and stay there.
4.)
This is your first individual state title. What
does it mean to you, and how does it feel?
I
never expected to have a state title as a freshman. It’s such an honor and it
means so much to me. It feels so amazing!
5.)
You placed 11th at the state cross
country meet and 6th in the 3200 meters at state track as a 7th
grader, and now you have a state title as a freshman. What do you think allowed
you to have that amount of success early in your varsity career?
My
teammates are a big part of my success, I don’t know what I would do if they
weren’t there with me. My coaches have also lead me here, pushing me in
practice everyday.
6.)
Obviously this year is different. We all know
that every walk of life has been changed by the pandemic. Your track season was
cut in the spring, and you didn’t know how cross country would play out. How
did you cope with not having track last season?
I didn’t
know if we would get to finish the cross country season after being quarantined
for 3 weeks. That was very stressful. I trained every day of the track season,
doing all the workouts I normally would at home by myself.
7.)
What has it been like to train through the
pandemic and keep your sights on goals that you have?
It’s been
hard not getting to train close to all my teammates. We did our workouts and
runs in small pods this season. Our team didn’t get to be as close as we would
have liked, but overall we made it work and are thankful we made it to the state
meet.
8.)
What does the rest of cross country season look
like for you? Are there any races to go to? How about for track- what are
your goals there?
I was
planning on running at Nike regionals this year but it was cancelled due to the
pandemic. I’m really excited to see how the track season plays out, considering
I haven’t raced on a track since 7th grade. My biggest goal is definitely to do
well in the state for the 2 mile run.
9.)
To what or to whom can you attribute this
success you’ve experienced?
My
teammates make cross country so much more enjoyable. I looked up to the older
kids so much during my 7th grade season. My coaches are also a big part of my
success. To think we didn’t even have a cross country team 4 years ago. I would
never be here if it wasn’t for them.
10.) What
does running mean to you?
Hard work and dedication and also setting and reaching
goals.
11.) What’s
your favorite place to run North Dakota?
My
favorite place to run in North Dakota would have to be Cooperstown. I didn’t
like it in past years, but after racing here several times this year, I learned
to love it!
12.) What
words of advice can you give to those who are interested in running?
It might take awhile to get to where you want to be. Trust the
process and really try to enjoy it.
13.) What
adversity have you experienced with running, and what did you do to overcome
it?
Last year
I had to overcome 2 stress fractures in my foot. I had to miss a couple meets
and my first race back was regionals and then state. I had to cross train and
it really made me overthink a lot of things.
14.) Do
you have any runners from North Dakota that you’ve drawn inspiration from or
look up to? What about professional runners?
I enjoy
following Meghan Ford of Jamestown and also Onnica Stansbury of West Fargo
Sheyenne.
Monday, November 2, 2020
ND Runner Interview #6- Class B Boy's State XC Champ Brian Miller
Last Saturday, in temperatures hovering in the mid-20s with snow on the ground, the Class A State Cross Country Meet was held at Parkhurst Recreation Area just outside of Jamestown, ND, and the Class B State Cross Country Meet was held further north at the Cooperstown Country Club. The Class A races stayed close to the predictions, whereas the Class B meet had some upsets. This interview is the second of four interviews with the individuals who won state titles this year.
Interview with Class A Girl's Champion Meghan Ford can be found here.
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| Smile, You're a State Champ! Courtesy NDHSAA |
We all love an underdog story, right? In his senior year of cross country, before the state meet, Brian Miller did not win a varsity cross country meet in North Dakota (he did win two in South Dakota). He was never ranked higher than 4th place in the coaches poll, and in the final poll before the state meet he was ranked 9th. At the West Region meet, he finished 7th. He has never scored an individual point at the state track meet.
This is not to say he hadn't come close. Going into his senior year of high school, he had been top-20 at Class B State Cross Country an impressive 4 different times, dating all the way back to 8th grade. Going all the way back to his 7th grade year, his team had never finished worse than 5th at state, and had placed as high as second. However, titles remained elusive. Judging by the polls, most did not expect him to win the big race.
At this year's state meet, the previous results and polls were shown wrong. Miller crossed the finish line in first place with a time of 16:14, less than two seconds ahead of Class B Boy's State Senior Athlete of the Year and region rival Noah Rolfe (Stanley). Not only did Miller get to celebrate an individual accomplishment, but his team won the team title in commanding fashion, scoring 56 points to second-place Hillsboro/Central Valley's 101 points. Perhaps even more impressive was the fact that their victory end a streak of 8 consecutive titles by the dynastic New Town Eagles.
As I've written about extensively on here, Class B cross country many times ends up being a battle between small programs in the middle of nowhere with limited facilities and resources. Bowman County is one of the more remote school districts in North Dakota, and yet they manage to put together quality programs year after year. In recognition of this fact, Bowman County took home another piece of hardware with their head coach, Jonathan Jahner receiving the Class B Boy's State Coach of the Year award.
Below are the questions I put to Brian. I learned in these questions that the reason he didn't run in the first few races of the season was because he was at basic training. Crazy! Perhaps my favorite quote from all of it is: "I got better from losing and wanting to win."
I asked him about his team, his victory, the pandemic, and more!
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1.) First of all, congrats on your victory! You came out of a tough region, with all of the top 5 runners at state coming from the West, and all of whom had just beaten you at the Region meet. What was your mindset coming into the race? How did you mentally prepare?
Thank You! We west region boys run on some hills so of course we are tough, just kidding anyways, My mindset was probably not what most people would expect. They would probably expect me to have some doubt about my capabilities and like you said losing to those very same runners during regionals. But it was not. I have been in this sport for 6 years and I’ve had bad races. Regionals was a bad race for me. I have had good races one of those being a Lemmon (SD) meet in which I ran a 16:32 and personal record (PR). So, what I am trying to say is I was confident in my abilities and more importantly my team. The only doubt I had was that I was at Basic training this summer and it cut into the season, so I was late for the season and it took me about 3 weeks to fully develop again. There was not much mental preparation on my end, our coaches told us exactly how the course was going to be and walked us through different situations. I trusted my team and I knew that I had to stay right with Noah Rolfe, Patrick Wrigley (Shiloh Christian), and Ian Busch (Beulah-Hazen) and when or if I made a move it had to fast and strong. I know everyone’s race strategy from running with the same boys for so long. It was over-do to do something special from a team aspect last year me and the team wanted to give fellow teammate who was a senior a championship and we fell short. This year it was all blood in the water and we were the sharks we were mad and ready to kill.
2.) With fresh snow on the ground and sub-freezing temperatures, did your approach for warming up or preparing for the race change?
No nothing changed in warm up, in this sport it is vital that you are consistent and do the same thing before every meet. We were ready for the absolute worst at state, we were ready for 9 inches of snow and 25 mph wind, all week leading up to state we wore under cloths and lots of layers to prepare our bodies for this slight change. But it honestly wasn’t that bad or cold. And we had the same race plan.
3.) Talk a little about your race. How did it play out? What was your race strategy?
I cannot take any credit for this race strategy that belongs to the masterminds named Mr. Jahner and Mr. Bowman. Most of the time if a course is flat you just must get out fast and finish fast, on more hilly courses is where you can bring people back and strategy is crucial. Our coaches, did their homework on the course, they previously had a meet at Cooperstown and learned that there was a sharp turn left in the beginning that would quite literally bring runners to a halt and with 90 more kids going to be at the state meet it was drilled in our head to get out fast. If you did not get out fast you could screw the teammate behind, you in the small start boxes at state where you can only put 2-3 runners in front. So, I got out incredibly fast, me and teammate Caleb Sarsland were leading the race. About a hundred meters or so in there is a sharp left turn then 25 meters right turn and then 20 meters another right turn. As we were approaching the first turn out of the corner of my eye, I saw just a storm of people to the left of us. I yelled at Caleb to cut in. I was leading the race for about another 100 meters when I started to slow down and wait for Ian, Patrick, and Noah. I have run with these guys a lot and I know they like to get out strong and hold it. I let them pass me and I followed them. The first mile was 5:08 and the second mile was 10:34. Now here again is when my team’s coaches played another amazing role. Our coach have us finish with some sort of an 800m finish on tempo runs or just general practice. We always practice our finish and thank god the coaches did that. As I was running, the coaches met me in different spots and looked at me and said, “Don’t wait to make your move at the finish make it when you’re ready”. That is what I did as I reached about ¾ of mile left I made my move, I put 20 meters of ground between me and Ian, Noah, and Patrick. I built to the finish line, I did make my move maybe a little bit too soon, because I started to die within the last 200 -300 meters. And then Noah Rolfe who was my best guess who would win state was shoulder to shoulder with me. That gave me just enough momentum for me to finish when you can see a guy right next to you it brings a competitive edge.
4.) This is your first individual state title. What does that mean to you, and how does it feel?
The goal should always be to see growth and improvement you know I went from 65,20,13,19,7,1 in state placing and I am more than happy with that. But, honestly for me I love the sport for the competitive thrill but to be part of a team(s) for 6 years and have some amazing teammates and being part of a family. I love the feeling of bringing some hardware home to the supportive community of Bowman and sharing the riches with my teammates old and new. I hope that winning spirit and family atmosphere stays around for a long time.
5.) For the first time since 2011 and only the third time since 2003, a team other than New Town won the state team title. In your time at Bowman County, your team has placed 5th, 3rd, 5th, 3rd, 2nd, and now 1st at state. What does it mean to you, in your senior season, to finally get that team win?
It’s unbelievable, I had some really fast people running on the team when I first joined the sport and then I became one of those guys. New Town always had some fast dudes, it’s an incredible program they run, I fully anticipate them to bounce right back. When you get 2nd or runner-up at state you feel good about the win, but you just have doubt about how you could have been better. I really wanted to see my senior teammate, Camden Wokal to be part of a winning team. And we fell short, so to come back and win it my senior year. I think it just shows how hungry the team was for a win. The team even before I was around wanted blood, they led the polls right away. When I came back it just intensified and grew stronger.
6.) On the topic of New Town, what has it been like racing for years in a region dominated by a team other than your own?
Not even going to lie it has been tough, as an athlete I’ve lost to them in Track and Cross Country repeatedly. When we beat them in regionals Junior year in Cross Country it was a big reward, but we lost to them at state. It’s a amazing program and amazing coaches they deserved everything they got.
7.) Obviously this year is different. We all know that every walk of life has been changed by the pandemic. Your track season was cut in the spring, and you didn’t know how cross country would play out. How did you cope with not having track last season?
It’s just the way of life I was sad at the time but looking at it now nothing I could do about it anyways. Just go with the flow.
8.) What has it been like to train through the pandemic and keep your sights on goals that you have?
Training through the pandemic was easy except maybe for the open windows on the bus that got pretty chilly. The hard part was when some kind of covid-19 news happen. Like someone got sick or this person was a close contact. I mean that’s two weeks of their life’s just poof and as you got closer to state that was hard to take. Most of us runners went to distance learning the week or 2 before state so we wouldn’t end up on anybody’s close contact list. When we found out that they were taking the tradition number of 10 runners and cut it to 7 runners that was a hardest pill to swallow. I want everyone on the team to compete no matter how good or bad. The goal never faltered we have studs and were deep. If anything it made me want to run faster for the ones who worked so hard for their season just to not even go.
9.) What does the rest of cross country season look like for you? Are there any races to go to? How about for track- what are your goals there?
Just going to prepare for college and get good grades. Probably not any more races but practices to stay in shape. My goals for track I will have to develop when the sport if the sport starts. Take some time off and sharpen my running tools.
10.) Do you have plans to run in college? Have you committed anywhere?
I would love to run in college and I haven’t committed anywhere just looking at some places for the time being.
11.) To what or to whom can you attribute this success you’ve experienced?
I got better from losing and wanting to win. So my teammates and my rivals all push me.
12.) What does running mean to you?
My parents didn’t let me join football when I was young so I joined Cross Country and I loved it. I was not a good runner at the time but slowly developed into one. For me running embraced a competitive spirt and I loved competition. I play basketball and track and you don’t have a family aspect like you do through cross country and running. Cross country teammates are family even the ones who leave the sport.
13.) What’s your favorite place to run in North Dakota?
We have this road here in Bowman that we call Cemetery Road, we have countless miles on this road. It’s almost the perfect road to run on because it goes east and west with hills. That would be my favorite place besides a state course atmosphere.
14.) What words of advice can you give to those who are interested in running?
Words of advice, I think I would start about by saying running isn’t for everyone- it takes incredible amount of work. But also you don’t immediately become good you have to put the work in. Being a runner is a great reward every day you can see your goals improve. Increasing your distance, time, just general health is the biggest reward you can see for yourself and competing for your teammates it’s both spirit and guts.
15.) What adversity have you experienced with running, and what did you do to overcome it?
I could give a sob story about shin splints, hamstring pain, and about how I had to wear compression sleeves on my knees. But none of that matters, its truly a mental sport. You can run another mile and you can increase your time. You just have to believe in your training.
16.) Do you have any runners from North Dakota that you’ve drawn inspiration from or look up to? What about professional runners?
There’s a couple boys up at NDSU that I can think of. Most notedly Alex Bartholomay, who is also from bowman and was my teammate when I was in seventh grade. He pushed me in practice because I thought it was unbelievable that he could start a mile behind me and beat me by a mile. Alex always passed me in this one particular spot on commentary road, every day I would grow a step stronger because of him. The competition edge was awesome. Also Isaac Huber, he was the only one that could run with New Town and beat some of them. As professionals go it would definitely be Steve Prefontaine who went from some hometown hero to a record breaking long distance runner and a quote of his “Somebody might beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it” was pretty impactful for me.
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
ND Runner Interview #5- 2020 Class A Girl's State XC Champ Meghan Ford
Last Saturday, in temperatures hovering in the mid-20s with snow on the ground, the Class A State Cross Country Meet was held at Parkhurst Recreation Area just outside of Jamestown, ND, and the Class B State Cross Country Meet was held further north at the Cooperstown Country Club. The Class A races stayed close to the predictions, whereas the Class B meet had some upsets. This interview is the first of four interviews with the individuals who won state titles this year.
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| Ford at the recent State XC Meet. Photo courtesy NDHSAA |
On October 24th, 2015, in Grand Forks, ND, a 7th grader from Jamestown finished in the Class A Girl's State Cross Country meet. Her time for the 4k was 16:24 and there were 56 girls ahead of her, five of whom were also in 7th grade. Her name was Meghan Ford.
The next year, 2016, the women moved to 5k in North Dakota, which means we've now had 5 years of 5k at state. Ford has won three of those five titles.
Meghan Ford has become one of the more dominant high school runners in state history. She currently:
1.) Is only the third Class A girl to have won three consecutive state xc titles
2.) Has three individual state track titles with one season left to go
3.) Is top ten in state history in the 800, 1600, and 3200 on the track
4.) Won the Nike Cross Country Regional Meet as a junior and just missed top 20 at the National meet.
Placing that high at regional and national meets starts putting her on lists with name like Ihmels, Anderson, and Leingang. She wins races by large margins here, and has recently committed to run at the Division 1 level. She won this year's state meet by close to 40 seconds, and below are her responses to questions that I had for her. I asked her about the race, track, the pandemic, college, and the best state in the Union- North Dakota. One thing I learned from this questioning is that the state high school track record book is going to be attacked this year!
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1.) First of all, congrats on your victory! Being that this is your third state title in a row, what does this one mean for you? How does it stand out?
Thank you! This last victory was kind of a cherry on top to my career here. It was a good way to wrap up these last 6 years and I’m grateful to have had the steady progression and stay injury-free every single season I’ve run cross country to be able to accomplish the things I did. It means a lot, having three titles in a row was a new milestone that I was reaching for ever since I got the first one my sophomore year.
2.) Being close to home, with cold temperatures (which I’ve read you said you run better in), how did you prepare for this race? What was your mindset coming in?
Going into the race, I knew that I had done everything I needed to prepare and the only thing that I could control no matter how the race played out, was my attitude during the race. I knew beforehand that it would be cold and that I have always run well in that weather, so that made me more confident heading into it. I also knew that the race being held on my home course was an advantage since I have been running on it for so long and so often.
3.) Talk a little about the race. How did it play out?
Right off the gun, everyone was sprinting so fast, and I didn’t feel that I needed to do the same, so I was in like 8th place at the 200m mark, and made my way up to the front by the 400m mark. I thought that was a very good move to make for me since I don’t like to start races off too fast like that. I felt amazing at the mile mark and even a little past 3000m I felt comfortable. The hilly section between 3000m and 4000m really took a toll on me, I think mostly mentally honestly as I came into the final 1000m, I slowed down a bit at that point. I wish I had another chance to race on the course because I still haven’t quite mastered resetting myself for the last half mile of the race mentally.
4.) Where did you set your sights this cross country season? Are there goals for you outside of a state title?
At the beginning of the summer going into my build-up, I had set my goal for breaking 17 in the 5k and also placing top 5 at NXN this year, which I knew were both bold goals, but felt that I was capable if I worked hard. A couple months later, NXN got cancelled so I was mostly left with the goal of breaking 17, I haven’t done it yet, but a month ago I ran a PR of 17:16 during a hard week of training in the Nike Cross Virtual race in Jamestown on a trail. I still have the Virtual National race and one more regional race where I hope to break the 17 minute barrier. I’ll also be going to a “National” meet in Terra Haute in November so ill have some fast girls to race there.
(for readers, "NXN" is one of the two national high school cross country meets, this one being put on by Nike at their campus in Oregon. To qualify for it you have to place high enough at a regional meet to advance as an individual or team. Ford won the region meet last year)
5.) What about track- what are your goals for track?
For track, my goals are to win the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m state titles, run under the 1600m state record of 4:44, and to break the 3200m state record and run a 10:15 in that event. For the 800m, I would love to break 2:10, but that won’t be a main focus of mine. At Nationals, I would want to get top three in whatever event(s) I’m running.
6.) What have you done to stay motivated and continue your training through the pandemic?
Once Covid cancelled our track season, I decided to get my iron levels checked again. Once I found out that they were even lower than before, I just tried to listen to my body for a couple months to get those levels back up. I was battling it throughout a lot of the summer as well, but I am feeling a lot better now. It isn’t all the way back up quite yet, so I’m still trying to be cautious of overdoing it, but I have the energy to train with much more consistency and volume.
(for readers: iron deficiency is more common in runners that you might think. this link from Runner's world has a pretty good summary of it)
7.) How did you cope with not having track last season?
Just because I had issues with my iron levels, I saw it as kind of a blessing in disguise. I really missed track season, but that period of time was perfect for me to step back and take care of that issue without having to worry about upcoming races so I could be stronger for my last year of high school running.
8.) You have committed to run collegiately at Division 1 Furman University (for readers- this is a school in South Carolina that has had success in cross country over the last decade). What stood out about Furman to you?
Looking at the results of the 2019 NCAA XC Championships, I saw Furman had placed both their men’s and women’s teams inside the top 10. I had never even heard of the school until that fall, but they were still placing ahead of teams like Oregon and Syracuse, like these huge well-known running programs. I decided to do some research on them, saw that the school only had 3,000 students (which was important for a North Dakotan girl like me), and that the campus was just beautiful. I emailed Coach Roberts and he got back to me quickly and our phone calls remained consistent from that point on. I always felt that I was a priority on their team and that they really cared because they reached out for phone calls often. Ultimately, what made me choose them was the team, I got along with them instantly (over zoom calls).
9.) I have to ask- are you ready for the humidity of the South? I live in Virginia now and it’s not really something you can prepare for in North Dakota.
I have raced in North Carolina a couple times and it is so humid!!! I know what it’s like, but it is definitely going to take my body a while to get used to... I won’t be spending a ton of time there my first summer, so I’ll hopefully be avoiding the worst of it. I’m more worried about coming back to North Dakota during winter break and not being prepared for the blizzards and below-0 degree temps!
10.) To what or to whom can you attribute the success you’ve experienced?
I feel like each year and season I have ran, somebody different has been motivation or inspiration for me. It was my brother who convinced me to start in the first place. When I was in 8th and 9th grade, I aspired to be like Karly Ackley who ran the 3200m State record and almost lapped me when I was 12. Sophomore year, I wanted to run for Oregon, so I looked up to Jessica Hull and Galen Rupp. I looked up to Emily Covert who won NXR. Then she committed to University of Colorado, and suddenly I wanted to be a Buff. Last year and this year, I discovered that all the people I fan-girled over were the same people that I raced and maybe even beat at NXN, and I still look up to them and strive to do the same great things they do. But we all have to agree that the ultimate idol is Eliud Kipchoge.
11.) What does running mean to you?
Running is a very good way for me to let out anger, stress, or grief when I am struggling with things. Going on a run is also a great way for me to relax, celebrate, or dream. Running is basically the one part my day that I can always count on to let go, push myself, and feel so much better afterwards, even if coach schedules 1000m repeats.
12.) What’s your favorite place to run in North Dakota?
There’s a winding, hilly, gravel road that runs along the reservoir here in Jamestown that me and the guys like to do our long runs on. It’s the closest thing in North Dakota we can get to running on the roads we run on in Wyoming at camp.
13.) What words of advice can you give to those who are interested in running?
All season I have been telling the younger girls on the team to stop setting limits on themselves. You can do a lot more than you think you can, but when you set a goal that doesn’t test you or scare you, you aren’t going to get as far. I would tell young runners to not put so much pressure on yourself and just enjoy the process because you will run your fastest when you are happy and excited to do it. Lastly, focus on your path and don’t get caught up in how everyone else is running because I see it happen a lot and I have struggled with it. You have no idea exactly how they are training, so why would you compare yourself to them?
14.) What adversity have you experienced with running, and what did you do to overcome it?
A huge setback I had last year was my iron deficiency that I found in late September after I finished 42 nd at the Roy Griak Invitational. I had to continue training for WDA, State, and NXR, though, so I had to fight really hard at practice sometimes to even finish workouts. I was so fatigued for a period of time. It made me a lot more mentally tough so once I started to feel better with supplements, I realized I could push myself more. That kind of led to a huge breakthrough for me in my post-season, especially at NXR and NXN.
15.) Do you have any runners from North Dakota that you’ve drawn inspiration from or look up to? What about professional runners?
I definitely look up to Laura Roesler, Karly Ackley, and Becki Wells. To run the times that they did just all on their own and in the Midwest with our unpredictable weather is so incredible. For professional runners, I look up to Karissa Schweizer and all of the Bowerman track club a ton.
Saturday, October 10, 2020
Nostalgia
One thing that moving across the country has brought me is occasional powerful nostalgia.
At the age of 27, I can by no means claim to be old or associate myself with anything that involves complaining about age. Yet, I find myself being drawn to influences from the past in ways that I've never experienced.
In North Dakota, I was close to all of my experiences. I would smell fall and physically prepare for cross country; I would feel fall and emotionally prepare for hunting season; I would see fall and mentally prepare for the brutality of winter. None of that is necessarily nostalgia, and for some reason my experiences in middle and high school did not feel as powerful in college as my experiences in high school and college have felt in adulthood. Heck, the only thing I remember from middle school is riding the packed Horace bus and laughing while Chris Krick forgot he was inside and spit a lougie on the carpet while we were all walking late to class, because our bus was never on time.
Ahhhh, memories.
But memories are different than emotional longings for what was. Recently, I started listening to the song "Free" by Rudimental (the Cash Cash X Gazzo Remix) and I had to stop early because I was developing intense feelings, include goosebumps, and almost had some water welling up in my eyes. I stared down at my phone, shocked at the images that just flashed across my mind. This song had transported me back to a lonely gravel road in western North Dakota, where I relied on my iPod to get me through unreasonably harsh North Dakota weather. I remembered jamming to this song, pumping my fists in the dry air, while rehearsing my lines out loud, because I had to perform as Jesus in our Faith Walk later that evening. This song had been one of my favorites for a long period of time, and it had been years since I had last heard it.* Somehow, this song had infused what seemed like simple music into my emotions and created something powerful. It reminded me of the movie "Inside Out", where the fusion of core memories is what allowed the main character to grow and mature.
I haven't listened to the song since. There's something about that song that almost scares me, because it affected me differently than any other song. I have music that makes me almost drive off the road because I'm so fired up, and I have music that can lull me into homework mode for hours at a time, but few other things can transport me back to a seemingly past life.
One thing I've been doing a lot of here in Virginia is cleaning. No, not dishes and sweeping cleaning (I do a lot of that, too), but de-cluttering cleaning. Both in my family and other families, many folks have a tendency to hang on to things, not for their financial value, but their sentimental value. That spoon reminds them of an international journey, that dress reminds her of that friend's wedding, that book reminds him of his father. We attach ourselves emotionally to things that serve as memory-inducers, because we are afraid to forget. I, for one, am especially guilty of this, because one of things I do with this blog is document my experiences to help me remember what I've gone through, in terms of running.
Runners do this, too. Many runners will keep racing bibs, despite having little-to-no financial value. Each number is a memory of a race, place, time, and/or friends. We hang on to shoes as a reminder of the miles that it took to destroy their rubbery fabric. We refuse to throw away shirts picked up at racing events, no matter how battered they may be. We all know that nobody will check the results in the future, and that place and time don't matter at all in the long-term (unless you're an Olympian, but odds are that you aren't if you're reading a North Dakota Running Blog).
What do we do with nostalgia? Do we let it consume us and affect our day-to-day life? Do we ignore it as something in the past? In a nutrition class in college, I learned that 75-80% of our enjoyment in a certain food comes from the first bite, and then there's diminishing returns after that; this is why simply eating more of something doesn't really make you feel better or bring your more pleasure. When a powerful memory hits as the result of an old letter, song, sound, view, etc, it's beneficial to swim in it for awhile, letting the memories flow through you like waves on the beach, or like that first bite of something delicious. Eventually you need to exit the water, dry off, and move onto the next thing. The waves will be there, but there's no harm in waving good-bye and coming back at another point. The cool (but also scary) thing about nostalgia is that sometimes you don't know when it'll hit.
A few weeks ago someone asked me why I like listening to the Minnesota Twins on the radio while I do my school work. I realized that it brought me a sense of comfort, because during it I was transported back to high school Nate, sitting in front of the TV, bowl of ice cream in hand, in the stuffy and warm upstairs as the heat of a summer's day breathed out of the ground. Since that time, I've went to college, ran track/xc, taught on a Reservation, worked 10 summers at a Bible Camp, been married, travelled to almost every state in the country, and moved to a different time zone and climate. And yet, I can still remember Johan Santana's changeup and Nick Punto's gold-glove defense like it was yesterday.
I haven't yet found a song that triggers a MN Twins memory, but I also didn't grind hundreds of miles on a gravel road while listening to baseball. I don't know in the future what will trigger my memories of Virginia, but I know that I'll hang on the them, let them go, and ask them to come back and visit sometime, because they'll always be welcome here.
I'm gonna go listen to that song now.
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*Well, I had heard it once a few months ago while running, and I also got goosebumps and audibly smiled while running.
Friday, September 18, 2020
You Have Never Run Because You Have Never Been Injured
*The title of this post is inspired by the song "You Have Never Lived Because You Have Never Died" by the artist "Listener". One of the most powerful songs I've ever heard.
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Some runners have been blessed with injury-free genetics- I am not among them. My injuries started during my first track season in my junior year of high school and have continued to the present day. I've had injuries to my calf, knees, IT band, groin, shins, and hamstring, to go with various sidelining blisters. I've had a high school conference meet, three collegiate track seasons, and one summer training block derailed by injuries. Since graduating from college, I've worked through more little injuries than I care to count, and currently I'm rebounding from another IT band injury stemming from returning to training too soon after a taxing race. It sucks.
I wouldn't have it any other way.
When we are training and healthy, we focus on splits, times, workouts, efficiency, running locations, trails, teammates, friends, speed, racing, and improvement. We lace up our shoes, get our watch, head out the door, get a good run in, think about whatever we want to think about, stretch, roll, and move on with our lives. Many runners thrive on the routine of getting in a daily run at the same time every day; it simultaneously brings a sense of satisfaction and normalcy. We dream of what we can accomplish with unhindered training, whether it's setting a pr, running farther than we have before, or dropping to a certain weight. We often take it for granted.
It starts out with some soreness or tenderness. Something on your run just doesn't feel right, but you're a tough runner and you've had weird soreness and little pains before. You make sure to recover well, maybe throw an ice pack on it, and get some rest. Next day on your run it's worse- you actually feel some pain and you know something isn't right. You try to push a little bit so people don't see you walking, but eventually you'll have to do the walk of shame back to where you started. You sit down, coming to the eventual realization that something isn't right, and your body is not happy with you.
You see, running injuries are different compared to other sports. In many sports, the injuries are obvious- ACL tears, broken/sprained bones, concussions, etc. When an athlete gets an injury like that, it's not difficult to diagnose initially, and a rehabilitation program follows almost immediately. Running injuries are mostly what's called 'overuse injuries', which is when you work a certain muscle, ligament, or bone until it cries out for rest in the form of breakdown or inflammation. This means that instead of that one moment where pain erupts from a certain location, this pain will appear slowly over time, sometimes only while running. It's difficult to discern initially. This leads to runners undervaluing their pre-injury and continuing on down a path of despair. Soon there is a stoppage in running, a diagnosis, and a search for a solution.
Here's where injuries deliver their most important and life-giving attribute: a chance to re-discover your body. You might think you know your body, but once you've had to journey through an injury, you find that you never really did. Most running injuries are fixed by rest and targeted muscle strengthening. You see, the human body- I've learned through injury- is a kinetic chain. That hamstring injury might be affected by the glutes, and that knee injury might have something to do with your hips. My current injury on the outside of my knee is the result of my hips and IT band.
Knowing that an injury coming from weakness allows you new insight. Every rehab exercise finds a specific muscle and attempts to strengthen it. Each part of your legs becomes the subject of your focus, and you take extra care to bring every muscle up the speed, and you'll continue to do that after you're healthy again.
All of this occurs while you can't run. You never realize how important getting out the door and running every day affects your mood and outlook. Running turns from this daily chore, to suddenly something that you crave and miss- it's almost as if the joy of it comes back and appears as a result of injury. That return of joy can make it all worth it.
Most of the time, injury takes away something you love, forces you to take care of your body in a new way, and only gives it back when you've reached rock bottom. Today, while walking home after only being able to run for 8 minutes, I was stunned by how peaceful going for a walk in the evening is. Usually while running, it's hard to truly appreciate and take in my surroundings, but while walking, I float through the dark silently. I never would take this time to appreciate the beauty of quiet darkness if not for the injury. I come home and do exercises that will make me stronger- something I don't take time to do when I'm healthy. Every running step I get to take these days is a celebration of health and joy, something I now refuse to take for granted. I have not ever appreciated running more than I have after being injured. We grow as runners from our injuries. It sucks right now, and it's going to suck as long as I can't run, but I know that the breath of fresh air will come. When I come out, I'll be a new, hopefully happier runner. I'll be new.
Monday, August 31, 2020
ND Runner Interview #4- (Almost) 20 Questions with Alex Bartholomay
Note: this is the 4th post in a series of interviews with some of the North Dakota runners either currently making a name for themselves or at one time did make a name for themselves. To check out the others, go here.
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On Saturday, October 23rd, 2010, on an overcast day, a 7th grader from Bowman County named Alex Bartholomay finished the hilly 5k at the North Dakota Class B State Cross Country Meet in 20:51, finishing 107th place.
On Saturday, February 29th, 2020, a month after running a mile in 4:07, Alex Bartholomay of North Dakota State won the individual title in the 3000 meters at the Division 1 Summit League Indoor Track and Field Championships, running 8:20.
We all love a story about the small-town guy making it big. Alex Bartholomay is currently one of the fastest North Dakotans on the track, even cracking into the top 10 all-time for the mile in this last year (top ten lists here). Coming from Bowman County, one might not expect that to be the case. The town of Bowman rests in the far southwest part of the state, close to both Montana and South Dakota. Bowman County is just slightly smaller than the state of Rhode Island and has a whopping 471 students total in grades k-12. This county sits in the heart of the 'empty quarter' of the United States, characterized by sweeping cattle country, wheat fields extending for miles, gravel roads to nowhere, and lack of services.
And yet, historically Bowman County has been one of the strongest Class B programs, amassing dozens of state titles in boy's and girl's cross country. Today, we will meet a runner who never won a state title in high school, but has managed to become one of the top distance runners in NDSU history.
Meet Alex Bartholomay.
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| Alex Bartholomay at the NDSU indoor facility, courtesy of NDSU Track and Field Twitter |
High School:
1.)
You
started off your high school career at Bowman County, surrounded by vast plains and gravel
roads. Can you describe what your experience there was like?
Bowman is well-known for the success
that we have had in our cross country program. We were dominant during the 80’s
and in recent years have been consistent placers in the top 5 teams at state in
both the boys’ and girls’ program. The tradition there is something that many
of our parents started and we got to experience as well. Our coach, Jon Jahner,
always kept practices fun. He understood that running was something very few
high schoolers absolutely loved. He would often give us popsicles after
practices which was a selling point for kids to join the program. The kids who
went out for the sport showed up to practice and worked hard each day. As we
improved and started receiving recognition in the polls, we enjoyed the
moments, but never got complacent with where we were. A lot of that had to do
with Mr. Jahner continuing to motivate us throughout the season.
2.)
Bowman County has had tremendous success in
cross country historically, but you ran during a time of absolute domination in
Class B Boys by New Town. What did it take to mentally prepare to race such a
strong team?
I enjoyed the opportunity to race against the
New Town boys every time we saw them. They were a group of guys who had fun
doing what they did. They were very dominant, but that helped motivate me to be
a better runner. I knew going into each race that there was going to be strong
competition and that it was going to take a good race to stick with them. No
matter how big the meet was, I was always looking for the yellow New Town
uniform to measure where I was within the race.
3.)
What kind of training did you do in high school?
Any secret running spots?
4.)
Your junior year of high school you finally
cracked the top 20 at state cross country (finishing 7th) and the
top 8 at state track (6th in both the 1600 and 3200). What changed
around your junior year to allow for that jump in performance?
I felt like my biggest jump during my high
school career happened my sophomore year. I hit a growth spurt and my body
matured a bit during that year. I was able to lead my team during most of the
races that year. I didn’t break into the top 20 or get on the podium in track,
but it was the first time that I felt like I could actually be successful at
the sport of running. That gave me the confidence going into my junior year to
break into the top 10 and get onto podium in track. Leading up to my junior
year of cross country I put in a few more summer miles, but nothing too major.
The biggest change was just the way I approached each day of practice. I went
in with a clear goal in mind.
5.)
What was your favorite place to race in high
school?
My favorite place to race in cross
country during high school would probably be Mandan’s course. The race was ran
on a well-maintained golf course. The meet included a lot of Class A teams as
well as Class B teams so there was always good competition. It was a very flat
course, so times were usually fast.
For track I always thought that The
Bowl in Bismarck was the best spot to run. It seemed like PR’s came every time
you raced there and the environment during the state meet was unbeatable.
College:
6.)
After high school you continued to NDSU. Why run
at NDSU?
My senior year I looked at a few
different D2 schools for running, and my mom convinced me to submit my
information to the coaches at NDSU. They brought me in for an unofficial visit
and told me that they could guarantee me a spot on the cross country team, but
that a spot on the track team was not guaranteed. They told me that I could
come in as a preferred walk-on. That was all I needed to hear. I grew up a fan
of the Bison and dreamed of wearing the Bison uniform. It was an easy decision.
7.)
Your distance coach at NDSU has been Andrew Carlson, one
of the fastest North Dakotans ever, sporting a sub-14 5k, sub-29 10k, and 2:11
marathon. What is it like to train under a coach who has such incredible
personal accomplishments? What kind of training do you do?
Andrew’s experience as a runner is something
that is invaluable. Throughout Andrew’s career he has experienced most things
that we would experience throughout the course of our college career. Andrew
centers his life around running and he is very knowledgeable of the sport. He
isn’t afraid to give us advice based off his experiences. As for training it
depends on what season we are in, but a typical week will have 2 workouts, 1
long run, and mileage the rest of the days. I keep my mileage for cross season
around 80-85 miles a week and drop down to around 75 during track season. We do
a lot of longer workouts during cross season. Indoor season is a lot of
treadmill runs so we tend to do a cutdown run most weeks and finish with fast
reps on the track. Outdoor workouts tend to be similar to indoor, I just throw
hurdles in on certain reps to get the feel for the steeplechase.
8.)
Freshman
year you competed in a lot of races ‘unattached’, which for our readers is what
athletes commonly do while redshirting- you can run at a race without
representing your team. What was your freshman year like?
I knew from the beginning that I
would be redshirting all three seasons my freshman year unless something drastic
changed. I came into college as someone whose body wasn’t fully developed yet;
I was young, and low mileage in high school. Redshirting my freshman year
allowed me to focus on building up my mileage slowly and getting accustomed to
the college running scene. The only reason I run is for the chance to compete,
so I made sure that I drove myself to every race the team went to that was within
a reasonable distance. This still allowed me to compete while letting my body
develop another year.
9.)
Throughout your college career, you’ve had a
steady improvement in races, cutting your 1500 meter time to 3:51, your mile
time to 4:07 (5th fastest in NDSU history), and your 3000 meter time
to 8:15 (3rd fastest in NDSU history). What has been your recipe for
continued improvement in college?
I would credit a lot of my success to the
training that Andrew has drawn up for me. He has written training that allows
me to continue to improve while staying healthy. Throughout my career I have
trusted the training that he has written, and it has paid off. I have had
teammates along with me the entire way that have helped push me in workouts and
in races. When it comes to race day, I can step to the line with confidence
knowing that I am in a position to run fast times.
10.) After many close attempts, in February of this
year, you finally broke through and won an individual title at the Summit
League Conference Meet, running 8:20 to win the indoor 3k. What was that moment
like for you?
It was definitely a great feeling
crossing the finish line of that race. Going into the Conference meet I knew
that I had an opportunity to win a title, whether it be in the 3k or the mile.
It was a relief to accomplish that goal on Day 1 of the meet. As a college
distance runner, you train year-round to be put in positions where you can win
races and the conference races are the ones that matter the most. Once the
indoor meet was over, I got a couple of days to soak it in and realize that all
the hard work I had put in was worth it.
11.) What’s
your favorite part of the NDSU program?
I enjoy being a part of the strong tradition
that NDSU has developed. Throughout our entire athletics program, the culture
is one that sets expectations of winning conference titles and even National
Championships. The athletes that are brought in are focused and determined to
continue the tradition. Our track program is no different. We have found a lot
of success competing in the Summit League and bringing home conference titles.
Our coaches guide and support us along the way and the teammates know what
their expectations are. When it comes time for a conference meet, everyone has
one goal in mind and that is to compete for their teammates. I’ve enjoyed the
opportunity that I have been given to be a part of the tradition of NDSU
athletics.
Pandemic:
12.) As
you started getting some of your best personal times, COVID hit. Talk a little
about how cancellations and closures have affected your training.
Andrew has tried to keep our
training as normal as possible throughout all the cancellations. When outdoor got
cancelled in March, we continued training like we were in an outdoor season for
the most part. Our summer training was normal because we were fully planning on
having a cross season. We tried to simulate a few races by creating events
within the team where we race on the road individually and submit our times.
That helped break up the training and gave me something to look forward to in
training. The biggest difference in training was doing it all alone starting in
March. I was lucky enough to be able to come back to Fargo for the summer and
train with some teammates for that stretch.
13.) What
have you had to do with your mindset to stay positive during this time?
My mindset throughout this entire
pandemic as it related to racing is that I’m not going to waste my time
worrying about something that I can’t change. We have now had two seasons
cancelled, but I did not want to sit around and mope about it. I have been able
to look towards the future and continue training hard with the hope that when
the pandemic hits a point where we can compete, I will be ready to continue
improving my times.
14.) What
are your goals for this season? This is your last year at NDSU, right?
I am a 5th year at NDSU
right now, but with the COVID cancellations I currently have an opportunity to
come back for a 6th year in both cross and outdoor track. I have not
made a decision on whether I will use that extra eligibility or not, but it is
an option. My goals for the season is to add a few more conference titles. The
hope is to be able to push everyone around me so that we can celebrate winning
more team conference titles as well. I have my eyes set on making a Regional
meet outdoors. As for times, I would like to get as close to the 4:00 barrier
in the mile and 8:00 in the 3k. Since the last outdoor season got cancelled, by
the time outdoor rolls around again it will have been 2 years since the last
outdoor race. I would like to shave time off both my 1500 and steeplechase and
be around 3:45 and 9:00 in those.
Personal:
15.) Growing up, did you have any North Dakota runners or athletes that you looked up to or drew inspiration from?
As a junior high and young high
school runner, the teammate at Bowman County that I looked up to the most was
Michael Palczewski. Mike was an all-around good athlete who I was teammates
with in cross country, basketball, and track. I had the opportunity to watch
him win a state title in the 400m dash my 8th grade year.
The North Dakota runner who I
looked up to the most was Jake Leingang. Jake was someone who was doing things
as a high school runner that I thought were crazy coming from someone from
North Dakota. When Jake announced he was transferring back home to NDSU, I was
excited for the chance to be a teammate with him. (editor's note: Leingang was competing at the University of Oregon before transferring to NDSU)
16.) How about pro runners? Do you have a favorite?
I have never followed professional
running much, but since I’ve came to Fargo, I have heard a lot of conversations
about different professional runners. During the COVID outbreak we had a chance
to have a Zoom meeting with Craig Engels. From listening to Craig talk it was
apparent that he enjoys what he does and always has a fun time with it. Coming
from someone who runs at that level, it was cool to hear his perspective on
running.
17.) What’s your favorite place to run in North
Dakota?
My favorite place to run in North
Dakota is the gravel road by my house, especially after I have been away for a
while. There are no spots that really stand out when I think about places I’ve
ran in North Dakota. We do some basic routes in Fargo, but I haven’t been very
adventurous when it comes to finding cool places to run.
18.) If you could give one piece of advice to
younger runners out there, what would you tell them?
Stay patient with training. Fitness
is something that can take a long time to soak in. There will be times where
you don’t see much progress, and there will be times where you see very small
progress, but if you stay on it every day, you will be rewarded.
19.) Last question- what’s something on your
running bucket list?
I’m not sure that I plan on
consistently running too much longer after I finish my college career, but one
thing that would be on my bucket list is to run a marathon. Depending on how
everything plays out with that, I think it would be cool to run the Boston
Marathon too before I call it good.
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A special thanks to Alex Bartholomay for giving us a look at a college distance runner's mindset and share some of the things he's experienced! Good luck this season!
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