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?

 I was low mileage in high school, running about 20-25 miles a week in both cross country and track. Mile repeats were always the big workouts during cross season. We would also do tempo runs often. My long run during my high school career was 7 miles. Most of the workouts during track season would be done on the track doing a little bit more shorter reps. I would train five or six days a week depending on our race schedule and would not train during the winter because I played basketball.We would have about 5 different roads that we would bus out to for practices. They were not anything special, just gravel roads with the typical rolling hills that are found in western ND. We never got too adventurous when it came to finding roads to run on.

 

 

4.)    Your junior year of high school you finally cracked the top 20 at state cross country (finishing 7^th) and the top 8 at state track (6^th 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 (5^th fastest in NDSU history), and your 3000 meter time to 8:15 (3^rd 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 5^th year at NDSU right now, but with the COVID cancellations I currently have an opportunity to come back for a 6^th 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 8^th 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!

Laura Roesler- A Short Profile

 *The following is an article that represents part of a series on North Dakota running research. If you want to read about more incredible athletes from the greatest state in the Union, look under the 'Pages' tab on the right and click on 'North Dakota Running Research'.*

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Few high school athletes in any state have ever so thoroughly dominated their sport quite like Laura Roesler did from 2005-2010. She amassed an incredible number of state championships, broke numerous state records, and even ran at the Olympic Trials; this was, of course, just the beginning of a successful post-high school career as well. The English language struggles to describe that level of dominance, but I will attempt. 

High School Laura Roesler at the 2008 Olympic Trials. Photo by PhotoRun.Net

Roesler ran her high school career at Fargo South, rival of my alma mater, West Fargo. In North Dakota, student-athletes can start competing at the varsity level in 7th grade and continue through their senior year of high school, a total of 6 years. At the High School State Track and Field Meet, an athlete can run up to 4 events, which yields a total of 24 possible state titles an athlete can win in their high school career. Most athletes would be satisfied with one title. The best of the best may win as many as 10 throughout their career. Laura Roesler won 20. That's right, twenty INDIVIDUAL state track titles from grades 7-12. In fact, from her 8th grade year through her junior year, she won all four titles every time. Her senior year, she only won three, but another athlete had to break the state record to beat her (more on that in a bit). WOW. That is dominance. Throw in a couple other state championships, and we're talking about something amazing. 

Let's dig a little: 

7th Grade: 

In the fall of 7th grade (2004), Roesler placed 2nd at the State Cross Country Meet, running the 4k course in 15:18 and finishing 19 seconds behind Minot's super stud Melanie Funke. The next 7th grader was a full minute behind. 

In the spring of 2005, she ran 4 events at state track (not an easy feat for anyone): 400, 800, 4x400, and 4x800. She placed 5th in the 800 (2:20), 3rd as leadoff for the 4x400 (4:07), and 5th as the third runner in the 4x800 (9:55). BUT, she broke out and won the 400 by a full second with a time of 57.88, only 1.5 seconds off the state record. Just a reminder that 7th graders tend to turn 13 sometime during the school year.   

State Championships Tally: 1

8th Grade: 

In the fall of 8th grade (2005), Roesler again finished second at State XC, again to Minot's Melanie Funke. Her time was 15:37, 7 seconds away from that title. 

In the spring of 2006, she officially took over ownership of the North Dakota State Track Meet, sweeping the 100, 200, 400, and 800 for the first of 4 years in a row. This means that on Day 1, she made it through prelims in the 100, 200, and 400, and then came back the next day and won the finals in all four events. Here's the stats: 

100: 12.40
200: 25.07
400: 57.67 
800: 2:20.53

I wonder if the weather might have been a little crappy, because times were generally slow across all divisions. I'd also like to add that Roesler was personally responsible for 40 of 2nd-place Fargo South's 114.5 points at state. At this point, pundits across the North Dakota track circuit were probably wondering if they were witnessing the beginning of one of the best athletes in state history, or a young female athlete that was peaking early in high school? They'd have their answer. 

State Championships Tally: 5

9th Grade (Freshman): 

In the fall of her freshman year (2006), Laura Roesler took that elusive 1st place at the State Cross Country Meet. Let's not think that it was a dominating performance though: that pesky Melanie Funke finished 2nd in 14:33.00, which is the exact same time listed for Roesler. A sprint to the finish between the top runners from each of the last two years? Yes, please.  

Let me put this into perspective for you: in the same year, Roesler won the longest race competed in North Dakota high school sports (4km) and the shortest (100m). This means that she was simultaneously the fastest distance runner and sprinter in the state. AT THE SAME TIME. Absolutely insane. 

In the spring of her freshman year (2007), Roesler again swept the 1, 2, 4, and 8 at the state meet. Here's the stats: 

100: 12.90
200: 25.75
400: 55.56 (State Record)
800: 2:17.11

Here we see her first state record, in the event she won her first state title two years previous. She won the 400 by two full seconds. She only won the 100 by 0.03 seconds. At this point, it's clear that Roesler has the strength of a mid-distance runner, because she can hang with the cross country runners, nip the sprinters at the line, and demolish everyone in between. Her 40 team points helped Fargo South to the state title with 156.5 points. At this time, Roesler is the shining star of the state. We aren't even close to being done. 

State Championships Tally: 10 individual, 1 team

10th Grade (Sophomore): 

In the fall of her sophomore year (2007), Roesler, for the second year in a row, won the State Cross Country Meet. This was Melanie Funke's senior year, and the finish was again close: Roesler's 14:36 to Funke's 14:38. The only other people under 15? Alissa Mears (West Fargo) who won the next year, and Tarin Lachowitzer (FS) who won the next three years after Mears. What a stacked race! Was it the deepest in state history? I'll leave that up to people who were actually there. 

In the spring of her sophomore year (2008), she, again, *yawn* won all four events at state track. Stats: 

100: 12:07
200: 24.30 (State Record)
400: 55.76 
800: 2:10.78 

This time she scored 40 of her team's 120 points (that's one-third), but they only took 3rd as a team. 

Ok, these times are starting to get elite. The 200 was won by over a full second, the 400 by two seconds, and the 800 by NINE (!!) seconds. Roesler has a vice-grip on the xc/track scene in this state. She could hop into any non-hurdle running event at state track and win. This is year that things change for her, though. 

On June 27th, 2008, 16-year-old Laura Roesler toed the line of the first round of the 800 at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. During track, she had run 2:03 to qualify, and now she was racing against the professionals- the people that would be on the Olympic Squad. She ended up running 2:04.3, which placed 7th overall and was easily enough to advance her to the semifinals. To be clear: nobody knew who she was- an unsponsored high schooler from North Dakota. 

On June 28th, 2008, 16-year-old Laura Roesler toed the line for the semifinals of the 800 at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. She ran 2:06.82, which placed her 12th, and was not enough to qualify for the next round. Her season ended there, almost a month after the state track meet where she pummeled on lesser beings. "There's not much to do in Fargo", she tells the media. 

State Championships Tally: 15 individual, 1 team

11th Grade (Junior): 

In the fall of her junior year (2008), Roesler placed 50th at the State Cross Country Meet, with a time of 16:37. 

....

Wait, what? I actually competed at this meet as an athlete, and the question was definitely asked how the greatest track athlete any of us had ever seen ran so poorly at state. I can't say I know the answer, but my best guess is that she probably took a long, deserved break after a track season that almost made it to July. She probably eased into training and wasn't in 100% fitness at state. Maybe she was hurt, I don't know. 

In the spring of her junior year (2009), she started out the state track meet by breaking two state records in the prelims: the 200 (24.66) and the 400 (55.37). Then, she came back for finals and swept all 4 events, again. 

100: 12.45
200: 25.16
400: 55.10 (State Record, again)
800: 2:13.82

She scored 40 of second-place Fargo South's 94 points. As an individual, she would've placed 8th out of 14 in the team standings. Lurking 1-2 places behind her in each event was a little-known 8th grader from Minot named Morgan Milbrath. With Roesler's absolute dominance of the state for so many years, nobody wondered to themselves, 'will another Minot athlete throw down with Roesler at state?' We were about to find out. 

State Championships Tally: 19 individual, 1 team

12th Grade (Senior): 

In the fall of her senior year (2009), Roesler placed 5th at the State Cross Country Meet, running 15:08 and finishing 15 seconds behind 1st-place teammate Tarin Lachowitzer. At this point I wonder if Roesler's training was more 400/800 focused in preparation for college and cross country was more of a base phase for track. Maybe she had injuries, I'm speculating at this point. I've just always found it strange that she maintained dominance on the track but not on the cross country course. 

In the spring of her senior year (2010), Roesler received the challenge of her high school career (other than the Olympic Trials, of course). For the first time since her 7th grade year, she did not win all four events at state track, but DO NOT let yourself think she had slipped off her game. She still won the 200, 400, and 800, but not the 100. You see, in the 100, 200, and 400, freshman Morgan Milbrath (Minot) pushed her further than any athlete in previous years. If you want read a more in-depth discussion of that weekend, I suggest checking out this post: The Greatest Race I've Ever Witnessed. 

Here's a short breakdown: 

100: 2nd place, 12:38 to Milbrath's 12:35. Both athletes had flirted with the state record in prelims. 
200: 1st place, 24.9 to Milbrath's 25.07. Both athletes had shattered the state record by over 3/4 of a second in prelims. 
400: 1st place, 53.25 to Milbrath's 53.31. Both athletes won by over 5(!!) seconds, destroyed the state record by over 2 seconds, and ran 2 of the top 5 high school times in the country that year. 
800: 1st place, 2:17.64. Milbrath ran a relay. 

Fargo South placed second as a team with 133 points, of which Roesler scored 38. 

State Championships Tally: 22 individual, 1 team 

To round out her high school career: 22 individual state titles and 1 team title; currently is the 2nd-fastest in state history in the 100 meters; currently is the fastest in state history in the 200, 400, and 800 meters; qualified for the semifinals of the US Olympic Trials. Not bad, eh? Oh, she went on to that track school- the University of Oregon. 

College Roesler. Photo from Hapa Productions

College: 

Roesler was highly recruited with her 400/800 talent. Her 800 time of 2:03 in her junior year of high school would put her up there with some of the best in the NCAA every year, and if she could shave a few seconds off of that, she'd be looking at an NCAA title to add to her resume. 

In her freshman year of college, she qualified for both the indoor and outdoor national championships. At indoor nationals she placed 11th in the 800 prelims, and at outdoor nationals she placed 10th in the 800 prelims, neither was good enough to advance. She did place 8th and 3rd, respectively as a member of the 4x400 relay for Oregon. Her pr that year: 2:03.12.

In her sophomore year at Oregon, she failed again to advance in the 800 at indoor nationals (16th in prelims), her 4x400 placed 10th, and her DMR (Distance Medley Relay, 1200-400-800-1600) placed 2nd. At outdoor nationals, she had a breakthrough, running 2:02.09 in the prelims to advance, and then running 2:02.96 in the finals to place 4th. She was an All-American! Additionally, her 4x400 relay placed first- she was a National Champion!

In her junior year, she kept climbing. She placed 2nd at indoor nationals (another All-American) in the 800, running 2:02.32, and her 4x400 won another national title. At outdoor nationals, she tacked on ANOTHER 2nd place (another All-American) with a blistering new PR of 2:00.98 in the 800. Oh, and her 4x400 took 4th. 

Senior year was her last chance at an individual title. She started off the season with a 4:40 indoor mile and a 2:01 800 a week later. At indoor nationals, she finally did it- 1st place with a time of 2:03.85. Laura Roesler was an NCAA Individual Champion! Her 4x400 won again, too. Outdoors, she ran 4:19 in the 1500 and lowered her 800 PR to 2:00.54. At nationals, she dominated with top time in prelims and then came back and won another national title, this time with a 2:01.22. Her 4x400 placed 3rd. 

So this girl from Fargo, North Dakota, went to powerhouse Oregon and won two individual NCAA titles in the 800 and three NCAA championships as a member of the 4x400 relay. She was truly great. To honor that, she was awarded the Bowerman, which is annually given to the best male and female track and field athletes in the NCAA. The next step for an athlete of her caliber? Professional career.

Pro Roesler at the Pre Classic. Photo from JWill Photography

 

Professional: 

After college, Roesler signed with Nike. In the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Trials, she was unable to qualify for the Olympic Team, despite having PR's similar to the some of the athletes that made it. She did have a breakout race in 2014 after she finished her college career, running 1:59.04 at the USA Track and Field Championships, and she has qualified for two different world track and field championships.

Unless I'm mistaken, she is the only female North Dakotan to go sub-2 in the 800, which is an amazing accomplishment. Recently, she's been training in Jacksonville, Florida and gearing up for the 2020 Olympics, which we all know didn't happen. She's not done yet, despite the ups-and-downs of pro running and nagging injuries. Hopefully we hear more from her next year at the Olympic Trials!

Links I used to assist me: 

North Dakota All-Time Class A Girls 

All-Time State Track Results

NDHSAA State XC History

Milesplit State XC Meet History

NY Times- Roesler at the Trials

Runner's World Pre-Trials Interview with Roesler

Roesler's TFRRS Profile

The Forum- Olympics Cancelled for Roesler, Everyone

The Forum- Roesler Rediscovering Running

She Even Has Her Own Wikipedia Page!!

That Time the West Fargo Packer Travel Bus Got Pulled Over on the Interstate

In the cold, blustery October weather, we warmly celebrated our victory while bundled in winter coats and hats. For the second time in school history, we had won the Eastern Dakota Conference (EDC) meet, the first time being the year before. Powered by three runners in the top 5 and all of our scorers in the top 20, we defeated the snow and all of the Class A schools in the eastern part of the state, and we were elated.

We were having one of the best seasons in our school's history. Our coach subscribed to a 90s approach to training, which featured low mileage and multiple intervals sessions each week. The training regimen we followed was a great way to develop high school speed without a strong emphasis on long-term growth. We spent years developing a core group of runners that would regularly violate one of the principles of distance running: taking easy days easy. We would hammer many of our daily runs and intervals, leaving us with enough speed to fight through a 5k. In 2007, we started working our way through the conference ranks; in 2008, we won the conference meet for the first time through the puddles of Rose Creek in Fargo; finally in 2009 we were ranked as high as 2nd in the state (behind perennial powerhouse Bismarck High) and were on the verge of something special. We combined it all together and got the 'W' in Grand Forks at our first of two big meets- things were looking up!

Our celebration brought us to the local Walmart on our way out of town. Knowing next-to-nothing about nutrition and in the midst of celebrating, we purchased obscene amounts of unhealthy snacks- especially Little Debbie's. We hopped on the bus and headed for the interstate.

I-29 between Grand Forks and Fargo might be the most boring stretch of interstate in the United States. This 60-mile stretch stands out for being particularly flat and desolate. The road is full of sugar beet trucks and speeding Canadians. The countryside is painted with wheat, corn, soybean, and sugar beet fields. Every few miles are railroad towns that had as many as 200 people during their haydays. Halfway between Fargo and Grand Forks is the metropolis of Hillsboro, which I've heard might even have 40 kids per grade at the school. If you struggle with falling asleep, drive I-29. Trust me, it was also my drive to and from college, so I'm quite familiar with it.

Naturally, a celebrating team on a barren stretch of road needs to flex its teenage testosterone, right?

Right????

The outwardly proud West Fargo Packer Travel Bus entered I-29 in its usual state: the coaches sat in the front, followed by the girls team, and then the boys in the back, arranged by seniority. A plan was concocted, and we passed our snacks to the seniors in the back. Some food was thrown towards the front of the bus, but it didn't generate a sufficient reaction- the boys needed MORE. We looked out the window and saw a car coming in the distance. As it approached, the seniors prepared for strike. The car moved left to pass the bus and closed the gap. The senior grabbed a snack, held it out the window, waited for the opportune moment, and dropped it right on the hood of the car.

Nailed it!

Most of the boys were hiding underneath their seats, trying to avoid laughing loud enough to attract attention up front. Our assistant coach, Brad, was looking at us through the front mirror and he KNEW something was up. We laid low for a while to let things cool off before planning the next assault.

The target was sighted. The next car behind the bus had seen the tragedy previously, and was hesitant to pass, fearing the same fate. The bus was going slow, however, and they needed to get around. Sensing their predicament, our seniors prepared for another launch. Suddenly, the car moved left in a burst of speed and went for a quick pass. Our seniors, hiding, jumped up and released the snack.

BAM!!

Right on the windshield!

The car continued speeding forward to get past the bus, and then made a fateful decision: they tried to clear the Little Debbie's Swiss Roll from their windshield by activating the wipers. This accomplished exactly one thing: it smeared chocolate all over the windshield while they sped away We couldn't contain our mirth and started making a commotion in the back. I caught the Assistant Coach's eyes in the rearview mirror, and he looked displeased. He slowly, calmly moved his head side-to-side. I hid behind my seat. Younger athletes a few rows up were starting to pick up on the festivities and wanted to watch- we were being exposed!

Meanwhile, the seniors had already identified a new target. Behind our bus, a semi driver was spaced well beyond normal following distance, clearly holding back after seeing what befell the vehicle in front of them. A short discussion begun, with the topic being how to approach this new challenge. The resulting strategy was executed by one of the senior captains- he reached out of the window (holding a snack, of course), and threw the Little Debbie's snack far into the air, where air resistance and decreased momentum knocked it away from us, while gravity started pulling it down.

The wise driver, drawing upon previous knowledge, visibly swerved on the interstate, even though the projectile fell short of the target. The driver then slowed and gave us even more space. We fell back beneath the bus seats and suppressed our laughter again. With no targets in range and an assistant coach looking at us with deathly hawk-eyes, the plug was pulled on the operation and we resigned to finish the ride home in relative peace.

As we entered the Fargo area, we went through a small area of road construction and everybody was moved from two lanes into one. A state trooper was sitting in the median, looking for speedsters. As we went past, the trooper suddenly flew onto the interstate, got up behind our bus, and flipped the lights on. Our bewildered bus driver moved over to let the officer pass, but quickly learned that WE were the ones getting pulled over. Simultaneously, the semi behind us and the car in front of us (the one that had a direct windshield hit) pulled over as well; they both must have called it in.

S***

All of us immediately sought refuge behind our seats, knowing that this was NOT going to end well, because there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide- we were screwed. Some of the athletes in front looked back, confused. Most of the girls, however, looked back with that 'what STUPID thing did you do this time?' look. Our head coach's face was turning purple. The officers stepped up the stairs of the white travel bus with "West Fargo Packers" painted proudly on the side, while car after car sped past.

"Whoever is throwing food out of the windows needs to come up here NOW."

..........

We were silently panicking. What now? We were dead to rights with no escape. Two hours ago we had won the conference meet and now we were pulled over on the interstate with cops ready to drag us out of the bus by our ears! I heard some quiet expletives behind me as those who actually threw the snacks were sweating bullets. Our assistant coach was not impressed:

"If you did it, GET UP HERE NOW."

.........

After another short pause, our two senior captains stood up and walked slowly to the front of the bus. The officers spoke briefly to them and then they all walked off the bus and towards the car in front of us. Immediately, hushed whispering started throughout the bus, until our head coach cut through the noise:

"When we get back to the school, boys stay after. We're gonna have a talk."

.........

S***

My phone vibrated; I read the text message:

'Is that you guys pulled over? Is everything ok?'

A friend from Kindred who ran for Fargo North had just driven past in the Fargo North bus and seen us on the side of the road. The embarrassment was beginning to set in as tense conversation began to grow in the bus. We were in SO much trouble.

The captains had to apologize to each of the drivers for their actions, and then they were let back on the bus. The story is that they were each fined for "distributing rubbish". Each of them was suspended from the next meet, which is a meaningless meet tucked in between conference and state, so they were each able to run at state. Our head coach chewed us out a little bit, but we still got into further shenanigans throughout the rest of the season.

Maybe it was karma, but we went into the state meet that year ranked 2nd in the state, but we crapped the bed and ended up finishing 7th. Either way, let it be known that in the fall of 2009 a group of cross country runners got their bus pulled over by the cops for throwing food out the bus windows at passing traffic. No wonder we had a reputation for being knuckleheads.....


End


P.S. I partook very little in the many of the events we got in trouble for. I was always kind of a 'walk-the-straight-line' athlete, and I never really liked the culture and team atmosphere as I went through the program, but few things beat having a crazy story to tell!