North Dakota All-Time Top Ten

Below is an ongoing compilation of the fastest times ever run by people from North Dakota. Let this list be a constant leaderboard for young athletes from ND to aspire to and try to best. There are people on this list who ran sub-4 miles, won NCAA championships, ran professionally, and qualified for the Olympic Trials. This truly represents the best of the best. 

To clarify a question people may have, I don't have a formal definition of what "North Dakotan" is, but I generally go by people who grew up and graduated in North Dakota. People who came to college in ND from out-of-state aren't included here, but people born in other states who moved to ND and ran high school and graduated here are. So far, I haven't really come across anybody who should be on the list that raises a question of where the line is. If you know of times by someone who is a 'North Dakotan', I'd be happy to look into it. 

Additionally, I have chosen to include certain conversions and exclude others. Please reference the bottom of this page if you are curious why. 

Updated 7/12/24 to add Austen Dalquist to the Men's Mile list and Men's 5k list 

All-Time Top Ten Lists*

Men's Mile**

1. Austen Dalquist (Born in Dickinson, ND, Keller HS in Texas, Arkansas for College) 3:56.43

2. Corey Ihmels (Williston/Iowa State) 3:59.7

3. Sean Korsmo (Bismarck/Tulsa) 3:59.96

4. Jake Leingang (Bismarck/Oregon then NDSU) 4:02.76 (converted from 3:44.78 1500)

5. Hunter Lucas (Fargo Davies/U of Minnesota then Boise St) 4:03.75 (converted from 3:45.70 1500)

6. Curt Bacon (Minot Ryan/NDSU) 4:04

7. Jim Herberg (GFC/Oklahoma) 4:05

8. Alex Bartholomay (Bowman Co./NDSU) 4:05.15

9. Nate Peterson (West Fargo/UND) 4:05.88 (converted from 4:15.15 for altitude/Flagstaff AZ)

10. Brady Yoder (Dickinson/Purdue) 4:05.92  (converted from 3:47.70 1500) 

11. Ross Schilling (Harvey/NDSU) 4:06.51 (converted from 3:48.25 1500)

Women's Mile**

1. Madeline Strandemo (Fargo South/U of M/LittleWing Athletics-Oiselle) 4:31.83

2. Becki Wells (Dickinson/Alabama then Florida/Nike) 4:33.07 (converted from 4:12.84 1500)

3. Annika Rotvold (Hillsboro-CV/NDSU) 4:38.53 (converted from 4:17.90 1500)

4. Laura Roesler (Fargo South/Oregon/Nike) 4:38.63 (converted from 4:17.99 1500)

5. Cailee Peterson (MayPort-CG/SDSU then Min-Duluth) 4:39.83 (converted from 4:19.10 1500)

6. Joan (Knoll) Hammeren (Bismarck/Florida) 4:41.88 (converted from 4:21 1500)

7. Beth Hoge (Bis Century/Arizona) 4:41.99 (converted from 4:21.10 1500)

8. Hayley Ogle (Watford City/Miss. St) 4:42.38 (converted from 4:21.46 1500)

9. Semehar Tesfaye (Fargo South/NDSU then Iowa State then Arkansas) 4:43.29
10. Karley Ackley (Grand Forks Central/Iowa State) 4:43.82 (converted from 4:22.8 1500)

Men's 5k

1. Andrew Carlson (Fargo South/U of M/Team USA MN) 13:32.71

2. Jake Leingang (Bismarck/Oregon then NDSU/Nike) 13:43.04

3. Austen Dalquist (Born in Dickinson, ND, Keller HS in Texas, Arkansas for College) 13:50.87

4. Steve Sundell (Fargo South/Columbia) 13:58.11

5. Devin Monson (Thompson/Hamline) 14:05.12

6. Corey Ihmels (Williston/Iowa State) 14:08

7. Jacob Knodle (WF Sheyenne/SDSU then NDSU) 14:13.92

8. Matthew Gotta (Bis High/Montana State) 14:17 (converted from 14:39 for altitude/Bozeman, MT)

9. Brady Yoder (Dickinson/Purdue) 14.17.12 

10. Cody Christ (Barnes County North/MSUM) 14:19.87

Women's 5k

1.  Alexis Zeis (Bis High/U-Mary/Roots Running Project) 15:52.84

2. Katie Conlon (Jamestown/Jamestown then Oregon) 15:53.73

3. Kelby Anderson (Bis Century/NDSU) 15:58.19 

4. Semehar Tesfaye (Fargo South/NDSU then Iowa State then Arkansas) 16:04.78

5. Amber Klein (Hazen/Adams St.) 16:04.84

6. Janelle Olson (Bismarck/Adams State) 16:08 

7. Beth Hoge (Bis Century/Arizona) 16:15.91 
8. Jordan Jacob (Bis Century/Boise St.) 16:28.35

9. Sasha (Hovind) Gallagher (Lisbon & Sargent Co./Northern State) 16:30.83

10. Jessie Kindschi (Bis Century/SDSU then BYU) 16:35

Men's 10k

1. Andrew Carlson (Fargo South/U of M/Team USA MN) 28:25

2. Steve Sundell (Fargo South/Columbia) 28:28

2. Devin Monson (Thompson/Hamline) 29:00.23

3. Arnie Falk (Courtney High School, now BCN/VCSU) 29:49

4. Paul LeBlanc (Minot/NDSU) 29:50
5. Sam Clausnitzer (Bis High/Iowa State then Utah State) 30:03.40

6. Cody Christ (Barnes Co. North/MSUM) 30:05.37

7. Munir Isahak (Fargo South/Concordia) 30:13.43

8. Joel Rovang (Ashby, MN/UND&NDSU) 30:15

9. Morgan Shirley-Fairbairn (Bis High/Wartburg) 30:17.16

10. Curt Bacon (Minot Ryan/NDSU) 30:30

Women's 10k
1. Alexis Zeis (Bismarck/U-Mary/Roots Running Proj) 32:40.00

2. Semehar Tesfaye (Fargo South/NDSU then Iowa State then Arkansas) 33:49.78
3. Sasha (Hovind) Gallagher (Lisbon and Sargent Co./Northern State) 34:12.43

4. Brittaney Kalmbach (Bismarck) 34:17

5. Jessie Kindschi (Bis Century/SDSU then BYU) 34:32
6. Jordan Jacob (Bis Century/Boise State) 34:36.57 

7. Penny Splichal (Dickinson/Arkansas) 35:01

8. Lindsay (Anderson) Solheim (Leeds/Iowa then UND) 35:31.40

9. Jessica Neva (Jamestown/UND) 35:33.10

10. Brecca Wahlund (Minot/NDSU) 35:35

*All lists contain only the fastest time by each athlete. Track size conversions are not counted, because until 2016, there wasn't an oversize or banked indoor track in the state. Altitude conversions are included and made by using the NCAA altitude calculator. A lot of people are going to disagree with including altitude conversions, but watch year after year how teams who train at altitude actually replicate altitude-converted times at meets at sea level- they are pretty accurate. Yes, I know I'm only on the lists here because of an altitude conversion, but I would argue it's not self serving because I've made sure to include other altitude-converted times to show my point. I'll leave an 11th place on the list for those people that would want to see a 'true' top ten.

**All 1600s and 1500s converted to the mile because I believe that the mile is a truly American event and is easy to understand for non-runners.