Prairie Track & Field Podcast

Alyssa Becker had quite the senior year: Roy Griak Champion, NSIC Individual Winner, and 6th-place All-American finish at the NCAA D2 XC Championships. Listen to what it took to reach this point in her career plus what she hopes to accomplish on the oval this winter & spring.

The tradition of a combined episode with our individual winners from last month's North Dakota State XC Championships continues! Hear from Ruby Ihmels, Jonah Njos, Claire Grinde, and Wil Ihmels on what it took to bring home the gold, plans for winter training, and plenty of good banter along the way.

Carson Noecker made waves as a freshman, winning the Summit League men's individual title in his first try. Now he and the 'Jacks are back for more. Learn more about SDSU's men's and women's programs on this Summit League Segment. Then stick around to hear a preview of The Summit League Cross Country Championships!

The North Dakota High School State XC Championships are upon us! As you head to Jamestown for this fall's final XC race, be sure to get caught up on who to watch, the teams in contention for hardware, and the storylines to follow along with! We'll be there with WDAY to help with the broadcast, so be sure to find us and say hi!

Harper Barlow didn't even know if she'd run again let alone pace the UMKC 'Roos at the recent Gans Creek Classic. Learn more about the 'Roos men's and women's XC programs, which UMKC athletes to watch in the coming weeks, and why Kansas City is a great city for distance running. Plus hear what happened around The Summit League this past weekend.

After an amazing 3rd Annual Grand Forks Border Battle, Ryan and Cam hop on the mics to dissect the meet, sharing its highlights, what improvements can be made for next year's event, and how this meet foreshadows the North Dakota State High School XC Meet at the end of October.

Ian Busche, a University of North Dakota junior, joins us on this week's Summit League Segment. Listen to his insights on his breakout season as well as Ryan & Cam's breakdown of this year's Fighting Hawks. Plus hear what happened around the Summit League cross country season this past weekend.

This week's Summit League Segment highlights the University of Nebraska-Omaha. While the Mavericks have a young team this season, they're led by All-Summit League performer Kamryn Ensley. Hear Kamryn's takes on this year's team, plus insight from Cam & Ryan on happenings around The Summit League this last week.

We interview Max Westerlund, a University of St. Thomas sophomore, who's leading the charge of Tommies to the top of The Summit this fall. Plus a recap of all the action around the Summit League this past week.

We sit down with NDSU senior Reagan Baesler, who looks to help push the Bison women to the top of The Summit this fall. Plus a recap of all the action around the Summit League this past week.

On this short but sweet episode, Cam & Ryan break down the North Dakota XC Preseason Coaches' Poll, the first of 2024 season. Enjoy the episode!

Braxton Bruer, a West Fargo native, has steadily improved over the 800m distance the last several years. After multiple NSIC individual titles & NCAA All-American honors at Minnesota State University - Moorhead, Bruer's earned the opportunity to sign professionally and continue his running career with Minnesota Distance Elite. Listen to Braxton share about his passion for racing hard, what he learned in his time at MSUM, and what the future holds.

Wisdom Deebom showed up to a tryout with the NDSU Track & Field team unsure if he'd make the roster. Fast forward four years and the Fargo, ND native scored pivotal points to help NDSU win yet another Summit League Outdoor Conference team title. Listen to Wisdom share his career journey, advice to the next generation of jumpers, and where he'll land after graduation.

Jacy Pulse has had a phenomenal career at the University of South Dakota, where she's twice earned All-American accolades in the 400m hurdles. On Thursday, June 27th, she'll have the opportunity to compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials, a far cry from her humble beginnings in Salem, South Dakota. Best of luck, Jacy!

NDSU's Cam Landis had one goal in high school: to play college football. After lining up in the trenches for a season, he bet on himself and made the switch to throwing shot put. After earning an Ivy League degree, Cam hopped in the transfer portal and wound up at NDSU. Listen to his incredible story of mountain tops and valleys in his path to winning a Summit League title in his senior season.

Luke Labatte has turned into a Summit League star, but his ceiling reaches far beyond that. The University of North Dakota senior qualified for the NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. Listen to Luke share insights into his qualifying race, how he's preparing for the NCAA meet, and how he reached the upper echelon of his career.

The culmination of the high school season is upon us! Preview the North Dakota State Track & Field Championships with your hosts Ryan & Cam as they discuss athletes to watch, what they believe will be the most competitive events, and who will be in the running for team titles.

A two-for-one: catch up on all the action from the Howard Wood Relays, plus a look ahead to this upcoming weekend's Summit League Outdoor Championships!

"It's been awhile" is a sentiment becoming too familiar with this podcast; however, we're still just excited to update you on the latest happenings of this 2024 outdoor season. Join Ryan and Cam as they discuss the Drake Relays, including Ryan's decathlon and working the media and mixed zones.

It’s only appropriate that for such a milestone episode, we celebrate an incredible milestone in North Dakota track and field. On February 9th, Sean Korsmo of Bismarck, now running for the University of Tulsa, broke 4 minutes in the mile at a meet in Chicago. Coming into the meet, he’d run 4:02 several weeks prior at Iowa State, making him the 2nd fastest miler all-time in North Dakota. Sean shares insights on what went into breaking 4 minutes, both on and off the track, and what goals he's set his sights on now - specifically the North Dakota soil record.

The first weekend of February was one for the books. With great performances happening at both the national and local level, take a step back with Ryan & Cam to recap all your favorite events, and some you may have missed.

Nadir Yusuf, former MSUM All-American, will be on the start line at Saturday's 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando. In this one-on-one episode with Cam, Nadir shares his journey to success and what it's taken to chase his biggest dreams.

It's been awhile, but we're happy to be back behind the mics! Plenty of banter, top performances, and so much more discussed on our first episode of 2024! Enjoy!

Munir Isahak came to America ten years ago as a refugee. Despite viewing himself as a soccer player initially, he picked up running at Fargo South High School and has never looked back. After an illustrious career at Concordia College (MN), he continues to compete post-collegiately for Lake Effect. Fresh off a 5th-place finish at the USATF Club XC Championships, Munir shares about his journey and what's next.

On this episode, Cam & Ryan share their final thoughts on Division I XC, specifically Cam's trip to the Midwest Region meet in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and the high school NXR meet for the 2023 season. Happy Thanksgiving!

On this episode, Cam & Ryan break down almost every North Dakota college and university that competed at their respective national championship meet. From Division II all the way to the junior college level, we recognize the teams and individuals who raced & finished their XC season. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Jonah Njos is a rising star on the North Dakota running scene. After being a consistent contributor on some of Bowman County's recent championship teams, he took the next step and earned his first individual title at this fall's North Dakota XC Championships. Listen to Jonah describe his victory, what it took to prepare for and execute his race, and what's next for the Bowman County sophomore.

In one of our favorite episodes, we introduce you to the newest kids on the block - your 2023 North Dakota High School Individual State XC Champions! We asked Owen Sondag (Class A Boys), Jocie Schiller (Class A Girls), Brynn Hanson (Class B Girls), and Jonah Njos (Class B Boys) about what it felt like to win, how they prepared for this season, and what's next. Plus many good stories and banter about this XC season! Because Jonah joined late, he'll be getting his own episode. Stay tuned!

We're excited to be helping out with the broadcast of the Summit League XC Championships once again! Whether you'll be joining us in Brookings or watching online, we want to make sure you're prepared for what's going to be an epic two races! From predictions in the individual and team races to guesses on race strategies, find out everything you need to more on this short, but sweet episode!

Championship season is here! Listen to Cam & Ryan break down the storylines, athletes, and teams to watch at this season's North Dakota State XC Championships. With an impending snow storm, both Class A and Class B races will taking place on October 28th. This decision was made after the recording of this podcast. Listen now so that you know exactly what to look out for on Saturday!

Jacob Jensen's individual progression is wild. He never placed higher than 11th at the North Dakota state track meet, but he's consistently mixing it up at the front of the pack on the XC course and on the track. Listen to Jacob discuss his rise in the sport, where he found his passion for running, and why he and his teammates are ready for the NSIC XC Championships.

Your hosts review the month of September, including the prestigious Roy Griak Invitational that saw multiple ND Universities & high school teams compete. We also discuss how good Class A Girls XC is and give a brief preview of the Border Battle.

Jake Arason is a lot of things: a testimony to hard work and dedication, one of NDSU's top runners, and a fan of the Everything Grinder at Red Pepper. Most importantly, he's a big xc and track & field fan. We ask Jake about NDSU's season, his individual progressions, and who he ranks as the top distance runners in North Dakota history.

The XC season is in full swing in North Dakota, with both high school and collegiate teams finding themselves in the heart of the season. Cam & Ryan break down several of the recent collegiate races in the region and unpack the latest high school poll. There's a lot of banter on this episode, so we hope that you feel like you're a part of the conversation!

It's rare that a Divison I head coach takes a job at an NAIA program, but that's exactly what Jarvis Jelen, the new Director of Track & Field and Cross Country at the University of Jamestown, did. With a mission & vision of rebuilding a program, Jarvis outlines his roadmap to success and shares his goals for the team. Plus listen to him share stories from his own running career!

Cam & Ryan break down the North Dakota high school XC season by class. They break down the stats on key returners, point out runners to watch, and make their team predictions for the state title. Plus get an update on Week 1 of the season and upcoming meets.

Andrew Carlson’s running resume checks all the boxes: high school state champion, successful collegiate runner, ran professionally, and collegiate coach. It’s the stories that have led to each checked box that make Andrew’s story so unique. From going out for cross country almost by accident to competing for Team USA against some of the legends of the sport, AC’s experiences throughout his career are relatable to runners at every level. That’s why this episode needed two parts. You can listen to Andrew reflect on his high school, collegiate, and professional running career on Part 1 now wherever you get your podcasts!

Payton Otterdahl knows how to show up when it matters most. After a season of consistent throws, Payton earned a spot on team U.S.A. for the World Championships in Budapest with a new PB that eclipsed the 22-meter barrier. We got the chance to catch up with Payton and ask about his comeback from hip surgery, what it took to punch his ticket to Hungary, and who he wants to room with in Budapest. All this and more in our latest episode!

4 overall all-time state records. 11 state titles. There aren’t too many stat lines better than Cece Deebom’s, the recent Fargo Davies grad who’s coming off another 4 state titles at the North Dakota High School State Track and Field Meet. We ask Cece to reflect on her career, discuss her commitment to Nebraska, and what she’s most excited for in her bright future.

The 2023 North Dakota High School State Track & Field Meet was one to remember, with 21 state meet records set. On this episode, Cam & Ryan interview Kelsie Belquist, who won 4 individual state titles and Dylan McGlothlin, a winner of 3 individual state titles. Your hosts also recap and analyze some of the other top performances from the state meet.

A very special episode! Recording live at See Dick Run, your hosts sit down with Quinn Roehl, your North Dakota state champion in the 3200m. We break down the races with Quinn, discuss the decision to shave his head in support of Camron, and what lies ahead at NDSU. Enjoy!

In one of the biggest track and field weekends of the year, the NCAA Division II Championships, the North Dakota state track and field meet, and the NCAA Division I West Prelims will all be contested. MSUM distance specialists Braxton Bruer (West Fargo, ND) and Jared Gregoire join us to preview their 800m and 1500m races, respectively, at the DII Championships in Pueblo, Colorado. Cam and Ryan cap the episode with their ND state meet Top 10 Things to Watch preview. Enjoy!

Nell Graham started the Summit League Championships on Thursday and just never stopped running. After winning the seven-event heptathlon, she won the 400m dash, placed 5th in the 400m hurdles, and ran a leg on NDSU's silver medal 4x400m relay. Nell reflects on the meet, shares about training for the multi, and the waiting game to determine if she's qualified for the NCAA West Regional. Also find out why Cam dislikes Apple Jacks.

Our 75th episode! The Howard Wood Dakota Relays were crazy, with 32 event records broken and a plethora of great performances. Cam and Ryan break down some of the highlights from the weekend and give the briefest of previews of the Summit League Championships taking place in Fargo this weekend.

As we reach the final weekend of the regular season for the NCAA, it's our civic duty to recap and preview two of the Midwest's biggest track meets. Ryan breaks down some of the top performances he witnessed at the Drake Relay while Cam speaks on some of the elite event fields assembled for the Howard Wood Relays.

Our first episode in a while! Cam and Ryan get back behind the mics to update you on the outdoor season thus far. Cam provides an update on his cancer journey, we briefly touch the high school season, then highlight some of the top performers from the past weekend. We're excited to be back and hope you enjoy this episode!

Austin Miller might just be the best distance runner you’ve never heard of. Just a few weeks ago, the Sioux Falls native joined the list of American sub-4 milers, running 3:57.9 at the Boston Terrier Classic to break the four minute barrier for the first time. Austin, who was a multiple time All American at Augustana and now runs professionally for Tinman Elite, has his sights set on running fast and achieving big goals. Austin’s story is a testament of why to always bet on yourself, and you’ll get to hear how he’s doing that each day on the professional scene.

Kori Nagel joins the podcast amid her strong start to the 2023 indoor campaign. The Dickinson State thrower tossed the shot put 13.88 meters (45’6.5”) back in December, setting the Dickinson State school record and climbing up to #1 in the nation in NAIA. The crazy part? She now owns school records at multiple North Dakota universities. Nagel transferred from Minot State, where she owns the weight throw and discus records, to Dickinson State prior to this season. In our interview, she shares about her rise from small-town North Dakota recruit to All-American and how she’s adjusted to a new university.

Brandon Lewis is one of the best long jumpers in North Dakota history with a PR of 7.77 (25'6"), but his story is far from over. Taking advantage of his sixth year of eligibility thanks to COVID, Brandon is ready to accomplish the remainder of his goals at NDSU. On this episode, we discuss his development in the long jump, what it’s going to take to earn the outdoor school record, and the best long jump pits he’s ever jumped in.