2008 Dakota Elite Meet Fargo, ND May 30th

Stevie Keller created the Dakota Elite Challenge with the idea of bringing the top high school track and field athletes from North Dakota and South Dakota together for one afternoon on the track.
He wanted it to be the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the chosen few and any other clichés that means the same as the previous three. The concept was, as the name indicates, for it to be an elite field.
USA Track & Field Dakotas along with Merit Care Sports Medicine and Dick Beardsley Running Company brought the first annual Dakota Elite Challenge to Fargo and North Dakota State University Friday.
It’s hard to think that things could have gotten any more elite than they ended up being. Not just elite within the states of North Dakota and South Dakota, but performances that rank highly on the national stage found their way onto Schansler Track at NDSU.
In a few hours time, the meet witnessed three all-time bests within the state of North Dakota and numerous competitors that rank among the best in the United States.
First there was Maple Valley’s (N.D.) Kristen Killoran, who now owns two of the top marks in the state’s history. Her winning jumps of 20-feet, 4-inches in the long jump and 40-2 in the triple jump went uncontested.
Just how good was it?
Killoran’s 20-plus-foot mark in the long jump currently ranks her fifth in the country among high school athletes, according to the most recent rankings.
Killoran will continue her track and field career at the same complex she set the records Friday and will attend school at NDSU next fall. Both of Killoran’s marks would have won titles in The Summit League Outdoor Track & Field Championships two weeks earlier, which is the new NCAA Division I league the Bison have recently began competition in.
Then there was Fargo South’s Laura Roesler. Just a sophomore and 16-years old, Roesler is a 13-time state champion in track and field and twice in cross-country.
However, maybe her most impressive victory came at the Dakota Elite Challenge in the 800-meter run. Her winning time of 2:04.96 set multiple records.
It was not only the fastest time ever run by a North Dakota high school athlete; it shattered the existing Schlanser Track record by nearly six seconds. A record previously held by NDSU standout Kinsey Coles, who was a 13-time Division II All-American.
The new personal best keeps Roesler ranked second in the entire country at the high school level. If it wasn’t mentioned before, she is only 16 and has two years left of high school.
Thirdly, there was a 4x400m relay from Fargo South. The state has never seen a girls relay break the four-minute barrier, ever. And it was about as close as you can come when Roesler crossed the finish line at 4:00.12.
There was Benson County (N.D.) senior Lindsay Anderson, who competed in the 3,200m run. Anderson has a total of 14 state Class B titles to her name that include six in the 1,600m. She hasn’t lost a race since finishing second to Christine Bruins (who now runs for NDSU) in the 800m in 2006. Anderson will join her older sister Krista and compete in cross country and track and field at the University of Iowa next season.
There was Adrienne Thomas of Park River-Fordville-Lankin-Adams-Edmore (N.D.) who will compete next season for the University of Minnesota.
There was Aaron Jung of Watertown (S.D.), who currently holds the eighth furthest throw among high school athletes in the country in the discus.
There was Fargo South’s Adam Isakson, who will take his pole vaulting ability to the University of Minnesota as well.
There was Watertown’s Leslie Brost, who currently owns the fifth best mark in the country in the pole vault. She will make her home at NDSU for the next four years.
There was Alyssa Henrichs of Beresford (S.D.). An elite discus thrower, she plans to compete at Oklahoma State of the Big 12 Conference next season.

Without question the field was elite. And not just to the upper Midwest.
by: Jared Slinde

2008 Dakota Elite Girls Results
2008 Dakota Elite Boys Results
2008 Dakota Elite Girls Meet Program
2008 Dakota Elite Boys Meet Program

2008 North Dakota Elite Boys Performacne List 5-21
2008 North Dakota Elite Girls Performance List 5-21
2008 South Dakota Elite Girls Performance List 5-20
2008 South Dakota Elite Boys Performance List 5-20

 
2008 Dakota Elite Meet | Fargo, North Dakota | May 30th, 2008

USA Track and Field Dakotas, and TEAM NODAK are proud to present the
1st Annual Dakotas Elite Challenge!!!

When: May 30th, 2008

Where: Schlanser Track, North Dakota State University

What:  A chance for the best athletes in North Dakota and the best athletes in South Dakota to compete
against each other.

Qualifications: (2008 performances only) We will take the top nine athletes from each State in each event.  Relays we will take the top 4 teams from each state in the 4x100, 4x200, 4x400 and the top 6 teams from each state in the 4x800. North Dakota and South Dakota 2008 season performance lists will be posted on http://dakotas.usatf.org/ under Dakota Elite

Multiple-Events will be allowed (please keep in mind the meet schedule when entering your athletes, the meet will run on time). 

Entry fee: $20 per athlete.  Each qualifying athlete will receive a FREE Dri-Fit T-shirt and USATF membership. 

Scoring:  This meet will be scored a few different ways.  The top eight places will score points for their state.  We will also use individual team scores to see what team is the power of the Dakotas elite. 

Entry Info:  IMPORTANT – PLEASE NOTE:  
ENTRIES ARE DUE TUESDAY, MAY 27TH BY 6:00PM
Entries are done by e-mail.
E-mail entries to:  stevie.keller@ndsu.edu

The following format will be used.     
Event Name (first name first) performance.
                                             Example:
                                             Team Name in e-mail subject line
                                              NDSU; North Dakota State University; F
                                             NDSU; North Dakota State University; M
                                             400 Andrew Aakre 49.05
                                             110h Andrew Aakre 15.15
                                             LJ Andrew Aakre 23-3
                                             SP Eric Hurt 51-2
                                             1mile Ryun Godfrey 4:22.03
                                             Field events - USE ENGLISH
                                 Please follow this format or your athletes may not get entered into the meet.
                                 NO EXCEPTIONS 


Wednesday, May 28th – Final List of athletes accepted into the meet is emailed out and posted online by 11:00am. Heat sheets will be posted by 5:00pm Wednesday. http://dakotas.usatf.org/

Friday, May 30th – Dakotas Elite Challenge

Decisions on ties will be made by meet management based on second best performances. We will run TWO heat/flight of every event, ONE heat for relays, and top 9 advance for finals in field events. 

MEET SCHEDULE 2008:
Elite-Meet Time Schedule

Running Events
3:30 B 4X800 Relay
3:45 G 4X800 Relay
4:00 B 110 Hurdles
4:15 G 100 Hurdles
4:30 B 100 Final
4:35 G 100 Final
4:45 B 4X200 Relay
4:55 G 4X200 Relay
5:05 B 1600
5:15 G 1600
5:30 B 4X100 Relay
5:40 G 4X100 Relay
5:50 B 400
6:05 G 400
6:20 B 300 Hurdles
6:40 G 300 Hurdles
7:00 B 800
7:15 G 800
7:30 B 200
7:40 G 200
7:50 B 3200
8:05 G 3200
8:25 B 4X400 Relay
8:35 G 4X400 Relay

Field Events
3:00     B Discus
3:00     G Javelin ND only
3:00     G Shot Put
3:00     B Triple Jump
3:00     G Long Jump
3:00     B Pole Vault
3:00     G High Jump
5:30     G Discus
5:30     B Javelin ND only
5:30     B Shot Put
5:30     G Triple Jump
5:30     B Long Jump
5:30     G Pole Vault
5:30     B High Jump

THE MEET WILL RUN ON SCHEDULE.  You're athletes need to be at their event to check in 10 minutes prior to the event.  Field events will start on time as well.  Please be mindful of the schedule when entering athletes that will be doing multiple events.

***IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER: We will continue the meet regardless of weather (with the exception of near-by lightning).  If we do decide to cancel the meet, we will decide as early as possible and post the cancellation on the website - along with an email announcement.

Email Stevie Keller at stevie.keller@ndsu.edu with any questions/suggestions.