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The Saint John’s University cross country team will not be short on experience this year.
The Johnnies return five of the top seven runners from a team that finished fourth at the MIAC Championship and 15th at the NCAA North Regional in 2023. That young core consists of two juniors, Aiden Chalmers and Nick St. Peter, and three sophomores: Vincent Kaluza, Max McCoy and Cole Stencel.
Kaluza (28th) and St. Peter (29th) were the second and third top finishers Johnnies at the conference meet while Chalmers finished 95th two weeks later at the NCAA North Regional. Kaluza and St. Peter finished 97th and 99th, respectively. Stencel crossed the MIAC’s finish line in 38th place, two spots ahead of Chalmers in 40th. McCoy just missed scoring for SJU at both races.
SJU does have to replace standout Lloyd Young, who qualified for the NCAA Division III national meet three times. He earned All-American honors with a 40th-place finish in 2022. Also lost to graduation was Tommy Allen, who finished 87th at the regional meet.
But the Johnnies will be bolstered by the return of senior Eamon Cavanaugh, who competed at only one race last season due to injury. He placed 34th as a freshman at the 2021 MIAC Championship and 23rd in 2022.
SEASON PREVIEW
At the NCAA Regional, Cavanaugh scored for SJU in 68th (2021) and 62nd (2022), respectively.
SJU opens the season by hosting the Toni St. Pierre Invitational on Friday, Sept. 6, at Boulder Ridge G.C. in St. Cloud.
From there, the Johnnies travel to the St. Olaf Invitational Sept. 21 and cross the border Oct. 4 for Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s Blugold Invitational. SJU races at Augustana’s Interregional Invitational Oct. 19 in Rock Island, Ill., before the MIAC Championship Nov. 2 at St. Olaf.
The team hosts its annual Fall Finale Nov. 8 and the NCAA North Regional is Nov. 16 at Carleton. The 2024 NCAA Division III Championships are the following Saturday –Nov. 23 – in Terre Haute, Ind.
Sep 21 11 a.m. at St. Olaf Invitational
Oct 4 5:15 p.m. at UW-Eau Claire Blugold Invitational
Oct 19 11:45 a.m. at Augustana (Ill.) Interregional Invitational Rock Island, Ill.
Nov 2 12 p.m. at MIAC Championship
Nov 8 5 p.m. vs Saint John’s Fall Finale
Minn. Saint John’s Campus
Nov 16 TBA at NCAA North Regional Northfield, Minn. (CAR)
Nov 23 TBA at NCAA Division III Championship Terre Haute, Ind.
*Visit gojohnnies.com for the most up to date schedule.
CROSS COUNTRY
Excellence in the Classroom
Distance runners tend to place high value on both academic environment and performance, and Johnnie distance runners are no different. Our faculty and curriculum are outstanding. Our woods and lakes add to an atmosphere that is suited to study. Motivated team members provide great support. Through the fall of 2023, our cross country team’s cumulative GPA was 3.69, the fifteenth best average team GPA in all of Division III. On top of that, we have had three Academic AllAmericans in the last two years.
A True Team
Our team is more than a collection of individuals who find themselves at the same starting line. We train together, of course, and our residential campus finds us eating, studying, socializing and living together. Much more than teammates, Saint John’s distance runners become life-long friends.
Year-Round Training
From All-Americans to our last man in, we run year-round. We appreciate that everybody is different – capable of training with more or less volume, more or less intensity, more or less racing. We depend a great deal on each individual’s ability to progressively know himself better and make decisions for himself - as he soon will in the real world upon college graduation.
The Big Picture
We share a Big Picture which values team-orientation, year-round training, and six-month training cycles which point toward our finest racing during the cross country and outdoor track and field championship seasons. Ours is not a sport for those seeking instant gratification. Rather, we value a patience which allows us to finish races, seasons and careers at our very best.
Sports coverage to yo u . J o h n n i e s
ANDY RENNECKE Sports Editor
MAXWELL KUZARA ’17
HEAD COACH 5TH SEASON ON STAFF
Following a three-year stint as an assistant coach, 2017 grad Saint John’s University graduate Maxwell Kuzara is now in his second season as the Johnnies head cross country coach and head distance track & field coach in 2024. He took over for Tim Miles ’76, who stepped down in August of 2023 after serving as head coach at SJU for 44 years, but remains on staff as an assistant coach.
Kuzara first returned to Saint John’s on the coaching staff in the spring of 2021 after spending four years as an assistant coach at Minnetonka High School. At Minnetonka he coached alongside Minnesota distance running legends Jeff Renlund, Steve Hoag and Jerry McNeal. He also worked for four years in the endurance event world, organizing marathons, triathlons and
mountain bike races all over the U.S., including the Twin Cities Marathon here in Minnesota.
Kuzara studied Exercise Science and Global Business Leadership while a student at Saint John’s, and achieved All-Conference honors in cross country and placed 3rd and 4th in MIAC Championship 10,000 meter races as an athlete. Kuzara lives in nearby St. Joseph, Minnesota with his wife, Manon, who also ran cross country and track & field at the College of Saint Benedict, their daughter, Marais, and their dog, Willa. Kuzara holds a USA Track & Field Level 2 certification in Endurance as well as a USA Track & Field Cross Country Specialist certification and a USTFCCCA Injury Management certification.
ASSISTANT COACH
TIM MILES ’76
46TH SEASON ON STAFF
Tim Miles, a 1976 Saint John’s University graduate, is in his 46th year coaching cross country and track & field at Saint John’s.
He served as the Johnnies head coach from 1979 to August of 2023. His cross country teams won nine MIAC titles, finished among the MIAC’s top-two squads 25 of the last 44 years and qualified to compete at the national meet 22 times - recording 12 top-ten team finishes.
"THE
Luckiest OF THE Lucky "
Under his tenure, SJU won five MIAC outdoor titles with Miles’ athletes earning a combined 586 All-MIAC and 60 All-American honors. SJU dedicated the outdoor track within Clemens Stadium, now called “Miles Track”, in his honor in May of 2019.
Prior to that, he coached two individual Minnesota state cross country champions at Cretin High School in St. Paul from 1976-1979.
As a student in Collegevillle, Miles was a natural science major who went on to receive his master’s degree in forestry at the University of Minnesota in 1979.
As a Johnnie athlete, he was allconference in cross country and the MIAC six-mile champion and steeplechase runner-up on the track as a senior. He is scheduled to be inducted into the SJU J-Club Hall of Honor this fall.
Miles resides in nearby St. Cloud with his wife, Sue, and their dog, Cece.
Max McCoy So. Bennington, Neb. / Mount Michael Benedictine
Lars Molenkamp So. Almere, Netherlands / Oostvaarders College
Jack Montgomery So. Long Lake, Minn. / Orono
Connor O’Brien So. Belle Plaine, Minn. / Belle Plaine
A.J. Olesen Fr. Wrenshall, Minn. / Carlton
Sam Rabaey Sr. Hastings, Minn. / Hastings
Evan Raske Fr. Becker, Minn. / Monticello
Liam Sheeley Sr. Edina, Minn. / Holy Angels
A.J. Skinner Sr. Rogers, Minn. / Rogers
Nick St. Peter Jr. Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove
Cole Stencel So. Mapleton, Minn. / Maple River
Gavin Swift So. Emmetsburg, Iowa / Bishop Garrigan
Aidan Thomas Sr. Blaine, Minn. / Totino-Grace
The Saint John’s cross country team blazes trails both close and far from home.
The Johnnies’ travel starts in the preseason when the team makes an annual trip to a rotating group of four locations for a few days of camping, running and team bonding. The fouryear rotation means every SJU runner gets to experience four different training camp locations during their time at Saint John's. The team went to Itasca State Park this fall and is planning to head to the North Shore of Lake Superior for their pre-season training camp next year.
The team also routinely travels outside the Midwest most seasons, including a
TEAM TRAVEL
trip to the Lewis and Clark Invitational in Portland, Oregon in 2021 where the Johnnies competed against some of the top Division I, II and III teams from outside their own region. That trip was followed by a few days on the Oregon coast sightseeing and running along the Pacific Ocean.
Last season, SJU traveled east to Pennsylvania, getting a sneak peak of the course at Big Spring High School in Newville, Pennsylvania where then-senior Lloyd Young would return to compete at the NCAA Division III national meet later in the year.
From there, it was on to sightseeing at both Gettysburg National Military Park and in Washington, D.C.
ACADEMIC ALL-MIAC
(SINCE 2005):
*3.5 GPA and a sophomore, junior or senior to qualify
2005 Chris Erichsen
Eric Nelsen
Tim Smit
Mitch VanBruggen
2006 Chris Erichsen
Zach Hunter
Mitch VanBruggen
2007 Chris Erichsen
Kelly Fermoyle
Zach Hunter
2008 Zach Hunter
2010 Grant Cook
David Forster
Joe Gair
2011 Andrew Clasen
Joe Gair
Ruairi Moynihan
2013 Lukas Buehler
Jake Burr
Thomas Feichtinger
Preston Zimny
2014
Jake Burr
Thomas Feichtinger
Beau Gerding
Andrew Hansen
Preston Zimny
2015 Lukas Buehler
Matthew Burgstahler
Thomas Feichtinger
Andrew Hansen
2016 Lukas Buehler
Matthew Burgstahler
Kevin Lamb
Michael Nelson
Joseph Rabaey
Will Zimmerman
2017 Matthew Burgstahler
Trey Collins
Kevin Lamb
Nick Rethemeier
2018 Jack Colleran
Samuel Cruz
Kevin Lamb
Noah Webb
ACADEMIC AWARDS
2019 Trey Collins
Andy Goldsmith
Seth Jackson
Noah Webb
2020
Riley Berg
Jacob Czech
Dillon Diekmann
Andy Goldsmith
Mitch Grand
Alexei Hensel
Seth Jackson
Max Krause
Jacob Lipke
Nico Merickel
Nathan Meyer
Tom Nemanich
Charlie Otto
Sam Rengo
Lloyd Young
2021
Tommy Allen
Riley Berg
Dillon Diekmann
Jacob Gathje
Andy Goldsmith
Mitch Grand
Carter Grove
Alexei Hensel
Max Krause
Jacob Lipke
Nico Merickel
Nathan Meyer
Tom Nemanich
Max Vogel
Lloyd Young
2022
Tommy Allen
Riley Berg
Eamon Cavanaugh
Nate Courchane
Dillon Diekmann
Jacob Gathje
Joe Gathje
Mitch Grand
Carter Grove
Alexei Hensel
Danny Kloeppner
Jacob Lipke
Will Mattock
Nico Merickel
Tom Nemanich
Sam Rabaey
Sam Reng
Liam Sheeley
Aidan Thomas
Lloyd Young 2023
Tommy Allen
Aiden Chalmers
Joe Coffey
Nate Courchane
Jacob Gathje
Joe Gathje
Danny Kloeppner
Parker Koland
Ethan Leonard
Nick St. Peter
Aidan Thomas
Lloyd Young
*prior to 2013-14, the athletic qualification was top 50 or top seven on competing team at MIAC Championship (also revised prior to the 2007 season)
ACADEMIC ALL-REGION (SINCE 2004-05)
2006-07 Chris Erichsen (first team)
2007-08 Chris Erichsen (first team)
2013-14 Thomas Feichtinger (first team)
2017-18 Matthew Burgstahler (first team)
2022-23 Riley Berg
Carter Grove
Lloyd Young
2023-24 Tommy Allen
Lloyd Young
Grove
*as selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA)/College Sports Communicators (CSC)
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN
2006-07 Chris Erichsen (second team) 2007-08 Chris Erichsen (first team) 2017-18 Matthew Burgstahler (second team) 2022-23 Carter Grove (third team) Lloyd Young (third team)
Allen
2023-24 Tommy Allen (third team)
*as selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA)/College Sports Communicators (CSC)
MIAC ELITE 22 AWARD WINNER
*Highest GPA of all the All-Conference honorees
2017-18 Matthew Burgstahler 2022-23 Tommy Allen
NCAA DIVISION III
SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
*Highest GPA of all the All-American honorees
2007 Chris Erichsen
USTFCCCA ALL-ACADEMIC
CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS (SINCE AWARD BEGAN IN
ACADEMIC AWARDS
1991)
*Average team GPA of at least 3.10 to qualify
Year Team GPA Rank in Division III
1991 3.490 3rd Best
1992 3.546 2nd
1993 3.125 45th
1994 3.363 19th
1995 3.52 7th
1996 3.51 5th
1996 Jon Koch
1996 Brad Bauer
1997 Frank Bendewald
1997 Mark Janikula
2005 Chris Erichsen
2005 Tim Smit
2005 Mitch VanBruggen
2006 Andrew Stevens
2006 Chris Erichsen
2006 Zachary Hunter
3.271 68th
3.397 42nd 2011 3.324 79th 2012 3.17 113th
3.26 92nd
3.382 46th
3.47 35th 2018 3.42 54th 2019 3.45 57th
USTFCCCA ALL-ACADEMIC
CROSS COUNTRY
ATHLETES
*At least a 3.30 GPA and finish in the top 25% of their Regional Championship to qualify
1992 Brian Gross
1992 Bob Simmons
1992 Paul Chestovich
1992 Dan Deuhs
1993 Dan Deuhs
1993 Adam Sparks
1994 Mike Brennan
1994 Ryan Steines
1995 Ryan Steines
1995 Jon Koch
1995 Adam Sparks
1995 Tony Kinzley
1996 Adam Sparks
1996 Ryan Steines
1996 Jeb Myers
2006 Mitch VanBruggen
2007 Chris Erichsen
2007 Kelly Fermoyle
2007 Zachary Hunter
2008 Zachary Hunter
2009 Dustin Franta
2009 Patrick Lowder
2010 Dustin Franta
2010 Ruairi Moynihan
2011 Griffin Hayes
2011 Tom Hoffman
2012 Thomas Feichtinger
2014 Preston Zimny
2014 Thomas Feichtinger
2015 Thomas Feichtinger
2015 Jake Burr
2017 Matthew Burgstahler
2018 Kevin Lamb
2018 Noah Webb
2019 Tremayne Collins
Erichsen
TEAM FINISHES
REGIONAL
NCAA Midwest Regional
1978 Ninth (23 teams, 249)
1979 12th (20 teams, 326)
1981 Second (29 teams, 122)
NCAA Central Regional
1982 Champion (17 teams, 35)
1983 Third (16 teams, 82)
1984 Third (16 teams, 86)
1985 Third (16 teams, 118)
1986 Fourth (16 teams, 136)
1987 Third (16 teams, 110)
1988 Third (18 teams, 99)
1989 Second (19 teams, 101)
1990 Sixth (19 teams, 147)
1991 Third (21 teams, 131)
1992 Second (20 teams, 86)
1993 Third (19 teams, 90)
1994 Third (20 teams, 118)
1995 Champion (21 teams, 73)
1996 Champion (21 teams, 60)
1997 Champion (23 teams, 72)
1998 Champion (22 teams, 53)
1999 Second (25 teams, 65)
2000 Fifth (23 teams, 137)
2001 Seventh (22 teams, 193)
2002 Sixth (23 teams, 188)
2003 Eighth (22 teams, 236)
MIAC
1947 Fifth (Five teams, 100)
1948 Fifth (Six teams, 99)
1949 Fifth (Six teams, 115)
1950 Second (Six teams, 65)
1951 No Team
1952 Fourth (Four teams, 77)
1953 Second (Three teams, 47)
1954 Champion (Four teams, 35)
1955 Fourth (Four teams, 68)
1956 Third (Four teams, 59)
1957 No Team
1958 No Team
1959 No Team
1960 No Team
1961 No Team
1962 No Team
1963 No Team
1964 No Team
1965 Third (Three teams, 53)
1966 Fourth (Seven teams, 102)
1967 Second (Seven teams, 56)
1968 Champion (Seven teams, 31)
1969 Champion (Seven teams, 19)
1970 Champion (Seven teams, 26)
1971 Champion (Eight teams, 45)
2004 Ninth (22 teams, 258)
2005 Fifth (20 teams, 159)
2006 Fourth (23 teams, 109)
2007 Third (23 teams, 127)
2008 Second (26 teams, 139)
2009 Eighth (25 teams, 183)
2010 Fifth (26 teams, 147)
2011 Sixth (26 teams, 201)
2012 Fourth (27 teams, 155)
2013 Eighth (26 teams, 214)
2014 Eighth (27 teams, 259)
2015 Seventh (29 teams, 230)
2016 Eighth (30 teams, 233)
2017 Eighth (31 teams, 251)
2018 10th (31 teams, 272)
2019 Ninth (28 teams, 272)
NCAA North Regional
2021 Ninth (31 teams, 220)
2022 Seventh (35 teams, 228)
2023 15th (34 teams, 394)
NATIONALS
1967 NAIA 27th (30 teams, 682)
1968 NAIA Eighth (35 teams, 227)
1969 NCAA Eighth (42 teams, 296)
1970 NCAA Eighth (47 teams, 374)
1971 NCAA 30th (51 teams, 796)
1972 NAIA 27th (41 teams, 665)
1973 NCAA Fifth (33 teams, 217)
1972 Champion (Eight teams, 37)
1973 Second (Eight teams, 50)
1974 Fourth (Nine teams, 70)
1975 Third (Seven teams, 69)
1976 Fourth (Seven teams, 80)
1977 Fourth (Nine teams, 104)
1978 Third (Eight teams, 81)
1979 Second (Eight teams, 74)
1980 Second (Eight teams, 52)
1981 Champion (Nine teams, 21)
1982 Champion (Nine teams, 23)
1983 Champion (Nine teams, 31)
1984 Second (10 teams, 45)
1985 Second (10 teams, 64)
1986 Third (Nine teams, 98)
1987 Second (10 teams, 53)
1988 Second (10 teams, 35)
1989 Second (10 teams, 64)
1990 Third (10 teams, 80)
1991 Second (11 teams, 76)
1992 Second (10 teams, 67)
1993 Second (10 teams, 58)
1994 Second (11 teams, 56)
1995 Second (11 teams, 48)
1996 Champion (11 teams, 46)
1997 Champion (11 teams, 44)
1974 NCAA 11th (41 teams, 376)
1975 NAIA 35th (47 teams, 897)
1976 NCAA 24th (42 teams, 608)
1977 NCAA 27th (46 teams, 692)
1980 NAIA 14th (36 teams, 382)
1981 NCAA Ninth (22 teams, 226)
1982 NCAA Fifth (21 teams, 120)
1983 NCAA Sixth (21 teams, 182)
1983 NAIA 23rd (37 teams, 576)
*1984 Fourth (21 teams, 148)
1985 Ninth (21 teams, 264)
1987 11th (21 teams, 276)
1988 Eighth (21 teams, 254)
1989 Eighth (21 teams, 263)
1991 19th (21 teams, 407)
1992 14th (21 teams, 308)
1995 Ninth (21 teams, 284)
1996 11th (21 teams, 259)
1997 Seventh (21 teams, 239)
1998 Fourth (21 teams, 143)
1999 Seventh (24 teams, 255)
2000 16th (24 teams, 409)
2005 15th (24 teams, 366)
2006 Fifth (32 teams, 234)
2007 13th (32 teams, 416)
2008 22nd (32 teams, 533)
*SJU has competed at the NCAA Division III Championship only since the 1984 season
1998 Champion (11 teams, 32)
1999 Champion (10 teams, 34)
2000 Second (11 teams, 54)
2001 Third (11 teams, 77)
2002 Fourth (11 teams, 112)
2003 Fifth (11 teams, 124)
2004 Sixth (11 teams, 155)
2005 Fifth (10 teams, 105)
2006 Champion (11 teams, 35)
2007 Champion (11 teams, 49)
2008 Fifth (11 teams, 116)
2009 Fifth (11 teams, 101)
2010 Third (11 teams, 96)
2011 Third (11 teams, 111)
2012 Fourth (11 teams, 103)
2013 Fourth (11 teams, 108)
2014 Fourth (11 teams, 120)
2015 Second (11 teams, 96)
2016 Second (11 teams, 66)
2017 Third (11 teams, 109)
2018 Fifth (11 teams, 130)
2019 Sixth (11 teams, 143)
2021 Third (10 teams, 86)
2022 Second (11 teams, 59)
2023 Fourth (11 teams, 120)
ALL-MIAC
1950 Tex Mulcare (fifth)
1954 John Schumpberger (third)
Bob Mahowald (fifth)
Bob Hunt (sixth)
Mike O’Fallon (ninth)
1956 Jim Eddy (fourth)
1965 Doug Johnson (third)
1967 John Cragg (Champion)
Jeff Brain (second)
George Diehl (13th)
1968 Chuck Ceronsky (Champion)
Jeff Brain (third)
John Cragg (fourth)
Joe Skaja (10th)
Mike Feneis (13th)
George Diehl (15th)
1969 John Cragg (Champion)
Chuck Ceronsky (second)
Joe Skaja (third)
Jeff Brain (fourth)
Jon Kallman (ninth)
1970 John Cragg (Champion)
Jeff Brain (second)
Joe Skaja (fifth)
Dave Lyndgaard (eighth)
Norb Schnieder (10th)
Mike Kremer (12th)
1971 Joe Skaja (Champion)
Mike Kremer (Sixth)
Dave Lyndgaard (eighth)
Mike Fahey (13th)
1972 Dave Lyndgaard (Champion)
Kevin Carlson (fifth)
Tim Heisel (sixth)
Nick Overby (12th)
Pat Feehan (13th)
1973 Dave Lyndgaard (fourth)
Tim Heisel (eighth)
Kevin Carlson (ninth)
Nick Overby (11th)
1974 Tim Heisel (seventh)
Kevin Carlson (eighth)
Mike Fahey (10th)
1975 Tim Miles (seventh)
Steve Gathje (11th)
Dale Gross (14th)
1976 Steve Gathje (11th)
Andy Cragg
Loren Ehrmantraut (14th)
1977 Joe Sokolowski (sixth)
1978 Nort Hatlie (12th)
Joe Sokolowski (13th)
Joe Metzger (15th)
1979 Joe Metzger (11th)
Joe Sokolowski (13th)
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
1980 Tom Gasperlin (seventh)
Matt Larkin (ninth)
Rich Powell (10th)
Tom Novak (11th)
Gerry Kauma (15th)
1981 Matt Larkin (second)
Rob Sauer (third)
John Gathje (fourth)
Charlie Mahler (fifth)
Bob Morris (seventh)
Mike McGowan (ninth)
1982 Charlie Mahler (second)
Bob Morris (third)
Rob Sauer (fifth)
Brian Smith (sixth)
John Gathje (seventh)
John Thoemke (12th)
Mike McGowan (13th)
1983 Brian Smith (second)
Charlie Mahler (fourth)
John Gathje (fifth)
Jim Gathje (ninth)
Bob Morris (11th)
Dan McKeown (12th)
1984 John Gathje (second)
Charlie Mahler (third)
Dan McKeown (11th)
Bob Stromwall (14th)
Mike Phillips (15th)
1985 Jim Gathje (Champion)
Paul Cornelison (13th)
1986 Paul Cornelison (15th)
1987 Bob Loegering (sixth)
Pickle Gillach (seventh)
Joe Bohlke (11th)
Arne Maijala (12th)
1988 Joe Bohlke (Champion)
Scott Lindell (fourth)
Kris Jungels (sixth)
Arne Maijala (10th)
Glenn Necklen
Bob Loegering (15th)
1989 Scott Lindell (fifth)
Kris Jungels (sixth)
Brian Lenzmeier (11th)
1990 Larry Lillwitz (ninth)
Brian Lenzmeier (11th)
Paul Chestovich (15th)
1991 Kris Jungles (sixth)
Bob Simmons (12th)
1992 Bob Simmons (fifth)
Mike Brennan (eighth)
Dan Deuhs (12th)
1993 Adam Sparks (fourth)
Tom McCarthy (eighth)
Dan Deuhs (11th)
1994 Mike Brennan (second)
Ryan Steines (eighth)
LeRoy Popowski (14th)
Brad Bauer (15th)
1995 Jeb Meyer (third)
Ryan Steines (fourth)
Brad Bauer (eighth)
LeRoy Popowski (13th)
1996 Jeb Meyer (Champion)
Ryan Steines (fifth)
Brad Bauer (eighth)
Jon Koch (13th)
1997 John Guertin (fourth)
Brad Bauer (fifth)
John Krueger (sixth)
Lee Holdin (13th)
1998 John Krueger (Champion)
Dan Simmons (fourth)
John Guertin (seventh)
Lee Holdin (ninth)
Frank Bendewald (12th)
Nick Thoemke (15th)
1999 John Krueger (Champion)
Chet Boom (third)
Nick Thoemke (seventh)
Lee Holdin (ninth)
Mike Cook (14th)
2000 Nick Thoemke (Champion)
Andy Keenan (sixth)
Tom Myers (14th)
2001 Andy Keenan (eighth)
Tom Myers (10th)
Dan Hushagen (14th)
2002 John Mathews (13th)
2003 Aaron Bumgarner (10th)
Tim Smit (11th)
2004 Tim Smit (ninth)
2005 Mitch VanBruggen (15th)
2006 Mitch VanBruggen (second)
Kelly Fermoyle (fifth)
Chris Erichsen (sixth)
Andrew Stevens (10th)
Darren Larsen (12th)
2007 Chris Erichsen (Champion)
Kelly Fermoyle (second)
Zach Hunter (14th)
Darren Larsen (15th)
2009 Dustin Franta (10th)
Patrick Lowder (14th)
2010 Dustin Franta (third)
Ruairi Moynihan (11th)
2012 Matt Scherber (ninth)
John Subialka (10th)
2013 John Subialka (ninth)
Matt Scherber (15th)
2014 Thomas Feichtinger (seventh)
2015 Thomas Feichtinger (seventh)
Ryan Bugler (11th)
2016 Ryan Bugler (second)
Maxwell Kuzara (eighth)
Trey Collins (ninth)
2017 Matthew Burgstahler (eighth)
2021 Lloyd Young (third)
Andy Goldsmith (eighth)
2022 Lloyd Young (fourth)
Dillon Diekmann (11th)
Carter Grove (13th)
Tommy Allen (14th)
2023 Lloyd Young (eighth)
ALL-AMERICANS
1968 Chuck Ceronsky (19th)
John Cragg (29th)
1969 John Cragg (Second)
1970 John Cragg (Second; 21st at NCAA University Division)
1971 Joe Skaja (35th)
1973 Dave Lyndgaard (22nd)
1978 Joe Metzger (31st)
1982 Bob Morris (17th)
1983 Brian Smith (Third)
John Gathje (Sixth)
1984 John Gathje (Eighth)
Charlie Mahler (15th)
1985 Jim Gathje (19th)
1987 Pickle Gillach (23rd)
Joe Bohlke (30th)
1988 Joe Bohlke (24th)
1994 Mike Brennan (18th)
1996 Ryan Steines (32nd)
1997 Brad Bauer (30th)
1998 John Krueger (Third)
1999 John Krueger (13th)
Chet Boom (32nd)
2006 Kelly Fermoyle (28th)
2007 Chris Erichsen (Third)
2022 Lloyd Young (40th)
Cross country All-Americans were awarded to the 25 through 1993 and then the top 35 from 1994-2016. 2017. Saint John’s athletes who would have achieved All-America status include: Chuck Ceronsky, 1969, 26th; Nick Overby, 1973, 34th; Matt Larking, 1981, 36th; Charlie Mahler, 1982, 26th; Brian Smith, 1982, 35th; Scott Lindell, 1988, 36th; Kris Jungels, 1989, 36th; Dan Simmons, 1998, 40th; Nick Thoemke, 2000, 39th; and Dustin Franta, 2009, 37th.
8,000M ALL-TIME LIST
1. Brian Smith 23:56 11/19/83
2. Chris Erichsen 24:10.65 09/29/07
3. John Krueger 24:14.3 11/21/99
4. John Gathje 24:16 11/19/83
5. John Cragg 24:21c 10/10/69
6. Kelly Fermoyle 24:24.40 09/29/07
7. Lloyd Young 24:31.4 11/20/21
8. Chet Boom 24:31.5 11/21/99
NCAA III Championship, Newport News, VA Bayard (Iowa)
Willamette Invitational, Salem, OR Spring Valley
NCAA III Championship, Winneconne, WI Stillwater
NCAA III Championship, Newport News, VA Rochester Lourdes
Notre Dame Invitational, South Bend, IN St. Paul Cretin
Willamette Invitational, Salem, OR Henry Sibley
NCAA III Championship, Louisville, KY Bloomington Kennedy
NCAA III Championship, Winneconne, WI Shakopee
9. Chuck Ceronsky 24:52c 11/16/68 NAIA Championship, Oklahoma City, OK Minneapolis DeLaSalle
10. Joe Metzger 24:54c 11/18/78
11. Lee Hodin 24:59.1 11/21/99
NCAA III Championship, Davenport, IA St. Paul Cretin
NCAA III Championship, Winneconne, WI Spokane Mead (Wash.)
12. Charlie Mahler 25:02 09/25/82 Midwest Collegiates, Kenosha, WI La Crosse Aquinas (Wis.)
13. Dave Lyndgaard 25:02c 11/10/73
NCAA III Championship, Wheaton, IL New Richland
14. Tommy Feichtinger 25:03.9 10/17/15 UW La Crosse Drews Invite, Ettrick, WI Mount Michael (Neb.)
16. Bob Morris 25:04 09/25/82 Midwest Collegiates, Kenosha, WI Osseo
17. Andy Goldsmith 25:04.8 11/13/21
18. Rob Sauer 25:05 11/14/81
19. Kris Jungels 25:06 11/18/89
20. Pickle Gillach 25:06.5 11/21/87
21. Ryan Steines 25:07 11/16/96
NCAA III North Regional, Colfax, WI Cascia (Okla.)
NCAA III Midwest Regional, Davenport, IA Robbinsdale Armstrong
NCAA III Championship, Rock Island, IL Onamia Crosier
NCAA III Championship, Holland, MI Arvada (Colo.)
NCAA III Championship, Rock Island, IL Cumberland (Wis.)
22. Tim Smit 25:10.3 10/01/05 Willamette Invitational, Salem, OR Colfax (Wis.)
23. Jeb Myers 25:10.8 11/18/95
24. Scott Lindell 25:11 11/18/89
25. Tim Heisel 25:12c 10/13/72
NCAA III Championship, West Salem, WI Shakopee
NCAA III Championship, Rock Island IL Robbinsdale Cooper
Notre Dame Invitational, South Bend, IN Hopkins Eisenhower
26. Dustin Franta 25:12.5 10/16/10 UW-La Crosse Drews Invite, West Salem, WI La Crescent
27. Matt Larkin 25:13 11/14/81
28. Joe Bohlke 25:13 11/15/86
29. John Thoemke 25:14 11/13/82
NCAA III Midwest Regional, Davenport, IA Benilde-St. Margaret
NCAA III Central Regional, Waverly, IA Osseo
NCAA III Central Regional, Pella, IA Crosier Seminary
30. Ryan Bugler 25:15.3 09/30/16 UW Eau Claire Invitational, Colfax, WI Okinawa School Intl.
31. Jim Meyers 25:16 09/25/82 Midwest Collegiates, Kenosha, WI St. Ignatius (Ill.)
32. Mitch VanBruggen 25:20.4 10/01/05
33. Paul Cornelison 25:21 11/15/86
34. Joe Skaja 25:21c 10/10/69
35. Mike Brennan 25:22.4 11/19/94
36. Nick Overby 25:24c 11/10/73
37. Todd Larsen 25:25.5 11/21/99
Willamette Invitational, Salem, OR Buffalo
NCAA III Central Regional, Davenport, IA Benilde-St. Margaret
Notre Dame Invitational, South Bend, IN St. Cloud Tech
NCAA III Championship, Bethlehem, PA Rochester Lourdes
NCAA III Championship, Wheaton, IL Edina
NCAA III Championship, Winneconne, WI Park Center
38. Bob Simmons 25:26 10/17/92 UW-La Crosse Drews Invite, West Salem, WI Hill-Murray
39. Nick Thoemke 25:27.2 11/21/99
40. Jeff Brain 25:27c 10/11/68
41. Bob Loegering 25:27.6 11/21/87
42. Andy Keenan 25:27.7 11/17/01
NCAA III Championship, Winneconne, WI St. Paul Central
Notre Dame Invitational, South Bend, IN Seattle Prep (Wash.)
NCAA III Championship, Holland, MI Rochester Lourdes
NCAA III Championship, Rock Island, IL Fridley
43. Mike McGowan 25:28 09/25/82 Midwest Collegiates, Kenosha, WI Blue Earth
44. Mike Cook 25:28.5 11/21/99
45. Matt Scherber 25:29.2 11/16/13
NCAA III Championship, Winneconne, WI Park Center
NCAA III Central Regional, St. Olaf, MN Sartell
46. Cam Green 25:31.10 09/29/07 Willamette Invitational, Salem, OR Edina
47. Pete Gathje 25:31c 11/11/78
NCAA III Midwest Regional, Pella, IA Rochester Lourdes
48. Mike Fahey 25:32c 10/13/72 Notre Dame Invitational, South Bend, IN Norwood Young America
49. Tim Miles 25:32c 10/10/75 Notre Dame Invitational, South Bend, IN St. Paul Cretin
50. Dillon Diekmann 25:32.3 10/15/22 UW-La Crosse Drews Invite, West Salem, WI St. Paul Cretin-Derham Hall
PROUD
SPONSOR AND CONTRACTOR FOR JOHNNIE
ATHLETICS
LAST SEASON IN PICTURES
SJU Soccer at Gustavus in MIAC Quarterfinals (image courtesy of Graham Miller).
CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK & FIELD FACILITIES
Saint John’s sits 75 miles northwest of the Twin Cities in Central Minnesota’s cabin country. Our campus encompasses 3,000 acres of woods and lakes with over twelve miles of winding trails, and we are surrounded by many more miles of rolling country roads - a distance runner’s dream. Our routes have names such as Island Lake, Big Fish and Lover’s Lane. We do a lot of passive hill training at Saint John’s as hills are essentially unavoidable. Our exceptional indoor and outdoor tracks stand 100 feet from each other. Our six lane, 200-meter indoor facility was resurfaced in 2023. Our scenic outdoor track, named Miles Track after long-time SJU head coach Tim Miles, sits below hillsides and tall trees and is well-sheltered from the wind.
Donald McNeely Spectrum
Saint John’s Abbey Arboretum Trails
Local Road “Lover’s Lane”
Miles Track
Saint John’s Campus
SCHOLARSHIP FEATURE
Scholarships help Deutschman thrive at SJU
It was one of his high school coaches who first put Saint John’s University on Jacob Deutschman’s radar.
persevered. He had a very good spring for us, and we hope that he can carry that into the coming season”.
Ben Sieben – an All-MIAC standout at wide receiver for the Johnnies in the late 1990s – is now an assistant coach at Anoka High School where Deutschman was the starting quarterback before graduating in 2022.
“I didn’t know much about Saint John’s before that,” Deutschman said. “But (Sieben) went here and he talked to me about it. So I took a visit and I really enjoyed the campus. When I discovered more about the quality of education that’s offered here, I knew this was where I wanted to be.”
And it was scholarships that helped make that possible. Deutschman – an exercise and health science major who will be a junior this fall – currently receives the Agee Family Scholarship, as well as an academic achievement scholarship.
“It takes away so much stress when you know you have scholarships in place to help make everything work financially,” said Deutschman, who hopes to one day pursue a chiropractic career. “It allows you to focus your energy on academic success.”
Deutschman is doing just that while continuing as a member of the SJU football team.
“Jacob is a testament to the kind of young men that we have here at Saint John’s,” Johnnies head coach Gary Fasching said. “As a member of our football team, Jacob has battled through a couple of injuries but has
Deutschman is the oldest in a family of four children – two of whom are cousins whom his parents Brent and Sarah adopted after his aunt died of cancer and his uncle died of complications from ALS within a month of one another in 2016.
“That was a really rough moment to go through as a family,” he recalls. “My cousins lost their mother and father and we lost an aunt and uncle. It was hard, but we got through it, and it drew us even closer together.
“We’re a very tight-knit family.”
Those close familial ties are part of why he values so deeply the sense of community he’s found at SJU and the College of Saint Benedict.
“If I hadn’t been able to come here, I would have missed out on the bonding experiences I’ve had with my classmates, as well as the oneon-one relationships I’ve formed with my professors and coaches,” he said. “I’ve made such great friends during my time here. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”
Which is why he’s so appreciative of the assistance scholarships have provided, and so grateful to the donors who’ve helped make that possible.
“I want to say thank you for giving me this opportunity,” he said. “It’s meant so much to me to be here.”
Joe Gathje
Bloomington
Jefferson High School
What is your funniest memory from cross country at SJU?
Watching the one-act plays at the end of season banquet.
A.J. Skinner
Rogers High School
What is your best memory of your time here?
Carpooling to the (Division III) national meet in Michigan my sophomore year with a bunch of the guys. The course was covered in snow which was awesome, and we got to see our teammate Lloyd Young take home AllAmerican honors.
Ethan Leonard
Chaska High School
What is your major and why did you choose it?
Accounting. I enjoyed taking business classes throughout high school.
Sam Rabaey
Hastings High School
What is your favorite spot on campus and why?
A set of benches on the chapel trail. It’s just a great view.
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT
Dylan
Bartness
Robbinsdale
Armstrong High School
What is your best memory of your time here?
Traveling to Washington D.C. for a cross country meet my junior year. It became a lasting memory, not just for the difficult race that was filled with rain and mud (yet also very fun), but for being able to spend a couple days in D.C. with the team.
Eamon
Cavanaugh
Oak Park and River Forest (Illinois) High School
What is your favorite song/singer?
My favorite song is “Midnight in Harlem” by the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Derek Trucks, in my humble opinion, is the most talented man to ever touch a guitar.
Nathan
Courchane
Park Center High School
What is your favorite spot on campus and why?
The sand volleyball courts because I love playing volleyball with my friends.
Liam Sheeley
Holy Angels High School
What made you decide to come to Saint John’s?
I liked the campus and it provided me an opportunity to continue running.
Aidan Thomas
Totino-Grace High School
What is your best memory of your time here?
Laying on the raft on Lake Sag (Sagatagan) with my teammates after runs.
A.J. Karn
Wayzata High School
What made you decide to come to Saint John’s?
I was looking for a good business school that had different options for majors since I was unsure of what I wanted to study. I also liked the idea of smaller class sizes, as well as the opportunity to continue to participate in Nordic skiing.
GROWING COMPANIES ENHANCING COMMUNITIES
Granite Partners is a private investment and long-term holding company founded in 2002 in St. Cloud, Minnesota, with a mission to grow companies and create value for all stakeholders. We advance a culture of trust, innovation, and excellence as essential to 100-year sustainability, and we aspire to world-class wellbeing for everyone in the Granite community.
Jim Smith (inducted 2018)
The winningest collegiate basketball coach on any level in Minnesota, Jim Smith coached the sport at SJU for 51 seasons, retiring after the 2014-15 season with 786-556 career record (.586).
But he also served in many other roles in the athletic department over the years, including as the Johnnies’ head cross country coach from 1965-73.
In that capacity, he led SJU to fivestraight MIAC titles from 1968-72.
John Cragg ’71 (inducted 2019) John Cragg finished his collegiate career as a three-time All-American in cross country and twice earned All-American honors in track and field.
He finished second in the nation in cross country as a sophomore and junior in 1969 and ‘70. Meanwhile, his time of 28:52.31 at six miles in track and field – recorded in 1970 - converts to a faster time in the 10,000 meters than any Johnnie runner has yet been able to achieve at that distance.
With Cragg leading the way, the Johnnies dethroned longtime conference power Macalester atop the MIAC in men’s cross country.
From 1956-67, the Scots won 11 of 12
J-CLUB HALL OF HONOR
conference championships. But Saint John’s won the title in 1968 – when Cragg was a sophomore – marking the first of five in a row.
Jim Gathje ’86 (inducted 2021) Jim Gathje had a standout collegiate career on both the trail and track. He finished in the top 10 at the MIAC meet in cross country twice, including a championship as a senior in the fall of 1985 – the same season in which he finished 19th at the Division III national meet.
But it was in track and field that he made his biggest impact, specifically in the steeplechase – an event that blends distance running, hurdling and water jumps.
That mixture proved uniquely suited to Gathje’s skill set. He finished in the top eight at the Division III national outdoor meet all four years during his time with the Johnnies, winning back-to-back national titles in 1985 and ‘86. His best time in the event - 8:39.80 in 1985remains both a school and Division III record today.
Chris Erichsen ’08 (inducted 2023) Chris Erichsen is one of the most decorated cross country and track and field athletes in SJU history.
He finished third in the 800 at the MIAC indoor meet and third in the 1,500 at the MIAC outdoor meet as a freshman in 2005. And he was just getting started.
As a sophomore, he won conference titles in the mile (indoors) and 1,500 (outdoors) while finishing second in the 800 (indoors). As a junior, he placed sixth at the MIAC cross country championships, then placed first in the
Chris Erichsen and ’06 team after 5th place finish at Nationals
1,500 and 5,000 (outdoors) and second in the mile (indoors) in track.
He finished fourth in the 5,000 at both the NCAA Division III indoor and outdoor national meet and finished second in the 3,000 steeplechase – an event he he’d just taken up that season. Erichsen then finished second in the event as a senior in 2008 – capping a final year that saw him win the MIAC title in cross country and finish third nationally, then add conference track titles in the steeplechase, 1,500 (outdoors), mile (indoors) and 5,000 (indoors and outdoors). He also finished second in the 800 (indoors) and the 10,000 (outdoors).
He placed sixth in the 5,000 at the Division III national indoor meet and second in the 5,000 outdoors.
His competitive drive didn’t dissipate when he graduated from SJU. Erichsen continued to pursue competitive distance running, qualifying for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in the marathon where he finished 40th out of the 85 top runners in the nation.
Chuck Ceronsky ’70 (inducted 2024) Though transfer rules kept Chuck Ceronsky from competing in cross
J-CLUB HALL OF HONOR
country as a sophomore in the fall of 1967, he began forming the core of a talented group of distance runners that also included future multi-time All-American John Cragg (who finished second to Ceronsky in the mile at the 1966 Catholic state meet while running for Cretin) and multi-time All-MIAC performers like Jeff Brain and Joe Skaja (also an All-American in cross country in 1971).
When the MIAC meet was held in Collegeville during the 1968 season, Ceronsky finished first overall and the Johnnies came away as team champions – ending Macalester’s dynastic run of six-straight titles and 11 of the past 12.
It was the first of five-straight conference crowns for SJU, including during Ceronsky’s senior season in 1969 when he finished second behind only Cragg, who won the first of his back-to-back individual titles that year.
Ceronsky also had success in trackand-field, including in the steeplechase. That was the event in which he earned All-American honors twice as a senior – first at the NAIA national meet in Billings, Montana where he finished second overall, behind only Larbi Oukada of Fort Hays (Kansas) State who had already competed for Morocco in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. He then finished third at the NCAA college division meet held at Macalester in St. Paul.
He went on to serve as an assistant coach to Jim Smith in cross country and track-and-field as he pursued his master’s degree in theology.
Tim Miles ’76 (inducted 2024) Tim Miles coached the SJU track and field team for 36 seasons (1980-2015) and led the Johnnies to five MIAC outdoor titles. He remained as head cross country coach for 44 seasons, stepping
down after the 2022 campaign. He led his teams to nine conference titles in that sport and 22 berths in the NCAA Division III national meet.
He was named MIAC track and field coach of the year four times (2004, ’05, ’07, ’11) and conference cross country coach of the year on three occasions (1997, 2006 and ’07). His athletes earned All-American honors 18 times in cross country and 61 times in track and field.
As a runner at SJU, he earned All-MIAC honors in cross country and was the conference six-mile champion in track and field as a senior in 1976 – the same year he finished as runner-up in the steeplechase.
