Upcoming Event: Men's Cross Country at Griak Invitational on September 19, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.
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10:00 a.m.
Men's Cross Country
at Griak Invitational
South Dakota State University Athletics
2021 Men's Cross Country Roster
Select an option
Ben Olson
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Coon Rapids, Minn.
- High School:
- Blaine H.S.
- Pronunciation:
- Jr.
Bio
CAREER RESULTS
2022-23:
CROSS COUNTRY: Competed in 6 races…Won the Summit League Championships in a time of 22:56.1 for 7700 meters…It was his third all-league honor and helped the team to their 7th consecutive championship…He earned all-Midwest Region honors with a 19th place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional in a time of 29:59.7 for 10,000 meters…His best 8k was his 22nd place finish at the Weis Crockett Invite at Oklahoma State running 24:05.0…He won the Augustana Twilight in a time of 19:08.3 for 4 miles…He was named Summit League Athlete of the Week three times and he became the seventh Jackrabbit to be named Summit League Athlete of the Year.
2021-22:
Academic Honors--Summit League All Academic Cross Country, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field
OUTDOOR: Set a personal best in the 5,000 meters at the Raleigh Relays with a time of 14:09.24. He ran 29:19.84 at the Mt. Sac Relays to lower his personal best in that event. He won the 1500 at the Kip Janvrin Open with a time of 3:50.70. He won the 5k and 10k at the league championships and he also finished 5th in the 1500 with a personal best of 3:49. He was name the track mvp of the league championship.
INDOOR: Named Summit League Track Athlete of the Year after he won the mile and 3k and finished 2nd in the 5000 meters at the league championship leading the team to the league title. He set a school record in the 3000 meters at the Husker Invite with a time of 8:04.17. He won the mile at the SDSU Classic in 4:06.07. His season best in the 5,000 meters was at the league meet with a time of 14:12.41. He was also named track mvp at the league championships.
CROSS COUNTRY: Finished 2nd at the Summit League Championships with a time of 24:38.3 helping the team win their 6th straight league title. Finished 37th at the NCAA Regional Meet covering the 10,000 meter race in 31:22.2. He won the SDSU Classic in 24:59.8 and he was named the Summit League athlete of the week for his efforts. Â
2020-21:
OUTDOOR: Appeared in four meets participating in the 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 meters...claimed all-conference accolades in both the 5,000 meters (14:36.68) and 10,000 meters (30.28.44)...claimed ninth overall at the
Joe Walker Invitational in the 5,000 meters with a personal best time of 14:13.97, beating his previous best by 1:02.00...the 5,000 meter time vaulted Olson into 10th all-time in the record books...turned in a fifth place finish in the 10,000 meters at the Drake Relays with another personal best time of 29:43.87...the 10,000 meter time slots Olson eighth fastest in Jackrabbit history...added a fourth overall in the 1,500 meters at the Blue Oval Invitational with a nearly 15-second improvement to his new PR of 3:51.25.
 INDOOR: Competed in three meets participating in the mile, 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters...notched a fourth overall effort in the 5,000 meters at the Summit League Indoor Championships with a personal best time of 14:40.89...also came away with fifth in the 3,000 meters at the indoor championships in another personal best time of 8:20.13.
CROSS COUNTRY: Brought fourth place home at the Summit League Championships with a respectable 8K time of 25:05.30.
2019-20:
OUTDOOR: Season canceled
INDOOR: Redshirt
CROSS COUNTRY: Opened the season with a strong second place finish at the Bison Open 6k in a time of 18:24.8... ran a personal best 8k time of 25:35.9 on a muddy course at the SDSU Classic (9/13)... ran an 8k of 25:37.0 at the Pre-National Meet in Terre Haute, Ind.
2018-19:
OUTDOOR: Competed in two meets, ran a personal best of 4:02.07 for 1500 meters at the USD Challenge (4/6) and a personal best of 15:15.17 for 5000 meters at the ORU Invite after running the 1500 meters on the same day.
INDOOR: He ran a personal best 3000 meters at the Husker Invitational (2/2) in 8:30.86 and then ran a personal best mile at the SDSU Indoor Classic (2/9) in 4:16.90. He opened the season with a second place finish at the UND Dual in the mile.
CROSS COUNTRY: Competed in 5 meets... had a season best 8k mark of 25:51 at the UND Ron Pynn Invitational (10/13). Finished 7th at the season opening Bison Open 6k.
BEFORE SDSU: Named to the all-state team in cross country (2016, 2017), Nordic skiing (2018), and track and field (2018) ... awarded five all-conference nominations in cross country (2013-17), four all-conference accolades in Nordic skiing (2015-18), and seven-time all-conference in track and field (2015-18) - including a championship in the 5AA Section in the 3,200m (2018) ... led the Nordic skiing team to state for the first time in over 40 years in 2018 ... was a three-time state participant in cross country (2015, 2016, 2017) and Nordic skiing (2016, 2017, 2018) and a two-time track and field state participant (1,600m - 2017; 1,600m, 3,200m - 2018) ... holds the school record in the 1,600m (2018) ... the captain of cross country all four years, 2018 captain for Nordic skiing and track and field team ... holds PR’s of: 1,600m (4:19 in 2018 as a senior), 3,200m (9:31 in 2018 as a senior), 5k (15:58 in 2017 as a senior) ... was a three-sport, six-time academic all-state honoree (2016-2018: cross country, Nordic skiing, and track and field) ... four-time Academic Letter recipient (2015-18) and AP Scholar (2016-18) ... ranked top 10 of his class in 2018 and was awarded the AP-PLTW Recognition Award (2018) ... a member of the National Honor Society (2017, 2018).
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