Bismarck, ND -
It's no secret who the best high school male distance runner is in North Dakota.
Jake Leingang has been breaking records in not just track but cross country in the last several years.
Darrell Anderson-BHS Head Coach: When his career is done he's going to be the best distance runner ever for Bismarck High.
Tia Streeter-KX Sports: That's high praise, from a school that's known for producing incredible runners. Jake Leingang is just a junior and already he has 6 state individual track titles, and he's two cross country titles. He's the only runner to ever run a sub 9 minute 2 mile in North Dakota, his 8:51 at the Arcadia Invitational shattered the all time state record of 9:03.
Jake Leingang-BHS Junior Distance Runner: That was my big goal for this year was to go out there and break 9, I didn't expect to do it so early I just wanted to go down there I knew it would be a great time because those guys were really good andI didn't expect it to happen.
Darrell Anderson-BHS Head Coach: One of the most remarkable things about Jake is he doesn't get rattled running in a group, he actually accepts that he needs people to run a great time so he's very comfortable running in a group he's got incredible race savvy for a kid of his age
Tia Streeter-KX Sports: Leingang is known throughout North Dakota already, but he's becoming just as popular on the national scene. He runs multiple meets outside the state challenging the best competition in the country. Last summer he finished 7th in the country in the 2 mile at the High School national meet, next week he's going back, hoping for more.
Jake Leingang-BHS Junior Distance Runner: It means a lot to go down there and compete with the best in the nation and see what I've got and go down there and see what I've got.
Darrell Anderson-BHS Head Coach: It teaches them a lot that they can be competitive and affective no matter where in the United States they belong there. They should feel comfortable there and that they can compete it shows that they can
Tia Streeter: Leingang seems to have the running world in the palm of his hands.
Darrell Anderson-BHS Head Coach: I think that his goal is to be a national champion and I don't think that's crazy talk. He's close. He's run several national meets the last couple years, he's finished 3rd he's finished 4th and 7th. He's had a taste of it.
Leingang runs next week at the New Balance National High School Meet.
He runs Thursday and Saturday, he'll be running the 5 thousand and the one mile.
There are also several Century boys runners going to the meet as well, we'll have more with them next week.
