Poll: Who is the Top Mid-Distance Runner of the Past Decade?


What Is This?

Over the next few weeks MileSplit Minnesota will be rolling out brackets broken down by discipline. Fans can vote for who they think is the top athlete in each discipline. In the end, we will be crowning the top track and field athlete in the state of Minnesota as selected by the fans. This poll is for the best boys mid-distance performer of the past decade.

The Setup

We've selected 16 boys based on their times, performances, and accolades during this past decade and placed them in a bracket of head-to-head matchups where your poll votes on the next page will determine who advances.

Parameters

Athletes included are from the period between 2010 and 2019. Mid-distance is based solely on 400 and 800 times, performances, and accolades.

How This Works

Athletes are seeded 1 through 16 based on times and ranking. After each round, the athlete with the most votes in their matchup will advance to the next round. Voting will begin at 10 a.m. CT for each round of voting, voting will end at 2 p.m. CT for each round. Be sure to spread the word to advance your favorites into the next round!

Each discipline (Distance, Mid-Distance, Hurdlers, Throwers, Sprints, Jumps) will have a winner from the boys and girls bracket. After we are done with all brackets there will be one final bracket with all 12 boys and girls winners, plus the next two highest vote getters (from all rounds) from the boys and girls. These 16 athletes will then compete on separate sides of a bracket all culminating in a boy vs. girl final to determine the champion of champions.

VOTING DATES

Round 1: June 10-13

Round 2: June 14-16

Round 3: June 17-18

Final Round: June 19-20

Matchup 1

Ruby Stauber
School: Wayzata

2016 USATF Junior Nationals 800m 3rd Place, 2016 Brooks PR 800m 3rd Place, 2016 New Balance Indoor Nationals 800m Runner Up, 2015 USATF Junior Nationals 800m 2nd Place, 2014 AAU Junior Olympics 800m Age 15-16 2nd Place, 2x Class AA State Champion 800m (2015-16), 2x Class AA State Finalist 400m (2013). 

PR's: 56.55 400m | 2:03.43 800m (MN State Record) 

VS.

4x Class AA State Champion 4x800m (2012-15), Class AA State Champion 4x400m (2013), 3x Class AA State Finalist 800m (2013-14, 2016), 3x Class AA State Finalist 4x400m (2012-14), 5x Class AA state Qualifier 4x400m (2012-16), 5x Class AA state Qualifier 800m (2012-16).

PR's: 59.15 400m | 2:12.33 800m 

Matchup 2

Honour Finley
School: Bloomington Kennedy

3x Class AA State Champion 400m (2015-17), Class AA State Finalist 400m (2014),4x Section 3AA Champion 400m (2014-17),Ran fastest 400m by MN HS runner (53.96) in 2016 USATF Junior National Outdoor Championships. Fastest Minnesota Girls 400m All Time. 

PR's: 53.96 400m | 2:19.00 800m 

VS.

Chloe Bermel
School: Pequot Lakes

Class A State Champion 400m (2016), 2x Class A State Champion 4x400 (2015, 17), Class A State Finalist 400m (2017), 2x Section 6A Champion 400m (2016-17), 2x Section 6A Champion 4x400 (2015-17).

PR's: 55.67 400m | No 800m time 

Matchup 3

Haylie Zenner
School: Fergus Falls

4x Class AA State Champion (2008-09, 2011-12), Class AA State Runner Up 800m (2010), Class AA State Finalist 4x400m (2011), 2x Class AA State Qualifier 4x400m (2008, 2011).

PR's: 56.94 400m | 2:11.27 800m 

VS.

Kaytlyn Larson
School: Lakeville South

Class AA State Champion 4x400m (2015), Class AA State Runner Up 800m (2015), 2x Class AA State Finalist 800m (2013, 2015), 2x Class AA state Finalist 4x800m (2012, 2015). Third fastest Minnesota 800m All Time. 

PR's: 2:09.87 800m | No 400m time 

Matchup 4

Emily Kompelien
School: Edina

Class AA State Champion 800m (2018), Class AA State Champion 4x800m (2016), Class AA State Finalist 4x400m (2017). Fourth Minnesota All Time 800m. 

PR's: 58.60 400m | 2:10.25 800m

VS.

Elizabeth Endy
School: Minnetonka

3x Class AA State Champion 4x800m (2012-14), Class AA State Champion 800m (2014), Class AA State Champion 4x400m (2013), Class AA State Runner Up 400m (2013), Class AA State Finalist 400m (2012), 4x Class AA State Finalist 4x400m (2011-14), 3x Class AA State Qualifier 400m (2011-13).

PR's: 55.95 400m | 2:11.23 800m

Matchup 5

Robbie Grace
School: Blake School

5x MSHSL State Meet Qualifier in 400m, Class A State Champion 400m (2019), Class A/AA State Finalist 400m (2015-16), 2x Class A State Runner-up 400m (2017-18), Section 5AA Champion 400m (2015), 3x Section 4A Champion 400m (2016, 18-19).

PR's: 55.99 400m | 2:24.08 800m 

VS.

Paige Stratioti
School: Duluth Denfeld

Class AA State Champion 400m (2011), Class AA State Finalist 400m (2009-10), Section 7AA Champion  400m (2011). Fourth Minnesota All Time 400m. 

Matchup 6

Megan Linder
School: Cretin-Derham Hall

2x Class AA State Champion 400m (2012-13), Class AA State Runner-up 400m (2014), Class AA State Finalist 400m (2011), 3x Section 4AA Champion 400m (2011-13). 10th fastest Minnesota Girl All Time 400m. 

PR's: 55.17 400m | 2:25.84 800m (Indoor) 

VS.

Bridgit Sweeney
School: Hopkins

2x Class AA State Champion 4x400m (2010-11), Broke state meet records for 4x200 & 4x400 in consecutive years, 2x Class AA State Runner-up 400m (2010-11), Class AA State Runner-up 4x400m (2009), Class AA State Finalist 400m (2009), 3x Section 6AA Champion 4x400m.

PR's: 55.14 400m | No 800 time

Matchup 7

Samantha Nielsen
School: Roseville Area

Class AA State Champion 800m (2013), Class AA State Champion 4x800m (2010), 2x Class AA State Runner Up 800m (2011-12), Class AA State Finalist 4x400m (2011). 11th Minnesota All Time 800m. 

PR's: 59.29 400m | 2:11.11 800m 

VS.

Kayla Huhnerkoch
School: Redwood Valley

2x Class A State Champion 800m (2011, 2015), Class A State Runner Up 800m (2014), 2x Class A State Finalist 4x400m (2011, 2014), 2x Section 3A 800m Champion. 

PR's: 59.19 400m | 2:13.69 800m 

Matchup 8

Brieasha Hobbs
School: Cretin-Derham Hall

Class AA State Champion 400m (2014), Class AA State Runner-up 400m (2016), 3x Section 4AA Champion 400m (2014-16), 2x Section 4AA Champion 4x400 (2015-16). Sixth fastest Minnesota 400m All Time. 

PR's: 55.08 400m | No 800m time

VS.

Ava Hill
School: Mesabi East

3x Class A State Champion 800m (2017-19), Class A State Runner Up 4x400m (2018), 4x Class A State Finalist 800m (2016-19), 3x Class A State Finalist 4x400m (2017-19), 3x Class A State Qualifier 4x400m (2015, 2017-18).

PR's: 56.89 400m | 2:12.11 800m 

GO TO THE NEXT PAGE TO VOTE ON ALL POLLS...