2026 All-Minnesota Boys Cross-Country Runner of the Year: Erik Semling

2026 All-Minnesota Boys Cross-Country Runner of the Year: Erik Semling As a junior, Winona Cotter’s Erik Semling became the first Minnesota boy to win three individual cross-country state championships. Comment Gift Share By Joe Christensen The Minnesota Star Tribune November 12, 2026 at 5:30 AM For about 15 minutes this past Saturday, Winona Cotter junior Erik Semling seemed like the mayor of Ham Lake. Several runners at Minnesota’s high school cross- country state meet crossed the finish line and found Semling, who was busy tracking Cotter’s chances of winning the team championship. “Erik, that was my last chance to beat you!” one runner blurted. “You’re a heck of an athlete.” Semling breezed to the Class 1A title at Ham Lake’s Majestic Oaks Golf Club , becoming the state’s first boys runner to win three individual cross-country state titles. His continued dominance earned him the 2026 Strib Varsity All-Minnesota Boys Cross-Country Runner of the Year award. Semling entered the meet with the state’s best seed time, 25 seconds faster than anyone in all three classes. His time of 15:16.2 at state wasn’t the fastest, as Class 3A champion Luke Bakken from Eastview posted a 15:06.9. But Semling trained to peak this coming Sunday at Nike Cross Regionals (NXR) in Sioux Falls, S.D. “This [state meet] is not necessarily the hardest race for me,” Semling said. “Next week it will be at NXR. So this one, enjoy it a little bit because next week I’ve got to be extremely focused.” ADVERTISEMENT advertisement Cotter teammate Ryan Littlefield finished second in the Class 1A race, 21 seconds behind Semling, helping the Ramblers win their first boys team title — by one point over Sibley East. “People can see [Semling’s] success and how hard he trains, as well as me,” Littlefield said. “And they can see what results happen when you work this hard.” Semling has a chance to win a fourth individual title next year. He could have tried for five, as he held the lead in 2022 as an eighth grader before fading to sixth place. Recent Coverage Meet Evie Malec, Strib Varsity's All-Minnesota Girls Cross-Country Runner of the Year Girls Cross Country Bakken's bolt to finish is best highlight of the week Boys Cross Country State quarterfinals: Champlin Park in Class 4A, Stewartville in 3A advance to semifinals after five-set thrillers Girls Volleyball Read the recap: High school football Q&A with Jim Paulsen Football “I wanted to win as an eighth grader,” Semling said. “I know it may not sound like the most humble thing, but after that, if I didn’t win, it would be very disappointing.” He comes from a family of runners. His sister, Sonja, finished third for Cotter at the 2024 state meet. Their father, Brian, was a two-time state champion in high school in Wisconsin. Erik Semling has a future as a college runner, but he’s not sure where yet. advertisement “I’m not 100 percent sure yet because I’m getting so much better that it’s kind of not necessarily worth it to look too early,” he said. Share Comment About the Author Joe Christensen Strib Varsity Enterprise Reporter Joe Christensen is our Strib Varsity Enterprise Reporter and moved into this position after several years as an editor. Joe graduated from the University of Minnesota and spent 15 years covering Major League Baseball, including stops at the Riverside Press-Enterprise and Baltimore Sun. He joined the Minnesota Star Tribune in 2005. See More advertisement advertisement More From Strib Varsity 2026 All-Minnesota Girls Cross-Country Runner of the Year: Evie Malec Girls Cross Country Luke Bakken’s championship kick is best sports highlight Boys Cross Country State quarterfinals: Champlin Park in Class 4A, Stewartville in 3A advance to semifinals after five-set thrillers Girls Volleyball Read the recap: High school football Q&A with Jim Paulsen Football advertisement advertisement