Laura (Carrow) Wurster was at it again Monday morning… outside, searching for medals.
Certainly the 2018 Water Tower Festival Medallion that Wurster and her children Colby, Candace and Emery, ages six, four and two, were hunting for is quite different from the medals she’s known for collecting as a harrier and track & field athlete at Pipestone-Jasper High School and Dakota State University in Madison, S.D.
And the family trophy case might not be able to accommodate the locally coveted prize, anyway, as the highly decorated runner recently added to her collection with an induction into DSU’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
During the June 2 ceremony in Madison, DSU also recognized a handful of Wurster’s teammates, including Edgerton’s Shaun Fransen, as well as the 1997 Women’s Cross Country team.
“And that’s what I remember the most, the people, my teammates,” Wurster said. “I don’t remember a lot of the details around the meets and events, we just had fun. I’ve never been a numbers person, couldn’t tell you the times I posted, it was all about having fun and getting to know everybody.”
Although Wurster opted to embrace the social aspect of running cross country and track, it was her finish at the 2001 Dakota Athletic Conference-10 (DAC-10) cross country meet that slightly altered her mindset.
“In high school and, really, my first couple years of college I was just… average,” said the daughter of Greg and Connie Carrow. “My junior year of cross country I finished last in the conference. I guess I wasn’t mentally where I needed to be to move to the next level.
“I decided that day that next year would be different. Later that same day I went to the gym and worked out. I didn’t expect to be a superstar; I just wanted to be better. Nobody wants to get last, and I remember telling my dad and my coach, ‘it’s going to be different this (coming) year.’”
And it was.
Wurster claimed an individual title at the 2002 DAC-10/NAIA Region III cross country meet in Valley City, N.D., received All-Conference, Most Valuable Runner and Most Outstanding Senior awards from the DAC-10, as well as being named to the NAIA All-Region III Women’s Cross Country squad.
Having qualified for the NAIA Women’s Cross Country National Championships in Kenosha, Wis., as a result of her earlier triumphs, Wurster went elbow-to-elbow with the finest harriers in the country – placing 11th out of 238 harriers, which earned her an NAIA All-American honor.
From trail to track Wurster didn’t skip a beat, winning the 2002 DAC-10 Indoor Track 3,000-meter run that not only earned her an all-conference selection, but also qualified her for the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Nationals. Wurster’s time of 19 minutes, 7.12 seconds in the 5,000-meter event placed her 16th in the nation.
Wurster had little to no respite following the indoor season, and her time of 38 minutes, 54.7 seconds in the 10,000 meters at the Sioux City Relays set a school record in the event that remains intact. Her outdoor marks in the 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters, 4×800 and sprint medley relays places Wurster in the ‘Top-10’ all-time as do her outdoor times in the mile run, 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters, 4×800 and distance medley relays – garnering the well-decorated athlete DSU’s Most Outstanding Female Athlete award in 2002.
“The next year I won, and it just shows you that you can do anything,” said Wurster, who also earned an Academic All-American award (2002) for her hard work in the classroom.
And in raising her children with husband Eric, Wurster continues to be passionate about being active – regardless of the sport.
“I think it’s important to try things,” said Wurster whose parents and sister Hollie are avid runners. “We’re lucky in this town because we have so many programs for kids to try things out. The (Ewert) Rec Center does an excellent job. There are options here.
“If, maybe, like me, you don’t like ball sports, you can give the track program a try or enter the kids’ run we put on for the Water Tower Festival. The goal is to try to get kids to realize they can do anything… do sports, run, play ball or whatever they want to do. I’m a really big advocate for kids being in sports, I think it’s so important.”
And though she continues to race, ‘a 5K now and again,’ Wurster’s emphasis regarding running has shifted to that of organizer.
“I enjoy putting them (races) on almost more… seeing people start with it, get into it,” said Wurster, who has competed in triathlons, marathons, half-marathons and hundreds of 5K and 10K runs. “It’s about being involved and active for their health and fitness and… fun.
“I kind of started that way, in the Hershey’s track & field program, and I did other summer programs with Shaun who was also inducted.”
Wurster’s pal from neighboring Edgerton was an immediate hit as a Trojan. Fransen opened his freshman season (1998) with two South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference titles in the 4×200 and 4×400-meter relays and qualified for the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships where he, Ryan Raak, Jake Kamps and Lucas Adams set a new school record in the 4×400-meter relay in a time of 3:22.23.
A three-time NAIA All-American award winner (indoors and outdoors), Fransen excelled individually as well as in the relays with the Trojans – placing third nationally in the 600 meters while racing with DSU’s 4×800-meter relay team at the same indoor competition. Outdoors, the 2003 DSU grad proved an equally effective weapon for the Trojans, joining Cory Lunn, Paul Saville and John Ecklein to place fourth in the 4×800-meter relay at nationals in a school record time of 7:34.88.
Fransen went on to earn numerous accolades as an upperclassman and finished his amazing collegiate career with six SDIC All-Conference and three NAIA All-American honors. Fransen continues to hold the school’s top mark at 600 meters as well as in the sprint medley relay (outdoors) with Raak, Kamps and Ecklein.