The Les Duke Invite, A Midwestern Tradition
Named for former cross country and track coach G. Lester Duke, the meet has developed into a top Liberal Arts college competition. Spectators are allowed on the course. The course is marked with small marker flags every 2 meters on both sides of the course. Three stories of scaffolding mark the finish-line area. Timing is fully computerized and results are available to athletes and coaches within minutes of the finish of the race. Commemorative T-shirts are awarded to the top 30 finishers in each race.
Past Women's Team Champions
1974 Central College
1975 Grinnell College
1976 Central College
1977 Central College
1978 Central College
1979 Central College
1980 Central College
1981 Central College
1982 Central College
1983 Luther College
1984 Luther College
1985 Central College
1986 Simpson College
1987 Carleton College
1988 Simpson College
1989 Carleton College
1990 Simpson College
1991 Carleton College
1992 Wartburg College
1993 Wartburg College
1994 St. Olaf College
1995 Washington University
1996 Washington University
1997 Carleton College
1998 Wartburg College
1999 Wartburg College
2000 Wartburg College
2001 Luther College
2002 Carleton College
2003 Gustavus Adolphus
2004 Carleton College
2005 Grinnell College
2006 Grinnell College
2007 tie-Grinnell College and Morningside College
2008 Wartburg College
2009 Truman State
2010 Luther College
2011 St. Olaf College
2012 Wartburg College
2013 Wartburg College
2014 Carleton College
2015 Cornell College
2016 Wartburg College
2017 Wartburg College
2018 Grinnell College
2019 Truman State University
2021 Wartburg College
2022 Central College
2023 Central College
2024 Central College
Most Women's Team Wins
Central 12
Wartburg 11
Carleton 7
Grinnell 5
Luther 4
Simpson 3
St. Olaf 2
Washington U. 2
Truman State 2
Gustavus Adolphus 1
Morningside 1
Cornell 1
Women's Individual Champions
| Year |
Runner |
Team |
Time |
Distance |
| 1986 |
D. Smith |
Wartburg College |
18:35 |
5000 m |
| 1987 |
A. Rinn |
Midland Lutheran |
18:06 |
5000 m |
| 1988 |
A. Prineas |
Carleton College |
17:28 |
5000 m |
| 1989 |
A. Anderson |
Midland Lutheran |
18:05 |
5000 m |
| 1990 |
S. Cross |
Simpson |
18:43 |
5000 m |
| 1991 |
A. Anderson |
Midland Lutheran |
18:18 |
5000 m |
| 1992 |
S. Edmonds |
Gustavus Adolphus |
18:05 |
5000 m |
| 1993 |
A. Elmore |
Hope College |
18:18 |
5000 m |
| 1994 |
R. Olson |
Wartburg College |
18:42 |
5000 m |
| 1995 |
K. Healy |
Midland Lutheran |
18:35 |
5000 m |
| 1996 |
E. Richard |
Washington University |
17:19 |
3 miles |
| 1997 |
E. Richard |
Washington University |
18:25 |
5000 m |
| 1998 |
K. Wells |
UW-Platteville |
19:13 |
5000 m |
| 1999 |
E. Vanzee |
Wartburg College |
18:43 |
5000 m |
| 2000 |
E. Vanzee |
Wartburg College |
18:39 |
5000 m |
| 2001 |
J. Olson |
Luther College |
17:23* |
5000 m |
| 2002 |
L. Bloedorn |
Carleton College |
22:37 |
6000 m |
| 2003 |
Nicole Petersen |
Gustavus Adolphus |
23:15 |
6000 m |
| 2004 |
Nicole Petersen |
Gustavus Adolphus |
23:14 |
6000 m |
| 2005 |
Sarah Spencer |
Grinnell College |
23:13 |
6000 m |
| 2006 |
Sarah Spencer |
Grinnell College |
22:20 |
6000 m |
| 2007 |
Sarah Spencer |
Grinnell College |
22:22 |
6000 m |
| 2008 |
Marie Borner |
Bethel College |
22:08 |
6000 m |
| 2009 |
Marie Borner |
Bethel College |
21:53 |
6000 m |
| 2010 |
Lori Tlach |
Wartburg College |
22:05 |
6000 m |
| 2011 |
Emma Lee |
St. Olaf College |
22:28 |
6000 m |
| 2012Â Â Â |
Alaina Enabnit   |
Wartburg College |
21:29 |
6000 m |
| 2013 |
Sammi Bruett |
Wartburg College |
22:03 |
6000 m |
| 2014 |
Colette Celichowski    |
Carleton College |
22:07 |
6000 m |
| 2015 |
Abrah Masterson |
Cornell College |
21:28* |
6000 m |
| 2016 |
Abrah Masterson    |
Cornell College |
23:22 |
6000 m |
| 2017Â Â Â Â Â Â Â |
Ashlyn Bagge |
Wartburg College |
21:29 |
6000 m |
| 2018 |
Marissa Kuik    |
Waldorf College    |
23:09 |
6000 m |
| 2019 |
Kat Stai |
Coe College |
23:37 |
6000 m |
| 2021 |
Riley Mayer |
Wartburg College |
22:26 |
6000 m |
| 2022 |
Caroline McMartin |
Central College |
22:53 |
6000 m |
| 2023 |
Caroline McMartin |
Central College |
22:21 |
6000 m |
| 2024Â Â Â Â |
Peyton Steffen |
Central College |
22:18 |
6000 m |
|
*-Meet Record |
|
|
|
Past Men's Team Champions
1962 Grinnell College
1963 Grinnell College
1964 Grinnell College
1965 Luther College
1966 Loras College
1967 Carleton College
1968 Loras College
1969 Wartburg College
1970 Augustana College
1971 Luther College
1972 Loras College
1973 Augustana College
1974 Luther College
1975 Augustana College
1976 Luther College
1977 Luther College
1978 Luther College
1979 Augustana College
1980 Luther College
1981 Luther College
1982 Luther College
1983 Park College
1984 Simpson College
1985 Simpson College
1986 Simpson College
1987 Simpson College
1988 Luther College
1989 Carleton College
1990 St. Thomas
1991 Augustana College
1992 Carleton College
1993 North Central College
1994 Carleton College
1995 Carleton College
1996 Washington University
1997 Washington University
1998 Wartburg College
1999 UW-Oshkosh
2000 Wartburg College
2001 Carleton College
2002 Carleton College
2003 Grinnell College
2004 UW-Stevens Point
2005 Wartburg College
2006 Wartburg College
2007 Carleton College
2008 Iowa Central CC
2009 Truman State
2010 Grinnell College
2011 Grinnell College
2012 Central College
2013 Carleton College
2014 Wartburg College
2015 Wartburg College
2016 Wartburg College
2017 Wartburg College
2018 Central College
2019 Central College
2021 Wartburg College
2022 Wartburg College
2023 Central College
2024 Central College
Most Men's Team Wins
Wartburg 11
Luther 10
Carleton 9
Grinnell 6
Augustana 5
Central 5
Simpson 4
Loras 3
Washington U. 2
Iowa Central CC 1
North Central 1
Park 1
St. Thomas 1
Truman State 1
UW-Oshkosh 1
UW-Stevens Point 1
Men's Individual Champions
| Year |
Runner |
Team |
Time |
Distance |
| 1986 |
D. Smith |
Wartburg College |
26:51 |
5 miles |
| 1987 |
A. Rinn |
Midland Lutheran |
26:01 |
5 miles |
| 1988 |
Budlong |
Luther College |
25:58* |
5 miles |
| 1989 |
T. Every |
Cornell College |
26:04 |
5 miles |
| 1990 |
B. Cisler |
North Central |
26:15 |
8000 m |
| 1991 |
A. Stang |
Cornell College |
26:00 |
8000 m |
| 1992 |
D. Schisler |
Monmouth College |
26:02 |
8000 m |
| 1993 |
D. Meyer |
North Central |
25:11 |
8000 m |
| 1994 |
A. Bati |
Augustana College |
26:43 |
8000 m |
| 1995 |
M. Chance |
Simpson College |
25:29 |
8000 m |
| 1996 |
A. Bati |
Augustana College |
24:48 |
8000 m |
| 1997 |
T. Small |
Washington University |
26:44 |
8000 m |
| 1998 |
T. J. Craig |
Wartburg College |
27:29 |
8000 m |
| 1999 |
J. Aerni |
Grinnell College |
26:17 |
8000 m |
| 2000 |
J. Aerni |
Grinnell College |
25:15 |
8000 m |
| 2001 |
A. Booth |
Grinnell College |
26:05 |
8000 m |
| 2002 |
A. Booth |
Grinnell College |
25:11 |
8000 m |
| 2003 |
A. Booth |
Grinnell College |
25:44 |
8000 m |
| 2004 |
M. Lalonde |
UW-Stevens Piont |
25:15 |
8000 m |
| 2005 |
B. Deng |
Iowa Central CC |
25:54 |
8000 m |
| 2006 |
D. Ballew |
Grinnell College |
25:49 |
8000 m |
| 2007 |
Eric Osterhaus |
Simpson College |
26:34 |
8000 m |
| 2008 |
Stephen Dak |
Iowa Central CC |
25:34 |
8000 m |
| 2009 |
Dan Greeno |
Bethel College |
25:17 |
8000 m |
| 2010 |
Ben Sathre |
St. Thomas |
25:37 |
8000 m |
| 2011 |
Drew Clark |
Principia |
26:25 |
8000 m |
| 2012 |
Matt Berens |
Bethel College |
25:33 |
8000 m |
| 2013 |
Matt Berens |
Bethel College |
24:32* |
8000 m |
| 2014 |
Zach Baker |
U. of Iowa T-F Club |
24:50 |
8000 m |
| 2015 |
Adam Dalton        |
Grinnell College |
25:48 |
8000 m |
| 2016 |
Wal Khat |
North Iowa Area CC |
26:55 |
8000 m |
| 2017Â Â Â Â |
Alec Bass |
U. of Dubuque |
24:55 |
8000 m |
| 2018 |
Marcus Graham |
Indian Hills CC |
25:30 |
8000 m |
| 2019Â Â Â Â |
Daniel Sunvold |
Central College |
26:50 |
8000 m |
| 2021 |
Christopher Collet |
Wartburg College |
25:31 |
8000 m |
| 2022 |
Aaron Davidson |
Cornell College |
25:36 |
8000 m |
| 2023 |
Spencer Moon |
Simpson College |
25:20 |
8000 m |
| 2024 |
Jack Brown |
Central College |
25:58 |
8000 m |
|
*-Meet Record |
|
|
|
