Throwback Thursday: Winona's 'ineligible' state cross country champion

Throwback Thursday: Winona's 'ineligible' state cross country champion
Scott Morken MSHSL cross country 1987

In 1987, Scott Morken won the boys race at the MSHSL state cross country meet. But he was not declared the champion. 

For #WinhawkTBT, we will take a look back at Scott Morken, the first Winona state champion in cross country. Now, the MSHSL record books will tell you that Craig Greenslit of Hastings was the winner. But real Winhawks know better. 

On Nov. 7, 1987, Morken was the first finisher in the boys race, crossing the line in 15:58.1, well ahead of Greenslit’s 16:03.3. But according to MSHSL rules at the time, Greenslit was declared the champion.

Why? Because Morken didn’t qualify as an individual. 

At the time, runners needed to qualify separately as an individual at the region meet by placing in the top five. Although Morken qualified along with the rest of the Winhawks for the team competition — Winona was undefeated that year and won the team state championship — he finished seventh and didn’t qualify as an individual. 

“This was probably the best race of my life and I am still a loser,” Morken told the Daily News after the race.

Morken was the first ineligible runner to “win” a race at the state meet since that particular qualifying system was implemented in the mid 1970s, according to the Star Tribune. 

“I didn’t win,” Greenslit told the Star Tribune. “I should give (Morken) the medal.”

Greenslit still believes that to this day. He was quoted in a September 2019 article on MileSplit that he would like to give Morken the medal. The rules have since been changed so that anyone who qualifies along with their team is eligible to win the individual title. 

Although MSHSL records say that Greenslit is the winner, there is an asterisk — to be accurate, a plus sign — next to his name with a footnote to say that Morken had a faster time. Winona’s history books leave little doubt as to who was the state champion in 1987. They proudly list Scott Morken as the program’s first state champion. 
 

1987 cross country team

The 1987 Winona cross country team won the state championship. Back row: Coach Jim Flim, Scott Morken, Hans Johnson, Ed Pelowski, Brandon Fraute, Brad Kazarowski, Brian Hienz, John Bently, Tony Fitzgerald, Chris Couphlin. Third row: Matt Anderson, Frank Bures, Vinni Colepeatro, Steve Briggs, Martin Anderson, Sean Hammernik, Brian Muras, Joey Hoilmen, Pete Borgen. Second row: Aran Johnson, Rick Mueler, Will Slade, Andy Speltz, John Lund, Ben Nagel, Josh Larson, Sean Haffel, Travis Roddle. First row: Jamie Kimber, Charlie Schriber, Randy Ebertowski, Dean Barek, Jay Klagge, Byron Adamczek, Sather Ekblad, Steve Fox, Pat Lyons, Phil Dayland.