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. Well over twenty schools assemble each year at the Oakland Acres Golf Course 4 miles West of Grinnell to participate in a truly outstanding competition. With up to 300 runners in each race, "The Duke" is run on a course that has hosted two NCAA Championships and four NCAA Central Regional meets. A spectators' delight, the course is one of excellent footing and has both an inside 1 mile loop and an outside 2 mile loop. 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 Les Duke Women's Team Champions
| 1974 Central College |
1984 Luther College |
1994 St. Olaf College |
| 1975 Grinnell College |
1985 Central College |
1995 Washington Univ. |
| 1976 Central College |
1986 Simpson College |
1996 Washington Univ. |
| 1977 Central College |
1987 Carleton College |
1997 Carleton College |
| 1978 Central College |
1988 Simpson College |
1998 Wartburg College |
| 1979 Central College |
1989 Carleton College |
1999 Wartburg College |
| 1980 Central College |
1990 Simpson College |
2000 Wartburg College |
| 1981 Central College |
1991 Carleton College |
2001 Luther College |
| 1982 Central College |
1992 Wartburg College |
2002 Carleton College |
| 1983 Luther College |
1993 Wartburg 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 |
|
|
Most Team Wins: Women
| Central College |
10 |
| Wartburg College |
6 |
| Grinnell College |
4 |
| Carleton College |
4 |
| Luther College |
4 |
| Simpson College |
3 |
| Washington Univ. |
2 |
| St. Olaf College |
1 |
| Gustavus Adolphus |
1 |
| Morningside College |
1 |
| Truman State |
1 |
Women's Individual Champions
| Year |
Winner |
School |
Time |
Distance |
| 1986 |
Christensen |
Midland Lutheran |
18:35 |
5000m |
| 1987 |
S. Schere |
Carleton |
18:06 |
5000m |
| 1988 |
A. Prineas |
Carleton |
17:28 |
5000m |
| 1989 |
A. Anderson |
Mid. Lutheran |
18:05 |
5000m |
| 1990 |
S. Cross |
Simpson |
18:43 |
5000m |
| 1991 |
A. Anderson |
Mid. Lutheran |
18:18 |
5000m |
| 1992 |
S. Edmonds |
Gus. Adolph. |
18:05 |
5000m |
| 1993 |
A. Elmore |
Hope |
18:18 |
5000m |
| 1994 |
R. Olson |
Wartburg |
18:42 |
5000m |
| 1995 |
K. Healy |
Mid. Lutheran |
18:35 |
5000m |
| 1996 |
E. Richard |
Wash. U. |
17:19 |
3 miles |
| 1997 |
E. Richard |
Wash. U. |
18:25 |
5000m |
| 1998 |
K. Wells |
UW Platteville |
19:13 |
5000m |
| 1999 |
E. Vanzee |
Wartburg |
18:43 |
5000m |
| 2000 |
E. Vanzee |
Wartburg |
18:39 |
5000m |
| 2001 |
J. Olson |
Luther |
17:23 |
5000m |
| 2002 |
L. Bloedorn |
Carleton |
22:37 |
6000m |
| 2003 |
NIcole Petersen |
Gustavus Adolphus |
23:15 |
6000m |
| 2004 |
Nicole Petersen |
Gustavus Adolphus |
23:14 |
6000m |
| 2005 |
Sarah Spencer |
Grinnell College |
23:13 |
6000m |
| 2006 |
Sarah Spencer |
Grinnell College |
22:20 |
6000m |
| 2007 |
Sarah Spencer |
Grinnell College |
22:22 |
6000m |
| 2008 |
Marie Borner |
Bethel College |
22:08 |
6000m |
| 2009 |
Marie Borner |
Bethel College |
21:53 |
6000m |
| 2010 |
Lori Tlach |
Wartburg College |
22:05 |
6000m |
5k Course Record: Johanna Olson, Luther, 17:23 (2001)
6k Course Record: Missy Buttry, Wartburg, 19:28 (2003)
Past Les Duke Men's Team Champions
| 1974 Luther College |
1983 Park College |
1992 Carleton College |
| 1975 Augustana College |
1984 Simpson College |
1993 North Central College |
| 1976 Luther College |
1985 Simpson College |
1994 Carleton College |
| 1977 Luther College |
1986 Simpson College |
1995 Carleton College |
| 1978 Luther College |
1987 Simpson College |
1996 Washington University |
| 1979 Augustana College |
1988 Luther College |
1997 Washington University |
| 1980 Luther College |
1989 Carleton College |
1998 Wartburg College |
| 1981 Luther College |
1990 St. Thomas College |
1999 UW Oshkosh |
| 2000 Wartburg College |
2001 Carleton College |
2002 Carleton |
| 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 |
|
Most Team Wins: Men
| Luther 12 |
Loras 2 |
| Carleton 7 |
Wash. U. 2 |
| Augustana 5 |
North Central 1 |
| Wartburg 5 |
Park 1 |
| Grinnell 5 |
St. Olaf 1 |
| Simpson 3 |
St. Thomas 1 |
| UW Oshkosh 1 |
UW-Stevens Point 1 |
| Iowa Central CC 1 |
Truman State 1 |
| Iowa Central CC 1 |
Men's Individual Champions
| Year |
Winner |
School |
Time |
Distance |
| 1986 |
D. Smith |
Wartburg |
26:51:00 |
5 miles |
| 1987 |
A. Rinn |
Mid. Lutheran |
26:01:00 |
5 miles |
| 1988 |
Budlong |
Luther |
25:58:00 |
5 miles |
| 1989 |
T. Every |
Cornell |
26:04:00 |
5 miles |
| 1990 |
B. Cisler |
N. Central |
26:15:00 |
8000m |
| 1991 |
A. Stang |
Cornell |
26:00:00 |
8000m |
| 1992 |
D. Schisler |
Monmouth |
26:02:00 |
8000m |
| 1993 |
D. Meyer |
N. Central |
25:11:00 |
8000m |
| 1994 |
A. Bati |
Augustana |
26:43:00 |
8000m |
| 1995 |
M. Chance |
Simpson |
25:29:00 |
8000m |
| 1996 |
A. Bati |
Augustana |
24:48:00 |
8000m |
| 1997 |
T. Small |
Wash. Univ. |
26:44:00 |
8000m |
| 1998 |
T.J. Craig |
Wartburg |
27:29:00 |
8000m |
| 1999 |
J. Aerni |
Grinnell |
26:17:00 |
8000m |
| 2000 |
J. Aerni |
Grinnell |
25:15:00 |
8000m |
| 2001 |
A. Booth |
Grinnell |
26:05.00 |
8000m |
| 2002 |
A. Booth |
Grinnell |
25:11.00 |
8000m |
| 2003 |
A. Booth |
Grinnell |
25:44 |
8000m |
| 2004 |
M. Lalonde |
UW-Stevens Point |
25:15 |
8000m |
| 2005 |
B. Deng |
Iowa Central CC |
25:54 |
8000m |
| 2006 |
D. Ballew |
Grinnell College |
25:49 |
8000m |
| 2007 |
Eric Osterhaus |
Simpson College |
26:34 |
8000m |
| 2008 |
Stephen Dak |
Iowa Central CC |
25:34 |
8000m |
| 2009 |
Dan Greeno |
Bethel |
25:17 |
8000m |
| 2010 |
Ben Sathre |
St. Thomas |
25:37 |
8000m |
Course Record: Josh Moen, Wartburg 24:10 (NCAA Regional 2003)
