Dickinson State’s Caleb Sarsland earns inaugural Frontier Conference Grit Award for Men's Cross Cou

The Frontier Conference announced March 27 that Dickinson State University junior Caleb Sarsland is the Men’s Cross Country recipient of the inaugural Grit Award, sponsored by the Montana Army National Guard. The honor recognizes one student-athlete in each sport who reflects perseverance, mental toughness and integrity, and Sarsland’s 2025 season offered a striking example of all three.

A junior engineering major from Bowman, North Dakota, Sarsland battled chronic Achilles tendinitis that sidelined him for six weeks during the 2025 indoor and outdoor track and field seasons. He began a demanding training and therapy plan on July 4, 2025, then returned with a clear target after finishing 103rd at nationals the year before. By the end of the fall, he had transformed that goal into one of the conference’s standout performances, placing third at the Frontier Conference championship and then finishing ninth at the NAIA National Cross Country Championships.

That national meet result represented a 94-place improvement and the top men’s finish from the Frontier Conference. Sarsland also delivered a memorable closing push, moving from 13th to ninth over the final 60 yards to secure NAIA All-America status. For Dickinson State and the wider Frontier Conference community, the award highlights not only a breakthrough season, but also the determination it took to build it.

Sarsland’s impact extends well beyond competition. He carries a 4.0 GPA in engineering, serves as a student mentor in Dickinson State’s Teddy Roosevelt Honors Leadership Program and volunteers at an adult living home. The award citation specifically points to his resilience, duty, integrity and community service, qualities that align closely with the values the Grit Award was created to celebrate.

As the Frontier Conference launches this new recognition, Sarsland’s story sets a strong standard for what it is meant to honor. His season was defined by persistence, discipline and a refusal to let adversity have the last word, all the way to that late surge into ninth place on the national stage.