Larry Beesley

At Madison High School from 1971-75, Beesley earned letters in both track and cross-country all four years and in basketball for three years. But it was on the cross-country trails and area tracks where Beesley really excelled. From his sophomore year on, Beesley was the cross country and track teams' most valuable male athlete. Beesley and his fellow Bulldogs competed as a Class AA school in the Eastern South Dakota (ESD) Conference. In ESD cross-country, Beesley was a three-time individual champion (1972-74) and helped Madison capture its first team title in 1973. His '72 title was the first for a Madison runner. On the track, he won state titles in both the mile- and 2-mile runs in 1974, added another 2-mile state title the next spring, and helped Madison win the two-mile relay title in 1975. Running in the Howard Wood Dakota Relays, Beesley earned a 2-mile championship, setting a meet record and earning the first honor for a Bulldog. He was the Madison Invitational Track Meet's MVA twice (1974 and 1975). As a road racer in high school, he won the Bristol Road Race's title twice ('74 and '75). After graduation, Beesley became a Kansas State University runner, earning the school's record in the 10,000-meter run in 1978, which is currently No. 3 on the school's list. His 5,000-meter mark set in 1975 is the 10th-ranked mark on the list as of last year. Beesley left Kansas State in 1978, eventually completing his bachelor's degree at Dakota State University in 1984.