Cross Country and Track & Field
Dale Kramer’s name is synonymous with cross country and track at Carleton. From 1974 through 1977, he was among the nation’s best collegiate long distance runners, garnering NCAA Division III All-American honors seven times and winning four national championships- two in cross country (1977, 1978) and two in track’s 5,000-meter event (1976, 1977). At the time of his induction, he still held the school record for the 5,000-meter at 13:55.
In his junior year, Kramer finished second in the first cross country meet of the season. From that point on, he won every college race he ran for two years, right through the conference and NCAA championships. The only exceptions were the NCAA Division I championship and the Drake Relays events, where he faced primarily Division I competition.
Kramer had won the Minnesota State Class A two-mile championships in both his junior and senior years at Glenwood High School.
Upon leaving Carleton with a degree in chemistry, Kramer was awarded an NCAA post-graduate scholarship to study animal science at the University of Minnesota.