Newsletter: August 1, 2025
Contents Competition Calendar Coach's Corner: Swanson Takes the Win at Ryan Shay Spotlight: USATF Outdoor Track & Field Championships...
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Merga Gemeda
Residence: Minnetonka, MN
Date of birth: 8/14/1999
Hometown: Sioux City, IA
Occupation: Sports Marketing
College: University of South Dakota, Sports Marketing and Media, & Computer science - 2023
Favorite Pre-Race Meal: Otmeal with peanut butter, banana and honey
Favorite Pump-Up Song: Wolves by Big Sean ft. Post Malone
Funniest Mid-Race Thought: They should put motivational quotes on the back of every mile marker, like “You’re not dead yet!”
Personal Bests
3000m
5,000m
10,000m
10 Mile
20k
​
8:16.11
13:53.09
28:58.12
48:35
59:45
​
Achievements
12x Summit league athlete of the week
2024 - USATF 10k Championships, 15th
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Merga is from Sioux City, Iowa where he attended Sioux City North High School. As a high school runner, he was a conference champion and placed 5th in the state cross country meet. His personal bests in high school were 15:25 (5k cross country), 4:22 (1600m) and 9:28 (3200m).
Merga attended the University of South Dakota from 2018-23, where he majored in Sport Marketing & Media and Computer Science. His collegiate career highlights include qualifying for the NCAA West Regional Championships in the 10,000m, setting a school record in the 10,000m en route to a win in his heat at the Raleigh Relays, and taking runner-up finishes in his conference championships in the 5000m (both indoor and outdoor) and 10,000m (outdoor). His personal bests in college included 14:00 (5000m) and 28:58 (10,000m).
Merga joined Minnesota Distance Elite in October of 2023.
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