STANFORD, Calif. – No matter how quickly the lofty expectations continue to grow for North Dakota State standout Erin Teschuk, somehow she manages to exceed them.
 
There was reason to believe Teschuk might do something special at the Stanford Invitational on Saturday morning. After all, her achievements have turned heads so many times in the last year that it has become the norm.
 
With a rare talent like Teschuk, it's time to expect the unexpected every time she laces up the racing spikes.
 
After a 2014-15 season of competition that ended up lasting 12 months – from the cross country opener in Fargo last August, to the track & field world championships in China this August – Teschuk needed some time to rest.
 
The junior from Winnipeg did just that. After returning from Beijing, she took some time away from normal training to give her body a chance to recover. With only a couple weeks of cross country workouts under her belt, it was decided she would enter Saturday's meet – but with tempered expectations. Realistically, most thought, it was still far too soon for her to already be in All-American form.
 
Teschuk disagreed.
 
She powered to a Stanford Invitational title, taking first in a race that featured 255 runners. Teschuk set a new NDSU school record for the six-kilometer distance, finishing in 20:06.8 to beat her previous best by half a second. She cut 55 seconds off her time from the same race one year ago.
 
"I'm unbelievably impressed with where she's at now compared to last year," said NDSU distance coach Andrew Carlson. "It was a pleasant surprise last year when she got fifth at this meet. I'm floored that after just a few weeks of training, she's already at this point."
 
After a year that saw her sweep the Summit League Athlete of the Year awards in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track, Teschuk showed she wasn't satisfied. With three first-team All-America honors already on her list of accomplishments, she has shown no signs of complacency.
 
Teschuk's time at Stanford tied for the third-fastest winning 6k in meet history.
 
Carlson pointed out how the focus and dedication of Teschuk has moved to another level.
 
"She approaches her training and competition now like a world-class athlete," Carlson said. "Even when she's not competing, she's approaching it the right way and doing all the right things."
 
Even with it being the first race of her season, and with limited training behind her, Teschuk showed no signs of rust. And while a Stanford Invitational title is nice, Carlson also knows where this strong start could lead down the road.
 
"She looked like the typical Erin," said Carlson. "Instead of waiting for a big finishing kick, she started pushing from about two kilometers out. I think that's big for her preparation for the NCAA Championships because that's how those championship races go."
 
"She is absolutely a contender to win a national title in cross country."