The 5-foot-4 senior won the Class B state meet this past season with a time of 18:38.88, breaking the tape 1:20.96 ahead of her next-closest competitor and leading the Raiders to a second-place finish as a team. Nelson won a state title as a freshman in 2013 and finished as runner-up in each of the next two years. She placed 19th at Nike Cross Nationals Heartland Regional championships and 26th at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional championships this past fall.
Nelson has maintained a weighted 4.21 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a National Letter of Intent to run cross country on scholarship at the University of South Dakota this fall.
An award-winning clarinet and piano player, Nelson has volunteered locally as a mentor through Students Against Destructive Decisions. She has also donated her time on behalf of multiple community-service initiatives through her church. "Laura Nelson dominated the cross country scene throughout the year," said Bill Hansen, head coach of Viborg-Hurley High. "She dominated Class B. There wasn't anyone within 100 meters of her after the first 2,000 meters of the race."
