18 NORTHERN MAGAZINE Northern State University Honoree: G.O.L.D. Award Recipient 2025 *To be recognized Sept. 19, 2025 at the NSU Hall of Fame and Distinguished Alumni Banquet. Running has always been a personal passion for Dakotah. It’s a love that grew during her time at Northern and ultimately turned into a career that took her to the world stage. This year, Popehn is being honored with the G.O.L.D. (Graduate of the Last Decade) Award, a reflection of her remarkable achievements and dedication. Popehn graduated from Northern with a degree in biology education, ready to begin a career as a teacher. She spent a few years in the classroom, but her time as a studentathlete at Northern kept pulling her back. Encouraged by her coach, Bjerke, she started to dream bigger. “Coach Bjerke really believed in me,” she said. “He thought I could qualify for the Olympic Trials in the marathon, and he gave me the tools to go after that dream.” “I did get better in college, but I wasn’t, like, amazing still,” Popehn said during a question and answer session at her alma mater in January 2025. “I wasn’t setting NCAA records. I wasn’t someone that people would say, ‘she’s got the potential to be a really great marathoner, and even an Olympian one day.’” Popehn and Coach Bjerke had to push for Popehn to be a part of Minnesota Distance Elite, and even then, she was brought in as a training partner, not a member of the team. She wouldn’t get a stipend, gym access or any other benefits of being on the team. Basically, Popehn said, she could show up to practice and work hard. Eventually, that hard work paid off. “I’ve always got this, I call it ‘stupid’ belief in myself. Like, I shouldn’t have believed I could become a professional runner even. I shouldn’t have believed I could become an Olympian. I just do.”
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