Ryan’s team and personal accomplishment while at GFC certainly indicate that he was one of the finest dual sport athletes to attend GFC. He earned seven total letters at GFC, four in track and three in football. Ryan as a track athlete holds a state record that can only be tied and never broken. In 2005, Ryan won four individual events and scored 40 points at the State Track Meet. He won the 110 meter high hurdles, 300 meter hurdles, the 100 meter dash, and the 200 meter dash. Ryan broke state records in both the 110 high hurdles and 300 meter hurdles. The current GFC boy’s Track & Field record board has Ryan’s name on it five times. He has the school records in the 110 and 300 hurdles, the 100 meter dash, was a member of the record holding 4 X 100 meter relay, and the 4 X 200 meter relay teams. Ryan’s lengthily list of honors that he earned during his years in track include: 2005 Gatorade Player of the Year, Cliff Cushman Award Winner, ND High School Coaches Association Senior Athlete Class A Boys Track 2005, ND Athlete of the Year Boys Track & Field, NDAPSSA High School Male Athlete of the Year 2005, and GF Herald Spring Fab 50. Ryan was a key player on the GFC Football team that finished as the state 2004 runner-up. During his football career, Ryan was All-State twice, All-EDC twice, GF Herald Fab 50 twice, EDC Senior of the Year in 2004, GFC Offensive Player of the Year twice, and the Cushman Classic Offensive Player of the Game in both 2003 and 2004. After Ryan’s outstanding career at GFC, he went on to play three years of football for the University of North Dakota.
Ryan’s favorite GFC memories include “beating Bismarck High in the state semifinals on a blocked extra point in overtime. Another one is winning the EDC Conference Championship for track by one point.” Ryan also noted that the track championship was aided by Red River winning the 4 X 400. Ryan feels that “GFC treated every school with respect and showed good sportsmanship before, during, and after every game or track meet we were part of.”
Ryan lives in Grand Forks and is an engineer tech for Steffes. He has been married to his wife, Aliah for two years and they have a one-year-old son.