SEWARD, Neb. – It’s back to action this Saturday for the Concordia University Cross Country teams, which are readying to race at the Mount Marty Invite. The meet is slated to get underway at 10:30 a.m. CT from Fox Run Golf Course in Yankton, S.D. This will mark the final outing prior to the 2022 GPAC Championships for the Bulldogs. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads last competed at the Holiday Inn Express Classic at the Dordt Classic on Oct. 8 when Concordia placed second on the women’s side and third on the men’s side.
Mount Marty Invite – Saturday, Oct. 22
Fox Run Golf Course | Yankton, S.D.
--10:30 a.m. CT
--Results: Dakota Timing
High placements at meets are important in terms of securing loftier spots in the NAIA national polls. The most recent NAIA cross country coaches’ polls were unveiled on Oct. 13. The women landed at No. 21, marking their third straight poll appearance of the fall. On the men’s side, the Bulldogs were able to gain some ground in the “receiving votes” category thanks to finishing above Doane at the Dordt Classic. The Concordia men got the 31st most points in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
Through the first four meets, the Concordia women have recorded place finishes of ninth out of 28 at the Augustana Twilight, third out of 19 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite, first out of five at the Dean White Invite and second out of 14 at the Dordt Classic. Meanwhile, the Bulldog men have turned in place finishes of 12th out of 32 at the Augustana Twilight, sixth out of 21 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite, second out of two at the Dean White Invite and third out of 14 at the Dordt Classic. The women had not been defeated by any NAIA opponents until placing as the runner up to Dordt on Oct. 8.
Individually, both Camden Sesna and Kylahn Freiberg have claimed two GPAC Runner of the Week awards in 2022. Sesna has been the men’s team’s top finisher at each of the first four meets while Freiberg has been the women’s team’s best runner in three of four meets. At the Dordt Classic, Rylee Haecker rose to the top of the Bulldog pack with a 5k time of 18:30.35. Also in Sioux Center, Iowa, Sesna clocked a season best 8k time of 24:46.84.
The 2022 GPAC Cross Country Championships are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 5. Jamestown will be the host up in North Dakota. Concordia is coming off 2021 GPAC place finishes of fourth on the men’s side and fifth on the women’s side.