SEWARD, Neb. – In meet No. 3 of the 2024 season, Concordia University Cross Country will compete at the Briar Cliff Invitational, a meet that annually features a large field of GPAC squads. The Bulldogs had this past weekend off following the Greeno/Dirksen Invite on Sept. 21. This Saturday’s meet is slated to get underway at 10:30 a.m. CT from Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve in North Sioux City, S.D.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s men’s and women’s squads were ranked third in the GPAC in the most recent conference ratings that were made public by the NAIA. The Concordia women landed at No. 25 in the Sept. 26 edition of the NAIA coaches’ poll.
Briar Cliff Invitational – Saturday, Oct. 5
Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve | North Sioux City, S.D.
-10:30 a.m. – women’s 6k
-11:15 a.m. – men’s 8k
-Live Results
In the first two outings of this season, the Bulldogs have rubbed elbows not only with their GPAC rivals but also with competitors from all levels of the NCAA and from junior colleges. At the Augustana Twilight back on Sept. 6, the Concordia men placed eighth out of 28 teams (second among GPAC teams) while the women placed seventh out of 20 teams (first among GPAC/NAIA squads). Then at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite, the Bulldogs recorded place finishes of 12th out of 26 on the men’s side and 16th out of 22 on the women’s side. Both teams were fourth among the NAIA teams in the large field at Mahoney Golf Course.
The first two meets of the season have yielded two GPAC Runner of the Week awards. Sophomore Trey Robertson earned that distinction on Sept. 11 and freshman Vaughn Hendrickson garnered the award on Sept. 25. Robertson was the men’s team’s top runner at the Augustana Twilight with a school record four-mile time of 19:22.17. Hendrickson then paced the Bulldogs at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite with an 8k time of 25:51.3. On the women’s side, junior Hannah Beintema has been Concordia’s top runner in back-to-back meets with her 5k times of 18:58.33 and 19:48.1.
Concordia will make a return to the Briar Cliff Invite for the second year in a row. Last year’s meet included 300-350 runners per race. The top 10 individual finishers will receive awards. The Bulldog women’s program won the Briar Cliff meet title back in 2019.
Following the Briar Cliff Invite, Concordia will get right back to action with the Holiday Inn Express Classic hosted by Dordt on Saturday, Oct. 12. Counting the Briar Cliff Invite, there are three remaining meets prior to the 2024 GPAC Championships on Nov. 9.