SEWARD, Neb. – Nine Bulldogs are gearing up to represent the Concordia University Cross Country programs at the 2023 NAIA Cross Country National Championships. The meet will be held Friday, Nov. 17 at Fort Vancouver National Historic Championship Course in Vancouver, Wash., a location that hosted the national meet seven previous times (most recently in 2021). The championship meet will get started with the women’s 6k race at 10:30 a.m. PT followed by the men’s 8k at 11:30 a.m. PT.
Meet Info – 2023 NAIA Cross Country National Championships
Friday, Nov. 17
--Women’s 6K Race – 10:30 a.m. PT (12:30 p.m. CT)
--Men’s 8K Race – 11:30 a.m. PT (1:30 p.m. CT)
--Awards Ceremony – 1 p.m. PT (3 p.m. CT)
--Fort Vancouver National Historic Championship Course | Vancouver, Wash.
--Live Coverage: Results | Stream
--NOTE: All-America honors are awarded to the top 40 men’s and women’s finishers.
The 2023 national meet will mark the 68th annual event for the men and 44th annual race for the women. This year’s national championship field is set to include 36 teams and 85 individual qualifiers on the men’s side and 36 teams and 88 individual qualifiers on the women’s side. Head Coach Matt Beisel has led the women’s program back to the national meet for the third time during his tenure. The 2019 GPAC championship Bulldogs placed 12th at the NAIA national meet while the 2022 team placed 27th nationally.
2023 Concordia Cross Country National Qualifiers
Hannah Beintema | Bettendorf, Iowa
· Second career cross country national championship appearance; placed 151st/326 with a 5k time of 19:21.4 at the 2022 NAIA Cross Country National Championships.
· Placed 13th at the 2023 GPAC Championships with a 6k time of 22:32.4.
· Season best 6k time was 22:32.4 at the GPAC Championships.
2023 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight (5k) – 19:49.01 (93rd/358)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite (5k) – 19:18.7 (96th/310)
Griak Invite (6k) – 24:37.7 (95th/391)
Briar Cliff Invite (6k) – 23:17.07 (41st/224)
Blazing Tiger Classic (6k) – 24:03.4 (76th/288)
GPAC Championships (6k) – 22:32.4 (13th/103)
Keegan Beisel | Seward, Neb.
· Second career cross country national championship appearance; placed 286th/326 with a 5k time of 20:44.1 at the 2022 NAIA Cross Country National Championships.
· Placed 17th at the 2023 GPAC Championships with a 6k time of 22:35.2.
· Season best 6k time was 22:35.2 at the GPAC Championships.
2023 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight (5k) – 19:25.26 (69th/358)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite (5k) – 19:22.2 (101st/310)
Griak Invite (6k) – 25:17.2 (145th/391)
Briar Cliff Invite (6k) – 22:47.43 (21st/224)
Blazing Tiger Classic (6k) – 23:06.9 (42nd/288)
GPAC Championships (6k) – 22:35.2 (17th/103)
Kylahn Freiberg | Nampa, Idaho
· Third career cross country national championship appearance; placed 33rd at the 2019 NAIA Cross Country National Championships (Vancouver, Wash.) with a 5k time of 18:42.4; placed 69th/326 with a 5k time of 18:34.7 at the 2022 NAIA Cross Country National Championships (Tallahassee, Fla.).
· Placed seventh at the 2023 GPAC Championships with a 6k time of 22:14.2; previous GPAC placements were second (18:30.48) in 2019, 17th (20:00.14) in 2020, 30th (20:28.23) in 2021 and eighth (19:11.51) in 2022. Freiberg has earned three career All-GPAC awards.
· Owns four career All-America awards in track and field.
2023 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight (5k) – 18:30.28 (18th/358)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite (5k) – 18:22.4 (45th/310)
Griak Invite (6k) – 23:35.3 (37th/391)
Briar Cliff Invite (6k) – 21:40.12 (5th/224)
Blazing Tiger Classic (6k) – 22:14.6 (16th/288)
GPAC Championships (6k) – 22:14.2 (7th/288)
Keeli Green | Arlington, Neb.
· First career cross country national championship appearance.
· Placed seventh at the 2022 GPAC Championships with a 6k time of 22:14.2.
· Season best 6k time was 21:40.12 at the Briar Cliff Invite.
2023 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight (5k) – 18:35.95 (23rd/358)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite (5k) – 18:23.9 (47th/310)
Griak Invite (6k) – 23:32.3 (33rd/391)
Briar Cliff Invite (6k) – 21:56.96 (8th/224)
Blazing Tiger Classic (6k) – 22:18.5 (18th/288)
GPAC Championships (6k) – 21:57.7 (3rd/103)
Rylee Haecker | Davenport, Neb.
· Third career cross country national championship appearance; placed 120th at the 2021 NAIA Cross Country National Championships (Vancouver, Wash.) with a 5k time of 19:45.8; placed 216th/326 with a 5k time of 19:45.8 at the 2022 NAIA Cross Country National Championships (Tallahassee, Fla.).
· Placed 23rd at the 2023 GPAC Championships with a 6k time of 23:02.4; previous GPAC placements were 25th (20:25.86) in 2020, seventh (19:19.69) in 2021 and 15th (19:40.36) in 2022. Haecker has twice earned cross country all-conference accolades.
· Owns eight career All-America awards in track and field.
2023 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight (5k) – DNR
Greeno/Dirksen Invite (5k) – 19:19.1 (97th/310)
Griak Invite (6k) – 24:49.8 (110th/391)
Briar Cliff Invite (6k) – 23:17.47 (42nd/224)
Blazing Tiger Classic – 22:54.5 (34th/288)
GPAC Championships (6k) – 23:02.4 (23rd/103)
Rhaya Kaschinske | Fort Wayne, Ind.
· Second career cross country national championship appearance; placed 238th/326 with a 5k time of 19:59.2 at the 2022 NAIA Cross Country National Championships.
· Placed 29th at the 2023 GPAC Championships with a 6k time of 23:36.2; previous GPAC finishes were 29th (20:28.15) in 2021 and 20th (20:05.03) in 2022.
· Season best 6k time was 23:26.79 at the Briar Cliff Invite.
2023 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight (5k) – 20:06.98 (111th/358)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite – 19:48.7 (127th/310)
Griak Invite (6k) – 25:09.0 (132nd/391)
Briar Cliff Invite (6k) – 23:26.79 (49th/224)
Blazing Tiger Classic (6k) – 24:20.4 (90th/288)
GPAC Championships (6k) – 23:36.2 (29th/103)
Julie McIntyre | Chicago, Ill.
· Second career cross country national championship appearance; placed 161st/326 with a 5k time of 19:25.9 at the 2022 NAIA Cross Country National Championships.
· Placed as the 2023 GPAC runner up with a 6k time of 21:35.0; also placed 14th (19:33.86 5k) in the GPAC in 2022; has twice earned all-conference recognition.
· McIntyre transferred from Trinity Christian College; her husband Michael McIntyre serves as the goalkeeper coach for the Concordia soccer teams.
2023 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight (5k) – 19:19.37 (64th/358)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite (5k) – 18:39.6 (66th/310)
Griak Invite (6k) – 23:58.0 (54th/391)
Briar Cliff Invite (6k) – 22:01.03 (10th/224)
Blazing Tiger Classic (6k) – 22:11.6 (13th/288)
GPAC Championships (6k) – 21:35.0 (2nd/103)
Alayna Vargas | Hastings, Neb.
· First career cross country national championship appearance.
· Placed 28th at the 2023 GPAC Championships with a 6k time of 23:29.9.
· Season best 6k time was 23:00.21 at the Briar Cliff Invite.
2023 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight (5k) – 19:51.10 (96th/358)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite (5k) – 19:10.4 (90th/310)
Griak Invite (6k) – 24:37.4 (94th/391)
Briar Cliff Invite (6k) – 23:00.21 (31st/224)
Blazing Tiger Classic (6k) – 23:51.4 (67th/288)
GPAC Championships (6k) – 23:29.9 (28th/103)
Individual Qualifier – Calvin Rohde | Reed City, Mich.
· Second career cross country national championship appearance; placed 209th/330 at the 2021 NAIA Cross Country National Championships (Vancouver, Wash.) with an 8k time of 27:40.4.
· Placed sixth at the 2023 GPAC Championships with an 8k time of 25:14.1; previous GPAC placements were 14th (26:21.70) in 2022, 10th (26:58.46) in 2021 and 31st (28:18.68) in 2020.
· Has appeared at four NAIA Track & Field National Championship meets.
2023 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight (4 mile) – 21:06.50 (81st/358)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite (8k) – 25:54.9 (84th/362)
Griak Invite (8k) – 27:24.3 (88th/460)
Briar Cliff Invite (8k) – 25:17.16 (13th/217)
Blazing Tiger Classic (8k) – 25:37.5 (39th/292)
GPAC Championships (8k) – 25:14.1 (6th/93)