SEWARD, Neb. – A trio of Bulldogs are making final preparations for competition at the 2024 NAIA Cross Country National Championships. The meet will be held at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo., on Friday. The national championships have never before been hosted at this location. Head Coach Matt Beisel and national qualifiers Keegan Beisel, Vaughn Hendrickson and Trey Robertson will depart from campus on Tuesday afternoon in route to Columbia. Beisel will appear on the national stage for the third time in her career.
Meet Info – 2024 NAIA Cross Country National Championships
Friday, Nov. 22
--Men’s 8K Race – 10:30 a.m. CT
--Women’s 6K Race – 11:30 a.m. CT
--Awards Ceremony – 1 p.m. CT
--Gans Creek Cross Country Course | Columbia, Mo.
--Live Coverage: Results | Stream
--NOTE: All-America honors are awarded to the top 40 men’s and women’s finishers.
The 2024 national meet will mark the 69th annual event for the men and 45th annual race for the women. This year’s national championship field is set to include 36 teams and 80 individual qualifiers on the men’s side and 36 teams and 82 individual qualifiers on the women’s side. The Concordia men made a strong push for a team national bid but came up just short based on the final NAIA coaches’ poll that listed them at No. 30. During Beisel’s tenure, the women’s program has qualified for nationals three times as a team.
Below is a breakdown of the three Bulldogs who are bound for Columbia. While Beisel makes her third career appearance at cross country nationals, Hendrickson and Robertson will appear on the national stage for the first time. Only a freshman, Hendrickson has made major waves during a fall that saw him win the GPAC championship. Hendrickson and Robertson went 1-2 at the conference meet. Each of the Bulldog qualifiers has hopes of placing in All-America territory on Friday.
2024 Concordia Cross Country National Qualifiers
Keegan Beisel | Seward, Neb.
· Third 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 200th/331 with a 6k time of 24:28.6 at the 2023 NAIA Cross Country National Championships.
· Placed ninth at the 2024 GPAC Championships with a 6k time of 23:47.5 and earned all-conference accolades.
· Season best 6k time was 23:10.00 at the Dordt Holiday Inn Express Classic.
2024 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight (5k) – 18:59.89 (58th/239)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite (5k) – 20:42.0 (125th/230)
Briar Cliff Invite (6k) – 23:52.5 (7th/85)
Dordt Holiday Inn Express Classic (6k) – 23:10.00 (18th/142)
Blazing Tiger Classic (6k) – 23:30.4 (56th/303)
GPAC Championships (6k) – 23:47.5 (9th/94)
Vaughn Hendrickson | Fort Wayne, Ind.
· First career cross country national championship appearance.
· Won the individual title at the 2024 GPAC Championships with an 8k time of 25:44.1; became the first Concordia men’s GPAC champion since Colin Morrissey in 2012.
· Season best 8k time was 24:49.6 at the Blazing Tiger Classic.
· Twice named the GPAC Runner of the Week in 2024.
2024 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight (4 mile) – 19:41.50 (47th/375)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite (8k) – 25:51.3 (31st/326)
Briar Cliff Invite (8k) – 25:26.7 (1st/96)
Dordt Holiday Inn Express Classic (8k) – 24:58.33 (3rd/182)
Blazing Tiger Classic (8k) – 24:49.6 (10th/339)
GPAC Championships (8k) – 25:44.1 (1st/88)
Trey Robertson | Wallace, Neb.
· First career cross country national championship appearance.
· Placed as the runner up at the 2024 GPAC Championships with an 8k time of 25:51.7 and earned all-conference honors.
· Season best 8k time was 24:49.6 at the Blazing Tiger Classic.
· Named GPAC Runner of the Week on Sept. 11.
2024 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight (4 mile) – 19:22.17 (29th/375)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite (8k) – 26:55.8 (83rd/326)
Briar Cliff Invite (8k) – 25:29.1 (2nd/96)
Dordt Holiday Inn Express Classic (8k) – 25:01.24 (5th/182)
Blazing Tiger Classic (8k) – 24:49.6 (10th/339)
GPAC Championships (8k) – 25:51.7 (2nd/88)
A list of past Concordia Cross Country All-Americans can be found on the program’s online record book HERE.