2009 - Cross Country schedule

SEPTEMBER
Sept. 12	Sioux Falls Invite	Sioux Falls, S.D.
Sept. 19	Woody Greeno Invite	Lincoln, Neb.
Sept. 26	Griak Invitational	St. Paul, Minn.
OCTOBER
Oct. 10	Alumni-Blue White Run	Seward, Neb.
Oct. 17	Hastings College Invite	Hastings, Neb.
Oct. 24	Mount Marty Invite	Yankton, S.D.
NOVEMBER
Nov. 4	GPAC JV Meet	Lincoln, Neb.
Nov. 7	GPAC Championships	Fremont, Neb.
Nov. 21	NAIA National Championships	Vancouver, Wash./Portland Ore.

2009 - Cross Country roster

Men:

*Name*	*Yr.*	*Hometown*	*Previous School*
Zach Baedke	Sr.	Fremont, Neb.	Fremont
Travis Besel	So.	Denver, Colo.	Denver Lutheran
Tyson Billings	Jr.	Valentine, Neb.	Valentine
Keegan Bloomfield	St.	Blair, Neb.	Blair
Caleb Eggers	Jr.	Galva, Iowa	Galva-Holstein
Daniel Gibson	Fr.	Grand Island, Neb
David Goeglein	Sr.	Kansas City, Mo.	Kansas City Lutheran
Zane Grabau	Sr.	Waterville, Minn.	W.E.M.
Ricky Gross	Jr.	Riverside, Calif.	John North
Jon Grotefendt	Sr.	Marine, Ill.	Metro East Lutheran
Joel Heckmann	Fr.	Sioux Falls, S.D.
Jared Hoffman	Fr.	Griswold, Iowa
Daniel Klinge	So.	Dubuque, Iowa	Home school
Aaron Kortze	Jr.	Rockford, Ill.	Rockford Lutheran
Andrew Lehenbauer	Fr.	Lake Ozark, Mo.
Zach Meineke	Sr.	Denver, Colo.	Denver Lutheran
Joshua Meyer	Sr.	Seward, Neb.	Seward
Colin Morrissey	Fr.	Omaha, Neb.	Millard South
Aaron Prahlow	Fr.	St. Louis, Mo.
Michael Saalfeld	Sr.	David City, Neb.	Aquinas
Dana Schmidt	So.	Grundy Center, Iowa
Steven Schultz	Jr.	Fremont, Neb.	Fremont
Scott Schwalenberg	Sr.	Columbus, Neb.	Columbus
Chris Tegtmeier	Sr.	Jansen, Neb.	Fairbury
Luka Thor	Sr.	Lincoln, Neb.	Lincoln Northeast
Matt Trampe	So.	Kearney, Neb.	Kearney
Tim von Behren	Fr.	Falls City, Neb.
Alden Wignall	So.	Glenwood, Iowa	Glenwood

Women:

*Name*	*Yr.*	*Hometown*	*Previous School*
MaryLou Andrews	Sr.	Aurora, Neb.	Aurora
Emilie Bourret	Jr.	Potter, Neb.	Potter-Dix
Kelsey Duerr	Fr.	Orange, Calif.
Taylor Felix	Sr.	Seward, Neb	Seward
Hannah Ferry	Sr.	Milwaukee, Wisc.	Milwaukee Lutheran
Rachelle Gross	So.	Riverside, Calif.	John North
Ann Hershberger	Sr.	Superior, Neb.	Superior
Toni Hulinsky	So.	Bayard, Neb.	Bayard
Sarah Kortze	Fr.	Rockford, Ill.	Home school
Dana Kluthe	Fr.	Scotia, Neb.
Samantha Lathrop	Fr.	Arlington, Neb.
Katie Lutmer	Jr.	Omaha, Neb.	Westside
Alicia Marteney	Jr.	Pawnee City, Neb.	Pawnee City
Martha Meineke	So.	Denver, Colo.	Denvery Lutheran
Anna Meyer	So.	Seward, Neb.	Seward
Allison Mitchell	Jr.	Aurora, Neb.	Aurora
Rebecca Mol	Sr.	Flint, Mich.	Kearsley
Jena Schwalenberg	Fr.	Columbus, Neb.
Brittany Singleton	Fr.	Lincoln, Neb.
Bethany Sutton	Jr.	Lincoln, Neb.	Lincoln Christian

2009 - Cross Country coaching staff

Head coach: Kregg Einspahr

Assistant coach: Suzanne Weeder-Einspahr

Concordia men open season with win at Sioux Falls Invite

12 SEP 2009

The Concordia men’s cross country team opened the season with a first place finish at the Sioux Falls Invitational/Nike Heartland Pre-Regional Meet on Saturday. Eight teams and 99 total runners participated in the meet. Doane College was second, and Northern State University finished in third place.

Concordia dominated the meet, as six runners finished in the top 10 individually for the Bulldogs. Senior Zach Meineke won the meet with a time of 25:24.25, sophomore Dana Schmidt finished second at 25:34.66 and senior David Goeglein was third with a time of 25:37.26. Colin Morrissey, another freshman for the Bulldogs, finished fifth at 26:01.57, Tyson Billings was seventh at 26:09.87 and Zane Grabau was 10th with a time of 26:33.10.

Jon Grotefendt finished in 16th place with a time of 26:58.29, Joshua Meyer was 17th at 27:07.55 and Aaron Kortze was 19th with a time of 27:15.04. Scott Schwalenberg (27:59.13) was 30th, Travis Besel (28:02.75) was 31st, Steven Schultz (28:08.72) was 33rd and Zach Baedke (28:09.71) finished 34th.

Other runners for Concordia included Keegan Bloomfield in 39th at 28:15.06, Joel Heckmann in 40th at 28:15.50, Caleb Egger 45th – 28:18.10, Matt Trampe 47th – 28:27.07, Jared Hoffman 56th – 29:03.34, Ricky Gross 64th – 29:30.81, Daniel Gibson 77th – 30:24.99, Aaron Prahlow 85th – 31:08.85 and Daniel Klinge 92nd – 32:19.13. Concordia will take part in the Woody Greeno Invitational on Sept. 19 in Lincoln.

Concordia University men
Zach Meineke   1st   25:24.25
Dana Schmidt   2nd   25:34.66
David Goeglein   3rd   25:37.26
Colin Morrissey   5th   26:01.57
Tyson Billings   7th   26:09.87
Zane Grabau   10th   26:33.10
Jon Grotefendt   16th   26:58.29
Joshua Meyer   17th   27:07.55
Aaron Kortze   19th   27:15.04
Scott Schwalenberg  30th   27:59.13
Travis Besel   31st   28:02.75
Steven Schultz   33rd   28:08.72
Zach Baedke   34th   28:09.71
Keegan Bloomfield  39th   28:15.06
Joel Heckmann   40th   28:15.50
Caleb Egger   45th   28:18.10
Matt Trampe   47th   28:27.07
Jared Hoffman   56th   29:03.34
Ricky Gross   64th   29:30.81
Daniel Gibson   77th   30:24.99
Aaron Prahlow   85th   31:08.85
Daniel Klinge   92nd   32:19.13

Concordia teams perform well at Woody Greeno Invite

19 SEP 2009

The Concordia University cross country teams had solid performances at the Woody Greeno Invitational on Saturday at Pioneer Park in Lincoln. The Concordia men finished third overall with a team score of 106 and were also third in the college division. The Concordia women finished in sixth overall with a team score of 183, and were also third in the college division.

In the men’s race, Colorado School of Mines (42) finished first overall with the University of Central Missouri (97) in second. Concordia finished in third, while the University of Nebraska (111) and Nebraska-Kearney (222) rounded out the top five.

Concordia senior Zach Meineke was the top finisher for the Bulldogs. Meineke crossed the line in ninth place overall with a time of 25:29.65. Dana Schmidt was 14th overall with a time of 25:42.40. David Goeglein (25:56.75) was 21st, Colin Morrissey (26:03.20) was 28th and Tyson Billings (26:13.85) finished in 34th for the Bulldogs. The sixth and seventh finishers for Concordia were Jon Grotefendt (26:52.30) in 54th and Zane Grabau (27:15.75) in 77th.

The University of Nebraska won the women’s race with an overall team score of 32, and Wichita State University was second with a team score of 59. Wartburg College (140) was third, the University of South Dakota (154) was fourth and Nebraska Wesleyan University rounded out the top five with a 165 to finish just in front of Concordia.

For the second week in a row, freshman Sarah Kortze led the way for the Concordia women. Kortze finished in 21st overall with a time of 21:58.08. Jena Schwalenberg was 26th with a time of 22:18.28. Alicia Marteney (22:33.78) was 32nd, Ann Hershberger (22:59.63) was 49th and Dana Kluthe (23:05.68) was 55th. Other top finishers for the Bulldogs included Taylor Felix (23:18.08, 65th overall) and Hannah Ferry (23:26.48, 72nd overall).

Concordia will compete at the Roy Griak Invitational in Minnesota on Sept. 26.

Concordia teams turn in impressive performances at Roy Griak Invitational

26 SEP 2009

The Concordia University men’s and women’s cross country teams turned in impressive performances at the Roy Griak Invitational held in Minnesota on Saturday. The men’s team finished in second place with a team score of 86, while the women placed fifth with a score of 201.

Southwest Baptist University finished first in the men’s race with a team score of 61. Concordia was second, and Augustana was third with a score of 97. Minnesota State Mankato (98) was fourth, and Dakota State (155) rounded out the top five.

Concordia placed two runners in the top 10. Senior Zach Meineke finished in fifth overall with a time of 26:00, and sophomore Dana Schmidt finished right behind Meineke in sixth place with a time of 26:03. Senior David Goegelein was 20th at 26:24, Tyson Billings was 36th at 26:55 and Jon Grotefendt finished in 50th with a time of 27:21. Zane Grabau finished in 54th with a time of 27:24, and freshman Colin Morrissey was 59th at 27:32.

Minnesota Duluth won the women’s race with a team score of 78. Manitoba was second with a score of 83, and Augustana was close behind in third place with a score of 85. Winona State finished in fourth with a score of 163, and the Concordia women rounded out the top five.

Individually for the Concordia women, freshman Jena Schwalenberg finished in 19th place overall with a time of 23:41. Freshman Sarah Kortze was 27th with a time of 23:53. Other finishers for the Bulldogs were Alicia Marteney in 50th (24:26), Hannah Ferry in 63rd (24:40) and Ann Hershberger in 65th (24:41). Freshman Dana Kluthe was 74th with a time of 24:51, and Taylor Felix was 75th at 24:52.

Concordia teams dominate at Hastings Bronco Invite

17 OCT 2009

The Concordia University cross country teams both finished first at the Hastings College Bronco Invitational on Saturday. Both squads placed all five scorers in the top 10.

Seven teams competed in the women’s 5K race. Concordia finished with a team score of 22. Doane College was second with a score of 54, Nebraska-Kearney was third with a score of 90 and Hastings College was fourth with a 104. Iowa Western (113), College of St. Mary (181) and Tabor (184) rounded out the team scoring.

Jena Schwalenberg finished first overall with a time of 18:43 to lead the way for the Concordia women, and Sarah Kortze finished close behind in second place with a time of 18:56. Alicia Marteney was fifth at 19:19, Ann Hershberger was sixth at 19:20 and Dana Kluthe was eighth with a time of 19:36. Other top finishers for the Bulldogs were Hannah Ferry in 12th at 19:50, Brittany Singleton in 15th at 19:58 and Martha Meineke in 16th at 20:08.

Five teams competed in the men’s 8K run. Concordia was first with a team score of 23. Doane College was second with a score of 60, while Iowa Western was third with a score of 65. Hastings College (104) and Nebraska-Kearney (120) rounded out the team scoring.

Zach Meineke finished in second place overall with a time of 25:29 to lead the Bulldog men. Dana Schmidt was third at 25:41, and David Goeglein was close behind in fourth at 25:42. Tyson Billings was fifth with a time of 26:00, and Colin Morrissey finished ninth at 26:18. Other top finishers for Concordia were Jon Grotefendt in 12th at 26:33, Zane Grabau in 13th at 26:38 and Matt Trampe in 14th at 26:46.

Concordia will compete in the Mount Marty Invite on Oct. 24.

Concordia wins GPAC cross country title

7 NOV 2009

Concordia University, Nebraska's Zach Meineke was the individual medalist Saturday at the 2009 Great Plains Athletic Conference Men's Cross Country Championships in Fremont, Neb. Teammate David Goeglein finished six seconds later, taking second. Three more Bulldogs were among the top ten runners, leaving no doubt that Concordia was heading toward a decisive conference title victory. Nebraska Wesleyan University was the conference runner-up and Doane College took third.

"This is probably the finest performance from a Concordia men's team ever," said Kregg Einspahr, head coach for Concordia. "What they've done is quite a feat. This is a good conference." Einspahr credited the juniors and seniors on the team for giving the squad the maturity to handle difficult competition.

With the win, Meineke is now a two-time GPAC champion. In all, seven Concordia runners on the men's squad placed in the top fifteen, thereby earning all-conference honors: Meineke, Goeglein, Dana Schmidt, Tyson Billings, Jon Grotefendt, Colin Morrissey and Luka Thor.

The Bulldogs, currently ranked No. 4 in the NAIA Men’s Cross Country Coaches’ Top 25, now look forward to a trip to the NAIA national championship race held Nov. 21 in Vancouver, Wash.

Einspahr expects the Bulldogs to live up to their ranking. "I think our men can be in the top-five finishers at the national meet and compete for the national championship,” said Einspahr.

The Concordia women's cross country team placed second at the GPAC championship meet. Bulldog runners Jena Schwalenberg, Alicia Marteney, and Emilie Bourret earned all-conference honors with individual finishes of third, 12th and 15th respectively.

"Our women came out and ran very well," said Einspahr, cross country coach for Concordia. "We had some gals who really stepped up."

The Nebraska Wesleyan University women's squad took first comfortably with 29 points. Concordia, with a point total of 64, was followed by Morningside College with 81 points.

The Bulldogs are now ranked No. 9 in the NAIA Women’s Cross Country Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. Concordia's second-place team finish on Saturday qualifies it for a trip to the NAIA national championships.

"We have a very young women's team," said Einspahr, "but we have had excellent depth all season. We have a chance to be in the top 15 in the nation."

Concordia men second, women 20th at NAIA National Cross Country Meet

21 NOV 2009

The Concordia University cross country squads took part in the 2009 NAIA Cross Country Championships on Saturday in Vancouver, Wash. The Bulldog men finished second overall, while the women were 20th.

Malone University finished as the National Champion on the men’s side for the third year in a row with a team score of 44. Malone placed four runners in the top 20 overall. Concordia was second with 166 points. Dana Schmidt and Zach Meineke earned All-American honors to lead the way for the Bulldog men. Schmidt finished in seventh overall with a time of 25:25, and Meineke was right behind in eighth place at 25:26.

David Goeglein finished in 33rd overall with a time of 26:00, and Luka Thor was 50th at 26:15. Tyson Billings was 68th at 26:26, Jon Grotefendt was 72nd at 26:28 and Colin Morrissey was 75th with a time of 26:31.

“Our guys ran very well today,” said Kregg Einspahr, head coach of the Bulldogs. “Dana and Zach had tremendous races to finish as All-Americans. Luka Thor running fourth was big for us today. Malone University has a great squad. I’m just very proud of our guys. This National Runner-up finish is the seventh NAIA National Runner-up finish for our cross country and track programs. They really performed well.”

The Concordia women finished with a team score of 459 to finish 20th overall. It’s the 16th straight year that the Concordia women have finished in the top 20 at Nationals. Jena Schwalenberg finished in 36th with a time of 19:20 for the Bulldogs. Ann Hershberger was 91st at 20:05, and Dana Kluthe was 100th at 20:11. Other finishers for the Bulldogs included Rebecca Mol in 115th at 20:25, Alicia Marteney in 117th at 20:26, Emilie Bourret in 138th at 20:39 and Hannah Ferry in 181st at 21:28.

Concordia University cross country/track National Runner-up finishes
1989 - Women's Indoor Track
2000 - Men's Indoor Track
2000 - Women's Cross Country
2001 - Women's Cross Country
2002 - Women's Cross Country
2004 - Women's Cross Country
2009 - Men's Cross Country

Kortze, Meineke earn conference honors

Concordia’s Sarah Kortze and Zach Meineke were named this week’s GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Cross Country Runners-of-the-Week on Wednesday afternoon following their performances last weekend for the Bulldogs.

Kortze, a freshman from Rockford, Illinois, was the highest collegiate finisher in the Nike Heartland Pre-Regional Meet hosted by the University of Sioux Falls on Saturday. In her first collegiate meet, her time was 19:01 on the 5K course. Kortze helped the Concordia women to the team title. Kortze finished behind Jen Van Otterloo, who ran unattached in the meet. Sarah is the daughter of Donald and Joyce Kortze.

Meineke, a senior from Denver, Colorado, won the men’s race at the Nike Heartland Pre-Regional Meet hosted by the University of Sioux Falls with an 8K time of 25:24. He helped the Bulldog men to the team title and led six Concordia runners who finished in the top 10 in the meet. Meineke was the 2008 GPAC Men’s Cross Country Runner-of-the-Year and is the son of Dave and Toni Meineke.

Concordia will compete in the Woody Greeno Invite on Sept. 19. The first race begins at 10 a.m. at Pioneer Park in Lincoln.

Meineke earns second straight GPAC Runner-of-the-Week award

Concordia’s Zach Meineke was named the Great Plains Athletic Conference/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Cross Country Runner-of-the-Week Wednesday for his efforts in the Woody Greeno Invitational this past weekend. It’s the second straight week that Meineke was honored as the conference Runner-of-the-Week.

Meineke, a senior from Denver, Colorado, placed seventh at the Woody Greeno Invite with a time of 25.29. He was the highest GPAC finisher on the day in the 8K race. The Concordia men placed third and placed ahead of division I schools such as the University of Nebraska, Wichita State and Creighton. Meineke was the 2008 GPAC Men’s Cross Country Runner-of-the-Year and is the son of Dave and Toni Meineke.

The Bulldogs will take part in the Roy Griak Invitational on Sept. 26.

Schwalenberg and Schmidt earn GPAC honors

The Great Plains Athletic Conference and Hauff Mid-America Sports named Concordia’s Jena Schwalenberg and Dana Schmidt as this week’s conference runners-of-the-week.

Schwalenberg, a freshman from Columbus, Neb., finished first in the Hastings Invite this past Saturday with a time 18:43. Seven teams and 72 total runners participated. The Concordia women finished first in the event and placed all five scorers in the top 10.

Schmidt placed third on Saturday at the Hastings Invite with a time of 25:41. Five teams and 81 total runners participated in the meet. Schmidt helped the Bulldog men to the team title and was one of five Concordia runners to place in the top 10.

Both Concordia squads remain highly ranked in the latest NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll released on Wednesday. The women dropped one spot to ninth, while the men remained in fourth.

On the women’s side, the top five teams remained the same in this week’s poll. Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) earned 684 points and all 24 first-place votes to remain first. California State University-San Marcos (660), Biola University (635), Simon Fraser University (624) and Malone University (581) rounded out the top five.

The College of Idaho, who was unranked in last week’s poll, moved all the way up to sixth place with 569 points. Concordia University of California was seventh with 560 points, Cedarville University dropped one spot to eighth with 527 points, Concordia University (Neb.) was ninth with 508 points and Indiana Wesleyan University rounded out the top 10 with 487 points. Morningside College was selected 14th with 406 points, and the Mustangs were the only other women’s squad from the GPAC to be selected to this week’s top 25 poll.

On the men’s side, the top 10 remained unchanged from last week’s poll. Malone University captured 19 first-place votes and 620 points to hold its No. 1 ranking for the 29th consecutive week. No. 2 Southern Oregon University was awarded three first-place votes and 604 points, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University was voted third with 577 points and Concordia was selected fourth with 548 points. The University of British Columbia rounded out the top five with 527 points.

Shawnee State University was sixth with 524 points. Aquinas College (521) was voted seventh, California State University-San Marcos (473) was eighth, Olivet Nazarene University (466) was ninth and Lewis-Clark State College (449) rounded out the top 10. Doane College dropped two places to 23rd with 191 points. Doane was the only other GPAC school selected to this week’s poll.

The Concordia cross country teams will participate in the Mount Marty Invite on Oct. 24.

Schwalenberg earns second straight GPAC honor

Concordia freshman Jena Schwalenberg was named this week’s GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports women’s cross country Runner-of-the-Week on Wednesday afternoon. It is the second straight week that she has earned the award.

Schwalenberg, a freshman from Columbus, Nebraska, finished second at the Mount Marty Graphic Edge Invite last weekend. She ran a time of 18:28 on the 5K course. Schwalenberg led five Concordia runners that placed in the top 20 and helped the Bulldog women to another team title.

The Concordia women remained ninth in the latest NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll. The Bulldogs will return to action on Nov. 7 at the GPAC Championships in Fremont.

GPAC cross country individual and coaching honors announced

The 2009 GPAC cross country individual and coaching honors were announced Wednesday. Three Concordia women and seven Concordia men earned All-Conference honors. Senior Zack Meineke was named the 2009 Mid-America Sports/GPAC men’s cross country Runner-of-the-Year, and head coach Kregg Einspahr was honored as the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC men’s cross country Coach-of-the-Year.

The top 15 finishers at the Conference Championship meet Saturday are All-Conference for the 2009 season. Jena Schwalenberg, Alicia Marteney and Emilie Bourret earned All-Conference honors for the Concordia women. Meineke, David Goeglein, Dana Schmidt, Tyson Billings, Jon Grotefendt, Colin Morrissey and Luka Thor earned All-Conference recognition for the Concordia men. Meineke, who won the individual championship Saturday, is now a two-time Conference Champion.

“Our teams have had an outstanding year so far,” said Kregg Einspahr, head coach of the Bulldogs. “This is a great bunch of student-athletes. It’s been a very fun group to coach, and I’m excited to see how both teams compete at Nationals.”

With the 2009 Coach-of-the-Year award, Coach Einspahr has been named Regional or Conference Coach-of-the-Year over 20 times in his career. He was also named National Coach-of-the-Year in 1999. After a solid performance by both teams in the Conference Championships, Einspahr says his squads are definitely heading to Nationals on a high note.

“We’re running as well as we have all year,” commented Einspahr. “Both teams are extremely confident, and we have a lot of depth. I would expect our women to finish in the top 15 at Nationals, and our men should have an opportunity to contend for a National Championship.”

The NAIA National Championships will be held Nov. 21 in Vancouver, Wash.

Concordia places 14 runners on 2009 cross country Scholar-Athletes list

The 2009 Daktronics-NAIA cross country Scholar-Athletes were announced on Friday. The announcement is made one day prior to the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country National Championships to be held at the Fort Vancouver Historical Site in Vancouver, Wash. Concordia had six women and eight men named as scholar-athletes.

A total of 254 women’s cross country runners earned the honor. Concordia’s six selections are tied for third most overall. MaryLou Andrews, Taylor Felix, Hannah Ferry, Ann Hershberger, Allison Mitchell and Rebecca Mol all earned scholar-athlete honors for the Bulldogs.

A total of 170 men’s cross country runners were named 2009 scholar-athletes. Concordia has the most number of men’s Scholar-Athletes with the eight selections. David Goeglein, Zane Grabau, Russell Gross, Jonathan Grotefendt, Aaron Kortze, Zach Meineke, Joshua Meyer and Chris Tegtmeier represent Concordia on the men’s Scholar-Athlete list.

Nominated by each school’s head coach, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and have achieved junior academic status to qualify.

Both Concordia squads are set to compete in the 2009 Cross Country National Championships on Saturday in Vancouver, Wash. The men’s 8K race is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. PST with the women’s 5K race to follow at 11:45 a.m. PST.