Briar Cliff Invitational (Oct. 8) | North Sioux City, Iowa | Adams Nature Preserve MEN | WOMEN
NAIA Seminole Valley Stampede (Oct. 22) | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Seminole Valley Park MEN | WOMEN
Aug. 17 2016
“It would take an act of God to get me to leave this place,” Jill Beisel told her husband Matt as the couple watched the sun set while relaxing by the pool this past April at their Phoenix-area home. Oh Jill, we’ve got news for you.
The next day, Matt, then a head coach at Valley Lutheran High School, posted a news release on his Facebook page. It was big news for Bulldog alumni. One day later the 1992 CUNE graduate was contacted by members of the Concordia athletic department about its opening for a head cross country and track and field coach. Were the Beisels really ready to give up the breathtaking Arizona scenery after just two years? Jill wasn’t so sure.
“My wife didn’t even want to come,” Matt said. “I said, ‘This is my alma mater. If I pass this up and don’t even investigate, I’m going to have a tough time living with that.’”
It’s now mid-August as Matt sits down and talks about the circumstances that led him back to Seward. On this particular day he squeezes in an interview of nearly 30 minutes. It’s a hectic time for Matt, who will greet a recruit on campus at almost 9 o’clock that night. The family, including daughter Keegan and son Jonah, is back at its new four-acre farm outside of Lincoln.
Right now the hours are long during a crucial initial recruiting flurry for Matt, who officially began his duties on June 1. But he promises his wife and children that there will be balance. Matt learned from his time as a head coach at Concordia-Chicago. He was spending too many hours away from family.
Aside from the hefty workload that comes with the start of a new and challenging career shift, Matt has found peace in his return. So too has the family, which has discovered Nebraska sunsets to be just as visually stimulating.
“It’s beautiful,” Matt said of their new farm. “My daughter was like, ‘See, God knew what He was doing.’ He knew better than we did that our family needed this. That’s been her attitude about this. I talked to her after the first day of school today and I was like, ‘How did it go?’ She said, ‘Fine.’ I’m like, ‘Really? You’re going into a new school in seventh grade and it was fine?’”
Of course Keegan would not make the move without her chickens, which she received as a birthday gift in January while the family still lived in Arizona. Suddenly the family had six young chickens. “She’s like the chicken whisperer,” Matt joked. Upon learning that the family would be moving to Nebraska, Keegan was stern about her beloved pets. “We are not leaving the chickens,” she told her father.
Chickens, dogs and all, the Beisels packed up and made the journey to Seward, a 22-hour drive that culminated on July 19. The wonders of Concordia and the surrounding community came rushing back for Matt. For the rest of the family, a new world opened up.
They thought they had it all in Phoenix. God showed them otherwise.
“We get to this place and it’s just like it always has been,” Matt said. “It just wraps you up in love and welcome. If you haven’t been here or on campus, it’s hard to articulate the community here. It was like walking back into what I had walked away from. My wife, who is not a graduate from here, was just like, ‘Wow.’”
Their children found comfort in the little things. Said Matt, “Jonah climbed a tree the other day and said, ‘Hey, there’s no spines on it.’”
All of those things have added up already, confirming a life-altering decision to uproot the family once again. It would have been sensible for Matt to turn down Concordia’s offer given he’s coached in Phoenix, Chicago, Little Rock, Ark., Iowa City, Iowa, and Chattanooga, Tenn., among other places.
For Matt, this isn’t just another pit stop. It’s a destination. If he needed further proof, he got it over the summer while getting to know his new student-athletes. He estimates he spent more than 70 hours on the phone with them, talking about not just the future of cross country and track and field, but about life and about faith.
“It was so neat to hear so many people just open up to a guy they had never talked to before,” Matt said. “They were so warm and friendly. So many witnessed about their faith in Christ and how important that was. It blew me away.
“I’m sitting here listening to person after person talk to me this way without my prompting. I’m thinking, ‘Holy smokes.’ Here’s a group of kids who love each other and love the school.”
Matt believes strongly that these are the types of characteristics that will help maintain winning programs established by the accomplished Kregg Einspahr, who spent 24 years growing Concordia cross country and track and field. Matt is keenly aware of the history of success. He knows he’s following in the footsteps of a coach whose achievements are unmatched at Concordia. Those are significant shoes to fill. Says Matt, “We want to take what Coach Einspahr has done and just build upon the awesomeness that exists already.”
Matt has a lot to sell for programs that have produced two team national titles over the past two years while fostering national-best results in the classroom. Concordia also boasts some of the best facilities in comparison to its closest rivals. But Matt insists that the two oversized red banners hanging up in the Fieldhouse are not at the top of his recruiting pitch.
“I honestly don’t talk a lot about statistics,” Matt said. “I think eventually it will come up in the conversation because a kid will ask, ‘Is your team any good?’ But I really don’t bring that up a ton. It speaks for itself. I always tell that athletes that the most important thing you need to know about is that you’re going to have a place that you’re going to have an incredibly close team with great coaches with phenomenal records in what they’ve been able to do with athletes. The environment at Concordia is unique in a particular way.”
That uniqueness has a lot to do with why Matt is back. The family loved Phoenix. It was to be there home. Happiness and contentment had settled in. Why Concordia? Why now?
“I prayed a lot about this,” Matt said. “I want this to be good for my family.”
So far so good. God had a plan for the Beisels – and for the chickens.
Cross country adjusts to new era Sept. 9, 2016
“Wow, end of an era,” Matt Beisel remembered thinking when he first heard the news that Kregg Einspahr had stepped away from his post as head coach for Concordia cross country and track and field. Both programs had taken the shape crafted and molded by Einspahr over a 24-year period.
Replacing a man who won a combined 16 conference titles and two national championships is no easy task. But Beisel, a 1992 graduate, is off to a good start. Most recently the track and cross country coach at Valley Lutheran High School in Phoenix, Ariz., Beisel has brought an approach centered upon team and faith building.
He insists that his No. 1 priority is to know his athletes. How much can he push them? What is their class load like? What is their greatest potential? Beisel’s athletes have responded well to their new leader.
“He teaches and coaches differently than Coach Einspahr did,” senior Chris Shelton said. “It’s been great so far getting to know him. A lot of us didn’t meet him until the first day on campus, which was also our first day of practice. All of our practices have gone really well. We’re having a great preseason.”
Now in week three of practice, both cross country squads are progressing and working towards goals of top-three GPAC team finishes. Everyone’s becoming more accustomed to life with a new head coach. The athletes have gotten over the shockwaves that hit them this past April.
Junior Emily Sievert, a 2015 national qualifier, followed in the footsteps of her older brother Ben in coming to Concordia to run. She expected to be coached by Einspahr for her entire career, but she and her teammates had another thing coming.
“That was kind of hard because it was something new to all of us,” Emily Seivert said. “We had been talking about the next seasons and everything. It was hard now envisioning those seasons with a coach we didn’t even know yet. We were bummed about it. We all loved Coach Einspahr. We were disappointed but also we knew had to keep on going. We had to give the new coach the benefit of the doubt and keep giving it our all.”
One way Beisel has attempted to bring his athletes closer together is through the implementation of more team gatherings. Athletes are strongly encouraged to attend “team time” on Monday nights and to engage in team prayer and group cheers.
In addition, Beisel is a proponent of consistent one-on-one communication. This past summer he spent hours upon hours talking to individuals on the phone. Beisel is undoubtedly a people person focused on building relationships that will be mutually beneficial.
“Whether you’re an All-American, a national champion or what we call a developmental athlete, it’s my intention to sit down and have goal meetings with everybody,” Beisel said. “I want to learn what your motivation is and what contributions you can make to the team. We want to do everything we can as coaches to help them grow and to be there for them.”
Beisel is also a meticulous planner and one keenly aware of what the stopwatch is saying. The stopwatch is a guide used to design training workouts catered to each individual.
“One difference is that Coach Beisel likes to lay everything out for us the week before and have everything scheduled out,” Shelton said. “Coach Einspahr just kind of felt things out and went with the flow of things as we went. I think both strategies definitely work. We’ve already gotten some quality speed workouts in and some long runs that everybody’s really benefiting from. You can already see people getting better.”
Still, it’s a work in progress as Concordia preps for Saturday’s (Sept. 10) Blue-White run on campus. But there’s a healthy attitude on both sides of the coin and the type of optimism and anxiousness that comes with the dawning of a new season. Beisel is bursting with excitement. You know that if you’ve paid attention to his Facebook page.
While it’s going to be strange not to see Einspahr hollering encouragement at Concordia runners, it’s time for a new era to begin.
“Coach Einspahr had been here for so long,” Shelton said. “We had gotten to know him so well, and I think everybody had a pretty close relationship with him. That was kind of hard. Then we had to trust the athletic department that they would find somebody good to replace him to fill his big shoes. I think everybody is pretty happy with Coach Beisel.”
Added Sievert, “The way Coach Beisel has nurtured the team atmosphere has been great to see. The individual attention he gives to us as students and athletes has been really cool.”
Beisel’s caring approach in regards to each individual athlete was influenced in part by longtime University of Arkansas cross country and track coach John McDonnell.
“I sat down and just picked John McDonnell’s mind,” Beisel said. “What he said over and over was, ‘know your boys’ in that Irish accent of his. That really stuck with me. The trust that needs to develop between me and the athletes is the most important thing.”
Season preview: 2016 cross country Sept. 12, 2016
MEN Head Coach : Matt Beisel (1st year) 2015 Finish : 4th in GPAC Key Returners : Evan Asche (So.); Christian Egger (Sr.); Kohlton Gabehart (Jr.); Isaac Golke (So.); Cameron Moes (So.); Chris Shelton (Sr.); Thomas Taylor (So.); Patrick Wortmann (Jr.). Key Newcomers : Robbie Peterson; Chris Warneke. Key Losses : Taylor Mueller; Jordan Potrzeba. 2015 GPAC All-Conference : Jordan Potrzeba.
WOMEN Head Coach : Matt Beisel (1st year) 2015 Finish : 5th in GPAC Key Returners : Taylor Grove (So.); Jacy Johnston (So.); Abby Protzman (So.); Emily Sievert (Jr.); Emily Writebol (So.). Key Newcomers : Liliana Barrientos; Paige Borcherding; Savannah Dietz; Rebekah Hinrichs; Erin Lindeman; Miranda Rathjen; Marti Vlasin; Emily Wetzel. Key Losses : Megan Burma; Jordyn Sturms; Kim Wood. 2015 GPAC All-Conference : Emily Sievert; Jordyn Sturms; Kim Wood.
Season Outlook This past April Concordia’s revered cross country and track and field programs received a shakeup when the athletic department announced that Kregg Einspahr had accepted a full-time teaching role, ending his impressive 24-year run as head coach. The resignation of a man who successfully, brick-by-brick, constructed conference championship and national runner-up and even national title track teams sent shockwaves through some who had followed the programs.
Meanwhile in Phoenix, Ariz., Matt Beisel felt content as a teacher and coach at Valley Lutheran High School. Beisel, a 1992 Concordia graduate, saw the press release about Einspahr and posted it on his Facebook page. “Wow, end of an era,” Beisel remembers thinking.
Roughly five months later a new era has begun with Beisel now at the controls. The former head track and field coach at Concordia University-Chicago has hit the ground running. Firstly, he really just wanted to get to know his new athletes, so he devoted hours and hours to talking on the phone with them throughout the summer.
“The main thing is getting to know my kids. That’s the most important thing,” Biesel said. “How do their brains work? How can I get them to know each other more deeply? Through that process I get to know them. Obviously there’s the training part of it. Relationships and trust that need to develop between me and the athletes is the most important thing.”
Though cross country is an individual sport by nature, Beisel has placed a premium upon team building and cultivation of faith. Beisel’s approach, though differing in some ways, has been met positively by Bulldog runners, including the upperclassmen who came to Concordia expecting to compete for Einspahr for four years.
“Things have been great so far,” said senior Chris Shelton, “Everything is a transition so it’s good for us to get used to practice running a different way. He teaches and coaches differently than Coach Einspahr did. It’s been great so far getting to know him. A lot of us didn’t meet him until the first day on campus, which was also our first day of practice. All of our practices have gone really well. We’re having a great preseason.”
Top returning runner Emily Sievert, an individual national qualifier in 2015, admits that the transition takes some getting used to. However, practices have been energetic and the athletes are responding well to how Beisel has pushed them and the training plans he has designed specifically for individuals.
“The energy has been great,” Sievert said. “Coach Beisel does a great job motivating the team. He has done an awesome job working through the transition. With everything new I think it’s hard for all the returners. It’s a transition for us as well. I think everyone has a good attitude about it and is up for training hard.”
Now in week four of the school year, Beisel has a much better handle on what to expect for his teams and individual runners. He believes that if things break right, top-three GPAC finishes and team national championships berths are possible. From 1994 to 2014, one or both of Concordia’s cross country teams qualified for nationals each season. After missing out on team berths in 2015, the Bulldogs would delight in making a return to the national stage.
One thing working in their favor is the addition of athletes from the Concordia track team that are now trying their hand – or legs – in cross country. While Sievert, who placed 11th at the 2015 GPAC championships, is expected to be the team’s frontrunner, senior Marti Vlasin has been right on her tail during practices. The Seward native has not run cross country since high school, but has the ability to provide a big boost on the women’s side and help make up for the loss of 2015 national qualifier Kim Wood.
There are other solid runners next in line such as sophomores Taylor Grove, Jacy Johnston and Abby Protzman. Among them, Grove is the highest ranking in terms of 2015 GPAC placement. She finished 40th at last year’s conference championships. The women’s team also includes promising freshmen such as Rebekah Hinrichs, Erin Lindeman and Miranda Rathjen.
“I think our team was a little disappointed with fifth place so (top three in the conference) is a good goal to aim at,” Sievert said. “Nationals was an awesome experience and it would be great if more of us could go. That’s what we’re training for and training towards.”
On the men’s side, the quartet of juniors Kohlton Gabehart and Pat Wortmann and sophomores Evan Asche and Thomas Taylor have formed a pack at the top of the heap. Then there’s another tier that includes Shelton and four sophomores in Sam Ferguson, Nathan Matters, Josiah McAllister and Cameron Moes. Both Matters and McAllister are in their first seasons as cross country performers after having already been members of Concordia’s track and field teams.
Shelton placed 27th at the 2015 GPAC championships while Moes (31st), Taylor (32nd), Wortmann (45th), Gabehart (50th) and Asche (55th) were next in line for the Bulldogs. The biggest loss for the men is Jordan Potrzeba, who was a sixth-place GPAC finisher and a national qualifier in 2015.
Shelton says Beisel’s manner of laying out a training schedule the week prior has been a change, but one that has worked out well. According to Shelton, “You can already see people getting better.”
Added Shelton, “I think we’re going to be starting fairly similar to where we were at the beginning of last season. I think we’ve got a chance to finish a little better. Some of the guys we have were freshmen last year. Thomas Taylor and Evan Asche were both freshmen last year and have made big contributions. I think they both have a chance of making even bigger contributions this year. We’ve also got guys like Patrick Wortmann and Kohlton Gabehart who are really coming on strong.”
Early returns at the Blue-White Alumni run on Sept. 10 were encouraging. At the unofficial meet, Sievert paced the women and Gabehart outkicked his men’s teammates. The season will officially get underway on Saturday at the Hastings College Bronco Invite.
Though the head coach may have changed, Beisel and his runners expect to uphold the program’s prestigious stature.
Says Shelton, “I think Concordia is a school everybody knows about as a place that has competitive running programs. It’s really important to myself and the team to carry that on. When we’re competing against GPAC schools and others in the nation we want them to recognize us for what we’ve been traditionally and what we are competitively at the time. We want to keep that going.”
Beisel-led Bulldogs make debut Sept. 17, 2016
HASTINGS, Neb. – A new era of Concordia University cross country officially got started on Saturday at the Bronco Stampede hosted by Hastings College. The Bulldog men placed second among six teams while the women finished third out of seven squads. First-year head coach Matt Beisel took a total of 23 runners to the season-opening meet that featured a men’s 8K and women’s 5K.
Beisel expressed pride in how his runners responded to the first outing of 2016. The invite at Hastings came a week following the annual Blue-White alumni run.
“We are working through the most strenuous and taxing six weeks of training, both on the field and in the weight room,” Beisel said. “I told them that they would be fatigued and sore when they stepped up to the starting line today, and that they would all run very good races anyways. After the races were run and the finish line was crossed, my words became prophetic as almost every single one of our runners had huge season bests or all-time personal records.”
The men finished just two points out of first-place in a field that included several GPAC rivals as well as some junior colleges. Two Concordia men turned in top-five finishes amongst 56 total runners. Patrick Wortmann placed fourth in a time of 27:11.67 (personal best) and Kohlton Gabehart finished fifth by clocking in at 27:13.09. Thomas Taylor (27:47.12), Chris Shelton (28:00.88) and Evan Asche (28:03.40) were next in line for the Bulldogs, who traveled 13 men to Hastings.
The third-place Concordia women were two points behind the runner up at the meet. Returning all-conference and national qualifying performer Emily Sievert paced the Bulldogs with a time of 19:11.88, good for third place. Taylor Grove also notched a top-10 finish, clocking in at 20:00.59. In her first-ever collegiate cross country race, senior Marti Vlasin finished in 20:16.92 and placed 11th. A clear-cut top-six was established at the meet. Concordia’s Nos. 4, 5 and 6 runners were Abby Protzman (20:29.63), Rebekah Hinrichs (20:44.16) and Jacy Johnston (20:47.48).
In relation to GPAC competition, the men beat out Hastings and Mount Marty. The women bested Mount Marty and College of Saint Mary.
The Bulldogs will be at another meet hosted by a GPAC school next Saturday when they take part in the Dean White Invite staged by Doane University. The meet will get underway at 10 a.m.
Sievert, Wortmann pace Bulldogs at Dean White Invite Sept. 24, 2016
CRETE, Neb. – After weeks of grueling training sessions, including amped up weight lifting and added mileage in practices, the Bulldogs took on the Dean White Invitational. The men placed second overall and the women ended up placing third after Hastings and Doane.
Head coach Matt Beisel was especially proud of the men today as they were only a few points short of Doane.
“Pretty much the whole front pack was primarily Concordia guys and Doane guys mixed up with a few Hastings guys thrown in,” said Beisel, a 1992 graduate of Concordia who is in his first year of coaching the Bulldogs. “We did really well against everybody else, but Doane ended up taking it. I was really happy that our guys ran as well as they did.”
A challenging course was not going to stop Emily Wetzel from achieving her personal best of 23:26.02. Other Concordia standouts included Emily Sievert (20:25.49), Taylor Grove (20:32.09), Marti Vlasin (21:16.72), Abby Protzman (21:28.19) and Jacy Johnston (21:38.82) for the women. Sievert placed eighth and Grove placed ninth in today’s race.
The top five for our Concordia men included Patrick Wortmann (27:54.89), Kohlton Gabehart (28:02.63), Evan Asche (28:31.17), Thomas Taylor (28:39.15) and Christopher Shelton (28:49.86). Wortmann, sixth, and Gabehart, ninth, represented Concordia in the top ten.
The Bulldogs will run their next race in Sioux City, Iowa on Oct. 8 at the Briar Cliff University Invite. The race will begin at 10 a.m.
Cross Country takes off into the woods at the Briar Cliff Invitational Oct. 8, 2016
NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. – Concordia cross country took a road trip to the Adams Nature Reserve this homecoming weekend for the Briar Cliff Cross Country Invitational. The men and women made their way out to North Sioux City, S.D., and finished seventh overall for the men and eighth overall for the women.
Beisel was pleased with how his runners competed after their sixth week of very intense training, and Shelbi Hackbart made her Bulldog debut on this fast-paced course, placing third among the other Concordia women.
“Out of our 13 women, 10 of them had all-time personal bests,” said Beisel. “And three of them had important season bests. On the guy’s side 50 percent of our guys had all-time personal bests. Almost all of the rest had huge season bests.”
The Bulldogs typically do well on this course and today proved to be no different as the women beat out Midland, Mount Marty, St. Mary, Dakota Wesleyan and Briar Cliff. The men went on to place ahead of Hastings, Dakota Wesleyan, Mount Marty and Briar Cliff from the GPAC.
Bulldog standouts for the women included Taylor Grove (18:53.56), Emily Sievert (19:05.34), Shelbi Hackbart (19:32.26), Marti Vlasin (19:55.31) and Jacy Johnston (19:58.72).
Top five for the Concordia men included Kohlton Gabehart (26:50.50), Thomas Taylor (26:51.48), Patrick Wortmann (27:01.00), Evan Asche (27:35.76) and Cameron Moes (27:52.50).
The Bulldogs will make their next appearance at the Mt. Mercy University Seminole Valley Stampede in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Oct. 22. The runners take off at 11:30 a.m.
Sievert paces Bulldogs at Seminole Valley Stampede Oct. 22, 2016
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – After an overnight stay in eastern Iowa, the Concordia University cross country teams galloped to nine personal bests while finishing in fifth place on the women’s side and 12th on the men’s side at Saturday’s Seminole Valley Stampede hosted by Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids. The event featured 25 men’s teams and 25 women’s teams.
The race marked the fourth time out for first-year head coach Matt Beisel’s squads. Beisel has seen his teams improve their fitness and results throughout the season.
“I was very pleased,” Beisel said. “Our athletes are physically in the best shape of their lives. Today was about, can you make your mind do what it needs to do? I think there’s that realization that their bodies can handle it. They have to be able to push themselves through discomfort and keep focused on the target of who they’re running with. Some people were able to put that piece of the puzzle together today. They’re all right there.”
Junior Emily Sievert enjoyed a breakthrough performance, placing fifth out of 214 competitors in the women’s 5K race. She shaved more than 30 seconds off her time from her previous outing by clocking in at 18:32 on Saturday morning. Sievert was just 20 seconds off an all-time personal best. Her performance helped the Bulldogs beat out conference rival Midland (12th) and 19 other NAIA schools.
“Emily, two weeks ago ran a pretty good race. It was a season best,” Beisel said. “But she was very disappointed because she got done and was like, ‘That didn’t hurt as bad as it could have. I could have run a much better race.’ Armed with that knowledge, she got out strong from the start and pushed herself into that discomfort zone and ended up in fifth place.”
Making up the rest of the Concordia women’s top five at Seminole Valley Park were Shelbi Hackbart (19:36, 35th), Taylor Grove (19:42, 38th), Abby Protzman (20:03, 58th) and Rebekah Hinrichs (20:08, 63rd). Jacy Johnston was just behind Hinrichs, finishing in 20:10. Twelve total runners represented the Bulldog women’s team. Concordia may have finished even higher had senior Marti Vlasin been able to run on Saturday.
The men were led again by junior Patrick Wortmann, who placed 33rd with an 8K time of 26:19. That mark was a season best by more than 40 seconds. Also running in Concordia’s top five were Thomas Taylor (26:50, 53rd), Chris Shelton (27:25, 88th), Kohlton Gabehart (27:30, 91st) and Cameron Moes (27:37, 95th). Just like in the women’s race, the field included two other GPAC teams: Doane and Midland.
The Bulldogs now have two weeks to prep for the GPAC championships, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 5 at Hastings. Concordia will be back on the same course it ran at the Bronco Stampede on Sept. 17. The Concordia men placed second out of six teams and the women were third among seven squads at the Bronco Stampede.
Concordia readies for GPAC championships Nov. 2, 2016
SEWARD, Neb. – The week of the GPAC championships has arrived for first-year head coach Matt Beisel and his Concordia University cross country programs. Currently ranked sixth on both sides in the official GPAC ratings, the Bulldogs believe they’re ready to peak at the right time. The 2016 GPAC Cross Country Championships will get started with the women’s 5K race at 10:45 a.m. at Elks Golf Club in Hastings, Neb. The men’s 8K race will follow at 11:30 a.m.
Both teams last competed at the Seminole Valley Stampeded held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Oct. 22.
“I feel very confident about both the men’s and the women’s teams being ready to run their very best,” Beisel said. “I inherited these kids and I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of kids. They have worked their tails off and done all of the things they’re supposed to. We have come through the season with probably the highest volume and intensity training that any of them have done, but we did it carefully.
“Fitness-wise they’re in the best shape of their lives. Now it’s just a matter of confidence to put themselves out there, take some risks and run like they’re capable.”
Among the 27 total Bulldogs to compete throughout the 2016 cross country season, 10 (seven men, three women) have prior experience at the GPAC championships. Most accomplished among them is junior Emily Sievert, who placed 11th at the 2015 conference meet, allowing her to earn all-GPAC honors and a trip to nationals as an individual qualifier. On the men’s side, Chris Shelton’s 27th-place 2015 GPAC finish ranks best among the returners. However, Patrick Wortmann has made some of the largest strides. His season best of 26:19 is tops on the team.
Concordia cross country developed a strong tradition as a conference power during previous head coach Kregg Einspahr’s 24-year tenure. During that time, the men’s and women’s cross country programs claimed a combined nine GPAC/Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference championships. The most recent conference championship for the men occurred in 2012. The women last won the GPAC title in 2005.
In this year’s race, the favorites for the title are No. 16 Northwestern on the men’s side and No. 19 Dordt on the women’s side. Both Bulldog teams entered the year hopeful of top three conference finishes. They will have to be at their best to make that happen.
“The big question is going to be: can our athletes have their best day and will our best be better than the teams we’re competing against?” That’s the big question,” Biesel said. “It’s always exciting and nerve-racking at the same time.”
Biesel believes roughly five of his runners have the potential to earn individual berths to nationals. Based on 2016 season bests, the men’s clear top three has been Wortmann, Thomas Taylor and Kohlton Gabehart. On the flip side, Sievert and Taylor Grove have separated themselves among Concordia female competitors.
Concordia is familiar with the Elks Golf Club course having run it at the Bronco Stampede back on Sept. 17. Due to the operation of the golf course, runners will not be able to run at Elks the night prior to the GPAC championships. This could be a bonus for Concordia, which already knows the course.
“We’re familiar with the course,” Biesel said. “(The Bronco Stampede) was a race where they ran really well. I think that will give them confidence going in. Mentally we should be more prepared so it’s less important for us to get on the course the night before.”
A theme talked about by Biesel and his teams is “trust in God above all else.” Biesel believes a trust in God and in the training his athletes have put in will make a difference on Saturday. Should any Bulldog teams or individuals qualify, they would earn trips to the NAIA Cross Country National Championships at North Farm Course in Elsah, Ill, on Saturday, Nov. 19.
MEN Patrick Wortmann – season best: 26:19 | 2015 GPAC finish: 27:51 (45th) Thomas Taylor – season best: 26:50 | 2015 GPAC finish: 27:30 (32nd) Kohlton Gabehart – season best: 26:51 | 2015 GPAC finish: 28:00 (50th) Chris Shelton – season best: 27:25 | 2015 GPAC finish: 27:13 (27th) Evan Asche – season best: 27:36 | 2015 GPAC finish: 28:13 (55th) Cameron Moes – season best: 27:37 | 2015 GPAC finish: 27:29 (31st) Josiah McAllister – season best: 27:41 Samuel Ferguson – season best: 30:37 Nathan Matters – season best: 30:46 Robbie Peterson – season best: 30:53 Chris Warneke – season best: 32:57 Christian Egger – season best: 32:35 | 2015 GPAC finish: 31:05 (89th) Isaac Golke – season best: 34:26 John Vecera – season best: 34:33
WOMEN Emily Sievert – season best: 18:32 | 2015 GPAC finish: 19:01 (11th) Taylor Grove – season best: 18:54 | 2015 GPAC finish: 20:03 (40th) Shelbi Hackbart – season best: 19:32 Marti Vlasin – season best: 19:55 Jacy Johnston – season best: 19:59 | 2015 GPAC finish: 21:02.93 (63rd) Abby Protzman – season best: 20:03 Rebekah Hinrichs – season best: 20:08 Erin Lindeman – season best: 21:20 Miranda Rathjen – season best: 21:30 Emily Writebol – season best: 21:48 Emily Wetzel – season best: 22:33 Paige Borcherding – season best: 22:48 Liliana Barrientos – season best: 25:05
Sievert, Wortmann pace sixth-place GPAC finishers Nov. 5, 2016
HASTINGS, Neb. – Ranked sixth in the GPAC for both men and women entering the race, the Concordia University cross country teams simply validated that rating. Paced by juniors Emily Sievert and Pat Wortmann, Concordia’s men’s and women’s teams placed sixth at Saturday morning’s GPAC championships held at Elks Country Club in Hastings, Neb.
The men finished with a total of 169 while the women finished with 153. Conference championships were claimed by the Northwestern men and Morningside women.
“Our efforts were truly great, just not enough to break into the upper echelons of the GPAC,” said first-year head coach Matt Beisel. “We are not satisfied with sixth, but we have a young team (will lose only two senior men and one senior woman), a year to work and prepare and a swiftly growing awesome recruiting class. I was truly pleased with our season and I think our teams were, too.”
Sievert clocked in at 18:20.96, allowing her to place ninth and to lock up all-conference honors, which require a top-15 finish. Her performance gives her an outside shot at earning a bid to the national championships. An official announcement will come on Sunday.
Sievert was just nine seconds off a personal best at the tail end of a week that had her on crutches due to a bone bruise in her knee. Said Beisel, “For her to accomplish what she did was extraordinary.”
Of the 20 Bulldogs to compete in Hastings, 17 ran either season or personal bests. On the men’s side, Wortmann’s time of 26:42.80 put him in 28th place out of 89 competitors in the 8K race. He narrowly beat out teammate Thomas Taylor, who finished 29th (26:42.80). The team’s top-seven runners were separated by only 56 seconds. The rest of the men’s top five included Kohlton Gabehart (36th, 27:04.93), Evan Asche (42nd, 27:19.56) and Chris Shelton (44th, 27:20.89).
The Bulldog women were slightly more spread apart with 1:45 representing the gap between Sievert and the team’s No. 5 runner. University of Nebraska-Kearney transfer Shelbi Hackbart came in next in line with a 29th-place time of 19:05.58 on the 5K course. The rest of the women’s top five was made up of Taylor Grove (31st, 19:07.69), Marti Vlasin (44th, 19:50.07) and Jacy Johnston (20:01.87).
Unless Sievert receives an invite to nationals, the Concordia cross country season has come to an end. The GPAC championships marked the fifth meet of the 2016 season for the Bulldogs.
Sievert named cross country national qualifier Nov. 8, 2016
SEWARD, Neb. – For the second-straight year, junior Emily Sievert has earned an individual berth to the NAIA Cross Country National Championships. The native of Frankenmuth, Mich., placed ninth at last week’s GPAC championships by running a 5k time of 18:20.96. As the lone qualifier from head coach Matt Beisel’s programs, Sievert will be part of the national field that will run at North Farm Course in Elsah, Ill., on Saturday Nov. 19. The women’s race is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. CST.
In her first taste of nationals in 2015, Sievert finished in 159th place after clocking in at 19:27.3. Last season’s meet was held in Charlotte, N.C., where Sievert was joined by Jordan Potrzeba and Kim Wood.
This season Sievert has paced the Bulldogs at four of five meets. She has also claimed four top-10 finishes in 2016. Her time at the GPAC championships was a season best by nearly 12 seconds and came in just short of an all-time personal best. That performance allowed her to move up two spots from her 11th-place GPAC finish as a sophomore in 2015 when she also took home all-conference recognition.
This marks the sixth-straight year that Concordia cross country has sent a Sievert to nationals. Emily’s brother Ben competed at the national championships all four years of his career. He was a member of the 2012 GPAC championship team and earned All-America honors in 2013 when he placed 19th at the national championships.
For more information on the 2016 NAIA Women’s Cross Country National Championships, click HERE .
Four Concordia runners land Scholar-Athlete honors Nov. 18, 2016
SEWARD, Neb. – A quartet of Concordia University cross country runners earned 2016 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete recognition, as announced by the NAIA on Friday (Nov. 18). Representing head coach Matt Beisel’s Bulldogs on the list of honorees are repeat award winners in seniors Christian Egger, Angie Steinbacher and Marti Vlasin. Junior Emily Sievert is a Scholar-Athlete for the first time.
In order to be nominated by an institution’s head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved a junior academic status. A total of 335 women’s cross country and 222 men’s cross country student-athletes across the nation were named 2016 scholar-athletes by the NAIA.
Concordia University ranks as the NAIA’s all-time leader in number of Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes with 1,210 and counting. The 2015-16 season produced a GPAC best 92 Bulldog scholar-athletes and a national best 20 NAIA Scholar-Teams. The 2014-15 season culminated with GPAC-leading totals of 94 Bulldog scholar-athletes and 17 NAIA Scholar-Teams. During the 2013-14 academic year, Concordia garnered 101 Scholar-Athlete honorees (most in the NAIA) and 17 NAIA Scholar-Teams (tied for fourth nationally).
2016 Cross Country Scholar-Athletes Christian Egger, Sr. | Galva, Iowa | Secondary Education Emily Sievert, Jr. | Frankenmuth, Mich. | Secondary Education Angie Steinbacher, Sr. | St. Charles, Mo. | Elementary Education Marti Vlasin, Sr. | Seward, Neb. | Middle Level Education
Sievert clocks in at 19:28 at NAIA national championships Nov. 19, 2016
ELSAH, Ill. – Emily Sievert’s preparation for nationals was unlike that of any other competitor at the 2016 NAIA Cross Country National Championships, which were held at North Farm Course in Elsah, Ill., on Saturday morning. Despite rarely running over the past four weeks, Sievert managed to finish the 5k race in 19:28.88, placing her 195th among the 334 runners in the field.
Sievert’s determination impressed first-year head coach Matt Beisel. Two weeks earlier Sievert placed ninth at the GPAC championships while battling a nagging bone bruise on her knee that has forced her to walk with crutches.
“She’s very gritty and has a strong mind and a will that she was going to get this done one way or another,” Beisel said. “Looking at the history of Sieverts running for Concordia, you can see it repeated here like it was with her brother (Ben). We’re going to give her some rest after this. She was going to do everything she could to make it happen. The fact that she ran under 19:30 through tough pain is a testament to her strong will. There was a lot of prayer lifting her up.”
Sievert’s workouts prior to nationals consisted of routines on treadmills and ellipticals and in pools. The lone Concordia national qualifier, Sievert traveled to the St. Louis area along with Beisel, assistant coach Mark Samuels and teammate Taylor Grove. Said Beisel of Sievert, “We’re really proud of her.”
Sievert was the biggest standout for Concordia cross country programs that both finished sixth in the GPAC this season. Based on the improvements and season and personal bests that were typical of the campaign, Beisel has high hopes for what the future will bring.
“I’m very encouraged by what our returners are going to be capable of next year,” Beisel said. “If we add a great recruiting class to that, it’s going to be something to get excited about.”
Grove and Evan Asche will compete at the half marathon hosted by Midland on Saturday, Dec. 3, in a race that will signal the start of the track and field season.
'Gritty' Sievert throws crutches aside, shows championship mettle Nov. 29, 2016
Relax and go eat some bonbons. That’s what a proud Matt Beisel told junior Emily Sievert soon after the completion of another grueling cross country season. Like many runners do, Sievert had persevered through the challenges that were thrown her way.
There’s tough and then there’s Sievert, who would have likely found the finish line at the national championships even if she had been mauled by a lion halfway through. Said Beisel, “She’s very gritty and has a very, very strong mind and a will that she was going to get this done one way or another.”
The day prior to the 2016 NAIA Cross Country National Championships, which were contested on Nov. 19, Sievert trudged around St. Louis on crutches while making her way to the famed Gateway Arch. That’s right, the lone Concordia national qualifier had difficulty simply walking without discomfort surfacing due to the bone bruise on her knee.
By this point, Sievert had already proven she could accomplish impressive feats, no matter the knee flare ups. A native of Frankenmuth, Mich., Sievert ran roughly one measly mile during the week leading up to the GPAC championship race. This wasn’t normal for someone accustomed to 50-mile weeks.
“A lot of it was just mentally accepting that I was not at my peak physical condition that I would have desired to be at,” Sievert said. “I probably wasn’t prepared for the best race of my life, but what I could control, I had controlled. Part of that took away some of my nerves. I was like, ‘You’ve done everything you can to get here. The rest of it’s just going to happen.’ With racing it’s a lot of adrenaline that takes over. You know that it’s going to hurt afterwards. It’s probably going to hurt during, but that’s what you train for.”
As Beisel put it, Sievert “literally took four weeks off of running.” Not exactly the ideal course of action for someone hopeful of a second-straight trip to nationals. But Sievert showed championship mettle, finishing the GPAC championships with a season best 5k time of 18:20.96, placing her ninth to lock up all-conference recognition. Two days later Sievert was officially named to the national qualifying field.
What had occurred was improbable to be sure. From crutches to all-conference to national qualifier. That’s Sievert’s journey.
“It was really exciting to be able to get to that point even though my training hadn’t been where I wanted it to be,” Sievert said. “You work so hard for something and you don’t want to miss out on it. I felt like no matter what I could still be happy with that performance and with what I gave. I didn’t hold anything back. That was the biggest part going into the race – deciding that I wasn’t going to give up.”
So how exactly does one prepare for a race when you can’t actually, you know, run? As part of her unique routine, Sievert regularly used an AlterG treadmill that reduced the amount of weight and stress placed upon her knee. She also performed elliptical workouts, rode on a bike and even jumped into a YMCA pool while wearing an aqua vest that allowed her to simulate running as closely as possible.
Once again, the two weeks between the GPAC championships and the national championships involved virtually no actual running. Neither athletic trainer Stacy Dahlkoetter nor Concordia team physician Dr. Doug Tewes would allow it due to the inflamed knee. Sievert had to stay off her feet as much as possible.
“When the trainers tell you no, then it’s time to figure out a different strategy,” Sievert said. “They had me on crutches. I was doing elliptical training. I did a lot of swim workouts. You don’t cover near the mileage in a pool as you would running. You try to keep the running form and the cardio up, but nothing’s an actual representation of running.”
The pain was worse at the national championships. There were no issues cardio-wise, but Sievert admits that the knee hurt “pretty bad,” but she hadn’t yet crossed the finish line. There was no stopping now. According to Beisel, Sievert briefly passed out just after finishing the national championship course in 19:28.
In some ways, the time was irrelevant. It was a heroic effort that surely brought pride to current teammate Taylor Grove and former teammates and recent graduates Erika Schroeder and Kim Wood, all of whom were there at North Farm Course in Elsah, Ill., in a show of support. The appearances of Schroeder and Wood came as a complete surprise to Sievert. Said the two-time all-conference performer, “That’s such an incredible and humbling thing. I’ve just had endless people that are so encouraging and supporting.”
It’s not difficult to be encouraging and supportive of someone with the drive, the spirit and the personality of Sievert. On the surface, Sievert’s 195th-place finish may not seem worth celebrating, but those who understand her story know better than that.
Says Biesel, “That fact that she ran a respectable time through really tough pain is a testament to her strong will. We’re really proud of her.”
Now in a period of rest and recovery, Sievert is looking forward to indoor track, which she calls her “favorite season.” There are more barriers to navigate, but don’t count her out. Says Sievert, “I know I’ll be out there at some point. Hopefully sooner rather than later.”