ROSTER | PDF

2018 Meet Results

Augustana Twilight Meet (Aug. 31) | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Yankton Trail Park | Results

Hastings Bronco Stampede (Sept. 15) | Hastings, Neb. | Lake Hastings Park | Results

Dean White Invitational (Sept. 22) | Crete, Neb. | Results

Briar Cliff Invitational (Oct. 6) | North Sioux City, S.D. | Adams Nature Preserve | Results

Seminole Valley Stampede (Oct. 20) | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Noelridge Park | Results

GPAC Championships (Nov. 3) | North Bend, Neb. | North Bend Golf Course | Results

NAIA National Championships (Nov. 16) | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Seminole Valley Park | Results

2018 Roster

Men	Year	Hometown	Previous School
Brayden Adams	Fr.	Omaha, Neb.	Elkhorn HS
Evan Asche	Sr.	Omaha, Neb.	Elkhorn South HS
Keaton Burgess	Fr.	Red Cloud, Neb.	Red Cloud HS
Sam Ferguson	Sr.	Pilger, Neb.	Wisner-Pilger HS
Isaac Golke	Sr.	Milford, Iowa	Okoboji Community HS
Jayden Graham	So.	Yutan, Neb.	Yutan HS
Michael Leapley	Jr.	Milwaukee, Wis.	Milwaukee Lutheran HS
Wyatt Lehr	Fr.	Lamar, Colo.	Lamar HS
Jordan Lorenz	So.	Gretna, Neb.	Gretna HS
Nathan Matters	Sr.	Overland Park, Kan.	Olathe East HS
Josiah McAllister	Sr.	Atkinson, Neb.	West Holt HS
Cameron Moes	Sr.	Osmond, Neb.	Osmond HS
Ethan Pankow	Fr.	Milwaukee, Wis.	Milwaukee Lutheran HS
Zach Potratz	So.	Seward, Neb.	Seward HS
JP Reynolds	So.	Nuevo, Calif.	Woodcrest Christian School
Caleb Roberts	So.	Wamego, Kan.	Wamego HS
Patrick Schneeberger	So.	Raymore, Mo.	Summit Christian Academy
Thomas Taylor	Sr.	Papillion, Neb.	Papillion LaVista South HS
Aaron Tidyman	So.	Stromsburg, Neb.	Cross County HS
Christian Van Cleave	So.	Arvada, Colo.	Jefferson Academy
Christian Watters	So.	Panama, Neb.	Norris HS
Cody Williams	So.	Saint Peters, Mo.	Lutheran HS
Nicholas Zadar	So.	Boise, Idaho	Timberline HS

Women	Year	Hometown	Previous School
Amiah Akerson	Fr.	Pennock, Minn.	Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg HS
Ashleigh Baker	Fr.	Milford, Neb.	Milford Public Schools
Liliana Barrientos	Jr.	El Paso, Texas	Eastwood HS
Maddie Beran	So.	Grand Island, Neb.	Grand Island Northwest HS
Tori Beran	Sr.	Ord, Neb.	Ord HS
Alyssa Bierwagen	So.	Sioux Falls, S.D.	Roosevelt HS
Emily Boyer	So.	Mullen, Neb.	Mullen HS
Alia Brand	Fr.	Longmont, Colo.	Erie HS
Sydney Clark	So.	Clive, Iowa	Des Moines Christian HS
Lydia Cook	So.	Perryville, Mo.	Perryville HS
Abi DeLoach	Fr.	Kearney, Neb.	Kearney HS
Savannah Dietz	Jr.	Denver, Colo.	John F. Kennedy HS
Everett Elder	So.	Greeley, Colo.	Roosevelt HS
Alyssa Fye	So.	Randolph, Neb.	Randolph HS
Taylor Gipe	So.	Scottsbluff, Neb.	Scottsbluff HS
Kassidy Grosserode	So.	Neligh, Neb.	Neligh-Oakdale HS
Taylor Grove	Sr.	Billings, Mont.	Billings West HS
Rebekah Hinrichs	Jr.	Gladstone, Mo.	Lutheran High School of Kansas City
Jacy Johnston	Sr.	Westmoreland, Kan.	Rock Creek HS
Jessie Juergensen	Fr.	Cedarburg, Wis.	Living Word Lutheran HS
Erin Lindeman	Jr.	Sidney, Neb.	Sidney HS
Abigail Meier	Fr.	Lawrence, Kan.	Lawrence Free State HS
Abby Protzman	Sr.	Norfolk, Neb.	Norfolk HS
Miranda Rathjen	Jr.	Osceola, Neb.	Osceola HS
Hannah Rebmann	Jr.	Springfield, Mo.	Kickapoo HS / Pittsburg State University
Grace Thieme	So.	Columbia, Mo.	Calvary Lutheran
Kailey Weichel	Fr.	Plymouth, Neb.	Tri County HS

STAFF

Matt Beisel, Head Coach (3rd Year)

Mark Samuels, Assistant Coach

Season preview: 2018 Concordia cross country

Aug. 28, 2018

MEN
Head Coach: Matt Beisel (3rd year)
2017 Finish: 6th in GPAC
Key Returners: Evan Asche (Sr.); Jordan Lorenz (So.); Zach Potratz (So.); JP Reynolds (So.); Patrick Schneeberger (So.); Thomas Taylor (Sr.); Christian Van Cleave (So.); Christian Watters (So.); Cody Williams (So.).
Key Newcomers: Brayden Adams (Fr.); Keaton Burgess (Fr.); Wyatt Lehr (Fr.); Josiah McAllister (Sr.); Ethan Pankow (Fr.).
Key Losses: Kohlton Gabehart (Sr.); Pat Wortmann (Sr.).

WOMEN
Head Coach: Matt Beisel (3rd year)
2017 Finish: 5th in GPAC
Key Returners: Tori Beran (Sr.); Alyssa Bierwagen (So.); Emily Boyer (So.); Sydney Clark (So.); Lydia Cook (So.); Everett Elder (So.); Alyssa Fye (So.); Taylor Grove (Sr.); Rebekah Hinrichs (Jr.); Jacy Johnston (Sr.); Erin Lindeman (Jr.); Abby Protzman (Sr.); Miranda Rathjen (Jr.).
Key Newcomers: Ashleigh Baker (Fr.); Alia Brand (Fr.); Abi DeLoach (Fr.); Jessie Juergensen (Fr.); Abigail Meier (Fr.); Hannah Rebmann (Jr.); Kailey Weichel (Fr.).
Key Loss: Emily (Sievert) Deschaine.
2017 GPAC All-Conference/NAIA National Qualifier: Emily (Sievert) Deschaine.

Outlook
Though Concordia’s cross country squads remained in the middle of the pack of last season’s GPAC race, both programs have begun to trend in a positive direction. Now in his third season as head coach, Matt Beisel has a more experienced bunch on both sides. It’s been a process of rebuilding a foundation in hopes of getting back to being an annual championship contender.

Beisel and company believe that the improvements made during indoor and outdoor track, as well as another offseason of training, will show up in the results this fall. Both Bulldog squads will be more seasoned in 2018 after the influx of freshmen that came in a year ago.

“I feel like overall, numbers-wise, talent-wise and development-wise, our men and women are ahead of where they were the year before,” Beisel said. “And then I have to take into account how indoor and outdoor track went this last year. We saw improvements in so many of our distance athletes from where they were in the cross country season. We had several really talented, accomplished high school runners who by the last two meets of the season really started to figure it out. They ended up moving up and being high point scorers for us. I think those are some things that are going to effect this year in a positive way.”

The biggest name that has departed via graduation is Emily Deschaine, a three-time national qualifier and three-time All-GPAC performer. The good news is that senior Taylor Grove is healthy again after being sidelined last cross country season. She returned for track season and made her biggest impact during outdoor, winning a GPAC title in the 10,000 meters and qualifying for nationals in the marathon. She figures to be a strong contender for all-conference positioning this November.

Grove is one of the few veterans for a women’s team loaded with sophomores that now have an understanding of what it takes to compete at this level. One of those sophomores, Alyssa Fye, nearly garnered all-conference honors as a freshman. She placed 18th in the GPAC. Next in line in the conference race among Bulldogs were junior Rebekah Hinrichs (29th), sophomore Alyssa Bierwagen (40th) and sophomore Everett Elder (47th). Junior Miranda Rathjen placed second behind Grove at last week’s Blue-White run. She was followed by promising freshman Abi DeLoach, who finished third.

“We lost Emily Deschaine. We gained Taylor Grove,” Beisel said. “What is the rest of the team going to do to help make it all happen? We are in one of the most competitive conferences in the nation for men and women. There were also a lot freshmen and sophomores that ran extremely well for us. We’ve got to have all of our returning kids step it up. They know that. They’re going to have to run the best races of their lives this fall for us to be a factor. With the freshmen, it’s a learning experience for them.”

The women’s program has also added a pair of upperclassmen to the 2018 roster. Beisel expects Hannah Rebmann, a transfer from NCAA Division II Pittsburg State University, to give his team a boost. Additionally, the Bulldogs welcome senior Tori Beran over to the cross country program this season. She’s been a key contributor in track and field and has experienced national championships as a member of 4x400 meter relay teams. There is also a group of seven freshmen, including DeLoach, beginning to acclimate to new surroundings.

All of these dynamics working in tandem seem to suggest that the Concordia women have a shot at outperforming their fifth-place GPAC finish from a year ago.

Says Grove, “Cross country is a pretty long season. Usually you’re racing about every other weekend. You don’t know after the first meet because there is so much improvement that happens from now until the beginning of November. People switch places all the time. Where people are at the beginning of the season definitely changes. Hopefully we’ll see some big improvements by the GPAC meet.”

On the men’s side, Thomas Taylor could be primed for all-conference accolades after narrowly missing out as a junior last season. Taylor has progressed steadily throughout his career in both cross country and track. Taylor has made three appearances at national championship meets as part of 4x800 meter relay squads. He paced the men’s cross country squad all of last fall, which culminated with him placing 18th at the conference meet.

The Bulldogs did graduate two runners (Kohlton Gabehart and Patrick Wortmann) from their top five at the GPAC championships, but are in a similar position as the women in terms of having a wealth of rising sophomores. Christian Van Cleave emerged last season with the top GPAC finish (38th) among the team’s freshmen. Other 2017 rookies such as Jordan Lorenz (54th), Christian Watters (64th), Cody Williams (70th), Patrick Schneeberger (71st) and JP Reynolds (76th) were also part of Concordia’s conference team.

“I’m convinced that we have the men and women on our team right now who can make a huge leap,” Beisel said. “As I have told them, and they have told me, none of us our satisfied if we’re outside the top three in conference. We’re not going to rest in anything until we are contending for a top spot. That could happen as early as this year. I certainly think that we have the people who can do it.”

Taylor and fellow senior Evan Asche (34th in the GPAC in 2017) are the most battle tested of any competitors in the program. This is it for them. They’re determined to make the most of it. A repeat of last year’s sixth-place conference finish won’t cut it this time around, at least in their eyes.

“I can’t say it was a letdown because I’m still proud of the guys and the work that they put in,” Taylor said. “Reflecting back on the first meet of the season we were almost first in the conference. We had beat a lot of GPAC teams and we were even racing at the conference championship course at Dordt. Knowing we didn’t do as well the second time around after all that training was kind of a bummer, but we also used that for motivation for this year. We’re going to put in the work and try to be a lot better than sixth this year.”

Taylor will be challenged for top honors on this year’s team. One of those challengers could be senior Josiah McAllister, who did not compete in cross country as a junior. McAllister established himself as one of the top middle distance and long distance runners in the track program and has the ability to be a factor at the conference level. McAllister sometimes trained with the cross country team last fall so there will be only minor adjustments for him. Says Beisel, “I think adding him to the mix is going to be a game changer. He’s a fierce competitor, very smart, team oriented and he’s a great leader. I think having him as a piece of the puzzle is going to open some eyes in the conference this year.”

Based upon the Blue-White run on Aug. 25, freshman Wyatt Lehr of Lamar, Colo., may be ready to contribute immediately. He beat out the entire field in the intrasquad meet. Another freshman in Ethan Pankow (Milwaukee, Wis.) finished inside the top 10 at the Blue-White race.

Perhaps this will be the year that Concordia cross country makes a big push at regaining its status as an elite program. Beisel knew it wouldn’t happen overnight, but the belief is that the Bulldogs can soon put an end to some of their droughts. Concordia last sent a team to the cross country national championships in 2013. It last won a conference championship in 2012.

“As far as my vision for where we are, it takes time,” Beisel said. “I want a closely-knit team family. I don’t think we’re exactly where we want to be, but we’re all making efforts to get there. I think our student-athletes are aware of it. A lot of them come talk to us as a staff and say, ‘Here are some ideas we want to do.’ As coaches, we’re going to continue to implement some things that will help connect the student-athletes together and help them be a team beyond anything they’ve ever been. It’s been great.”

Both squads are officially set to open up their 2018 seasons on Friday at the Augustana University Twilight at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls, S.D. The first race is set to go off at 8:30 p.m. CT.

Grove, Lehr pace Bulldogs at Augustana Twilight

Sep. 1, 2018

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Forty-five Bulldogs galloped underneath the lights in Sioux Falls, S.D., as part of a late night meet to open up the 2018 season. Senior Taylor Grove and freshman Wyatt Lehr paced the Concordia University cross country squads at the Augustana Twilight on Friday (Aug. 31). The Bulldogs placed 12th out of 25 teams on the women’s side and 16th out of 23 teams on the men’s side.

The meet was a change of pace for head coach Matt Beisel’s programs, which did not begin the 2017 season until Sept. 9. The Augustana Twilight featured competing institutions from the NAIA, NCAA Division I, II and III levels.

For Grove, the outing marked her first cross country meet since the 2016 GPAC championships. She returned from the injury that sidelined her last fall and ran a 19:23.67 on the 5K course. She placed 47th out of 277 runners. Followed by Grove in the team’s top seven were freshman Abi DeLoach (20:01.54; 84th), juniors Rebekah Hinrichs (20:36.28; 123rd) and Miranda Rathjen (20:51.89; 133rd), senior Jacy Johnston (21:02.82; 143rd) and sophomores Lydia Cook (21:06.69; 146th) and Sydney Clark (21:10.41; 151st).

“I’m proud of all our women, who not only had a lot of fun at this exciting meet, but also had their confidence boosted,” Beisel said. “Our level of competitiveness as a team is beyond what it was last year, and I can’t wait to see how the season unfolds. Hannah Rebmann, a talented transfer from Pittsburg State, wasn’t able to run this meet. She will be a difference maker for our team going forward.”

A native of Lamar, Colo., Lehr appears to be the real deal as a rookie. He outran each of his teammates at last week’s Blue-White run and then backed that performance up with a nice showing in Sioux Falls. The men’s race covered 7K instead of the usual 8K. Lehr finished in 23:39.85, putting him in 92nd place out of 266 runners. Lehr was followed in the Bulldog lineup by senior Thomas Taylor (23:56.87; 110th), sophomore Christian Van Cleave (24:09.41; 118th), senior Evan Asche (24:56.25; 148th), sophomores Patrick Schneeberger (24:58.51; 152nd) and Jordan Lorenz (25:13.74; 164th) and freshman Ethan Pankow (25:20.08; 169th).

“Our guys showed a lot of guts with how they competed, and we are going to work on further developing our mental toughness and competitive mindset so we can fight our way into a top three spot in conference,” Beisel said. “Josiah McAllister, one of our top men, was unable to compete because of a medical school interview. Adding him to the mix at Hastings in two weeks could be big for our guys.”

Grove and the women’s team fared well compared to comparative competition, placing third among the 10 NAIA squads and third out of the eight GPAC teams in attendance. The Bulldogs beat out the likes of Dakota Wesleyan, Mount Marty, Doane, Briar Cliff and Midland. On the men’s side, Concordia placed fifth out of nine schools. Lehr and the men outraced Morningside, Briar Cliff and Dakota Wesleyan.

Concordia is looking to move up the GPAC standings this season after finishing fifth on the women’s side and sixth on the men’s side in 2017.

The season will resume on Saturday, Sept. 15 when the Bulldogs compete at the Bronco Stampede hosted by Hastings. The first race is set to go off at 10:30 a.m. from Lake Hastings Park. Five meets are scheduled prior to the GPAC championships in November.

Men claim title at Bronco Stampede, women place second

Sep. 15, 2018

HASTINGS, Neb. – It was a confidence building Saturday for the Concordia University cross country teams. In their first action since the season opening Augustana Twilight on Aug. 31, the Bulldog men captured first place, outrunning the field of six teams at the Bronco Stampede at Lake Hastings Park in Hastings, Neb. On the women’s side, Concordia placed second amongst the six squads in competition.

Third-year head coach Matt Beisel’s teams were paced by seniors Taylor Grove (fourth place) and Josiah McAllister (fourth place) on a humid morning.

Said Beisel, “We told our kids going in that we only care about two things: running as a pack and competing hard against anyone who’s not wearing our uniform. That’s what they did really well. The times were slower because of the hot conditions, but our guys and girls toughed it out. Our girls were within striking distance of Hastings. I was really pleased with the way our teams followed through on the plan we had. It turned out in our favor.”

McAllister and company are out to prove that they are more than just the seventh-ranked team in the GPAC, as they appeared in the first official conference poll of 2018. They may have raised some eyebrows on Saturday by defeating conference favorite and 23rd-nationally ranked Doane, which placed as the GPAC runner up in 2017. The Tigers did boast the men’s individual champion at the Bronco Stampede, but the Bulldogs won the team race with exceptional balance. Concordia had three of the top eight and six of the top 19 finishers.

Following McAllister, who clocked in at 27:52.79 on the 8k course, were freshman Wyatt Lehr (27:53.58; fifth), senior Thomas Taylor (28:16.13; eighth), sophomore Christian Van Cleave (28:40.93; 12th), senior Evan Asche (29:05.90; 17th), sophomore Jordan Lorenz (29:30.67; 19th), freshman Ethan Pankow (30:02.84; 27th) and sophomore Patrick Schneeberger (30:13.53; 29th). Collectively, they helped the Bulldogs also top NAIA opponents in Hastings, York College and Bellevue University.

For the second meet in a row, Grove is the frontrunner for the women. Only host Hastings bested Concordia, which defeated Doane, York, Peru State College and Bellevue. Grove checked in at 20:40.32 in the 5k stampede. The rest of the top seven for the Bulldogs featured freshman Abi DeLoach (20:43.74; fifth), juniors Rebekah Hinrichs (20:54.11; seventh) and Miranda Rathjen (21:16.33; ninth), sophomore Lydia Cook (21:23.12; 11th), senior Jacy Johnston (21:32.91; 12th) and sophomore Sydney Clark (21:41.39; 14th). The Bulldogs put 10 runners inside the top 19 out of a field of 79 runners.

“Competitively and toughness-wise, this was a great meet for us,” Biesel said. “Our guys and girls both went out in big packs. They went out conservatively on the first mile and packed it in really well. It was pretty fun to have our guys come back and ring the victory bell. That’s our first win at a cross country meet since I’ve been here. It felt pretty sweet and I’m looking forward to more.”

The season will continue next week with the Dean White Invite hosted by Doane next Saturday (Sept. 22). The meet is slated to get underway at 10 a.m. CT.

Bulldogs post top five team finishes at Dean White Invite

Sep. 22, 2018

CRETE, Neb. – While competing for the second Saturday in a row Concordia University cross country teams went to nearby Doane and claimed top five finishes at the Dean White Invitational (Sept. 22). The Bulldog men placed third (112 points) out of 11 teams while the women finished fifth (107 points) out of 15 squads in the field.

The Dean White Invite marked the third official meet of the 2018 season for third-year head coach Matt Beisel’s squads. The Concordia men claimed a meet championship at last week’s Bronco Stampede in Hastings.

“Both teams put into practice what we worked on, which was staying together as a group, as long as possible and competing,” Beisel said. “That’s really what it’s been about this season. Our guys placed third solidly and were only 14 points away from Northwestern. It’s a great feeling to know that we didn’t run as well as we will down the road, but we had some solid races today. We need to bring our top six or seven closer together in order to make some significant breakthroughs.

“On the girls’ side it was a great effort. We were only three points away from beating Morningside (fourth place). Those are some of the most relevant teams in the conference. I’m excited about the next two weeks of training and what that’s going to bring.”

The only teams to defeat the Bulldog men were 19th-ranked Dordt and Northwestern, a team receiving votes in this week’s NAIA national poll. Concordia knocked off conference rivals Morningside (fifth), Doane (seventh), Hastings (eighth) and Mount Marty (11th). This was another indicator of the program’s improvement since it placed sixth at the 2017 GPAC championships.

For the second meet in a row, senior Josiah McAllister paced the men’s team. He placed 12th, navigating the 8k course in 27:11.55. Fellow senior Taylor Thomas jumped in line next, clocking in at 27:43.89 (20th). The team’s top seven also featured freshman Wyatt Lehr (27:48.05; 21st), sophomores Christian Van Cleave (28:02.15; 29th) and Jordan Lorenz (28:39.82; 38th), senior Evan Asche (28:56.37; 48th) and freshman Ethan Pankow (29:14.87; 54th).

Meanwhile, the Concordia women defeated four GPAC foes: Dakota Wesleyan (seventh), Doane (eighth), Mount Marty (11th) and College of Saint Mary (12th). While finishing fifth among GPAC competition, the Bulldogs slotted in at the exact same spot they appeared in this week’s official conference ratings.

Senior Taylor Grove continues to lead the pack on the women’s side. She finished ninth in a time of 19:52.40 on the 5k course. Grove has been the team’s top runner at each of the first three meets this season. The rest of the top seven for the Bulldogs included junior Rebekah Hinrichs (20:10.76; 15th), freshman Abi DeLoach (20:11.11; 16th), junior Hannah Rebmann (20:52.24; 30th), sophomores Lydia Cook (21:08.72; 40th) and Alyssa Bierwagen (21:21.50; 47th) and senior Jacy Johnston (21:28.27; 53rd). It marked the first race as a Bulldog for Rebmann, who transferred from NCAA Division II Pittsburg State University (Kan.).

Both Concordia teams now have an idea of where they stand as compared to their GPAC rivals.

“I think our guys have a chance to be a top-three team in the conference,” Beisel said. “It’s going to take something special with their individual efforts and with the team synergy to make that happen over the next few weeks. I think our girls have a chance to be a top-four team and maybe even a top-three team if they continue to improve and gain confidence.”

The Bulldogs will have next weekend off before getting back to meet action on Saturday, Oct. 6 when they compete at the Briar Cliff Invite. The event is set to get underway at 10 a.m. CT from Adams Nature Preserve in North Sioux City, S.D.

Grove, women enjoy breakthrough; McAllister leads men

Oct. 6, 2018

NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. – Senior Taylor Grove and the Concordia University women’s cross country team put together a breakthrough performance on Saturday (Oct. 6) that they hope will give them serious consideration for placement in the next NAIA top 25 poll. The Bulldog women placed fourth out of 14 teams at the Briar Cliff Invitational at Adams Nature Preserve in North Sioux City, S.D. Meanwhile, the men’s squad placed sixth out of 12 teams at the meet.

Third-year head coach Matt Beisel’s programs were in competition at their fourth official meet of the 2018 season. The women moved up a rung in the GPAC ladder with their latest outing.

“Our women completely knocked it out of the park,” Beisel said. “We really wanted to beat Morningside. We’ve been sitting fifth in the conference for several meets and finishing just short of Morningside. Today all of our girls were healthy and the weather was perfect. The addition of a healthy Hannah Rebmann has definitely been a boost that our team needs. We also had so many of our girls run the race of their lives. Our top seven girls were all under 19 minutes and 50 seconds.”

It was the race of Grove’s life, at least to date. She ran a personal best by nearly 30 seconds while finishing the 5k race in 18:27.18. She placed fourth overall in continuing to see her stock rise. The native of Billings, Mont., really seemed to hit her stride during outdoor track last season when she won the GPAC title in the 10k and qualified for nationals in the marathon. Said Beisel, “She definitely showed she has legit national capability individually.”

What Beisel also liked about his team’s performance is how it packed things in closely. Sixteen Bulldog women navigated the 5k course in under 21 minutes. An aggressive approach paid off on Saturday. Following Grove, the rest of the team’s top seven included junior Rebeka Hinrichs (18:52.97; 12th), freshman Abi DeLoach (18:56.74; 13th), junior Hannah Rebmann (19:09.31; 19th), sophomore Lydia Cook (19:36.81; 38th), junior Miranda Rathjen (19:44.84; 41st) and senior Jacy Johnston (19:49.52; 44th).

On the men’s side, senior Josiah McAllister paced the Bulldogs with a 13th place claim. He finished the 8k race in 26:11.15. McAllister has been the team’s top finisher at three meets in a row. Among Bulldogs, McAllister was followed in the lineup by senior Thomas Taylor (26:37.36; 23rd), freshman Wyatt Lehr (26:58.12; 39th), sophomore Jordan Lorenz (27:05.63; 42nd), senior Evan Asche (27:17.12; 50th), sophomore Christian Van Cleave (27:31.10; 56th) and freshman Ethan Pankow (28:03.93; 76th).

“On the guys side we had a large number of personal and season bests,” Beisel said. “They ran individually pretty well. Our goal was to potentially move from our third spot (in the GPAC ratings) into second and catch Northwestern. That’s where we didn’t have the day that we wanted. The guys took off and immediately got separated at the beginning and just never reconnected. There was pretty significant space between each guy. They talked about it all the way back on the bus. I think they have the fitness to do the job, they just need to put it all together.”

There were 166 runners on the women’s side and 145 on the men’s side at the Briar Cliff Invite. The Concordia women placed above seven GPAC opponents while the men beat out four conference rivals.

The next competition date will be Saturday, Oct. 20 when the Seminole Valley Stampede hosted by Mount Mercy University unfolds. Seminole Valley Park in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will serve as the venue for a meet set to get started at 10:30 a.m. CT. It will be the final time out before the GPAC championships (Nov. 3).

Women's cross country garners national respect in new NAIA poll

Oct. 11, 2018

NAIA Top 25 Poll (Oct. 10)

SEWARD, Neb. – Both Concordia University cross country programs are in the process of working their way back up the ladder on the conference and national scales. A breakthrough performance for the Bulldog women at last week’s Briar Cliff Invitational bumped them up to fourth in the GPAC rankings and has them once again on the national radar. Senior Taylor Grove and company are now receiving votes in the NAIA coaches’ top 25 poll released on Wednesday (Oct. 10).

This week’s polls are another indication of a team on the upswing. Head coach Matt Beisel, now in his third season leading the Concordia cross country and track programs, has hopes of guiding the women’s squad to a top-four GPAC finish while perhaps even making a push at a team berth to the NAIA national championships.

Historically a powerhouse in the NAIA, the Bulldog women’s cross country program last appeared in the national top 25 poll on Oct. 21, 2015. The team is currently garnering votes in the national poll for the first time since the end of that 2015 season. The Concordia women are seeking to get back to the national championships as a team for the first time since 2011. The past indicates the Bulldogs can make a dent on the national landscape. From the 2000 through 2004 seasons, Concordia’s women placed as the national runner up four times.

Even if the Bulldogs fall short of qualifying the team for nationals, there are competitors such as Grove who have the ability to reach the national stage individually. A GPAC 10,000 meter champion and two-time NAIA national qualifier in the marathon, Grove ran a 5k personal best by finishing in 18:27.18 last week at the Briar Cliff Invite. Teammates such as junior Rebekah Hinrichs (12th at Briar Cliff) and freshman Abi DeLoach (13th at Briar Cliff) could also make runs at national bids.

The fast course at Adams Nature Preserve in North Sioux City, S.D., suited Concordia well. Twenty-six Bulldog runners at the Briar Cliff Invite had an average time of 19:00.61, which was more than a minute improvement from the team’s average of 20:27.05 at the Dean White Invite on Sept. 22. At the same Adams Nature Preserve course, Concordia’s average was 20:43.39 in 2017.

The Bulldog women are one of five either ranked or “receiving votes” teams in the GPAC. According to the poll, the top teams in the conference are No. 9 Dordt, No. 22 Hastings, Northwestern (RV; 26th), Concordia (RV; 31st) and Morningside (RV; 35th).

Next up for both Bulldog cross country programs is the Seminole Valley Stampede at Seminole Valley Park in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Saturday, Oct. 20. The meet will precede the GPAC championships on Saturday, Nov. 3

Bulldogs put up strong showings in Cedar Rapids

Oct. 20, 2018

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Strong winds and a muddy course certainly did not lend for any types of world records at the Seminole Valley Stampede hosted by Mount Mercy University on Saturday (Oct. 20). While up against teams from all over the Midwest, the Concordia University cross country programs held their own. The Bulldogs turned in finishes of seventh out of 27 teams on the women’s side and 12th out of 23 squads on the men’s side.

This particular meet provided head coach Matt Beisel’s squads a chance to showcase themselves against some of the nation’s best. The meet featured a combined 13 men’s and women’s squads that were either ranked or receiving votes in the most recent NAIA coaches’ poll.

Led once again by senior Taylor Grove, the women hope they have maintained their status as national vote getters. Grove and company managed to outkick Friends University (Kan.), a team that had appeared above them in the receiving votes category of the national poll.

“They ran a fantastic team race,” Beisel said. “The conditions were really tough on everybody. There were steady 25 mile-per-hour winds with gusts up to about 40. The times don’t mean much, but how you they ran does. Everybody was probably about a minute slower. Taylor ran really tough. I think this solidifies where we were in the vote. I’m super proud of how they performed.”

Grove has been the top performer all season for a women’s squad currently rated as the fourth best team in the GPAC. In her latest effort, Grove galloped the muddy 5k course at Noelridge Park in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 19:26.6, which placed her 15th out of the field of 286 runners. On a faster course in North Sioux City, S.D., two weeks earlier, Grove clocked a time of 18:27.18.

Twenty-five women represented the Bulldogs at the meet. Grove was followed in the team’s top seven by freshman Abi DeLoach (19:57.0; 32nd), junior Rebekah Hinrichs (20:00.03; 36th), sophomores Lydia Cook (20:38.9; 79th) and Alyssa Fye (20:42.1; 81st), junior Hannah Rebmann (20:42.9; 82nd) and sophomore Alyssa Bierwagen (21:13.8; 108th).

Like the women’s team, the men have also had a reliable senior as their frontrunner. Josiah McAllister paced the squad with a 17th place finish that was earned in a time of 26:40.6 in the 8k race. McAllister has been the team’s No. 1 runner at every meet except for one.

“The guys did some good things on the team side of things,” Beisel said. “Josiah ran probably the toughest race of his life. He just ran a great, gutsy race. Wyatt Lehr showed toughness mentally and physically. We had a gigantic gap between our Nos. 3 and 4 runners. That’s where the problem is. We have to bring the two groups together if we’re going to accomplish what we want to in conference. I was pleased for the most part.”

On the heels of McAllister, the men’s top seven featured the freshman Lehr (27:20.2; 48th), senior Thomas Taylor (27:22.0; 45th), sophomores Jordan Lorenz (28:28.6; 107th) and Christian Van Cleave (28:36.7; 121st), freshman Ethan Pankow (28:58.3; 135th) and senior Evan Asche (29:04.9; 141st).

Unlike many meets this season, Concordia did not see many of its conference rivals. There were four complete GPAC teams present on the women’s side and three that partook on the men’s side.

Now Beisel’s squads can turn their full attention to the GPAC championships coming up on Saturday, Nov. 3. The meet will be held at North Bend Golf Course in North Bend, Neb. Bids to the NAIA national championships (Nov. 16) will be on the line. The Bulldogs are aiming to improve upon 2017 conference finishes of fifth on the women’s side and sixth on the men’s side. Said Beisel, “Both teams need to run the races of their lives. I know the guys have a better team race in them. We’ll try to put everything together and see what happens.”

GPAC preview: Bulldogs ready to take trail in North Bend

Oct. 31, 2018

LIVE RESULTS

SEWARD, Neb. – Both Concordia cross country programs enter the season’s most significant meet planning on showing the progress that has been made over the past few seasons under head coach Matt Beisel. The Bulldogs last competed on Oct. 20 at the Seminole Valley Stampede where they went up against a host of NAIA schools appearing in the national polls. In the most recent official GPAC ratings, both Concordia teams were ranked fourth in the conference.

Up next is Saturday’s GPAC championship meet at North Bend Golf Course in North Bend, Neb. The event is set to get started at 10:45 a.m. CT with the women’s race. The men will follow at 11:30.

Beisel’s squads are coming off 2017 GPAC place finishes of fifth on the women’s side and sixth on the men’s side. The program’s most recent GPAC titles occurred in 2012 for the men and 2005 for the women.

“Our teams have really come together in a way that I haven’t seen before,” Beisel said. “They know they need each other. I think we’ve done things this season that we can be proud of. We’ve done some things that haven’t happened in years. Now we want to have our best performances on the day that it matters most. I believe in these guys and girls. I am convinced that they are capable of significantly improving their places in conference from what they’ve done the past two years. I think both teams have a shot at a top-three performance.”

The women’s team has been paced all season by senior Taylor Grove who has impressively bounced back after missing the 2017 cross country season due to injury. She placed 31st in the GPAC as a sophomore in 2016 and appears primed for a much higher finish on Saturday. Her 5k time of 18:27.18 at the Briar Cliff Invitational on Oct. 6 was an indication of what she’s capable of accomplishing at the conference championships. She projects to be in the mix for a top 10 finish.

“For me personally, GPAC my senior year feels really special as it’s the accumulation of four years of running at the collegiate level,” Grove said. “Having all the miles I've put in over the last four years pay off this weekend would be a special moment. I had the blessing of having great leaders and runners as teammates to look up to when I started here at Concordia. Having teammates like Kim (Wood) and Emily (Deschaine) who qualified for nationals showed me that that goal was possible. Our team this year has really been a blessing to me as they are all great individuals and we've been able to run so well. No matter how we run as team I know that it’s a special group of girls.”

Grove and company put together some of their best collective performances at the Briar Cliff Invite. Following that meet, the Bulldogs even received votes in the national poll. Nine of the 10 Concordia women who competed at the 2017 GPAC championships returned this fall. In other words, this current roster has more worthy candidates to fill the lineup that Beisel can even enter into the meet.

A top-three team finish may be possible for the women but even if that does not happen, Grove and others such as freshman Abi DeLoach and junior Rebekah Hinrichs should at least be in the running to punch their tickets to nationals as individuals. Sophomores Lydia Cook and Alyssa Fye joined the aforementioned threesome in the team’s top five at Concordia’s most recent outing.

Said Beisel, “Our women just need to run the way they’ve been running. They need to stick together as a group. We’ve been running in our top seven with about a minute separating each other. If we can keep that tight pack and improve and compete, we’re going to see ourselves in a good situation.”

On the flip side, the Bulldog men are also more experienced than one year ago with eight of their 10 2017 conference competitors back this season. That group has received a boost this fall from the additions of senior Josiah McAllister and freshman Wyatt Lehr. The hope is now that everything will come together and result in the best races of the season for the men’s team.

“We set the goal of being in the top three at conference at the beginning of the year, and that has remained our goal all season,” McAllister said. “It is going to take a great race from our entire team, but I believe it can happen. Based on how our practices have gone the past couple weeks, we are ready to compete.”

At the Seminole Valley Stampede in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the Bulldogs had too large of a gap between their Nos. 3 and 4 runners. The key will be to close that gap and run as a pack this Saturday. Said McAllister, “The big focus for us going into Conference is pack running. If we want to succeed at Conference, we’re going to have to run together throughout the race and push one another. We have run races as individuals this year and they didn’t go well. But the races that we ran as a team we’ve had a lot more success at.”

The top returner in terms of last season’s GPAC championships for the men is senior Thomas Taylor, who placed 18th in the conference in 2017. Sophomores Jordan Lorenz, Christian Van Cleave, freshman Ethan Pankow and senior Evan Asche will also factor into how high Concordia finishes.

“With our men their biggest thing is to bring together the two pieces of our team – our top three and then our fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh runners,” Beisel said. “We have to narrow that gap between third and fourth and have everybody run the best they can run. If that happens we could see ourselves in a third place position. It would be a huge improvement over the last two years and a sign that we’re moving towards where we want to be.”

According to the official GPAC polls released on Oct. 22, the top four on the men’s side are Dordt, Doane, Northwestern and Concordia while the top four on the women’s side are Dordt, Northwestern, Hastings and Concordia.

The course in North Bend an unfamiliar one to the Bulldogs, but many conference teams will deal with the same circumstances. Weather conditions are expected to be cloudy and cool with light winds, which should be favorable for fast times.

Those who qualify will then get ready for the NAIA Cross Country National Championships at Seminole Valley Park in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Nov. 16.

Said Grove, “I think we have pretty high expectations of how we want to run at GPAC. We know we are all counting on each other to show up and run our best if we want to accomplish some of our team goals. For me, individually having been a top GPAC runner at all of our meets has really made me realize that the goal of going to nationals is possible. I was probably a bit more skeptical of that goal at the beginning of the season, but now it’s definitely something I want to be able to accomplish.”

2017 GPAC Championships results

*Runners in bold are on the current roster

Men – 6th
(out of 87 runners)
18. Thomas Taylor – 26:19.04
32. Kohlton Gabehart – 27:00.65
34. Evan Asche – 27:06.78
38. Christian Van Cleave – 27:14.27
49. Patrick Wortmann – 27:39.58
54. Jordan Lorenz – 28:00.32
64. Christian Watters – 28:32.51
70. Cody Williams – 28:48.33
71. Patrick Schneeberger – 29:02.07
76. JP Reynolds – 29:46.37

Women – 5th
(out of 100 runners)
6. Emily Deschaine – 18:32.60
18. Alyssa Fye – 19:14.74
29. Rebekah Hinrichs – 19:39.13
40. Alyssa Bierwagen – 20:16.57
47. Everett Elder – 20:24.39
50. Miranda Rathjen – 20:29.86
55. Sydney Clark – 20:41.99
60. Jacy Johnston – 20:56.42
62. Lydia Cook – 21:01.08
74. Abby Protzman – 21:41.08

Grove, Lehr lead Bulldogs to fourth place team finishes

Nov. 3, 2018

NORTH BEND, Neb. – The Concordia University cross country teams continue creep up on the top teams in the conference. Led by senior Taylor Grove and freshman Wyatt Lehr, the Bulldogs placed fourth for both men and women at the GPAC cross country championships on Saturday morning (Nov. 3). Those finishes represent improvement from a year ago when the women finished fifth and the men sixth at the conference championships.

With 107 points, head coach Matt Beisel’s men were only two points off of third-place Doane. Meanwhile, the women checked in with 88 points (19 behind third-place Northwestern).

“I feel really good about what we did today,” Beisel said. “I’m very happy that we have shown progress over the last two years. We had some people run amazing races. Wyatt had a 20 second PR and made all-conference as a freshman, which is a really big deal. Overall it was a successful meet for our guys. They were grouped more closely together, which is something we were working on.

“On the girls’ side, we’ve been ranked fourth in the GPAC all season. We still have some work to do to bring our fifth, sixth and seventh up with our top four and that’s going to have to happen next year. The girls really ran well to get three in the top 15 and four in the top 20. Getting three girls on the podium was really exciting.”

A senior Billings, Mont., Grove has developed into a true distance star for the Bulldogs. A 2018 GPAC outdoor track champion in the 10,000 meters, Grove placed fourth out of the field of 103 conference competitors on Saturday. Amidst favorable running conditions at North Bend Golf Course in North Bend, Neb., Grove paced the 5k course in 18:53.54.

In the process, Grove earned All-GPAC honors for the first time and also earned her first-ever berth to the cross country national championships with an individual berth. Said Beisel, “Getting Taylor to nationals is a dream she’s been chasing. It’s exciting to be able to say that we’re going.”

Junior Rebekah Hinrichs (13th) and freshman Abi DeLoach (14th) also turned in top 15 finishes required for all-conference accolades. Hinrichs completed the race in 19:34.13 while DeLoach finished just behind in 19:36.99. Hinrichs and DeLoach may also join Grove at nationals, but will have to wait out the announcement from the NAIA.

The rest of the top seven for the women included junior Hannah Rebmann (19:47.18; 20th), sophomores Lydia Cook (20:29.31; 38th), Alyssa Fye (20:30.90; 39th) and Alyssa Bierwagen (20:39.41; 42nd). Grove and Jacy Johnston were the lone seniors to make up the women’s GPAC championship lineup.

On the men’s side, Lehr came up with a huge performance in his first taste of the conference championships. He placed 12th out of 92 competitors while running an 8k time of 26:38.73. Not far off of all-conference honors were seniors Thomas Taylor (26:52.47; 16th) and Josiah McAllister (27:04.77; 19th). Next in line were sophomores Christian Van Cleave (27:36.00; 27th) and Jordan Lorenz (27:53.80; 35th), freshman Ethan Pankow (28:34.38; 43rd) and senior Evan Asche (28:55.46; 51st).

With the season now over for the Bulldogs except for the individuals fortunate enough to be awarded bids to nationals, Concordia now looks ahead to the future.

Said Beisel, “We’re all happy with the progress we’ve made, but I know I’m still hungry for more. I’m proud of our kids, but I still want that top three, top two – that first place. It’s still going to take work to get there both on the recruiting front and through development of the runners that we have.”

The 2018 NAIA Cross Country National Championships will take place in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Friday, Nov. 16. More information about the national championships can be found HERE.

Grove named a national qualifier, four Bulldogs earn All-GPAC honors

Nov. 8, 2018

SEWARD, Neb. – A fourth-place finish at last week’s conference championships has earned senior Taylor Grove a spot in the 2018 NAIA Cross Country National Championships. The official announcement came on Wednesday (Nov. 7) from the NAIA, which released the entire national qualifying field for men and women. Additionally, Grove and teammates in freshman Abi DeLoach, junior Rebekah Hinrichs and freshman Wyatt Lehr all garnered all-conference recognition.

2018 All-GPAC
Taylor Grove – 4th (18:53.54)
Abi DeLoach – 14th (19:36.99)
Rebekah Hinrichs – 13th (19:34.13)
Wyatt Lehr – 12th (26:38.73)

All-conference cross country accolades are earned by each individual who places in the top 15 in the GPAC championships. This marks only the third time in 10 seasons that the women’s program has placed three runners in all-conference territory (2009, 2015, 2018). DeLoach and Hinrichs were on the bubble for the national championships but needed a third team from the GPAC to be awarded a bid to nationals in order to gain entry.

Grove, a two-time NAIA national qualifier in outdoor track, will make her way to the cross country national championships for the first time in her career. The 2018 GPAC outdoor 10,000 meter champion bounced back impressively after missing the 2017 cross country season due to injury. Her top-five GPAC finish this fall was a big step up from her conference finishes of 40th as a freshman in 2015 and 31st as a junior in 2016.

While the Concordia women have not qualified for nationals as a team since 2011, they have managed to claim seven individual berths to nationals from 2012 to the present. The Bulldogs have sent at least one female runner to nationals in four-straight seasons.

The 2018 NAIA Cross Country National Championships will take place on Friday, Nov. 16 at Seminole Valley Cross Country Course in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The women’s 5k race will begin at 10:30 a.m. CST. For more information on the event, click HERE.

Women’s individual national qualifiers since 2011

2018
Taylor Grove

2017
Emily Deschaine

2016
Emily Deschaine

2015
Emily Deschaine
Kim Wood

2012
Sarah Kortze
Jena Schwalenberg

Ten runners land on NAIA Scholar-Athlete list

Nov. 15, 2018

SEWARD, Neb. – A group of 10 Bulldogs from Concordia University cross country head coach Matt Beisel’s program landed on the list of 2018 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes, as announced on Thursday (Nov. 15) by the NAIA. The list of Bulldog honorees includes repeat award winners in seniors Evan Asche, Taylor Grove, Jacy Johnston, Nathan Matters, Josiah McAllister and Abby Protzman. Grove also qualified for the 2018 NAIA Cross Country National Championships.

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 347 women’s cross country and 223 men’s cross country student-athletes across the nation were named 2018 Scholar-Athletes by the NAIA.

Concordia University ranks as the NAIA’s all-time leader in number of Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes with 1,370 and counting. The Bulldogs have been a regular national leader for both scholar-athletes and scholar-teams and are coming off a 2017-18 academic year that resulted in 77 more scholar-athletes and 20 scholar-teams (third most in the nation). Also in 2017-18, seven Bulldog student-athletes garnered both CoSIDA Academic All-District and CoSIDA Academic All-America accolades. Samantha Liermann was tabbed the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year for track and field/cross country.

2018 Cross Country NAIA Scholar-Athletes

Grove completes cross country season at NAIA National Championships

Nov. 16, 2018

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Senior Taylor Grove extended her cross country season as long as possible, earning a bid to the 2018 NAIA Cross Country National Championships that took place on Friday morning (Nov. 16). Grove navigated the 5k championships Seminole Valley Park course in Cedar Rapids in a time of 18:57.1. She clocked in 125th amongst the field of 340 qualifiers.

Grove was the lone Bulldog from head coach Matt Beisel’s program to qualify for the national championships. She punched her ticket by placing fourth at the GPAC championships back on Nov. 3. The native of Billings, Mont., had appeared twice in the marathon at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, but had not previously ran at the cross country national meet. Grove is the GPAC’s defending 10,000 meter outdoor champion.

In terms of 2018 performances, Grove’s time on Friday represented her third best race of the fall. She finished in a season best 18:27.18 at the Briar Cliff Invite. Grove’s time at the national championships was just a few seconds off what she ran at the GPAC championships.

Grove was accompanied on the journey to Cedar Rapids by Beisel as well as fellow all-conference teammates Abi DeLoach and Rebekah Hinrichs.

Grove season-in-review
Augustana Twilight – 47th/277 (19:23.67)
Bronco Stampede – 4th/79 (20:40.32)
Dean White Invite – 9th/154 (19:52.40)
Briar Cliff Invite – 4th/166 (18:27.18)
Seminole Valley Stampede – 15th/286 (19:29.6)
GPAC Championships – 4th/103 (18:53.54)
NAIA National Championships – 125th/340 (18:57.1)