ROSTER | PDF - GPAC Finishes: Men 2nd; Women 3rd
2022 Meet Results
| Sept. 2 | Augustana University (S.D.) Twilight | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Yankton Trail Park | W-9/28; M-12/32 |
| Sept. 17 | Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invite | Lincoln, Neb. | Mahoney Golf Course | W-3/19; M-6/21 |
| Sept. 24 | Doane University Dean White Invitational | Crete, Neb. | Doane University XC Course | W-1/5; M-2/2 |
| Oct. 8 | Dordt University Holiday Inn Express Classic | Sioux Center, Iowa | Dordt University Prairie | W-2/14; M-3/14 |
| Oct. 22 | Mount Marty University Invite | Yankton, S.D. | Fox Run Golf Course | W-4/11; M-3/12 |
| Nov. 5 | GPAC Cross Country Championships | Jamestown, N.D. | W-3/12; M-2/11 |
| Nov. 18 | NAIA Cross Country National Championships | Tallahassee, Fla. | W-27th |
2022 Roster
| Men | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Keanan Castillo | Fr. | North Platte, Neb. | North Platte HS |
| Brett Determan | So. | Cedar Falls, Iowa | Valley Lutheran HS |
| Westley Determan | Fr. | Cedar Falls, Iowa | Valley Lutheran HS |
| Jack Ellis | So. | Bend, Ore. | Trinity Lutheran HS |
| Ryan Garvey | Fr. | Omaha, Neb. | Concordia Lutheran HS |
| Thomas Gorline | So. | St. Louis, Mo. | Westminster Christian HS |
| Charlie Hayden | So. | Elkhorn, Neb. | Elkhorn South HS |
| Ethan Ideus | So. | Seward, Neb. | Seward HS |
| Aaron Jendro | Fr. | Omaha, Neb. | Burke HS |
| Zachary Johnson | Jr. | Aberdeen, S.D. | Central HS |
| Trevor Kuncl | Fr. | Mullen, Neb. | Mullen HS |
| Jaedon Maxfield | Fr. | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln North Star HS |
| Jimmy Nguyen | Fr. | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln North Star HS |
| Hudson Opp | Fr. | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln Christian HS |
| Nathan Pennekamp | So. | Fort Wayne, Ind. | Concordia Lutheran HS |
| Thad Rathjen | So. | Osceola, Neb. | Osceola HS |
| Calvin Rohde | So. | Reed City, Mich. | Reed City HS |
| Evan Schmidt | So. | Firth, Neb. | Norris HS |
| Camden Sesna | Jr. | Kearney, Neb. | Kearney Catholic HS |
| Jackson Smith | So. | Waukee, Iowa | Waukee HS / Grand Canyon University |
| Logan Walgate | So. | St. Charles, Mo. | Lutheran HS |
| Micah Willweber | So. | Kailua, Hawaii | Kalaheo HS |
| Women | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Rachel Ada | Fr. | DeSoto, Kan. | The Lutheran HS of Kansas City |
| Caitlyn Adams | Fr. | Beaver Crossing, Neb. | Milford HS |
| Kyra Becker | Fr. | Auburn, Neb. | Auburn HS |
| Hannah Beintema | Fr. | Bettendorf, Iowa | Bettendorf HS |
| Keegan Beisel | Fr. | Seward, Neb. | Seward HS |
| Mickey Curl | So. | Colorado Springs, Colo. | The Classical Academy |
| Lauren Dawson | So. | Cedar Falls, Iowa | Valley Lutheran HS |
| Kylahn Freiberg | Jr. | Nampa, Idaho | Melba HS |
| Peyton Gissler | So. | Malcolm, Neb. | Malcolm HS |
| Rylee Haecker | So. | Davenport, Neb. | Raymond Central HS |
| Hannah Haertel | Fr. | Hot Springs, S.D. | My Father's World Homeschool |
| Laci Havlat | Fr. | Lincoln, Neb. | Norris HS |
| Catie Hergenrader | Fr. | Friendswood, Texs | Lutheran South Academy |
| Ellie Jander | So. | St. Louis, Mo. | Lutheran HS North |
| Rhaya Kaschinske | So. | Fort Wayne, Ind. | Concordia Lutheran HS |
| Bella Marchisio | So. | Queen Creek, Ariz. | Higley HS / Park University Gilbert |
| Alyssa Marotz | Fr. | Norfolk, Neb. | Lutheran HS Northeast |
| Amie Martin | Jr. | Arnold, Mo. | Fox C-6 HS |
| Julie McIntyre | Jr. | Chicago, Ill. | Chicago Christian HS / Trinity Christian |
| Hannah Mundt | Jr. | Blue Springs, Mo. | The Lutheran HS of Kansas City |
| Katelyn Nix | So. | Fort Wayne, Ind. | Concordia Lutheran HS |
| Grace Pennekamp | So. | Fort Wayne, Ind. | Concordia Lutheran HS |
| Mary Pennekamp | So. | Fort Wayne, Ind. | Concordia Lutheran HS |
| Aubrey Rathke | So. | Fremont, Neb. | Homeschooled |
| Kaia Richmond | So. | Langley, Wash. | South Whidbey HS |
| Jaiden Tweton | So. | Ashland, Neb. | Ashland-Greenwood HS |
| Sammi Vojslavek | Fr. | Elkhorn, Neb. | Millard West HS |
| Faith Williamson | So. | O'Neill, Neb. | St. Mary HS |
| Courtney Wright | So. | Perryville, Mo. | Perryville HS |
STAFF
Matt Beisel, Head Coach
Mark Samuels, Assistant Coach
Schedule Release: 2022 Concordia Cross Country
June 27, 2022
2022 Concordia Cross Country Schedule
SEWARD, Neb. – For the fourth time in five seasons, the Concordia Cross Country squads will get their seasons started under the lights at the Augustana Twilight. The twilight meet set for Sept. 2 will kick off a 2022 slate that was announced on Monday (June 27). Head Coach Matt Beisel will lead the Bulldogs into five official regular season meets throughout this coming fall, which will culminate with the NAIA national meet in mid-November.
Beisel’s squads are coming off 2021 GPAC team place finishes of fourth for the men and fifth for the women. All three individual national qualifiers from last season are back for 2022: Rylee Haecker, Calvin Rohde and Camden Sesna. The women’s program celebrated a GPAC title as recently as 2019.
As part of the preseason, Concordia will host its annual Blue-White Alumni Run on Aug. 27. The regular season meets to follow are the Augustana Twilight (Sept. 2), the Greeno/Dirksen Invite (Sept. 17) co-hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Nebraska Wesleyan, the Dean White Invitational (Sept. 24) hosted by Doane, the Holiday Inn Express Classic (Oct. 8) hosted by Dordt and the Mount Marty Invite (Oct. 22). This will mark the first time the Bulldogs have appeared in Lincoln, for what was formerly known as the Woody Greeno Invite, since the 2015 season.
Jamestown will serve as the host of the 2022 GPAC Cross Country Championships on Nov. 5. Following the conference meet, the Bulldogs hope to plan a trip to the 2022 NAIA Men’s and Women's Cross Country Championships, which will move this year to Tallahassee, Fla., and will take place on Nov. 18. A year ago, the national meet was staged in Vancouver, Wash.
Walquist retraces Concordia memories, meets and relationships
August 11, 2022
Concordia is the place where he persevered emotionally while his mom fought breast cancer, the place where he met his wife, the place he didn’t want to come to because his sisters had been to first and the place where he thrived while immersed in competition and camaraderie. There’s no doubt, Andrew Walquist is an all-time great when it comes to the totality of what it means to be a Bulldog student-athlete. Back in a 2014 interview regarding past mountaintop moments for Concordia Cross Country, Dr. Kregg Einspahr included Walquist amongst a group of runners who were more than just runners.
Said Einspahr, “It’s clear that they were outstanding individuals apart from simply being runners. They are great representatives of Concordia.”
The scrawny kid from Albuquerque, N.M., began his collegiate career in 2002 while embarking on a journey that led to conference championship glory, All-America awards, recognition as Concordia Senior Athlete of the Year and winning of the A.O. Duer Award for his exceptional scholarship, character and citizenship. Not only that, Walquist was announced as a member of the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2022 back in mid-July.
But it’s not the accolades that are engrained in Walquist’s mind, although the 11 All-America awards and eight GPAC titles (combined in cross country and track) make up quite an impressive resume. That time from 2002 through 2006 represented the good ole days when a group of close-knit friends shared in the suffering of long mileage treks. On occasion, those lengthy runs included hopping on a train and catching a ride for a mile or so – just don’t tell Coach Einspahr.
Says Walquist, “I now realize I took for granted how fun it was to be around people who knew how to push you and encourage you. For track and cross country, you’re out on long runs. You’re going for five- to 12-mile runs so you get to know each other quite well. There was a group of guys I really got to know. I just remember the friendships that were formed and forged during that time. I look back at that and I really value the community of it. The races pale in importance in comparison to the relationships.”
Walquist also discussed the harsh winters in the days prior to the indoor Fieldhouse. One might say that it built toughness having to shovel off the outdoor track and train in the face of sub-freezing temperatures. That never seemed to deter Walquist, always a fervent competitor. Admittedly, he wasn’t necessarily the obsessive runner who absolutely had to log a certain number of miles every day. A little relaxation here and there seemed to provide the refresher he needed to be at his best.
Walquist pulled off the rare feat of seizing back-to-back individual GPAC cross country titles (2003 and 2004) and then back-to-back GPAC Indoor Track & Field Runner of the Year awards (2005 and 2006). At the time, Einspahr would marvel at Walquist’s ability to quickly recover from one race and run the next one. Of course his competitive spirit was again on display. Walquist once won three GPAC track events on the same day.
Said Einspahr afterwards, “Andrew had a day to remember. For him to win three distance events in the span of four hours or so and set a new meet record in his third and final race is amazing. That kind of performance doesn’t come around too often.”
Just a sophomore entering the 2003 GPAC Cross Country Championships, Walquist did not even view himself as a conference title contender. This was an early sign that he could rise to the occasion and be the champion he became. “’03 was surprising,” Walquist said. “I wasn’t expecting, nor was I expected, to do that. That was right when I was starting to hit my stride. Coach tapered me off at the right time. I would always go out and run my best race and let the chips fall where they may. That was a big surprise. The second year I thought if I did it once, I could probably do it again. To be able to win as a team was even better.”
By that point, Walquist had surely felt his decision to choose Concordia had been validated. It wasn’t the championships that made him most content. It was really the relationships. As a freshman, Walquist found out that his mother’s breast cancer had returned. The circumstances would have made it understandable if he had packed up his things and scurried back to New Mexico. Fortunately, Walquist found the support he needed while doing his best to lift up his mother from afar.
“The hardest thing for me my freshman year was when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time and having to be away from home,” Walquist said. “That first year of college was a challenge not being able to help my mom. I was there for her first round going through breast cancer and chemo and all that. Then I was gone for the second one. It made the adjustment a little hard, but it was great to have a new network of support to pray for me and pray for my family. God definitely had that in mind. He knew what was going to be happening with my mom and He put me in a good environment to be able to weather that storm.”
The hardships his mother endured and the experiences of seeing his peers suffer athletic injuries convinced Walquist to seek a life of service. As a near 4.0 biology student, Walquist followed a physical therapy track that has put currently placed him in The Woodlands, Texas, (near Houston) as a Clinic Director. He earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Creighton University and also ventured to Arizona as part of his career. Walquist has been a PT professional for roughly 13 years.
Einspahr had a hand in Walquist’s academic and professional pursuits. Walquist had Einspahr for a class and saw his coach virtually every day. If there’s one thing Walquist would want to emulate that Einspahr always showed, it would be his care for people on a personal level. Like many athletes who came to Concordia, Walquist deeply respected Einspahr, someone who competed in the Olympic Trials during his own athletic career.
“He had such a pedigree even before I went there,” Walquist said. “He knew how to develop good runners. What struck me the most was that he really, really cared about his athletes and he really cared about the program. You could see his passion come out. I think his passion led us all to respect him more and compete better.”
The four years at Concordia showed Walquist that the institution was a lot more than just some place surrounded by corn fields and the smell of the Milford cows (as Walquist mentioned). His most recent saunter around campus came in 2015 when he returned to Seward to be the best man in teammate Kyle Johnson’s wedding. It’s about time for him to breathe that fresh farm air in once again. The memories run deep for Walquist, who noted, “The highlight of my Concordia experience was finding a phenomenal bride.”
As far as his Hall of Fame selection, Walquist said, “After reflecting on it a little more deeply, I think it’s about inspiring future generations of people. If there’s a way I can maybe help motivate others or give them something to push for, that’s great. I felt honored and also not sure how to feel. I’m going to have a blast going back to Seward and seeing the campus and some of the professors I had.”
Concordia women picked third, men fourth in GPAC poll; both teams receive votes nationally
August 25, 2022
GPAC Preseason Polls | NAIA Preseason Polls: Men | Women
SEWARD, Neb. – Preseason cross country polls were unveiled this week with the GPAC announcement coming on Tuesday (Aug. 23) and the NAIA release following on Thursday. The Concordia Cross Country squads checked in with GPAC preseason rankings of tied for third on the women’s side and fourth on the men’s side. In addition, both Bulldog squads collected votes in the NAIA preseason coaches’ poll. The women are situated just outside the top 25 (27th) with 87 points while the men collected 16 points (32nd).
Head Coach Matt Beisel enters his seventh season leading the Bulldog cross country and track & field teams. The women’s cross country program won the GPAC title as recently as 2019. Last season, the men placed fourth in the GPAC while the women finished fifth.
All three runners who qualified individually for the 2021 NAIA Cross Country National Championships return this fall. That trio is made up of Rylee Haecker on the women’s side and Calvin Rohde and Camden Sesna on the men’s side. Other key returners for the men include the likes of Jack Ellis, Thomas Gorline, Charlie Hayden, Nathan Pennekamp and Micah Willweber. Some of the top female returners include Kylahn Freiberg, Rhaya Kaschinske, Amie Martin, Katelyn Nix, Kaia Richmond and Courtney Wright. Several freshmen all figure to factor into the mix as well.
In the national polls, the Concordia women leapt as high as 11th last season. The ’19 squad concluded the year ranked No. 12. On the other hand, the Bulldog men are seeking to crack the NAIA top 25 for the first time since 2014.
The 2022 season will get started on Sept. 2 with the Augustana Twilight on Friday, Sept. 2. The action is slated to get started at 8:30 p.m. CT from Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Season Preview: 2022 Concordia Cross Country
August 26. 2022
MEN
Head Coach: Matt Beisel (7th year)
2021 Finish: 4th in GPAC
Key Returners: Jack Ellis; Thomas Gorline; Charlie Hayden; Nathan Pennekamp; Calvin Rohde; Camden Sesna; Micah Willweber.
Key Newcomers: Aaron Jendro; Trevor Kuncl; Jimmy Nguyen; Hudson Opp.
Key Losses: Wyatt Lehr; Ethan Pankow; Sam Plante.
2021 All-GPAC: Camden Sesna (7th place); Calvin Rohde (10th place).
WOMEN
Head Coach: Matt Beisel (7th year)
2021 Finish: 5th in GPAC
Key Returners: Kylahn Freiberg; Rylee Haecker; Rhaya Kaschinske; Amie Martin; Katelyn Nix; Kaia Richmond; Courtney Wright.
Key Newcomers: Hannah Beintema; Keegan Beisel; Julie McIntyre; Sammi Vojslavek.
Key Losses: Keri Bauer; Abi DeLoach; Grace Reiman.
2021 All-GPAC: Rylee Haecker (7th place).
Outlook
The road to Tallahassee, Fla., site of the 2022 NAIA Cross Country Championships, is a long one that began back in December when the distance crew at Concordia University laid the groundwork for impressive indoor and outdoor track seasons. The Bulldogs last sent both their men’s and women’s teams to cross country nationals in 2009. This just might be the year that streak gets snapped as Head Coach Matt Beisel embarks on his seventh season leading the cross country and track programs. Both teams are receiving votes in the NAIA cross country preseason polls while being pegged inside the top four of the GPAC’s preseason polls.
All three runners who represented Concordia at the 2021 national meet are back: Rylee Haecker on the women’s side and Calvin Rohde and Camden Sesna on the men’s side. They are the trusted student-athlete leaders for squads that reported to campus on Aug. 15. The early returns have Beisel beaming. Preseason training has included an encouraging 1,600-meter time trial.
Says Beisel, “I have confidence that we got some things figured out. From what everyone’s telling me about their summer training, they’re feeling good right now. I think we have a much better chance of getting it right when it counts the most. There are a lot of factors in play, but I’m really excited about what it’s looking like right now.”
Men’s Breakdown
The Concordia men’s team placed a solid fourth in the GPAC a year ago and landed in that exact same spot in the 2022 conference preseason coaches’ poll. The return of national qualifiers Calvin Rohde and Camden Sesna is a big reason why the Bulldogs collected votes in the NAIA preseason poll. According to the early conference rankings, Concordia will be trying to chase down Dordt, Doane and Northwestern at the top of the GPAC pack.
Not only are proven standouts Rohde and Sesa (both top 10 finishes within the GPAC) back in the fold, the Bulldogs welcome back eight of the 10 runners who competed in the 2021 conference championships. The headlining veterans include the likes of Jack Ellis, Thomas Gorline, Charlie Hayden, Nathan Pennekamp and Micah Willweber. Ellis (40th) and Gorline (42nd) both placed inside the top 50 at last season’s conference meet.
Said Beisel, “We’re returning all of our impact players on the guys’ side and this is arguably the strongest freshman men’s class that I have brought in with state champions and state runners up at different levels in Nebraska and elsewhere. They’ve already shown they have what it takes. My men have never broken into the top three (of the GPAC) in six years. We are overdue, and they are so ready of it. I think that’s something that’s driving them in a real positive and healthy way. They know the capabilities there and there’s a lot of positive optimism about what this season can be.”
Concordia hopes to make a claim as a top two conference team, but it especially aspires to knock down the barrier that has kept it out of the top three. The Bulldogs last won the GPAC title in 2012 and now feel determined to make this the big breakthrough. Sesna would like for the whole team to join him at nationals.
Says the fourth-year star from Kearney, Neb., “I think we’ve got a team that can make it to nationals. That’s the biggest goal. For Calvin and I last year it was enjoyable, but it didn’t feel quite right only being the two of us there and not the full team. Our goal is to get the whole team to nationals. We have the potential for sure to do it.”
Sesna noted that many of the team’s competitors ran personal bests during the preseason time trials. Those performances came despite early training designed to help each athlete peak late in the season when the stakes are the highest. Sesna has taken a look around the GPAC and found that most of the competitors have endured more significant roster departures. He sees a team stocked with familiar faces that are combining nicely with the newcomers this preseason.
As for those newcomers, look out for Aaron Jendro, Trevor Kuncl, Jimmy Nguyen, Hudson Opp and others to make an impact. The competition for the 10 spots on the GPAC championship roster will be intense and will play out throughout the regular season.
“We didn’t lose much at all,” Sesna said. “We’ve only added to what we had. Last year’s fourth-place finish wasn’t disappointing, but we were definitely hoping to get second or third. Overall, last year was a great season with a lot of steps taken forward. This year I think it’s going to be even better because I think we’re going to have a big jump this year from what we’ve seen so far.”
Women’s Breakdown
The women’s group has become accustomed to winning conference championships considering the women’s track & field program has captured seven straight GPAC titles. In addition, current Bulldogs Kylahn Freiberg (maiden name Heritage) and Amie Martin are links back to the 2019 cross country squad that took first in the GPAC and placed 12th at the NAIA National Championships. Historically, this is one of the great programs in the NAIA.
The program’s stature made last year’s result fifth-place finish in the conference feel underwhelming. At one point in the middle of 2021, the Concordia women had vaulted all the way up to No. 11 in the national coaches’ poll. In the offseason, Beisel went to work on tweaking a training plan that the team expects will have it peaking at an opportune time.
“I think they deserve getting some national votes,” said Beisel of this preseason’s poll. “We did lose a couple of key players, but we return so much depth. We also have some very talented freshmen and transfers who are going to make an immediate impact – that’s abundantly clear. I feel like we are a top-two team in the GPAC – no guarantees. I’m cautiously optimistic and excited that the women are in a position to capitalize. I think they want it, and they have quite a bit more experience under their belt than they did this time last year.”
A seventh-place individual cross country conference finisher and now a six-time track All-American, Rylee Haecker is the frontrunner for the Bulldogs, who were listed in a tie for third in the GPAC preseason poll. Haecker represents one of the 10 Concordia returners who ran at last year’s conference meet. The aforementioned Freiberg was sidelined for most of the 2021 cross country season and is a definite X-factor. She placed as the conference runner up in 2019 and was not far off All-America honors that season. Haecker and Freiberg will be joined in the lineup by returners such as Rhaya Kaschinske, Martin, Katelyn Nix, Kaia Richmond, Courtney Wright and others. Kaschinske, Freiberg and Martin were bunched up tight in last year’s GPAC meet, placing in the 29th through 31st spots.
Haecker, a Davenport, Neb., native, provides a strong example for each of her teammates. She’s a gamer who placed third nationally in the 1,000 meters at the ’22 NAIA indoor meet. Haecker and her teammates are trying to use last year’s disappointment at the conference meet as a positive motivator for this fall. Says Haecker, “I think we learned to be patient. If those (rankings) come early, we know there’s still a lot left that we can give. Just keep working hard and keep your mind focused on what we need to be focused on.”
The veterans will attempt to allow such lessons to trickle down to freshmen like Hannah Beintema, Keegan Beisel and Sammi Vojslavek and transfer Julie McIntyre. Keegan is the daughter of Coach Beisel and helped Seward High School win a state championship. A native of Bettendorf, Iowa, Beintema appears poised to challenge for one of the top few spots in the lineup.
As a leader, Haecker contributes not only to the success on the trail, but also to the team’s spiritual development. Says Haecker, “We have a Bible study for the cross country team and every day before practice we pray. It’s something to help you re-center as far as why you do it. The success is a platform that He’s given me to be able to give glory to His name, and I’m so thankful for that. I wouldn’t be here without Him and His grace and strength. It’s cool to see Him working through running and the abilities and gifts He’s given me. Also with my teammates – just being alongside them and knowing that we’re on the same journey of faith.”
Final Thoughts
The 2022 season will get started on Friday, Sept. 2 with the Augustana Twilight at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls, S.D. It will be the first of five meets that lead up to the GPAC Championships in Jamestown, N.D., on Nov. 5. While being asked about the possibility of running in North Dakota on Nov. 5 and then at the 2022 NAIA Cross Country National Championships in Tallahassee, Fla., on Nov. 18, Beisel, Haecker and Sesna each got a chuckle out of it.
Remarked Sesna, “There could be the potential for running a meet up in Jamestown, North Dakota, in November in like 10-to-20-degree weather and then going on to Florida two weeks later in like 80-degree weather. It’ll be interesting to see how things come around towards the end of the season with how the weather is looking for conference and then hopefully getting down to Florida and running in the heat and humidity. It’s definitely something to think about and something we’ll be getting ready for once the end of the season comes around.”
Coach Beisel provided the following additional thoughts heading into the 2022 campaign:
On the returning national qualifiers: “From a leadership perspective, they’re all really strong, positive leaders on the team. Having the athleticism to back that up earns a lot of respect with team members and people look to them. I get asked all the time, ‘Hey, what is Rylee doing that’s helping her run so well?’ They not only made it to nationals in cross country, they then had some of the most amazing performances of their lives in track. Rylee nearly broke several of our school records set by Kim Wood back in the day. We have a supporting group that’s right there with them. They’re all very healthy and running well.”
On forming new team identities: “Every year we are reinventing our team family. We have 31 returners and 19 freshmen and transfers coming in. That’s a third of our team. A big part of preseason week is for us to weave new relationships and really get people to know each other and feel comfortable. I feel like this was a superbly successful preseason. We got great training in. Our results of our 1,600-meter time trial, which is a small measurement of where they are, surprised and shocked a lot of them. We came up with a whole list of goals and expectations, but the three things we try to build into our program are competitive greatness, academic excellence and an amazing athlete, fan and alumni experience. These are all tied to the spiritual, faith-filled, Christ-centered experiences the kids have.”
To view the complete 2022 Concordia Cross Country schedule, click HERE.
Meet Info: 2022 Augustana Twilight
August 31, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – For the fourth time in five years, Concordia University Cross Country will open a season at the Augustana Twilight. The 2022 meet will get started with the women’s 5k race at 8:30 p.m. CT on Friday (Sept. 2). The men’s four-mile run is scheduled to get underway at 9 p.m. Both races will take place at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls, S.D., home to Augustana University. This will be the start of year seven of Matt Beisel’s tenure as head coach of the Bulldogs.
Augustana Twilight – Friday, Sept. 2
Yankton Trail Park | Sioux Falls, S.D.
-8:30 p.m. – women’s 5k
-9 p.m. – men’s 4 mile
-Live Results
-Meet info page (includes course map)
At last year’s Augie Twilight, Concordia placed eighth out of 27 teams on the women’s side and 12th out of 31 teams on the men’s side. Among returners, the top individual finishers for the Bulldogs were Rylee Haecker (19:46.71 / 63rd place of 329) for the women and Camden Sesna (20:44.53 / 35th place of 344). Haecker and Sesna are returning national qualifiers along with Calvin Rohde. This preseason, both the Concordia men and women received votes in the NAIA coaches’ poll while being ranked within the top four of the conference poll.
A detailed preview of the 2022 season can be found HERE. Following the Augustana Twilight, the Bulldogs will look forward to the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 17. The complete schedule can be viewed HERE.
Led by Freiberg, Sesna, Dawgs defeat all fellow NAIA competition at Augie Twilight
September 2, 2022
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – This is something both Concordia University Cross Country squads can build upon at the outset of the 2022 season. While in action at the Augustana Twilight that featured 323 runners on the men’s side and 313 competitors on the women’s side, the Bulldogs outran all opposing GPAC and NAIA competition on Friday (Sept. 2). The field at Yankton Trail Park included runners from the NAIA, all three NCAA divisions and junior colleges. Overall, the Concordia women placed ninth out of 28 teams and the Bulldog men finished 12th out of 32 teams.
Now in his seventh year as head coach at his alma mater, Matt Beisel is stressing that this is only a start. However, the potential is there for something special to come together. In meet No. 1, Kylahn Freiberg paced the women and Camden Sesna emerged as the lead Dawg for the men.
Said Beisel, “We feel good about it, but there’s a long time to go before the GPAC Championships. A lot can happen. The other teams in the GPAC are very good and have great coaches. We’re going to have to fight for every inch on the both men’s and women’s sides. I know that we’ve got a lot of work to do and nothing is guaranteed.”
Women’s recap
Concordia top five (5k):
28. Kylahn Freiberg – 18:50.33
42. Rylee Haecker – 19:07.82
64. Hannah Beintema – 19:31.57
80. Rhaya Kaschinske – 19:46.46
86. Julie McIntyre – 19:51.47
The strong start for Kylahn Freiberg is an encouraging sign for the Bulldogs, who are looking to return to the form they showed in 2019 when they won the GPAC championship and placed 12th at the NAIA national championships. Freiberg stood out as the second highest placing GPAC/NAIA individual finisher as she clocked a 5k time of 18:50.33, putting her in 28th. Returning NAIA cross country national qualifier and track All-American Rylee Haecker backed her up with a 42nd-place claim that saw her cross the finish line in 19:07.82.
Twenty-four women represented Concordia at the Augustana Twilight. As one can see by the team’s top five, newcomers will make a big difference. Bettendorf, Iowa, native Hannah Beintema placed third on the team while Trinity Christian College transfer Julie McIntyre was the team’s No. 5 runner. The six through 10 spots were held down by Keegan Beisel (20:09.87), Amie Martin (20:54.95), Kaia Richmond (20:57.61), Jaiden Tweton (21:01.06) and Courtney Wright (21:05.54). Keegan is the daughter of Coach Beisel. Also noteworthy, Martin and Freiberg were both members of the ’19 GPAC championship team.
Said Beisel, “We had a really strong pack up front with Kylahn and Rylee leading the way. In a race like this where it’s crazy with the numbers of people, we tend to get spread out a little bit. We had a 60-second spread between our first and our fifth, which is a pretty tight group. That’s kind of the key. We had a bunch of other girls who had really good days and are going to move up. Having our front eight or nine start really strong bodes well for the future.”
Situated just outside of the NAIA preseason top 25 poll, the Bulldogs gave themselves a chance to crash the national rankings in a couple of weeks. They defeated No. 18 Hastings, which placed 14th. Concordia also outperformed additional GPAC rivals in Northwestern (11th), Morningside (17th), Doane (19th) and Mount Marty (27th). In addition, the Bulldogs placed in front of NCAA Division II schools such as Wayne State College and Concordia St. Paul.
Men’s recap
Concordia top five (4 mile):
36. Camden Sesna – 20:19.33
61. Calvin Rohde – 20:37.71
103. Jimmy Nguyen – 21:10.04
129. Charlie Hayden – 21:29.22
133. Micah Willweber – 21:32.41
It comes as little surprise that the team’s returning national qualifiers, Camden Sesna and Calvin Rohde, finished at the front of the Bulldog pack. Sesna concluded the four-mile race in 20:19.33 and placed 36th overall. Just like Freiberg did on the women’s side, Sesna finished before all other NAIA runners. Meanwhile, Rohde was about 18 seconds behind at 20:37.71. Sesna and Rohde were top 10 GPAC place finishers in 2021.
The newcomers within Concordia’s top 10 included freshmen Jimmy Nguyen (21:10.04), Aaron Jendro (21:35.65) and Travis Kuncl (22:03.06). It was a bit of a breakthrough for sophomore Micah Willweber, who broke into the team’s top five and placed 133rd overall (21:32.41). The Bulldogs entered a total of 18 competitors into the Augustana Twilight.
“We had some strong freshmen performances with Jimmy Nguyen up there running well,” Beisel said. “With Micah Willweber, we’ve known all along he had the capability to run up there in our top five. He’s finally healthy and running great. The distance between our first and our fifth wasn’t too far, which is really important in cross country scoring.”
In a battle of Concordias, St. Paul just barely edged out the Bulldogs (377-381). However, CUNE placed in front of GPAC foes Doane (14th), Midland (22nd), Northwestern (24th), Mount Marty (25th), Hastings (28th) and Morningside (30th). Both Doane and Northwestern were ranked above the Bulldogs in the GPAC preseason coaches’ poll.
Up next
The Bulldogs will have next week off while looking forward to the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 17. The meet will be held at Mahoney Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb. It will be the first time Concordia has attended the Greeno meet since 2015.
Sesna pulls in third career GPAC weekly award
Septmeber 7, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – For his efforts at the season opening Augustana Twilight, Concordia University’s Camden Sesna has been recognized as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Runner of the Week, as announced by the conference on Wednesday (Sept. 7). This marks the third career GPAC weekly award for Sesna, who was twice named GPAC Runner of the Week in 2021. Sesna outpaced all other GPAC and NAIA competition at the Augie Twilight, held Sept. 2 at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls, S.D.
A seventh place GPAC finisher and NAIA national qualifier last year, Sesna appears poised for another strong campaign on the trails. In Sioux Falls, Sesna placed 36th overall out of a field 321 individuals, including competitors from all levels of collegiate athletics. Sesna ran a four-mile personal best time of 20:19.33. As the frontrunner, Sesna led the Bulldog men’s team to a 12th place claim out of 32 teams. Concordia placed above all other GPAC and NAIA teams at the Augustana Twilight.
Also a three-time national qualifier on the track, Sesna will lead the Bulldogs back into action on Sept. 17 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational in Lincoln, Neb. Concordia is currently receiving votes in the NAIA national poll.
Meet Info: Greeno/Dirksen Invitational
September 15, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – Another chance to rub elbows with runners from all levels of collegiate competition is coming up Saturday for the Concordia Cross Country teams. The Bulldogs will be one of 35 institutions to make their way to the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational co-hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The field (listed below) includes teams from 11 NAIA, 10 NCAA Division I, two NCAA Division II, one NCAA Division III and 10 junior college institutions, in addition to one running club.
Greeno/Dirksen Invitational – Saturday, Sept. 17
Mahoney Park Golf Course | Lincoln, Neb.
-10 a.m. – men’s 8k
-10:50 a.m. – women’s 5k
-Live Results
Field of teams:
Air Force Academy (NCAA I)
Bellevue (NAIA)
Briar Cliff (NAIA)
Cloud County CC (JUCO)
Colby CC (JUCO)
College of Saint Mary (NAIA)
Concordia (NAIA)
Creighton (NCAA I)
Doane (NAIA)
Drake (NCAA I)
Garden City CC (JUCO)
Hastings (NAIA)
Hutchinson CC (JUCO)
Iowa Central CC (JUCO)
Iowa Western CC (JUCO)
Kansas (NCAA I)
Kansas State (NCAA I)
Kansas Wesleyan (NAIA)
Lincoln Running Company (Club)
Midland (NAIA)
Missouri-Kansas City (NCAA I)
Morningside (NAIA)
Nebraska (NCAA I)
Nebraska Wesleyan (NCAA III)
Nebraska-Omaha (NCAA I)
Northern Colorado (NCAA I)
Northwest Missouri State (NCAA II)
Northwest Kansas Tech (JUCO)
Peru State (NAIA)
Pratt CC (JUCO)
Southwestern (Kan.) (NAIA)
Southwestern CC (JUCO)
Trinidad State (JUCO)
Wayne State (NCAA II)
Wichita State (NCAA I)
The season started two weeks earlier for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads. Both competed at the Augustana Twilight on Sept. 2. Overall, the Concordia women placed ninth out of 28 teams and the Bulldog men finished 12th out of 32 teams. Both Bulldog squads placed higher than all other GPAC and NAIA competition at the event. As a result of his 20:19.33 time in the four-mile race, Camden Sesna was named the GPAC Runner of the Week. For a recap of the Augustana Twilight, click HERE.
Concordia will enter the meet with the men and women receiving votes in the NAIA national poll. New national rankings will be unveiled next week. The women reached as high as 11th in the national poll during the 2021 season.
Following the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational, Beisel will enter his athletes into the Dean White Invitational hosted by Doane on Sept. 24.
Bulldogs continue early momentum with strong showing at Greeno/Dirksen Invite
September 17, 2022
LINCOLN, Neb. – In another large-scale event, the Concordia Cross Country squads once again competed against NCAA Division I and II teams while in action at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational co-hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Nebraska Wesleyan University on Saturday (Sept. 17). When broken down by “Gold Division,” the Bulldogs placed third out of 19 teams on the women’s side and sixth out of 21 teams on the men’s side. More than 30 total institutions were represented at Mahoney Park Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads have stated strong cases for being included in the NAIA top 25 when new rankings are released next week. Concordia again defeated all other GPAC and NAIA foes.
“This season is all about focusing on what’s right in front of us and not looking far ahead,” Beisel said. “It’s about taking it one day and one week at a time and competing as a team. It’s not about times right now. We want to go out and compete against the people we need to beat. We’ve now had two successful competitions for both our men and women. We’re working them really hard right now. We talked about being gritty and tough and digging in when the going gets tough.”
This was the first outing for the Bulldogs since the Augustana Twilight on Sept. 2. The Greeno/Dirksen Invite featured a men’s 8k first and followed with a women’s 5k.
Said Beisel of the layout, “We were on a course that’s not easy. It has constant rolling hills. The footing was really good and there was a lot of space, but it was challenging. It finishes on what’s probably a 150-to-200-meter hill. At the end of the race, they had that to look forward to. Our athletes should be proud of their efforts. We give all glory to God because we couldn’t do it without Him. I’m grateful I get to be with these awesome human beings.”
Said Beisel of running against NCAA Division I and II competitors at the first two meets, “I think it gets us ready for nationals. It’s a really good rehearsal for the big stage.”
Men’s rundown
As part of the Gold Division of the meet, Concordia outran GPAC opponents in Doane (eighth), Midland (16th), Hastings (17th) and Morningside (18th). For the second meet in a row to begin 2022, returning national qualifiers Camden Sesna and Calvin Rohde led the pack with new 8k personal bests of 25:22.3 and 25:37.4, respectively. Both Bulldogs showed they could outperform competitions from NCAA Division I schools such as Air Force, Kansas and Nebraska. Sesna emerged as the top NAIA runner in the field and placed 42nd overall out of 318 competitors that finished the race.
This was the first collegiate 8k race for each of Concordia’s freshmen. Two Bulldog rookies found their way into the team’s top five: Jimmy Nguyen (26:51.1) and Aaron Jendro (27:15.0). The team’s Nos. 5 through 10 runners in Lincoln, in order, were Micah Willweber, Jack Ellis, Thomas Gorline, Charlie Hayden, Trevor Kuncl and Nathan Pennekamp. Sixteen Concordia men competed in the meet.
All five teams that placed above the Bulldogs in the Gold Division were either NCAA Division II or junior college squads.
Concordia top five at Greeno-Dirksen
42. Camden Sesna – 25:22.3
53. Calvin Rohde – 25:37.4
121. Jimmy Nguyen – 26:51.1
142. Aaron Jendro – 27:15.0
150. Micah Willweber – 27:20.9
Women’s rundown
At the top of the Gold Division standings, Concordia (144 points) placed behind only NCAA Division II opponents Northwest Missouri State University (23) and the University of Nebraska-Kearney (48). The Bulldogs placed in front of the following GPAC rivals: Hastings (fifth), Morningside (seventh), Doane (ninth), College of Saint Mary (12th) and Briar Cliff (18th). Individually, Kylahn Freiberg (19:05.2) and Rylee Haecker (19:40.7) continue to emerge as the lead Dawgs. Freiberg was the top NAIA finisher in a field that included 308 women’s runners that finished the race.
The rest of the Bulldog top five at the Greeno/Dirksen meet included Julie McIntyre (19:44.9), Hannah Beintema (19:46.5) and Rhaya Kaschinske (19:52.1). As one can deduce from the times, the team’s two through five runners were tightly packed. The rest of the Concordia top 10 went like this: Keegan Beisel, Courtney Wright, Amie Martin, Kaia Richmond and Bella Marchisio.
Concordia top five at Greeno-Dirksen
63. Kylahn Freiberg – 19:05.2
98. Rylee Haecker – 19:40.7
104. Julie McIntyre – 19:44.9
106. Hannah Beintema – 19:46.5
111. Rhaya Kaschinske – 19:52.1
Up next
The Bulldogs will be right back to action next Saturday (Sept. 24) at the Dean White Invitational hosted by Doane. The gun is slated to go off at 9 a.m. CT from Crete, Neb. The Dean White Invite is one of three meets remaining prior to the GPAC Championships.
Freiberg, Sesna make for Concordia sweep of GPAC Runner of the Week awards
September 21, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – Frontrunners for Concordia Cross Country through the first two meets of 2022, fourth-year Bulldogs Kylahn Freiberg and Camden Sesna were both honored by the GPAC on Wednesday (Sept. 21) for their performances at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational. Freiberg has been named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Women’s Runner of the Week while Sesna has been recognized as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Runner of the Week. Sesna has collected a GPAC weekly award for the fourth time in his career while Freiberg has received the honor for the second time in her career.
Freiberg (maiden name Heritage) completed the 5k race at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational in a time of 19:05.2, placing her 63rd overall out of 308 competitors. The Nampa, Idaho, native beat out all other GPAC and NAIA runners present at Mahoney Park Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb., where the field included athletes from NCAA Division I and II institutions. Freiberg helped lead the Bulldogs to a third-place team finish out of 19 squads in the “Gold Division” of the meet. In her career, Freiberg has earned three NAIA All-America awards in track and was the 2019 GPAC cross country meet runner up for a Concordia team that won the conference title.
A 2021 cross country national qualifier, Sesna clocked a personal best 8k time of 25:22.3 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite and placed 42nd overall out of a field of 318 runners. Like Freiberg, Sesna outran all opposing GPAC and NAIA athletes at the meet and defeated numerous NCAA Division I competitors. The Kearney, Neb., native powered the Bulldogs to a sixth-place team finish out of 21 squads in the Gold Division. An accomplished distance runner, Sesna placed seventh at the 2021 GPAC Cross Country Championships, qualified for the 2021 NAIA cross country national meet and is a three-time national qualifier in track.
Freiberg, Sesna and the rest of the Bulldogs will be back in action this Saturday at the Dean White Invitational hosted by Doane. The meet is slated to get underway at 9 a.m. CT.
Bulldog women break into NAIA top 25, men receive votes
September 22, 2022
Sept. 22 NAIA polls: Men | Women
SEWARD, Neb. – After appearing as high as No. 11 in the 2021 national rankings, the Concordia University Women’s Cross Country program is back in the NAIA top 25. The Bulldogs landed at No. 17 in the national coaches’ poll released on Thursday (Sept. 22) by the NAIA. Meanwhile, the men’s squad is listed third among teams that are receiving votes in the NAIA top 25 poll. At the conference level, Concordia is rated in a tie for first on the women’s side and second on the men’s side.
Those rankings are a reflection of the strong start for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads. At both of the first two meets, the Augustana Twilight (Sept. 2) and the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational (Sept. 17), the Bulldog men’s and women’s teams have outpaced all other GPAC and NAIA competition. At the Augustana Twilight, the women placed ninth out of 28 teams while the men finished 12th out of 32 teams. Two weeks later, Concordia was amongst the best teams in the “Gold Division” of the Greeno/Dirksen Invite, placing third out of 19 teams on the women’s side and sixth out of 21 teams on the men’s side.
Two Bulldogs have been honored by the conference for their individual efforts this 2022 season. Camden Sesna has already raked in two GPAC Runner of the Week awards while Kylahn Freiberg (maiden name Heritage) picked up the GPAC Runner of the Week award on the women’s side after she outran all conference competitors at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite. Sesna is a returning national qualifier along with Calvin Rohde and Rylee Haecker. In addition, Freiberg and Amie Martin ran at the 2019 NAIA national meet when the Concordia women placed 12th nationally as a team.
This marks the fourth straight season that the Bulldog women’s program has found its way into the top 25 at some point during the fall. On the other hand, the men’s program hopes to crack the NAIA top 25 for the first time since the 2014 season. Concordia is seeking to qualify both the men’s and women’s teams for nationals in the same season for the first time since 2009.
Next up is the Dean White Invitational hosted by Doane on Saturday. Details about the meet are available below.
Dean White Invitational – Saturday, Sept. 24
--Doane Cross Country Course | Crete, Neb.
--Men’s 8k – 9 a.m.
--Women’s 5k – 9:45 a.m.
--Results: Black Squirrel Timing
Concordia women take title, Sesna wins individual championship at Dean White Invite
September 24, 2022
CRETE, Neb. – Camden Sesna emerged as the men’s individual champion while both the Bulldog men’s and women’s cross country teams placed in the top two of the Dean White Cross Country Festival hosted by Doane on Saturday (Sept. 24) morning. The 17th-ranked Concordia women celebrated a meet title behind runner up Kylahn Freiberg and three additional runners who placed in the top eight of the individual leaderboard. The smaller field in Crete, Neb., featured opposition in host Doane, College of Saint Mary (women), Peru State College and York College.
Both of Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads held out at least one key runner on day that resulted in overall promising returns. Beisel says his teams have been in the midst of some of their most significant mileage training.
“We’re doing things very differently than the past few years,” Beisel said. “Last year we were running our fastest times and peaking too early. We slowed down as we got towards Mount Marty and conference. This year we’re taking more time to build up our mileage and intensity. This week we just got down with was our maximum mileage volume of the entire season. I told them that if they feel good during the race, then I’ve done a bad job as a coach. They were tired and fatigued these past two weekends and still competed well. Now over the next few weeks we’re going to be changing things and I think they’ll be running faster and feeling a lot better. We’re excited to go up against Dordt in two weeks and see how it all shakes out.”
Women’s rundown
The women’s program notched its first team meet championship since winning the 2021 Morningside College Invite. The Bulldogs did so while following the lead of reigning GPAC Runner of the Week in Freiberg, who finished behind only a competitor from York College. Concordia was without two of its top runners in Rylee Haecker and Julie McIntyre. In their absence, the Bulldogs showed off their depth as two freshmen ran with the team’s top five.
Said Beisel, “I told the girls that this was a chance for everyone to step it up and move up in the ranks. I thought they did a really good job of that. The whole idea for the women was to start the first mile fairly conservatively and run as a pack. We had a really nice grouping up front. That pack really helped us scoring-wise and we ended up with a win and got to ring the bell.”
Freiberg finished the 5k race in 19:34.59 a week after she ran 19:05.02 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite in Lincoln. The Nampa, Idaho, native has been the team’s top runner all three meets in 2022. As a team, Concordia totaled 35 points while placing in front of Doane (49), College of Saint Mary (66), York (79) and Peru State (149). The Bulldog women also won the Dean White Invite in 2020.
The Concordia top five that followed Freiberg included Hannah Beintema (20:09.16), Rhaya Kaschinske (20:32.31), Keegan Beisel (20:38.91) and Amie Martin (21:22.09). Bulldog runners six through 10 were packed tight: Jaiden Tweton (21:28.20), Faith Williamson (21:37.34), Courtney Wright (21:40.99), Bella Marchisio (21:41.27) and Sammi Vojslavek (22:22.40). Twenty-one Concordia women paced the course on Saturday.
Concordia top five at Dean White
2. Kylahn Freiberg – 19:34.59
5. Hannah Beintema – 20:09.16
7. Rhaya Kaschinske – 20:32.31
8. Keegan Beisel – 20:38.91
13. Amie Martin – 21:22.09
Men’s rundown
It was essentially a dual on the men’s side as Doane edged the Bulldogs, 25-30. A two-time GPAC Runner of the Week this season, Sesna took the individual title while running the 8k in 25:58.52. Sesna had run 25:22.3 a week earlier at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite. In the latest trot, Sesna was joined in the top 10 on the individual leaderboard by teammates Calvin Rohde (26:26.46), Jimmy Nguyen (27:17.28), Thomas Gorline (27:50.79) and Charlie Hayden (27:56.62).
“We thought we had a shot at winning what was basically a dual meet,” Beisel said. “One placement here or there makes a huge difference. We worked on running in packs and our guys also started out conservatively. I think they probably beat us on strategy. I still think we ran really well from a competitive standpoint.”
Sesna has been the top runner for the men’s team in each of this season’s three meets. With Sesna and Rohde leading the way at the top of the pack, the Bulldogs were knocking on the door of the NAIA top 25 released this past week. One missing element at the Dean White Invite was freshman Aaron Jendro, who was held out as a precaution. Jendro had been the team’s No. 4 runner the previous week.
The six through 10 positions in Concordia’s lineup in Crete were Nathan Pennekamp (27:57.34), Jack Ellis (28:03.69), Micah Willweber (28:10.86), Trevor Kuncl (29:05.77) and Jackson Smith (29:28.08). There were 13 Bulldogs that completed the race on Saturday.
Concordia top five at Dean White
1. Camden Sesna – 25:58.52
3. Calvin Rohde – 26:26.46
7. Jimmy Nguyen – 27:17.28
9. Thomas Gorline – 27:50.79
10. Charlie Hayden – 27:56.62
Up next
The Bulldogs will take next week off from competition while gearing up for the Holiday Inn Express Classic hosted by Dordt on Saturday, Oct. 8. The meet is slated to get underway at 10 a.m. CT from Sioux Center, Iowa. Just two meets remain on the schedule prior to the GPAC Championships on Nov. 5.
Freiberg collects second straight GPAC weekly honor
September 28, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – A strong fall keeps getting better for Kylahn Freiberg. With Wednesday (Sept. 28)’s announcement from the conference, Freiberg has been named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Runner of the Week for the second straight time. The native of Nampa, Idaho, has been the top runner at each of this season’s three meets for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s 17th-ranked Bulldogs.
Freiberg takes the latest honor after she finished the 5k race at the Dean White Invitational in 19:43.94. That time put her in second place at the meet, behind only a competitor from another NAIA school. Freiberg’s efforts helped the Concordia women take first place in the meet and continue a trend of defeating all other GPAC and NAIA teams in each 2022 outing. A week earlier, Freiberg ran 19:05.2 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational. As part of her career, Freiberg has earned three NAIA All-America awards in track and was the 2019 GPAC cross country meet runner up for a Bulldog squad that won the conference title.
Freiberg and her teammates have this week off from competition. They will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 8 for the Holiday Inn Express Classic hosted by Dordt in Sioux Center, Iowa.
Meet Info: Holiday Inn Express Classic
October 5, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – Following a week off from competition, the Concordia Cross Country teams will return to action this Saturday at the Holiday Inn Express Classic hosted by Dordt. The women’s 5k race is set to get underway at 10 a.m. CT from Sioux Center, Iowa, with the men to follow shortly afterwards. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads will go up against conference favorite Dordt for the first time in 2022. In the most recent NAIA national polls, the Bulldog women were ranked 17th while the men were receiving votes. A new national poll is scheduled to be released on Thursday (Oct. 6).
Holiday Inn Express Classic – Saturday, Oct. 8
Dordt on-campus course | Sioux Center, Iowa
--10 a.m. – women’s 5k
--10:45 a.m. – men’s 8k
--Course Map
--Live Coverage: Results | Dordt Media Network
It's been a strong first three meets this season for both the Concordia men and women. Top runners Kylahn Freiberg and Camden Sesna have raked in two GPAC Runner of the Week awards apiece. A fourth-year member of the program from Kearney, Neb., Sesna was recognized on Wednesday as the Bulldog Athletic Association Member Men’s Athlete of the Month for September. He’s led the Bulldogs at each of the team’s first three meets while recording place finishes of 36th/323 (20:19.33 in the four mile) at the Augustana Twilight, 42nd/318 (25:22.3 in 8k) at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite and 1st/24 (25:58.52 in 8k) at the Dean White Invite.
New GPAC ratings were unveiled on NAIA.org on Monday. Currently, Concordia is ranked second in the conference on the women’s side and third on the men’s side. Over the season’s first three meets, the women’s team has turned in place finishes of ninth out of 28 at the Augustana Twilight, third out of 19 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite and first out of five at the Dean White Invite. On the men’s side, the Bulldogs placed 12th out of 32 teams at the Augustana Twilight, sixth out of 21 teams at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite and second out of two at the Dean White Invite.
Following the Holiday Inn Express Classic, Concordia will have just one more meet left, the Mount Marty Invite on Oct. 22, prior to the conference championships on Nov. 5. The Bulldogs have hopes of qualifying both teams for the NAIA Cross Country National Championships in Tallahassee, Fla., on Nov. 18.
Haecker, Sesna pace Bulldogs to top-three finishes at Dordt meet
October 8, 2022
SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – Up against some of their fiercest GPAC rivals, the Concordia University Cross Country squads both notched top-three place finishes at the Holiday Inn Express Classic hosted by Dordt on Saturday (Oct. 8). Spurred by Rylee Hacker, the 22nd-ranked Bulldog women placed second out of 14 teams while the Camden Sesna-led men’s team finished third out of 14 teams. Both Haecker and Sesna placed inside the top 10 individually in fields of more than 150 runners for the women’s 5k and men’s 8k.
This was the fourth time out for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads, which had most recently competed at the Dean White Invitational on Sept. 24. Both teams are ranked inside the top three of the GPAC.
“I spent a lot of time in prayer about this meet,” Beisel said. “We’ve been getting in really good training and we’re trying some new things this year. There’s always a question mark as far as whether it’s working the way we want it to. Everything we’ve accomplished so far has gone pretty much according to what I expected. The question was: are we ready to go to a pretty important meet against really good opponents and perform well? The answer was yes. They knocked it out of the park. We didn’t get everything we wanted – I think we have the ability to perform even better.”
Saturday’s meet took place on the Dordt campus in Sioux Center, Iowa. As Beisel noted, the course features several hills and loops.
Women’s Breakdown
Ranked as high as 17th this season in the NAIA coaches’ poll, the Bulldogs have their sights set on a return to the national meet. With Haecker and Kylahn Freiberg out front, Concordia defeated five of the six GPAC rivals that were present in Sioux Center. Only host Dordt (ranked ninth nationally) outran the Bulldogs, who have placed third or better in each of the past three meets. Concordia’s point total came in at 80 while Dordt finished with 49.
“It was a really outstanding meet for Rylee,” Beisel said. “She poured it on in the last 500 meters and ended up passing Kylahn. It was an all-time personal best for Rylee. Rhaya (Kaschinske) ran the best races she’s ever run and Julie (McIntyre) ran her season best and was only about six seconds off her PR. There was some really good stuff. I’m just excited about the next few weeks.”
A national qualifier last season, Haecker returned to the trails after missing the Dean White Invite. Haecker emerged as the fifth highest place finisher among GPAC runners while clocking a 5k time of 18:30.35. This was the first time this season that Freiberg did not lead the way for the Bulldogs. She finished in 18:41.07. Next in the team’s top five were McIntyre (19:19.26), Kaschinske (19:20.12) and Beintema (19:32.45).
Concordia’s six through 10 runners at the meet were Keegan Beisel (20:22.26), Amie Martin (20:25.24), Courtney Wright (20:27.75), Faith Williamson (20:51.94) and Jaiden Tweton (21:01.59). Twenty-one competitors represented the Bulldogs.
Concordia top five (5k)
8. Rylee Haecker – 18:30.35
11. Kylahn Freiberg – 18:41.07
20. Julie McIntyre – 19:19.26
21. Rhaya Kaschinske – 19:20.12
26. Hannah Beintema – 19:32.45
Men’s Breakdown
The Bulldogs (126 points) slotted third behind Dordt (27) and Grand View University (60). Concordia avenged its loss to Doane at the Dean White Invite and edged out the Tigers (132) for third place. The Bulldogs also defeated Northwestern (265), Mount Marty (299), Morningside (353) and Briar Cliff (380). The two-time GPAC Runner of the Week Sesna crossed the finish line in 24:46.84 and was the top non-Dordt runner, among GPAC competitors.
“We were able to beat Doane, so that was a good sign for where we are,” Beisel said. “So many kids ran all-time personal bests. It played out similarly to previous meets with Camden, Calvin (Rohde) and Jimmy (Nguyen) coming out first, second and third. We are trying to get a bunch of guys as close to Camden and Calvin as we can.”
Incredibly consistent, the Kearney, Neb., native Sesna has been the top Dawg at all four meets in 2022. He was coming off an individual title at the Dean White Invite. Right behind him once again was Rohde, a fellow 2022 national qualifier. Rohde just missed a top 10 overall placement of his own. Next in line for Concordia were the likes of Jimmy Nguyen (26:12.12), Jack Ellis (26:38.51) and Aaron Jendro (26:52.31). Nguyen and Jendro are both freshmen who have made an immediate impact.
The six through 10 spots in the Bulldog lineup were held down in Sioux Center by Nathan Pennekamp (26:52.75), Thomas Gorline (27:04.88), Charlie Hayden (27:12.87), Jackson Smith (27:46.26) and Ryan Garvey (27:48.57). There were 15 Concordia competitors that finished the race. Micah Willweber, a regular in the team’s top 10, started the race and then withdrew due to an injury. Beisel expects Willweber to be ready to go for the next race.
Concordia top five (8k)
7. Camden Sesna – 24:46.84
13. Calvin Rohde – 25:06.86
31. Jimmy Nguyen – 26:12.12
50. Jack Ellis – 26:38.51
58. Aaron Jendro – 26:52.31
Up Next
In the final outing prior to the GPAC Championships, the Bulldogs will run at the Mount Marty Invite on Saturday, Oct. 22. The meet is scheduled to get underway at 10:30 a.m. CT from Fox Run Golf Course in Yankton, S.D.
Meet Info: 2022 Mount Marty Invite
October 20, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – It’s back to action this Saturday for the Concordia University Cross Country teams, which are readying to race at the Mount Marty Invite. The meet is slated to get underway at 10:30 a.m. CT from Fox Run Golf Course in Yankton, S.D. This will mark the final outing prior to the 2022 GPAC Championships for the Bulldogs. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads last competed at the Holiday Inn Express Classic at the Dordt Classic on Oct. 8 when Concordia placed second on the women’s side and third on the men’s side.
Mount Marty Invite – Saturday, Oct. 22
Fox Run Golf Course | Yankton, S.D.
--10:30 a.m. CT
--Results: Dakota Timing
High placements at meets are important in terms of securing loftier spots in the NAIA national polls. The most recent NAIA cross country coaches’ polls were unveiled on Oct. 13. The women landed at No. 21, marking their third straight poll appearance of the fall. On the men’s side, the Bulldogs were able to gain some ground in the “receiving votes” category thanks to finishing above Doane at the Dordt Classic. The Concordia men got the 31st most points in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
Through the first four meets, the Concordia women have recorded place finishes of ninth out of 28 at the Augustana Twilight, third out of 19 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite, first out of five at the Dean White Invite and second out of 14 at the Dordt Classic. Meanwhile, the Bulldog men have turned in place finishes of 12th out of 32 at the Augustana Twilight, sixth out of 21 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite, second out of two at the Dean White Invite and third out of 14 at the Dordt Classic. The women had not been defeated by any NAIA opponents until placing as the runner up to Dordt on Oct. 8.
Individually, both Camden Sesna and Kylahn Freiberg have claimed two GPAC Runner of the Week awards in 2022. Sesna has been the men’s team’s top finisher at each of the first four meets while Freiberg has been the women’s team’s best runner in three of four meets. At the Dordt Classic, Rylee Haecker rose to the top of the Bulldog pack with a 5k time of 18:30.35. Also in Sioux Center, Iowa, Sesna clocked a season best 8k time of 24:46.84.
The 2022 GPAC Cross Country Championships are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 5. Jamestown will be the host up in North Dakota. Concordia is coming off 2021 GPAC place finishes of fourth on the men’s side and fifth on the women’s side.
Bulldogs cap pre-GPAC season with Mount Marty place finishes of third for men, fourth for women
October 22, 2022
YANKTON, S.D. – In one last outing prior to the 2022 GPAC Championships, the Concordia Cross Country squads attained most of what they could realistically hope and pray for. The Bulldogs turned in Mount Marty Invite place finishes on Saturday (Oct. 22) of third (out of 12) for the men and fourth (out of 11) for the women. The field at Fox Run Golf Course in Yankton, S.D., featured six GPAC squads in both the men’s and women’s races and nearly 300 total runners. Times were a bit slower in unseasonably warm conditions.
This was the fifth and final meet of the regular season for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads. In current NAIA national polls, Concordia is ranked No. 21 on the women’s side while receiving votes on the men’s side. Said Beisel of the ultimate takeaway from Saturday, “We accomplished goals for both the men and women.”
Men’s breakdown
With 86 points, the Bulldog men placed behind Dordt (28) and the University of Sioux Falls (38) at the Mount Marty Invite. At the top of the pack, Reed City, Mich., native Calvin Rohde led Concordia by finishing the 8k race in 25:30.40, putting him in eighth place out of 145 competitors. Camden Sesna, the team’s top runner at each of the season’s first four meets, placed 13th in a time of 25:46.67 while battling through some aches and pains.
Dordt was the lone GPAC opponent to beat out the Bulldogs, who placed in front of Mount Marty (seventh), Northwestern (eighth), Morningside (10th) and Briar Cliff (11th). Concordia is currently rated second in the GPAC behind the NAIA third-ranked Defenders.
“We were a solid third,” Beisel said. “None of our guys ran personal bests, but everyone there was 30-to-60 seconds slower than two weeks before, running against the same teams. I thought it was a really good effort for the day. This shows that we still have a very good shot at placing second in the conference. Doane is going to be in there too. Today Calvin ran very well and had a great race. Camden finished closely behind him. Today was less about times and more about placing.”
The Bulldog top five looked similar to recent meets as Jack Ellis (26:55.86), Jimmy Nguyen (26:57.10) and Aaron Jendro (27:13.11) rounded it out while each placing in the top 35 individually. The rest of the team’s top 10 in Yankton included Nathan Pennekamp (27:57.50), Logan Walgate (28:11.21), Charlie Hayden (28:11.30), Trevor Kuncl (28:21.86) and Thomas Gorline (28:26.17). Beisel made special mention of the breakthrough performance for Walgate, native of St. Charles, Mo. Seventeen Bulldogs completed the race.
Concordia top five (8k)
8. Calvin Rohde – 25:30.40
13. Camden Sesna – 25:46.67
25. Jack Ellis – 26:55.86
26. Jimmy Nguyen – 26:57.10
34. Aaron Jendro – 27:13.11
Women’s breakdown
The Concordia women came in at 98 points as they placed behind Sioux Falls (34), Dordt (44) and Northwestern (81). The Bulldogs were missing a key piece as former GPAC runner up Kylahn Freiberg missed the meet to attend a wedding in her home state of Idaho. Beisel liked the way the rest of the team helped pick up the slack. For the second meet in a row, Rylee Haecker emerged as the top runner for the Bulldogs. She crossed the finish line with a 5k time of 18:48.75.
Nationally ranked Concordia defeated other GPAC rivals in Morningside (fifth), Mount Marty (ninth) and Briar Cliff (10th). If the Bulldogs can peak in two weeks, they believe they can place inside the top two of the conference.
“We had all kinds of things happen on the women’s side,” Beisel said. “We knew it would be hard to beat Northwestern without Kylahn because they’ve been right there on our tail. We wanted to see how close we could get without Kylahn, and I thought our team did a fantastic job. Amie Martin is probably the rockstar of the day. She ran under 20 today and was our fifth finisher. She did a great job. Overall, it was a great effort.”
Haecker was followed in the top five of the lineup by Julie McIntyre (19:35.08), Rhaya Kaschinske (19:41.34), Hannah Beintema (19:52.33) and Martin (19:56.92). A transfer from Trinity Christian College, McIntyre has been a regular in the team’s top five this fall. So too have been the likes of Kaschinske and Beintema. The latter has been Concordia’s top freshman. The team’s six through 10 spots at the Mount Marty Invite were earned by Keegan Beisel (20:40.87), Jaiden Tweton (20:58.58), Sammi Vojslavek (21:42.02), Bella Marchisio (21:50.09) and Kyra Becker (21:56.18). There were 19 Bulldogs who completed the 5k race.
Concordia top five (5k)
6. Rylee Haecker – 18:48.75
20. Julie McIntyre – 19:35.08
25. Rhaya Kaschinske – 19:41.34
32. Hannah Beintema – 19:52.33
35. Amie Martin – 19:56.92
Up next
The next time the Bulldogs are in action it will be at the 2022 GPAC Cross Country Championships. This year’s conference meet will take place at Parkhurst Campground in Jamestown, N.D., on Saturday, Nov. 5. The gun is set to go off at 10:45 am. CT on that date. It will mark the first time that Jamestown has ever hosted the GPAC cross country meet.
Meet Preview: 2022 GPAC Cross Country Championships
November 1, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – The week the Concordia Cross Country teams have been preparing for all season has arrived. The 2022 GPAC Cross Country Championships will take place this Saturday at Parkhurst Campground in Jamestown, N.D., a location that has never before played host to the conference meet. Chilly but favorable conditions are expected when the women’s 5k race gets underway at 10:45 a.m. CT. The men’s 8k race is slated to get started at 11:30 a.m.
Meet Info – 2022 GPAC Cross Country Championships
Saturday, Nov. 5 | Women’s 5k – 10:45 a.m., Men’s 8k – 11:30 a.m.
Parkhurst Campground | Jamestown, N.D.
Results: Dakota Timing
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s program is determined to improve upon last season’s conference placements of fourth on the men’s side and fifth on the women’s side. Beisel led the women’s program to a GPAC title in 2019. In the current NAIA national rankings, the Bulldogs are rated No. 24 in the women’s poll while receiving votes in the men’s poll. The women have been rated in the top 25 in four consecutive polls (17th, 22nd, 21st and 24th). Beisel believes both teams have a shot at placing inside the top two of the conference.
Through five meets this season, the Concordia women have recorded place finishes of ninth out of 28 at the Augustana Twilight, third out of 19 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite, first out of five at the Dean White Invite, second out of 14 at the Dordt Classic and fourth out of 11 at the Mount Marty Invite. Meanwhile, the Bulldog men have turned in place finishes of 12th out of 32 at the Augustana Twilight, sixth out of 21 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite, second out of two at the Dean White Invite, third out of 14 at the Dordt Classic and third out of 12 at the Mount Marty Invite. The women had not been defeated by any NAIA opponents until placing as the runner up to Dordt on Oct. 8. They then placed behind Dordt and Northwestern at the Mount Marty Invite.
Both the Concordia men’s and women’s teams have two individuals with past all-conference accolades to their credit. In 2021, Camden Sesna (seventh) and Calvin Rohde (10th) on the men’s side and Rylee Haecker (seventh) on the women’s side garnered All-GPAC awards thanks to placing top 10 in the conference. In addition, Kylahn Freiberg placed as the conference runner up in 2019 while pacing the Bulldogs to a GPAC championship. All four Bulldogs possess experience at the national meet – and so too does Amie Martin, who was part of the 2019 squad. Haecker, Rohde and Sesna qualified as individuals in 2021.
Thanks to their efforts this fall, Sesna and Freiberg have collected two GPAC Runner of the Week awards apiece. It’s been a comeback story for Freiberg (maiden name Heritage) after she spent most of the 2021 season fighting through injury. Freiberg’s top 5k time this season was her 18:41.07 (11th place) at the Dordt Classic in early October. As for Sesna, his best 8k time came in at 24:46.85 (seventh place) at the Dordt Classic. Sesna was also the winner of the Dean White Invite hosted by Doane. In addition, Haecker has turned in two 5k times under 19 minutes (best of 18:30.35) this season. Rohde recently ran 25:30.40 in the 8k and placed eighth at the Mount Marty Invite. When everyone was present at the Dordt Classic, Concordia’s Nos. 3 runners were Julie McIntyre on the women’s side and Jimmy Nguyen on the men’s side. Of the 20 Bulldogs on the conference championship roster, eight will be experiencing a GPAC meet for the first time.
The most recent GPAC ratings were released on Oct. 24. Dordt took down the top spot for both men and women while the Bulldogs were next at No. 2 on both sides. Right on the heels of the Concordia women is Northwestern while Doane has been close with the Bulldog men. With 12 teams in the league on the women’s side, the GPAC will get two automatic bids to nationals. On the men’s side, only the conference champion will get an automatic nationals berth. At-large bids will be announced next week by the NAIA.
In the history of Concordia Cross Country, the program has claimed a combined 12 team conference championships and 25 individual conference titles. The most recent individual GPAC champions were Sarah Kortze (2012) for the women and Colin Morrissey (2012) for the men. The 2009 season marked the last time the Bulldogs sent their men’s and women’s teams to the national meet in the same year.
Official qualifiers for the 2022 NAIA Cross Country National Championships will be announced once all conference meets have concluded. The national meet is set to be held in at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla., Nov. 18. More details on the meet can be found via the NAIA website HERE.
2022 Concordia GPAC Championship Roster
Women
Hannah Beintema
Keegan Beisel
Kylahn Freiberg
Rylee Haecker
Rhaya Kaschinske
Amie Martin
Julie McIntyre
Jaiden Tweton
Sammi Vojslavek (alternate)
Faith Williamson
Courtney Wright
Men
Jack Ellis
Thomas Gorline
Charlie Hayden
Aaron Jendro
Trevor Kuncl
Jimmy Nguyen
Nathan Pennekamp
Calvin Rohde
Camden Sesna
Logan Walgate (alternate)
Micah Willweber
Concordia Cross Country History
All-time team conference championships
Men (6): 1971, 1972, 1997, 2004, 2009, 2012
Women (6): 1995, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2019
All-time individual conference champions
Men (18)
Dan Cloeter (1970, 1971, 1972, 1973)
Dave Cloeter (1975)
Kregg Einspahr (1979, 1980, 1981)
Brandon Seifert (1997, 1998, 1999)
Andrew Walquist (2003, 2004)
Luka Thor (2006)
Zach Meineke (2008, 2009)
Dana Schmidt (2010)
Colin Morrissey (2012)
Women (7)
Sharon Holthaus (1980)
Amy Luft (1997)
Stacey Hain (1998)
Molly Engel (2002, 2003, 2004)
Sarah Kortze (2012)
Sesna powers Bulldog men to GPAC runner up claim; women place third
November 5, 2022
JAMESTOWN, N.D. – By the completion of the 2022 GPAC Cross Country Championships, the Concordia Bulldogs hoped to lock in team bids to the national meet – or at least state compelling cases for at-large consideration. The Bulldogs missed out on the automatic bids, however, the men’s team held off Dakota Wesleyan and Doane in a tight race for second place while the 24th-ranked women landed in third place. Dordt emerged with championships on both sides when the dust settled on the competition at Parkhurst Campground in Jamestown, N.D.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s men’s program claimed its highest conference finish since winning the GPAC title in 2012. Based on their individual finishes, Camden Sesna, Kylahn Freiberg and Julie McIntyre have each earned spots at the national meet (unofficially). Overall, it was a good day for Concordia Cross Country.
Said Beisel, “On both sides, every single guy and girl gave it everything they had. That was obvious from the intensity with which they ran. It’s been a fantastic season and whatever happened today was going to be icing on the cake. We got close to what we were hoping for … I believe we still have a shot to get an at-large bid (to nationals). The guys did what they had to do to potentially break into the top 25. On the women’s side, I feel like our women have a shot at an-large bid too.”
Men’s Breakdown
A two-time GPAC Runner of the Week this fall, senior Camden Sesna kept his career alive and helped pave the way for the team’s second place finish. Sesna emerged with his best ever GPAC placement of fifth. He navigated the 8k course in 25:46.15. With the Kearney, Neb., native leading the way, the Bulldogs (86 points) edged Dakota Wesleyan (87) and Doane (92) for second. Prior to this weekend, the best GPAC men’s finish under Beisel had been fourth (twice).
“This is something we’ve been working towards for six years and it’s so awesome to be able to accomplish that,” Beisel said. “Dakota Wesleyan kind of came out of the blue and almost caught us. Fortunately, Camden was able to pass a Dakota Wesleyan runner in the final straightaway and that was the difference, I think. It’s the first time we’ve been able to beat Doane (at the GPAC meet) since I’ve took over. Camden had a great race. Calvin didn’t quite feel his best today and had to drop back a little bit. Huge kudos to Jack Ellis, who ran out of his mind and wound up ahead of all but one Doane runner. We had a nice pack in fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh. They did what they had to do.”
Sesna was roughly 17 seconds off the individual GPAC champion from Dordt. As the team’s No. 2 Rohde gutted out a time of 26:21.70 and earned all-conference accolades for the second year in a row. Ellis cracked the top 20 (18th) in the field of 84 runners with his time of 26:45.49. The pack Beisel referred to in the team’s four through seven spots included Aaron Jendro (27:41.43), Jimmy Nguyen (27:46.29), Charlie Hayden (27:53.22) and Nathan Pennekamp (27:57.99).
In addition to defeating Dakota Wesleyan and Doane, the Bulldogs outran Northwestern (fifth), Mount Marty (sixth), Midland (seventh), Hastings (eighth), Morningside (ninth), Jamestown (10th) and Briar Cliff (11th).
Individual GPAC finishes
5. Camden Sesna – 25:46.15
14. Calvin Rohde – 26:21.70
18. Jack Ellis – 26:45.49
29. Aaron Jendro – 27:41.43
30. Jimmy Nguyen – 27:46.29
33. Charlie Hayden – 27:53.22
37. Nathan Pennekamp – 27:57.99
40. Trevor Kuncl – 28:06.57
45. Thomas Gorline – 28:25.25
46. Micah Willweber – 28:25.48
Women’s Breakdown
The hope was for a second-place finish, but the Bulldogs came up 11 points short of Hastings (64) in the team race. Dordt (33 points) took the team title behind individual champion Jessica Kampman. Concordia was led by three individuals who placed in all-conference territory in Kylahn Freiberg (eighth), Julie McIntyre (14th) and Rylee Haecker (15th). The team finish was an improvement from 2021 when the Bulldogs placed fifth in the conference.
“We all wanted second – we all wanted that automatic bid,” Beisel said. “Our focus was on Northwestern. We wanted to keep in front of them. Hastings has a way of putting things together at the GPAC Championships and did an incredible job. We accomplished one of our goals of beating Northwestern. Kylahn ran an outstanding race. She qualified individually for nationals. Rylee was a little sick during the week and wasn’t able to find the energy to be able to be up there with Kylahn. Rylee just missed going to nationals, but she’s been a great leader and captain this season. Overall, the times were not as fast as we expected – there were a lot of tight turns and one pretty big hill.
Both Freiberg and Haecker have earned All-GPAC awards for the second time in their careers. A 2021 national qualifier and five-time All-American in track, Haecker fought her way to the finish and was seven seconds behind McIntyre. A transfer from Trinity Christian College, McIntyre has enjoyed a phenomenal season as a Bulldog and finished the 5k in 19:33.86. McIntyre will join Freiberg at nationals in a couple of weeks. Freiberg owns national experience having run on that stage in 2019. The rest of Concordia’s top five at the conference meet included Hannah Beintema (19:50.75) and Rhaya Kaschinske (20:05.03).
As Beisel stated, Concordia beat out Northwestern and also outperformed the likes of Morningside (fifth), College of Saint Mary (sixth), Doane (seventh), Mount Marty (eighth), Midland (ninth), Jamestown (10th), Briar Cliff (11th) and Dakota Wesleyan (12th). The Bulldogs won the GPAC title as recently as 2019.
Individual GPAC finishes
8. Kylahn Freiberg – 19:11.51
14. Julie McIntyre – 19:33.86
15. Rylee Haecker – 19:40.36
18. Hannah Beintema – 19:50.75
20. Rhaya Kaschinske – 20:05.03
32. Amie Martin – 20:35.42
37. Keegan Beisel – 20:44.10
46. Faith Williamson – 21:08.85
51. Courtney Wright – 21:19.72
72. Jaiden Tweton – 22:20.96
NAIA National Championships
For those who qualify, the season will continue with a trip to Tallahassee, Fla., for the 2022 NAIA Cross Country National Championships on Nov. 18. Whether or not Concordia qualifies one and/or both teams, Beisel feels grateful for the progress he’s seen this fall – and for the time spent with his student-athletes.
Added Beisel, “We focused this week on giving this to God. Sometimes it’s hard when you don’t get everything you want, but there’s a reason for it. We’ve had an outstanding season.”
Concordia women earn at-large bid to nationals, Sesna officially qualifies individually
November 8, 2022
NAIA Releases: men’s qualifiers | women’s qualifiers
SEWARD, Neb. – As officially announced on Tuesday (Nov. 8) by the NAIA National Office, the Concordia University Cross Country program has qualified its entire women’s team and Camden Sesna individually for the 2022 NAIA Cross Country National Championships. The qualifiers will each make their way to Tallahassee, Fla., next week for the national meet. Among current Bulldogs, Sesna, Kylahn Freiberg, Rylee Haecker and Amie Martin possess previous experience at the national meet.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads turned in GPAC team placements of second on the men’s side and third on the women’s side while in action this past Saturday (Nov. 5) in Jamestown, N.D. Both Concordia squads received votes in the NAIA coaches’ polls released on Monday. The women earned at-large entry into nationals as determined by an oversight committee. The Bulldog women rose as high as No. 17 in the national rankings this fall.
Not only will Freiberg, Haecker, McIntyre and Sesna appear at nationals, they were also recognized as 2022 All-GPAC award winners for finishing in the top 15 at the conference meet. In addition, Calvin Rohde also earned All-GPAC honors while coming up just shy of reaching nationals as an individual qualifier.
In 2021, Beisel traveled Haecker, Rohde and Sesna to the national meet held in Vancouver, Wash. Sesna placed 116th (8k time of 26:54.7), Rohde placed 209th (8k time of 27:40.4) and Haecker placed 120th (19:45.8). The 2019 Concordia women’s team won the GPAC championship and then placed 12th at the national meet. Freiberg ran the 5k in 18:42.4 at the 2019 national championships and placed 33rd, just missing All-America honors. The women’s program will be looking to earn an NAIA top 25 finish for the 20th time since 1994.
The 2022 NAIA Cross Country National Championships will unfold on Friday, Nov. 18 at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee. The men’s race is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. local time in Florida. The women will follow at 9:30 a.m. ET. For more information on the national meet, visit the NAIA website HERE.
2022 All-GPAC Honorees
Kylahn Freiberg | Nampa, Idaho
* 2022 National Qualifier *
-Two-time All-GPAC XC (2019, 2022)
· Augustana Twilight: 18:50.33 (28th/313)
· Greeno/Dirksen Invite: 19:05.2 (63rd/308)
· Dean White Invite: 19:43.94 (2nd/61)
· Dordt Classic: 18:41.07 (11th/153)
· Mount Marty Invite: DNR
· GPAC Championships: 19:11.51 (8th/95)
Rylee Haecker | Davenport, Neb.
* 2022 National Qualifier *
-Two-time All-GPAC XC (2021, 2022)
· Augustana Twilight: 19:07.82 (42nd/313)
· Greeno/Dirksen Invite: 19:40.7 (98th/308)
· Dean White Invite: DNR
· Dordt Classic: 18:30.35 (8th/153)
· Mount Marty Invite: 18:48.75 (6th/148)
· GPAC Championships: 19:40.36 (15th/95)
Julie McIntyre | Chicago, Ill.
* 2022 NAIA National Qualifier *
· Augustana Twilight: 19:51.47 (86th/313)
· Greeno/Dirksen Invite: 19:44.9 (104th/308)
· Dean White Invite: DNR
· Dordt Classic: 19:19.26 (20th/153)
· Mount Marty Invite: 19:35.08 (20th/148)
· GPAC Championships: 19:33.86 (14th/95)
Calvin Rohde | Reed City, Mich.
-Two-time All-GPAC XC (2021, 2022)
· Augustana Twilight: 20:37.71 (61st/323) *4 mile*
· Greeno/Dirksen Invite: 25:37.4 (53rd/318)
· Dean White Invite: 26:26.46 (3rd/24)
· Dordt Classic: 25:06.86 (13th/164)
· Mount Marty Invite: 25:30.40 (8th/145)
· GPAC Championships: 26:21.70 (14th/84)
Camden Sesna | Kearney, Neb.
* 2022 NAIA National Qualifier *
-Two-time All-GPAC XC (2021, 2022)
· Augustana Twilight: 20:19.33 (36th/323) *4 mile*
· Greeno/Dirksen Invite: 25:22.3 (42nd/318)
· Dean White Invite: 25:58.52 (1st/24)
· Dordt Classic: 24:46.84 (7th/164)
· Mount Marty Invite: 25:46.67 (13th/145)
· GPAC Championships: 25:46.15 (5th/84)
Meet Preview: 2022 NAIA Cross Country National Championships
November 15, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – Eight Bulldogs are gearing up to represent the Concordia University Cross Country programs at the 2022 NAIA Cross Country National Championships. The meet will be held Friday in at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla., a location that has never before hosted the national championships. The championship meet will get started with the men’s 8k race at 8:30 a.m. ET followed by the women’s 5k at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Meet Info – 2022 NAIA Cross Country National Championships
Friday, Nov. 18
--Men’s 8K Race – 8:30 a.m. ET (7:30 a.m. CT)
--Women’s 5K Race – 9:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. CT)
--Awards Ceremony – 11 a.m. ET (10 a.m. CT)
--Apalachee Regional Park | Tallahassee, Fla.
--Live Coverage: Results | Stream
--NOTE: All-America honors are awarded to the top 40 men’s and women’s finishers.
The 2022 national meet will mark the 67th annual event for the men and 43rd annual race for the women. This year’s national championship field is set to include 36 teams and 78 individual qualifiers on the men’s side and 36 teams and 80 individual qualifiers on the women’s side. Head Coach Matt Beisel has led the women’s program back to the national meet for the second time during his tenure. The 2019 GPAC championship Bulldogs placed 12th at the NAIA national meet.
2022 Concordia Cross Country National Qualifiers
Hannah Beintema | Bettendorf, Iowa
· First career cross country national championship appearance.
· Placed 18th at the 2022 GPAC Championships with a 5k time of 19:50.75.
· Season best 5k time was 19:31.57 at the Augustana Twilight.
2022 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight – 19:31.57 (64th/313)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite – 19:46.5 (106th/308)
Dean White Invite – 20:09.16 (5th/61)
Dordt Classic – 19:32.45 (26th/153)
Mount Marty Invite – 19:52.33 (32nd/148)
GPAC Championships – 19:50.75 (18th/95)
Keegan Beisel | Seward, Neb.
· First career cross country national championship appearance.
· Placed 37th at the 2022 GPAC Championships with a 5k time of 20:44.10.
· Season best 5k time was 20:09.87 at the Augustana Twilight.
2022 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight – 20:09.87 (105th/313)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite – 20:30.6 (145th/308)
Dean White Invite – 20:38.91 (8th/61)
Dordt Classic – 20:22.26 (52nd/153)
Mount Marty Invite – 20:40.87 (53rd/148)
GPAC Championships – 20:44.10 (37th/95)
Kylahn Freiberg | Nampa, Idaho
· Second career cross country national championship appearance; placed 33rd at the 2019 NAIA Cross Country National Championships (Vancouver, Wash.) with a 5k time of 18:42.4.
· Placed eighth at the 2022 GPAC Championships with a 5k time of 19:11.51; previous GPAC placements were second (18:30.48) in 2019, 17th (20:00.14) in 2020 and 30th (20:28.23) in 2021. Freiberg has earned two career All-GPAC awards.
· Owns three career All-America awards in track and field.
2022 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight – 18:50.33 (28th/313)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite – 19:05.2 (63rd/308)
Dean White Invite – 19:43.94 (2nd/61)
Dordt Classic – 18:41.07 (11th/153)
Mount Marty – DNR
GPAC Championships – 19:11.51 (19:11.51 (8th/95)
Rylee Haecker | Davenport, Neb.
· Second career cross country national championship appearance; placed 120th at the 2021 NAIA Cross Country National Championships (Vancouver, Wash.) with a 5k time of 19:45.8.
· Placed 15th at the 2022 GPAC Championships with a 5k time of 19:40.36. Previous GPAC placements were 25th (20:25.86) in 2020 and seventh (19:19.69) in 2021. Haecker has twice earned cross country all-conference accolades.
· Owns six career All-America awards in track and field.
2022 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight – 19:07.82 (42nd/313)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite – 19:40.07 (98th/308)
Dean White Invite – DNR
Dordt Classic – 18:30.35 (8th/153)
Mount Marty Invite – 18:48.75 (6th/148)
GPAC Championships – 19:40.36 (15th/95)
Rhaya Kaschinske | Fort Wayne, Ind.
· First career cross country national championship appearance.
· Placed 20th at the 2022 GPAC Championships with a 5k time of 20:05.03; also placed 29th (20:28.15) at the 2021 conference meet.
· Season best 5k time was 19:20.12 at the Dordt Classic.
2022 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight – 19:46.46 (80th/313)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite – 19:52.1 (111th/308)
Dean White Invite – 20:32.31 (7th/61)
Dordt Classic – 19:20.12 (21st/153)
Mount Marty Invite – 19:41.34 (25th/148)
GPAC Championships – 20:05.03 (20th/95)
Amie Martin | Arnold, Mo.
· Second career cross country national championship appearance; placed 132nd at the 2019 NAIA Cross Country National Championships (Vancouver, Wash.) with a 5k time of 19:40.2.
· Placed 32nd at the 2022 GPAC Championships with a 5k time of 20:35.42; previous GPAC placements were 25th (19:49.40) in 2019, 38th (20:54.95) in 2020 and 31st (20:30.77) in 2021.
· Season best 5k time was 19:56.92 at the Mount Marty Invite.
2022 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight – 20:54.95 (161st/313)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite – 21:04.1 (177th/308)
Dean White Invite – 21:22.09 (13th/61)
Dordt Classic – 20:25.14 (54th/153)
Mount Marty Invite – 19:56.92 (35th/148)
GPAC Championships – 20:35.42 (32nd/95)
Julie McIntyre | Chicago, Ill.
· First career cross country national championship appearance.
· Placed 14th at the 2022 GPAC Championships with a 5k time of 19:33.86 and earned all-conference honors.
· McIntyre transferred from Trinity Christian College; her husband Michael McIntyre serves as the goalkeeper coach for the Concordia soccer teams.
2022 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight – 19:51.47 (86th/313)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite – 19:44.9 (104th/308)
Dean White Invite – DNR
Dordt Classic – 19:19.26 (20th/153)
Mount Marty Invite – 19:35.08 (20th/148)
GPAC Championships – 19:33.86 (14th/95)
Faith Williamson | O’Neill, Neb. (alternate)
· First career cross country national championship appearance.
· Placed 46th at the 2022 GPAC Championships with a 5k time of 21:08.85.
· Season best 5k time was 20:51.94 at the Dordt Classic.
2022 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight – 21:38.93 (196th/313)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite – DNR
Dean White Invite – 21:37.34 (16th/61)
Dordt Classic – 20:51.94 (74th/153)
Mount Marty Invite – DNR
GPAC Championships – 21:08.85 (46th/95)
Individual Qualifier – Camden Sesna | Kearney, Neb.
· Second career cross country national championship appearance; placed 116th at the 2021 NAIA Cross Country National Championships (Vancouver, Wash.) with an 8k time of 26:54.7.
· Placed fifth at the 2022 GPAC Championships with an 8k time of 25:46.15; previous GPAC placements were 27th (26:50.65) in 2019, 40th (29:02.61) in 2020 and seventh (26:34.08) in 2021. Sesna has earned two career All-GPAC cross country awards; he was also twice named the GPAC Runner of the Week in 2022.
· Has appeared at three NAIA Track & Field National Championship meets.
2022 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight (4 miles) – 20:19.33 (36th/323)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite – 25:22.3 (42nd/318)
Dean White Invite – 25:58.52 (1st/24)
Dordt Classic – 24:46.84 (7th/164)
Mount Marty Invite – 25:46.67 (13th/145)
GPAC Championships – 25:46.15 (5th/84)
Twenty-five Bulldog cross country athletes earn 2022 NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors
November 17, 2022
2022 NAIA Cross Country Scholar-Athletes: MEN | WOMEN
SEWARD, Neb. – Both Concordia University Cross Country teams rank amongst the national leaders for number of 2022 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes. As announced on Thursday (Nov. 17), a total of 25 Bulldog runners have been honored with Scholar-Athlete recognition. Concordia tied for the national lead for number of NAIA Scholar-Athletes on the men’s side while ranking second on the women’s side.
The 2022 list of cross country honorees includes 609 women’s student-athletes and 467 men’s student-athletes. 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, must appear on the eligibility certificate for the sport and have attended one full year at said institution.
Under Head Coach Matt Beisel, the Concordia cross country and track programs have excelled in all areas of what it means to be a Bulldog. That success has carried into the classroom and onto the running trails. As of the Scholar-Athlete announcement, Beisel and a group of Bulldogs have traveled to Tallahassee, Fla., for the 2022 NAIA Cross Country National Championships, set to take place on Friday (Nov. 18) morning. Concordia qualified the women’s team and Camden Sesna as an individual.
Concordia University ranks as the NAIA’s all-time leader in number of Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes with 2,121 entering the 2022-23 academic year. The school record for number of Scholar-Athletes in one academic year is 226 achieved in 2019-20. Concordia has been a regular national leader for both Scholar-Athletes and Scholar-Teams.
2022 Cross Country NAIA Scholar-Athletes
MEN
· Jack Ellis (Bend, Ore.)
· Thomas Gorline (St. Louis, Mo.)
· Charlie Hayden (Elkhorn, Neb.)
· Ethan Ideus (Seward, Neb.)
· Zachary Johnson (Aberdeen, S.D.)
· Nathan Pennekamp (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
· Thad Rathjen (Osceola, Neb.)
· Calvin Rohde (Reed City, Mich.)
· Camden Sesna (Kearney, Neb.)
· Logan Walgate (St. Charles, Mo.)
· Micah Willweber (Kailua, Hawaii)
WOMEN
· Lauren Ada (De Soto, Kan.)
· Lauren Dawson (Cedar Falls, Iowa)
· Kylahn Freiberg (Nampa, Idaho)
· Peyton Gissler (Malcolm, Neb.)
· Rylee Haecker (Davenport, Neb.)
· Ellie Jander (St. Louis, Mo.)
· Rhaya Kaschinske (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
· Amie Martin (Arnold, Mo.)
· Hannah Mundt (Blue Springs, Mo.)
· Katelyn Nix (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
· Grace Pennekamp (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
· Mary Pennekamp (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
· Aubrey Rathke (Fremont, Neb.)
· Jaiden Tweton (Ashland, Neb.)
Paced by Freiberg, Bulldogs place 27th at nationals; Sesna closes cross country career
November 18, 2022
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – As a cap to the 2022 season, eight Bulldogs represented the Concordia Cross Country programs at the NAIA Cross Country National Championships held at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla., on Friday (Nov. 18). Led by Kylahn Freiberg’s season best performance, the Bulldog women’s team placed 27th nationally out of the 36 squads that qualified. Meanwhile, Camden Sesna concluded his cross country career as an individual national qualifier.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads put together solid seasons that included GPAC place finishes of second on the men’s side and third on the women’s side. The women’s team was rewarded with one of the final at-large bids into the national meet. This marked the second time Beisel has guided the women’s program to the national meet.
“This is the best season we’ve had from a two-team perspective since I’ve been here,” Beisel said. “For the men to get second place at conference with a relatively young group of guys, that gave us a lot to build on and a lot of excitement looking forward. We were receiving votes all season for the first time. On the women’s side, we were ranked second in the GPAC all season long. From a historical perspective, our men and women had a really good year. We bring back a great group of girls.”
Freiberg, Rylee Haecker and Amie Martin each brought prior national championships experience to the lineup on Friday morning. A native of Nampa, Idaho, Freiberg rallied back from the injuries that had plagued her last season to enjoy a 2022 that featured an eighth-place finish in the GPAC and a near personal best of 18:34.7 at the NAIA national meet. That time was an improvement from the 18:42.4 Freiberg ran at the 2019 national championships held in Vancouver, Wash. Freiberg placed 33rd in 2019 and followed it up by placing 69th (out of 326 runners) here in 2022. Her efforts paved the way for the Bulldogs to place second among GPAC squads at the meet.
Concordia women at 2022 NAIA National Championships
69. Kylahn Freiberg – 18:34.7
151. Hannah Beintema – 19:21.4
161. Julie McIntyre – 19:25.6
215. Rylee Haecker – 19:45.3
238. Rhaya Kaschinske – 19:59.2
276. Amie Martin – 20:29.4
286. Keegan Beisel – 20:44.1
Two newcomers to Concordia finished as the team’s second and third runners in Tallahassee. Freshman Hannah Beintema ran a new personal best of 19:21.4 and crossed the finish line in 151st place. Next in line, All-GPAC award winner Julie McIntyre (transfer from Trinity Christian College) placed 161st in a time of 19:25.6. No stranger to the national stage, the six-time NAIA track & field All-American Haecker clocked a time of 19:45.3 (215th). Also a member of the 2019 GPAC championship team that finished 12th at nationals, Amie Martin ran the 5k in 20:29.4 (20:29.4) on Friday. Finally, sophomore Rhaya Kaschinske finished in 19:59.2 (238th) and freshman Keegan Beisel ran 20:44.1 (286th).
Said Beisel, “We wanted to establish that we were a top 25 caliber team – 27th is right in the ballpark. We saw this as another opportunity to be the second-best team in the conference. We accomplished those goals. I feel pretty good about how it all went. Kylahn ran the third-fasted race of her life for cross country. She ran a very smart race. Our girls came out fast and were able to continue moving up in the pack for a lot of the way. Hannah Beintema had a breakthrough race for her and Julie also ran a great race. I’m also really proud of Rylee.”
A fifth-place finisher at the GPAC Championships, Sesna has concluded a terrific cross country career. The Kearney, Neb., native made back-to-back trips to the national meet. After he placed 116th in an 8k time of 26:54.7 at last year's national meet in Vancouver, Sesna made his way to Tallahassee and clocked in at 25.51.8, good for 138th place out of 318 runners that finished the race. Sesna’s accomplishments this season included an individual title at the Dean White Invite and two GPAC Runner of the Week awards. Sesna persevered through injury late in the fall to put together quality times at both the conference and national meets.
“Camden’s goal was to run under 26 minutes,” Beisel said. “He hasn’t been able to run for two weeks, so we had him going to Fallbrook to do some pool running with an aqua belt. It’s not ideal training, but better than nothing. He said it didn’t hurt too bad to run. He wanted to go out and have fun, and not overthink it, and he did. He put together a very solid race, all things considered.”
After taking a breather, the Concordia distance crew will turn its focus to the upcoming indoor track season. Beisel and the program will be hosting the Bulldog Early Bird Meet the weekend of Dec. 9-10.
Said Beisel in reflection of the national meet, “Our team gave this meet up to Christ in our devotions the two nights before. That’s where our focus was and that’s who we give credit to for all our successes.”
Cross country programs earn All-Academic Team awards; eight Bulldogs honored
January 26, 2023
2022 USTFCCCA Academic Awards:
Men’s Team | Women’s Team | Men’s Individual | Women’s Individual
SEWARD, Neb. – Both the Concordia University Cross Country men’s and women’s programs and eight Bulldog student-athletes were recognized on Thursday (Jan. 26) by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads earned recognition as All Academic Teams. The eight Concordia runners to be honored as All-Academic Athletes are listed below.
In order to qualify for All-Academic Team distinction, teams have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, including the most recent grading period, among other qualifiers. In order to qualify for All-Academic Athlete distinction, student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale and qualify for the national championship meet.
Team GPA’s for Concordia came in at 3.674 for the women and 3.595 for the men. This past fall, the Bulldog Cross Country teams combined for 25 NAIA Scholar-Athletes, a number that ranked near the top of the nation (tied for first on the men’s side and No. 2 on the women’s side). In competition, the Concordia women earned an at-large bid to the national meet while Camden Sesna qualified individually. The Bulldogs turned in 2022 GPAC team place finishes of second on the men’s side and third on the women’s side.
Concordia USTFCCCA All-Academic Athletes
· Hannah Beintema (Criminal Justice)
· Keegan Beisel (Art)
· Kylahn Freiberg (K-12 Special Education)
· Rylee Haecker (Elementary Special Education)
· Rhaya Kaschinske (K-12 Special Education)
· Amie Martin (K-12 Special Education)
· Julie McIntyre (Sports & Recreation Management)
· Camden Sesna (Biology)