ROSTER | PDF - GPAC Finishes: Men 3rd; Women 4th
2024 Meet Results
| Date | Event | Location | Results |
| Sept. 6 | Augustana University Twilight | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Yankton Trail Park | W-7/20; M-8/28 |
| Sept. 21 | Greeno/Dirksen Invite | Lincoln, Neb. | Mahoney Golf Course | W-16/22; M-12/26 |
| Oct. 5 | Briar Cliff University Invite | North Sioux City, S.D. | Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve | W-1/6; M-1/8 |
| Oct. 12 | Holiday Inn Express Classic | Sioux Center, Iowa | Dordt University Campus | W-4/10; M-3/11 |
| Oct. 26 | Blazing Tiger Classic | Ashland, Neb. | Mahoney State Park | W-12/27; M-6/27 |
| Nov. 9 | GPAC Cross Country Championships | Ashland, Neb. | Mahoney State Park | W-4/12; M-3/11 |
| Nov. 22 | NAIA Cross Country National Championships | Columbia, Mo. | Gans Creek Cross Country Course | Results |
2024 Roster
| Men | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Westley Determan | Jr. | Cedar Falls, Iowa | Valley Lutheran HS |
| Benjamin Ehrenberg | So. | Omaha, Neb. | Cornerstone Christian HS |
| Jack Ellis | Sr. | Bend, Ore. | Trinity Lutheran HS |
| Thomas Gorline | Sr. | St. Louis, Mo. | Westminster Christian HS |
| Luke Hammang | So. | Arlington, Neb. | Arlington HS |
| Charlie Hayden | Sr. | Elkhorn, Neb. | Elkhorn South HS |
| Vaughn Hendrickson | Fr. | Fort Wayne, Ind. | Concordia Lutheran HS |
| Mason Hodges | So. | Raymore, Mo. | Kansas City Lutheran HS |
| Aaron Jendro | Jr. | Omaha, Neb. | Burke HS |
| Johnny Jurchen | Fr. | Seward, Neb. | Seward HS |
| Trevor Kuncl | Jr. | Mullen, Neb. | Mullen HS |
| Aidan Limback | So. | West Des Moines, Iowa | Valley HS |
| Jarrett Miles | Fr. | North Platte, Neb. | North Platte Saint Patrick HS |
| Nate Nelson | So. | Atkinson, Neb. | West Holt HS |
| Sam Olson | Fr. | Olathe, Kan. | Olathe North HS |
| Hudson Opp | Jr. | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln Christian HS |
| Nathan Pennekamp | Sr. | Fort Wayne, Ind. | Concordia Lutheran HS |
| Colin Pinneo | So. | York, Neb. | York HS |
| Trey Robertson | So. | Wallace, Neb. | Wallace HS |
| Caleb Schlichting | So. | Lyons, Neb. | Lyons-Decatur HS |
| Evan Schmidt | Sr. | Firth, Neb. | Norris HS |
| Adric Schmitz | So. | Waterloo, Neb. | Valley Lutheran HS |
| Justin Sherman | So. | Bellevue, Neb. | Cornerstone Christian HS |
| Ethan Sholey | Fr. | Rock Springs, Wyo. | Rock Springs HS |
| Jackson Smith | Sr. | Waukee, Iowa | Waukee HS / Grand Canyon University |
| Noah Taylor | Fr. | Wichita, Kan. | Trinity Academy HS |
| Ethan Theilen | So. | Cantrall, Ill. | Springfield Lutheran HS |
| Ransom Watts | So. | Colorado Springs, Colo. | Thomas Maclaren State Christian School |
| Cole Yunker | Fr. | Newburgh, Ind. | Castle HS |
| Women | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Rachel Ada | Jr. | DeSoto, Kan. | The Lutheran HS of Kansas City |
| Caitlyn Adams | Jr. | Beaver Crossing, Neb. | Milford HS |
| Kyra Becker | Jr. | Auburn, Neb. | Auburn HS |
| Claire Beikmann | So. | Linn, Kan. | Linn HS |
| Hannah Beintema | Jr. | Bettendorf, Iowa | Bettendorf HS |
| Keegan Beisel | Jr. | Seward, Neb. | Seward HS |
| Mickey Curl | Sr. | Colorado Springs, Colo. | The Classical Academy |
| Lydia Edmonds | Fr. | Gretna, Neb. | Gretna HS |
| Alyssa Ferguson | So. | Harvard, Neb. | Harvard HS |
| Laci Havlat | Jr. | Lincoln, Neb. | Norris HS |
| Kelsie Heins | So. | Longmont, Colo. | Grand Canyon University |
| Trinity Houchin | So. | Axtell, Neb. | Minden HS |
| Ellie Jander | Sr. | St. Louis, Mo. | Lutheran HS North |
| Rhaya Kaschinske | Sr. | Fort Wayne, Ind. | Concordia Lutheran HS |
| Bella Marchisio | Sr. | Queen Creek, Ariz. | Higley HS / Park University Gilbert |
| Alyssa Marotz | Jr. | Norfolk, Neb. | Lutheran HS Northeast |
| Christina Martinson | So. | Wausa, Neb. | Bloomfield Community HS |
| Katelyn Nix | Sr. | Fort Wayne, Ind. | Concordia Lutheran HS |
| Annaka Schlachter | Fr. | Grand Island, Neb. | Grand Island HS |
| Josie Smith | So. | Sumner, Neb. | SEM HS |
| Annika Staab | Fr. | Grand Island, Neb. | Grand Island HS |
| Alison Stepanek | Fr. | Las Vegas, Nev. | Faith Lutheran HS |
| Jaiden Tweton | Sr. | Ashland, Neb. | Ashland-Greenwood HS |
| Alayna Vargas | So. | Hastings, Neb. | Hastings St. Cecilia HS |
| Sammi Vojslavek | Jr. | Elkhorn, Neb. | Millard West HS |
| Courtney Wright | Sr. | Perryville, Mo. | Perryville HS |
Head Coach: Matt Beisel, Head Coach (9th season)
Concordia women placed 20th in NAIA preseason rating
August 22
For the second season in a row, Concordia University Women’s Cross Country will begin the fall with a top 25 ranking attached to its name. The Bulldogs checked in at No. 20 in the 2024 NAIA Women’s Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Top 25 Rating released by the NAIA on Thursday (Aug. 22). Official GPAC ratings were posted earlier in the week. Within the conference, the Bulldogs landed at No. 2 on the women’s side and at No. 3 on the men’s side. The men’s program did not receive votes nationally.
The GPAC’s preseason ratings reflect where Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads finished the 2023 season: second on the women’s side and third on the men’s side. The women went on to place 18th at the 2023 NAIA Cross Country National Championships behind All-American Kylahn Freiberg.
The Concordia women’s program now has an active streak of seven-straight NAIA top 25 ratings. The Bulldogs spent the entire 2023 season inside the national top 25, peaking as high as No. 6 in late October. Concordia earned top 10 rankings in four separate editions of the coaches’ poll. In terms of last season’s results, the top returner is junior Hannah Beintema, an All-GPAC award winner in 2023.
2023 Top 25 Ratings – Concordia Women
Aug. 24 – 23rd
Sept. 21 – 15th
Oct. 5 – 8th
Oct. 12 – 8th
Oct. 26 – 6th
Nov. 7 – 8th
The 2024 season is slated to get underway on Sept. 6 with the Augustana Twilight in Sioux Falls, S.D. The complete schedule can be found HERE.
Season Preview: 2024 Concordia Cross Country
August 23
MEN
Head Coach: Matt Beisel (9th season)
2023 Finish: 3rd in GPAC
Key Returners (from 2023 GPAC meet): Westley Determan; Jack Ellis; Thomas Gorline; Charlie Hayden; Trevor Kuncl; Aidan Limback; Nathan Pennekamp; Trey Robertson; Adric Schmitz.
Key Loss: Calvin Rohde.
2023 GPAC All-Conference: Calvin Rohde (6th).
Men’s Outlook
Balance and depth are apt descriptors for Concordia Men’s Cross Country heading into the 2024 campaign. Yes, the Bulldogs said goodbye to a star in national qualifier Calvin Rohde (2024 graduate), but nine of the 10 runners they entered into the 2023 GPAC Championships have returned to the roster this fall. In response, Concordia checked in at No. 3 in the conference’s preseason ratings. For a program that has ascended in recent years, there’s belief that this could be a fall of great achievement.
Head Coach Matt Beisel enters his ninth season as head coach of his alma mater. The men’s program appears to be as well-positioned as any time since Beisel began his tenure in 2016.
“It’s my ninth year here and it’s the deepest and strongest men’s squad that we’ve had in my time,” Beisel said. “It’s a lot of fun to think about. The guys have worked really hard for several years to build a deep bond and unity of purpose. Even though we lose Calvin and the impact he had as a person and runner, we bring back really good depth. They all had really good track seasons and made improvements that predict things might be even better in cross country. Track times don’t necessarily translate to cross country, but I’m feeling good about it. Then we bring in a great freshman class. Out of the seven guys we’ve got, there are three or four who I think are ready to roll from a developmental standpoint. That’s going to be fun.”
The depth is evident from a simple analysis of the 2023 GPAC Championships that saw the Bulldogs place third. Individually, eight Concordia competitors placed between 16th and 42nd as part of a tightly bunched group. All of those runners are back on campus as the Bulldogs got preseason training underway on Aug. 20. Now sophomore Trey Robertson narrowly missed out on an All-GPAC award while finishing 16th at the conference meet. Robertson is the leader of a large sophomore class with 12 in number.
The trends in recent years have been positive for Concordia, which also placed second in the GPAC in 2022. Rohde represented the program at last season’s national meet as an individual. The standing goal for the program is to qualify the team for nationals, a feat that last occurred in 2013. In addition, the program’s most recent conference championship came in 2012. It’s been an exceedingly difficult task to knock Dordt off its throne, and rival Doane boasts a strong program of its own.
As a rallying cry this preseason, the Bulldogs are “embracing the suck.” The toll that comes from logging heavy mileage isn’t easy, but it’s necessary for Concordia to get to where it wants to go.
Says Beisel of the team’s theme, “On the guys’ side, it’s ‘embrace the suck.’ What they’re saying is – what we do is really hard. It is sometimes a thankless thing. You’re going out there and you’re sacrificing. It’s being in a mindset, saying, ‘We love this. This is where we want to be. This is who we are.’ If anyone’s going to get through the suck, it’s going to be us, and we’re going to come out victorious. They want to grow that close team connection where they know they care about each other and they’re going to find that strength when the going gets tough.”
Explains senior Nathan Pennekamp, “Our scripture reference for ‘embrace the suck’ is Romans 8:18. Cross country is not an easy sport. It’s probably one of the more physically demanding sports. It’s not always fun, it’s not always easy and many days you come in and know you’re going to have to give every bit of your physical and mental effort. We’re deciding we’re not going to shy away from that. We’re not going to let negative thoughts about running be something that brings us down. We’re going to embrace it and we’re going to be gritty and push each other to work hard. We’re going to embrace the hard parts of running, accept that and let it be something that pushes us forward.”
There were positive developments during the 2024 indoor and outdoor track seasons for the distance crew. A flurry of Bulldogs wrapped up the 2023-24 athletic year by earning GPAC outdoor all-conference placements, including Westley Determan (steeplechase), Jack Ellis (10,000 meters), Thomas Gorline (10,000 meters), Trevor Kuncl (1,500 meters), Pennekamp (steeplechase) and Robertson (5,000 meters). In addition, Luke Hammang was a national qualifier in the racewalk.
At the ’23 GPAC cross country meet, Robertson, Ellis, Determan, Aidan Limback, Adric Schmitz, Kuncl and Pennekamp each completed the 8k race within roughly a minute of each other. That type of pack running could also be a hallmark of the ’24 squad. How much can that pack move up amongst its GPAC rivals? That question will have to wait until November when the league convenes at Mahoney State Park.
“We certainly need depth in case things happen,” Pennekamp said. “Injuries happen. Sometimes it’s just not your day, so you need people you can depend on past your top five or top seven who can step in and fill those shoes. There are a lot of really high performing schools in our conference, so you need some grit and tenacity to keep up with them. We have a big pack that tends to stay together. If we can get that pack to move up, that’s going to be huge for us to have another good season this year.”
Seven freshmen have been welcomed into this year’s bunch, which also includes 12 sophomores, four juniors and six seniors. Pennekamp is joined in the senior class by Ellis, Gorline, Charlie Hayden, Evan Schmidt and Jackson Smith.
The complete schedule for the 2024 season can be found HERE. The GPAC Championships (Nov. 9) will be held at Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Neb., and the 2024 NAIA Cross Country National Championships (Nov. 22) will move to Columbia, Mo.
WOMEN
Head Coach: Matt Beisel (9th season)
2023 Finishes: 2nd in GPAC; 18th in NAIA
Key Returners (from 2023 GPAC meet): Claire Beikmann; Hannah Beintema; Keegan Beisel; Rhaya Kaschinske; Jaiden Tweton; Alayna Vargas.
Key Losses: Kylahn Freiberg; Keeli Green (track only); Rylee Haecker; Julie McIntyre.
2023 GPAC All-Conference: Julie McIntyre (2nd); Keeli Green (3rd); Kylahn Freiberg (7th); Hannah Beintema (13th).
2023 NAIA All-American: Kylahn Freiberg.
Women’s Outlook
Fresh off a top-20 NAIA national finish in 2023, Concordia Women’s Cross Country returns to the trails this fall prepared to showcase a new-look squad. The Bulldogs will turn to seniors such as Rhaya Kaschinske to provide leadership after standouts Kylahn Freiberg, Rylee Haecker and Julie McIntyre graduated and moved on. Despite the departures, a lot is expected of Concordia, which landed at No. 2 in the 2024 GPAC preseason ratings and at No. 20 in the NAIA preseason national poll.
Freiberg, Haecker and McIntyre helped the Bulldog women’s 4x800-meter relay claim an NAIA indoor national title in 2024. That trio won’t be easily replaced, but Head Coach Matt Beisel relishes the opportunity to develop the next top runners to fill that void.
“I’m feeling really pumped about what we’ve got,” said Beisel, who enters his ninth season as head coach. “It is going to be a completely different look because we did graduate a number of huge impact seniors that helped us win a national title in the 4x8. That’s okay because the girls we have returning are very talented. These are tough, tough women. They have such a tough, gritty mindset. I think that’s something that’s really going to work in our favor. We lose someone like Kylahn or Julie, but I think these girls are ready to develop into that. They’re going to fight hard. We have some great new girls coming on board and we have some athletes who were injured during track season who are going to be impact players as well.”
Under Beisel, the women’s program has placed in the top four of the conference in five of the past six years with a GPAC title coming in 2019 and a runner-up placement occurring in 2023. The overall power and depth of the Concordia women’s cross country and track programs was made evident in their final 2023-24 No. 5 ranking in the USTFCCCA program standings. In other words, there’s a positive, winning Christian culture here that never graduates. While there are the aforementioned key losses, the Bulldogs bring back six runners who competed at the 2023 GPAC Championships, including Kaschinske and All-GPAC award winner Hannah Beintema.
A junior from Bettendorf, Iowa, Beintema ran a 6k time of 22:32.4 at the conference meet and placed 13th overall. The list of returnees continues with junior Keegan Beisel (17th in the GPAC), sophomore Alayna Vargas (28th in the GPAC), Kaschinske (29th in the GPAC), senior Jaiden Tweton (63rd in the GPAC) and sophomore Claire Beikmann (79th in the GPAC). The senior class also features Mickey Curl, Ellie Jander, Bella Marchisio, Katelyn Nix and Courtney Wright.
Said Kaschinske, “I feel like we had some pretty strong leaders last year. Without Kylahn, Julie and Rylee, and the other seniors, it’s definitely going to be some big shoes to fill, both with those positions (in the lineup) and with the leadership they brought. I think we do a really good job of encouraging everybody to be one team and not separate into different groups. We’re doing a good job of building unity, which is our theme for this year. It’s good to already see that in practice. Running is just a small part of it. We’re looking out for everybody all the time.”
The idea of unity through humility guides the focus of Concordia this preseason. There’s an emphasis on the process it will take to earn another lofty GPAC finish. Everyone has a role in that, regardless of who emerges as the team’s top runners.
As Beisel explains, “For our women’s team, unity is a big deal. That chemistry is so important. It’s so easy to think about how I stack up against this person on my team instead of having a healthy competition. Our women want to continue to build that piece where they are all in it together and unified. Christ gives each of us value. We’re not defined by who we are as runners. If we focus on loving and caring for each other and being happy for each other, really good things are going to happen.”
There are four freshmen who have joined a roster that numbers 26 athletes strong. There certainly will be healthy competition throughout the fall as a clearer picture emerges of just how competitive the Bulldogs can be within the GPAC. The likes of Beintema, Beisel, Vargas and Kaschinske have already shown they can push for spots in or near all-conference territory (top 15). In addition, Beisel believes that the Nos. 5 through 10 returners are ready to step up their game and are capable of running the 6k in the 23-minute range.
The season opening Augustana Twilight on Sept. 6 will provide a measuring stick as Concordia goes up against opponents from many levels of college cross country. As of the preseason, the Bulldogs are still getting a feel for what they will look like come September.
Says Kaschinske, “A big goal for us is to see how high we can get in the GPAC conference meet. It would be great to come in first, but we just really want to be competitive and, above all else, we want to be good teammates. We want to build each other up and continue working together.”
Added Beisel, “In any sport in the GPAC, top three is really good. We’re never satisfied with third and we’re never satisfied with second. We want to win championships, and we’re doing everything we can to get there. I do think our men and women can be top-three and potentially top-two teams. You never know what’s going to happen. We’re just going to take care of our own business.”
The complete schedule for the 2024 season can be found HERE. The GPAC Championships (Nov. 9) will be held at Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Neb., and the 2024 NAIA Cross Country National Championships (Nov. 22) will move to Columbia, Mo.
Beintema, Robertson lead the pack as Bulldogs start 2024 strong at Augie Twilight
September 6
The 2024 season is underway for the Concordia University Cross Country men’s and women’s teams. Once again, the Bulldogs got the campaign started as darkness fell upon Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls, S.D., site of the Augustana Twilight. In this season’s only night meet, the Bulldogs came away with overall place finishes of seventh out of 20 teams on the women’s side and eighth out of 28 teams on the men’s side. The meet featured a mixture of runners from the NAIA and all divisions of the NCAA.
Head Coach Matt Beisel is in his ninth season guiding the cross country programs. In the GPAC’s preseason polls, Concordia checked in at No. 2 on the women’s side and at No. 3 on the men’s side.
“All I can say is God is good,” Beisel said. “He said ‘yes’ to a lot of prayers tonight and it was beyond what we expected. Our entire focus tonight was on Him. That’s honestly the story of tonight. It was a good sign that we’re on the right path.”
Men’s Summary
Top Dawgs – 4-mile times
29. Trey Robertson – 19:22.17
45. Trevor Kuncl – 19:40.95
47. Vaughn Hendrickson – 19:41.50
93. Cole Yunker – 20:20.62
98. Charlie Hayden – 20:22.62
110. Thomas Gorline – 20:30.04
123. Jarrett Miles – 20:41.51
In putting a bow on the evening, the Concordia men sprung to action at 9 p.m. CT and proceeded to best all GPAC/NAIA competition with the exception of 12th-ranked Doane. The Bulldogs defeated GPAC rivals in Midland (13th), Northwestern (18th), Hastings (19th), Mount Marty (20th), Morningside (22nd) and Briar Cliff (28th). Concordia also outran NCAA Division II competition such as Concordia University St. Paul (11th) and Wayne State College (14th). The team point total for the Bulldogs settled at 249. Meanwhile, Iowa Western Community College won a close battle for the Augustana Twilight team championship.
Said Beisel, “It was a way better performance than we had last year. I don’t think we’ve ever had a guy run under 20 minutes (at the Augie Twilight), and we had three run under 20, including a freshman. They competed great and they’re all in a great mood. I’m just every thankful.”
The top three finishers for the Bulldogs ran within 20 seconds of each other. Sophomore Trey Robertson earned a 29th place finish in the field of 375 runners in Sioux Falls. Robertson clocked in at 19:22.17 in the four-miler. Sub 20-minute performances were also turned in by junior Trevor Kuncl (19:40.95) and freshman Vaughn Hendrickson (19:41.50), allowing both to place inside the top 50. The team’s top seven was rounded out by freshman Cole Yunker (20:20.62), seniors Charlie Hayden (20:22.62) and Thomas Gorline (20:30.04) and freshman Jarrett Miles (20:41.51). The freshman class proved it is ready to make an instant impact.
The top five Concordia runners averaged a four-mile time of 19:53. There were a total of 25 Bulldogs who competed in Friday’s race. Worth noting, the top time by a Bulldog at the 2023 Augie Twilight was 21:02.36 by Hayden.
Women’s Summary
Top Dawgs – 5k times
57. Hannah Beintema – 18:58.33
58. Keegan Beisel – 18:59.89
59. Annika Staab – 19:02.33
61. Rhaya Kaschinske – 19:05.13
78. Alison Stepanek – 19:23.76
79. Annaka Schlachter – 19:25.05
96. Claire Beikmann – 19:45.09
It was a solid start for the Concordia women, who outkicked every GPAC/NAIA opponent in the Augustana Twilight Field. With the seventh-place team finish, the Bulldogs beat out conference rivals in Doane (eighth), Northwestern (12th), Morningside (13th) and Hastings (19th). They also placed in front of sister school Concordia University St. Paul. The team point total for Concordia of Nebraska came in at 240. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (33) claimed the meet title.
Said Beisel, “We had 13 under 21 minutes and had a great grouping up front. I’m super happy about all that. We had a lot of personal bests on a legit course. It was really good conditions and great competition. The training is paying off and the culture of our team and focus of our team is doing some great things. They were all good tonight – we were the top GPAC team.”
It was a tight race at the top of the Bulldog lineup as juniors Hannah Beintema (57th) and Keegan Beisel (58th) both ran 5k times under 19 minutes with freshman Annika Staab (59th) nipping at their heels. Senior Rhaya Kaschinske also ran with that pack in clocking in at 19:05.13. The rest of the team’s top seven included freshmen Alison Stepanek (19:23.76) and Annaka Schlachter (19:25.05) and sophomore Claire Beikmann (19:45.09). Three of Concordia’s top six are freshmen who experienced a college meet for the first time.
The average time for the top five for the Bulldogs was 19:05. There were a total of 239 competitors who paced the course. Sixteen of those runners represented Concordia. There were several institutions that ran only select individuals and therefore did not qualify for the team standings.
Up next
The Bulldogs will take the next weekend off from competition while looking ahead to the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 21. The gun is slated to go off at 10 a.m. CT that day from Mahoney Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb. At that same meet held in 2023, Concordia turned in placements of fifth out of 20 on the women’s side and eighth out of 24 on the men’s side.
Robertson races to GPAC Runner of the Week honors
September 11
Thanks to his efforts at the Augustana Twilight, Concordia University sophomore Trey Robertson has been recognized as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week, as announced by the league office on Wednesday (Sept. 11). Robertson has earned the award for the first time in his career and is the first Bulldog from the men’s cross country program to receive such distinction since Calvin Rohde last season.
A native of Wallace, Neb., Robertson placed ahead of all GPAC/NAIA competition at the Augustana Twilight held in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Sept. 6. Robertson completed the four-mile trek in a school record time of 19:22.17 (4:50 per mile pace) while placing 29th overall in a field made up of 375 runners from the NAIA, NJCAA and all divisions of the NCAA. As a team, Concordia placed eighth out 28 squads (second among GPAC/NAIA teams) at the meet. Robertson cut down on his time significantly from the 21:07.04 he posted at the 2023 Augustana Twilight.
As a freshman last season, Robertson narrowly missed out on GPAC All-Conference accolades. He placed 16th at the 2023 GPAC Cross Country Championships with an 8k time of 25:46.7.
Robertson and the rest of Head Coach Matt Beisel’s Bulldogs are off from competition this week while setting their sights on the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational slated for Saturday, Sept. 21.
Bulldogs execute gameplan at Greeno/Dirksen, set foundation to build upon
September 21
In a second largescale meet in a row to begin the 2024 season, the Concordia Cross Country squads executed their gameplan on Saturday (Sept. 21) while getting stronger as the men’s 8k and women’s 5k races progressed. The Bulldogs came away from the annual Greeno/Dirksen Invitational in Lincoln, Neb., with overall place finishes of 12th out of 26 on the men’s side and 16th out of 22 on the women’s side. This was another meet that included NCAA Division I and II competition and was co-hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Head Coach Matt Beisel has been pleased with the development of his two squads since preseason training began in August. Beisel expected times to run a bit slower due to the hilly landscape at Mahoney Golf Course and the humidity.
“Things went really well today,” Beisel said. “We accomplished what we set out to do, which was to focus on each other during the race, communicating, working our way up, picking off people and being in a competitive mindset. We knew the conditions were going to be warm and humid and a little hillier than we’re used to racing on. We worked really hard in training this week, so I knew that was going to have an effect. Normally, we’re a front-running team that goes out hard, but I wanted to be a little more conservative and focus on the elements of running in packs and seeing where that gets us.”
Men’s Summary
Top Dawgs – 8k
31. Vaughn Hendrickson – 25:51.3
48. Trevor Kuncl – 26:19.4
83. Trey Robertson – 26:55.8
127. Cole Yunker – 27:43.2
137. Jarrett Miles – 27:50.5
161. Ransom Watts – 28:20.4
166. Nathan Pennekamp – 28:24.3
The men got the meet started on Saturday morning in what amounted to another strong showing for the freshman Vaughn Hendrickson. He emerged as the lead Dawg in finishing the 8k race in 25:51.3, good for 31st place in a field of more than 330 runners (326 completed the race). He was followed among teammates by top 100 finishers in junior Trevor Kuncl (26:19.4; 48th) and sophomore Trey Robertson (26:55.8; 83rd). For some athletes like Robertson, this was a day for gutting it out through less than 100 percent health.
The Greeno/Dirksen marked the first 8k race of the season for Concordia. In the men’s team standings at Mahoney Golf Course, the 12th-place Bulldogs finished fourth among NAIA squads behind University of Saint Mary (fifth), Doane (eighth) and Kansas Wesleyan University (10th). Concordia outran the likes of Bellevue University (14th) and Hastings (23rd) and former GPAC rival Nebraska Wesleyan (19th).
Said Beisel, “I’m 100 percent confident in both of these teams to be able to be top two teams in the GPAC. I can’t wait for two weeks from now for us to be able to really show that. All glory to God. He was with us – He’s been with us. We had a lot of illness go through our team the last couple of weeks. Everything considered, I’m super happy.”
The remainder of the Bulldogs’ top seven featured freshmen Cole Yunker (27:43.2) and Jarrett Miles (27:50.5), sophomore Ransom Watts (28:20.4) and senior Nathan Pennekamp (28:24.3). The top 10 was rounded out by junior Westley Determan (28:27.7), freshman Ethan Sholey (28:28.2) and senior Charlie Hayden (28:44.1). Concordia, who was without Thomas Gorline, had 23 competitors finish the Greeno/Dirksen Invite 8k.
Said Hendrickson, “It was important to continue to run with the guys, keep pushing each other and remember that our biggest thing is to run for the Lord. I think it’s important to keep pushing and keep talking positively to yourself.”
Women’s Summary
Top Dawgs – 5k
74. Hannah Beintema – 19:48.1
99. Annika Staab – 20:14.0
121. Alison Stepanek – 20:36.7
125. Keegan Beisel – 20:42.0
131. Rhaya Kaschinske – 20:46.6
133. Annaka Schlachter – 20:51.8
140. Kelsie Heins – 21:04.6
The 20th-ranked Concordia women sought to build upon a strong showing two weeks earlier at the Augustana Twilight. Junior Hannah Beintema came away as the highest Bulldog finisher for the second meet in a row. She clocked a 5k time of 19:48.1 and placed 74th out of the 230 runners who completed the race. Freshman Annika Staab also landed inside the top 100 overall with her 5k of 20:14.0. Each of the team’s top seven placed in the top 150, including freshman Alison Stepanek (20:36.7) and junior Keegan Beisel (20:42.0).
Concordia placed 16th when factoring in all teams. Among NAIA squads, the Bulldogs placed fourth behind University of Saint Mary (fifth), Kansas Wesleyan University (11th) and College of Saint Mary (15th). Concordia placed in front of Doane (17th) and Hastings (22nd), as well as three NCAA Division II squads. The Bulldogs were strategic about how they went about this particular race.
Said Beisel, “They did a great job. Doane got out really fast, but with a mile-and-a-quarter to go, I told the girls, you have to move now. You have to go get them – and they did. I thought we put together two great races in relatively tough conditions. I’m super proud of them and thankful to God.”
The teams Nos. 5 though 7 runners on Saturday were: senior Rhaya Kaschinske (20:46.6), freshman Annaka Schlachter (20:51.8) and sophomore Kelsie Heins (21:04.6). The rest of the Bulldog top 10 included sophomore Claire Biekmann (21:25.4), sophomore Christina Martinson (21:30.6) and freshman Lydia Edmonds (21:37.7). There were 15 total Concordia runners that completed the race.
Said Beintema, “We talked about it before that we wanted to be a back-running pack at the beginning and go out conservative. But then we really wanted to hunt them down. We were trying to stay conservative the first 2k and then work up from there as a pack … We have a really strong front pack and middle pack. We’ve really been able to use running together to our advantage.”
Up Next
The Bulldogs will take next weekend off from competition as they look ahead to the Briar Cliff Invite on Saturday, Oct. 5. The location for the meet will be Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve in North Sioux City, S.D. Three meets remain on the schedule prior to the 2024 GPAC Championships on Nov. 9.
Hendrickson rewarded with GPAC Runner of the Week honors
September 25
A freshman out of Fort Wayne, Ind., Vaughn Hendrickson is already making waves. On Wednesday (Sept. 25), the league office announced Hendrickson as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Runner of the Week. Hendrickson is the second athlete from Concordia Men’s Cross Country to be honored this season. Sophomore Trey Robertson garnered the same recognition on Sept. 11.
Hendrickson is this week’s honoree thanks to his performance at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational held at Mahoney Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb., on Sept. 21. In just his second college race, Hendrickson completed the 8k in 25:51.3 and placed 31st overall in a field of more than 330 competitors, including many from the NCAA Division I and II levels. Hendrickson was the highest placing GPAC finisher and ranked third among all NAIA competitors in the field. As a team, the Bulldogs placed 12th (out of 26) at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite and fourth among NAIA squads. The Concordia Lutheran High School alum Hendrickson also ran a four-mile time of 19:41.50 at the Augustana Twilight on Sept. 6.
Hendrickson and his teammates will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 5 for the Briar Cliff Invite in North Sioux City, S.D.
Both Bulldog squads win Briar Cliff Invite titles; Hendrickson emerges as individual winner
October 5
It was day for winning championships as Concordia University Cross Country emerged with first place finishes for both women and men at the Briar Cliff Invite on Saturday (Oct. 5). The Bulldogs defeated fields of six complete teams on the women’s side and eight on the men’s side in action that took place at Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve in North Sioux City, S.D. The race featured a women’s 6k and men’s 8k on a warm and breezy morning.
The venture to the Siouxland area marked meet No. 3 of the season for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads. Both Concordia teams entered the meet listed among others “receiving votes” in the NAIA coaches’ poll released this week. There were 41 runners who wore the Bulldog colors at the Briar Cliff Invite. As a major highlight, freshman Vaughn Hendrickson came away with the individual championship in building upon a strong start to his college career.
“For the past four weeks, our team has been dealing with respiratory illness, and it definitely affected our performance two weeks ago,” Beisel said. “We’ve come out the other side and we’re getting better. We had two weeks of really good training. I went into this meet feeling cautiously optimistic about our chances. I told both of our teams that I thought we could win. We went out aggressively and controlled the race from the start. Whatever happens, it’s all God. He gives us the breath in our lungs and the strength in our muscles.”
Women’s Summary
In claiming the Briar Cliff Invite championship, the women’s program earned its first team meet title since claiming first place at the Dean White Invite in 2022. Concordia improved upon its third-place finish at the 2023 Briar Cliff Invite. The first-place team point total on Saturday came in at 33 points as the Bulldogs defeated College of Saint Mary (54), Northwestern (82), Morningside (82), Hastings (102) and Peru State College (190). The Bulldogs were able to make up for the absence of senior Rhaya Kaschinske, who was away from the team for a wedding.
Said Beisel, “Last year being the first time the women started running the 6k, they were all pretty nervous about it. They all said after the first 6k that it wasn’t that much different from a 5k. That’s what they were telling the freshmen, and everybody did great. We wanted to re-establish that we are definitely a dominant force in the GPAC and we were able to beat College of Saint Mary pretty soundly.
“Hannah Beintema has been our consistent No. 1 and she was able to secure that again. She had a very strong, gutsy race. She competed well. Keegan came in second and was not far behind her.”
Top Dawgs – 6k time
5. Hannah Beintema: 23.31.90
7. Keegan Beisel: 23:52.42
10. Annika Staab: 24:05.77
12. Alison Stepanek: 24:17.42
16. Annaka Schlacter: 24:39.45
22. Kelsie Heins: 24:55.06
24. Ellie Jander: 25:04.33
The Bettendorf, Iowa, native Hannah Beintema has paced Concordia at all three meets this fall. In the first 6k race of 2024, Beintema clocked a time of 23:31.90 and placed fifth out of 85 runners in the Briar Cliff Invite field. She was roughly a minute-and-a-half behind individual champion Karen Kiratu of Southeast Community College. Beintema was joined in the top 10 by teammates in junior Keegan Beisel (23:52.42; 7th) and freshman Annika Staab (24:05.77; 10th).
The team’s three through five spots in the lineup were held down by freshmen. Staab was followed by classmates in Alison Stepanek (24:17.42; 12th) and Annaka Schlachter (24:39.45; 16th) in the first 6k race of their collegiate careers. The Bulldog seven was rounded out by sophomore Kelsie Heins (24:55.06) and junior Ellie Jander (25:04.33; 24th). The rest of the top 10 included sophomores Claire Beikmann (25:15.98; 28th), Christina Martinson (25:44.22; 40th) and Josie Smith (25:52.39; 41st).
Men’s Summary
On the men’s side, the performance at the Briar Cliff Invite marked the team’s first meet title since winning the Morningside Invite in 2021. In this championship winning outing, Concordia finished with 27 team points as it outran Northwestern (77), Hastings (106), University of Sioux Falls (110), Mount Marty (124), Morningside (128), Southeast Community College (146) and Peru State College (225). The Bulldogs placed sixth at the 2023 Briar Cliff Invite.
Said Beisel, “We really needed a really strong performance to back up what we did at Augustana (on Sept. 6). Being able to beat Northwestern and Hastings like we did was very good stuff. The two teams that are a big question are Doane and Dordt, and we’ll run against them next week. I think this gives our guys a boost of confidence. I know both teams can run a lot better. I’m excited to see what the future brings.
“Vaughn and Trey went 1-2 and that’s a big deal. Those guys had a big day. For Vaughn’s second 8k, that was a tremendous performance. Both of those guys would give glory to God for that.”
Top Dawgs – 8k time
1. Vaughn Hendrickson: 25:26.64
2. Trey Robertson: 25:29.04
8. Trevor Kuncl: 26:47.17
9. Cole Yunker: 27:01.85
10. Aaron Jendro: 27:04.46
11. Jack Ellis: 27:12.63
12. Aidan Limback: 27:14.34
Named the GPAC Runner of the Week after his efforts at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite, the Fort Wayne, Ind., native Hendrickson has adapted impressively to the collegiate ranks. As compared to his 8k at Mahoney Golf Course on Sept. 21, Hendrickson cut down on his time and finished in 25:26.64 in a close race for first place with teammate Trey Robertson. The Wallace, Neb., native Robertson was less than three seconds behind Hendrickson while crossing the finish line in 25:29.04.
Concordia held down five of the top 10 and seven of the top 12 spots on the individual leaderboard that included 96 runners in North Sioux City. The eight through 12 place finishes overall were dominated by Bulldogs: junior Trevor Kuncl (26:47.17), freshman Cole Yunker (27:01.85), junior Aaron Jendro (27:04.46), senior Jack Ellis (27:12.63) and sophomore Aidan Limback (27:14.34). The remainder of the Bulldog top 10 featured sophomore Ransom Watts (27:29.90; 20th), senior Nathan Pennekamp (27:33.86; 21st) and freshman Ethan Sholey (27:48.29; 26th).
Up Next
The Bulldogs will be in action back-to-back Saturdays as they look ahead to the Holiday Inn Express Classic hosted by Dordt on Oct. 12. The meet will get underway at 10 a.m. CT from the Dordt campus. Concordia competed in this meet in 2022 and came away with place finishes of second on the women’s side and third on the men’s side.
Hendrickson earns second GPAC Runner of the Week award
October 9
Just three meets into his collegiate career, freshman Vaughn Hendrickson has already been honored twice by the GPAC. On Wednesday (Oct. 9), the league office named Hendrickson the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week. Hendrickson garnered the same recognition on Sept. 25 while teammate Trey Robertson was tabbed the conference’s weekly award winner on Sept. 11.
Hendrickson emerged as the champion of the Briar Clif Invite after finishing the 8k race in 25:26.64. Hendrickson’s efforts also helped lead the Bulldogs to a team championship in the meet held at Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve in North Sioux City, S.D. The native of Fort Wayne, Ind., outkicked a field of 96 individual competitors at the Briar Cliff Invite. In previous outings, Hendrickson also ran times of 19:41.50 in the four mile at the Augustana Twilight and 25:51.3 in the 8k at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s cross country squads will be back in action this Saturday at the Holiday Inn Express Classic hosted by Dordt. The meet is scheduled to go off at 10 a.m. CT in Sioux Center, Iowa.
Bulldog squads notch top four finishes at Dordt while led by Beisel, Hendrickson
October 12
In going up against fellow top-of-the GPAC contenders, the Concordia University, Nebraska Cross Country squads came away with top four placements at the Holiday Inn Express Classic hosted by Dordt. When the dust settled in Sioux Center, Iowa, on Saturday (Oct. 12) morning, the Bulldogs finished third out of 11 teams on the men’s side and fourth out of 10 teams on the women’s side. The team’s top individuals were junior Keegan Beisel and freshman Vaughn Hendrickson in a meet that included more than 300 runners between men and women.
The outing marked the fourth of the 2024 season for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads. It was the first time this fall that Concordia had competed on back-to-back Saturdays. Both Bulldog teams entered the meet as teams receiving votes in the NAIA national ratings.
“We haven’t yet run everyone completely healthy and yet what we did today for both the men and the women was show gigantic improvements compared to last week,” Beisel said. “I definitely think we made a statement. Overall, it was a good day. The way our kids have been hit with illness really affects you as a distance runner. The fact that we’re running as well as we are in spite of that is a really good thing. A huge focus of our team while knowing we needed to show some improvement against Dordt and Doane was to ultimately give this up to God. It was all about glorifying God while representing Concordia.”
Women’s Summary
In a first opportunity to go head-to-head with eighth-ranked Dordt, the Bulldog women’s team placed fourth while finishing behind the meet champion Defenders (20 points) and Doane (122 points), among conference rivals. In the team standings, Concordia (127 points) defeated the likes of Minnesota-Crookston (fifth), Dakota State University (seventh), Northwestern (eighth), Wayne State College (ninth) and Southwest Minnesota State University (10th).
Top Dawgs – 6k
18. Keegan Beisel: 23:10.00
28. Hannah Beintema: 23:33.70
30. Annika Staab: 23:35.90
36. Rhaya Kaschinske: 23:49.80
43. Annaka Schlachter: 23:58.90
48. Alison Stepanek: 24:05.30
61. Claire Beikmann: 24:32.50
Junior Hannah Beintema had been the top Bulldog finisher through the team’s first three meets of the season. This time, fellow junior Keegan Beisel led the way as she placed 18th out of 142 runners in the field in Sioux Center. Beisel completed the 6k course in 23:10.00 (as compared to the individual championship time of 21:52.60). Beintema wasn’t far behind as she crossed the finish line in 28th place (23:33.70). Two freshmen – Annika Staab (23:35.90) and Annaka Schlachter (23:58.90) – were also among the team’s top five runners. Senior Rhaya Kaschinske returned to action and placed fourth on the team (23:49.80).
Said Beisel, “Keegan was our lead runner and Hannah Beintema continues to be rock solid. She ran a very good race and went out aggressively. Keegan was able to finish strong. We had people like Annika, Rhaya and Annaka work their way up in the pack and hold it together. Alison was coming off an illness and ran a personal best. I think we have a much better team race in us. We have two weeks to get solid practice in and be ready to rock and roll at Blazing Tiger.”
The team’s sixth through 10 runners at the Dordt meet were freshman Alison Stepanek (24:05.30), sophomore Claire Beikmann (24:32.50), junior Ellie Jander (24:34.70) and sophomores Kelsie Heins (24:50.60) and Christina Martinson (25:00.40). Each of those runners placed 77th or higher.
Men’s Summary
The highest ranked teams in the GPAC crowded the top of the standings at the Holiday Inn Express Classic. The Bulldogs totaled 83 points and placed behind nationally ranked opposition in No. 12 Dordt (first place) and No. 14 Doane (second place). Dordt finished with 34 points and Doane landed at 56 points. Concordia outkicked the likes of Bellevue University (fourth), Benedictine College (fifth), Northwestern (sixth), Wayne State College (seventh), Dakota State University (eighth), Minnesota-Crookston (ninth) and Southwest Minnesota State University (10th).
Top Dawgs – 8k
3. Vaughn Hendrickson: 24:58.33
5. Trey Robertson: 25:01.24
11. Trevor Kuncl: 25:35.49
32. Aidan Limback: 26:17.24
37. Jarrett Miles: 26:17.24
39. Cole Yunker: 26:28.57
44. Aaron Jendro: 26:32.98
For the third straight meet, freshman Vaughn Hendrickson topped the Bulldogs. He placed third in the 8k race (out of 182 runners) in a time of 24:58.33. It was an improvement from his first place 8k time of 25:26.7 at the Briar Cliff Invite a week earlier. Hendrickson placed behind only Dordt’s Aidan Vorster (24:49.10) and Doane’s Thomas Oliver (24:54.07) at the top of the pack in Sioux Center. In addition, sophomore teammate Trey Robertson was hot on their heels as he crossed the finish line in 25:01.04, good for fifth place.
Said Beisel, “Vaughn led the team and Trey was right there with him. That was the first time Vaughn has been under 25 minutes, and I’ve only had one other person break 25 – Camden Sesna. Trey almost broke into the 24s and ran great. Trevor (Kuncl) had a huge race. He needed it – I knew he was capable of it. To have those three guys up front was huge for us. Then we had huge personal bests from pretty much most of our guys. We just need to bring the separation from our top three and our next three together.”
Concordia junior Trevor Kuncl just missed a top 10 placement as he clocked in at 25:35.49 and took 11th. The team’s top five also featured sophomore Aidan Limback (26:17.24) and freshman Jarrett Miles (26:17.24). The top eight for the Bulldogs were all among the first 50 runners to complete the race. Concordia’s Nos. 6 through 8 competitors were freshman Cole Yunker (26:28.57), junior Aaron Jendro (26:32.98) and senior Nathan Pennekamp (26:39.42). The team’s top 10 was rounded out by seniors Thomas Gorline (26:47.41) and Jack Ellis (27:03.77).
Up Next
The Bulldogs will take next week off from competition while looking ahead to the Blazing Tiger Classic on Saturday, Oct. 26. The meet will be held at Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Neb., the same site of the 2024 GPAC Championships slated for Nov. 9.
Hendrickson, Robertson run sub-25 8ks in highlighting Blazing Tiger Classic
October 26
In a showcase event for NAIA cross country, the Concordia University, Nebraska Cross Country teams competed favorably on a cool Saturday (Oct.26) morning at Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Neb., location of the 2024 Blazing Tiger Classic. The Bulldogs emerged from the meet with place finishes of sixth on the men’s side and 12th on the women’s side (out of 27 NAIA squads on both sides). There were a combined 11 NAIA top 25 teams that took part in the meet, which featured a men’s 8k followed by a women’s 6k.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads entered the weekend listed among others “receiving votes” in the national polls. In what was the final outing prior to the conference championships, Concordia had aspirations of putting themselves in a prime position for potential national championship bids come November.
“All of us wanted more than we got today from a team perspective,” Beisel said. “We had some standout performances and also some individuals who didn’t have a good day. That’s always disappointing to them. This was a really big meet from a rankings standpoint. We had two good weeks of training going and felt pretty good going into this. We didn’t run badly, we just didn’t make the big jump as a team that we were hoping to make. In all things, God is good. That’s the most important thing that we think about.”
Men’s Summary
In a field that included five teams ranked in the NAIA top 20, the Bulldogs came away with a sixth-place team finish (235 points) at the Blazing Tiger. Concordia placed third among GPAC teams at the meet as it finished behind Dordt (third) and Doane (fifth) but in front of Hastings (23rd) and Morningside (25th). The Bulldogs were a mere five points behind the rival Tigers, who are ranked 15th in the NAIA. The meet title went to No. 3 College of Idaho (31 points).
Said Beisel, “The men placing sixth out of 27 teams is huge. We were sniffing at Doane very closely, so that’s a huge positive. We had some health issues, but at the same time we had some huge performances from Vaughn, Trey, Trevor and Aidan. We ended up beating a lot of teams. For Trey to go under 25 for the first time is a huge confidence booster.”
Top Dawks – 8k
10. Vaughn Hendrickson: 24:49.52
11. Trey Robertson: 24:49.74
66. Trevor Kuncl: 26:03.08
80. Aidan Limback: 26:14.88
103. Thomas Gorline: 26:30.18
125. Jarrett Miles: 26.44.60
127. Jack Ellis: 26:46.25
Indeed, Hendrickson and Robertson continue to star at the top of the lineup. Both standouts clocked new 8k personal bests while going under 25 minutes. In running 24:49.52, Hendrickson shaved nearly 10 seconds off his time from two weeks earlier at the Dordt meet (when he placed third). Hendrickson wound up in 10th place in the field of more than 330 runners at the Blazing Tiger. Robertson was hot on his heels while finishing in 24:49.74 (11th place), roughly 12 seconds faster than two weeks ago.
The rest of the team’s top five included junior Trevor Kuncl (26:03.08), sophomore Aidan Limback (26:14.88) and senior Thomas Gorline (26:30.18). Both Limback and Gorline ran personal bests. Next in line were freshman Jarrett Miles (26.44.60) and senior Jack Ellis (26:46.25). The Concordia top 10 was rounded out by senior Nathan Pennekamp (26:53.72), freshman Ethan Sholey (27:02.11) and sophomore Ransom Watts (27:02.72). There were 26 Bulldogs who completed the 8k.
Women’s Summary
In placing 12th with 362 points, the Bulldogs came up a bit shy of the expectations they had coming into the meet. They were outrun by GPAC rivals such as Dordt (third), Doane (ninth) and College of Saint Mary (10th). Concordia defeated Morningside (21st) and Hastings (25th). Six of the top seven placing teams at the Blazing Tiger are ranked inside the NAIA top 25. The meet was won by third-ranked University of Saint Mary (Kan.).
Said Beisel, “On the women’s side, there were some rough days, but some individuals ran great. We know going forward into the next two weeks, we are going to have to put together incredible performances at conference in order to accomplish our goals. We all believe we are capable of that. We have two weeks to work it out.”
Top Dawks – 6k
56. Keegan Beisel: 23:30.31
68. Annika Staab: 23:48.27
83. Rhaya Kaschinske: 24:04.89
94. Alison Stepanek: 24:12.49
108. Annaka Schlachter: 24:26.70
139. Ellie Jander: 24:51.33
140. Hannah Beintema: 24:52.11
For the second outing in a row, junior Keegan Beisel paced the Bulldogs individually. She ran a 6k of 23:30.31 and placed 56th in a field of just over 300 competitors in Ashland. Meanwhile, freshman Annika Staab also repeated a sub-24-minute (23:48.27) 6k as the team’s No. 2 runner. The top five also included senior Rhaya Kaschinske (24:04.89) and freshmen Alison Stepanek (24:12.49) and Annaka Schlachter (24:26.70). Kaschinske and Stepanek crossed the finish line with top 100 placements.
Concordia’s Nos. 6 through 10 runners at the meet were: juniors Ellie Jander (24:51.33) and junior Hannah Beintema (24:52.11) and sophomores Kelsie Heins (25:27.19), Claire Beikmann (25:40.70) and Josie Smith (25:41.74). There were 15 runners who represented the Bulldogs at the Blazing Tiger.
Up next
The Bulldogs will have the next two weeks to prepare for the 2024 GPAC Cross Country Championships, which are set for Saturday, Nov. 9. On that date, Concordia will be right back at Mahoney State Park along with its conference rivals. At the 2023 conference meet held in North Sioux City, S.D., the Bulldogs placed second on the women’s side and third on the men’s side.
Meet Preview: 2024 GPAC Cross Country Championships
November 4
It’s GPAC week for Concordia University, Nebraska Cross Country. The Bulldogs are gearing up for Saturday’s 2024 GPAC Cross Country Championships to be held at Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Neb. The conference meet will be held within the state of Nebraska for the first time since it was staged at North Bend Golf Course in 2018. Mahoney State Park will be a new location for the GPAC Cross Country Championships. The women’s 6,000-meter race is slated to get started at 10:45 a.m. followed by the men’s 8,000-meter race at 11:30 a.m.
Meet Info – 2024 GPAC Cross Country Championships
--Saturday, Nov. 9 | Women’s 6k – 10:45 a.m., Men’s 8k – 11:30 a.m.
--Mahoney State Park | Ashland, Nebraska
--Results: Black Squirrel Timing
--Live Video: GPAC Network (finish line)
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s programs enter the GPAC championships with conference rankings of No. 3 on the men’s side and No. 4 on the women’s side. In the NAIA coaches’ polls released on Oct. 31, the Bulldogs received votes on the men’s side (28th) but did not garner any votes on the women’s side. Other GPAC teams earning national votes are the Dordt women (eighth) and men (12th), Doane men (22nd) and women (RV) and College of Saint Mary (RV). The Defender women and men will be looking to defend their sweep of GPAC titles each year from 2020 through 2023. The Concordia women (2019) were the most recent team to break up Dordt’s impressive run of first-place conference finishes.
As part of the 2024 regular season, the Bulldogs competed in five meets while often going up against strong NAIA Division II and NAIA opposition. The women’s team turned in place finishes of seventh out of 20 at the Augustana Twilight, 16th out of 22 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite, first out of eight at the Briar Cliff Invite, fourth out of 10 at the Dordt Holiday Inn Express Classic and 12th out of 27 at the Blazing Tiger NAIA Classic. Meanwhile, the men posted place finishes of eighth out of 28 at the Augustana Twilight, 12th out of 26 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite, first out of six at the Briar Cliff Invite, third out of 11th at the Dordt Holiday Inn Express Classic and sixth out of 27 at the Blazing Tiger NAIA Classic.
Hannah Beintema is the lone current Bulldog with previous GPAC All-Conference cross country recognition. The junior from Bettendorf, Iowa, placed 13th at the 2023 conference meet with a 6k time of 22:32.4. Fellow returners like Keegan Beisel (17th at ’23 GPAC) and Trey Robertson (16th at ’23 GPAC) narrowly missed out all-conference accolades (top 15 runners) and are primed to compete for GPAC awards this Saturday. So too is freshman Vaughn Hendrickson, Concordia’s top men’s runner at four of five meets this season. Hendrickson and Robertson are both coming off efforts that saw them finish 8k races in under 25 minutes at the Blazing Tiger Classic.
The Bulldogs came away from last season with five GPAC All-Conference awards (Beintema was joined by Julie McIntyre, Keeli Green and Kylahn Freiberg on the women’s side and Calvin Rohde on the men’s side). As a team, the 2023 GPAC Championships yielded place finishes of second for the women and third for the men. The women earned a bid to the national meet (and placed 18th in the NAIA) while Rohde qualified individually in representing the men’s program.
A native of Fort Wayne, Ind., Hendrickson has earned two GPAC Runner of the Week awards this season and was the champion of the Briar Cliff Invite. In addition, Robertson pulled in the GPAC weekly award following the Augustana Twilight. On the women’s side, Beintema paced Concordia at the first three meets of the fall before Beisel emerged as the lead Dawg at the next two meets.
Top individuals by meet, 2024 (women):
Augustana Twilight: Hannah Beintema – 18:58.33 (5k)
Greeno/Dirksen: Hannah Beintema – 19:48.1 (5k)
Briar Cliff Invite: Hannah Beintema – 23:31.9 (6k)
Dordt Classic: Keegan Beisel – 23:10.00 (6k)
Blazing Tiger: Keegan Beisel – 23:30.31 (6k)
Top individuals by meet, 2024 (men):
Augustana Twilight: Trey Robertson – 19:22.17 (4 miles)
Greeno/Dirksen: Vaughn Hendrickson – 25:51.3 (8k)
Briar Cliff Invite: Vaughn Hendrickson – 25:26.7 (8k); meet champion
Dordt Classic: Vaughn Hendrickson – 24:58.33 (8k)
Blazing Tiger: Vaughn Hendrickson – 24:49.52 (8k)
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 Coli n Morrissey (2012) for the men. The 2009 season marked the most recent time the Bulldogs sent their men’s and women’s teams to the national meet in the same year.
Official qualifiers for the 2024 NAIA Cross Country National Championships will be announced once all conference meets have concluded. The national meet is set to be held at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo., on Nov. 22. More details on the meet can be found via the NAIA website HERE.
Thoughts from the Bulldogs:
Vaughn Hendrickson: “I am most satisfied with how the team continues to work harder at practice and collectively as a team, we have seen massive improvements throughout and are really working together and pushing each other to be compete to the best of our ability. It is incredible to see the team dynamic and how the team has grown closer together throughout this season.
“I am so excited to see what we can do collectively as a team this Saturday. I can’t wait to see everyone compete and push each other. We have such an incredible opportunity and are so blessed to be where we are right now. The most important thing is that we will continue to glorify God no matter how we all compete on Saturday.”
Keegan Beisel: "I have found that it is of the highest importance in preparation for significant meets that we give all that we do up to God, recognizing that all that we have comes from Him, and relying on Him to be our strength of body, mind and spirit while competing. I am confident that we are ready to perform at a high level this week because I trust the training that Coach has given us, and I sense that the whole team is hungry to give their best effort yet at GPAC.”
2024 Concordia GPAC Championship Rosters
Women
Claire Beikmann
Hannah Beintema
Keegan Beisel
Kelsie Heins
Ellie Jander
Rhaya Kaschinske
Christina Martinson
Annaka Schlachter
Annika Staab
Alison Stepanek
Alternate: Josie Smith
Men
Jack Ellis
Thomas Gorline
Vaughn Hendrickson
Aaron Jendro
Trevor Kuncl
Aidan Limback
Jarrett Miles
Nathan Pennekamp
Trey Robertson
Cole Yunker
Alternate: Ethan Sholey
Concordia Cross Country History
All-time team conference championships
Men (8): 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1997, 2004, 2009, 2012 (titles in 1969 and 1970 were won in the Tri-State Conference)
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)
Hendrickson claims GPAC title; Bulldogs post top-four conference finishes
November 9
A special freshman season for Vaughn Hendrickson became even more memorable on Saturday (Nov. 9) morning as he raced to an individual GPAC championship. Hendrickson and teammate Trey Robertson finished 1-2 on the men’s side while highlighting the 2024 GPAC Cross Country Championships from the perspective of Concordia University, Nebraska Cross Country. Hendrickson and Robertson led the Bulldog men to a third-place GPAC finish while Keegan Beisel paced the women to a conference placement of fourth. The championship meet unfolded at rain-soaked Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Neb.
Head Coach Matt Beisel is hopeful that the men’s squad has done enough to earn an at-large bid to the NAIA national meet. At the very least, Concordia expects to send individual qualifiers in the form of Beisel, Hendrickson, Robertson and potentially Rhaya Kaschinske.
“I told our teams last week that I felt that this whole season has been one of the best seasons for us in so many ways, both in performance and the presence of God and the holy spirit on our team,” Beisel said. “I think the relationships are some of the best I’ve seen. We’re going to losing some seniors who have been huge impact players, and we’ll miss them. We have a lot coming back next year too. Whatever happened today was just icing on the cake. There was just a great energy. We were a witness for Christ, and I couldn’t have asked for more.”
Men’s Summary
Hendrickson became the men’s program’s first GPAC champion since Colin Morrissey celebrated a title in McCook Lake, S.D., in 2012. Though the times were slower across the board than two weeks earlier at the same site (due to muddy conditions), Hendrickson (Fort Wayne, Ind.) outkicked his teammate Robertson (Wallace, Neb.) and star runners from the likes of Dordt and Doane. Hendrickson clocked in at 25:44.09 in the 8k race with Robertson hot on his heels at 25:51.70.
Not since Dana Schmidt and Morrissey went 1-2 at the 2010 GPAC Championships had the Concordia men emerged with the top two individual finishes. From a team standpoint, Hendrickson and company finished with 67 points, putting them behind only Dordt (41) and Doane (45) atop the GPAC standings. Under Beisel, the men’s program has placed in the top three of the GPAC in three-straight years (second place in 2022). The current team is receiving votes in the NAIA national poll.
“I am just elated to have us go 1-2 in the conference,” Beisel said. “I think they both have the potential to be All-Americans at nationals. Being third place, 22 points off of Doane, was a very good team race. Both the guys and the girls ran very well and gave everything they had. You saw it in their eyes the entire time. We have that power at the top with the guys. We had some guys step up and get the job done. Will third place get us to nationals? We’ll find out Monday. I feel like we’ve got a shot. Big shoutout to Vaughn and Trey and to Aidan Limback. He came through super strong.”
Concordia Results – 8k
1. Vaughn Hendrickson: 25:44.09
2. Trey Robertson: 25:51.70
16. Aidan Limback: 26:51.91
25. Thomas Gorline: 27:25.02
29. Trevor Kuncl: 27:40.87
31. Jarrett Miles: 27:51.82
38. Jack Ellis: 28:10.25
39. Nathan Pennekamp: 28:10.31
40. Ethan Sholey: 28:10.48
61. Cole Yunker: 30.25.21
West Des Moines, Iowa, native Aidan Limback emerged as the team’s No. 3 runner and just missed a top 15 placement required for GPAC All-Conference recognition. Limback reached the finish line in 26:51.91 (16th place). The team’s top five also featured Thomas Gorline (27:25.02) and Trevor Kuncl (27:40.87). The team’s six through 10 runners are listed above. Concordia had an especially tight pack in its seven through nine spots as each of those runners placed consecutively in the GPAC pecking order. Nine of the 10 Bulldogs placed in the top 40 in a field that numbered 90 competitors strong.
The teams Concordia defeated in the GPAC race were Mount Marty (fourth), Northwestern (fifth), Midland (sixth), Hastings (seventh), Morningside (eighth), Briar Cliff (ninth), Dakota Wesleyan (10th) and Waldorf (11th). As part of his remarkable freshman campaign, Hendrickson has led the way for the Bulldogs at five of six meets and was the winner of the Briar Cliff Invite. His best 8k time of the season was the 24:49.52 he posted at the Blazing Tiger Classic. Both Hendrickson and Robertson earned their first career all-conference awards. Like Hendrickson, Robertson ran under 25 minutes at the Blazing Tiger meet.
Women’s Summary
The Concordia women have placed fourth or better for the for the sixth time in Beisel’s tenure. The Bulldogs had realistic hopes of finishing as high as second this time around but came up shy of runner up College of Saint Mary by 23 points and third place Doane by 12 points. Dordt ran away with the title while holding down five of the top six spots on the individual leaderboard. All three teams that placed above Concordia entered the meet either ranked or receiving votes nationally.
The Seward High School product Beisel claimed a top 10 finish while moving up from past conference placements of 37th as a freshman and 17th as a sophomore. In crossing the finish line after 23:47.44 had elapsed on Saturday, Beisel ran her fourth-straight sub-24-minute 6k race of the season. Beisel has been the team’s top runner at three meets in a row with her season best 6k (23:10) coming at the Dordt Classic.
“We wanted to put together a complete team race and have a shot at beating Doane and/or College of Saint Mary, and we came really close to doing that,” Beisel said. “A couple didn’t have their best day, but we also had some people step up and we ended up a close fourth. We’ve had a lot of team success in cross country on the women’s side the last few years. Congratulations to CSM and Doane. They ran really well. I think this gives us something to shoot for next year. It was nice to see Keegan get ninth and get all-conference honors and is a presumptive individual national qualifier. We also had Rhaya Kaschinske right there in our top 20.”
Concordia Results – 6k
9. Keegan Beisel: 23:47.44 (All-GPAC)
18. Rhaya Kaschinske: 24:29.45
22. Annika Staab: 24:40.97
24. Annaka Schlachter: 24:50.08
36. Ellie Jander: 25:31.55
37. Kelsie Heins: 25:35.71
38. Hannah Beintema: 25:39.01
44. Christina Martinson: 25:53.30
45. Alison Stepanek: 25:53.74
64. Claire Beikman: 26:33.66
A senior out of Fort Wayne, Kaschinske narrowly missed out on all-conference accolades and has a shot at earning an individual bid to the national meet. She placed 18th in a 6k time of 24:29.45. The team’s three through five runners were Annika Staab (24:40.97), Annaka Schlachter (24:50.08) and Ellie Jander (25:31.55). The remainder of the 10-athlete lineup is listed above. A past GPAC All-Conference award winner, junior Hannah Beintema clocked in at 25:39.01.
Concordia placed above the following GPAC rivals: Morningside (fifth), Northwestern (sixth), Hastings (seventh), Midland (eighth), Mount Marty (ninth), Waldorf (10th), Briar Cliff (11th) and Dakota Wesleyan (12th).
Up Next
Official qualifiers for the 2024 NAIA Cross Country National Championships will be announced next week. The 2024 national meet is slated to take place at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo., on Friday, Nov. 22.
Bulldogs qualify three individuals for 2024 NAIA national meet
November 11
As officially announced on Monday (Nov. 11) by the NAIA National Office, the Concordia University, Nebraska Cross Country programs have qualified three individuals for the 2024 NAIA Cross Country National Championships. The qualifiers will each make their way to Columbia, Mo., next week for the national meet. Concordia’s three qualifiers are junior Keegan Beisel on the women’s side and freshman Vaughn Hendrickson and sophomore Trey Robertson on the men’s side.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads turned in 2024 GPAC team placements of third on the men’s side and fourth on the women’s side while in action this past Saturday (Nov. 9) in Ashland, Neb. In this week’s NAIA coaches’ poll, the Bulldog men received votes (30th). The men had hoped to be chosen as team at-large qualifier for the national meet but were not selected, based on the final rating.
Individually, three Concordia runners emerged from last week’s conference meet with All-GPAC awards: GPAC champion Vaughn Hendrickson, conference runner up Trey Robertson and Beisel (ninth place). Two Bulldogs narrowly missed out on top 15 placements required for all-conference honors as Aidan Limback placed 16th on the men’s side and Rhaya Kaschinske placed 18th on the women’s side. Hendrickson became the men’s program’s first GPAC champion since Colin Morrissey in 2012.
Hendrickson and Robertson will make their first appearances on the national stage while Beisel will make her third trip to cross country nationals. The Seward High School alum Beisel helped the Concordia women’s team place 27th at the 2022 NAIA national meet and 18th at the 2023 national championships. In the history of the Bulldog Cross Country programs, there have been a total of 34 individual All-America performances. The most recent Concordia runner to be added to the list was Kylahn Freiberg in 2023. The top 40 finishers at the national championships for both men and women are named NAIA All-Americans.
The 2024 NAIA Cross Country National Championships will unfold on Friday, Nov. 22 at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo. The men’s race is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. CT in Columbia with the women to follow at 11:30 a.m. For more information on the national meet, visit the NAIA website HERE.
2024 NAIA National Qualifiers / All-GPAC Honorees
Keegan Beisel | Seward, Neb.
-Placed 9th at the 2024 GPAC Championships with a 6k time of 23:47.44.
-Will make third career NAIA national cross country meet appearance.
Vaughn Hendrickson | Fort Wayne, Ind.
-Placed 1st at the 2024 GPAC Championships with an 8k time of 25:44.09.
Trey Robertson | Wallace, Neb.
-Placed 2nd at the 2024 GPAC Championships with an 8k time of 25:51.70.
Meet Preview: 2024 NAIA Cross Country National Championships
November 18
A trio of Bulldogs are making final preparations for competition at the 2024 NAIA Cross Country National Championships. The meet will be held at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo., on Friday. The national championships have never before been hosted at this location. Head Coach Matt Beisel and national qualifiers Keegan Beisel, Vaughn Hendrickson and Trey Robertson will depart from campus on Tuesday afternoon in route to Columbia. Beisel will appear on the national stage for the third time in her career.
Meet Info – 2024 NAIA Cross Country National Championships
Friday, Nov. 22
--Men’s 8K Race – 10:30 a.m. CT
--Women’s 6K Race – 11:30 a.m. CT
--Awards Ceremony – 1 p.m. CT
--Gans Creek Cross Country Course | Columbia, Mo.
--Live Coverage: Results | Stream
--NOTE: All-America honors are awarded to the top 40 men’s and women’s finishers.
The 2024 national meet will mark the 69th annual event for the men and 45th annual race for the women. This year’s national championship field is set to include 36 teams and 80 individual qualifiers on the men’s side and 36 teams and 82 individual qualifiers on the women’s side. The Concordia men made a strong push for a team national bid but came up just short based on the final NAIA coaches’ poll that listed them at No. 30. During Beisel’s tenure, the women’s program has qualified for nationals three times as a team.
Below is a breakdown of the three Bulldogs who are bound for Columbia. While Beisel makes her third career appearance at cross country nationals, Hendrickson and Robertson will appear on the national stage for the first time. Only a freshman, Hendrickson has made major waves during a fall that saw him win the GPAC championship. Hendrickson and Robertson went 1-2 at the conference meet. Each of the Bulldog qualifiers has hopes of placing in All-America territory on Friday.
2024 Concordia Cross Country National Qualifiers
Keegan Beisel | Seward, Neb.
· Third career cross country national championship appearance; placed 286th/326 with a 5k time of 20:44.1 at the 2022 NAIA Cross Country National Championships; placed 200th/331 with a 6k time of 24:28.6 at the 2023 NAIA Cross Country National Championships.
· Placed ninth at the 2024 GPAC Championships with a 6k time of 23:47.5 and earned all-conference accolades.
· Season best 6k time was 23:10.00 at the Dordt Holiday Inn Express Classic.
2024 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight (5k) – 18:59.89 (58th/239)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite (5k) – 20:42.0 (125th/230)
Briar Cliff Invite (6k) – 23:52.5 (7th/85)
Dordt Holiday Inn Express Classic (6k) – 23:10.00 (18th/142)
Blazing Tiger Classic (6k) – 23:30.4 (56th/303)
GPAC Championships (6k) – 23:47.5 (9th/94)
Vaughn Hendrickson | Fort Wayne, Ind.
· First career cross country national championship appearance.
· Won the individual title at the 2024 GPAC Championships with an 8k time of 25:44.1; became the first Concordia men’s GPAC champion since Colin Morrissey in 2012.
· Season best 8k time was 24:49.6 at the Blazing Tiger Classic.
· Twice named the GPAC Runner of the Week in 2024.
2024 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight (4 mile) – 19:41.50 (47th/375)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite (8k) – 25:51.3 (31st/326)
Briar Cliff Invite (8k) – 25:26.7 (1st/96)
Dordt Holiday Inn Express Classic (8k) – 24:58.33 (3rd/182)
Blazing Tiger Classic (8k) – 24:49.6 (10th/339)
GPAC Championships (8k) – 25:44.1 (1st/88)
Trey Robertson | Wallace, Neb.
· First career cross country national championship appearance.
· Placed as the runner up at the 2024 GPAC Championships with an 8k time of 25:51.7 and earned all-conference honors.
· Season best 8k time was 24:49.6 at the Blazing Tiger Classic.
· Named GPAC Runner of the Week on Sept. 11.
2024 meet-by-meet results
Augustana Twilight (4 mile) – 19:22.17 (29th/375)
Greeno/Dirksen Invite (8k) – 26:55.8 (83rd/326)
Briar Cliff Invite (8k) – 25:29.1 (2nd/96)
Dordt Holiday Inn Express Classic (8k) – 25:01.24 (5th/182)
Blazing Tiger Classic (8k) – 24:49.6 (10th/339)
GPAC Championships (8k) – 25:51.7 (2nd/88)
A list of past Concordia Cross Country All-Americans can be found on the program’s online record book HERE.
GPAC champion Hendrickson tops off freshman season with All-America honors
November 22
On the heels of winning the GPAC individual championship, freshman Vaughn Hendrickson blazed to All-America honors on Friday (Nov. 22) at the 2024 NAIA Cross Country National Championships. Hendrickson was joined at the national meet by Concordia University, Nebraska Cross Country teammates Keegan Beisel and Trey Robertson as individual qualifiers. Hendrickson ran a personal best 8k time while pacing the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo., where more than 325 men and 325 women convened for competition. Weather conditions were chilly and windy in Columbia.
The Fort Wayne, Ind., native Hendrickson began the day in impressive fashion while adding another layer to his impressive first collegiate cross country season.
Said Head Coach Matt Beisel, “I wasn’t surprised, but it was not a guarantee. If Vaughn and Trey just went out and ran the way they’ve been running all season, both of them had a shot to be top 40. I think Trey would have been right there in the mix, he just wasn’t feeling the best. They both moved into a top 30 position right off the bat. Trey was running with Vaughn for quite a while. At a certain point, Vaughn was able to keep hammering the pace. Trey still ran the third best time of his life. Vaughn gave it his all and made it up on the podium. It’s an awesome cap to the season for Vaughn.”
Hendrickson crossed the finish line in a time of 24:37.2 while improving upon his previous personal best 8k time of 24:49.6 that came at the Blazing Tiger Classic. In placing 36th overall, Hendrickson became the Bulldogs’ first men’s cross country All-American since Ben Sievert in 2013. Counting both the men’s and women’s programs, Concordia has come away from the national meet with an All-American in back-to-back years (Kylahn Freiberg placed 16th in 2023). The men’s program has collected 20 total All-America awards in its history. In his approach on Friday, Hendrickson started fast and kept a steady pace that propelled him to an All-America placement.
The meet marked the first nationals experience for both Hendrickson and Robertson. A sophomore from Wallace, Neb., Robertson followed up his GPAC runner-up finish by placing 99th at the 2024 national championships. Robertson clocked a time of 25:09.5, just off his personal best 8k of 24:49.6. At this particular national meet, it took a time of 24:40 to place inside the top 40 for All-America recognition.
The Seward High School alum Keegan Beisel ran at nationals for the third time in her career. Beisel completed the women’s 6k race in 24:11.9, which was a roughly 19-second improvement from her 2023 nationals time in Vancouver, Wash. The meet has taken place a different location in each of Beisel’s three trips to nationals. The 2022 meet was staged in Tallahassee, Fla.
“It was a pretty good race for Keegan. She got out aggressively and was in a good position. Her first mile was at 5:45, which is really fast. She couldn’t hold that pace, but it was a very solid race. I think she would have liked better, but she gave it her all. I’m super proud of her. I know Trey was also disappointed as a competitor. He was dealing with a cold all week, so we knew there was a chance it could slow him down. I’m impressed with how he competed. Getting into the top 100 is a big deal. I’m very happy for all three of them.”
The 2024 NAIA National Championships signaled the end of season. As part of the 2024 campaign, Beisel’s squads recorded GPAC placements of third on the men’s side and fourth on the women’s side. The men’s team narrowly missed out on receiving an at-large bid to the national meet.
In providing some final thoughts on the season, Beisel offered, “Whatever happens, we give glory to God. The relationships that continued to develop on this trip and the team atmosphere that we have fills your heart up as a coach. They went out and gave it everything. I feel good about the season in general. At the same time, when we were sitting at the student-athlete experience with all the other teams, we were talking – next year, let’s get both our teams here. We do lose some seniors for cross country next year but at the same time, we’re returning some really strong kids. Hopefully we can do even better next year.”
Concordia Results – 2024 NAIA National Championships
MEN
36. Vaughn Hendrickson: 24:37.2 (8k)
99. Trey Robertson: 25:09.5 (8k)
WOMEN
248. Keegan Beisel: 24:11.9 (6k)
Twenty-two Bulldogs named to NAIA Scholar-Athlete cross country list
November 25
A group of 22 Bulldogs represented the Concordia University, Nebraska Cross Country programs with 2024 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete recognition, as announced by the NAIA on Nov. 25. Thirteen of the Bulldog honorees are repeat award winners from the 2023-24 academic year. The full list of Concordia honorees can be found below.
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. This fall, Concordia Cross Country finished with GPAC placements of third on the men’s side and fourth on the women’s side. Three individuals qualified for the national meet.
Concordia University, Nebraska ranks as the NAIA’s all-time leader in number of Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes with 2,526 entering the 2024-25 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.
2024 Concordia Cross Country Scholar-Athletes
MEN
· Jack Ellis (Bend, Ore.)
· Thomas Gorline (St. Louis, Mo.)
· Luke Hammang (Arlington, Neb.)
· Charles Hayden (Elkhorn, Neb.)
· Trevor Kuncl (Mullen, Neb.)
· Aidan Limback (West Des Moines, Iowa)
· Nathan Pennekamp (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
· Justin Sherman (Bellevue, Neb.)
· Ethan Theilen (Cantrall, Ill.)
· Ransom Watts (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
WOMEN
· Rachel Ada (DeSoto, Kan.)
· Caitlyn Adams (Beaver Crossing, Neb.)
· Claire Beikmann (Linn, Kan.)
· Hannah Beintema (Bettendorf, Iowa)
· Keegan Beisel (Seward, Neb.)
· Alyssa Ferguson (Harvard, Neb.)
· Kelsie Heins (Longmont, Colo.)
· Trinity Houchin (Axtell, Neb.)
· Ellie Jander (St. Louis, Mo.)
· Rhaya Kaschinske (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
· Alyssa Marotz (Norfolk, Neb.)
· Katelyn Nix (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
Cross country programs, three Bulldogs honored for academics by USTFCCCA
January 30
· USTFCCCA All-Academic Teams: Men | Women
· USTFCCCA All-Academic Athletes: Men | Women
SEWARD, Neb. – Both Concordia University Cross Country programs and a trio of Bulldog student-athletes were recognized on Thursday (Jan. 30) by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) with All-Academic accolades. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s men’s and women’s teams earned All-Academic Team distinction while Keegan Beisel, Vaughn Hendrickson and Trey Robertson were honored as All-Academic Athletes.
In order to qualify for All-Academic distinction, teams must 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 individually for All-Academic 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. The team GPA’s for Concordia are 3.77 on the women’s side and 3.50 on the men’s side.
The USTFCCCA All-Academic award is separate from the NAIA Scholar-Athlete award (which is handed out by the NAIA national office). There were 22 Bulldogs from the cross country programs that garnered Scholar-Athlete status in 2024. The list of Scholar-Athletes can be found HERE.
Concordia USTFCCCA All-Academic Athletes:
· Keegan Beisel (Seward, Neb.); Studio Art/Spanish
· Vaughn Hendrickson (Fort Wayne, Ind.); Elementary Education
· Trey Robertson (Wallace, Neb.); Agricultural Science