SEWARD, Neb. – The awards continue to pour in for the GPAC championship Concordia University women’s indoor track and field team. On Friday (Feb. 28), the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced its regional award winners. Bulldog honorees in the Midwest Region included Women’s Head Coach of the Year Matt Beisel, Women’s Track Athlete of the Year Rachel Battershell and Women’s Field Athlete of the Year Addie Shaw.
The recognition comes less than a week after the aforementioned award winners helped lead Concordia to a GPAC indoor title. The Bulldog women are currently ranked third in the NAIA by the USTFCCCA.
Beisel is also a four-time GPAC Coach of the Year and swept the 2019 USTFCCCA women’s indoor/outdoor Midwest Region Head Coach of the Year accolades. Beisel’s women’s team captured seven GPAC event championships on the way to winning the 2020 conference indoor team title. A group of 19 Concordia female athletes will represent the program at the NAIA indoor national championships next week. Entering the national meet, the Bulldogs own six women’s marks that rank either first or second in the NAIA, including top national marks from Battershell (400 meters) and Allie Brooks (pole vault).
The list of accomplishments has already grown quite long for Battershell, who is just a sophomore. The native of Wheatland, Wyo., raced to GPAC titles last week in the 60 meter hurdles and the 400 meters and as part of the 4x400 meter relay that broke the conference indoor meet record. Battershell’s time of 8.81 in the hurdles also eclipsed her own school standard. This indoor season, Battershell earned four GPAC Athlete of the Week awards and an NAIA National Athlete of the Week honor. She then garnered GPAC Outstanding Athlete of the Meet and GPAC Athlete of the Year laurels.
Shaw is fresh off earning the first GPAC weight throw title of her career. The native of Bassett, Neb., has put together a fine indoor season that has also seen her move to the top of the school record book in the weight throw (63’) and to No. 2 all-time in the shot put (48’ 9 ½”). The two-time national champion and six-time NAIA All-American currently ranks second nationally in both throwing events. During this season, Shaw collected two GPAC Athlete of the Week honors and one NAIA National Athlete of the Week mention.
The season will continue for Concordia national qualifying athletes at the 2020 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Brookings, S.D., March 5-7.