BROOKINGS, S.D. – Ranked as a top 10 team all season, the Concordia University track and field squads reaffirmed their status as elite programs on the NAIA scene. Five more All-America performances came from Bulldog competitors on the final day (March 2) of the 2019 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships. Those efforts helped lift Concordia to finishes of ninth place for both men and women. The men scored 28 points while the women totaled 23.5.
Head coach Matt Beisel’s teams emerged with 14 athletes claiming at least one All-America plaque. The latest All-Americans on Saturday were the women’s 4x400 meter relay, Leah Larson in the triple jump, Samantha Liermann in the shot put, Josiah McAllister in the 1,000 meters and Cody Williams in the pole vault.
“It’s one of those things where you know something more could happen,” Beisel said immediately following the meet. “We had some things that didn’t go our way and we also had some really awesome things happen. I’m really happy any time we’re in the top 10 at the national championship. To have both our men and women finish there is outstanding. The fact our men were tied for 42nd at indoor nationals last year and finished where they did this year is icing on the cake. At the same time, there’s more that we can do.”
The meet ended on a positive with the women’s 4x4 of Rachel Battershell, Sarah Lewis, Jamie Nikodym and Jacee Pfeifer placing third in a time of 3:52.63, not too far off the school record of 3:51.80 it delivered in the preliminaries on Thursday. When Beisel says there is more that his teams can do, he can certainly point at this group. Three of the four in the relay are just freshmen, meaning a run at a national title isn’t out of the realm of possibility in the future.
The young pups took to the national stage rather well. It’s an obvious plus to have two open 400 meter national qualifiers in the quartet in Battershell and Pfeifer. Battershell ran a personal best in the 400 on Friday.
“We all know that we can count on each other,” Battershell said. “And we know that everything we have and every time we run, it’s a gift from God. That definitely brings us together, and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen in the future.”
Williams wound up with nearly half of the team point total all by himself. He put 12 points on the board via his national runner up finish in the heptathlon and his fifth-place claim in the pole vault, which was contested on Saturday. The native of Imperial, Neb., cleared 16’ ¾” in another step forward for the budding star. Also in the pole vault, Gavin DeHaai cleared one bar (4.50 meters), but placed 21st.
In the finals of the 1,000 meters, McAllister completed his indoor career in style. He again clocked in at under 2:30 while claiming fourth place and five team points. In doing so, McAllister picked up his second All-America plaque of the weekend. He also earned one as the anchor leg for the 4x800 meter relay.
“This team has meant so much to me,” McAllister said. “The stuff that happens on the track is wonderful, but those friendships and those relationships that you build through Christ with your teammates is more special. The relationships built with the guys on the 4x8 are going to last for years to come. It’s your teammates that you’re going to remember for the rest of your life.”
Larson also came through with a memorable performance in her final indoor national championship meet. While making her third career appearance at nationals, Larson earned her first ever All-America award. She placed seventh with a triple jump of exactly 38 feet. Larson is the school record holder in the indoor triple jump. Teammates Jessica Deterding and Adrianna Sims were also qualifiers in the event.
In the women’s shot put, things did not turn out as well as hoped from Concordia’s perspective. Four Bulldogs competed in the event. The defending NAIA indoor shot put national champion, Liermann got on the podium with a seventh-place finish (46’ 1 ½”). Unfortunately, she was the lone Concordia thrower to make the finals. Liermann was joined in the event by teammates Jodi Fry (12th), Addie Shaw (16th) and Johanna Ragland (20th). On the men’s side, Liam Hennessy threw 49’ 10” and placed 18th.
It all added up to an overall solid weekend, but there is still a feeling that some opportunities for point scoring were missed. It should make the Bulldogs hungrier to get back after it for outdoor season.
“I feel like what we’re doing is working and I’m excited to see what outdoor brings,” Beisel said. “We had a lot of events in outdoor that we can’t do indoor that we’re really good at. I’m happy, but not satisfied with what we did in indoor. We did have some amazing things happen this season.”
2019 Concordia All-Americans
- Rachel Battershell – 4x400 meter relay (3rd)
- Jacob Cornelio – weight throw (2nd)
- Leah Larson – triple jump (7th)
- Sarah Lewis – 4x400 meter relay (3rd)
- Samantha Liermann – shot put (7th)
- Erin Mapson – pole vault (4th)
- Nathan Matters – 4x800 meter relay (6th)
- Josiah McAllister – 1,000 meters (4th); 4x800 meter relay (6th)
- Jamie Nikodym – 4x400 meter relay (3rd)
- Jacee Pfeifer – 4x400 meter relay (3rd); pole vault (T-5th)
- Addie Shaw – weight throw (4th)
- Thomas Taylor – 4x800 meter relay (6th)
- Christian Van Cleave – 4x800 meter relay (6th)
- Cody Williams – heptathlon (2nd); pole vault (5th)