GULF SHORES, Ala. – Twenty-two Bulldogs represented the Concordia University track and field programs on day one of the 2019 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, which are staged in the sultry beach town of Gulf Shores, Ala. In Thursday (May 23) action, Concordia emerged with five All-America awards and advanced its men’s 4x800 meter relay to the finals of the event. The Bulldogs entered the national meet with NAIA rankings of third for women and 22nd for men.
Head coach Matt Beisel’s squad will enter the second day having totaled 12 points on the women’s side (tied for fourth place) and three points on the men’s side (tied for 14th place). Only five events for women and three events for men have been scored (out of 25).
In some cases, the Bulldogs came up shy of their national seed markings, but it was an overall solid day with familiar stars such as junior throwers Jacob Cornelio and Addie Shaw adding to their already impressive résumés. An indoor national runner up in the weight throw, Cornelio placed sixth in the hammer throw on Thursday with his toss of 196’ 4.” It netted him his fourth career All-America honor. Also in the men’s hammer throw, junior Liam Hennessy reached the finals and placed ninth (178’ 8”). In his first appearance at nationals, senior Ryan Sanchez finished 22nd (166’ 7”).
On the women’s side of the hammer, senior Johanna Ragland paced the team’s five entrants with a fifth-place claim (173’ 11”), good for her third career All-America honor. Johanna was joined in the finals by her younger sister Sarah, who placed ninth (165’ 3”). Shaw placed seventh (166’ 10”) while seniors Samantha Liermann (17th; 158’ 10”) and Carley Weisser (19th; 157’ 1”) came up short of reaching the finals.
In unique circumstances, two sets of sisters competed in the finals of the women’s hammer throw. The Raglands were accompanied by sisters from St. Francis (Ill.).
“That was so exciting,” Johanna said of competing alongside her sister. “I’m so proud of her that she made it and she got to be in the finals. I can’t wait to see what she does in the next few years.”
Ranked No. 1 nationally as an event group, the Concordia women’s pole vault crew notched two All-America honors from its three qualifiers. In completing a stellar freshman season, Erin Mapson placed fourth with a clearance of 12’ 1 ½.” Mapson earned All-America accolades for both indoor and outdoor and was the GPAC outdoor champion. Within that same event squad, junior Tristen Mosier took eighth place in capturing her first career All-America plaque. Lastly, junior McKenzie Gravo cleared 11’ 5 ¾” (tied for 10th) while fighting a bum ankle.
“I’m just really grateful to be given the opportunity,” Mapson said. “I didn’t even know I was going to pole vault until I was a junior in high school so just to be at this meet is amazing. I’ve had an amazing coach (Jason Berry) to help me along as well as great teammates. It’s awesome.”
The day concluded with the Bulldog men’s 4x8 taking the track. The quartet included Nathan Matters, Christian Van Cleave, Thomas Taylor and Josiah McAllister. The group glided to a first-place finish in its head (fifth overall) with a time of 7:43.13. As the final leg, McAllister coasted to the finish line knowing a spot in Friday’s finals had been secured. In the women’s 4x8, Miranda Rathjen, Rebekah Hinrichs, Tori Beran and Alyssa Fye finished in 9:34.53. The group not advance to the finals.
Elsewhere in field events, senior Jazzy Eickhoff placed 11th in the javelin (133’ 10”) while junior Jessica Deterding (24th; 17’ 4 ¼”) and freshman Claire Cornell (26th; 17’ 3 ¼”) took aim in the long jump. Deterding is also a competitor in the heptathlon. With four events completed in the heptathlon, Deterding stands in 12th place with 2,680 points.
The second day of the national championships will get started at 10 a.m. CT when multi-events resume. 17 Bulldogs are scheduled to be in action on Friday. Liermann will attempt to add to her eight All-America awards and two national titles in the shot put.
2019 Concordia Outdoor All-Americans
- Jacob Cornelio – hammer throw (6th)
- Erin Mapson – pole vault (4th)
- Tristen Mosier – pole vault (8th)
- Johanna Ragland – hammer throw (5th)
- Addie Shaw – hammer throw (7th)
Concordia athletes competing on Friday
10:30 a.m. – Heptathlon (Jessica Deterding)
1 p.m. – Women’s Shot Put (Samantha Liermann, Johanna Ragland, Adrianna Shaw)
1 p.m. – Men’s Long Jump (Cody Williams)
4:30 p.m. – Men’s High Jump (Cody Williams)
5:30 p.m. – Women’s Triple Jump (Leah Larson)
5:50 p.m. – Men’s 4x800 meter relay (Nathan Matters, Christian Van Cleave, Thomas Taylor, Josiah McAllister)
7:45 p.m. – Women’s 4x400 meter relay (Rachel Battershell, Sarah Lewis, Jamie Nikodym, Jacee Pfeifer)
8:15 p.m. – Men’s 4x400 meter relay (Xavier Ross, Nathan Matters, Josiah McAllister, Henry Reimer)