GULF SHORES, Ala. – The setbacks that senior Samantha Liermann has overcome makes these moments all the more sweet. Having battled through four surgeries in the past three years, Liermann is back on top. She claimed her third career shot put national title on Friday (May 24) as part of a six All-America plaque day for the Concordia University track and field squads. Those performances occurred on the second of three days at the 2019 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships in steamy Gulf Shores, Ala.
With one day to go, head coach Matt Beisel’s squads have accumulated 23 points on the women’s side (second place) and eight points on the men’s side (tied for 16th). The last day of the meet is when the majority of running events are finalized. To this point, nine of the 24 men’s events have been scored and 10 of the 24 women’s events have been tabulated.
“We had some outstanding things happen today,” Beisel said. “I am very proud of our team. Obviously a highlight was Samantha’s national championship in the shot put. The leadership of our seniors continues to show itself in every aspect even as they finish up their careers with Concordia. I’m excited about tomorrow and am ready to see some more good things happen.”
Liermann has clearly cemented herself as a legend within a throws program that has now claimed 15 individual national titles since the beginning of the 2014 seasons. Also a shot put national champion in 2017 outdoor and 2018 indoor, Liermann now owns the most NAIA titles ever for a Concordia female thrower and sits behind only Zach Lurz and Cody Boellstorff (four apiece) in school throws history. Liermann’s winning toss on Friday measured in at 50’ 5 ¼,” just a few inches off her program record.
This title may have been the most emotional one of the three for Liermann, who is making the most of the final weekend of her collegiate career. Surgery back in August wiped out much of her prep time for indoor season. The results during indoor were below Liermann’s high standards. Yes, there were tears of joy on this hot and muggy afternoon.
“It’s been about getting in the right mind frame,” Liermann said. “Yeah I have a setback, but I can overcome it. This just proves it. Indoor was tough because I was still recovering (from surgery). In that transition from indoor to outdoor, more things started to click and I was able to trust my body more … there’s no other feeling like (being a national champion).”
Liermann was joined in the shot put competition by teammates in senior Johanna Ragland and junior Addie Shaw. Ragland added her second All-America honor of the meet by placing eighth in the shot put (45’ 9 ¼”). The nation’s leader in the discus, Shaw placed 15th (42’ 10 ¼”) in the shot put.
A day after winning its heat in the preliminaries, the Bulldog men’s 4x800 meter relay galloped to a fourth-place finish in the finals. The group that featured Nathan Matters, Christian Van Cleave, Thomas Taylor and Josiah McAllister clocked in at 7:37.49. The top split was turned in by Taylor, who ran his 800 meters in 1:52.63. All four ran 1:55.26 or better. That same quartet placed sixth in the 4x8 at the 2019 NAIA indoor championships. Three of the four (Matters, McAllister and Van Cleave) also ran later that evening in the 4x4, along with Xavier Ross, finishing in 3:17.11 (did not make finals).
Matters has been a four-year staple along with McAllister for Concordia relay teams. Said Matters, “It’s very satisfying (to be an All-American). The 4x8 group – the whole mid-distance group – puts in a lot of work starting in August all through now. So you have to give credit to everybody for pushing each other. Hard work pays off in the end.”
A national seeding of 14th did not indicate the type of potential contained within the Concordia women’s 4x400 meter relay that owns the school indoor record. The group that includes Rachel Battershell, Sarah Lewis, Jamie Nikodym and Jacee Pfeifer blazed to a season best time of 3:50.82 for a season best. By way of finishing second in their preliminary heat, the Bulldogs automatically qualified for Saturday’s finals. That same crew placed third in the NAIA indoor 4x4.
It was an afternoon of jumping for sophomore Cody Williams, the GPAC Outdoor Athlete of the Year. Williams placed 14th in the high jump (6’ 7 ½”) and 15th in the long jump (22’ 9 ¼”). Winner of two All-America awards at the 2019 NAIA indoor meet, Williams will have one more shot for an All-America honor this weekend with the pole vault coming up on Saturday.
Junior Jessica Deterding wrapped up her weekend in the heptathlon early on Friday. Unfortunately, the Eustis, Neb., native fell just short of All-America honors while placing ninth (4,607 points). Deterding had made a bid for a top-eight finish after she had been in 12th after day one. In the triple jump, Leah Larson placed 15th with a mark of 37’ 11 ¼.” Larson had hoped for a repeat of indoor when she earned the first All-America award of her career.
The final day of the national championship meet will get started early with the marathon running off at 6 a.m. CT on Saturday. Fourteen Bulldogs will be in action as the meet wraps up.
2019 Concordia Outdoor All-Americans
- Jacob Cornelio – hammer throw (6th)
- Samantha Liermann – shot put (1st)
- Nathan Matters – 4x800 meter relay (4th)
- Erin Mapson – pole vault (4th)
- Josiah McAllister – 4x800 meter relay (4th)
- Tristen Mosier – pole vault (8th)
- Johanna Ragland – hammer throw (5th); shot put (8th)
- Addie Shaw – hammer throw (7th)
- Thomas Taylor – 4x800 meter relay (4th)
- Christian Van Cleave – 4x800 meter relay (4th)
Concordia athletes competing on Saturday
6 a.m. – Marathon (Evan Asche, Taylor Grove)
1 p.m. – Men’s Shot Put (Jerod Peters)
1 p.m. – Men’s Pole Vault (Gavin DeHaai, Sam Sisco, Cody Williams)
2 p.m. – Women’s Discus (Sam Liermann, Addie Shaw, Bethany Shaw, Carley Weisser)
2 p.m. – Women's High Jump (Mackenzie Koepke)
6:15 p.m. – Women’s 4x400 Meter Relay (Rachel Battershell, Sarah Lewis, Jamie Nikodym, Jacee Pfeifer)