SEWARD, Neb. – For the third year in a row, the Concordia University Track and Field program will host the Concordia Early Bird Meet to kick off the season. This year’s meet will take place Friday and Saturday inside the Walz Fieldhouse. Friday happenings will feature multi-events exclusively before an action-packed Saturday including a full slate of running and field events. The Bulldogs will be joined at the Early Bird by athletes from seven competing institutions.
Concordia Early Bird – Dec. 10-11
Walz Fieldhouse | Seward, Neb.
Meet Schedule | PDF
Live Results: Black Squirrel
Live Streaming Links
· Running Events: https://www.youtube.com/c/BulldogTrackandField
· Men’s & Women’s High Jump: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCnWh95Lz6dW3OUosomZyoA
· Women’s Long Jump / Triple Jump (north runway): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChWMXJ0G97vIWXuBqGS3Iww
· Men’s & Women’s Throwing Events: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqn-dBHnX9YmlOunOX9cweA
· Men’s & Women’s Pole Vault & Men’s Long Jump / Triple Jump (infield jumping events): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIerIQe-tQv53fnpGwp_wTQ
Competing Teams
Benedictine College (Kan.)
Concordia University
Doane University
Dordt University
Kansas Wesleyan University
Midland University
Mount Marty University
Northwestern College
This will mark the start of year six for Matt Beisel as head coach of Concordia Track & Field. A detailed season preview can be found HERE. Between the men’s and women’s teams, the Bulldogs return 22 athletes who garnered All-America awards at the 2021 indoor and/or outdoor national championships. That list includes two-time NAIA national champions in Rachel Battershell (400 meters) and Josie Puelz (pole vault). Concordia is also looking forward to the Bulldog debut of transfer Tyce Hruza, the 2020 NAIA indoor pole vault national runner up.
On the women’s side, the Bulldogs have won five GPAC titles in a row. The 2021 team placed third at both the NAIA indoor and outdoor national championships and was ranked No. 1 in the NAIA for the majority of the outdoor season. Meanwhile, the men turned in 2021 GPAC place finishes of third for indoor and fourth for outdoor. They placed 12th nationally at the 2021 NAIA indoor meet.
The indoor schedule will keep Concordia in the state of Nebraska all the way up until the national meet. The Bulldogs are also scheduled to host the Concordia Polar Dog Invite (Jan. 22), the Concordia Classic (Feb. 4) and the Concordia Invite (Feb. 12). Doane will serve as the host of the GPAC indoor championship meet (Feb. 18-19).