SEWARD, Neb. – As the home stretch of the 2024 outdoor season beckons, Concordia University Track & Field looks ahead to the Jim Dutcher Memorial Classic scheduled for this Thursday through Saturday at Doane. The meet will include decathlon and heptathlon competitions as a precursor to the hectic final day of action in Crete, Neb. A select group of Bulldog throwers will also compete this weekend at the University of Kansas Relays. The nationally ranked Bulldogs are coming off the USD Challenge that saw several Concordia athletes improve upon existing automatic national qualifying standards.
Jim Dutcher Memorial Classic
Thursday-Saturday (April 18-20) | Papik Field & Lauritsen Outdoor Track (Crete, Neb.)
--Meet Schedule (PDF) | Live Results
The updated list of NAIA automatic national qualifiers for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads can be found below. Bulldog athletes combined for five event championships and five runner-up claims while up against the likes of NCAA Division I opposition USD and South Dakota State University, as well as GPAC rival Dordt, at the USD Challenge. Several top-flight Concordia athletes improved upon existing automatic national qualifying standards, including Matthew Boyer (201’ 6” in the javelin), Jenna Esch (56.37 in the 400 meters), Abigial Gerber (47’ 2 ¼” in the shot put), Darien Semedo (53’ 9 ¾” in the shot put and 185’ 2” in the hammer) and Zach Zohner (17’ in the pole vault). The event titlists were Boyer (javelin), Kylahn Freiberg (5,000 meters), Calvin Rohde (5,000 meters), Gretchen Stottlemyre (javelin) and Chris Wren (hammer).
In the women’s triple jump, Josi Noble (38’ 1 ½”) came through with a personal best that was .08 meters shy of the ‘A’ standard. In the men’s hammer, Connor Asche and Austen Rozelle continue to flirt with the NAIA auto mark while holding down ‘B’ standards. Zohner, the NAIA indoor pole vault national champion, leads the NAIA with his outdoor PR of 17 feet. He became the fifth Bulldog in program history to hit 17 feet in the outdoor vault.
2024 Automatic National Qualifiers (12)
· Women’s 4x400m Relay (3:53.96)
· Matthew Boyer – Javelin (201’ 6”)
· Jenna Esch – 400 Meters (56.37)
· Carson Fehlhafer – Shot Put (53’ 3 ¾”)
· Abby Gerber – Shot Put (47’ 2 ¼”)
· Jordan Koepke – 400 Hurdles (1:01.93)
· Adrianna Rodencal – 100 Hurdles (13.84)
· Darien Semedo – Shot Put (53’ 9 ¾”); Hammer Throw (185’ 2”)
· Zoey Walker – High Jump (5’ 6”)
· Chris Wren – Hammer Throw (198’ 6”)
· Zach Zohner – Pole Vault (17’)
In the USTFCCCA NAIA National Rating Index released on Wednesday (April 17), the Bulldogs landed at No. 15 on the women’s side and at No. 14 on the men’s side. The team ratings are based upon the current NAIA national performance lists.
The all-time Concordia Track & Field performance lists are updated periodically and are available to the public HERE. Current Bulldogs who own individual school outdoor records are Lauren Dawson (5,000-meter racewalk), Kylahn Freiberg (3,000 meters), Rylee Haecker (1,500 meters) Jordan Koepke (400 hurdles), Josie Puelz (pole vault), Adrianna Rodencal (100 hurdles) and Zoey Walker (high jump). In addition, the following Concordia athletes have been part of school record relays: Kayla Kirchner (4x1; 4x2), Jordan Koepke (4x4), Emily Loseke (4x2), Kellie Rhodes (4x1) and Rodencal (4x1; 4x2).
On the docket for next week are a series of meets that will lead into the 2024 GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships (May 3-4) hosted by Northwestern. Those meets are:
· Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolf Invite (April 25)
· Drake Relays (April 25-27)
· Rock Chalk Classic (April 27)