SEWARD, Neb. – For the second week in a row, and for the fourth time this indoor season, the Concordia University Track & Field program will welcome visitors to the Walz Fieldhouse for an indoor home meet. The Concordia Invite slated for this Friday is scheduled to include athletes from 10 institutions and will get underway with field events at 12 p.m. CT. Though smaller in number of competitors compared to last week’s Concordia Classic, the Concordia Invite will run will into the evening with the 4x400 meter relays on the docket for 9 p.m. or later.
Meet Info
Concordia Invite
Friday, Feb. 10 | Walz Fieldhouse
--Meet Schedule (PDF) | Live Results (field events will update mark-by-mark)
--Live Streams:
· Running Events: https://www.youtube.com/c/BulldogTrackandField
· Men’s & Women’s High Jump: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCnWh95Lz6dW3OUosomZyoA
· Women’s Jumps (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: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIerIQe-tQv53fnpGwp_wTQ
· Men’s Jumps (infield jumping events): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIerIQe-tQv53fnpGwp_wTQ
Competing Institutions
Bellevue University
Benedictine College
Bethany College
College of Saint Mary
Concordia University Nebraska
Doane University
Friends University
Grand View University
Hastings College
Midland University
Overview
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads have been included in the top five of the USTFCCCA NAIA national ratings index for each of the first two editions released this indoor season (another set will be unveiled on Wednesday). Those ratings are calculated using the national performance lists. Through five weekends of indoor competition, Concordia athletes have combined for 20 automatic national qualifying marks, 25 ‘B’ standards and four pentathlon point totals that meet the minimum national reporting standard. Below is a list of each of the automatic marks. New additions to the national qualifying field that came out of the Concordia Classic were vaulters Erin Boggs, Amira Cummings and Kayla Svoboda, as well as Maddie Robinson in the weight throw. The pole vault crew is responsible for an impressive eight ‘A’ standards, including five on the women’s side and three on the men’s side.
· Women’s 4x400m Relay, A (3:54.81)
· Men’s Distance Medley Relay, A (10:10.06)
· Women’s Distance Medley Relay, A (12:20.68)
· Rachel Battershell – 60 Hurdles, A (8.94)
· Zach Bennetts – Pole Vault, A (15’ 11”)
· Chase Berry – Pole Vault, A (15’ 7”)
· Erin Boggs – Pole Vault, A (11’ 6 ½”)
· Amira Cummings – Pole Vault, A (11’ 6 ½”)
· Rylee Haecker – 1,000 Meters, A (2:56.44)
· Erin Mapson – Pole Vault, A (12’ 2 ½”)
· Colton Meyer – 400 Meters, A (48.57)
· Josie Puelz – Pole Vault, A (13’ ¼”)
· Maddie Robinson – Shot Put, A (44’ 9”); Weight Throw, A (54’ 3 ¼”)
· Adrianna Rodencal – 60 Hurdles, A (8.80)
· Calvin Rohde – 1,000 Meters, A (2:27.16); Mile, A (4:12.33)
· Kayla Svoboda – Pole Vault, A (11’ 6 ½”)
· Chris Wren – Weight Throw, A (62’ 10 ¾”)
· Zach Zohner – Pole Vault, A (15’ 7”)
A new school standard was set last week at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational in Lincoln, Neb., where Adrianna Rodencal broke through in the 60 meter hurdles. Rodencal is making a major impact as a freshman who enjoyed a stellar athletic career at Lincoln Lutheran High School. She ran the 60 hurdles in 8.80 seconds during the prelims at the Husker Invite and just missed the finals in a field loaded with NCAA Division I competitors. Rodencal also clocked times of 7.92 in the 60 meter dash and 25.76 in the 200 meters while in action at the Devaney Center. Her hurdles time broke a three-year old school standard of 8.81 held by current teammate Rachel Battershell. On the updated performance lists, Rodencal ranks No. 1 in the GPAC and No. 15 nationally in the 60 hurdles.
Named GPAC Track Athlete of the Week on Feb. 1, Calvin Rohde has continued to tear it up this indoor season. The Reed City, Mich., native clocked new personal bests this past week in both the 1,000 meters (2:27.16 c) and in the mile (4:12.33). Those times were both ‘A’ standards that have moved him up to national rankings of fourth in the 1,000 and 12th in the mile. He was also part of distance medley relay that qualified for nationals back on Jan. 21 (currently sitting No. 6 in the NAIA). Also in action at the Devaney Center, Rylee Haecker ran the mile in 5:08.24. Both Rohde and Haecker figure to be major point contributors at the upcoming GPAC Championships.
The Concordia Invite will serve as a precursor to the conference meet, which will also be held inside the Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs will get another look at four GPAC opponents this week: College of Saint Mary, Doane, Hastings and Midland. In last week’s national ratings released by the USTFCCCA, boasted a total of nine top 25 squads between men and women. Nationally ranked teams on the men’s side were No. 4 Concordia, No. 7 Dordt, No. 8 Doane, No. 11 Midland and No. 21 Mount Marty. Ranked squads on the women’s side were No. 2 Concordia, No. 7 Hastings, No. 19 Doane and No. 25 Dordt.
The two-day GPAC Championships are slated for Feb. 17-18 in Seward. The schedule of events for the conference meet can be found HERE. The Bulldogs will have hosted five 2023 indoor meets when all is said and done.