SEWARD, Neb. – Thirty-two members of the Concordia University Track & Field programs are making their final preparations for the 2023 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships. The indoor national meet returns to the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex in Brookings, S.D., for the fourth time in NAIA history. The three-day national championship meet will run Thursday through Saturday. A full list of Concordia’s national qualifiers can be found at the bottom.
2023 NAIA National Championships – Meet Info
--Thursday-Saturday, March 2-4 | Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex (Brookings, S.D.)
--Live Results (Dakota Timing)
--Live Webcast (NAIA Network)
--Meet Schedule
--Tickets must be purchased on site
Entering the meet, head coach Matt Beisel’s squads own national rankings of fourth on the women’s side and 16th on the men’s side, according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NAIA ratings index. The top-ranked teams are Southeastern University (Fla.) on the men’s side and Indiana Tech on the women’s side.
The Bulldog women’s program is coming off 2022 NAIA national place finishes of third for indoor and fourth for outdoor. Those finishes ran the program’s string of consecutive top-five placements to six. The 2023 nationals roster is 20 athletes strong on the women’s side. The group includes past All-Americans Rachel Battershell (10), Jenna Esch (one), Kylahn Freiberg (three), Rylee Haecker (six), Jordan Koepke (four), Erin Mapson (five), Josie Puelz (five), Amy Richert (three) and Maddie Robinson (three at Olivet Nazarene). Puelz has won each of the past four pole vault national titles while Battershell is a two-time national champ in the 400 meters. On the current NAIA national lists, Concordia boasts six top 10 marks. The team’s top ranked individuals are Puelz (third in the pole vault), Richert (fourth in the pentathlon), Hannah Newton (sixth in the high jump) and Rylee Haecker (sixth in the 1,000 meters).
On the men’s side, the Bulldogs will travel 12 athletes to Brookings. Returners with past All-America awards include Zach Bennetts (one), Chase Berry (two), Wyatt Loga (two), Colton Meyer (three) and Chris Wren (three). Bennetts is seeded fourth in the NAIA thanks to his GPAC championship-winning personal best of 16’ 2 ¾.” Meyer will be competing in the 400 meters and as part of the distance medley relay. In the throws, Chris Wren returns to the ring in the weight throw after he turned in a nationals place finish of fourth in 2022. A year ago, Concordia turned in nationals team placements of 36th for indoor and 47th for outdoor. The program has placed inside the top 10 of the NAIA as recently as the 2019 indoor meet.
According to the USTFCCCA, the Bulldogs boast many of the top event groupings in the NAIA. Based on the coaches association’s event squad rankings, Concordia owns the nation’s top women’s high jump, women’s pentathlon and men’s pole vault groups. In addition, the Bulldogs have the No. 2 rated event crews in the women’s pole vault, women’s weight throw and women’s shot put. Concordia will take a combined eight pole vaulters to nationals – five on the women’s side and three on the men’s side.
The top indoor team national finishes in the history of Bulldog Track & Field were second on the men’s side and third on the women’s side. Both programs have won a team national title in outdoor competition.
A live stream of each of the events will be available for purchase. For more details, check out the NAIA Network home page here: https://www.naianetwork.com/.
2023 Concordia indoor national qualifiers
Rachel Battershell, senior (eighth trip to nationals; 10 All-America awards; two-time 400 meter national champ)
Zach Bennetts, senior (fourth trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Chase Berry, junior (fifth trip to nationals; two All-America awards)
Erin Boggs, sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Dagne’ Buck, senior (first trip to nationals)
Amira Cummings, junior (fifth trip to nationals)
Jenna Esch, sophomore (second trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Kylahn Freiberg, junior (fifth trip to nationals; three All-America awards)
Abigail Gerber, junior (fifth trip to nationals)
Rylee Haecker, sophomore (fourth trip to nationals; six All-America awards)
Ethan Ideus, sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Rhaya Kaschinske, sophomore (second trip to nationals)
Jordan Koepke, sophomore (third trip to nationals; four All-America awards)
Wyatt Loga, junior (fifth trip to nationals, two All-America awards)
Erin Mapson, senior (seventh trip to nationals; five All-America awards)
Colton Meyer, junior (sixth trip to nationals; three All-America awards)
Hannah Newton, sophomore (second trip to nationals)
Josi Noble, freshman (first trip to nationals)
Kamryn Pokorney, sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Josie Puelz, junior (sixth trip to nationals; five All-America awards; four-time pole vault national champ)
Joel Rathe, sophomore (third trip to nationals)
Amy Richert, sophomore (fifth trip to nationals; three All-America awards)
Maddie Robinson, senior (seventh trip to nationals; three All-America awards at Olivet Nazarene)
Adrianna Rodencal, freshman (first trip to nationals)
Calvin Rohde, sophomore (third trip to nationals)
Darien Semedo, sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Camden Sesna, junior (fourth trip to nationals)
Kayla Svoboda, freshman (first trip to nationals)
Trinity Tuls, sophomore (second trip to nationals)
Abi Wohlgemuth, sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Chris Wren, junior (fifth trip to nationals; three All-America awards)
Zach Zohner, sophomore (third trip to nationals)
Concordia Event Schedule – 2023 NAIA Indoor T&F National Championships
Pentathlon (Thursday, 12:00 pm) – Amy Richert
Women’s 4x400m Relay (Thursday, 4:30 pm) – Jenna Esch, Jordan Koepke, Trinity Tuls, Rachel Battershell,
Women’s Distance Medley (Thursday, 5:30 pm) – Rylee Haecker, Josi Noble, Rhaya Kashinske, Kylahn Freiberg
Men’s Distance Medley (Thursday, 6:00 pm) – Camden Sesna, Colton Meyer, Ethan Ideus, Calvin Rohde
Men’s Weight Throw (Friday, 12:00 pm) – Dagne Buck, Darien Semedo, Chris Wren
Men’s Mile Run (Friday, 12:20 pm) – Camden Sesna
Women’s 60m Hurdles (Friday, 12:35 pm) – Adrianna Rodencal
Women’s 400m Dash (Friday, 1:05 pm) – Rachel Battershell
Men’s 400m Dash (Friday, 1:25 pm) – Colton Meyer
Women’s 600m Run (Friday, 1:45 pm) – Jenna Esch, Jordan Koepke
Men’s High Jump (Friday, 2:00 pm) – Wyatt Loga
Women’s Pole Vault (Friday, 3:00 pm) – Erin Boggs, Amira Cummings, Erin Mapson, Josie Puelz, Kayla Svoboda
Women’s Weight Throw (Friday, 3:00 pm) – Kamryn Pokorney, Maddie, Robinson, Abi Wohlgemuth
Women’s 1000m Run (Friday, 3:15 pm) – Kylahn Freiberg, Rylee Haecker
Men’s 1000m Run (Friday, 3:30 pm) – Calvin Rohde
Men’s Long Jump (Friday, 4:00 pm) – Joel Rathe
Women’s 200m Dash (Friday, 4:40 pm) – Adrianna Rodencal
Women’s Shot Put (Saturday, 11:30 am) – Abby Gerber, Maddie Robinson
Men’s Pole Vault (Saturday, 1:15 pm) – Zach Bennetts, Chase Berry, Zach Zohner
Women’s High Jump (Saturday, 1:30 pm) – Hannah Newton, Amy Richert
Men’s Shot Put (Saturday, 2:00 pm) – Darien Semedo
Saturday race final times:
12:35 p.m. – Men’s Mile
12:45 p.m. – Women’s 60 Hurdles
1:05 p.m. – Women’s 400 Meters
1:15 p.m. – Men’s 400 Meters
1:25 p.m. – Women’s 600 Meters
2:25 p.m. – Women’s 1,000 Meters
2:35 p.m. – Men’s 1,000 Meters
3:15 p.m. – Women’s 200 Meters
4:20 p.m. – Women’s DMR
4:40 p.m. – Men’s DMR
4:55 p.m. – Women’s 4x400m Relay
Concordia indoor national finishes since 2000
2022: M – 36th |W – 3rd
2021: M – 12th |W – 3rd
2020: M – 17th |W – 4th
2019: M – 9th | W – 9th
2018: M – 42nd | W – 9th
2017: M – 2nd | W – 7th
2016: M – 3rd | W – 5th
2015: M – 5th| W – 11th
2014:M – 17th|W –11th
2013:M – 27th |W –13th
2012:M –38th |W –29th
2011:M –7th|W –26th
2010:M –15th|W –12th
2009:M –12th|W –11th
2008:M –7th|W –14th
2007:M –19th|W –36th
2006:M –5th|W –29th
2005:M –26th|W –15th
2004:M –7th|W –27th
2003:M –5th|W –9th
2002:M –20th| W –8th
2001:M –12th|W – 21st
2000:M –2nd |W –12th
Concordia outdoor national finishes since 2005
2022: M – 47th | W – 4th
2021: M – 28th | W – 3rd
2019: M – 31st | W – 5th
2018: M – 69th | W – 12th
2017: M – 5th | W – 6th
2016: M – 2nd | W – 1st
2015: M – 1st | W – 5th
2014: M – 11th | W – 9th
2013: M – 42nd | W – 20th
2012: M – 57th | W – 15th
2011: M – 11th | W – 57th
2010: M – 24th | W – 14th
2009: M – 7th | W – 19th
2008: M – 11th | W – 29th
2007: M – 15th | W – 24th
2006: M – 7th | W – 28th
2005: M – 13th | W – 17th