SEWARD, Neb. – A crew of 32 athletes will be headed to Brookings, S.D., in representation of Concordia University Track & Field at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships. For the fifth time, the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex will serve as the venue for the NAIA’s indoor national meet. The first action from a Bulldog perspective will come in the women’s pentathlon as Josi Noble and Zoey Walker take center stage late in the morning on Thursday. The meet will wrap up Saturday evening with an awards ceremony. The top four place-finishing teams for both men and women earn trophies.
2024 NAIA National Championships – Meet Info
--Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 29 – March 2 | 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 third on the women’s side and ninth 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 University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) on the men’s side and Indiana Tech on the women’s side.
The Concordia women are aiming to get back into team trophy territory after placing sixth nationally a year ago. The Bulldogs will bring firepower to the meet thanks to an arsenal that includes eight past All-Americans: Jenna Esch (three), Kylahn Freiberg (four), Abby Gerber (one), Rylee Haecker (eight), Jordan Koepke (five), Josi Noble (one), Josie Puelz (seven) and Trinity Tuls (two). Entering the competition, the following Concordia athletes are seeded in the top five nationally: the women’s 4x800 meter relay (first), Esch (fourth in the 800 meters), Haecker (fourth in 1,000 meters), Hayley Miles (fourth in long jump) and Abi Wohlgemuth (fourth in weight throw). During Beisel’s tenure, the Bulldog women’s team has twice placed as high as third nationally at the NAIA indoor championships. Roster depth is a strength for a squad that has won 10-straight GPAC championships.
On the men’s side, the Bulldogs hope to improve upon last year’s 31st-place NAIA indoor nationals placement. The headliner of the group is current pole vault national leader Zach Zohner, who was the 2023 NAIA indoor national runner up. Zohner has eclipsed 17 feet in two separate meets this season. Others who are seeded highly are Chris Wren (second in the weight throw) and Calvin Rohde (third in the mile). Wren (three All-America awards) and Zohner (two All-America awards) are looking to add to their All-America plaque collection while Rohde is aiming to claim his first hardware. The first men’s athletes to compete in Brookings this week will be the group in the distance medley relay. That team is made up of Trey Robertson, Colby Sugden, Trevor Kuncl and Rohde. The men’s program has cracked the NAIA indoor top 10 as recently as 2019 (ninth).
According to the USTFCCCA, the Bulldogs boast many event groupings that rank highly within the NAIA. Based on the coaches association’s event squad rankings, Concordia owns the nation’s top men’s pole vault and women’s pentathlon groups. In addition, the Bulldogs rank No. 2 nationally in the men’s weight throw, the women’s 600 meters, the women’s pole vault and the women’s weight throw while sitting at No. 3 in the women’s shot put, the women’s 1,000 meters and the men’s shot put.
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/.
2024 Concordia Indoor National Qualifiers
Erin Boggs, junior (third trip to nationals)
Amira Cummings, senior (sixth trip to nationals)
Jenna Esch, junior (fourth trip to nationals; three All-America awards)
Liam Fagan, sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Carson Fehlhafer, sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Kylahn Freiberg, senior (seventh trip to nationals; four All-America awards; 2023 indoor 1,000 meter national runner up)
Abby Gerber, junior (sixth trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Rylee Haecker, senior (sixth trip to nationals; eight All-America awards)
Rhaya Kaschinske, junior (fourth trip to nationals)
Kayla Kirchner, sophomore (second trip to nationals)
Brady Klute, senior (first trip to nationals)
Jordan Koepke, junior (fifth trip to nationals; five All-America awards)
Trevor Kuncl, sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Julie McIntyre, senior (first trip to nationals)
Hayley Miles, sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Josi Noble, sophomore (third trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Mayson Ostermeyer, sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Kamryn Pokorney, junior (third trip to nationals)
Josie Puelz, senior (eighth trip to nationals; seven All-America awards; five-time pole vault national champ; one pole vault runner-up claim)
Joel Rathe, junior (fifth trip to nationals)
Trey Robertson, freshman (first trip to nationals)
Sydney Reichert, junior (first trip to nationals)
Adrianna Rodencal, sophomore (third trip to nationals)
Calvin Rohde, senior (fifth trip to nationals)
Isabelle Salters, junior (first trip to nationals)
Darien Semedo, senior (third trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Colby Sugden, junior (first trip to nationals)
Trinity Tuls, junior (fourth trip to nationals; two All-America awards)
Zoey Walker, freshman (first trip to nationals)
Abi Wohlgemuth, junior (third trip to nationals)
Chris Wren, senior (seventh trip to nationals; three All-America awards)
Zach Zohner, junior (fifth trip to nationals; two All-America awards; 2023 indoor pole vault national runner up)
Concordia Event Schedule – 2024 NAIA Indoor T&F National Championships
Pentathlon (Thursday, 11:30 a.m.) – Josi Noble, Zoey Walker
Women’s 4x800m Relay (Thursday, 3:30 p.m.) – Jenna Esch, Kylahn Freiberg, Julie McIntyre, Rylee Haecker (Rhaya Kaschinske)
Women’s 4x400m Relay (Thursday, 4:30 p.m.) – Jenna Esch, Kayla Kirchner, Trinity Tuls, Jordan Koepke (Isabelle Salters)
Men’s Distance Medley (Thursday, 6:00 p.m.) – Trey Robertson, Colby Sugden, Trevor Kuncl, Calvin Rohde
Men’s Weight Throw (Friday, 12:00 p.m.) – Brady Klute, Darien Semedo, Chris Wren
Women’s Mile Run (Friday, 12:00 p.m.) – Kylahn Freiberg
Men’s Mile Run (Friday, 12:20 p.m.) – Calvin Rohde
Women’s 60m Hurdles (Friday, 12:35 p.m.) – Adrianna Rodencal
Women’s Long Jump (Friday, 1:00 p.m.) – Hayley Miles
Women’s 600m Run (Friday, 1:45 p.m.) – Jordan Koepke
Women’s 800m Run (Friday, 2:45 p.m.) – Jenna Esch
Women’s Pole Vault (Friday, 3:00 p.m.) – Erin Boggs, Amira Cummings, Josie Puelz, Sydney Reichert
Women’s Weight Throw (Friday, 3:00 p.m.) – Abigail Gerber, Kamryn Pokorney, Abi Wohlgemuth
Women’s 1000m Run (Friday, 3:15 p.m.) – Rylee Haecker, Rhaya Kaschinske
Men’s Long Jump (Friday, 4:00 p.m.) – Joel Rathe
Finals of Women’s 4x800m Relay (Friday, 5:20 p.m.) – Jenna Esch, Kylahn Freiberg, Julie McIntyre, Rylee Haecker (Rhaya Kaschinske)
Women’s Triple Jump (Saturday, 10:00 a.m.) – Hayley Miles, Josi Noble
Women’s Shot Put (Saturday, 11:30 a.m.) – Abigail Gerber
Men’s Pole Vault (Saturday, 1:15 p.m.) – Mayson Ostermeyer, Zach Zohner
Women’s High Jump (Saturday, 1:30 p.m.) – Zoey Walker
Men’s Shot Put (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.) – Carson Fehlhafer, Darien Semedo
Saturday race final times:
12:25 p.m. – Women’s Mile
12:35 p.m. – Men’s Mile
12:45 p.m. – Women’s 60 Hurdles
1:25 p.m. – Women’s 600 Meters
2:10 p.m. – Women’s 800 Meters
2:25 p.m. – Women’s 1,000 Meters
4:40 p.m. – Men’s DMR
4:55 p.m. – Women’s 4x400m Relay
Concordia indoor national finishes since 2000
2023: M– 31st | W– 6th
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
2023: M – 26th | W – 23rd
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