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SEWARD, Neb. – Along with staff members, the 38 Concordia University track and field qualifying athletes left by bus early Monday (May 20) morning as they began their journey to the 2019 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. For the sixth year in a row, the event will be staged at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium in Gulf Shores, Ala. This year’s meet will play out Thursday through Saturday in a town that teems with life every Memorial Day Weekend.
Head coach Matt Beisel will oversee an impressive group of beachgoers that includes 17 past All-Americans. Featured among them is two-time shot put national champion Samantha Liermann and defending discus national champion Addie Shaw. The 23 national entrants tops all NAIA squads for the Bulldog women, who are currently ranked third in the NAIA by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Meanwhile, the Concordia men are ranked 16th in the NAIA and expect to finish dramatically higher than they did one year ago (tied for 69th).
Gulf Shores has been a site for many Bulldog celebrations, which were the result of team national titles in 2015 (men) and 2016 (women). In addition, assistant coach Ed McLaughlin has been the mastermind behind a throws group that has claimed 14 individual national titles since the beginning of the 2014 track seasons. The question is: who’s next? Eleven Concordia throwers will be in action this weekend. Both Liermann (shot put) and Shaw (discus) will enter the meet with No. 1 national seed marks. Meanwhile, Jacob Cornelio is a contender in the men’s hammer throw and is coming off an indoor national runner up claim in the weight throw.
Considering the large number of entrants and current lofty national rating, some may be wondering what the prospects are for the Bulldog women to win another team national title. Beisel admits that a good number of things would have to swing Concordia’s way for that to happen, but the program does boast No. 1 event national ratings in the in the pole vault, shot put, discus, hammer and heptathlon. The men also rank No. 1 in the pole vault. Between men and women, seven Bulldog pole vaulters will compete in Alabama. The highest rated among them is GPAC champion Erin Mapson, currently No. 2 on the NAIA national list.
Concordia’s qualifying field includes 13 seniors who will be competing at the collegiate level for the final time and 10 first-time national qualifiers. The list of first-timers includes Claire Cornell and Mackenzie Koepke, who understand what a national championship event is like having helped the women’s basketball team win a title. Of the 13 seniors, eight have been past All-Americans: Leah Larson, Liermann, Nathan Matters, Josiah McAllister, Jamie Nikodym, Johanna Ragland, Thomas Taylor and Carley Weisser.
Indoor national runner up in the heptathlon, star sophomore Cody Williams elected to focus on open events this outdoor season. The GPAC Men’s Athlete of the Year is entered into three events at nationals: pole vault, high jump and long jump. Junior Jessica Deterding will be the lone Bulldog athlete in the multi-events. School record holder for both the indoor pentathlon and outdoor heptathlon, Deterding just might push for a national title.
In order to beat the muggy southern heat, the marathon will take place early on Saturday morning. Seniors Evan Asche and Taylor Grove will both represent Concordia on the 26.2-mile trek. A large portion of Bulldog running will take place in the relays with the Bulldogs competing in the 4x4’s and 4x8’s for both men and women. On the national list, Concordia’s most highly regarded relay is the men’s 4x8 that sits fifth in the NAIA. In addition, the women’s 4x4 (indoor school record holder) has the potential to finish in All-America territory despite currently ranking 14th in the NAIA.
The first Bulldog athletes to jump into action will be the five qualifiers in the women’s hammer throw set to begin at 10 a.m. CT on Thursday. Twenty-two Concordia athletes are scheduled to compete on the first day of the national championship meet. According to the NAIA, 127 institutions will be represented on the men’s side and 116 schools will be represented on the women’s side.
2019 Concordia outdoor national qualifiers
Evan Asche, Senior (first trip to nationals)
Rachel Battershell, Freshman (second trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Tori Beran, Senior (third trip to nationals)
Jacob Cornelio, Junior (fifth trip to nationals; three All-America awards)
Claire Cornell, Freshman (first trip to nationals)
Gavin DeHaai, Junior (second trip to nationals)
Jessica Deterding, Junior (third trip to nationals)
Jazzy Eickhoff, Senior (first trip to nationals)
Alyssa Fye, Freshman (first trip to nationals)
McKenzie Gravo, Junior (sixth trip to nationals; three All-America awards)
Taylor Grove, Senior (third trip to nationals)
Liam Hennessy, Junior (second trip to nationals)
Rebekah Hinrichs, Junior (first trip to nationals)
Mackenzie Koepke, Freshman (first trip to nationals)
Leah Larson, Senior (fourth trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Michael Leapley, Junior (second trip to nationals)
Sarah Lewis, Freshman (second trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Sam Liermann, Senior (eighth trip to nationals; eight All-America awards; two-time shot put national champ)
Erin Mapson, Freshman (second trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Nathan Matters, Senior (sixth trip to nationals; two All-America awards)
Josiah McAllister, Senior (fifth trip to nationals; two All-America awards)
Tristen Mosier, Junior (third trip to nationals)
Jerod Peters, Junior (first trip to nationals)
Jamie Nikodym, Senior (third trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Jacee Pfeifer, Freshman (second trip to nationals; two All-America awards)
Johanna Ragland, Senior (sixth trip to nationals; two All-America awards)
Sarah Ragland, Sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Miranda Rathjen, Junior (third trip to nationals)
Henry Reimer, Sophomore (second trip to nationals)
Xavier Ross, Freshman (second trip to nationals)
Ryan Sanchez, Senior (first trip to nationals)
Addie Shaw, Junior (sixth trip to nationals; four All-America awards; 2018 discus national champ)
Bethany Shaw, Junior (third trip to nationals)
Sam Sisco, Sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Thomas Taylor, Senior (fourth trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Christian Van Cleave, Sophomore (third trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Carley Weisser, Senior (fourth trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Cody Williams, Sophomore (fourth trip to nationals; three All-America awards)
Concordia indoor national finishes since 2000
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
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