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ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Fourteen of the Bulldogs’ 19 national qualifiers entered the fray on day one of the 2026 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. On Wednesday (May 20) evening, Emry Gutz ascended onto the podium for his performance in the javelin competition. Meanwhile, senior Adrianna Rodencal has positioned herself for All-America accolades, Concordia’s men’s 4x800-meter relay clocked a season best in a late-night outing and Nathan Baldwin just missed out on a plaque. Events on the track were pushed back by more than an hour-and-a-half due to a weather delay that took place at Karl Straus Track in Asheville, N.C.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s Concordia University, Nebraska Track & Field programs are getting comfortable in a three-day meet in North Carolina, a new location for the NAIA national meet.
A first-time national qualifier, Gutz (Salisbury, Mo.) put Concordia on the board with its first All-American of the week. The two-time GPAC javelin champion twice eclipsed 200 feet over his six throws in the national competition. On his third toss, Gutz launched a throw of 203’ 3,” carrying him to a fifth-place finish and his first career All-America award. Gutz was just shy of his conference title winning PR of 205’ 8.”
Baldwin appeared poised for an All-America award in the hammer throw on Wednesday. However, IU Kokomo’s Gabriel Wedmore passed Baldwin for eighth place on the last throw of the finals. The Sutton, Neb., native Baldwin settled for ninth place with his mark of 189’ 9.” In the same competition, teammate Josiah Edwards placed 18th (161’ 9”). On the women’s side of the hammer, Harper Boche also placed 18th as she threw 162’ 1.” Baldwin and Boche will have additional opportunities to attain All-America awards as the week transpires in Asheville. Baldwin is a returning All-American in the discus.
Senior Hank Moore of Stephenville, Texas, is in the midst of his first career national meet appearance. With five events complete in the decathlon, Moore has compiled 3,466 points, placing him 11th out of the 16 competitors. Moore unleashed the second best shot put mark (42’ 3 ¼”) among athletes in the national field. The decathletes will return to action on Thursday for the 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500 meters (in that order).
The 60-meter hurdle national champion Rodencal cruised to a finals qualification in the 400-meter hurdles on Wednesday. She won heat five of the prelims in a time of 59.08 – more than a second faster than second place within the heat. Rodencal wound up sixth overall in the prelims. Teammate Josi Noble also ran the 400 hurdles and placed fourth in heat three (28th overall) in a time of 1:03.56 (compared to her PR of 1:02.26 at the GPAC Championships).
There were two Concordia relays that took to the blue and navy track on day one. In capping the day, the men’s 4x8 finished with a season best of 7:36.92, more than four seconds faster than its top time entering the meet. The effort also represented the sixth fastest 4x8 in program history. The crew was made up of Keith Siek, Trenton Kumm, Justin Sherman and Lucas Corwin. On the women’s side, Rodencal and her 4x1 teammates registered a DNF. The qualifying 4x1 also included Adysen McCarter, Cambria Saunders and Kayla Kirchner. Kirchner, McCarter and Rodencal will get another crack at it in the 4x4 prelims on Thursday.
On day two in Asheville, nine Bulldogs will showcase their talents. The first action will take place in the decathlon as Moore starts back up at 11 a.m. local time in North Carolina. Concordia’s day two schedule is listed below.
Concordia Thursday (May 21) Schedule
--Times are EDT (schedule is subject to change)
• 11:00 a.m. – Men’s Decathlon (Day 2): Hank Moore
• 2:00 p.m. – Women’s 100m Hurdles Prelims: Adrianna Rodencal
• 2:50 p.m. – Men’s 800 Meters Prelims: Lucas Corwin
• 4:30 p.m. – Women’s Triple Jump: Adysen McCarter
• 5:00 p.m. – Women’s Shot Put: Harper Boche
• 5:15 p.m. – Men’s 5,000m Race Walk: Luke Hammang and Jonny Jurchen
• 8:15 p.m. – Women’s 4x400m Relay Prelims: Adysen McCarter, Adrianna Rodencal, Tayden Kirchner and Kayla Kirchner
2026 NAIA Outdoor All-Americans
• Emry Gutz: javelin (5th; 203’ 3”)