Loper Twilight Results | Concordia Twilight Recap
KEARNEY, Neb. – Freshman Makenna Starkey produced the day’s biggest highlight as placed herself atop the school’s women’s high jump record board. Starkey was one of 21 Bulldogs who represented Concordia University, Nebraska Track & Field at the Loper Twilight hosted by the University of Nebraska-Kearney at Kearney High School. The bulk of the Concordia’s Sunday (May 10) competitors were throwers with Hayden Kluthe also jumping into action in the 110-meter hurdles. Conditions were pristine in Kearney.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s programs hosted the Concordia Twilight on Friday in the final home meet of the 2026 outdoor season. The Loper Twilight gave some athletes one more chance to compete before heading into the summer break.
A Minden, Neb., native, Starkey already had an NAIA B standard on the board in the high jump. She elevated her game on Sunday, rising above the bar at 5’ 7,” good for an automatic national qualifying mark and a school record. The previous standard of 5’ 6” was shared by Bonnie Jelinek and Zoey Walker. As a freshman, Starkey has qualified for nationals in both the indoor and outdoor high jump. She was accompanied in Kearney by Coach Greta Corneliusen. Starkey won the Loper Twilight high jump competition while teammate Addie Reimer placed sixth (5’ 1 ¾”).
Fourteen of the Bulldog athletes in action in Kearney were throwers. A consistently high achiever in the hammer, sophomore Nathan Baldwin again eclipsed the NAIA automatic standard with his throw of 193’ 3.” The Sutton, Neb., native placed third in the men’s invitational hammer throw at the Loper Twilight. For the second time this weekend, junior Josiah Edwards hit the NAIA B standard in the hammer (180’ 11” on Sunday). Edwards currently sits at No. 20 on the NAIA hammer national performance list.
Outside of the men’s hammer, Concordia’s top throwers at the Loper Twilight by category were Carissa Kolle in the women’s discus (133’), Cooper Stokebrand in the men’s discus (155’ 5”) and men’s shot put (46’ 10”), Harper Boche in the women’s hammer (161’ 1”), Emma Kucera in the javelin (132’ 5”) and Brittni Kinne in the women’s shot put (39’ 9 ¾”). Stokebrand placed second in the discus.
A junior from Ord, Neb., Kluthe gave it one more shot in the 110 hurdles. He ran 14.70 and placed third in Kearney. Kluthe produced top three GPAC placements in both hurdles events at last week’s conference meet.
Finally, the Bulldogs entered athletes into the men’s and women’s pole vault events at the Loper Twilight. The top results were turned in by David Unruh (14’) on the men’s side and Kayla Svoboda (11’ 1 ½”) on the women’s side.
All roads now lead to Asheville, N.C., site of the 2026 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. Official qualifiers are scheduled to be announced by the NAIA on Thursday, May 14. The national meet will then take place at Karl Stauss Track in Asheville, May 20-22.