NAIA National Qualifiers: Men | Women
SEWARD, Neb. – In conjunction with the NAIA release of official national qualifiers, the Concordia University track and field programs have announced their list 30 Bulldogs who will make next week’s journey to the 2019 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships. The event will run Feb. 28 – March 2 at the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex in Brookings, S.D. The field is much more Bulldog-laden than 2018 when Concordia brought 17 athletes to the indoor championships in Pittsburg, Kan.
According to the latest NAIA national ratings released on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, head coach Matt Beisel’s squads remain at No. 3 for both men and women. The Bulldogs are fresh off a GPAC team title on the women’s side and a conference runner-up finish on the men’s side.
The group of 17 women’s national qualifiers will compete in 23 events at the national championships. Senior Sam Liermann, a two-time shot put national champion, boasts the most experience on this stage, having qualified for the national championships for the seventh time in her career. Fellow thrower Addie Shaw, the 2018 discus national champ, is headed to nationals for the sixth time. In the pole vault, junior McKenzie Gravo will take aim at her fourth All-America award in five trips to nationals.
On the men’s side, Concordia has flooded the field with a pair of relays, including the NAIA’s top rated 4x800 meter relay. Both Jacob Cornelio (weight throw) and Cody Williams (heptathlon) are returning All-Americans from the 2018 indoor national championships. Cornelio and senior Josiah McAllister lead the way with three previous experiences at national meets. The group of 13 men’s national qualifiers expects to make a significant move up the ladder nationally after placing in a tie for 42nd at the 2018 indoor national championships.
The list of Bulldogs making their first career appearances at a national meet is a long one. It includes Gavin Davis, Gavin DeHaai, Liam Hennessy, Kenny Paetow, Ben Pratt, Henry Reimer and Xavier Ross on the men’s side and Rachel Battershell, Morgan De Jong, Sarah Lewis, Erin Mapson, Jacee Pfeifer and Adrianna Sims on the women’s side.
The Bulldog track and field programs have put together an impressive run of success at the national championships. The men enjoyed a streak of six-straight national meets with top-five finishes (2015 through 2017 indoor/outdoor seasons). Meanwhile, the women have placed 13th or better at each of the past six indoor national championships. Both programs reached the highest of highs recently with a team outdoor national title for the men in 2015 and then another for the women in 2016.
Stretch Internet, the NAIA’s official video streaming company, will be broadcasting all sessions of the national championships. Packages can be purchased for $14.95. For more information, click here.
2019 Concordia indoor national qualifiers
(Current national ranking in parentheses)
*2018 NAIA indoor national qualifier
MEN
- *Jacob Cornelio, junior
-Weight throw (4th, 65’ 11 ½”) - Gavin Davis, freshman
-4x400 meter relay (7th, 3:19.45)
-400 meters (20th, 49.48) - Gavin DeHaai, junior
-Pole vault (10th, 15’ 9”) - Liam Hennessy, junior
-Shot put (19th, 51’ 4 ½”) - Nathan Matters, senior
-4x800 meter relay (1st, 7:51.74)
-600 meters (9th, 1:21.65) - *Josiah McAllister, senior
-1,000 meters (1st, 2:29.93)
-4x800 meter relay (1st, 7:51.74) - Kenny Paetow, sophomore
-4x400 meter relay (7th, 3:19.45) - Ben Pratt, sophomore
-High jump (32nd, 6’ 6 ¼”) - Henry Reimer, sophomore
-4x400 meter relay (7th, 3:19.45) - Xavier Ross, freshman
-4x400 meter relay (7th, 3:19.45) - Thomas Taylor, senior
-4x800 meter relay (1st, 7:51.74) - Christian Van Cleave, sophomore
-4x800 meter relay (1st, 7:51.74) - *Cody Williams, sophomore
-Heptathlon (1st, 5213)
-Pole vault (6th, 16’ ¾”)
WOMEN
- Rachel Battershell, freshman
-4x400 meter relay (4th, 3:57.55)
-400 meters (10th, 57.83) - Allie Brooks, junior
-Pole vault (4th, 12’ 2 ½”)
-High jump (22nd, 5’ 3 ¾”) - Morgan De Jong, sophomore
-Weight throw (16th, 53’ 5”) - Jessica Deterding, junior
-Pentathlon (6th, 3410)
-Triple Jump (22nd, 37’ 2 ½”)
-Long jump (27th, 18’ 3 ¼”) - *Jodi Fry, sophomore
-Shot put (15th, 44’ 11 ¾”) - *McKenzie Gravo, junior
-Pole vault (4th, 12’ 2 ½”) - Leah Larson, senior
-Triple jump (10th, 38’ 2 ¾”) - Sarah Lewis, freshman
-4x400 meter relay (4th, 3:57.55) - *Sam Liermann, senior
-Shot put (5th, 47’ ¼”)
-Weight throw (9th, 55’ 5”) - Erin Mapson, freshman
-Pole vault (4th, 12’ 2 ½”) - Tristen Mosier, junior
-Pole vault (14th, 11’ 6 ½”) - Jamie Nikodym, senior
-4x400 meter relay (4th, 3:57.55) - Jacee Pfeifer, freshman
-4x400 meter relay (4th, 3:57.55)
-Pole vault (10th, 11’ 10 ½”)
-400 meters (14th, 58.14) - *Johanna Ragland, senior
-Weight throw (8th, 55’ 11 ¼”)
-Shot put (14th, 45’ 1 ¾”) - *Addie Shaw, junior
-Weight throw (1st, 60’ 6 ¾”)
-Shot put (6th, 46’ 8 ¼”) - Adrianna Sims, freshman
-Triple jump (25th, 37’ ¼”) - Carley Weisser, senior
-Weight throw (14th, 54’ ½”)