NAIA National Qualifiers: Men | Women
SEWARD, Neb. – The field of 2024 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships qualifiers has been solidified. In conjunction with the NAIA’s release on Friday (May 17), the Concordia University Track & Field program has announced a nationals team of 32 individuals (including 21 women and 11 men). The event will run May 22-24 at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Ind. This will mark the second year in a row that the NAIA national outdoor meet has taken place at this location. The outdoor meet was staged in Gulf Shores, Ala., from 2014 through 2022.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads are coming off conference places finishes of first for the women and third for the men at the 2024 GPAC Outdoor Championships hosted by Northwestern. In the most recent NAIA ratings released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, Concordia appeared at No. 5 on the women’s side and at No. 11 on the men’s side.
The GPAC championship women’s program placed third at the 2024 NAIA indoor national meet and earned a trophy as a result. Among the women’s outdoor qualifiers, 11 have previously earned All-America awards: Rylee Haecker (10), Jenna Esch (six), Kylahn Freiberg (six), Jordan Koepke (six), Amy Richert (three), Trinity Tuls (three), Abby Gerber (two), Kayla Kirchner (one), Josi Noble (one), Zoey Walker (one) and Abi Wohlgemuth (one). The 4x800-meter relay is coming off a national title at the indoor national meet in Brookings, S.D. The outdoor 4x8 will include Esch, Freiberg, Haecker and Rhaya Kaschinske.
The men will look to build upon their eighth-place national finish this past indoor season. The men’s qualifying roster features six past NAIA All-Americans: Mayson Ostermeyer (one), Calvin Rohde (one), Austen Rozelle (one), Darien Semedo (one), Chris Wren (four) and Zach Zohner (three). Currently ranked No. 1 in the NAIA in the pole vault, Zohner will attempt to earn a sweep of 2024 indoor/outdoor national championships. Meanwhile, Chris Wren placed as the indoor national runner up in the weight throw and is seeded No. 2 nationally in the hammer throw.
The list of Bulldogs making their first-ever national championship appearance includes Connor Asche, Claire Beikmann, Matthew Boyer, Luke Hammang and Cambria Saunders. Boyer broke the program’s javelin record this 2024 season.
For additional details on the national meet, visit the NAIA website HERE.
2024 Concordia outdoor national qualifiers
(National seeding in parentheses)
WOMEN
· Claire Beikmann, freshman
-4x800m Relay Alternate (7th, 9:12.95)
· Jenna Esch, junior
-4x400m Relay (4th, 3:48.16)
-4x800m Relay (7th, 9:12.95)
-800 Meters (7th, 2:12.11)
· Kylahn Freiberg, junior
-4x800m Relay (7th, 9:12.95)
-1,500 Meters (9th, 4:33.90)
· Abby Gerber, junior
-Shot Put (6th, 47’ 8”)
-Hammer Throw (15th, 170’ 3”)
· Rylee Haecker, senior
4x800m Relay (7th, 9:12.95)
· Rhaya Kaschinske, junior
-4x800m Relay (7th, 9:12.95)
· Kayla Kirchner, sophomore
-4x400m Relay (4th, 3:48.16)
-4x100m Relay (20th, 47.41)
· Jordan Koepke, junior
-4x400m Relay (4th, 3:48.16)
-400m Hurdles (4th, 1:01.25)
· Emma Lloyd, junior
-Discus (22nd, 144’ 7”)
· Josi Noble, sophomore
-Heptathlon (7th, 4,655)
· Kamryn Pokorney, senior
-Shot Put (22nd, 44’ 8”)
-Hammer Throw (26th, 164’ 1”)
· Kellie Rhodes, senior
-4x100m Relay (20th, 47.41)
· Amy Richert, senior
-Heptathlon (10th, 4,600)
· Adrianna Rodencal, sophomore
-100m Hurdles (6th, 13.65)
-4x100m Relay (20th, 47.41)
· Isabelle Salters, junior
-4x400m Relay Alternate (4th, 3:48.16)
-4x100m Relay Alternate (20th, 47.41)
· Cambria Saunders, freshman
-4x100m Relay (20th, 47.41)
· Grethen Stottlemyre, junior
-Javelin (25th, 132’ 4”)
· Kayla Svoboda, sophomore
-100m Hurdles (24th, 14.39)
· Trinity Tuls, junior
-4x400m Relay (4th, 3:48.16)
· Zoey Walker, freshman
-High Jump (15th, 5’ 6”)
· Abi Wohlgemuth, junior
-Hammer Throw (12th, 172’ 10”)
MEN
· Connor Asche, junior
-Hammer Throw (25th, 177’ 3”)
· Matthew Boyer, sophomore
-Javelin (5th, 219’ 1”)
· Carson Fehlhafer, sophomore
-Shot Put (18th, 53’ 3 ¾”)
· Luke Hammang, freshman
-5,000m Race Walk (17th, 25:08.53)
· Brady Klute, senior
-Hammer Throw (18th, 180’ 11”)
· Mayson Ostermeyer, sophomore
-Pole Vault (5th, 16’ ¾”)
· Calvin Rohde, senior
-5,000 Meters (29th, 14:39.56)
· Austen Rozelle, junior
-Discus (12th, 165’ 5”)
· Darien Semedo, senior
-Shot Put (9th, 54’ 10 ¼”)
-Hammer Throw (12th, 185’ 2”)
· Chris Wren, senior
-Hammer Throw (2nd, 213’ 8”)
· Zach Zohner, senior
-Pole Vault (1st, 17’)
2024 Concordia Outdoor National Qualifiers – a closer look
Connor Asche, junior (first trip to nationals)
Claire Beikmann, freshman (first trip to nationals)
Matthew Boyer, sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Jenna Esch, junior (fifth trip to nationals; six All-America awards)
Carson Fehlhafer, sophomore (second trip to nationals)
Kylahn Freiberg, senior (eighth trip to nationals; six All-America awards; 2023 indoor 1,000 meter national runner up; 2024 indoor mile national runner up)
Abby Gerber, junior (seventh trip to nationals; two All-America awards)
Rylee Haecker, senior (seventh trip to nationals; 10 All-America awards)
Luke Hammang, freshman (first trip to nationals)
Rhaya Kaschinske, junior (fifth trip to nationals)
Kayla Kirchner, sophomore (third trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Brady Klute, senior (second trip to nationals)
Jordan Koepke, junior (sixth trip to nationals; six All-America awards)
Emma Lloyd, junior (second trip to nationals)
Josi Noble, sophomore (fourth trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Mayson Ostermeyer, sophomore (second trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Kamryn Pokorney, senior (fourth trip to nationals)
Amy Richert, senior (seventh trip to nationals, three All-America awards)
Kellie Rhodes, senior (second trip to nationals)
Adrianna Rodencal, sophomore (fourth trip to nationals)
Calvin Rohde, senior (sixth trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Austen Rozelle, junior (second trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Isabelle Salters, junior (second trip to nationals)
Cambria Saunders, freshman (first trip to nationals)
Darien Semedo, senior (fourth trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Gretchen Stottlemyre, junior (second trip to nationals)
Kayla Svoboda, sophomore (third trip to nationals)
Trinity Tuls, junior (fifth trip to nationals; three All-America awards)
Zoey Walker, freshman (second trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Abi Wohlgemuth, junior (fourth trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Chris Wren, senior (eighth trip to nationals; four All-America awards; 2024 indoor weight throw national runner up)
Zach Zohner, senior (sixth trip to nationals; three All-America awards; 2024 indoor pole vault national champion; 2023 indoor pole vault national runner up)