SEWARD, Neb. – Athletes from 27 institutions convened on the Concordia University, Nebraska campus on Friday (May 8) for the annual Concordia Twilight. Among the most significant highlights for the Bulldogs, the women’s 4x100-meter relay and Avery Eaves achieved school records while throwers Harper Boche and Josiah Edwards and mid-distance sophomore Lucas Corwin made moves up the ladder on the national performance lists. Eaves and his teammates combined to win six events at the Concordia Twilight, which wrapped up late in the evening with 10k races.
The outing marked the final home meet of the 2026 outdoor season and the last collegiate meet in the careers of some seniors. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads were fresh off conference place finishes of third (women) and fifth (men).
Before her collegiate days are complete, GPAC Athlete of the Year Adrianna Rodencal made sure to add at least one more school record to her résumé. She ran the second leg of the 4x1 that clocked in at 46.72 at the Twilight. She was joined on the relay by Adysen McCarter, Cambria Saunders and Kayla Kirchner. The same crew tied the program standard (46.80) at last week’s GPAC Championships. Meanwhile, the men ran a solid 4x1 time of 41.54 (third place). That group was made up of Jett Farwell, Eaves, Tayven Genereux and Xavier Marburger.
Rodencal ran just one individual event at the Twilight. She breezed to victory in the 100-meter hurdles, posting times of 13.19 in the prelims and 13.74 in the finals. In the 400 hurdles, Josi Noble ran 1:04.29. On the men’s side of the hurdles, Hayden Kluthe placed third in the 400 (55.01) and fourth in the 110 (14.68).
As a freshman, Eaves has quickly established himself as one of the fastest sprinters in Concordia’s history. On Friday, he ran 100-meter times of 10.83 in the prelims and 10.60 in the finals. Eaves (Tomball, Texas) beat out a field of 13 runners at the Concordia Twilight and tied the school record he now shares with Quinton Furr, a Concordia Athletics Hall of Famer who accomplished his PR in 2001. Another standout in the sprints was Garrett Durkop, who ran 23.38 in the 200 meters and 49.94 in the 400 meters.
In the throws, junior Josiah Edwards (Elk Grove, Calif.) positioned himself within the top 20 of the hammer national leaderboard by unleashing a personal best of 181 feet for a fresh NAIA B standard. He placed fifth in the seeded hammer competition. Meanwhile, teammate Nathan Baldwin placed third thanks to his mark of 189’ 5.” Other top marks from Bulldog men’s throwers were 146’ 6” by Thomas Thomas in the discus and 48’ ¾” by Cooper Stokebrand in the shot put
On the women’s side, Harper Boche has likely secured a spot at the national meet in the shot put. She launched a personal best of 44’ 6 ¼” for an NAIA B standard that ranks among the top 15 nationally (based on the national list entering the day). Already an auto qualifier in the hammer, Boche placed third in the Concordia Twilight shot put competition. The remaining Bulldog leaders by event were Emma Kucera in the javelin (122’ 4”), Marrisa Heins in the hammer (163’ 5”) and Halee Nickels in the hammer (135’ 3”). Heins was the Concordia Twilight winner in the unseeded hammer.
Boche and her national qualifying teammates will experience a new location (Asheville, N.C.) for the NAIA Outdoor Championships later this month. Said Boche of what she’s looking forward to, “We get to build closer relationships at nationals as compared to the home meets. It’s really good to connect with other parts of the team. Everyone’s in a new situation, so we’re all in it together and just trying to throw our best.”
On the track, the York, Neb., native Corwin enjoyed a major breakthrough as he blazed to a personal best NAIA B standard time of 1:51.79. He outkicked his previous PR of 1:54.06 while putting himself on the national leaderboard. Corwin placed eighth in the loaded Twilight field. Other strong efforts on the track were delivered by Landri Loos in the 800 meters (2:19.87), Aidan Limback in the 5,000 meters (16:19.79) and Macee Ripke in the 5,000 meters (19:36.35). In leading the way in the 1,500 meters, Alison Stepanek ran a PR of 5:13.35.
The two-time All-American Jonny Jurchen continues to achieve meet-to-meet excellence in the race walk. The Jet won Friday’s 5,000-meter race walk in a time of 22:03.34 (PR is 21:34.19) in leading a pack of five Bulldogs (four men). Another national qualifier, Luke Hammang was up next with his time of 25:59.28. Concordia will send three athletes to the national meet in the race walk.
In the men’s steeplechase, GPAC champion Trey Robertson made another run at a national qualifying standard. The Wallace High School product produced a personal best time of 9:32.30 (roughly nine seconds off the B standard) on Friday, placing him fifth within a strong field. National qualifying race walker Jack Habegger tried his hand in the steeple and placed 10th.
Several Bulldogs emerged as high place finishers in the jumps. Makenna Starkey equaled her PR in the high jump (5’ 5 ¾”) and placed second, Hayley Miles claimed runner-up status in the long jump (18’ 6”), Adysen McCarter took third in the triple jump (38’ 5”), Sam Baumgartel earned fourth in the triple jump (40’ 10 ¼”) and Dylan Brei landed fifth in the long jump (20’ 9”).
Strides were made in the pole vault on Friday, particularly on the men’s side. Jax Jacobsen went over 15 feet (15’ 3”) and placed second. He was followed by teammate Evan Hill (14’ 9”) in third place. On the women’s side, three Bulldogs cleared 10’ 7” – Cassie Peatrowsky, Aliana McNair and Lillee Richard.
In helping cap the night, cross country national qualifier Keegan Beisel made a long-awaited return to the track and completed the 10k before then getting a hug from her father and coach. In the very last event of the evening, Vaughn Hendrickson crossed the finish line in 31:50.33 in the men’s 10k. He was just off a personal best.
National Qualifying Standards Achieved on Friday:
· A – Jonny Jurchen: 5,000-meter race walk (22:03.34)
· A – Adrianna Rodencal: 100-meter hurdles (13.19)
· B – Women’s 4x100-meter relay (46.72)
· B – Nathan Baldwin: hammer (189’ 5”)
· B – Harper Boche: shot put (44’ 6 ¼”)
· B – Lucas Corwin: 800 meters (1:51.79)
· B – Josiah Edwards: hammer (181’)
· B – Luke Hammang: 5,000-meter race walk (25:59.28)
· B – Makenna Starkey: high jump (5’ 5 ¾”)
Concordia Twilight Champions
· Women’s 4x100-meter relay (46.72)
· Avery Eaves: 100 meters (10.60)
· Marissa Heins: unseeded hammer (163’ 5”)
· Vaughn Hendrickson: 10,000 meters (31:50.33)
· Jonny Jurchen: 5,000-meter race walk (22:03.34)
· Adrianna Rodencal: 100-meter hurdles (13.19 – prelims time)
Select Bulldogs will continue weekend action by competing at the Loper Twilight hosted by the University of Nebraska-Kearney. The meet was adjusted due to the weather forecast and will now take place mostly on Sunday. For further details, check out our meet preview linked HERE.