2013-14 Indoor Track and Field

DECEMBER
	Dec. 12-13	Blue-White Intrasquad	Bulldog Fieldhouse	Seward, Neb.	Event Schedule
JANUARY
	Jan. 18	Scott Nisely Memorial Classic	Doane	Crete, Neb.	Results
	Jan. 24	Prairie Wolf Invite	Devaney Center	Lincoln, Neb.	Results
	Jan. 31 - Feb. 1	Concordia Classic	Bulldog Fieldhouse	Seward, Neb.	Results
FEBRUARY
	Feb. 7-8	Sevigne Husker Invite	Devaney Center	Lincoln, Neb.	Results
	Feb. 8	Fred Beile Classic	Doane	Crete, Neb.	Results
	Feb. 14	Concordia Indoor Invitational	Bulldog Fieldhouse	Seward, Neb.	Results
	Feb. 21-22	GPAC Indoor T&F Championships	Doane	Crete, Neb.	Results
MARCH
	March 6-8	NAIA National Championships	SPIRE Institute	Geneva, Ohio	Results

All Home Meets in BOLD

2014 Outdoor Track and Field

MARCH
	March 28-29	Wildcat Classic	Wayne State College	Wayne, Neb.	M Results W Results
APRIL
	April 5	UNK Loper Invite	UNK	Kearney, Neb.	Results
	April 12	Concordia Outdoor Invite	Concordia University	Seward, Neb.	Results
	April 18-19	Doane Relays	Doane College	Crete, Neb.	Results
	April 23	UNL Pre-Drake Invite	UNL	Lincoln, Neb.	Results
	April 24	Nebraska Wesleyan Open	NWU	Lincoln, Neb.	Results
	April 24-26	Drake Relays	Drake University	Des Moines, Iowa	Results
MAY
	May 2-3	GPAC Championships	Doane	Crete, Neb.	Results
	May 9	Concordia Twilight Meet	Concordia University	Seward, Neb.	Results
	May 22-24	NAIA National Championships	Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium	Gulf Shores, Ala.	Results

All Home Meets in BOLD

2013-2014 Men's Track and Field Roster

*Name*	*Event*	Year	*Hometown*	*High School*
Josh Allwardt	Distance	Jr.	Frederick, Md.	Urbana
Adam Aschenbrenner	Throws	Jr.	Malcom, Neb.	Malcolm
Jack Babbitt	Pole Vault	Fr.	Paxton, Neb.	Paxton
Jonathon Becker	Hurdles	Sr.	Hartington, Neb.	Hartington Cedar Catholic
Beau Billings	Distance	Sr.	Valentine, Neb.	Valentine
Garrett Blomstedt	Sprints/Jumps	So.	Sutherland, Neb.	Sutherland
Charles Bloomfield	Mid Distance	Jr.	Blair, Neb.	Blair
Cody Boellstorff	Throws	So.	Waverly, Neb.	Waverly
Brock Braniff	Throws	So.	Tekamah, Neb.	Tekamah-Herman
Trevor Bresson	Hurdles	So.	Colorado Springs, Colo.	Classical Academy
Daniel Brown	Sprints	Sr.	Omaha, Neb.	Roncalli Catholic
Travis Brown	Jumps	So.	North Platte, Neb.	North Platte
Ethan Bruggeman	Distance	Fr.	Lincoln	Lincoln Lutheran
John Cartier	Sprints	Sr.	Las Vegas, Nev.	Faith Lutheran
Matthew Chapa	Hurdles	Jr.	Buffalo, Minn.	Mayer Lutheran
Coleman Cogswell	Distance	Fr.	McCool Junction, Neb.	McCool Junction
Brandon Cook	Hurdles	Fr.	Waverly, Neb.	Waverly
Chevarius Curry-Felix	Sprints/Jumps	Fr.	Columbia, S.C.	Richland Northeast
Daniel Eberhard	Mid Distance	Fr.	Greeley, Colo.	University
Christian Egger	Hurdles	Fr.	Galva, Iowa	Ridge View
Trey Farmer	Throws	Jr.	Seward, Neb.	Seward
Carson Farr	Pole Vault	Sr.	Cambridge, Neb.	Cambridge
Garrett Golke	Sprints	Sr.	Gowan, Mich.	Greenville
Ryan Gross	Pole Vault	Fr.	Riverside, Calif.	Riverside Poly
Alex Heiden	Sprints	Sr.	Lincoln, Neb.	Lincoln Lutheran
Benjamin Hinckfoot	Hurdles	Sr.	Colorado Springs, Colo.	The Classical Academy
Thomas Hinrichs	Hurdles	So.	Auburn, Neb.	Auburn
Hayden Hohnholt	Distance	Sr.	Gillette, Wyo.	Saratoga
Demetrius Hood	Sprints	Fr.	Leander, Texas	Leander
Jacob Kettner	Sprints/Jumps	So.	Salem, Mo.	Salem
Kole Kimle	Distance	Fr.	Kenesaw, Neb.	Kenesaw
Philip Kreutzer	Throws	Fr.	Kearney, Neb.	Kearney
Jordan Larrington	Throws	Sr.	Elm Creek, Neb.	Elm Creek
Zachary Lurz	Throws	Fr.	Torrington, Wyo.	Torrington
Andrew Malan	Distance	Sr.	Lincoln, Neb.	Lincoln Lutheran
Ben Montgomery	Mid Distance	So.	North Platte, Neb.	Norht Platte
Daniel Moore	Jumps	Jr.	Fuita, Colo.	Central
Chris Mosely-Hendricks	Sprints	Fr.	Cedar Park, Texas	Leander
Taylor Mueller	Distance	So.	Cedar Rapids, Iowa	Thomas Jefferson
CJ Muller	Omaha	Fr.	Omaha, Neb.	Millard West
Crayton Noe	Pole Vault	So.	Seward, Neb.	Seward
Creighton Pearse	Distance	Jr.	Kearney, Neb.	Kearney Catholic
Taiheem Pleasant	Hurdles	Jr.	Lincoln, Neb.	Lincoln Northeast
Jake Polk	Throws	So.	Clarkson, Neb.	Silver Lake
Jordan Potrzeba	Distance	So.	Hastings, Neb.	St. Cecilia
Adam Prahlow	Distance	Sr.	Florrisant, Mo.	Lutheran North
Brandon Ramos	Multi Events	So.	Kihei, Hawaii	St. Anthony
Jacob Reifenrath	Sprints	Jr.	Hartington, Neb.	Cedar Catholic
Paul Rempfer	Sprints	So.	Blairstown, Iowa	Benton Community
Luke Riley	Distance	So.	Hickman, Neb.	Lincoln Christian
Joel Ripke	Throws	So.	Lafayette, Ind.	Jefferson
Casey Roberts	Distance	Jr.	Wamego, Kan.	Wamego
Jose Rojas	Throws	Jr.	Nogales, Ariz.	Nogales
Benjamin Schulteis	Throws	So.	Greenfield, Iowa	Greenfield
Chris Shelton	Distance	Fr.	Minden, Neb.	Kenesaw
Ben Sievert	Distance	Jr.	Frankenmuth, Mich.	Frankenmuth
Joshua Slechta	Throws	So.	Kennard, Neb.	Creighton Prep
Noah Smith	Sprints	Sr.	Largo, Fl.	Indian Rocks Christian
Blake Vajgrt	Multi Events	Jr.	Seward, Neb.	Seward
Tim von Behren	Mid Distance	Sr.	Falls City, Neb.	Falls City
Jaap van Gaalen	Sprints	So.	Kaiserslautern, Germany	Ramstein
Lucas Wiechman	Multi Events	Fr.	Pilger, Neb.	Wisner-Pilger
Matthias Wollberg	Distance	Jr.	Kearney, Neb.	Kearney
Darvin Woods	Throws	So.	Phoenix, Ariz.	Tolleson Union
Spencer Zysset	Distance	Sr.	Hastings, Neb.	Hastings St. Cecilia

2013-2014 Women's Track and Field Roster

*Name*	*Event*	*Year*	*Hometown*	*High School*
Stephanie Aurich	Pole Vault	Sr.	Mayer, Minn.	Mayer Lutheran
Tanel Baehr	Mid Distance	Jr.	Mesa, Ariz.	Mountain View
Savanah Baker	Sprints/Mid Dist.	So.	Broomfield, Colo.	Broomfield
Kierstyn Besel	Multi Events	Jr.	Broomfield, Colo.	Denver Lutheran
Christine Beune	Sprints	Fr.	Dodge, Neb.	Wisner-Pilger
Breanna Brockhaus	Mid Distance	So.	Humphrey, Neb.	St. Francis
Megan Burma	Distance	So.	Platte, S.D.	Sunshine Bible Academy
Ashley Canfield	Distance	Fr.	Crete, Neb.	Lincoln Christian
Kattie Cleveland	Throws	So.	Petersburg, Neb.	Boone Central
Stephanie Coley	Throws	So.	Gering, Neb.	Gering
Hope Colwell	Springs/Hurdles	Fr.	Springfield, Mo.	Saint Pauls Lutheran
Jamie Crouse	Throws	Sr.	Belgrade, Neb.	Fullerton
Michaela Curran	Distance	Fr.	Wahoo, Neb.	Wahoo
Alayna Daberkow	Sprints/Hurdles	Fr.	Madison, Neb.	Madison
Talitha Elbert	Mid Distance	So.	Kaiserslautern, Germany	Ramstein American
Brittany Erdmann	Throws	Jr.	Chanhassen, Minn.	Mayer Lutheran
Kellie Fegter	Pole Vault	Sr.	Holdredge, Neb.	Holdrege
Ericka Fischer	Hurdles	Jr.	Hartington, Neb.	Cedar Catholic
Paige Getz	Jumps	Fr.	Spring Hill, Kan.	Paola
Rianne Gross	Pole Vault	Jr.	Riverside, Calif.	Riverside Poly
Brianna Hallmark	Sprints	Fr.	Longmont, Colo.	Mead
Haley Harpham	Distance	Jr.	McCook, Neb.	McCook
Montana Hayes	Multi Events	Jr.	Superior, Neb.	Superior
Paige Hemmer	Jumps	Sr.	Dell Rapids. S.D.	Colman-Egan
Shelby Hohnholt	Distance	Jr.	Saratoga, Wyo.	Saratoga
Randi Janzen	Sprints	Fr.	Hampton, Neb.	Giltner
Melanie Jochimsen	Sprints	So.	Cedar Rapids, Iowa	Linn-Mar
Alayna Kavanaugh	Throws	Fr.	Roca, Neb.	Lincoln Christian
Elizabeth King	Throws	So.	Billings, Mont.	Billings West
Jessica Klaustermeier	Sprints	So.	Waconia, Minn.	Mayer Lutheran
Myria Knapp	Multi Events	Jr.	North Platte, Neb.	Maxwell
Alexandria Kolpin	Sprints/Hurdles	So.	Overland Park, Kan.	Blue Valley Northwest
Sarah Kortze	Distance	Sr.	Rockford, Ill.	Rockford Lutheran
Fallon Kostbahn	Pole Vault	So.	Grand Island, Neb.	Grand Island
Megan Letts	Sprints/Jumps	Sr.	Lakewood, Colo.	Green Mountain
Sydney Meyer	Throws	Fr.	Campbell, Neb.	Silver Lake
Candace Norman-Kolling	Sprints	So.	Crawford, Neb.	Crawford
Lauren Pankow	Distance	So.	Milwaukee, Wis.	Milwaukee Lutheran
Jericca Pearson	Sprints/Jumps	Jr.	Gibbon, Neb.	Gibbon
Tracy Peitz	Jumps	Jr.	Hartington, Neb.	Cedar Catholic
Nicole Perry	Throws	So.	Menifee, Calif.	Paloma
Marielle Plunk	Sprints	Fr.	Cedar Park, Texas	Leander
Lydia Pomerenke	Multi Events	Sr.	Seward, Neb.	Lincoln Lutheran
Beth Rasmussen	Mid Distance	Fr.	Omaha, Neb.	Concordia
Kali Robb	Throws	Fr.	Sidney, Neb.	Sidney
Erika Schroeder	Mid Distance	Jr.	Davenport, Neb.	Bruning-Davenport
Elizabeth Schwab	Throws	So.	Blue Hill, Neb.	Blue Hill
Jena Schwalenberg	Distance	Sr.	Columbus, Neb.	Columbus
Karissa Segelke	Sprints/Hurdles	Fr.	Sidney, Neb.	Sidney
Katelyn Shoup	Jumps	So.	Clarks, Neb.	High Plains
Sara Simmons	Multi Events	Jr.	Sumner, Neb.	Sumner-Eddyville-Miller
Theresa Staley	Mid Distance	Jr.	Lincoln, Neb.	Lincoln Northeast-
Cassandra Starks	Sprints/Pole Vault	Jr.	Haigler, Neb.	Dundy County-Stratton
Angela Steinbacher	Mid Distance	Fr.	Saint Charles, Mo.	Agape Lutheran
Shelby Stolze	Sprints/Hurdles	So.	Norfolk, Neb.	Lutheran Northeast
Jenny Suing	Sprints	Jr.	Crofton, Neb.	Crofton
Katricia Svoboda	Throws	Fr.	Norfolk, Neb.	Norfolk
Jessy Sweet	Mid Distance	Fr.	Colorado Springs, Colo.	Vanguard
Marti Vlasin	Sprints/Hurdles	Fr.	Seward, Neb.	Seward
Allison Wiebe	Throws	Fr.	Malcolm, Neb.	Malcolm
Jenean Williams	Mid Distance	Sr.	North Mankato, Min.	Mankato West
Renee Williams	Distance	Jr.	Lincoln, Neb.	Lincoln Christian
Kim Wood	Mid Distance	So.	Greeley, Neb.	Greeley-Wolbach
Shelby Yelden	Pole Vault	Sr.	Seward, Neb.	Seward
Quriosity Young	Sprints	So.	Lincoln, Neb.	Lincoln Northstar

2014 Bulldog indoor track & field preview

17 JAN 2014

By Taylor Mueller, Sports Information Assistant

At a glance:
Head coach: Kregg Einspahr (22nd year)
2013 men’s indoor GPAC finish: 3rd
2013 women’s indoor GPAC finish: 4th
2013 men’s indoor national finish: 27th
2013 women’s indoor national finish: 13th
2013 men’s indoor All-Americans (8): Jonathon Becker (4x400 meter relay), John Cartier (4x400 meter relay), Ben Hinckfoot (4x400 meter relay), Jared Hoffman (4x800 meter relay), Andrew Malan (4x800 meter relay), Taiheem Pleasant (4x400 meter relay), Adam Prahlow (4x800 meter relay), Ben Sievert (4x800 meter relay)
2013 women’s indoor All-Americans (7): Stephanie Coley (shot put), Jamie Crouse (weight throw), Brittany Erdmann (shot put), Megan Letts (4x800 meter relay), Jena Schwalenberg (one mile; 4x800 meter relay), Jenean Williams (4x800 meter relay), Kim Wood (4x800 meter relay)

OUTLOOK:
There’s a strong vibe running through the rafters of the Walz Arena field house on campus at Concordia University every day from 3:15 to 5:00 p.m., a sense of excitement for something that has never been accomplished in the history of the school. The indoor track and field season is looking to be a promising one for the Bulldogs, who are chasing their first ever men’s GPAC championship in the sport, and are feeling very confident in their potential for success.

“It’s definitely really realistic for us to win the conference championship,” senior hurdler, sprinter and All-American Ben Hinckfoot said. “We have a really strong team all throughout, from jumps, hurdles, sprints, throws – everything. We’re looking really, really, good. Winning the conference championship is the main goal. It would be really disappointing if we didn’t win it.”

The men’s squad will return numerous top athletes from a year ago, many of whom traveled to the indoor national championships in Geneva, Ohio, which will again host the national championships this year.

Concordia athletes who traveled to Ohio last year include senior Jonathon Becker, who qualified in the 60 meter hurdles, senior John Cartier in the 400 meter dash and senior Carson Farr who placed 10th nationally in the pole vault. Seniors Adam Prahlow and Alex Heiden competed on a qualifying distance medley squad, while Prahlow, junior Ben Sievert, and senior Andrew Malan will try to qualify once again for the 4x800 meter relay which took 4th a year ago. The loaded 400 meter relay team of Cartier, Hinckfoot, Becker and junior Taiheem Pleasant will look to improve on their 5th place finish last season.

Returning for his 22nd year as head coach, Kregg Einspahr is optimistic that his teams are headed in the right direction.

“It would appear that senior hurdlers Jonathon Becker and Ben Hinckfoot are ready for great things,” Einspahr said. “In addition, senior pole vaulter Carson Farr, senior 400 meter specialist, John Cartier, and distance runners, (senior) Hayden Hohnholt and Ben Seivert as well as (sophomore) thrower Cody Boellstorff have been looking very good in practice.”

While the Bulldogs are no doubt feeling good about their chances to win a conference title as they reload from a successful season a year ago, Einspahr also commented on freshmen who could make some noise this winter.

“Sprinter CJ Muller is training very well right now,” Einspahr said. “He had a great high school career, is a hard worker and has a great attitude.”

Hinckfoot voiced a similar opinion and expressed his confidence in his fellow teammates, which has continued to grow throughout the young season.

“We have a really good freshman class that came in this year,” Hinckfoot said. “We have really strong leadership from the seniors, juniors and sophomores that are coming back, definitely a lot of potential for the guy’s team this year. We’ve been training really hard throughout fall track.”

Hinckfoot’s high aspirations for the Concordia track and field squads are no secret. However, he has a few goals of his own that he would like to accomplish.

“Definitely the goal is to win a national championship,” Hinckfoot said.

After an incredible season a year ago, Hinckfoot is ready to take the next step

Improving his start in the 60 and 110 meter hurdles is something that Hinckfoot admittedly needs to work on. Work in the weight room and in his endurance will also be crucial to Hinckfoot’s success. But as he steadies his focus for the 400 meter hurdles, his primary race, Hinckfoot is prepared to leave it all on the track one last time.

“As an individual, the expectations are high,” Hinckfoot said. “I know I need to work really, really hard to get back to that level I was at and if I want to do better, I’m going to have to work even harder. That’s going to be really important.

“I’m really excited for this year. It’s my senior year, it’s really the last opportunity that I’ll have to run track and field. I want to make sure that I go out without any regrets, making sure that I devote myself wholly to this, to make sure that my goals are met and my expectations are met and just to make sure that I’m the best leader that I can be as a senior.”

As the season approaches, Einspahr is careful to jump to conclusions as to where his Bulldogs stand amongst the ever-challenging GPAC conference competition.

“It’s a little early to say,” Einspahr said. “Doane is the defending team champion. I think we have the most balanced men’s team we have ever had with big scoring potential in a variety of events. Our men’s team should be in the hunt for the men’s team championship.”

As for the women’s squad, the expectations have risen from a year ago. They too will be contending for a shot at the conference title and will likely be battling it out with the likes of Doane and Dordt College.

“I think we can compete right in the middle of that mix,” Einspahr said.

Senior Lydia Pomerenke, a seventh place finisher at last year’s outodoor national championships, is excited for the possibilities that this season will bring for the women’s track and field team.

“In the past three years the women struggle at indoor, and we never place particularly well in conference,” Pomerenke said. “I want the girls to place top two indoor in conference. Outdoor, we seem to be a much more rounded team. We won conference two years ago, and I want to do it again. I want us to continue past the GPAC and compete nationally.”

The women will have plenty of talent to work with. Sophomore Kim Wood returns after qualifying for the 600 meter race last season. Senior Jeanean Williams will also return after competing with Wood on the 4x800 meter relay team that placed fourth a year ago, but will be looking for two additional replacements to reach that same goal this year.

Sophomore Stephanie Coley and junior Brittany Erdmann, who placed fifth and seventh respectively in the shot put will be looking to return to Geneva once again. Senior Jamie Crouse, who placed third in the weight throw will join Pomerenke and senior distance runner Sarah Kortze as females with All-American past All-America recognition. Einspahr also noted that freshman Paige Getz will also be “a good addition in the high jump.”

“Sarah Kortze and Jamie Crouse are poised to have outstanding seasons,” Einspahr said. “Kim Wood and Lydia Pomerenke have also been training very well.”

For Pomerenke, her final season will bring numerous goals that she is set to achieve, many of which include records she has set herself. The addition of a new multi-event coach has brought a determined and focused approach for the two time All American.

“My goals are focused on school records,” Pomerenke said. “I want to break the pentathlon record, my own heptathlon record, hopefully hurdles as well. I want to qualify for indoor nationals and bring home a plaque. I want to beat my results from last year, for outdoor season. I want to be a 3 time all American.”

As she chases her dreams one last time, Pomerenke is keeping in mind what she will need to do if she hopes to experience success.

“Personally, I would like to improve on all my events, but specifically, I need to improve on my high jump and 800. I would like to become faster in the hurdles so I can compete in the individual race not just the (multi-events).”

Pomerenke added one final comment which she hopes will bring awareness to the dedication that the track and field programs put in to the seasons.

“Most people don't realize that the track team starts practice the first week of school, and those who qualify for outdoor nationals don't stop until the last weekend of May,” Pomerenke said. “We have a long season, which requires commitment. Sometimes I ask myself, ‘Lydia, why did you choose to do track, it's so hard.’ But I've learned track makes me stronger physically, mentally and spiritually.”

As for a combined program, Einspahr added two more goals that he would like to see his young men and women accomplish.

“We want to develop a close team that works together, enjoys working and practicing together to achieve goals,” Einspahr said. “I want them to have fun. We would (also) like to be among the top three teams in the GPAC conference and top 25 teams in the national championships.”

Einspahr also noted that patience, consistency and good fortune in avoiding injuries will be important for Concordia this season.

The first gun of the 2014 indoor track and field season will sound at 1 p.m. as the Bulldogs travel to Doane College to compete in the Scott Nisely Memorial Track and Field Classic on Saturday. Field events will commence at 11 a.m.

Several Bulldogs record national qualifying marks to open track and field season

18 JAN 2014

By Taylor Mueller, Sports Information Assistant

CRETE, Neb. – The highly anticipated indoor track and field season is officially underway as the Concordia Bulldogs got things started at the Scott Nisely Memorial Classic at Doane College.

The Bulldogs started the season with a bang, claiming numerous top finishers on both the men’s and women’s teams and wasted little time in qualifying several individuals for the national meet.

“On the women’s side, the pole vaulters had a tremendous day and Jamie Crouse and Stephanie Coley had real good starts to their seasons,” head coach Kregg Einspahr said. “We had several national qualifying marks already which is great to see.”

Senior Shelby Yelden and junior Cassandra Starks swept the top two spots in the women’s pole vaulting competition, clearing 11’ 3” and 10’ 9” respectively.

All American Jamie Crouse threw her way to a first place finish in the weight throw with a toss of 57’ 6¼”. The throw was enough to qualify her for the national meet. Sophomore Stephanie Coley’s shot put toss of 45’ 4½” placed third and gave her a qualifying mark for the national meet as well.

On the track, sophomore Kim Wood ran away with a first place finish, dominating the field with a time of 2:21.

The men also ran away with a very successful day, and showed promise of more to come in the future, something Einspahr was excited about.

“I thought we did real well on the men’s side in terms of placing,” Einspahr said. “It was a good meet to start out with and get some confidence. We had a lot of winners on the track and that gives you confidence. It’s the first meet and we’re not ready to set any world records, but I was pretty pleased overall.”

Senior John Cartier, freshman CJ Muller and sophomore Jaap Van Gaalen went one, two, three in the 400 meter race with times of 49.72, 50.47 and 51.03 respectively.

More dominance was to be had in the 600 meter race as senior Ben Hinckfoot placed first in 1:24.55 while senior Andrew Malan finished right on his heels in 1:24.95.

Senior Adam Prahlow took first in the 800 meter race with a time of 2:01 while fellow distance running mate Hayden Hohnholt claimed the 3000 meter race title in 8:55.

In the 4x800 meter relay, Malan and Prahlow were at it again, this time teaming up with juniors Charlie Blookmfield and Creighton Pearse to take first with a time of 8:12, knocking out the competition by over five seconds.

The men’s 4x400 meter relay team of Van Gaalen, Muller, Cartier and senior Jonathon Becker was also victorious, scorching the track with a time of 3:20, setting a new meet record in the process.

The Bulldogs also got some help from their field events, as senior Carson Farr took first with a clearance of 16’ 4¾” while sophomore Cody Boellstorff championed with weight throw with a toss of 61’ 4¾”. Junior Trey Farmer took third place in the shot put with a throw of 51’ 6¼”. Farr, Boellstorff and Farmer all qualified for the national meet with their accomplishments.

The Bulldogs will be back in action again next weekend, when they travel to the Devaney Center in Lincoln, Neb., to compete in the Prairie Wolf Invite on Friday, Jan. 24.

Cartier flies to national qualifying time in 400 as Bulldogs compete at Prairie Wolf Invite

24 JAN 2014

By Taylor Mueller, Sports Information Assistant

LINCOLN, Neb. – As the young indoor track and field season continues to progress, the Concordia Bulldogs took their talents to the Prairie Wolf Invite at the Devaney Center in Lincoln Neb., where they faced numerous teams who provided plenty of tough competition. The Bulldogs held their own, however, and had success in several events.

Junior Ben Sievert got things started when he easily ran away with a first place finish in the 5000 meter run and a time of 15:12.

“I thought my race as a whole went pretty well,” Sievert said. “I was shooting for a sub-fifteen but wasn’t quite able to get there, but I still have to give God all the glory for a great race.”

Senior John Cartier got the Bulldogs another first place finish as he claimed the 400 meter race in 49.00. Cartier also took third in the 200 meter run with a time of 22.48, just a stride behind his teammate and freshman CJ Muller, who continued his own strong season with a time of 22.43 and a second place finish.

Senior Hayden Hohnholt was just edged out at the tape, placing second in the 3000 meter run, finishing with a time of 8:34, earning himself a national qualifying spot.

Fellow senior Jonathon Becker also qualified for nationals on Friday. He blew through the 60 meter hurdles in 8.25, placing him ninth this season on the NAIA leaderboard.

Several athletes had standout performances in the field events as well. Sophomore Cody Boellstorff threw his way to second place in the weight throw with a toss of 59’ 7 ¾”. Right behind him was sophomore Benjamin Schulteis who took third with a throw of 56’ 7 ¼”. On the women's side, freshman Kali Robb put up an automatic national qualifying mark of 44' 5 ½" in the shot put.

Senior Carson Farr placed third in the pole vault, reaching a height of 15’ 3” while sophomore Jacob Kettner took third in the triple jump with a measurement of 44’ 2.”

On the women’s side, sophomore Kim Wood ran strong and edged out the competition to take first in the 1000 meter run with a time of 3:01 while fellow distance teammate and Senior Sarah Kortze took third in the 3000 with a time of 10:14. In the field events, senior Jamie Crouse threw her way to a second place finish 58’ 3 ¾”.

“The team as a whole is starting to come around and hopefully things only get better from here,” Sievert said.

The Bulldogs will host the Concordia Classic, to be held Jan. 31 – Feb. 1 at the Walz Fieldhouse. Multi events on Friday begin at 3 p.m. and then again on Sat. at 8:45 a.m.

Cartier snags GPAC track athlete of the week accolades

29 JAN 2014

SEWARD, Neb. – On the strength of his performance at the Prairie Wolf Invitational on Jan. 24, Concordia senior John Cartier has earned GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Track Athlete of the Week recognition, as announced by the conference on Wednesday.

Cartier, the 2012 and 2013 GPAC 400 meter indoor champion, placed first in the 400 meter dash with an automatic national qualifying time of 49.40 at the Prairie Wolf Invite. That time currently ranks best in the GPAC this season and No. 11 on the NAIA leaderboard.

The native of Las Vegas, Nev., also took third in the 200 meter dash by clocking in at 22.48, just off a qualifying time. As part of the 4x400 meter relay, Cartier helped the Bulldogs to a fourth-place finish in a time of 3:22.77, coming up less than two seconds short of an automatic qualifying mark. That time is the best in the GPAC this season and lands fifth on the national leaderboard.

In his career, Cartier has qualified for the national championships twice in the 400 meters, earning All-America status at the indoor championships in 2011. He has also run legs for three All-American 4x400 meter relay teams. He has garnered a total of 20 all-conference mentions. Cartier’s 400 meter time of 48.34 at the 2012 GPAC indoor championships ranks second on the program’s all-time list.

Cartier and the Bulldogs return to action this weekend at the Concordia Classic held on Friday and Saturday in the Walz Field House. The schedule of events is availableHERE.

Bulldog track and field squads ranked in USTFCCCA's NAIA top 10

30 JAN 2014

SEWARD, Neb. – In a new computer rating released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Wednesday, both head coach Kregg Einspahr’s men’s and women’s teams rank amongst the NAIA’s top 10 squads. The Concordia men check in at No. 5 nationally while the women rank No. 8. View the complete ratings HERE.

The USTFCCCA calculated the ratings based on the NAIA individual lists of top marks that are available via the Track and Field Results Reporting System. With 15 individual marks on the men’s side and 12 on the women’s side that rank in the top 20 nationally, the lofty national team placements come as little surprise.

Via the USTFCCA: “The highest-ranked individuals or relay teams for each event are assigned the most points, and the point values decrease further down the descending order list. Team scores are equal to the sum of all the point-earning student-athletes’ scores across all events for a given team.”

Three Bulldogs currently rank as runner ups in their respective events on the national lists: Cody Boellstorff (weight throw), Jamie Crouse (weight throw) and Carson Farr (pole vault). Concordia competitors also hold an additional 10 marks that land in the top 10 of the NAIA.

The program is no stranger to the national scene. On the men’s side, the Bulldogs have finished in the top 25 nationally 13 times since 1997 in indoor track (runner up in 2000) and another seven times since 2005 in outdoor track. Einspahr’s women’s teams have had similar success with 11 top 25 claims since 1997 in indoor track and six since 2005 at outdoor championships.

The computer ratings are also a reflection of the strength of the GPAC as the conference leads the NAIA with six women’s teams in the top 25 and five men’s teams in the top 25.

Qualification for the NAIA Championships will not be determined in any way by these rankings, which are not officially sanctioned or endorsed by the NAIA for the 2014 season. These rankings are supported by the NAIA from the standpoint of media and entertainment purposes only.

Cartier and the Bulldogs return to action this weekend at the Concordia Classic held on Friday and Saturday in the Walz Field House. The schedule of events is availableHERE.

WEBCAST ON SATURDAY: Select events will be webcast live via the Concordia Sports Network during Saturday’s portion of the Concordia Classic. The webcast will begin at 11 a.m. and run through the conclusion of the meet. Please note that the location of CSN cameras best suits the broadcast of running events. Other events may not be featured as much.

Derek Rodine to be honored at Concordia Classic on Saturday

31 JAN 2014

SEWARD, Neb. – The late Derek Rodine will be honored on Saturday as part of the Concordia Classic track and field meet held in the Field House. A short ceremony will be held at 3:10 p.m. on Saturday to remember Rodine, who died tragically in a car accident on July 28, 2013. A video will be played on the Field House video board in his honor.

Rodine, an alum who attended Concordia from 2008-12, was a member of both the Bulldog track and field and football programs. As an accomplished thrower, Derek qualified for national championships, earned many all-conference honors and won a GPAC title in the shot put in 2011. He was also an all-conference performer on the football field.

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Concordia throws coach Ed McLaughlin wrote the following after reflecting on Derek’s memory:

How do you describe a man’s life, especially one that is cut so short that it seems almost criminal? I have thought long and hard about Derek since his passing. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t remember him either because of something the kids say or do, or some song on the airwaves that makes me think of that horrible beard - especially now when the throwers have honored Derek by making their warm-up shirts look like his. The last couple of weeks have been the hardest since it first happened. I look around and I see him everywhere. When we starting looking for volunteers for this meet, the first person I wanted to call was Derek. Most of the time though, it’s just thinking about how much he is missed by all of us.

Derek is and always will be one of the special ones. Every coach has them, an athlete who exemplifies everything you are trying to accomplish with your program. Derek is one of those for me. Derek was not a highly recruited thrower, but he worked and he worked, and he had some bumps in the road. But at the end of the day he gave it everything he had, which is why it was so heartbreaking for him not to achieve his goal of being an All-American thrower. He made himself into a nationally-ranked thrower in the shot put, hammer and weight throw. He even won a conference championship but more importantly, he was a great friend and teammate.

In 2012 when he withdrew from the indoor championships because of an incorrect mark, which would have allowed him to finish as the national champion runner-up, that was the proudest and saddest moment of my coaching career. He did something that I don’t think anyone else would have even considered and he did it without any hesitation. The cost of the act was great on him. We sat together for a long time that day, talking about what could have been, what might have happened and what we could do. At the end of it, we realized it was all a part of a plan. That it was unfortunate but he could hold his head high and walk with pride.

I will always remember Derek. He is never far from my thoughts. I always picture him smiling through that ugly beard.

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The Concordia Classic begins today (Friday) at 3 p.m. with the multi events. For a complete schedule of events, click HERE. On Saturday, the Concordia Sports Network will webcast the meet live from 11 a.m. through the conclusion of the meet.

Pomerenke topples another school record on day one of Concordia Classic

31 JAN 2014

SEWARD, Neb. – Bulldog senior Lydia Pomerenke continued her assault on the school record book on day one of the Concordia Classic held Friday inside the Walz Field House. The annual classic continues on Saturday as the entire field of athletes jump into action. View the event schedule HERE.

Pomerenke, who already held the program record in the outdoor heptathlon, put forth another record-setting performance on Friday. The Seward native topped personal bests in the 60 meter hurdles and the shot put on the way to 3,227 points, eclipsing Stephanie Kohlwey’s 2005 school mark of 3,023 points. Pomerenke came into the meet third on the school’s all-time pentathlon chart with her previous personal high of 2,939 points.

“I really wanted to get the record last year when I was a junior but I ended up falling a little short,” Pomerenke said. “My goal was to hit it and hit it right away so I could just keep breaking my own and setting new goals every time.”

Pomerenke finished in the top four of all five events, including a first-place claim in the hurdles with a time of 9.39. Overall, Pomerenke placed second in the pentathlon behind only Doane’s Erin DeVries (3,404 points). Based on the NAIA leaderboard entering the weekend, Pomerenke’s point total would rate fourth best nationally. She has automatically qualified for the national championships.

If not for Pomerenke, teammate Montana Hayes would be the school record holder in the pentathlon. Hayes also moved past Kohlwey’s old mark by piling up 3,066 points. Her highest finish was a third-place spot in the shot put with a throw of 34’ 2 ¾”. Hayes placed sixth overall in the pentathlon in front of fellow Bulldog Sara Simmons (2,892 points).

“Everybody did really, really well,” Pomerenke said. “Our first event was the hurdles and each one of us PR’d by quite a bit and that was really exciting because it’s our home track.

“We push each other and I wouldn’t be as good as I am without them.”

On the men’s side, four of seven events were completed in the heptathlon on Friday. Freshman Lucas Wiechman sits in sixth place overall to top the Bulldogs. Wiechman placed fifth in both the 60 meter dash and the shot put.

The men’s heptathlon continues at 8:45 a.m. on Saturday with the 60 meter hurdles, pole vault and 1,000 meter run yet to be contested. Field events begin at 11 a.m. with running events to get going at 12 p.m.

A special dedication for Derek Rodine will take place at 3:10 p.m. during the meet on Saturday. Read more about the ceremony HERE.

For those who can’t make it to the Field House, a live webcast will be offered via the Concordia Sports Network. The broadcast will begin at 11 a.m. and run through the end of the meet.

Bulldogs impress in home-opening track meet

1 FEB 2014

By Taylor Mueller, Sports Information Assistant

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia men’s and women’s track and field teams continued their march towards the GPAC championship with another strong meet to add on to their successful season. Numerous athletes had stand-out performances and a few more Bulldogs were able to reach national qualifying marks. With numerous teams in attendance and a packed Walz Fieldhouse, the atmosphere was electric and the competition was at its finest.

“We had a very good meet,” head Coach Kregg Einspahr said. “We were just off qualifying in a couple of events but we had some meet winners today and some tremendous marks today. We had a lot of first and second (place finishers).”

Senior Sarah Kortze got things started for the Bulldogs with a national qualifying, first place finish in the 5000 and a time of 17:54.

“Sarah Kortze is off to a great start this season,” Einspahr said.

Sophomore Kim Wood continued to emerge as an athlete to watch, claiming not one, but two first place finishes in the mile and 1000 meter runs with times of 3:03 and 5:11 respectively.

“Kim Wood has had some break through performances last weekend and this weekend with her double win in the mile and 1000,” Einspahr said. “I think she’s finally figured out those middle distance events. It’s a little longer for her but she has great foot speed and great strength. She’s learning how to run some different races and it’s really starting to work.”

In the ring, senior Jamie Crouse continued to dominate the competition with her first place throw of 60’ 7 ¼” in the weight throw.

It wasn’t just Crouse who was taking care of business in the throwing events, however.

Sophomore Cody Boellstorff continued his own string of success with his toss of 61’ 7 ¾” in the weight throw – a new personal best.

Although Boellstorff was pleased with his performance, he acknowledged he still has room to improve.

“I was pretty happy with that one throw, but I still wish I could get a little more distance with the others,” said Boellstorff, who also hopes to qualify in the shot put for the national meet. “That one felt good, but nothing really seemed to click on the others.”

Across the board, the track and field team received a tremendous boost from the throwers, who had several individuals make progress in their events.

“The weight throwers just had a tremendous day today,” Einspahr said.

The throwers were not the only ones with tremendous efforts, however.

A week after qualifying for the national meet in the 3000 meter race, senior Hayden Hohnholt qualified for the 5000 meter run as well, finishing the day with a second place finish and a time of 15:00 in the event.

The Bulldogs swept the top two spots in the 1000 as senior Adam Prahlow and junior Charlie Bloomfield took first and second in 2:34 and 2:37 respectively.

In the 3000, junior Ben Sievert gutted out a first place finish in a race that saw numerous lead changes between Sievert and two other runners throughout the race. Sievert crossed the line in 8:42.

Senior Carson Farr qualified for the national meet in the pole vault with his clearance of 15’07.” The leap was good enough for second place for the emotional pole vaulter.

Also in the pole vault, the Bulldog women were terrific as Cassandra Starks and Shelby Yelden both cleared 11' 5" to automatically qualify for nationals.

In a race chalk full of Concordia athletes, senior Ben Hinckfoot grinded out a second place finish in 1:22.45 in the 600 meter run, with sophomore teammate Jaap Van Gaalen right behind him for third in 1:22.57.

Freshman CJ Muller had another phenomenal night with his second place finish in the 400 meter run in 50.21. Not far behind him was junior Taiheem Pleasant who placed third in 50.67.

The Bulldogs ended the night with a bang as the 4x400 meter relay team of Muller, and seniors Jonathon Becker, Alex Heiden and John Cartier raced to a first place finish. All of those left in attendance in the Walz Fieldhouse were on their feet as Cartier crossed the line in 3:21, and held off the competition.

Becker also improved upon his national qualifying mark in the 60 meter hurdles. He ran a time of 8.24 in the prelims of the event on Saturday.

The Bulldogs will split up next weekend as they send athletes to either the Devaney Center in Lincoln for the Sevigne Husker Invite or to Crete, Neb., for the Nicely Invite. Starting times are yet to be announced.

NAIA-leading throw results in GPAC weekly honor for Crouse

5 FEB 2014

SEWARD, Neb. – The list of career honors keeps growing for senior Jamie Crouse. The four-time All-American has been named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Women’s Field Athlete of the Week, as announced by the league on Wednesday.

Already sporting a national qualifying mark in the weight throw entering the Concordia Classic (Jan. 31 – Feb. 1), Crouse took it up another notch. Her toss of 60’ 7 ¼” allowed her to win the event and vaulted her up to No. 1 on the national leaderboard. The mark also topped her previous personal best of 59’ 3 ½” in the weight throw.

The native of Belgrade, Neb., added a second national qualifying mark at the Concordia Classic by hurling the shot put 43’ 1 ¾”. That mark ranks 17th on the national list and sixth in the GPAC.

Crouse is a two-time defending conference champion in the weight throw. She is also a two-time All-American in weight throw (indoor) and has twice earned All-America status in the hammer throw (outdoor).

The Bulldog track and field teams, ranked sixth nationally on both the men’s and women’s sides (according to theUSTFCCCA computer rankings), return to action this weekend. A select number of athletes will participate in the Sevigne Husker Invite (Friday-Saturday) while the bulk of the team competes at the Fred Beile Classic hosted by Doane on Saturday.

Six Bulldogs compete on day one of the Husker Invite

7 FEB 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. – Head coach Kregg Einspahr took six select Bulldogs from his sixth-ranked track and field squads to the Devaney Sports Center to compete against top-notch competition as part of the Frank Sevigne Husker Invite on Friday. The meet continues on Saturday.

Take a look below for a summary of Friday’s performances from Bulldogs. John Cartier came through with an impressive time of 49.28 in the 400 meter dash. Based on the NAIA leaderboard entering the weekend, Cartier’s time ranks seventh best in the nation. In addition, freshman CJ Muller hit the ‘B’ standard mark with a time of 49.74 in the same event.

Both Cody Boellstorff and Jamie Crouse again hit marks that surpassed the automatic qualifying measurement in the weight throw. However, both fell short of their respective personal bests set this season.

Bulldogs at the Husker Invite

Men’s weight throw:
9th – Cody Boellstorff: 58’ 1 ¾”
16th – Benjamin Schulteis: 52’ 11 ½”

Men’s 60 meter hurdle prelims:
21st – Jonathon Becker: 8.28

Women’s weight throw:
8th – Jamie Crouse: 58’ 7 ½”

Men’s 400 meter dash:
23rd – John Cartier: 49.28
30th – CJ Muller: 49.74

Saturday schedule for Bulldogs at the Husker Invite:
1:40 p.m. – Hayden Hohnholt (3,000 meter run)
4:40 p.m. – Men’s 4x400 meter relay (CJ Muller, Tai Pleasant, Jonathon Becker, Alex Heiden)

The majority of the Concordia track and field squads will be in action at the Fred Beile Classic hosted by Doane College, which will provide a live webcast HERE. View the event schedule HERE.

Blazing men's 4x4 headlines busy weekend for Bulldog track and field

8 FEB 2014

By Taylor Mueller, Sports Information Assistant

It was a busy weekend for the track and field programs, with a handful of athletes squaring off against top collegiate competition from around the country in the Frank Sevigne Husker Invite, while the rest of the team headed to Doane College to compete in the Fred Beile Classic.

Competing against the likes of Nebraska, Iowa, Iowa State, Auburn and USC to name a few, not to mention a handful of Olympic athletes and world champions who were present at the meet, Concordia athletes were in for a meet they likely will never forget.

Freshman Cody Boellstorff, who threw at both the Devaney Center in Lincoln and at Doane, placed ninth at the Sevigne Husker Invite with a toss of 58’01”3/4. The next day, he crushed the competition at Doane with a throw of 59’04” ¾ to win the event.

Senior Jamie Crouse placed eighth in the women’s weight throw, finishing with a mark of 58’07” despite fouling on her last four attempts.

Despite their performances among some of the best athletes in the nation, several Concordia athletes were not able to match or top their season bests.

“I didn't think our kids relaxed as much as they need to,” head coach Kregg Einspahr said. “We didn't have any collapses but most of them were not real close to their season bests.”

On the track, junior Ben Sievert paired up with senior Hayden Hohnholt to compete in the 3000 meter run. It was Hohnholt who just nabbed Sievert at the finish line, to take seventh in the event with a time of 8:30.25. Sievert finished in eighth with a time of 8:30.27.

It was the men’s 4x400 meter relay who gave Concordia their brightest moment, however, when they scorched their way to a second place finish and a national qualifying time of 3:16. Seniors John Cartier, Jonathon Becker, Alex Heiden and freshman CJ Muller were able to top the likes of the University of Nebraska, Iowa, Auburn and Colorado State.

Einspahr was pleased with the performances that followed on Saturday at the Devaney Center and commented on the success of his athletes.

“Today we competed really well at the Husker Invite,” Einspahr said. “Hayden and Ben both had PR's in the 3,000 meters. Those were excellent marks. Then our men's 4x4 had an outstanding race to win their heat. That's probably the fastest time by far that we've had from a 4x4 before the national championships. We have a lot of 400 runners that can get up and go.”

Just 34 minutes away, the rest of the Concordia squad was competing at Doane College, where several athletes were having monster performances.

Sophomore Stephanie Coley had a terrific day, finishing second in the weight throw with a mark of 55’01” ½ and third in the shot put with a toss of 45’07”, both of which are national qualifying marks.

The women’s 4x800 meter relay team of senior Jenean Williams, junior Erika Schroeder, sophomore Kim Wood and freshman Marti Vlasin took first place in 9:38, a time that will take them to Geneva, Ohio for the national meet.

Wood went solo for an 800 meter run and took second in 2:16. Junior Rianne Gross burst onto the scene for the Bulldogs with her clearance of 11’05” in the pole vault competition which earned her second place.

On the men’s side, senior Noah Smith took first in the 400 meter run with his time of 50.71. Junior Trey Farmer claimed first in the shot put with his toss of 51’01” and senior Carson Farr crushed the competition with a mark of 16’00” ¾ which was good enough for first place as well.

Hoping to qualify for the national meet, the 4x800 meter relay team of sophomore Jaap Van Gaalen, junior Charlie Bloomfield, and seniors Adam Prahlow and Ben Hinckfoot came just three seconds short of meeting the national qualifying mark with a time of 8:00. The time won them first place in the event.

As the season winds down, the dreams, goals and visions of a first ever GPAC title are starting to come into focus. There is still room to improve, however, and Einspahr is aware of what needs to be accomplished if the Bulldogs are to claim a title.

“Closing in on the GPAC Championships, we're figuring out where we stack up,” Einspahr said. “We have some guys in the middle distances that need to get in position to compete near the top. We'll see how we develop in the last 10-14 days before the GPAC meet. We think we have a good chance to finish in the top two on both the men's and women's sides, which is our goal. We'll have to put together a good meet.”

The Bulldogs have one regular season meet left, which will take place on Friday, Feb. 14 when they host the Concordia Indoor Invitational inside Bulldog Fieldhouse. Throwing events begin at 1 p.m. with running events following at 2 p.m.

“We always perform well on our home track,” Einspahr said. “There's definitely a home field advantage - not unlike you see from other sports. It's a familiar venue. There's a comfort level there and you have the fans cheering for you. It does make a difference.”

Bulldogs host final home indoor meet on Friday

12 FEB 2014

SEWARD, Neb. – Concordia University track and field will play host for the final time during the indoor season when it welcomes a dozen teams to the Walz Field House on Friday for the Concordia Indoor Invitational. It will be the final indoor home meet for a group of 28 Bulldogs on Valentine’s Day.

Ranked sixth nationally on both the men’s and women’s sides (according to USTFCCA computer rankings), the Bulldogs enter the meet with 29 combined NAIA ‘A’ standard national qualifying marks. The Concordia Invite and next week’s GPAC championships will provide the final opportunities to qualify for the national championships to be held March 6-8.

It’s also one last chance to jockey for positioning prior to the GPAC meet. According to the season results thus far, Concordia scores out as the top GPAC team on the men’s side and the runner up to Doane in the women’s race.

“Closing in on the GPAC Championships, we're figuring out where we stack up,” Einspahr said after last week’s Fred Beile Classic. “We have some guys in the middle distances that need to get in position to compete near the top. We'll see how we develop in the last 10-14 days before the GPAC meet. We think we have a good chance to finish in the top two on both the men's and women's sides, which is our goal. We'll have to put together a good meet.”

Concordia currently leads the conference in a total of seven events and has the balanced roster to make a big push on the conference and national stages. The men boast an abundance of 400 meter runners as well as accomplished hurdlers (Jonathon Becker and Benjamin Hinckfoot), distance runners (Hayden Hohnholt and Ben Sievert) and throwers (led by sophomore Cody Boellstorff). They also have the GPAC’s top pole vaulter in Carson Farr.

The women have plenty of scoring potential as well with four-time All-American Jamie Crouse serving as a potential national champion in the weight throw. The Bulldogs also have budding star Kim Wood (national qualifier in three individual events), a stable of national-qualifying pole vaulters, the reigning Lincoln Journal Star Female State College Athlete of the Year (Sarah Kortze) and a deep pool of throwers. There’s also school pentathlon record holder Lydia Pomerenke.

This impressive group will make Concordia more than competitive against the strong field at the Concordia Invite. The list of competing teams includes NAIA-ranked teams Doane (No. 10 men, No. 3 women) and Hastings (No. 14 men, No. 7 women), NCAA Division II-ranked Nebraska Kearney (No. 8 men, No. 16 women) and NCAA Division III-ranked Nebraska Wesleyan (No. 18 men).

The Concordia Invite will also include Bethany College, Cloud County Community College, Fort Hays State University, Kansas Wesleyan University, Mount Marty, Northwest Missouri State University, Sterling College, Wayne State College and York College.

The meet will begin at 1 p.m. with the field events. Running events get started at 2:30 p.m. View the order of events HERE. A live webcast will be available via the Concordia Sports Network beginning at 2:30 p.m.

List of Concordia national qualifiers:

Men’s 4x400 meter relay (A)
Women’s 4x400 meter relay (B)
Women’s 4x800 meter relay (A)
Jonathon Becker – 60 meter hurdles (A)
Cody Boellstorff – weight throw (A); shot put (B)
John Cartier – 400 meter dash (A)
Stephanie Coley – shot put (A); weight throw (A)
Brandon Cook – heptathlon (A)
Jamie Crouse – weight throw (A); shot put (A)
Brittany Erdmann – shot put (B)
Trey Farmer – shot put (A)
Carson Farr – pole vault (A)
Rianne Gross – pole vault (A)
Montana Hayes – pentathlon (A)
Ben Hinckfoot – 600 meter run (B)
Hayden Hohnholt – 3,000 meter run (A); 5,000 meter run (A)
Sarah Kortze – 3,000 meter run (A); 5,000 meter run (A)
Jordan Larrington – weight throw (B)
Zachary Lurz – shot put (B)
Lydia Pomerenke – pentathlon (A)
Benjamin Schulteis – weight throw (B)
Ben Sievert – 3,000 meter run (A); one mile run (B); 5,000 meter run (B)
Sara Simmons – pentathlon (A)
Josh Slechta – weight throw (B)
Cassandra Starks – pole vault (A)
Brandon Ramos – heptathlon (A)
Kali Robb – shot put (A)
Jaap Van Gaalen – 600 meter run (B)
Lucas Weichman – heptathlon (A)
Kim Wood – 1,000 meter run (A); one mile run (A); 800 meter run (A)
Shelby Yelden – pole vault (A)

The following 28 Bulldog athletes will be honored on Friday in their final indoor meet of their careers:

Stephanie Aurich
Pole Vault
Mayer, Minn.
Early Childhood Education

Jonathon Becker
Hurdles
Hartington, Neb.
Fitness Studies

Beau Billings
Distance
Valentine, Neb.
Marketing

Daniel Brown
Sprints
Omaha, Neb.
English & History

John Cartier
Sprints
Las Vegas, Nev.
Pre-Law

Jamie Crouse
Throws
Belgrade, Neb.
Exercise Science (Pre-Physical Therapy)

Carson Farr
Pole Vault
Cambridge, Neb.
Biology & Chemistry

Kellie Fegter
Pole Vault
Holdredge, Neb.
Exercise Science

Garrett Golke
Sprints
Gowan, Mich.
Environmental Science

Alex Heiden
Sprints
Lincoln, Neb.
Studio Art

Paige Hemmer
Jumps
Dolman, S.D.
TESOL; World & Intercultural Studies

Benjamin Hinckfoot
Hurdles
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Secondary Education – History & ESL

Hayden Hohnholt
Distance
Gillette, Wyo.
Middle Level Education

Myria Knapp
Multi Events
North Platte, Neb.
Elementary Education (Special Ed.)

Sarah Kortze
Distance
Rockford, Ill.
Biology & Physical Science

Jordan Larrington
Throws
Elm Creek, Neb.
Business Administration

Megan Letts
Mid Distance
Lakewood, Colo.
Spanish

Andrew Malan
Distance
Lincoln, Neb.
Marketing, Journalism & Graphic Design

Lydia Pomerenke
Multi Events
Seward, Neb.
Elementary Education

Adam Prahlow
Distance
Florissant, Mo.
Biology (Pre-Med)

Jacob Reifenrath
Sprints
Hartington, Neb.
Biology

Jena Schwalenberg
Distance
Columbus, Neb.
Elementary Education

Sara Simmons
Multi Events
Sumner, Neb.
Biology (Pre-Nursing)

Noah Smith
Sprints
Largo, Fla.
Sports Management & Marketing

Blake Vajgrt
Multi Events
Seward, Neb.
Exercise Science

Jenean Williams
Mid Distance
North Mankato, Minn.
Elementary Education – Early Childhood

Shelby Yelden
Pole Vault
Seward, Neb.
Middle Level Education – Math & Art

Spencer Zysset
Distance
Hastings, Neb.
Middle Level Education

Bulldogs close indoor home schedule, ready for GPAC title push

14 FEB 2014

By Taylor Mueller, Sports Information Assistant

SEWARD, Neb. – The regular season for Bulldog track and field season closed with a bang. With the conference meet just down the road and chances to qualify for the national meet dwindling away, the Bulldogs saw several strong performances from their athletes.

“We had some excellent performances I thought,” head coach Kregg Einspahr said. “We had some big breakthroughs.”

Sohpomore Kim Wood led the way, qualifying for the national meet with her second place finish in the 600 meter run in 1:36. It is the fourth event that Wood has qualified in as an individual.

Wood wasn’t done yet, however, as she competed alongside freshman Marti Vlasin, sophomore Jessica Klaustermeir and senior Lydia Pomerenke to qualify as a relay team in the 4x400. The squad placed third with a time of 4:00.

“It’s a really cool experience to make it in a relay,” Wood said. “It’s really fun to have your teammates with you and to know you all put forth the effort to make it happen. It gives you a sense of pride in your other teammates knowing they pushed so hard to make it work for everyone.”

“Kim Wood looked real good,” Einspahr said. “She qualified in her fourth event now. Right now she can run anything from the 400 to probably the mile and do well in it at the national level. She’s running real well going into the conference meet.”

Junior Cassandra Starks had another big day in the pole vault, hitting a national qualifying mark of 11’05” and taking second in the competition.

Although she was pleased with her results, Starks commented on areas that need improvement, particularly with her technique.

“(I’ll) be working on my takeoff and getting my swing straight and my trail leg, I’m still pulling it right off my takeoff so I need to get that fixed,” Starks said.

Starks joins junior Rianne Gross and senior Shelby Yelden as pole vaulters who have each qualified for the national meet, upholding Concordia’s rich pole vaulting tradition, something Starks is very proud of.

“I’m really excited to have all our girls go,” Starks said. “We have a couple others who will hopefully get up there and qualify too, but it’s really exciting.”

Senior Sarah Kortze added herself to the national’s bound roster as she not only qualified in the 300, but set a new meet record with a time of 10:21.

Senior Jenean Williams just missed a national qualifying mark in the 800 meter run, ending with a time of 2:19 and a second place finish.

The men also had several individuals with stellar performances.

Junior Ben Sievert, after two years of narrowly missing qualifying for the national meet in the mile, finally found his peace, and hit the A standard with a first place finish and a time of 4:19.

“I thank God for that one today,” Sievert said. “It was really close, I just leaned at the end, looked up and saw it and it was just really a cool thing to get finally.”

Junior Taiheem Pleasant made a resurgence, finishing in first place in the 400 meter run with a time of 50.70. In the cage, sophomore Cody Boelstorff took care of business once again, claiming first place in the weight throw with a toss of 61’02” ¾.

With the finale of their final regular season meet, all eyes have shifted to the main goal and the primary focus of the 2014 indoor season. As they prepare for the conference meet, a championship or bust mentality is beginning to set in.

“At the conference meet, a lot of things can happen,” Einspahr said. “I’ve just about seen it all. This is my 22nd year indoor conference championship that I’ll be participating in. I’ve seen just about everything at those meets. One thing you can count on is that it’s going to be tremendous competition, great performances, the crowd always gets up for it, the athletes are excited… it’s hard to explain. It’s just an unbelievable environment in our conference, a premier meet in the United States. It’s going to be fun next weekend.”

Sievert voiced a similar opinion.

“At a meet like that, anything can happen,” Sievert said. “A fall in the hurdles or one bad race can totally flip the game around. It’s going to be a lot of fun. This year, our team is really well rounded. We have a lot of guys who can place high in events and score well. Obviously, we’d like to get our first indoor championship for Concordia.”

The final showdown is set to take place at Doane College on Feb. 21-22.

Seventh-rated Concordia men look to unseat Doane for GPAC title

20 FEB 2014

By Taylor Mueller, Sports Information Assistant

GPAC Championships Info | Schedule of Events

HEAT SHEETS

SEWARD, Neb. – It’s crunch time. The Concordia Bulldogs track and field programs will walk into Fuhrer Fieldhouse on Saturday with nothing to lose and everything to gain. The men will be looking to win the first ever GPAC championship in the history of Concordia track and field. The women will be seeking their first title since 2010. Both teams will present loaded fields with tons of a talent, primed and ready for one last meet.

Last season, the Bulldog women finished fourth in the conference meet. The tide has turned, however, as this year, the women boast a No. 7 national ranking and are ranked second in a conference that has five total teams in the top 25 nationally.

Behind a strong Doane team that ranks fourth nationally, Concordia will face fierce competition from eighth-ranked Hastings (in a likely battle for second place) and No. 18 Dordt and 25th-rated Morningside. Collectively, the GPAC comes in as the second strongest conference in the nation, according to the USTFCCA’s computer ratings.

Having qualified for nationals in the 600 meter 800 meter, 1,000 meter, and 1 mile runs, as well as the 4x800 and 4x400 meter relays, sophomore Kim Wood will certainly be an athlete to watch come Saturday.

Senior Sarah Kortze will be looking to put an exclamation point on her storied Bulldog career this weekend. Kortze comes in at second place in the 3,000 meter run and is the favorite to win the 5,000 meter run.

The women will certainly get some help from the field events as three individuals, juniors Rianne Gross, Cassandra Starks and Shelby Yelden are tied for third in the conference in the pole vault competition. Standout senior Jamie Crouse will also be looking to put the finishing touches on her Bulldog career in the weight throw in which she is currently leading the conference.

Other events to keep an eye on for the women include the 4x800 relay in which the Bulldogs currently place second in the conference and 4x400 meter relay that has the Bulldogs in second. Lydia Pomerenke also comes in at second in the conference for the pentathlon. Pomerenke and both relays have qualified for nationals.

The men are sure to be hungry to win a first ever title, and just may have all the tools they need to do just that.

With individuals in scoring position in nearly every single event, the list of athletes to watch is a tall order.

Seniors Noah Smith and John Cartier come in at second in each of their respective events, Smith’s being the 60 meter dash and Cartier the 400 meter run. Both individuals are just hundredths of a second away from a first-place finish. Cartier will also compete on the 4x400 meter relay squad, which currently comes in at first for the conference and fourth nationally.

Senior Hayden Hohnholt will toe the starting line with a current first place standing to defend in the 3,000 meter run with junior Ben Sievert on his heels, who currently ranks second in the event for conference competition. Hohnholt also comes in at second in the conference in the 5,000 meter run with Sievert close behind in third. Hohnholt ranks eighth nationally for the event.

Senior Carson Farr, currently leading the conference in the pole vault competition by nearly a foot will look to bring home first place as will sophomore Cody Boelstorff, who sits in second place in the weight throw, just two inches behind first place. Farr is currently second in the country while Boelstorff is in fourth.

The men will be competing against stout competition, as the GPAC currently ranks third in the nation among NAIA schools (USTFCCCA ratings). The Bulldogs, ranked seventh nationally, will likely battle with Doane for the conference championship. At No. 14, Hastings is not to be overlooked either. Nebraska Wesleyan and Briar Cliff complete the list of ranked GPAC schools with respective rankings of 19 and 25.

The final showdown will commence at 1 p.m. on Friday beginning with men’s and women’s pentathlon and heptathlon competitions. Saturday will begin at 2 p.m. when the gun sounds for the women’s 5000 meter run.

Pomerenke breaks own school record in third-place GPAC pentathlon finish

21 FEB 2014

CRETE, Neb. – Concordia senior Lydia Pomerenke helped the Bulldogs get off to a good start on day one of the 2014 GPAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, held Friday at Doane College. The meet continues in Crete, Neb., on Saturday.

Pomerenke piled up a total of 3,362 points in Friday’s pentathlon to surpass her former school record of 3,227, a figure she recorded at the Concordia Invite on Jan. 31. The Seward native placed third in the GPAC to earn six points for the Bulldogs and her fourth-straight all-conference honor in the pentathlon. A seventh-place finisher last year in the pentathlon, Pomerenke hit personal bests in four of the five events.

Pomerenke was backed in the pentathlon by the all-conference finishes from teammates Sara Simmons and Montana Hayes in a loaded competition that concluded with eight of the top 13 marks in the NAIA. Simmons and Hayes tied for sixth with 3,145 points apiece – personal bests for both.

The trio of pentathletes combined for 11 team points in the difficult field. “They all competed out of their minds,” said Concordia assistant coach Mark Samuels of the field of performers.

"They all had really good days," head coach Kregg Einspahr said. "We had three in the top eight and Kierstyn (Besel) had a really good day as well. They competed extremely well and really had it going all day long."

In the men’s heptathlon, freshman Lucas Weichman (2,495 points) leads the way for Concordia with three of the seven events still to be contested on Saturday. Weichman sits in fifth place with freshman Brandon Cook (eighth, 2,443 points) and sophomore Brandon Ramos (ninth, 2,386 points) also in the running for all-conference recognition.

"I was extremely pleased with the guys," Einspahr said. "It was a really good first day for all three. I'm looking forward to seeing how it shapes up. I'm very optimistic about how things will go. They're all ahead of where they've ever been before."

The GPAC championships heat up on Saturday as the field and running events both commence at 2 p.m. Bulldogs looking to defend conference indoor titles from last season include the men’s 4x400 meter relay, John Cartier (400 meter dash), Jamie Crouse (weight throw) and Carson Farr (pole vault).

At last year’s indoor meet, the Concordia men placed third while the women finished fourth. On paper, the Bulldog men project to win the conference, but they will have to earn it at Doane, a program that has won the last seven GPAC indoor titles. On the other hand, the Concordia women are projected to finish second behind Doane.

"It never plays out the way it looks on paper," Einspahr said. "You throw the paper away and hope for the best."

With a GPAC title on the line, Concordia has stacked events to put its team in the best possible chance to win.

"At the end of the day it's about what is realistic," Einspahr said. "You can't run all of the races. In the case of Kim Wood, she has great marks in four different events. You allow them to do as many as they can. We always try to accomodate the individual and hope that serves the team effort."

'We did it' - Concordia men dethrone Doane in Crete

23 FEB 2014

CRETE, Neb. – The drought is over. The seventh-ranked Concordia men’s track and field team exercised its demons on Saturday by capturing its first ever GPAC title. Some lost points here and there made for agonizing tension, but the Bulldogs could finally exhale after clinching first place just before the final event of the night.

Inside the Fuhrer Fieldhouse, home to a Doane program that had won seven-straight men’s indoor titles, it was the Bulldogs who celebrated on this night with a victory lap around the track.

“We did it,” junior Ben Sievert exclaimed as he embraced head coach Kregg Einspahr following the 3,000 meter race.

While Concordia men’s track and field has produced All-Americans and top 25 national finishes by the truckloads, the GPAC title has been elusive. The Bulldogs came up excruciatingly short in 2011 when a dropped baton in the 4x400 meter relay kept them from having a chance to win a conference championship.

Even the guarded 22nd-year head coach Kregg Einspahr can’t hide how much this one means.

“This men’s team championship is very special to me,” Einspahr said. “We got awful close three years ago where we were ahead (going into the 4x400 meter relay).

“It’s nerve racking when you have three events left and you’re only up by seven points. Doane didn’t really project to score out that well in those three events, but I knew they had some people in the 200 that could get up and score. You certainly don’t want to leave it up to the 4x4. It was good that our 3,000 guys came up with some big points at the end.”

In his final GPAC indoor meet, accomplished senior John Cartier rose to the occasion. He won the 400 meter dash with a time of 49.14 that broke assistant coach Mark Samuel’s Fuhrer Fieldhouse 12-year old record in the event. The Bulldogs also finished in places three through six and eighth in the 400 meters to score crucial team points.

“Last year I promised prematurely that we were going to get the GPAC title, but I’m glad we could make up for it this year, especially at Doane’s home track,” Cartier said. “They ran a great meet here, but I’m just glad we did get the W. It’s been four years in the making. We’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs. I’m just so happy and thankful.”

Concordia also took first place in the men’s 4x400 meter relay with Cartier racing across the finish line as the anchor leg. Additional individual titles came from Noah Smith in the 60 meter dash (6.94) and from Jaap Van Gaalen in the 600 meter run (1:23.10).

“I ran the 400 before the 60 finals so I was a little worried but I knew that coach’s training and the conditioning we do would pay off,” Smith said. “The race was good from the blocks. I had a great start and I relaxed and maintained to the finish as hard as I could for the win.”

Sievert was part of the 3,000 meter race that clinched the meet for the Bulldogs. The Frankenmuth, Mich., native claimed third and teammates Hayden Hohnholt and Josh Allwardt took sixth and seventh, respectively, to make Concordia's lead over Doane insurmountable.

The Bulldogs finished with 196 team points to the Tigers’ 172.

“Definitely tonight,” Cartier responded when asked how long his team will celebrate the title. “Next week, Monday, we’ll start refocusing for nationals.”

Other top performers for the Bulldogs included Jonathon Becker in the 60 meter hurdles (second) and 400 meter dash (third), Carson Farr in the pole vault (second), Lucas Wiechman in the heptathlon (third) and Cody Boellstorff in the weight throw (fourth). The Energizer Bunny Sievert placed second in both the mile and 5,000 meter runs in addition to his third-place 3,000-meter finish.

“This was just a slugfest between two very good teams today,” Einspahr said. “When you have two teams that both score over 170 points – that’s a boatload of points. It was something else with the way it was going back and forth with the scoring. It was pretty tense.”

Women finish runner up; Kortze breaks school 5,000 meter record

While the men grabbed the headlines by winning the GPAC title, the Bulldog women also put together a solid meet. They compiled 124.33 points, second only to Doane’s 212.16.

“Second place was a very good finish,” Einspahr said. “The women’s side of things was quite a bit more balanced overall. We were hoping we could pull a second out, beat Hastings out and we did. We had some very good performances.

“Jamie Crouse had a tremendous day and Kim Wood coming out as a sophomore and winning both the mile and 800 was impressive. Sarah Kortze had a great way to go out in her career. We had a good day on the women’s side.”

Kortze ran to a school record time of 17:38.82 in the 5,000 meters, eclipsing the former record of 17:41.76 by Rachael Geidel in 2001. Kortze placed second in the 5,000 meter run before finishing the night with a first-place time of 10:22.49 in the 3,000 meter run.

Meanwhile, Crouse won the weight throw for the third-straight year by hitting a mark of 59’ 2 ¼”. The next closest competitor finished more than a foot behind.

“It feels good,” Crouse said. “I’ve kind of been battling some back pain. I didn’t get the throw I wanted but I got just what I needed in the very first throw so I’m glad I hit it. I wish I could have built on it, but it feels good to end (with a title).”

Wood’s winning times registered at 2:59.70 in the 1,000 meters and 5:09.99 in the mile. She has qualified for the national championships in both events in addition to the 600 and 800 meter races.

Crouse was backed in the throws by Stephanie Coley, who placed third in both the weight throw and shot put. In addition, freshman Kali Robb scored in both events as well.

“Stephanie Coley did awesome today in the weight. She had a huge PR (57’),” Crouse said. “She did great in the shot put as well.”

The women’s pole vault produced 13.33 team points due to four top-eight place finishers, led by Cassie Starks’ second-place clearance of 11’ 5”.

On Friday night, the Bulldogs got another school record performance when senior Lydia Pomerenke amassed 3,362 points in the pentathlon for a third-place finish. Montana Hayes and Sara Simmons tied for sixth in the pentathlon.

The 2014 NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships will be held March 6-8 at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. For additional information on the national championships, click HERE.

Einspahr named GPAC men's indoor track coach of the year

27 FEB 2014

SEWARD, Neb. – The first men’s track and field conference championship in program history has led to Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year honors for Concordia 22nd-year head coach Kregg Einspahr. It’s another honor on a long list of accolades for the accomplished veteran coach.

Einspahr has been named conference or regional coach of the year for track or cross country more than 30 times during his career at Concordia. Recently, he was named 2008, 2009 and 2012 GPAC Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year, 2009 and 2010 GPAC Women’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year, 2009 GPAC Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year and 2009, 2010 and 2012 GPAC Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year.

The latest honor may mean more than most for Einspahr, who helped the Bulldogs break the stranglehold Doane had on the GPAC indoor title.

“This men’s team championship is very special to me,” Einspahr said following the meet on Feb. 22. “We got awful close three years ago.”

Under Einspahr’s direction, 26 different Concordia men put forth all-conference performances at the GPAC championship meet. Several Bulldogs will again be headed to the indoor national championships this season. Official qualifiers will be announced on Friday.

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association released new NAIA computer ratings on Wednesday. The Concordia women (GPAC runner up) are now ranked sixth nationally while the men check in at No. 7.

Einspahr is a member of both the Concordia Athletics Hall of Fame and the NAIA Hall of Fame.

Forty-six Bulldogs officially named GPAC indoor all-conference

27 FEB 2014

SEWARD, Neb. – A combined total of 46 Concordia men’s and women’s track and field athletes were officially recognized on Thursday as all-conference honorees based on their performances at the 2014 GPAC Indoor Track and Field Championships (Feb. 21-22). The top eight individual finishers and the top three relays in each event at the conference meet claim all-conference laurels (see Concordia list below).

The conference champion Bulldog men boast 26 all-conference recipients, including GPAC titlists John Cartier (400 meter dash), Noah Smith (60 meter dash), Jaap Van Gaalen (600 meter run) and the 4x400 meter relay quartet. Of the 26 honorees, 15 were all-conference in two or more events. Concordia’s men scored points in 16 of the 19 events at the GPAC championships.

On the women’s side, 20 athletes were named all-conference, including first-place finishers Jamie Crouse (weight throw), Sarah Kortze (3,000 meter run) and Kim Wood (1,000 meter and one mile runs). A total of eight were all-conference recipients in two events.

The following Concordia athletes were all-conference in at least three different events: Cartier, Benjamin Hinckfoot, Hayden Hohnholt, CJ Muller and Ben Sievert.

Cartier and Kortze both eclipsed meet records with their work on the track. Cartier’s time of 49.14 broke the GPAC meet record in the 400 meter dash while Kortze set the new standard in the 3,000 meter run by clocking in at 10:22.49.

In addition, Kregg Einspahr was named Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year after guiding the program to the first GPAC title in school history. Read more about that honorHERE.

MEN (26)

Josh Allwardt (seventh in 3,000 meter run; eighth in 5,000 meter run)
Jonathon Becker (second in 60 meter hurdles; third in 400 meter dash)
Charlie Bloomfield (fourth in 1,000 meter run; third in 4x800 meter relay)
Cody Boellstorff (fourth in weight throw; sixth in shot put)
Trevor Bresson (sixth in 600 meter run)
Matthew Chapa (fifth in 600 meter run)
John Cartier (first in 400 meter dash; third in 200 meter dash; first in 4x400 meter relay)
Brandon Cook (sixth in heptathlon)
Trey Farmer (fifth in shot put; seventh in weight throw)
Carson Farr (second in pole vault)
Garrett Golke (eighth in 400 meter dash)
Alex Heiden (sixth in 400 meter dash; first in 4x400 meter relay)
Benjamin Hinckfoot (third in 600 meter run; eighth in 60 meter hurdles; first in 4x400 meter relay)
Hayden Hohnholt (third in 5,000 meter run; sixth in 3,000 meter run; eighth in 1,000 meter run)
Jacob Kettner (fourth in 600 meter run; fifth in triple jump)
Zachary Lurz (seventh in shot put)
Andrew Malan (third in 4x800 meter relay)
CJ Muller (fourth in 400 meter dash; sixth in 200 meter dash; first in 4x400 meter relay)
Tai Pleasant (fifth in 200 meter dash)
Adam Prahlow (third in 1,000 meter run; third in 4x800 meter relay)
Brandon Ramos (fifth in heptathlon)
Benjamin Schulteis (fifth in weight throw)
Ben Sievert (second in one mile run; second in 5,000 meter run; third in 3,000 meter run)
Noah Smith (first in 60 meter dash; fifth in 400 meter dash)
Jaap Van Galen (first in 600 meter run; third in 4x800 meter relay)
Lucas Weichman (third in heptathlon)

WOMEN (20)

Stephanie Coley (third in shot put; third in weight throw)
Jamie Crouse (first in weight throw)
Brittany Erdmann (eighth in shot put)
Kellie Fegter (seventh in pole vault)
Rianne Gross (fourth in pole vault)
Montana Hayes (sixth in pentathlon)
Sarah Kortze (first in 3,000 meter run; second in 5,000 meter run)
Lydia Pomerenke (third in pentathlon; seventh in 60 meter hurdles)
Kali Robb (fifth in weight throw; seventh in shot put)
Erika Schroeder (eighth in 800 meter run; second in 4x800 meter relay)
Katelyn Shoup (fourth in triple jump)
Sara Simmons (sixth in pentathlon)
Cassie Starks (second in pole vault)
Angela Steinbacher (second in 4x800 meter relay)
Marti Vlasin (seventh in 600 meter run; second in 4x800 meter relay)
Jenean Williams (third in 800 meter run; second in 4x800 meter relay)
Renee Williams (seventh in one mile run)
Kim Wood (first in 1,000 meter run; first in one mile run)
Shelby Yelden (eighth in pole vault)
Quriosity Young (eighth in 60 meter dash)

Concordia to send 35 athletes to indoor national championships

28 FEB 2014

SEWARD, Neb. – The NAIA announced official qualifiers for the 2014 NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships on Friday. A total of 35 combined Bulldog men’s and women’s athletes (see list below) will be headed to Geneva, Ohio, for the championships on March 6 – 8. The SPIRE Institute will serve as the venue for the event.

For the No. 7 nationally-ranked Concordia men, 14 of the 19 qualifiers bring previous national championships experience. Eight of those 14 have earned past All-America honors. Out of the entire pool, nine are seniors, three are juniors, four are sophomores and three are freshmen.

The sixth-ranked Bulldog women will travel 16 athletes to nationals, including 10 who have performed at past national championships. Eight of those 10 have garnered All-America status in one or more events throughout their careers. The women’s national qualifier list is made up of four seniors, six juniors, four sophomores and two freshmen.

Head coach Kregg Einspahr’s men are coming off their first GPAC track and field championship in school history. Einspahr, named 2014 GPAC Men’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year, also guided the women to a runner-up conference finish.

There are over 130 men's and women's teams that will make the trip to Geneva. The championships begin on March 6 with the women's pentathlon at 1 p.m. EST and the men's heptathlon at 1:30 p.m. Last year, the Oklahoma Baptist men and women swept the team competition.

NeuLion, the NAIA’s official video streaming company of 17 select NAIA National Championship events, will be broadcasting all sessions of the national championships. Packages can be purchased for $5.95. For more information and to pre-register, click here.

For the schedule of events, click here

Men's Qualifiers - by School | click here
Men's Qualifiers - by Event | click here

Women's Qualifiers - by School | click here
Women's Qualifiers - by Event | click here

2014 Concordia national qualifiers

*Current national ranking in parentheses

MEN (19)

Jonathon Becker, senior
-60 meter hurdles (10th, 8.19)
-4x400 meter relay (4th, 3:18.36)

Charlie Bloomfield, junior
-4x800 meter relay (8th, 7:52.83)

Cody Boellstorff, sophomore
-Shot put (14th, 52’ 5 ¼”)
-Weight throw (6th, 61’ 7 ¾”)

John Cartier, senior
-400 meter dash (9th, 49.14)
-4x400 meter relay (4th, 3:18.36)

Trey Farmer, junior
-Shot put (18th, 51’ 8 ¼”)
-Weight throw (16th, 56’)

Carson Farr, senior
-Pole vault (2nd, 16’ 4 ¾”)

Alex Heiden, senior
-4x400 meter relay (4th, 3:18.36)

Benjamin Hinckfoot, senior
-600 meter run (14th, 1:22.45)
-4x800 meter relay (8th, 7:52.83)

Hayden Hohnholt, senior
-3,000 meter run (12th, 8:32.25)

Zachary Lurz, freshman
-Shot put (13th, 52’ 8”)
-Weight throw (25th, 53’ 3 ¾”)

Andrew Malan, senior
-4x800 meter relay (8th, 7:52.83)

CJ Muller, freshman
-4x400 meter relay (4th, 3:18.36)

Adam Prahlow, senior
-1,000 meter run (24th, 2:31.60)

Brandon Ramos, sophomore
-Heptathlon (18th, 4,522)

Benjamin Schulteis, sophomore
-Weight throw (10th, 57’ 7”)

Ben Sievert, junior
-1 mile run (25th, 4:19.97)
-5,000 meter run (25th, 15:14.57)
-4x800 meter relay (5^th, 7:52.83)

Noah Smith, senior
-4x400 meter relay (4th, 3:18.36)

Jaap Van Galen, sophomore
-600 meter run (23rd, 1:22.57)
-4x800 meter relay (8th, 7:52.83)

Lucas Wiechman, freshman
-Heptathlon (13th, 4,673 points)

WOMEN (16)

Stephanie Coley, sophomore
-Shot put (5th, 46’ 11”)
-Weight throw (9th, 57’)

Jamie Crouse, senior
-Shot put (25th, 43’ 1 ¾”)
-Weight throw (2nd, 60’ 7 ¼”)

Brittany Erdmann, junior
-Shot put (8th, 45’ 9 ¼”)

Rianne Gross, junior
-Pole vault (15th, 11’ 5”)

Montana Hayes, junior
-Pentathlon (12th, 3,145 points)

Sarah Kortze, senior
-3,000 meter run (14th, 10:15.89)

Lydia Pomerenke, senior
-Pentathlon (7th, 3,362 points)

Kali Robb, freshman
-Shot put (13th, 44’ 5 ½”)
-Weight throw (19th, 53’ 9 ¾”)

Erika Schroeder, junior
-4x800 meter relay (11th, 9:37.93)

Katelyn Shoup, sophomore
-Triple jump (23rd, 36’ 8 ¼”)

Sara Simmons, sophomore
-Pentathlon (12th, 3,145 points)

Cassie Starks, junior
-Pole vault (15th, 11’ 5”)

Marti Vlasin, freshman
-4x800 meter relay (11th, 9:37.93)

Jenean Williams, senior
-4 x 800 meter relay (11^th, 9:37.93)
-800 meter run (21st, 2:18.25)

Kim Wood, sophomore
-1,000 meter run (10th, 2:59.70)
-1 mile run (24th, 5:09.99)
-4x800 meter relay (11th, 9:37.93)

Shelby Yelden, junior
- Pole vault (15th, 11’ 5”)

PREVIEW: Track and field begins national championships on Thursday

4 MAR 2014

SEWARD, Neb. – The 49th annual men’s and 34th annual women’s NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships get underway on Thursday at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. Concordia, which boasts the No. 7 nationally-rated women and the eighth-ranked men, will be represented by a total of 35 athletes at the event.

After a GPAC men’s indoor title and a women’s runner-up finish, 22nd-year head coach Kregg Einspahr has high hopes for his teams on the national stage.

“Both our men and women project to score around 17 or 18 points on paper, which is usually a top 15-20 finish,” Einspahr said. “Our goal every year is be in the top 15. Some years we’ve been able to get into the top 10 and I think we have that ability. We have a lot of people who could come out and score better than what it looks on paper. A lot of different things can happen at the national championships.”

Time has proven that lofty conference finishes do not necessarily translate to top national finishes, and vice versa. As Einspahr pointed out, his 2000 men’s team that placed runner up at the indoor national championships following a third-place conference finish.

“We have two very good conference type of teams,” Einspahr said. “That’s different than having teams that can finish high at nationals. The year we were runner up we had some extraordinary individuals that gave us some really big points.”

Based on the national leaderboards heading into the championship meet, Concordia’s biggest potential point scorers are senior Jamie Crouse (currently second in the NAIA in the weight throw), sophomore Cody Boellstorff (sixth in the weight throw) and senior Carson Farr (second in the pole vault). In addition, the Bulldog men’s 4x400 is seeded fourth in the NAIA.

Senior John Cartier, who will be part of the men’s 4x4, appears to be hitting his stride at the right time. He won the GPAC 400 meter dash in conference meet record time and has his sights set on an All-America claim in that event. He achieved that feat in 2011 in the 400 meters.

“John Cartier is running and sprinting better than he ever has,” Einspahr said. “He’s running that last 100 meters of the 400 very well. He could really come through with a big performance.”

No one on the women’s side will be busier than sophomore Kim Wood, who recorded national qualifying times in four different running events throughout the season. At the national meet, the native of Greeley, Neb., will concentrate on 1,000 meter and one mile runs along with the Concordia 4x800 meter relay, which claimed an All-America finish a year ago.

Of the 15 Bulldogs who earned All-America status at the indoor national championships in 2013, 11 return in 2014 in hopes of defending those honors. Crouse, a three-time GPAC champion in the weight throw, will aim for her third-consecutive All-America finish at the indoor meet.

For the Concordia men, 14 of the 19 qualifiers bring previous national championships experience. Eight of those 14 have earned past All-America honors. Out of the entire pool, nine are seniors, three are juniors, four are sophomores and three are freshmen.

The Bulldog women will travel 16 athletes to nationals, including 10 who have performed at past national championships. Eight of those 10 have garnered All-America status in one or more events throughout their careers. The women’s national qualifier list is made up of four seniors, six juniors, four sophomores and two freshmen.

Concordia indoor track and field history

The Bulldog men’s program has totaled 17 individual NAIA indoor national titles in history. On the women’s side, Concordia has had two individual champions and one relay title. Since 1997, the Bulldog men have placed inside the top 25 on 13 occasions, including six top 10 finishes. During that same time period, the women have finished in the top 25 a total of 11 times with three top 10 placements.

At last year’s indoor championships, the Concordia women placed 13th and the men finished 27th.

NAIA meet info

There are over 130 NAIA men's and women's teams that will make the trip to Geneva. The championships begin on Thursday with the women's pentathlon at 1 p.m. EST and the men's heptathlon at 1:30 p.m. Last year, the Oklahoma Baptist men and women swept the team competition.

NeuLion, the NAIA’s official video streaming company of 17 select NAIA National Championship events, will be broadcasting all sessions of the national championships. Packages can be purchased for $5.95. For more information and to pre-register, click here.

For the schedule of events, click here

Men's Qualifiers - by School | click here
Men's Qualifiers - by Event | click here

Women's Qualifiers - by School | click here
Women's Qualifiers - by Event | click here

Track and field rewrites school record books on day one of national championships

6 MAR 2014

GENEVA, Ohio – A total of 18 Bulldogs competed on day one of three at the 2014 NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships, held Thursday at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. Senior Lydia Pomerenke headlined the action by claiming All-America honors in the pentathlon. She came through with one of four school record-breaking marks on the day.

Program records were also eclipsed by Sarah Kortze (5,000 meter run) and by a pair of Concordia relays – the men’s 4x400 and the women’s 4x800. The bulk of the 35 Bulldog national qualifiers will compete on Saturday.

Seeded seventh nationally entering the meet, Pomerenke put together a career best effort on the way to topping both Doane competitors that finished above her at the GPAC championships two weeks ago. The Seward native broke her own school record for the second-straight meet by piling up 3,401 points.

Pomerenke is now a two-time All-American having also reached those heights in the heptathlon at the 2013 outdoor championships.

“Lydia came through with a tremendous day to finish fourth,” 22nd-year head coach Kregg Einspahr said. “She was not projected to finish anywhere near that. She had a tremendous long jump and a very good 800. It was a great finish to her indoor career.”

Kortze, the 2012-13 State College Female Athlete of the Year, also made herself comfortable inside the SPIRE Institute. Kortze reached the finals of the 5,000 meter run by breaking her own school record that she set at the 2014 GPAC championships. The Rockford, Ill., native shaved roughly eight seconds off the record and finished in 17:30.57, fifth best among all competitors on the day.

“Sarah ran an excellent race,” Einspahr said. “She was in the fast heat and went with that pace. She’s an older runner and a stronger runner. As fast as they ran today, it’s going it out of some of those younger runners. Sarah’s equipped to handle that.”

Concordia’s stable of men’s 400 meter runners later ran a lightning fast time of 3:14.97 to best the former school record (3:15.71) set at last year’s national championships. Friday’s quartet included two holdovers from a year ago in seniors Jonathon Becker and John Cartier, who were joined by senior Alex Heiden and freshman CJ Muller. Their time qualified them for Saturday’s final and placed fifth in the prelims.

Not to be outdone, the women’s 4x800 meter relay of senior Jenean Williams, freshman Marti Vlasin, junior Erika Schroeder and sophomore Kim Wood won its preliminary heat with a time of 9:12.40, a school record by more than a second. The mark broke a record that stood since the 2005 national championships. The finals of the event will be held on Saturday.

Also in the pentathlon, Concordia junior Montana Hayes placed 11th (1,879 points) and sophomore Sara Simmons finished 15th (2,534 points).

Other Thursday competitors included Ben Sievert (5,000 meter run), the men’s 4x800 meter relay and heptathlon athletes Brandon Ramos and Lucas Wiechman. Sievert clocked in at 15:16.03 but did not qualify for Saturday’s final. The 4x800 time of 7:46.53 (season best) also fell short of the finals (by two places). Meanwhile, Ramos sits 14th and Wiechman is 15th with four of seven heptathlon events scored.

The national championships heat up on Saturday with the debut of the field events and a host of additional track events. Concordia’s talented throwers, led by four-time All-American Jamie Crouse, and pole vaulters, among others, will make their first appearances at the meet.

Wood, who ran the anchor for the women’s 4x800, will be busy on Friday as she takes part in the one mile run (1:05 p.m. EST), the 1,000 meter run (3:45 p.m. EST) and the finals of the 4x8 (5:45 p.m. EST).

NeuLion, the NAIA’s official video streaming company of 17 select NAIA National Championship events, will be broadcasting all sessions of the national championships. Packages can be purchased for $5.95. For more information and to pre-register, click here.

For the schedule of events, click here.

Bulldogs run All-America total to eight, place several more in position

7 MAR 2014

GENEVA, Ohio – A total of 21 Bulldog athletes competed on day two of the 2014 NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships, hosted on Friday by the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. Two of Concordia’s All-America performances on the day came from the throws with senior Jamie Crouse notching yet another top finish.

With one day remaining in the event, a total of eight Bulldog competitors have garnered All-America plaques. Several more individuals will have the opportunity to add to that total on Saturday.

“The theme of the day was we did well – we just needed a little more,” assistant coach Ed McLaughlin (throws) said. “We’re looking forward to finishing strong tomorrow.”

Crouse claimed All-America status in the weight throw for the third-straight year to close her indoor career in that particular event. The senior hurled the weight a distance of 59’ 1 ¼” to place third. The only disappointment for the native of Belgrade, Neb., was again falling short of the school record of 61’ 11 ¾”.

“She’s more upset than I am,” McLaughlin said. “She had one great throw that landed out of bounds. If that’s in bounds we’re having a different conversation right now.

“She’s upset she didn’t get the school record. She really wanted it.”

Sophomore Cody Boellstoff got the afternoon off to a good start with an All-America garnering seventh-place finish in the weight throw. The native of Waverly, Neb., recorded a toss of 59’ 8 ¼” to put two team points on the board.

For the first time in her career, junior Shelby Yelden posted an All-America finish by clearing 11’ 10 ¾” (personal best) in the pole vault, slotting her in fifth place. The Seward native was one of three Bulldog women to qualify for nationals in the pole vault, joining teammates Rianne Gross and Cassie Starks, who just missed All-America honors with a ninth-place finish.

It was a busy day on the track for sophomore Kim Wood. She ran the anchor leg for the women’s 4x800 meter relay that took eighth place and All-America recognition with a time of 9:25.70. The group of senior Jenean Williams, freshman Marti Vlasin, junior Erika Schroeder and Wood set the school record in the event the previous day by clocking in at 9:12.94.

That time was simply too difficult to duplicate with both Williams and Wood competing in multiple events.

“We asked a lot of Kim and I thought she did a great job of coming back from the mile,” head coach Kregg Einspahr said. “This is a really a great learning experience for her. She ran the mile and the 1,000 and she was kind of exhausted after that.”

Wood, a native of Greeley, Neb., completed the 1,000 meters in 2:56.95 to place fourth in the prelims. She will run the same race on Saturday for a chance at another All-America honor.

Also on Friday, junior Ben Sievert qualified for the finals of the one mile by coming in at 4:17.67 – his best mark of the season.

A total of 16 Bulldogs will compete in eight different events on Saturday as All-American plaques will be on the line for each. Seven of those athletes will be competing in the shot put (four men’s and three women’s). In addition, the accomplished Sarah Kortze will take aim at more laurels in the 5,000 meters and Concordia’s blazing men’s 4x400 meter relay will also take the track at the conclusion of the day.

“We think we’ve got people in places who should be able to come through,” Einspahr said. “Kim with a night’s rest is very capable in the 1,000 and Sarah knows how to run her race. The fast race in the prelims could hurt the rest of the competition.

“And our men’s 4x4 has a chance to do great.”

Concordia All-America tracker:

Women’s 4x800 meter relay (Jenean Williams, Marti Vlasin, Erika Schroeder, Kim Wood): 8th place (9:25.70)
Cody Boellstorff: 7th place in weight throw (59’ 8 ¼”)
Jamie Crouse: 3rd place in weight throw (59’ 1 ¼”)
Lydia Pomerenke: 4th place in pentathlon (3,401 points)
Shelby Yelden: 5th place in pole vault (11’ 10 ¾”)

Track and field closes indoor season with 15 All-Americans, pair of top-20 team finishes

8 MAR 2014

GENEVA, Ohio – With a combined 16 All-America performances by 15 different individuals, both of head coach Kregg Einspahr’s Bulldog track and field squads posted top-20 finishes at the 2014 NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships. The meet played out over three days beginning on Thursday at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.

On the strength of eight All-Americans, the Bulldog women placed in a tie for 11th (20 points) among the 49 teams that scored at least one point at the meet. Meanwhile, Concordia’s men finished 17th (14 points) out of 49 teams that put up one point or more at the championships.

“It’s great to get in the top 20 for both teams,” Einspahr said. “We had a good meet. We had some disappointments but we had plenty of highs that balanced it out. We had more positives than disappointments. We ran some season bests in some cases against really good competition.”

Concordia saved perhaps its best performance of the weekend for the final event of the championships – the men’s 4x400 meter relay. The Bulldogs again trotted out their four horses in seniors Jonathon Becker (second leg), John Cartier (anchor) and Alex Heiden (third) and freshman CJ Muller (leadoff). All four received All-America status by galloping to a third-place finish in a time of 3:14.10. That mark broke the school record the same quartet eclipsed two days earlier in the prelims.

“We came in fresh and that really helped out,” Einspahr said. “CJ got us off to a great start. He’s just getting better and better. Cartier did a great job of keeping his poise on the anchor leg. He got bumped around pretty good but kept his cool and never tried to retaliate. It was a really impressive race.”

Also on Saturday, the Bulldogs placed one competitor in All-America territory in the shot put on both sides. Sophomore Stephanie Coley finished sixth for her second-straight indoor shot put All-America award. On the other hand, freshman Zachary Lurz claimed eighth place in his first taste of the national championships.

In the pole vault, senior Carson Farr, a national qualifier for the third time, notched his first career All-America finish. He cleared a height of 16’ ¾” to earn five of Concordia’s 14 team points on the men’s side.

On the track, sophomore Kim Wood completed a whirlwind of a weekend by taking eighth place with her time of 3:07.91 in the 1,000 meters. That effort made Wood the only Bulldog to collect All-America honors in more than one event (4x800 meter relay).

“Kim ran so many races,” Einspahr said. “It was a really good experience for her. It was my decision to make her run three different events. I think if she had focused on just one she may have been capable of a top-two finish. You just don’t quite know how things are going to stack up.”

The national championships third and final day also brought some near misses as senior Sarah Kortze (5,000 meters) and junior Ben Sievert (one mile) both placed ninth in their respective events. In addition, senior Hayden Hohnholt came in 10th in the 3,000 meter run.

All in all, it was another successful national championships meet for a program that has made a habit of going toe-to-toe with the nation’s best. Since 1997, the Bulldog men have placed inside the top 25 on 14 occasions, including six top 10 finishes. During that same time period, the women have finished in the top 25 a total of 12 times with three top 10 placements.

Concordia All-America tracker:

Jonathon Becker: 3rd in 4x400 meter relay (3:14.10)
Cody Boellstorff: 7th place in weight throw (59’ 8 ¼”)
John Cartier: 3rd in 4x400 meter relay (3:14.10)
Stephanie Coley: 6th place in shot put (46’ 1 ¼”)
Jamie Crouse: 3rd place in weight throw (59’ 1 ¼”)
Carson Farr: 4th in pole vault (16’ ¾”)
Alex Heiden: 3rd in 4x400 meter relay (3:14.10)
Zachary Lurz: 8th in shot put (53’ 1 ¾”)
CJ Muller: 3rd in 4x400 meter relay (3:14.10)
Lydia Pomerenke: 4th place in pentathlon (3,401 points)
Erika Schroeder: 8th place in 4x800 meter relay (9:25.70)
Marti Vlasin: 8th place in 4x800 meter relay (9:25.70)
Jenean Williams: 8th place in 4x800 meter relay (9:25.70)
Kim Wood: 8th place in 4x800 meter relay (9:25.70); 8th place in the 1,000 meter run (3:07.91)
Shelby Yelden: 5th place in pole vault (11’ 10 ¾”)

Top 20 women’s teams
1) Oklahoma Baptist - 133
2) Indiana Tech - 123
3) College of Idaho - 55
4) Cornerstone - 49.50
5) Embry-Riddle - 32
6) Doane - 29
7) Wayland Baptist - 27
8) Carroll - 24
9) Missouri Baptist - 23
10) Biola - 21
11) Hastings - 20
11) Bethel (Ind.) - 20
11) Concordia (Neb.) - 20
14) Westmont - 18.50
15) Olivet Nazarene - 18
15) Cumberlands - 18
15) Eastern Oregon - 18
18) Dordt - 17
19) Grand View - 12
20) Morningside - 10
20) Baker – 10

Top 20 men’s teams
1) Indiana Tech - 82
2) Wayland Baptist - 69
3) Concordia (Ore.)- 67
4) Oklahoma Baptist – 57
5) Siena Heights – 47
6) Eastern Oregon – 36
7) Missouri Baptist – 34
7) Oklahoma City – 34
9) Carroll – 31
10) Dickinson St. - 29
10) Aquinas – 29
12) Cornerstone - 24
13) Olivet Nazarene - 23
14) Doane – 21
15) Lewis-Clark – 18
16) Hastings - 15
17) Concordia (Neb.) – 14
18) Briar Cliff - 13
19) William Woods – 12
19) Vanguard - 12