There was good reason for the wide grins that showed on the faces of Head Coach Matt Beisel and his assistant coaches at the conclusion of the meet. A year earlier, Concordia athletes achieved four auto standards at the Early Bird. The Bulldogs were keyed up to succeed at a high level at the 2023 meet.
“First of all, to God be the glory,” Beisel said. “I pray a lot for these guys and girls as they do their thing. Yesterday in the pentathlon and heptathlon and today in the main events, we had some really good things happen. It’s a big highlight any time a Concordia program standard is broken and we had that happen with Hayley and Adrianna. Those were two biggies, but I feel like across the board, in every event, we had personal bests, we had ‘B’ standards and we had automatic standards. It definitely shows that these athletes are putting in the work and that we have an awesome team culture.”
The Lincoln Lutheran alum Rodencal is working on building upon a freshman campaign that saw her earn GPAC Female Athlete of the Year awards for both indoor and outdoor. She starred in three different events on Saturday. She eclipsed her own school standard in the 60-meter hurdles, running 8.65 in the prelims and 8.57 in the finals. She placed second in that event while also claiming meet titles in the 60 meters (7.85) and the 200 meters (25.98).
Meanwhile, Miles surpassed a legendary figure in Concordia’s history, Carol Bailey, in the long jump. Miles landed at 19’ 4 ¼” in outperforming the previous standard of 19’ ¼” that had stood since 1989. The North Platte, Neb., native Miles took first in the long jump at the Early Bird and then placed third in the triple jump with a ‘B’ standard of 37’ 1 ¾.” It was a fine day overall for the horizontal jumpers as Joel Rathe qualified for nationals in the men’s long jump via a mark of 23’ 6 ¾” (third place), Josi Noble won the women’s triple jump (37’ 5 ¾”) and Jonah Paulsen took first in the men’s triple jump (45’ 3 ¾”). As for the high jump, freshman Zoey Walker cleared 5’ 6” in both the pentathlon and open competitions of the event. The triple jump marks for Miles and Noble met the ‘B’ standard.
Miles isn’t likely to forget this day. Said the St. Patrick’s High School alum, “It felt really good. I was really excited and I was like, ‘I wonder what this (mark) is.’ I was hoping to hit at least a ‘B’ standard and maybe an ‘A.’ I knew I was capable of it. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. It’s just really exciting to see.”
In terms of total national qualifying efforts on the weekend, junior Jenna Esch of Hastings, Neb., led the way. She turned in automatic times in the 400 meters (57.64), 600 meters (1:36.35) and as part of the 4x400 meter relay (3:57.82). Esch was also a meet winner in each of those events. She was joined in the 4x4 by Kayla Kirchner, Trinity Tuls and Jordan Koepke. An elite athlete in her own right, Koepke also qualified for nationals in the 600 meters.
Esch is on her way to another season of high achievement. Said Esch, “I’m very satisfied. It definitely felt great. I knew I wanted to do the six and the 4x4 and I just kind of threw the 400 in. It feels good to get automatic qualifying times in all of them … (the Early Bird) is actually one of my favorite meets. You do so much in the fall and it’s nice to see it pay off.”
The Bulldogs also did work in the throws. The auto marks were delivered by Abby Gerber in the weight throw (53’ 10 ½”) and shot put (45’ 9”), Kamryn Pokorney in the weight throw (53’ 7 ¾”), Chris Wren in the weight throw (64’ 5”) and Abi Wohlgemuth in the weight throw (58’ 10 ¼”). In addition, a ‘B’ standard was produced by freshman Nathan Baldwin in the shot put (50’ 5 ½”) and by both Austen Rozelle (56’ 4 ½”) and Brady Klute (56’ 2 ½”) in the weight throw. Wohlgemuth and Wren were meet champions in the weight throw.
Out of the pole vault came four automatic qualifiers. The 2023 NAIA indoor national runner up, Zach Zohner got over the bar at 16’ 7 ¼” and won the Early Bird title. As of Saturday, he’s the current national leader and a very real contender for a national title in 2024. On the women’s side, Amira Cummings, Josie Puelz and Sydney Reichert each cleared 11’ 8 ½” and have booked their tickets to Brookings, S.D., come late February. Of course, the expectations are always high for the five-time national champion Puelz, who spent the fall semester focused on student teaching.
Eight-time All-American Rylee Haecker wasted no time in qualifying for nationals as she ran 3:01.00 in the 1,000 meters and took first place in the event. Haecker is on the heels of running at the NAIA cross country national meet. So too is senior captain Calvin Rohde, who topped the field on Saturday in the 3,000 meters in a time of 8:48.36. Rohde also collaborated with Trey Robertson, Colby Sugden and Trevor Kuncl on a distance medley relay time of 10:24.58, just off a ‘B’ standard. Elsewhere on the track, Julie McIntyre was a winner in the women’s 3,000 meters (10:26.30) and Lauren Dawson posted a ‘B’ standard in the 3,000-meter race walk (17:23.31). Dawson competed at the 2023 outdoor national meet in the race walk.
The pentathlon unfolded on Friday. The freshman Walker placed second on the overall leaderboard with a point total of 3,091. She equaled a Fieldhouse pentathlon high jump record of 5’ 6.” Currently, Walker, Noble (3,088) and Amanda Steinke (3,043) are each listed among the top 10 pentathletes nationally this indoor season. In the men’s heptathlon, freshman Jackson Lindburg posted a converted total of 4,036 that places him at No. 13 in the NAIA.
Not previously mentioned performances that earned runner-up placements at the Early Bird came from Keegan Beisel (3,000 meters), Rhaya Kaschinske (1,000 meters) and Sugden (400 meters). A summary of the automatic national qualifying marks and first-place finishes can be found below.
In sum, this was exactly the meet Beisel and the staff of Ed McLaughlin, Mark Samuels, Ben Hinckfoot, Jason Berry and company could have hoped for. The auto standards were spread impressively throughout event groupings. Said Beisel, “Once we get started in the fall, we practice five days per week and they work together. They’re not sitting around eating candy and Doritos. They’re working hard and getting a lot done. The progressive training plan put together by our coaches has our athletes ready to go by this time. We don’t get everything we want in the first meet, but today was awesome.”
Upon returning for the second semester, the Bulldogs will look forward to competing at the Graduate Classic hosted by the University of Nebraska and the Scott Nisely Memorial Classic hosted by Doane the weekend of Jan. 12-13. The next home meet on the slate is the Concordia Polar Dog Invite scheduled for Jan. 19.
If the Bulldog Early Bird Meet (held Dec. 8-9) is any indication, Concordia University Track & Field is in for a phenomenal 2023-24 indoor season. Bulldog athletes have already combined for 18 automatic national qualifying standards while looking like a group in mid-season form. No doubt, the expectation will be for both the men’s and women’s teams to compete at the top of the always rugged Great Plains Athletic Conference. This past year, the Concordia women kept their streak of GPAC titles alive while the men placed third in the conference for both indoor and outdoor.
Now a 10-time GPAC Coach of the Year, Matt Beisel sees a program coming together in the ways he would have hoped for when he first returned to his alma mater in 2016. Beisel and his staff bring back a roster that has combined for 43 career All-America awards.
There’s a reason why the Concordia track programs continue to be recognized prominently on a national level. Says Beisel, “I think there’s consistency across our coaching staff. We meet weekly and talk about what we want to do. We know each other really well and have worked together for years. I think we’re all on the same page with how we talk to and mentor our athletes and how we get them to think about what we do this for. We’re always working to produce programs that achieve competitive greatness as one piece of what we are trying to do. Competitive greatness takes a mindset and a culture. It’s a great combination where people are intensely working to accomplish big things and having a lot of fun together. That’s something we as a staff have been working towards and continuing to develop that culture. That’s a magical combination.”
Indeed, Beisel has an experienced team of core assistant coaches to lean upon in Ed McLaughlin, Mark Samuels, Ben Hinckfoot and Jason Berry (current graduate assistants are Maddie Wachowski and Lia Guigui). Collectively, they’ve collaborated on nine-consecutive GPAC championships for the women’s program, regular top-five team placements at the national meet and a truckload of All-America plaques. The ‘magical combination’ that Beisel speaks of has helped make Concordia a destination landing spot for star athletes within the state of Nebraska and beyond. As Beisel would also say, it’s not just about the accolades for a place built on a foundation of Christian character.
Commitment to Christian faith and athletic excellence has been a hallmark for each of the upper echelon Bulldogs of recent years on the women’s side. Concordia said goodbye to five-year standouts such as Rachel Battershell and Erin Mapson, but the cupboard remains well-stocked. The conversation starts with five-time pole vault national champion and school record holder Josie Puelz and continues with other multiple-time All-Americans in Jenna Esch, Kylahn Freiberg, Rylee Haecker, Jordan Koepke, Amy Richert and Trinity Tuls.
They help set a standard that younger Bulldogs entering the program have no choice but to respect. Stromsburg, Neb., native Josi Noble is a rising star as a sophomore on this year’s roster. Said Noble, “It’s not even the winning that makes this program special. It’s how close we are. We’re a sisterhood and we all support each other. We know each other outside of track. It’s not just about track and winning. Even if we weren’t a winning team, we would all be close and so supportive of each other. That’s what makes it special.”
An All-American as part of the outdoor 4x400 meter relay last season, Noble is one of 24 returning Concordia women’s athletes to have appeared at the 2023 indoor and/or outdoor national meets. The program boasts impressive depth across event groupings. Take for example the Early Bird meet, which saw the Bulldog women qualify one or more athletes in the 4x4, pole vault, 400 meters, 600 meters, 1,000 meters, long jump, weight throw and high jump. Two school records have already been broken as sophomore Adrianna Rodencal reset her own standard in the 60 hurdles (8.57) and sophomore Hayley Miles eclipsed the long jump mark (19’ 4 ¼”) previously held by program all-time great Carol Bailey. The current NAIA long jump national leader, Miles is another young athlete with a bright future ahead.
The Lincoln Lutheran alum Rodencal enjoyed a freshman season to remember as she generated the most points of any individual at both the conference indoor and outdoor meets and was named the GPAC Indoor and Outdoor Female Athlete of the Year. She was the first Bulldog to claim such honors since Battershell in 2020. The list of standouts carries on and includes All-American throwers such as Abigail Gerber, Alli Owings and Erin Painter. In addition, the pole vault crew guided by Coach Berry is routinely rated among the nation’s best. Puelz has qualified for 2024 indoor nationals along with Amira Cummings and Sydney Reichert. In terms of sheer career All-America awards, Haecker leads the way with eight to her credit. Additionally, Lauren Dawson has brought the race walk back into the conversation by qualifying for the 2023 outdoor national meet and the distance crew is well-positioned behind Freiberg, Julie McIntyre and others.
While Puelz has captured five NAIA pole vault titles (and was the 2023 outdoor runner up), Freiberg placed as the 2023 national runner up in the 1,000 meters and Koepke was a third-place national finisher in the 600 meters in 2022. There’s just so much depth. Says Beisel, “It’s honestly really interesting to me because a lot of it does come down to recruiting effort from our staff and who God chooses to bless us with. We’ve had year after year of very strong recruits coming in. It’s not only that – one of the things our staff really focuses on and takes pride in is bringing in kids from a variety of places, many small school midwestern kids, who then develop really, really well. That sets the stage for us being successful from a team perspective across event areas.”
Shifting gears, the Concordia men’s program has been chasing a conference championship since accomplishing that feat most recently in 2015. While the Bulldogs have fallen short of team GPAC titles in that stretch, they have routinely put themselves among the top three of the conference and placed in the top 10 nationally as recently as the 2019 NAIA indoor meet. Three automatic national marks were put on the board at the Early Bird thanks to Joel Rathe in the long jump, Chris Wren in the weight throw and Zach Zohner in the pole vault. A fifth-year Bulldog, a married man and a father, Wren headlines the returners on the men’s side. He’s a three-time All-American with two of those awards coming in the hammer throw and one coming in the weight throw. Wren (Fair Oaks, Calif.) currently ranks No. 2 nationally in the weight throw thanks to his toss of 64’ 5” at the Early Bird.
In the pole vault, Zohner (Battle Creek, Neb.) is a legitimate national title contender after he turned in national place finishes of second (indoor) and third (outdoor) in 2023. It’s not inconceivable that the pole vault crew could earn a sweep of men’s and women’s national titles in 2024. Zohner is backed in that group on the men’s side by potential qualifier Mayson Ostermeyer, among others.
While Wren missed the 2023 outdoor national meet due to the impending birth of his child, two teammates broke through with All-America awards: Austen Rozelle (discus) and Darien Semedo (shot put). In the weight throw, Rozelle and Brady Klute have posted ‘B’ standards and Nathan Baldwin did the same in the shot put to begin this season. The makings are there to send plenty of athletes to nationals.
“We’re always trying to bring in a high level of student-athlete for both women and men,” Beisel said. “We’ve had a lot of success with that. Our hope on both sides is to set the stage for a conference championship and a high placement at nationals. Those four (All-America) guys are returning stars. Austen Rozelle and Darien Semedo came in unranked and ended up making All-American last year. Then you have Chris Wren as a proven multi-time All-American as a fifth-year senior. With Zach Zohner, he was a national runner up in the pole vault. He just hit his biggest mark ever at the Early Bird.”
Now’s the time for another wave of men’s athletes to burst onto the scene. Rathe has already been to the national meet on four occasions. He’s now preparing to get onto the podium in the long jump while continuing to increase his speed as a sprinter who can score big points at the conference level.
Rathe’s hope is to also take more of his teammates with him to the national championships. Says Rathe, “It’s truly an incredible atmosphere to compete at a national meet. It’s something I never really got to do in high school. I competed at state a few times. The state track meet is one thing, but when you’re going against the best athletes in the NAIA at nationals it’s competitive and it’s a challenging atmosphere. Man is it fun when you have a crowd there to watch and a chance to show people that you’re all about your community and your school. That’s really what it’s all about when you compete at nationals.”
Elsewhere, top distance runner Calvin Rohde appears primed for a return to nationals in his final year of track. He’s also a key figure on the distance medley relay that included Trey Robertson, Colby Sugden and Trevor Kuncl at the Early Bird. There are high hopes for Sugden, now in his third year as a Bulldog. The same could be said for the likes of Gage Fries, Myles Sadd and Aaron Spivey. Development between now and February will help determine where the team lands at the 2024 GPAC Indoor Championships hosted by Mount Marty.
“It looks to me like our women have a good shot at winning another indoor title in the conference,” Beisel said. “It’s never guaranteed. Some of the teams have obviously added some heavy hitters. From the early results, it looks like Midland and Mount Marty have brought in a number of speed and power girls who are going to help them out. Dordt is always someone to be considered and Doane is never to be counted out. You never know what’s going to happen. On the guys’ side, I think a top-three finish is definitely doable. The big question is: can we be in the top two? Being able to win is always what we’re geared for. Doane has had a pretty good stretch where they’ve won most of the men’s titles the past few years, but we have some guys who are really hungry for success.”
In providing some additional thoughts, Beisel remarked, “I am constantly going to God and saying, ‘Lord, continue to bless our team with the people who are supposed to be here. Help us to build great relationships with them.’ We seek to glorify God through all of our efforts and to develop servant leaders who care about other people and are ready to go out in the world and do big things. It’s not just about performing at a high level.”
Complete 2023-24 Concordia Track & Field indoor and outdoor schedules can be found HERE .
Head Coach Matt Beisel came away pleased, especially considering the long layoff. Dangerous travel conditions last week forced Concordia to cancel its participation in two separate meets. The Bulldogs are prepared for things to heat back up over the next month and a half.
“I think the biggest thing was just getting the season going again,” Beisel said. “Coming off a break, whatever meet it is that is our first meet, we never rule out great things happening. We also know that everyone has to knock the rust off mentally and physically. We’re also training them all really hard. We are really working them right now. The main thing I asked of our mid-distance and distance runners was to be competitive and go after it with everything they have. The technical events are the ones most affected by a long layoff. It was about what you would expect. This gives everyone a barometer of where they’re at.”
An cross country All-American this past fall, the Nampa, Idaho, native Freiberg ran the third fastest 5,000 meter race in the history of Concordia Women’s Track & Field. She crossed the finish line in 17:48.25 on Friday while claiming first place, in front of teammate Keegan Beisel (PR of 18:28.97). Freiberg got her day started early in the meet by taking on the second leg of the 4x8. She was joined in the race by Jenna Esch, Julie McIntyre and Rylee Haecker. The group’s time of 9:15.26 broke meet and Walz Fieldhouse records and currently paces the NAIA leaderboard. The school 4x8 record of 9:12.94 has stood since 2014.
Said Beisel of Freiberg, “Her goal was to break 18 minutes and hit the qualifying mark for nationals. She was hitting her pace like clockwork all the way through. I’m super proud of Kylahn. She’s a fantastic young lady with super high expectations for herself. She’s doing all of the lifestyle things right and taking care of herself. She has the proper mindset and it’s coming together … I thought the 4x8 was really exciting to watch.”
Other Bulldogs who hit the ‘A’ standard at the Polar Dog were Adrianna Rodencal in the 60-meter hurdles, Abi Wohlgemuth and Chris Wren in the weight throw and Zach Zohner in the pole vault. The Battle Creek, Neb., native Zohner has announced himself as a real national championship contender. He took a run at 17 feet in Friday’s competition and won it with a personal best of 16’ 8 ¾” for a meet record. The next closest vaulter at the Polar Dog went 15’ 3.” Zohner leads the way for a men’s pole vault crew that also features Mayson Ostermeyer and Jax Jacobson.
Said Zohner, “I think I’m sitting pretty good right about now. With my run, I’m not pushing it too hard and going all out like you should be towards the end of the season. I think I still have a little more in the tank to be able to go up more by indoor nationals.”
The Lincoln Lutheran alum Rodencal continues to shine in the hurdles. The reigning GPAC Indoor/Outdoor Female Athlete of the Year blazed to a first-place time of 8.70 in the finals of the event. She later came back and was the Polar Dog runner up in a 200-meter field of 45 runners. Her time was 25.94. There’s bigger and better to come for Rodencal, who has quickly learned how to navigate the rigors of a college track season.
Said Rodencal, “It’s definitely a lot of trial and error, especially going from a few months (of track) in high school to now basically the entire school year. You have a bunch of meets now. While you want to do well at every meet, you do want to wait to peek. You just can’t get frustrated on meets where you don’t do like you want. Always trust in the coaches. They’re here for a reason. I’m here for a reason. I love what we get to do.”
Not only were Freiberg and Rodencal winners on the track, so too were fellow teammates Esch (400 and 800 meters), Haecker (mile) and Jordan Koepke (600 meters). On the men’s side, Calvin Rohde clocked a winning mile time of 4:19.28 and helped the 4x800 meter relay to a finish in 8:03.09. Rohde ran the leadoff leg before giving way to Trevor Kuncl, Micah Willweber and Trey Robertson.
In the throws, Wren (weight throw) and Abigail Gerber (42’ 2 ¼” in the shot put) reigned supreme at the Polar Dog. Wren’s best toss of the day – 63 feet – came on his final attempt. As for Wohlgemuth, she’s shown she can also hit the ‘A’ standard with consistency. She ranks No. 3 on the NAIA weight throw list with her mark of 58’ 10 ¼” from the Bulldog Early Bird in December. The best results in the men’s shot put were delivered by Darien Semedo, who whirled a throw of 50’ 6 ¾” and placed third. On the women’s side, Kamryn Pokorney was the runner up to Gerber.
Out of the jumps came two Polar Dog champions: Josi Noble (37’ 6 ¾” in the triple jump) and Joel Rathe (22’ 11 ¼” in the long jump). Noble’s mark broke the Polar Dog meet record. The well-rounded Rathe also clocked times of 7.03 in the 60 meters and 22.94 in the 200 meters. In another noteworthy effort from the jumps crew, freshman Zoey Walker placed second while clearing 5’ 5” in the high jump (both first and second place broke the previous meet record). In the men’s triple jump, Jonah Paulsen and Aaron Spivey placed second and third, respectively. Rathe and Walker are both qualified for nationals thanks to their performances at the Early Bird.
On the women’s side of the pole vault, Amira Cummings, Kayla Svoboda and Erin Boggs each cleared 10’ 10 ¾.” Five-time national champion Josie Puelz is expected to be back in action at next week’s home meet. Three women’s vaulters currently own national qualifying marks.
The marks turned in by Rohde in the mile and Semedo in the shot put represented fresh ‘B’ standards. Beisel also noted that the bulk of distance personal bests came from the 5,000-meter races. The top 5,000-meter run on the men’s side was put forth by Jack Ellis, who placed fifth in a time of 16:04.68.
· Women’s 4x800m Relay (9:15.26) – Jenna Esch; Kylahn Freiberg; Julie McIntyre; Rylee Haecker
· Men’s 4x800m Relay (8:03.09) – Calvin Rohde; Trevor Kuncl; Micah Willweber; Trey Robertson
· Women’s 4x800m Relay (9:15.26) – Jenna Esch; Kylahn Freiberg; Julie McIntyre; Rylee Haecker
The Bulldogs will remain at home to host the Concordia Classic next weekend (Jan. 26-27). The tentative meet schedule can be found HERE . The program will also host the Concordia Indoor Invite on Feb. 9.
Weather forced Concordia (Neb.) to have its last two meets canceled, but thankfully the Bulldogs got back in action when they hosted the Polar Dog Invite on Saturday.
The Bulldogs kicked off the meet triumphantly by winning the 4x800 relay by over 14 seconds in an NAIA-leading time of 9:15.26. Carrying the baton were junior Jenna Esh (2:17.8), senior Kylahn Freiberg (2:18.0), junior Julie McIntyre (2:20.5) and senior Rylee Haecker (2:19.0) for the fastest NAIA mark on a non-oversized track since 2019.
Three of the four relay runners added individual wins in later events: Esh (400 in 58.54, 800 in 2:22.32), Freiberg (5000 in 17:48.25) and Haecker (mile in 5:12.64).
This is the first time that a female or male athlete from Concordia has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season.
Freiberg (Nampa, Idaho) played a role in both of the two new automatic national qualifying standards that were produced last week by the women’s team. Early in the Polar Dog Invite, Freiberg ran a split of 2:18 for the 4x800 meter relay that clocked a team time of 9:15.26 (converted to 9:08.93 for the national list). That time currently ranks the Bulldogs at No. 1 in the NAIA. As a result, the 4x8 also earned the NAIA Women’s Track & Field National Athletes of the Week award from the USTFCCCA. To cap the Polar Dog, Freiberg ran a personal best 5,000 meters in 17:48.25 (converted to 17:40.14 for the national list). That time ranks as the third fastest in program history and puts Freiberg at No. 11 in the NAIA (second in the GPAC). Freiberg is coming off a 2023 indoor season that saw her place as the NAIA national runner up in the 1,000 meters.
A native of Battle Creek, Neb., Zohner has been progressing as an athlete capable of competing for pole vault national titles. He has pushed his indoor pole vault personal best to 16’ 8 ¾” thanks to his effort at the Polar Dog Invite. That mark currently ranks No. 2 on the NAIA list (No. 1 mark is 16’ 10 ¾”) as Zohner tracks closer to 17 feet. Zohner’s vault also places him at No. 5 on the program’s indoor pole vault list. Last season, Zohner earned NAIA national places finishes of second (indoor) and third (outdoor) in the pole vault. He was also the 2023 GPAC outdoor pole vault champion.
Next up, the Bulldogs will host the Concordia Classic this Friday and Saturday. The schedule for that meet can be found HERE .
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads entered the weekend with NAIA national rankings (according to the USTFCCCA) of third on the women’s side and seventh on the men’s side. The list of automatic national qualifying marks has reached 21 for the season.
“We recruit kids that are hungry and have really high expectations for themselves,” Beisel said. “It is just a matter of continuing to get in a groove for training after coming off a break. We had big stuff happen and this was a huge meet compared to last week. Next week, we have Doane, University of Nebraska and our last home meet (the week after). Then, it's quack quack, GPAC.”
The eight-time All-American Haecker of Davenport, Neb., enjoyed a big day. As part of the distance medley relay, Haecker ran the leadoff 1,200-meter leg before handing off to Isabelle Salters for the 400 meters, Jenna Esch for the 800 meters and Julie McIntyre for the 1,600 meters. By the time McIntyre crossed the finish line, the Bulldog grouping recorded a time of 12:19.70 (converted to 12:11.86 for the national list) that now ranks No. 3 in the NAIA. Individually, Haecker also won the Concordia Classic 1,000 meters in 2:56.82 while jumping to No. 2 on the national list.
Said Haecker, “Coach Beisel chose who was healthy and who he thought would put together a good relay for the ‘A’ standard. Thankfully, we got another one under the belt. We will see what happens come nationals, but we are super excited.”
The 2023 NAIA indoor pole vault national runner up, Zohner pushed himself to fourth on the program’s all-time pole vault list by clearing 17’ ¾” on Saturday. Zohner moved back up to No. 1 in the NAIA with that mark. He was the winner of a competition that included teammates Jax Jacobson (14’ 9”) and Mayson Ostermeyer (14’ 3 ¼”). The crew continues to rise while working with assistant coach Jason Berry.
Said Zohner, “Jason has been there the whole way. I can think back to sophomore year, where indoor season I no heighted every meet except about two or three. He just kept working on the same things with me. Jason was on the list too. He was about six or so. I passed him last year at indoor nationals. It has been a big honor working up to that.”
There were others who also repeated automatic national qualifying standards, such as the women’s 4x400 meter relay, Esch in the 400 meters, Abigail Gerber in the shot put, Adrianna Rodencal in the 60 hurdles and Abi Wohlgemuth in the weight throw. A couple of fresh ‘B’ standards were delivered by the men’s distance medley relay and Erin Boggs in the pole vault (11’ 4 ½”). The men’s DMR featured Trey Robertson, Colby Sugden, Trevor Kuncl and Calvin Rohde (also a third-place finisher in the 3,000 meters). Elsewhere on the track, freshman Caleb Schlichting placed first in the 3,000-meter race walk (17:50.59). In the women’s mile, Hannah Beintema (5:20.54) and Keegan Beisel (5:27.10) placed second and third, respectively.
The jumps group produced two Concordia Classic winners as Joel Rathe (23’ 3 ¼”) and Hayley Miles (18’ 2 ¼”) made for a sweep in the long jump. Both are already qualified for nationals. A fine all-around jumper, Josi Noble emerged as the meet champion in the women’s pentathlon as she piled up 3,200 points. She now ranks top 10 nationally in the event. Noble was followed in the pentathlon by Zoey Walker (3,164), Faith Espinosa (2,997) and Elena Batenhorst (2,964). In the men’s heptathlon, Jackson Lindburg led the way for Concordia with 4,030 points.
As for the throws, Gerber and Wohlgemuth were the headliners while Darien Semedo placed fourth in the men’s shot put and Connor Asche was the runner up in the men’s weight throw. The crew has combined for five ‘A’ standards on the season.
· Women’s 4x400m Relay (3:59.73); Jenna Esch; Kayla Kirchner; Trinity Tuls; Adrianna Rodencal
· Women’s DMR (12:19.70); Rylee Haecker, Isabelle Salters, Jenna Esch, Julie McIntyre
· Women’s 4x400m Relay (3:59.73); Jenna Esch; Kayla Kirchner; Trinity Tuls; Adrianna Rodencal
· Women’s DMR (12:19.70); Rylee Haecker, Isabelle Salters, Jenna Esch, Julie McIntyre
The Bulldogs will venture away from the Fieldhouse next weekend for the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational (Feb. 2-3) and the Fred Beile Classic (Feb. 3) hosted by Doane. One home meet remains on the 2023-24 indoor schedule – the Concordia Indoor Invite on Feb. 9.
Zohner vaults his way to GPAC and NAIA national weekly awards January 31, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – The awards have streamed in for rising star pole vaulter Zach Zohner. One day after being tabbed as the NAIA National Track & Field Athlete of the Week by the USTFCCCA, Zohner earned distinction as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Field Athlete of the Week and as NAIA National Men’s Field Athlete of the Week. Zohner has been honored with GPAC weekly recognition in back-to-back weeks while garnering his first career national weekly awards.
A native of Battle Creek, Neb., Zohner has progressively increased his pole vault personal best throughout this indoor season. He vaulted 16’ 7 ¼” at the Bulldog Early Bird, 16’ 8 ¾” at the Polar Dog Invitational and 17’ ¾” at last week’s Concordia Classic. With his latest PR, Zohner moved past Don Kitzman (17’ in 1989) for No. 4 on the program’s all-time indoor pole vault list. The top three are Gene Brooks (18’ ½”), TJ Kloster (17’ 6”) and Joel Sievers (17’ 3 ¾”). Zohner is currently ranked No. 1 in the NAIA in the vault. According to the USTFCCCA, Zohner’s 17’ ¾” mark ranks No. 7 on the NAIA’s all-time indoor pole vault list.
A two-time NAIA All-American, Zohner earned 2023 NAIA national pole vault place finishes of second for indoor and third for outdoor. He has made four career appearances at national meets and is the reigning GPAC outdoor pole vault champion.
Next up for Concordia Track & Field will be weekend action at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational (Feb. 2-3) and Fred Beile Classic (Feb. 3).
Nationally ranked Bulldogs crush it in the mile, add five fresh 'A' standards on weekend February 3, 2024
CRETE / LINCOLN, Neb. – It was a strong weekend for the distance crew as three separate Bulldogs clocked fresh automatic national qualifying standards in the mile, one did so in the 3,000 meters and another accomplished that feat in the 5,000 meters. Between Friday and Saturday (Feb. 2-3), the nationally ranked Concordia University Track & Field squads were represented at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational in Lincoln, Neb., and the Fred Beile Classic in Crete, Neb. Six event championships were won by Concordia athletes at the Beile Classic, which featured competitors from 13 institutions.
This was the fourth weekend of indoor competition this 2023-24 season for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s Bulldogs, currently ranked second on the women’s side and 10th on the men’s side (according to the USTFCCCA).
“I’ve been lifting this team up in prayer, and I know our coaches are as well,” Beisel said. “This is hard. It takes a lot of sacrifice and a lot of work. It sometimes stretches you in ways that are painful mentally and physically. For us to keep pushing the bar higher in all these different events, it says a lot about the blessings God has given this team. I’m so grateful to God.”
The new ‘A’ standards were produced in the mile by Kylahn Freiberg (also qualified in the 3,000 meters), Rylee Haecker and Calvin Rohde and from Julie McIntyre in the 5,000 meters while Jenna Esch and the women’s 4x400 meter relay improved existing national qualifying times, among the major highlights. The Hastings, Neb., native Esch has shown her versatility in excelling at a multitude of distances. She now ranks No. 4 nationally in the 600 meters after she blazed to a time of 1:33.52 at the Devaney Center in Lincoln. Esch narrowly missed out on winning the race while up against athletes from NCAA Division I and II schools. Esch also ran the fastest split (57.493) in the 4x400 meter relay that included Kayla Kirchner, Trinity Tuls and Jordan Koepke. The 4x4 time of 3:53.06 ranks No. 4 in the NAIA.
An 2023 cross country All-American, Freiberg is putting on a distance clinic this indoor season. She stole the show at the Beile Classic with winning ‘A’ standards in the mile (5:03.42) and 3,000 meters (10:14.58). She’s also qualified for nationals in the 5,000 meters and as part the NAIA’s No. 1 4x800 meter relay. Meanwhile, the eight-time All-American Haecker took the stage in Lincoln and ran 5:04.85 in the mile while posting her second individual national qualifying time of the indoor season. On the men’s side, Calvin Rohde won the mile at the Beile Classic and reserved a spot at nationals with his time of 4:15.36. Finally, McIntyre clocked a personal best 5k of 17:55.91 (top five in school history).
Freiberg is putting together times across the board that rank inside the top five on the program’s all-time record boards. Said Beisel, “She ran fantastic. I think that’s one of the biggest things to celebrate. There were so many good things that happened this weekend. Julie McIntyre has been waiting for this moment in the 5k and being able to crack 18 minutes. I was super happy for her.”
The action at the Husker Invite also saw Adrianna Rodencal again hit the ‘A’ standard in the 60-meter hurdles (8.60; seventh place overall) as one of more than 15 Bulldogs to be entered into the highly competitive meet. In the weight throw, Chris Wren (62’ 10”) and Abi Wohlgemuth (57’ 9”) are consistently surpassing the NAIA auto mark. At the Beile Classic, Darien Semedo narrowly missed out on the ‘A’ standard with his season best of 51’ 1 ½” in the shot put. One additional auto mark was hit by Zoey Walker, who cleared 5’ 6” in the high jump for the second time this season.
Two other event champions at the Beile Classic were Hayley Miles in the long jump (17’ 9 ½”) and Trey Robertson in the 5,000 meters (15:53.88). Concordia had the top four place finishers in the men’s 5,000 meters: Robertson, Jack Ellis (15:59.83), Aidan Limback (16:11.21) and Charlie Hayden (16:12.07). Rhaya Kaschinske also posted a solid mile time of 5:22.38 and Hannah Beintema was the runner up to Freiberg in the 3,000 meters with a time of 10:50.27. On the men’s side of the mile, Trevor Kuncl placed third (4:28.72). There were three ‘B’ marks turned in at the Beile Classic (none of them new) courtesy of Semedo, Abby Gerber in the shot put and Josi Noble in the triple jump.
The Bulldogs also entered a 4x4 into the Husker Invite on the men’s side. The crew of Liam Fagan, Colby Sugden, Teagan Meyer and Hayden Kluthe finished in 3:26.23. The Ord, Neb., native Kluthe ran a fine split of 49.619 and also clocked in at 8.88 in the 60-meter hurdles. Reigning NAIA National Field Athlete of the Week Zach Zohner no-heighted in the pole vault at the Husker Invite, however, he remains the national leader in the event. In the 400 meters at UNL, Esch (56.97) and Tuls (59.24) both ran under a minute.
Beisel also made mention of some performances that won’t show up on the national radar. Some efforts that stood out for Beisel were personal bests from Ransom Watts (16:23.16 in the 5k) and Brittni Kinne (41’ ¼” in the shot put).
Automatic National Qualifying Standards (weekend of Feb. 2-3)
· Women’s 4x400m Relay (3:53.06); at Sevigne Husker Invite – Esch; Kirchner; Tuls; Koepke
· Jenna Esch – 600 Meters (1:33.52); at Sevigne Husker Invite
· Kylahn Freiberg – Mile (5:03.42) and 3,000 meters (10:14.58); at Beile Classic
· Rylee Haecker – Mile (5:04.85); at Sevigne Husker Invite
· Julie McIntyre – 5,000 Meters (17:55.91); at Beile Classic
· Adrianna Rodencal – 60 Hurdles (8.60); at Sevigne Husker Invite
· Calvin Rohde – Mile (4:15.36); at Beile Classic
· Zoey Walker – High Jump (5’ 6”); at Beile Classic
· Abi Wohlgemuth – Weight Throw (57’ 9”); at Sevigne Husker Invite
· Chris Wren – Weight Throw (62’ 10”) at Sevigne Husker Invite
Beile Classic Event Champions
· Kylahn Freiberg – Mile (5:03.42) and 3,000 meters (10:14.58)
· Julie McIntyre – 5,000 Meters (17:55.91)
· Hayley Miles – Long Jump (17’ 9 ½”)
· Trey Robertson – 5,000 Meters (15:53.88)
· Calvin Rohde – Mile (4:15.36)
Next up, the Bulldogs will host their final home meet of the 2023-24 indoor season. The Concordia Indoor Invite will get started at 12 p.m. CT from the Walz Fieldhouse on Friday, Feb. 9. The tentative schedule for the meet can be found HERE . The Concordia Invite will be the final meet prior to the 2024 GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championships (Feb. 16-17).
Freiberg rakes in second GPAC weekly honor of 2024 February 7, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – For the second time in two weeks, standout fifth-year student-athlete Kylahn Freiberg has run her way to GPAC recognition. On Wednesday (Feb. 7), the league named Freiberg the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week. Freiberg pulled in the same award on Jan. 24 and was lauded with two GPAC weekly honors during the 2023 cross country season.
The Nampa, Idaho, native Freiberg turned in an impressive double last week at the Fred Beile Classic hosted by Doane. Freiberg won titles in the mile (5:03.42) and in the 3,000 meters (10:14.58) with two new automatic national qualifying times. In terms of rankings, Freiberg now leads the GPAC in the mile while ranking No. 3 nationally and in the 3,000 meters she resides at No. 2 in the GPAC and No. 18 in the NAIA. Freiberg ranks fifth in Concordia Track & Field history in both the mile and the 3,000 meters. On the season, Freiberg has also qualified for nationals in the 5,000 meters and was part of the 4x800 meter relay that currently holds down the No. 1 spot nationally. In her career, Freiberg has earned four All-America awards in track and one in cross country.
Freiberg and her teammates will be back to action on Friday for the Concordia Invite, which is slated to get underway at 12 p.m. CT. The GPAC indoor championships are coming up on Feb. 16-17.
2023-24 Accolades – Concordia Track & Field
· Women’s 4x800m Relay – NAIA Women’s Track & Field National Athletes of the Week (Jan. 23).
· Kylahn Freiberg – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24, Feb. 7).
· Zach Zohner – NAIA Men’s Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 31); USTFCCCA NAIA Men’s Track & Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 30); GPAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24 and 31).
She’s a 'gamer': competitive Haecker epitomizes Bulldog Track & Field February 8, 2024
It didn’t take Rylee Haecker long to make her mark. In response to the Davenport, Neb., native qualifying for the 2021 NAIA national finals of the 1,000 meters as just a freshman, assistant coach Mark Samuels remarked simply, “she’s a gamer.” It’s an apt description of the energetic and intensely competitive Haecker, who found herself momentarily disappointed to have ‘only’ finished eighth in the finals of the 1,000 meters. She had already set a high bar, but that was only going to be the beginning. Haecker would see to that.
Haecker can look back now and laugh. Knowing she placed eighth, Haecker crossed the finish line and expressed despair while greeted by teammate Keri Bauer. ‘You’re an All-American!’ Bauer exclaimed in reassuring her. “I know, I know,” Haecker shot back.
Five national meets later, the All-America count has reached eight for Haecker, the type of student-athlete who epitomizes what Concordia cross country and track & field is all about. Make no mistake, Haecker’s extremely grateful for the incredible experiences she’s enjoyed. She just always wants more. That’s part of what makes her who she is – a special person and competitor. Beyond athletics, Haecker is caring and outgoing, is a positive encourager of her teammates and is devout in her faith.
Concordia Head Coach Matt Beisel first made contact with Haecker during her sophomore year of high school while she attended Raymond Central High School. Haecker will always be grateful that Beisel saw potential in her even before she became a state medalist and before most college recruiters began to take notice. Beisel has watched her grow tremendously since then while coaching her in both cross country and track.
Says Beisel, “I am incredibly proud of Rylee and thankful that God brought her to our team. She has been a decisive, focused and committed leader by both word and action, and has been a positive influence on many of our women. Her faith is deep and strong, and she gives glory to God for her accomplishments. She has had more than her share of hardship and setbacks, yet has been resilient and – with God’s help – not just survived but thrived. It’s always exciting to watch her compete, and we can’t wait to see how her career finishes up this spring. She will leave behind a legacy and will be missed.”
The legacy of Haecker begins with her roots. Her parents, Kolin and Crystal, are athletic-minded and so too are her older sisters, Karlee and Haylee. Young Rylee wanted to be just like Karlee and Haylee, who were competing in just about anything that piqued their interests. All three siblings seemed to gravitate towards running and playing basketball. Thus, Rylee credits her sisters as role models and as her “biggest supporters.”
Karlee and Haylee were recruited to run at Concordia before choosing to go elsewhere. The third time was a charm for the Bulldog coaching staff. While smiling wide, Rylee says, “It was kind of funny – Coach Samuels was like, ‘We finally got one.’ The last one. I joked, ‘the best one, obviously.’”
The merging of family and athletics leads Rylee to recall the time, as a third grader, when she traveled with her dad for a meet in Pawnee City. As Rylee says of her parents, “They would drive anywhere and do anything to get me involved in a sport.” The third-grade version of Rylee ran the 400 and 800 meters at that particular race in Pawnee City and quickly made up her mind that the 400 wasn’t for her. By her sophomore year of high school, Rylee became a state medalist in the 800, and recruiting was heating up.
Haecker then experienced a high school senior year of upheaval as she adjusted to a new high school, Bruning-Davenport, and had her track seasons ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. At that point, she still wasn’t quite sure she wanted to be a college athlete. The dynamics at Concordia eventually changed the game for Rylee.
“There were some other GPAC schools that reached out, but Concordia really stuck out to me,” Rylee said. “Concordia was the first school that reached out. I was kind of taken aback thinking that someone sees that I could make something of myself in running. Running in college definitely wasn’t my first thing. I was debating whether I should do it coming out of senior year in high school. Here we are four years later.”
Rylee will never forget the way her college career got started. It was December of 2020 with the world still in the middle of the pandemic that had completely shut down sports that past spring. One of the compromises for competition in 2020-21 was the banning of fans from indoor sports. Before running the 600 meters and as part of the 4x800 meter relay that early December day, Rylee paced her dorm room. Says Rylee, “I was so, so nervous.”
Nerves subsided in favor of Rylee’s competitive nature. As she put it, “I am so competitive. In anything, I want to win. In running there’s no limit. You’re able to push yourself.”
And push herself she did. That first career national meet in 2021 when no fans were permitted in Yankton, S.D., Haecker earned All-America awards not only in the 1,000 meters, but also as part of the distance medley relay. She’s gone on to claim six additional All-America honors, including four more (five total) in individual events. The résumé also includes six individual GPAC track championships and another three national meet appearances in cross country.
That’s not to say there haven’t been peaks and valleys. Rylee placed third nationally in the 1,000 meters at the 2022 NAIA indoor championships and then settled for sixth in that same event in 2023. She showed visible frustration in the moment, only because the expectations she places upon herself are that lofty. Emotionally, Rylee felt like she wasn’t quite where she needed to be.
Then came the high of the 2023 outdoor national meet in Marion, Ind., where Rylee did something that even outpaced her own aspirations for that championship weekend. She clocked a 1,500-meter time of 4:33.84 and broke the school record that had stood since 2005.
“Getting the school record was nothing I thought was possible,” Rylee said. “I had a tough indoor season mentally, so coming out and finding the joy in running definitely made it sweeter. Knowing what I came from mentally indoor, it was completely different. I was able to lean into God and He showed me my support system. My family, teammates and coaches were right there for me. That’s a highlight I’ll remember.”
Of course, Rylee will also remember the shared glory with teammates. Together, they have grown accustomed to astounding success. Rylee has helped the women’s track program push its string of consecutive GPAC titles to nine while earning national recognition and status as one of the top programs in the NAIA.
For Rylee and her teammates, it goes beyond the medals and championship trophies. When it comes to her faith walk, Rylee talks the talk and then walks the walk. Says Rylee, “I wouldn’t be here without Him. I’ve grown spiritually through running. It’s a beautiful way to see the Christian faith. It’s a day-in and day-out commitment and you’re going to have highs and lows. Spending time with Him is what’s going to make it easier, even when it is hard. I’ve definitely grown to trust Him when I’m running. I’m going to show up and have fun and He’s going to do the rest.”
While Rylee is still writing her Concordia story with GPAC and NAIA national meets to come for both indoor and outdoor in 2024, she’s fully prepared for the future. She can say that because of the education she’s received and because of the lessons she’s learned through her family, coaches, teammates and life experiences. Currently serving as a student teacher for a kindergarten class in Seward, Rylee is following another of her passions.
“Growing up, I loved playing teacher,” Rylee said. “My parents are educators, so I grew up around it. I always wanted to be a teacher. I loved helping kids in my classes. Growing into this role, I’ve developed a love for the kids and for helping them learn. It keeps me going. It’s so fun. You truly never know what they’re going to say and what you’re going to experience. It’s definitely a unique profession and I’m so excited to step into that.”
Knowing Rylee, she’ll want to be the best teacher around, because she wouldn’t strive for less. Rylee won’t ever be someone who can just settle. As she says, “That’s where the competitiveness comes through. I’m super, super thankful because a lot of people don’t get the same opportunity.”
Six new auto standards added as Bulldogs wrap up season's final home meet February 9, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia Indoor Invite provided one last chance for Concordia University Track & Field athletes to improve their positioning for the upcoming GPAC Championships. Six Bulldogs seized the moment and produced fresh automatic national qualifying standards in a meet that featured athletes from eight institutions. The yields for Concordia also included 11 event championships.
The new ‘A’ standards came courtesy of Jenna Esch (800 meters), Kylahn Freiberg (1,000 meters), Rylee Haecker (800 meters), Jordan Koepke (400 meters), Calvin Rohde (1,000 meters) and Darien Semedo (shot put). Additionally, Adrianna Rodencal broke her own record (again) in the 60-meter hurdles. Those results bring the combined season tally of ‘A’ standards to 32 for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads.
“This is the meet where we want the last pieces to fall into place and get ready for conference,” Beisel said. “A number of people we wanted to make sure they got a good seed mark for conference and improve those marks with automatics and ‘B’ standards for nationals – we did it in spades. A lot of amazing things happened. I’m super proud of everybody.”
Nationally ranked No. 3 (according to the USTFCCCA), the Concordia women’s team continues to show off its immense depth. The Bulldogs boast an army of runners with multiple individual national qualifying standards. The reigning GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week, Freiberg (Nampa, Idaho) has been sensational this indoor season. She ran 2:56.29 in the 1,000 meters (No. 2 in the NAIA) on Friday while nearing the personal best that made her an NAIA national runner up a year ago. Freiberg is now qualified for nationals in not just the 1,000, but also in the mile, the 3,000 and the 5,000.
Esch and Haecker have been similarly impressive. They went 1-2 in the 800 meters at the Concordia Invite while both meeting the ‘A’ standard. Esch crossed the finish line in 2:15.68 while Haecker came right behind in 2:17.22. Esch (Hastings, Neb.) has qualified for nationals in the 400, 600 and 800 meters (No. 1 800-meter time in the NAIA) while Haecker (Davenport, Neb.) has recorded ‘A’ standards in the 800, 1,000 and mile. As for Koepke, she took the meet title in the 400 meters in a time of 57.95. Koepke has punched her ticket to nationals in both the 400 and 600 meters.
The goal for the Reed City, Mich., native Rohde is to reach the All-America podium for the first time in his career. He blazed around the track for a personal best time of 2:28.18. The conversion of 2:26.17 has vaulted Rohde all the way to No. 1 on the NAIA national list (pending results around the country this weekend). Rohde has also put his name into the national qualifying field for the mile.
Semedo’s big toss of 53’ 5 ¾” in the shot put (first place) brought cheers from the throws crowd at the Concordia Invite. A 2023 outdoor shot put All-American, Semedo (Sacramento, Calif.) had been hitting the ‘B’ standard with regularity before Friday’s breakthrough. In addition, the throws crew repeated two auto marks as Abby Gerber threw 45’ ¼” (second place) in the shot put and Abi Wohlgemuth fired off a weight throw of 58’ 4 ½.” Wohlgemuth sits No. 4 nationally in the event and is primed for big things at the GPAC and national meets.
Said the Lincoln Lutheran alum Wohlgemuth, “It’s been a long time coming. It was a rough-go earlier, but now we’re figuring things out, especially on my finish. I think it’s going to hopefully go a lot farther eventually. Right now we’re trying a few things to help it go a little bit.”
Also a Lincoln Lutheran alum, Rodencal keeps lowering her school record in the 60 hurdles. She ran like lightning in both the prelims and the finals, turning in times of 8.56 and 8.55. Rodencal was beaten out for first place in the event by just .01. Rodencal was the runner up in both the 60 hurdles and the 60 meters (7.85) at the Concordia Invite.
In the men’s field events, Joel Rathe and Zach Zohner continue to shine. Rathe landed a new indoor personal best in the long jump with his winning mark of 23’ 9” on Friday. The PR moved the Sterling, Neb., native up to No. 12 on the NAIA national list. In the men’s pole vault, Zohner has now won four meet titles. His latest vault of 16’ 8 ¾” was nearly a foot-and-a-half higher than the next best competitor at the Concordia Invite. Zohner remains at No. 1 nationally in the pole vault.
In reacting to his personal best, Rathe stated, “I’ve been working on trying to limit some of my older bad habits I’ve had in my jumping form. I just kind of got my foot up under me and got up taller through the air and that really felt like it carried me out those extra few inches I’ve been looking for.”
Not previously mentioned Concordia Invite event champions included Julie McIntyre in the mile (5:10.86), Hayley Miles in the long jump (17’ 10 ¾”) and Trey Robertson in the 3,000 meters (9:01.12). McIntyre managed to notch a ‘B’ standard and so too did junior Rhaya Kaschinske in the 1,000 meters (3:03.63). Kaschinske was the runner up to Freiberg. Other ‘B’ marks came in the women’s pole vault from Kayla Svoboda (11’ 4 ½”), in the men’s shot put from Carson Fehlhafer (50’ 8”) and in the men’s weight throw from Brady Klute (56’ 8 ½”) and Semedo (55’ 10 ¼”).
The following not previously mentioned Bulldogs placed second in their respective events at the Concordia Invite: Thomas Gorline (3,000 meters), Kayla Kirchner (200 and 400 meters), Josi Noble (triple jump) and Addie Reimer (high jump).
Automatic National Qualifying Standards
· Jenna Esch – 800 Meters (2:15.68)
· Kylahn Freiberg – 1,000 Meters (2:56.29)
· Abby Gerber – Shot Put (45’ ¼”)
· Rylee Haecker – 800 Meters (2:17.22)
· Jordan Koepke – 400 Meters (57.95)
· Joel Rathe – Long Jump (23’ 9”)
· Adrianna Rodencal – 60 Hurdles (8.55)
· Calvin Rohde – 1,000 Meters (2:28.18)
· Darien Semedo – Shot Put (53’ 5 ¾”)
· Abi Wohlgemuth – Weight Throw (58’ 4 ½”)
· Zach Zohner – Pole Vault (16’ 8 ¾”)
Concordia Invite Event Champions
· Jenna Esch – 800 Meters (2:15.68)
· Kylahn Freiberg – 1,000 Meters (2:56.29)
· Jordan Koepke – 400 Meters (57.95)
· Julie McIntyre – Mile (5:10.86)
· Hayley Miles – Long Jump (17’ 10 ¾”)
· Joel Rathe – Long Jump (23’ 9”)
· Trey Robertson – 3,000 Meters (9:01.12)
· Calvin Rohde – 1,000 Meters (2:28.18)
· Darien Semedo – Shot Put (53’ 5 ¾”)
· Abi Wohlgemuth – Weight Throw (58’ 4 ½”)
· Zach Zohner – Pole Vault (16’ 8 ¾”)
The Bulldogs will spend the next week preparing for the 2024 GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championships to be held on Feb. 16-17 at the Ruth Donohoue First Dakota Fieldhouse, home to Mount Marty. The venue hosted the 2021 NAIA indoor national championship meet. The GPAC championships schedule can be found HERE . At the 2023 conference indoor meet, Concordia placed first on the women’s side and third on the men’s side.
Said Beisel, “I think one of the biggest things leading into this week, everybody at practice as I watched them, everyone was working hard, laughing a lot and in a really great mood. I feel like that describes our team right now. I don’t think we’re stressing about it. We’re just anticipating it and are excited about the opportunity. I think that’s really important. When we go in and are at peace about it, things go better … I’ve given this up to God and this team up to God. In all that we do, we give glory to Him.”
Esch earns GPAC award thanks to conference best 800 meters February 14, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – A phenomenal indoor season continued for Jenna Esch last week at the Concordia Invite as she sped to the top of the GPAC’s 800-meter performance list. Esch’s efforts led to her being named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Women’s Track Athlete of the Week, as announced on Wednesday (Feb. 14). Between the men’s and women’s teams, Bulldog Track & Field athletes have combined for five GPAC weekly awards this indoor season.
In a tune-up prior to the GPAC indoor meet, Esch focused solely on the 800 meters at the Concordia Invite and won the race in a personal best time of 2:15.68. That time puts her No. 3 on the program’s all-time list behind only Kim Wood (2:11.03) and Bethany Sutton (2:13.26). Esch’s converted time of 2:14.14 ranks No. 2 nationally while pacing the GPAC.
Esch has achieved automatic national qualifying times in six events this season. Three of those events are individual races and three are relays.
Jenna Esch 2023-24 indoor automatic national qualifying standards
· 400 Meters (56.89)
· 600 Meters (1:33.52)
· 800 Meters (2:14.14)
· 4x400m Relay (3:53.06)
· 4x800m Relay (9:08.93)
· Distance Medley Relay (12:11.86)
Esch and her teammates will be in action this Friday and Saturday at the 2024 GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championships hosted by Mount Marty. For a preview of the conference meet, click HERE .
2023-24 Accolades – Concordia Track & Field
· Women’s 4x800m Relay – NAIA Women’s Track & Field National Athletes of the Week (Jan. 23).
· Jenna Esch – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Feb. 14)
· Kylahn Freiberg – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24, Feb. 7).
· Zach Zohner – NAIA Men’s Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 31); USTFCCCA NAIA Men’s Track & Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 30); GPAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24 and 31).
Concordia women celebrate 10th-straight GPAC title; men place third February 17, 2024
YANKTON, S.D. – The incredible string of GPAC team championships has reached 10 for the women of Concordia University Track & Field. At the 2024 GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championships held this weekend (Feb. 16-17) in Yankton, S.D., the Bulldog women’s team ran away from the competition once again while compiling 206 points with the help of GPAC titles in six of the 19 events. Meanwhile, the Concordia men racked up 96.66 points and placed third in the conference.
Head Coach Matt Beisel has presided over each of those GPAC titles during the current streak. GPAC event championships were won on the women’s side by the 4x400 meter relay, Jenna Esch, Rylee Haecker, Jordan Koepke and Zoey Walker. Meanwhile, Calvin Rohde, Chris Wren and Zach Zohner each claimed a conference title on the men’s side.
“We achieved our team goals of winning on the women’s side and being top three on the men’s side,” Beisel said. “Getting third four times in five years is a good accomplishment in the GPAC. I can’t complain, these guys did great. We don’t take it for granted. There was a lot of talk about giving glory to God no matter what happens. I was very aware of His presence today and prayed through the whole meet. It was obvious how much our team supported each other. They were screaming and yelling the whole time.”
Ranked No. 2 nationally entering the meet, the Bulldog women have become accustomed to stacking points across event areas. The accumulation of points began on Friday with 22 from the pentathlon, headed by runner-up place finisher Zoey Walker. A school record even fell by the wayside on Saturday as Kylahn Freiberg blazed around the track for a 3,000-meter time of 10:05.72. Concordia also hit it big in the 400 meters as Koepke won it while combining with her teammates for 21 points in the event. Koepke later concluded the victorious meet by running the final leg for the first place 4x4.
A flurry of points kept coming from the track as Koepke won the 400 (58.86), Esch claimed first in the 600 (1:35.57) and 800 (2:18.68) meters and Haecker beat out the competition in the 1,000 meters (2:59.10). The Davenport, Neb., native Haecker won the GPAC 1,000-meter championship for the third-straight year. Koepke was preceded in the 4x4 by Esch, Kayla Kirchner and Trinity Tuls. Together they won gold in a time of 3:59.23. Tuls added a ‘B’ standard in the 400 meters (59.05) and placed third.
Said Beisel of such standout efforts, “We’ve been really blessed by the depth on our roster. These are young women who were good high school athletes who have been able to blossom and develop and do some great things. We saw some heavy-duty performances. It was nice to see Rylee win another title. She’s just performed so well. She came back in the 1,000 after she ran the mile. Kylahn’s goal was to break the school 3k record and she did. That was really cool.”
A couple of Bulldogs on the women’s side also placed second, including Freiberg in the mile (5:03.34) and 3,000 meters and Adrianna Rodencal in the 60-meter hurdles (8.56). Freiberg and Haecker (5:06.72) both ran improved mile times. That event not only saw Freiberg and Haecker place second and third, respectively, but also resulted in Julie McIntyre finishing fifth. The 2023 GPAC Indoor and Outdoor Female Athlete of the Year, Rodencal turned in additional placements of third in both the 60 meters and 200 meters.
The freshman Walker led the way in the field events as she won the high jump title with a clearance of 5’ 5.” Walker totaled 18 team points when adding in her second-place claim in the pentathlon, which also featured all-conference honorees Faith Espinosa (third), Elena Batenhorst (fifth), Amanda Steinke (sixth) and Amy Richert (eighth). Another standout jumper, Hayley Miles placed fourth in the triple and sixth in the long jump.
In other women’s field events, the throws were paced by the usual suspects as Abby Gerber claimed third in the shot put (44’ 9”) and Abi Wohlgemuth took third in the weight throw (56’ 8 ¾”) while Kamryn Pokorney placed top eight in both. In the pole vault, Amira Cummings cleared the ‘A’ standard again and placed third. She was followed by Erin Boggs (fourth) and Josie Puelz (sixth). The five-time national champion Puelz vaulted for the first time since December.
On the men’s side of the vault, Zohner keeps pushing the envelope. He skied above 17 feet (17’ 1”) on Saturday and won the GPAC competition by nearly two feet (second career GPAC title). He continues to lead the nation in the event. Mayson Ostermeyer placed second to Zohner with a personal best of 15’ 3” that is currently top 16 in the NAIA and could make him a national qualifier.
There have been many accomplishments in the career of Wren (three-time All-American), a native of Fair Oaks, Calif. He equaled a personal best in the weight throw with his toss of 65’ 2” and seized his first career GPAC title. That mark pushed him all the way up to No. 2 on the NAIA national list. As another major highlight in the throws, Darien Semedo hit the ‘A’ standard in both the shot put (51’ 10 ½”) and weight throw (56’ 11 ½”) and put team points on the board in both events. In addition, Carson Fehlhafer was a fourth-place finisher in the shot put.
The Reed City, Mich., native Rohde is certainly the lead Dawg in the men’s distance crew. He enjoyed a busy Saturday that saw him win the 1,000 meters (2:34.93) for his first career GPAC title and place second in the mile (4:14.65) and fourth in the 3,000 meters (8:47.73). Those finishes gave Rohde 23 team points all by himself. Some other notable placements on the track included fourth from Hayden Kluthe in the 60 hurdles and fifth from Colby Sugden in the 400 meters. The top placement from the jumps group was delivered by Joel Rathe, who placed fourth in the long jump. The meet concluded for the men with a fourth-place time of 3:27.88 in the 4x4 (Liam Fagan, Sugden, Teagan Meyer and Kluthe).
Said Beisel of Rohde, “He’s come so close (to winning a GPAC title), and I’m so happy for him. He ran a very strategic race and the guys couldn’t keep up with him.” Beisel also gave props to a host of other athletes across different event groupings.
2024 GPAC Indoor Champions
· Women’s 4x400m Relay (3:59.23); Jenna Esch; Kayla Kirchner; Trinity Tuls; Jordan Koepke
· Jenna Esch – 600 Meters (1:35.57); 800 Meters (2:18.68)
· Rylee Haecker – 1,000 Meters (2:59.10)
· Jordan Koepke – 400 Meters (58.86)
· Calvin Rohde – 1,000 Meters (2:34.93)
· Zoey Walker – High Jump (5’ 5”)
· Chris Wren – Weight Throw (65’ 2”)
· Zach Zohner – Pole Vault (17’ 1”)
NOTE: Placements in the top eight individually and in the top three of relays represent all-conference finishes. The complete list of All-GPAC honorees from Concordia will be published online next week.
The conference championship streak for the women dates back to the 2019 GPAC indoor meet that was hosted by Concordia. In the Bulldogs’ latest title, they handily held off the likes of Doane (136.25) and Dordt (100). On the men’s side, Concordia appeared to be in a close battle for third place in the middle of the meet. The Bulldogs held their ground and fended off the likes of Mount Marty (79) and Midland (77.33). The championship venue at Mount Marty also played host to the 2021 NAIA indoor national meet.
For those who qualify, the season will continue at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Brookings, S.D., Feb. 29 – March 2. National qualifiers for multi events will be announced on Feb. 19 while all other qualifiers will be revealed on Feb. 23. More details on the national meet can be found HERE .
Beisel named GPAC Coach of the Year; 46 Bulldogs garner all-conference honors February 22, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – Courtesy of their efforts at the 2024 GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championships, 46 athletes from Concordia University Track & Field have raked in all-conference awards (full list below). On the heels of leading the Bulldog women’s program to a 10th-straight GPAC title, Head Coach Matt Beisel has been tabbed the 2024 Jim McMahon GPAC Women’s Indoor Coach of the Year. All-conference recognition goes to athletes who place inside the top eight of individual events and to relays with top three placements. While the women celebrated another title, the men placed third at the 2024 conference meet hosted by Mount Marty.
The string of GPAC titles for the women’s program dates back to the 2019 conference indoor meet hosted by the Bulldogs. Beisel has presided over each of those championships as part of his eight-year tenure at his alma mater. Beisel has earned his 11th career GPAC Coach of the Year award (ten in track & field and one in cross country). Beisel is assisted on the coaching staff by Ed McLaughlin, Mark Samuels, Benjamin Hinckfoot, Jason Berry, Maddie Wachowski, Lia Guigui and Steve Hoger.
The list of 2024 indoor All-GPAC honorees includes conference champions Jenna Esch (600 and 800 meters), Rylee Haecker (1,000 meters), Jordan Koepke (400 meters), Calvin Rohde (1,000 meters), Zoey Walker (high jump), Chris Wren (weight throw) and Zach Zohner (pole vault), as well as the women’s 4x400 meter relay. The championship relay team was made up of Esch, Kayla Kirchner, Trinity Tuls and Koepke. Haecker won the women’s 1,000 meters for the third-straight year.
There were 14 Bulldogs who collected all-conference awards in multiple events. Included in that group was Kylahn Freiberg, who broke the women’s program record in the 3,000 meters with a time of 10:05.72 at the GPAC Championships (the previous record of 10:11.42 was set by Rachael Geidel in 2000). Freiberg placed second in both the mile and 3,000 meters. On the men’s side, Rohde scored the most Bulldog points via his place finishes of first in the 1,000 meters, second in the mile and fourth in the 3,000 meters. Meanwhile, Adrianna Rodencal placed in the top three of three events.
Next up will be the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Brookings, S.D., Feb. 29 – March 2. More information on the national championship meet can be found HERE .
2024 GPAC Indoor All-Conference Award Winners
MEN
· Liam Fagan – 400 meters (7th)
· Carson Fehlhafer – shot put (4th)
· Luke Hammang – 3,000m race walk (3rd)
· Evan Hill – pole vault (8th)
· Mason Hodges – 3,000m race walk (4th)
· Jax Jacobson – pole vault (8th)
· Brady Klute – weight throw (8th)
· Hayden Kluthe – 60 hurdles (4th)
· Trevor Kuncl – mile (8th)
· Mayson Ostermeyer – pole vault (2nd)
· Jonah Paulsen – triple jump (5th)
· Joel Rathe – long jump (4th)
· Trey Robertson – 5,000 meters (8th)
· Calvin Rohde – 1,000 meters (1st); mile (2nd); 3,000 meters (4th)
· Caleb Schlichting – 3,000m race walk (2nd)
· Darien Semedo – shot put (3rd); weight throw (6th)
· Colby Sugden – 400 meters (5th)
· Chris Wren – weight throw (1st)
· Zach Zohner – pole vault (1st)
WOMEN
· Elena Batenhorst – pentathlon (5th)
· Erin Boggs – pole vault (4th)
· Amira Cummings – pole vault (3rd)
· Jenna Esch – 600 meters (1st); 800 meters (1st); 4x400m relay (1st)
· Kylahn Freiberg – mile (2nd); 3,000 meters (2nd)
· Abby Gerber – shot put (3rd); weight throw (7th)
· Faith Espinosa – pentathlon (3rd)
· Rylee Haecker – 1,000 meters (1st); mile (3rd)
· Rhaya Kaschinske – 1,000 meters (4th)
· Kayla Kirchner – 4x400m relay (1st); 200 meters (5th); 400 meters (6th)
· Jordan Koepke – 400 meters (1st); 4x400m relay (1st)
· JaeLynne Kosmos – triple jump (8th)
· Julie McIntyre – mile (5th)
· Hayley Miles – triple jump (4th); long jump (6th)
· Kiki Nyanok – long jump (5th)
· Kamryn Pokorney – weight throw (5th); shot put (8th)
· Josie Puelz – pole vault (6th)
· Kellie Rhodes – long jump (8th)
· Amy Richert – pentathlon (8th)
· Adrianna Rodencal – 60 hurdles (2nd); 60 meters (3rd); 200 meters (3rd)
· Isabelle Salters – 400 meters (7th)
· Amanda Steinke – pentathlon (6th); long jump (7th)
· Gretchen Stottlemyre – 3,000m race walk (4th)
· Kayla Svoboda – 60 hurdles (5th)
· Trinity Tuls – 4x400m relay (1st); 400 meters (3rd)
· Zoey Walker – high jump (1st); pentathlon (2nd)
· Abi Wohlgemuth – weight throw (3rd)
Beisel tabbed NAIA Midwest Region Coach of the Year for ninth time February 22, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – Another coaching award came the way of Matt Beisel on Thursday (Feb. 22) as the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) named him its 2024 NAIA Midwest Region Women’s Indoor Coach of the Year. The honor comes on the same day that the GPAC recognized Beisel and the Concordia University Track & Field staff with the 2024 Jim McMahon Women’s Indoor Coach/Program of the Year award. Beisel and his staff led the Concordia women’s team to a team championship at the 2024 GPAC indoor meet. The USTFCCCA honors coaches and athletes in five separate regions.
Currently in his eighth season heading the cross country and track & field programs, Beisel has collected his ninth career Midwest Region Coach of the Year accolade. The award comes on the heels of the Bulldog women’s track program capturing its 10th GPAC title in a row. Conference champions on the women’s side included the women’s 4x400 meter relay, Jenna Esch (600 and 800 meters), Rylee Haecker (1,000 meters), Jordan Koepke (400 meters) and Zoey Walker (high jump). In addition, Kylahn Freiberg broke the school record in the 3,000 meters.
Beisel has been honored with 11 career GPAC Coach of the Year awards (including one in cross country). During Beisel’s tenure, the women’s track and field program has placed 12th or better at 12 of 13 national meets. In 2023, the Bulldog women placed sixth in the NAIA for indoor and 23rd for outdoor. Along the way, Beisel’s staff for his entire tenure has included assistants Ed McLaughlin, Mark Samuels and Jason Berry. In addition, Ben Hinckfoot joined the staff in January 2021. Maddie Wachowski and Lia Guigui serve as graduate assistants while Steve Hoger coaches the race walkers.
Beisel and the Bulldogs are preparing to travel to Brookings, S.D., for the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships, Feb. 29 – March 2.
Day 1 Recap: Relays steal show in leading off 2024 indoor nationals February 29, 2024
BROOKINGS, S.D. – A pair of women’s relays positioned themselves for All-America awards as part of day one at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships. A total of 13 Bulldogs represented Concordia University Track & Field on Thursday (Feb. 29) with action taking place at the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex in Brookings, S.D. Two full days of track & field are yet to come in Brookings.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s nationally ranked programs combined for 32 national qualifiers. The first Concordia competitors of the weekend have made a strong first impression.
While taking the track first among Concordia’s national qualifying relays, the 4x8 flirted with the school record, finishing in 9:13.76 for first place in heat four of the preliminaries (fourth overall). The group of Jenna Esch, Kylahn Freiberg, Julie McIntyre and Rylee Haecker will get another shot at the school record of 9:12.94 when they run in the finals on Friday evening. Beisel commended the 4x8 crew on running a perfect strategic race in the prelims. The goal will be to knock several seconds off their time in the finals and make a run at a national title.
In the span of roughly an hour, Esch ran two separate relays while continuing a stellar indoor season. Esch ran the leadoff leg for the 4x4 before handing off to Kayla Kirchner, Trinity Tuls and Jordan Koepke. When Koepke crossed the finish line, 3:48.65 had elapsed. That time was good enough for fourth place overall in the prelims. By comparison, the school record in the event stands at 3:47.39. That same 4x4 also ran 3:59.23 to win the GPAC title at Mount Marty. The finals of the 4x4 will go off at 4:55 p.m. on Saturday.
The evening concluded with Concordia’s men’s distance medley relay running the first of three heats on Mark Steinborn Memorial Track. The Bulldog DMR was made up of Trey Robertson (1,200 meters), Colby Sugden (400 meters), Trevor Kuncl (800 meters) and Calvin Rohde (1,600 meters). That crew clocked a time of 10:23.48 and placed 16th in the prelims. Beisel noted that Robertson knocked seven seconds off his PR in the 1,200 meters, Sugden ran a PR of 49.10 in the 400 meters and Kuncl set a new personal best in the 800 meters at 1:57. Rohde will be back to run the mile on Friday.
The national championship meet got underway late Thursday morning when 60-meter hurdles portion of the women’s pentathlon unfolded. Concordia had two competitors in the women’s pentathlon: Josi Noble (12th place) and Zoey Walker (14th place). Both rising standouts were competing in the pentathlon at a national meet for the first time and came close to their PR's. Noble (triple jump) and Walker (high jump) have events yet to come this weekend.
Things will get more hectic on Friday as field events and individual races enter the fray. The first action from the Bulldogs’ perspective will come in the men’s weight throw and women’s mile – both at 12 p.m. CT. The schedule of Concordia competitors for day two can be viewed below. Select races can be viewed later via the Concordia Track & Field YouTube channel (linked above).
Concordia Day 2 schedule:
Men’s Weight Throw (Friday, 12:00 p.m.) – Brady Klute, Darien Semedo, Chris Wren
Women’s Mile Run (Friday, 12:00 p.m.) – Kylahn Freiberg
Men’s Mile Run (Friday, 12:20 p.m.) – Calvin Rohde
Women’s 60m Hurdles (Friday, 12:35 p.m.) – Adrianna Rodencal
Women’s Long Jump (Friday, 1:00 p.m.) – Hayley Miles
Women’s 600m Run (Friday, 1:45 p.m.) – Jordan Koepke
Women’s 800m Run (Friday, 2:45 p.m.) – Jenna Esch
Women’s Pole Vault (Friday, 3:00 p.m.) – Erin Boggs, Amira Cummings, Josie Puelz, Sydney Reichert
Women’s Weight Throw (Friday, 3:00 p.m.) – Abigail Gerber, Kamryn Pokorney, Abi Wohlgemuth
Women’s 1000m Run (Friday, 3:15 p.m.) – Rylee Haecker, Rhaya Kaschinske
Men’s Long Jump (Friday, 4:00 p.m.) – Joel Rathe
Finals of Women’s 4x800m Relay (Friday, 5:20 p.m.) – Jenna Esch, Kylahn Freiberg, Julie McIntyre, Rylee Haecker (Rhaya Kaschinske)
Day 2 Recap: 4x8 captures national title, Wren places as NAIA runner up March 1, 2024
BROOKINGS, S.D. – Emotions of pure joy filled the Bulldog women’s 4x800 meter relay group on Friday (March 1) as it celebrated an NAIA national title. As the anchor leg, Kylahn Freiberg crossed the finish line and was immediately bearhugged by 4x8 teammates Jenna Esch, Rylee Haecker and Julie McIntyre. That quartet ascended to the All-America podium along with throwers Abi Wohlgemuth and Chris Wren and pole vaulter Josie Puelz on day two of the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Brookings, S.D.
With six of 21 events scored on the women’s side, Concordia is currently tied for third place with 15 points. Meanwhile, the Bulldog men sit in a tie for ninth place with eight points.
“I’m never going to forget it,” Beisel said of the national championship moment for the 4x8. “It’s my first national champion that I’ve coached and it’s the second national championship relay that Concordia’s ever had. The biggest thing is I feel this overwhelming sense of gratitude to God. There’s been a lot of prayer in the days leading up to this. Today God said ‘yes’ to a really special thing. I’m most happy for the girls. It’s something they’ll have for the rest of their lives. It’s an incredible legacy to leave for Concordia.”
Three of the four Bulldogs who made up the 4x8 had already run an individual race (and qualified for finals) before gearing up for the relay. As the leadoff leg, Esch helped jump Concordia out to a sizeable lead that it never relinquished. The splits were 2:16.32 for Esch, 2:17.10 for Haecker, 2:18.12 for McIntyre and 2:14.61 for Freiberg. It added up to a school record time of 9:06.48, sufficient to hold off hard charging final leg for The Master’s of California (the runner up). The Bulldogs entered the meet seeded first and backed it up.
All four relay runners provided thoughts following the performance in an interview that can be viewed HERE . Said the now nine-time All-American Haecker, “Praise God. All year we’ve been dreaming about this. It’s a gift from Him that we were able to put it together. There are not enough words for it honestly. I’m just overcome with emotion. Senior year – that’s the way to go out for all of us as a relay.”
One of the deepest weight throw crews in the country qualified three individuals for both men and women. Wren earned the fourth All-America award of his career while coming in near his personal best with a toss of 65’ ¾.” The national runner-up claim for Wren marked his highest ever finish at a national meet. In addition, Darien Semedo placed 13th and Brady Klute placed 20th. On the women’s side, Wohlgemuth collected her first career All-America medal by placing sixth with a throw of 57’ 8 ¼.” She was joined in the competition by teammates Kamryn Pokorney (22nd) and Abby Gerber (24th).
Wren’s consistent excellence in the weight throw has been remarkable. Said the senior Wren afterwards, “It’s been a long time coming. I’m glad to have finally gotten to that place. I just give all the glory to God that He’s gotten me in this position.”
The day wrapped up with Concordia’s seventh official All-American of the meet as Josie Puelz rose to the occasion while shaking off what has been a challenging indoor season. She cleared four-straight bars at the national meet with a high of 12’ ½,” placing her in seventh. The Lincoln Lutheran alum will take home her eighth career All-America award. Two of her teammates also cleared bars as Erin Boggs placed 13th (11’ 8 ½”) and Amira Cummings placed 20th (11’ 4 ½”). Sydney Reichert no-heighted in her first career experience at a national meet.
More All-America awards will be expected on the track on Saturday as four Bulldogs booked their tickets for the finals: Esch in the 800 meters (2:16.55), Freiberg in the mile (5:00.08), Haecker in the 1,000 meters (2:53.91) and Calvin Rohde in the mile (4:12.91). It’s a feel-good story for Rohde, a senior hoping to reach the podium for the first time in his career. The Reed City, Mich., native clocked the fastest time in field in the mile on Friday. Meanwhile, Freiberg’s mile was the second fastest in school history.
Elsewhere in the field events, Concordia had entrants in both the men’s and women’s long jump. Joel Rathe placed 15th (22’ 9”) and Hayley Miles placed 24th (16’ 9 ¼”). On the track, there were a few athletes who came up short of the finals. It was agonizingly close for Adrianna Rodencal, who ran 8.59 in the 60-meter hurdles and placed ninth in the prelims (.01 seconds from eighth place). In addition, Jordan Koepke placed 14th in the 600 meters (1:36.76) and Rhaya Kaschinske placed 17th in the 1,000 meters (3:03.44).
All things considered, the Bulldogs came away pleased after day two of the meet. The Concordia women will be looking to push for a top-four finish and a team trophy while the men aim to remain amongst the top 10 as the meet comes to a finish on Saturday. The slate of Bulldog events for Saturday is listed below.
Said Beisel, “It’s gone really well for us. Some of the highlights are to be determined, but it’s a big deal to get relays to the finals on the women’s side and then have Jenna, Calvin, Kylahn and Rylee all reach finals. They have the potential to put some good points on the board for us. Having Chris Wren get national runner up in the weight throw was huge and Abi Wohlgemuth made All-American. We ended with Josie Puelz getting seventh in the pole vault. Those are the kind of pieces that need to fall into place to set us up for a really good final day.”
2024 NAIA Indoor All-Americans
· Jenna Esch – 4x800m Relay (1st)
· Kylahn Freiberg – 4x800m Relay (1st)
· Rylee Haecker – 4x800m Relay (1st)
· Julie McIntyre – 4x800m Relay (1st)
· Josie Puelz – Pole Vault (7th)
· Abi Wohlgemuth – Weight Throw (6th)
· Chris Wren – Weight Throw (2nd)
Day 3 Concordia schedule:
NOTE: All races are finals.
Women’s Triple Jump (Saturday, 10:00 a.m.) – Hayley Miles, Josi Noble
Women’s Shot Put (Saturday, 11:30 a.m.) – Abigail Gerber
Women’s Mile (Saturday, 12:25 p.m.) – Kylahn Freiberg
Men’s Mile (Saturday, 12:35 p.m.) – Calvin Rohde
Men’s Pole Vault (Saturday, 1:15 p.m.) – Mayson Ostermeyer, Zach Zohner
Women’s High Jump (Saturday, 1:30 p.m.) – Zoey Walker
Women’s 800 Meters (Saturday, 2:10 p.m.) – Jenna Esch
Women’s 1,000 Meters (Saturday, 2:25 p.m.) – Rylee Haecker
Men’s Shot Put (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.) – Carson Fehlhafer, Darien Semedo
Women’s 4x400m Relay (Saturday, 4:55 p.m.) – Jenna Esch, Kayla Kirchner, Trinity Tuls, Jordan Koepke
Day 3 Recap: Zohner wins pole vault national title, both teams place in NAIA top 10 March 2, 2024
BROOKINGS, S.D. – It would have been difficult to script a better weekend than the one enjoyed by members of the Concordia University Track & Field program. Both the women’s and men’s teams claimed top 10 national finishes by the time the dust settled on the three-day 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships (Feb. 29 – March 2) in Brookings, S.D. On the meet’s final day, Zach Zohner seized the NAIA men’s pole vault national title in another mountaintop moment.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads concluded the championship meet with point totals of 42 on the women’s side and 24.5 on the men’s side. The women tied for third and earned a team trophy while the men landed in eighth place. Fifteen Bulldogs won All-America medals in one or more events.
“Looking at the overall picture, the most important thing was that I felt God working in and through our team,” Beisel said. “I just felt God’s presence throughout the meet. I saw a lot of joy and laughter. The performances came out of the training and hard work that we put in – and God answered ‘yes’ to a whole lot of prayers. We some gutsy and gritty performances over and over again. At the same time, tons of laughs and lots of great memories. My heart is full. I was talking with Coach (Mark) Samuels about how performance after performance, the kids were hitting personal bests. That gives us a lot of joy.”
The latest All-Americans on Saturday included not only the national champion Zohner but also mile national runner up Kylahn Freiberg, Jenna Esch (800 meters), Abby Gerber (shot put), Rylee Haecker (1,000 meters), Mayson Ostermeyer (pole vault), Calvin Rohde (mile), Zoey Walker (high jump) and the women’s 4x400 meter relay. Each of the All-Americans from the weekend are listed at the bottom.
The Battle Creek, Neb., native Zohner has been building up to this moment. He stormed onto the national stage a year ago with a runner-up claim. Seeded first in the NAIA, Zohner achieved the ultimate goal with a personal best clearance of 17’ 2 ¾.” As part of the competition, he also went over 16’ ¾” and 16’ 6 ¾.” The runner up wound up clearing 16’ 4 ¾.” Zohner is the men’s program’s first pole vault national champion since Lucas Wiechman accomplished that feat at the 2017 outdoor national meet. It was also a thrilling performance for Ostermeyer, who achieved a personal best of 15’ 11” and placed in a tie for fifth while exceeding his seed mark entering the meet.
The likes of Esch, Freiberg and Haecker were rockstars on the track all weekend for the GPAC championship women’s team. The Nampa, Idaho, native Freiberg took to the track early in the afternoon on Saturday and blazed to a mile PR of 4:54.09 (second best in school history) and earned the second national runner up award of her impressive career. The momentum continued throughout the day as Esch placed fourth in the 800 meters in a personal best of 2:13.54 and Haecker produced a new personal standard and a new school record (formerly held by Kim Wood) by running the 1,000 meters in 2:52.88, good for third place. Esch (six-time All-American), Freiberg (six-time All-American) and Haecker (10-time All-American) were joined by Julie McIntyre on the 4x800 meter relay that won gold on Friday.
On the men’s side, the senior Rohde of Reed City, Mich., realized his goal of becoming an All-American. Rohde shaved a couple of seconds off his mile time from the prelims and clocked in at 4:10.63 (personal best) on Saturday, placing sixth. The performance resulted in Rohde’s first career All-America award. He also ran as part of the national qualifying distance medley relay.
The women’s team tacked on additional points in the field events as Gerber placed fifth in the shot put with a personal best of 46’ 4” and Walker finished eighth in the high jump after she cleared 5’ 6.” Gerber is now a two-time All-American while Walker notched the first of her young collegiate career. In other field events that took place on Saturday, Josi Noble (26th) and Hayley Miles (30th) competed in the triple jump and Darien Semedo (16th) and Carson Fehlhafer (35th) represented the program in the shot put.
Finally, the Concordia women’s 4x4 concluded the meet by running a time of 3:48.14 and placing sixth. That group included Esch, Kayla Kirchner, Trinity Tuls and Jordan Koepke. Esch walked away from the meet with All-America awards in three separate events. Kirchner picked up the first All-America award of her career while Koepke is now a six-time All-American and Tuls is a three-time All-American.
The third-place finish meant that the Bulldog took the podium to accept a team trophy as the meet faded to black inside the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex. The women’s program has placed third or better in three of the past four NAIA indoor national meets. As for the men, the eighth-place claim marked the program’s best indoor national finish since it was the national runner up in 2017.
Said Beisel, “Each of our athletes chipped away and helped put the pieces together. It doesn’t matter if they scored or didn’t score. What we achieved is everybody’s because everyone is part of the team dynamic that has made a huge impact for us. I couldn’t ask for a better group of athletes, coaches, staff and athletic trainers. It felt like we were able to go and relax and trust in the training.”
2024 NAIA Indoor All-Americans
· Jenna Esch – 4x800m Relay (1st); 800 Meters (4th); 4x400m Relay (6th)
· Kylahn Freiberg – 4x800m Relay (1st); Mile (2nd)
· Abby Gerber – Shot Put (5th)
· Rylee Haecker – 4x800m Relay (1st); 1,000 Meters (3rd)
· Kayla Kirchner – 4x400m Relay (6th)
· Jordan Koepke – 4x400m Relay (6th)
· Julie McIntyre – 4x800m Relay (1st)
· Mayson Ostermeyer – Pole Vault (5th)
· Josie Puelz – Pole Vault (7th)
· Calvin Rohde – Mile (6th)
· Trinity Tuls – 4x400m Relay (6th)
· Zoey Walker – High Jump (8th)
· Abi Wohlgemuth – Weight Throw (6th)
· Chris Wren – Weight Throw (2nd)
· Zach Zohner – Pole Vault (1st)
Looking ahead to 2024 outdoor season, the Bulldogs will get it started on March 23 with the Viking Relays hosted by Grand View University. All roads will eventually lead to Marion, Ind., which will be the host site for the 2024 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships.
Fifteen Bulldogs earn 2024 indoor All-America awards March 4, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – Courtesy of their performances at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships, 15 Bulldogs have earned All-America honors in one or more events (full list below). In order to receive an All-America plaque, a top eight placement at the national championship meet is required. The list of 2024 Concordia University Track & Field indoor All-Americans is headlined by pole vault national champion Zach Zohner and Concordia’s national championship 4x800 meter relay of Jenna Esch, Rylee Haecker, Julie McIntyre and Kylahn Freiberg. In addition, two Bulldogs were national runners up last week in Brookings: Freiberg in the mile and Chris Wren in the weight throw.
Only once before in the history of Concordia Track & Field has a relay team won a national title. History was made in 1999 when the 4x8 group of Stacey Hain, Rachel Giedel, Andrea Overstreet and Julie Reinke claimed the NAIA indoor national title in a time of 9:21.61. Twenty-five years later, Concordia has ascended back to the top of the podium in the women’s 4x8 with a school record time of 9:06.48. The 2024 4x8 national championship crew was made up of three Bulldogs who also earned All-America awards in individual events as Esch took fourth in the 800 meters, Freiberg placed second in the mile and Haecker earned third in the 1,000 meters.
The Battle Creek, Neb., native Zohner became the men’s program’s first indoor pole vault national champion since Jeb Myers in 2003. The most recent men’s pole vault national titlist overall was Lucas Wiechman at the 2017 NAIA outdoor meet. Other pole vault national champions in men’s program history are T.J Kloster (six), Gene Brooks (five) and Patrick Gellens (two). Brooks owns the school indoor pole vault record (18’ ½”) while Kloser owns the program outdoor pole vault standard (17’ 6 ¼”). Zohner’s PR of 17’ 2 ¾” places him No. 4 on the school’s all-time indoor list.
Another school record came last week via Haecker, who ran 2:52.88 in the finals of the 1,000 meters, breaking the previous record of 2:53.46 by Kim Wood in 2015. Haecker’s 10 career All-America awards are the most of any active Concordia track athlete. In the mile, Freiberg recorded a time of 4:54.09 that now ranks second all-time. Meanwhile, Rohde (4:10.63) moved up to No. 3 in the mile on the men’s all-time list and Esch stands at No. 3 on the women’s 800-meter list. Esch and her 4x4 teammates posted a time of 3:48.14 that sits No. 2 all-time. The weight throw national runner up Wren was just shy of his PR and ranks No. 3 in school history.
The first-time All-Americans that emerged from the 2024 indoor national meet were: Kayla Kirchner, Julie McIntyre, Mayson Ostermeyer, Calvin Rohde, Zoey Walker and Abi Wohlgemuth.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads earned 2024 NAIA indoor national finishes of third on the women’s side and tied for eighth on the men’s side. At the conference level, the women won the GPAC title (10th in a row) and the men placed third.
2024 Indoor All-Americans
*School record
Jenna Esch
Kylahn Freiberg
Abby Gerber
Rylee Haecker
Kayla Kirchner
Jordan Koepke
Julie McIntyre
Mayson Ostermeyer
Josie Puelz
Calvin Rohde
Trinity Tuls
Zoey Walker
Abi Wohlgemuth
Chris Wren
Zach Zohner
Soaring confidence, relentless drive fuel national champion Zohner March 14, 2024
The ‘aha moment’ for Zach Zohner occurred during the middle of the 2023 indoor track and field season. Zohner decided he would no longer be hampered by hamstring injuries. Actually, it was the fear of reaggravation that clouded his thoughts. The body had healed, but the mind was still struggling to catch up. “Coach, I’m just done with this,” Zohner told Concordia pole vault coach Jason Berry.
At first blush, Berry feared Zohner meant he was ready to give up on vaulting. But the Battle Creek, Neb., native quickly cleared things up. At that point, Zohner had been a two-time national qualifier with the potential for a whole lot more.
“He kind of threw me for a loop,” Berry said of that moment of significance. “He comes up to me and says, ‘Coach, I’m just done with this.’ I was like, ‘Are you done with pole vault? What are you done with?’ He answered, ‘I’m just done worrying about my hamstrings – I’m just gonna go.’ I think it was that mentality that made the difference. His passion and his drive just took control. It was contagious because Zach Bennetts and Chase (Berry) fed off it. All three of them excelled throughout the second half of the indoor season. Zach was a catalyst for them. He turned it loose and really built confidence.”
If not for that breakthrough, there wouldn’t have been the national runner-up claim at indoor 2023, the third-place NAIA finish at outdoor 2023 or the mountaintop triumph on March 2, 2024. That’s the day Zohner became the NAIA’s indoor pole vault national champion, a distinction he’s still getting used to. While he processes how all of this occurred in a roughly 13-month period that saw him go from fearing injury to thriving, he can’t hide a wide grin.
Fearlessness in the moment is exactly what the 2024 indoor national championship meet required. With a national title not yet secured, Zohner missed his first attempt at 16’ 4 ¾,” passed on to the next height, missed an attempt at 16’ 6 ¾” and faced a defining moment as an athlete. According to Zohner, the “rhythm in his run” was just a bit off on his two missed attempts. Zohner managed to calm himself down and get over the bar. Zohner wasn’t done yet. With the national title nailed down, Zohner cleared his second try at 17’ 2 ¾” for a personal best.
On both of those final two successful vaults, Zohner immediately bounced up off the mat and fist-pumped with the right hand before embracing Coach Berry. Nearby, members of Zohner’s family howled with their approval. The right mentality on the grandest stage made Zohner a national champion. He effectively backed up that No. 1 NAIA seed.
Said Zohner less than two weeks later, “It was stressful. I think I did a pretty good job the weeks before not thinking about it too much. When I did, I just let it pass. It almost didn’t work out because I cleared 16’ 6” on my third attempt. If I would have missed that, I would have gotten second or third. There were a lot of prayers. It hasn’t (sunk in) as much as you’d think. It was just two weeks ago. It’s still really special.”
National titles don’t just happen overnight. The Battle Creek High School graduate arrived at Concordia in the fall of 2020 after having competed in track and field in addition to football and basketball as a prep athlete. Like a lot of high school athletes in the state, Zohner ate up the chance to perform on the gridiron underneath the lights on Friday nights. He played receiver on offense and cornerback on defense. Zohner began pole vaulting the summer leading into seventh grade, but he was determined not to pigeonhole himself into one activity just yet.
By the close of his high school career, Zohner vaulted 14’ 4” and was a fourth-place state medalist. He also excelled in the hurdles as an all-around athlete. The vault was something Zohner started at the nudging of his father Kevin. Though Zach never attended a camp at Concordia, he felt a pull towards Concordia University, located less than a two-hours drive south of his hometown.
“I liked the smaller town feel,” Zohner said. “It was between going here and going to UNL and not doing any sports. I just couldn’t see myself going there and being a number and not having as many opportunities to meet people as I have here. I’m definitely glad I’m here.”
As Berry would tell you, 14’ 4” is a good height for a high school vaulter in Nebraska, but it doesn’t necessarily guarantee future collegiate stardom. Berry liked that Zohner was more than just a quality athlete. He was someone who would work hard and never stop resolving to master the art of the vault. A near 4.0 student, Zohner was prepared to tackle the intricacies of the vault just as hard as he would his physics major.
When injuries hit, Zohner found another barrier he would have to clear on his path to the top of the podium. “Those things happen sometimes when athletes come in and the training is different and the environment is different,” Berry said. “He struggled his freshman and sophomore year with those physical things. The whole time, we’re still working on technique and trying to improve. He’s always one of those kids who has been driven. He’s always been hungry for more information, more knowledge and a better understanding of the vault. It’s a real pleasure to work with someone like that. He’s always had a strong work ethic and drive.”
Those traits combined with Zohner’s soaring confidence have him chasing down the program’s all-time greats in the vault. Zohner hit the 17-foot mark for the first time at the Concordia Classic in late January. On the school’s all-time indoor list, the 17-foot club includes legends like Gene Brooks, TJ Kloster, Joel Sievers, Don Kitzman – and now Zach Zohner. Naturally, Zach felt honored when Gene Brooks (the only 18-foot vaulter in school history) texted to congratulate him on becoming Concordia’s latest pole vault national champion.
Zohner also hit 17 feet at the 2024 GPAC Indoor Championships while winning his second career conference pole vault title. That feat was no surprise given Zohner’s consistency all season. He won pole vault championships at the Early Bird Meet, the Polar Dog Invite, the Concordia Classic and the Concordia Invite leading up to the conference meet. Repeatable excellence is never easy in the pole vault, but Zohner has made it seem that way.
“It’s taken the last three years putting things in order, one at a time,” Zohner said. “It’s been me and Coach Berry going back and forth realizing we can’t worry about something later in the vault before I’ve got something on the runway worked out. I have to keep my head screwed on straight.”
That aspect of Zohner’s game has made all the difference. The rise of Zohner has positively impacted the entire pole vault group as sophomore Mayson Ostermeyer became an All-American for the first time this indoor season.
“When you get the mind and body right, those heights start showing up,” Berry said. “Now we’re shifting to – how do we get him higher? It’s been a real joy to coach him. I love seeing what he’s doing with his teammates and how they respond to him. He’s a good leader.”
Zohner credits Berry with helping him achieve that physical-mental synchronicity it takes to become a national champion. In the middle of the 2023 indoor season, Zohner stopped allowing the fear of leg injuries to paralyze his thoughts. “Your body can be ready but sometimes your mind isn’t,” Zohner said. “You have to get those two lined up and have the patience to go the whole way.”
Of course, another essential element gave Zohner the courage to truly believe in himself. As Zohner says, “I just have to thank God for everything. He’s led me through it all and helped me through the obstacles.”
Season Preview: 2024 Concordia Outdoor Track & Field March 18, 2024
MEN'S OVERVIEW Head Coach : Matt Beisel (8th year); 11x GPAC Coach of the Year2024 Indoor Finishes : 3rd (GPAC); 8th (NAIA)2023 Indoor Finishes : 3rd (GPAC); 31st (NAIA)2023 Outdoor Finishes : 3rd (GPAC); 26th (NAIA)Past All-Americans returning (indoor/outdoor) : Mayson Ostermeyer (1); Calvin Rohde (1); Austen Rozelle (1); Darien Semedo (1); Chris Wren (4); Zach Zohner (3).2023 All-Americans lost (indoor/outdoor) : Zach Bennetts.2023 Indoor National Qualifiers returning (indoor/outdoor) : Joel Rathe; Calvin Rohde; Austen Rozelle; Darien Semedo; Chris Wren; Zach Zohner.
WOMEN'S OVERVIEW Head Coach : Matt Beisel (8th year); 11x GPAC Coach of the Year2024 Indoor Finishes : 1st (GPAC); 3rd (NAIA)2023 Indoor Finishes : 1st (GPAC); 6th (NAIA)2023 Outdoor Finishes : 1st (GPAC); 23rd (NAIA)Past All-Americans returning (indoor/outdoor) : Jenna Esch (6); Kylahn Freiberg (6); Abigail Gerber (2); Rylee Haecker (10); Jordan Koepke (6); Julie McIntyre (1); Josi Noble (1); Josie Puelz (8); Amy Richert (3); Trinity Tuls (3); Zoey Walker (1); Abi Wohlgemuth (1).2023 All-Americans lost (indoor/outdoor) : Rachel Battershell; Erin Mapson; Alli Owings; Erin Painter.2023 National Qualifiers returning (indoor/outdoor) : Keegan Beisel; Erin Boggs; Amira Cummings; Lauren Dawson; Jenna Esch; Kylahn Freiberg; Abigail Gerber; Rylee Haecker; Rhaya Kaschinske; Kayla Kirchner; Jordan Koepke; Emma Lloyd; Josi Noble; Kamryn Pokorney; Josie Puelz; Kellie Rhodes; Amy Richert; Adrianna Rodencal; Gretchen Stottlemyre; Kayla Svoboda; Trinity Tuls; Abi Wohlgemuth.
Outlook
Outdoor season is upon the Concordia University Track & Field program, which wrapped up hosting a largescale indoor high school meet this past weekend. The Bulldogs are looking to build upon a 2024 indoor season that saw them turn in NAIA national top 10 place finishes for both men and women. The powerhouse women’s program keeps on trucking while extending its string of consecutive GPAC titles to 10.
The major thrills at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships emerged in the form of national titles won by Zach Zohner in the pole vault and by the women’s 4x800 meter relay. Fifteen Bulldogs took home All-America awards in at least one event.
It would have been difficult for 11-time GPAC Coach of the Year Matt Beisel to have hoped for much more from a group that rose to the occasion at the most opportune moments. Said Beisel at the conclusion of indoor nationals, “Each of our athletes chipped away and helped put the pieces together. It doesn’t matter if they scored or didn’t score. What we achieved is everybody’s because everyone is part of the team dynamic that has made a huge impact for us. I couldn’t ask for a better group of athletes, coaches, staff and athletic trainers. It felt like we were able to go and relax and trust in the training.”
The slate gets wiped clean as the collegiate track & field world shifts to outdoor season. Between now and the end of April, Bulldog athletes are scheduled to make appearances at eight outdoor meets across four Midwest states. The returning outdoor All-Americans from 2023 include Jenna Esch, Rylee Haecker, Josi Noble, Josie Puelz, Austen Rozelle, Darien Semedo, Trinity Tuls and Zohner. For the seniors set to graduate in May, precious little time exists to soak up what’s left of their collegiate careers.
Bulldog fans are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to watch incredible women’s relay teams that include seniors such as Haecker, Tuls, Kylahn Freiberg and Julie McIntyre. The quartet of Esch, Freiberg, Haecker and McIntyre will get a shot at another national championship in the 4x8 this outdoor season. That group broke the school indoor 4x8 record at the national championships. Said Esch soon after winning the national title alongside her 4x8 teammates, “It feels amazing. We’ve been working for it all year. We knew what we wanted to do. It’s great to do it. Coming here and working together, we pulled through. It’s really exciting.”
As always, the outdoor season comes with events that aren’t contested during indoor, such as the 1,500 meters, 10,000 meters, longer hurdle races, the steeplechase, the 4x100 meter relay and the discus, hammer and javelin throws. In the past, those dynamics have typically added a boost for the Bulldogs, who are deep in the throws. During indoor season, Concordia ranked near the top of the USTFCCCA’s event squad ratings in the shot put and weight throw for both women and men. The Davenport, Neb., native Haecker is well-suited for the 1,500 meters, a race that belongs to her when it comes to the school record book. An All-American for the first time this past indoor season, Calvin Rohde is a returning qualifier in the 5,000 meters.
In the pole vault, Zohner is capable of making a run at the outdoor school record of 17’ 6 ¼” set by TJ Kloster in 2002. Zohner cleared a new PR of 17’ 2 ¾” at the indoor national meet and will have his eyes on a sweep of 2024 NAIA pole vault national championships. The vault is a deep crew that includes five-time national champion Josie Puelz, who persevered through a trying indoor season and landed in seventh place at NAIA indoor nationals. On the men’s side, Mayson Ostermeyer also earned a spot on the All-America podium.
Haecker is the GPAC’s defending champion in the 1,500 meters. Other reigning and returning conference champions from a year ago are the women’s 4x100 meter relay, the women’s 4x400 meter relay, Puelz and Zohner in the pole vault and Amy Richert in the heptathlon. Former national champion Rachel Battershell is the lone departure from those relay teams. The 4x1 was made up of returners in Kayla Kirchner, Kellie Rhodes and Adrianna Rodencal while the 4x4 brings back Esch, Kirchner and Tuls. Rodencal is primed for more big things after she broke the school 100 hurdles record (14.00) as a freshman.
At the 2023 NAIA outdoor national meet, Rozelle (sixth in the discus) and Semedo (sixth in the shot put) outperformed their seed marks to become All-Americans for the first time in their careers. Now a four-time All-American after placing as the NAIA national runner up in the weight throw, Chris Wren figures to push for a lofty spot nationally in the hammer. On the women’s side, Abby Gerber and Abi Wohlgemuth have combined for three career All-America awards.
Leading the way for the jumps crew, Zoey Walker picked up 2024 indoor All-America honors in the high jump as just a freshman. The qualifying group that joined Walker in Brookings, S.D., included Hayley Miles and Joel Rathe in the long jump and both Miles and Noble in the triple jump. In addition, Richert starred as a high jump All-American at the 2021 NAIA outdoor meet.
For the second-straight year, the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships will take place on the Indiana Wesleyan University campus in Marion, Ind. At last year’s outdoor national meet, the Bulldogs tied for 23rd on the women’s side and shared 26th on the men’s side. The outdoor national meet took place in Gulf Shores, Ala., from 2014 through 2022 before making a return to Indiana.
There will be two 2024 outdoor home meets: the Concordia Invite (April 5-6) and the Concordia Twilight (May 10). Northwestern is slated to be the host of the 2024 GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The complete 2023-24 Concordia Track & Field outdoor schedule can be found HERE .
Throwers post five automatic national qualifying standards while opening outdoor season March 24, 2024
NORTH NEWTON, Kan. – As a result of the Viking Relays being canceled due to cold temperatures, a group of 20 throwers from Concordia University Track & Field quickly changed plans and traveled to North Newton, Kan., for the Bethel Invitational held on Saturday (March 23). The yields included five automatic national qualifying standards and two marks that met the NAIA ‘B’ standard. The auto marks were turned in by Matthew Boyer (javelin), Carson Fehlhafer (shot put), Abby Gerber (shot put), Darien Semedo (shot put) and Chris Wren (hammer throw).
Athletes outside of the throws group still have yet to get the 2024 outdoor season started. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s programs are coming off an indoor season that saw both the women and men place inside the top 10 at the NAIA national meet.
It was a fine start for throws coach Ed McLaughlin’s crew on Saturday. Boyer popped off a personal best of 196’ 10” in the javelin and placed second at the Bethel Invite. Meanwhile, Fehlhahfer won the shot put with a toss of 53’ 3 ¾,” Semedo placed as the runner up to Fehlhafer in the shot put (52’ 4”) and Wren took first place in the hammer with a mark of 182’ 4.” Semedo also turned in a ‘B’ standard in the hammer (177’ 8”) and placed second behind Wren. On the women’s side, Gerber was the winner in the shot put with her throw of 45’ 1 ¾.” In the women’s hammer, Abi Wohlgemuth placed second with a ‘B’ mark of 165’ 6.”
Additionally, Gretchen Stottlemyre came away with the win in the women’s javelin (125’ 2”) and returning All-American Austen Rozelle placed third in the men’s discus (143’).
Automatic National Qualifying Standards
· Matthew Boyer – Javelin (196’ 10”)
· Carson Fehlhafer – Shot Put (53’ 3 ¾”)
· Abby Gerber – Shot Put (45’ 1 ¾”)
· Darien Semedo – Shot Put (52’ 4”)
· Chris Wren – Hammer Throw (182’ 4”)
‘B’ Standards – Darien Semedo (Hammer) and Abi Wohlgemuth (Hammer).
Next up on the outdoor schedule is Thursday’s Central College Dutch Invite, which is slated to get underway at 12 p.m. CT from Pella, Iowa. The season’s first home meet, the Concordia Invitational, is scheduled for April 5-6.
Gerber honored as GPAC Field Athlete of the Week March 27, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – Following the first outing of the 2024 outdoor season, junior Abby Gerber has been honored by the GPAC. On Wednesday (March 27), the conference named Gerber the Hauff Mid-America Sports GPAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week. The announcement marks the first career GPAC weekly award for Gerber.
A native of Columbus, Neb., Gerber immediately qualified for the NAIA outdoor national meet thanks to her mark of 45’ 1 ¾” in the shot put at the Bethel Invitational on March 23. Gerber won the competition over a field of 24 athletes in North Newton, Kan. As part of the Bethel Invite, Gerber also placed third in the discus (124’ 4”) and sixth in the hammer throw (152’ 5”).
An NAIA Scholar-Athlete and two-time NAIA All-American, Gerber is coming off an indoor season that saw her place fifth in the shot put (46’ 4”) at the NAIA Indoor National Championships. She also helped the team to another GPAC championship as she turned in 2024 indoor conference finishes of third in the shot put and seventh in the weight throw.
Gerber and her teammates are slated to continue the season on Thursday at the Central College Invite in Pella, Iowa. The first action is set to get underway at 12 p.m. CT.
2023-24 GPAC & NAIA Weekly Accolades – Concordia Track & Field
· Women’s 4x800m Relay – NAIA Women’s Track & Field National Athletes of the Week (Jan. 23).
· Jenna Esch – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Feb. 14)
· Kylahn Freiberg – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24, Feb. 7).
· Abby Gerber – GPAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week (March 27)
· Zach Zohner – NAIA Men’s Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 31); USTFCCCA NAIA Men’s Track & Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 30); GPAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24 and 31).
Freiberg, Walker match school standards; Bulldogs win 17 event titles at Central Invite March 28, 2024
PELLA, Iowa – Sunny skies and warmer weather on Thursday (March 28) allowed Concordia University Track & Field to kick off the 2024 outdoor season across all event areas. The Bulldogs joined a field including 15 institutions at the Central College Dutch Invite and came away with 17 event titles, four fresh automatic national qualifying standards and a pair of school records. Kylahn Freiberg became the new standard bearer in the 3,000 meters while Zoey Walker equaled the program record in the high jump.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s men’s and women’s squads have combined for nine NAIA auto marks in the early going of the ’24 outdoor campaign. The throwers got the outdoor season started last week with five ‘A’ standards at the Bethel Invite.
“We had a lot of middle and long distance runners put together great days,” said Beisel while still processing the results late on Thursday evening. “With the heavy training we’ve been doing, we weren’t sure what would happen. I know we had some great things happen in other event areas. We were happy with the weather conditions. That gave us an opportunity to get some really good work done. First meet, you always have a mixed bag of results because of it being so long since everyone has competed. There were a lot of things to be happy about as well as some learning experiences. I saw a lot of laughter and positivity. I always love to see that with our team.”
An astounding fifth year of competition continues for the distance extraordinaire Freiberg. Already the program indoor record holder in the 3,000 meters (10:05.72), Freiberg went ahead and clocked a school all-time best of 9:54.40 in the 3,000 on Thursday (good for first place in the meet). The previous record of 10:00.10 had been held by Amy Luft since 1997. As part of the Central Invite, Freiberg also took first place in the 800 meters (2:18.90) as she held off teammates Rylee Haecker (2:19.50) and Rhaya Kaschinske (2:22.18), the second and third-place finishers, respectively.
While the 3,000 meters is not run at GPAC or NAIA national meets for outdoor, Freiberg wanted to take advantage of one opportunity to set another record. Said Beisel, “She broke our indoor record and she saw what the record was for outdoor. We never see the 3,000 at any other meet. She thought it would be fun to chip that one off. She ran really well.”
The fresh ‘A’ standards achieved in Pella came courtesy of Jenna Esch in the 400 meters (56.66), Jordan Koepke in the 400-meter hurdles (1:01.93), Walker in the high jump (5’ 6”) and Zach Zohner in the pole vault (16’ ¾”). In addition, Matthew Boyer (196’ 5” in the javelin), Carson Fehlhafer (16.03 meters in the shot put), Abby Gerber (46’ 9 ½” in the shot put), Darien Semedo (52’ 5 ½” in the shot put) and Chris Wren (189’ in the hammer) repeated auto marks in their respective throwing events. The freshman Walker of Osceola, Neb., built upon her All-America claim from indoor season. Her mark in the high jump equaled the outdoor school record held by Bonnie Jelinek since 1986.
A junior from Hastings, Neb., Esch deserves special mention after she collected three All-America awards this past indoor season. She emerged as the Central Invite champion in the 200 (25.53) and 400 meters (56.66) with personal bests in both events. Additional not previously mentioned first-place finishers on the track on Thursday were the women’s 4x100 meter relay (48.08), Jack Ellis in the 10,000 meters (33:13.51), Haecker in the 1,500 meters (4:44.50), Adrianna Rodencal in the 100-meter hurdles (14.70) and Calvin Rohde in the 5,000 meters (14:49.27). Haecker already owns the school 1,500-meter record of 4:33.84. Rohde was hoping to make a run at the school’s 5,000-meter record of 14:42.07 by Luka Thor. The women’s 4x1 was made up of Cambria Saunders, Kayla Kirchner, Kellie Rhodes and Rodencal.
The event championships kept on coming in the field events. Other first-place finishers included Boyer in the javelin, Gerber in the shot put (46’ 9 ½”), Josi Noble in the triple jump (36’ 1 ½”) and Kiki Nyanok in the long jump (17’ 9 ¾”). Concordia also made it a sweep in the pole vault as the reigning national champion Zohner (16’ ¾”) won on the men’s side and Sydney Reichert (11’ 1 ¾”) rose above the competition on the women’s side. Gerber is the reigning GPAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week. Also a starting defensive lineman for Concordia Football, Fehlhafer has hit the ‘A’ standard in the shot put in back-to-back weeks. So too have All-Americans in Gerber and Semedo.
The group of second-place Bulldogs at the Central Invite was made up of Hannah Beintema (steeplechase), Abby Gerber (hammer), Thomas Gorline (10,000 meters), Haecker (800 meters), Jax Jacobson (pole vault), Hayden Kluthe (400-meter hurdles), Jonah Paulsen (triple jump), Nathan Pennekamp (steeplechase), Josie Puelz (pole vault), Joel Rathe (long jump), Amy Richert (high jump), Trey Robertson (5,000 meters), Gretchen Stottlemyer (javelin) and Wren (hammer).
Automatic National Qualifying Standards
· Matthew Boyer – Javelin (196’ 5”)
· Jenna Esch – 400 Meters (56.66)
· Carson Fehlhafer – Shot Put (16.03 meters)
· Abby Gerber – Shot Put (46’ 9 ½”)
· Jordan Koepke – 400m Hurdles (1:01.93)
· Darien Semedo – Shot Put (52’ 5 ½”)
· Zoey Walker – High Jump (5’ 6”)
· Chris Wren – Hammer Throw (189’)
· Zach Zohner – Pole Vault (16’ ¾”)
Central Invite Event Champions
· Women’s 4x100 Meter Relay (48.08) – Cambria Saunders, Kayla Kirchner, Kellie Rhodes, Adrianna Rodencal
· Matthew Boyer – Javelin (196’ 5”)
· Jack Ellis – 10,000 Meters (33:13.51)
· Jenna Esch – 200 Meters (25.53); 400 Meters (56.66)
· Kylahn Freiberg – 800 Meters (2:18.90); 3,000 Meters (9:54.40)
· Abby Gerber – Shot Put (46’ 9 ½”)
· Rylee Haecker – 1,500 Meters (4:44.50)
· Jordan Koepke – 400m Hurdles (1:01.93)
· Josi Noble – Triple Jump (36’ 1 ½”)
· Kiki Nyanok – Long Jump (17’ 9 ¾”)
· Sydney Reichert – Pole Vault (11’ 1 ¾”)
· Adrianna Rodencal – 100m Hurdles (14.70)
· Calvin Rohde – 5,000 Meters (14:49.27)
· Zoey Walker – High Jump (5’ 6”)
· Zach Zohner – Pole Vault (16’ ¾”)
Next up, the Bulldogs will host the Concordia Invitational on April 5-6. The meet will be the first of two at home this outdoor season for Concordia. The tentative meet schedule can be found HERE .
Esch races to GPAC Athlete of the Week award April 3, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – Personal bests in two separate races resulted in recognition for Concordia University Track & Field junior Jenna Esch. On Wednesday (April 3), Esch was named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Women’s Track Athlete of the Week. Esch also earned a GPAC weekly honor on Feb. 14 as part of her impressive 2024 indoor season. Bulldog athletes have combined for seven GPAC Athlete of the Week awards in 2024.
The Hastings, Neb., native and Saint Cecilia High School product Esch claimed first place in both of the events she competed in at the Central College Dutch Invite on March 28. Esch automatically qualified for nationals in the 400 meters with a time of 56.66 (third fastest in school history). She currently ranks No. 1 in the GPAC and No. 6 in the NAIA in the event. Esch also ran 25.53 in the 200 meters for another PR.
This past indoor season, Esch helped the Concordia 4x800-meter relay win the national championship in a school record time of 9:06.48. Esch also earned All-America awards in the 800 meters and as part of the 4x400-meter relay. Esch is a six-time NAIA All-American in her Bulldog career.
Next up for Esch and her Concordia teammates will be the Concordia Invite this Friday and Saturday. The event schedule for that meet can be found HERE .
2023-24 GPAC & NAIA Weekly Accolades – Concordia Track & Field
· Women’s 4x800m Relay – USTFCCCA NAIA Women’s Track & Field National Athletes of the Week (Jan. 23).
· Jenna Esch – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Feb. 14, April 3).
· Kylahn Freiberg – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24, Feb. 7).
· Abby Gerber – GPAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week (March 27).
· Zach Zohner – NAIA Men’s Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 31); USTFCCCA NAIA Men’s Track & Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 30); GPAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24 and 31).
Rodencal breaks own hurdles record; Bulldogs add to qualifying field at Concordia Invite April 5, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – In taking advantage of a warm and sunny spring day, Concordia University Track & Field played the role of meet host for the first time this outdoor season. Ten institutions were represented on Friday (April 5) at the Concordia Outdoor Invite that unfolded in and around Bulldog Stadium. The highlights for Concordia included a school hurdles record from sophomore Adrianna Rodencal, 10 performances that met the automatic national qualifying standard, seven ‘B’ marks and 13 event championships.
Head Coach Matt Beisel and his staff worked to quickly reconfigure the meet to a one-day only extravaganza while avoiding expected high winds and rain on Saturday.
“We made a shift with the impending weather and it was a full team effort along with our administration, buildings and grounds and all our meet staff,” Beisel said. “It was the best decision we could have made. It was phenomenal weather. All of the pieces fell into place. We ended up having one of the smoothest meets, and we got some really good stuff. I’m very thankful to God for that.
“From a performance perspective, we chipped away at some new national marks and improved some marks for conference. Overall, it was a very good meet.”
The Lincoln Lutheran alum Rodencal eclipsed her own school record not once but twice on Friday. Entering the day with a personal best of 14.00 in the 100-meter hurdles, Rodencal ran 13.89 in the prelims and then 13.84 in the finals. Based on the NAIA performance list coming into the weekend, Rodencal now ranks No. 2 nationally in the event. Due to the strength of the wind in Rodencal’s prelims race, her time actually did not qualify her for nationals. However, the wind settled a bit for the finals and Rodencal’s 13.84 will be added to the national leaderboard.
Said Rodencal, “Last year I hit 14-flat and I was a little frustrated. I really wanted to go sub-14. The goal with the weather being nice today – and having good competition coming in – was to go sub-14. I did it in the prelims and it was a little wind-aided, but then did it again in the finals. I’m definitely happy with how it’s going. It was a really good meet with a lot of good competition.”
The throwers have been impressive over their first three meets of the outdoor season. The four-time NAIA All-American Chris Wren came up with a big-time hammer throw of nearly 200 feet (198’ 6”) – four Bulldogs in school history have reached 200 feet. Wren took the ‘seeded’ hammer title at the Concordia Invite. In that same event, Darien Semedo turned in a fresh ‘A’ standard (180’ 4”) and teammates Connor Asche (177’ 2”) and Austen Rozelle (176’ 8”) popped off significant PR’s in meeting the ‘B’ standard.
Four other ‘A’ marks were repeated by the throws crew, courtesy of Matthew Boyer in the javelin (194’), Carson Fehlhafer in the shot put (52’ 1 ¾”), Abby Gerber in the shot put (45’ 7”) and Semedo in the shot put (52’ 4 ¾”). In the women’s javelin, Gretchen Stottlemyre notched a ‘B’ mark of 131’ 4.”
On the track, it was a fine day for Jordan Koepke, who won the Concordia Invite 400-meter hurdles race in a ‘A’ standard time of 1:03.48. Koepke then helped put a cap on the meet by joining her 4x400-meter relay teammates, Jenna Esch, Trinity Tuls and Kayla Kirchner, for a new automatic national qualifying time of 3:53.96. Esch was also the meet champion in the 400 meters (56.76).
In the 1,500-meter races, the Bulldogs made it a sweep of first-place finishes as Kylahn Freiberg won with a ‘B’ standard (4:39.98) on the women’s side and Calvin Rohde triumphed (3:59.65) on the men’s side. Rohde also ran a leg for the 4x800-meter relay that took first place in a time of 8:10.66. He was joined on the relay by Trevor Kuncl, Trey Robertson and Hudson Opp. In the steeplechase, Nathan Pennekamp was a winner after he finished in 9:51.81.
The consistency of Zach Zohner in the pole vault continues to be remarkable. He cleared 16’ 4 ¾” and won another meet title. Zohner was one of nine men’s/women’s Concordia pole vaulters to compete on Friday.
Leading the way for the jumps crew, Kiki Nyanok (18’ 3 ¼”) and Joel Rathe (23’ ½”) won Concordia Invite titles in the long jump. Already national qualifier in the high jump, Zoey Walker hit the ‘B’ standard in that event on Friday.
Other not previously mentioned second-place clams were made by Asche in the hammer, Boyer in the javelin, Luke Hammang in the race walk, Emma Lloyd in the discus, Rodencal in the 200 meters, Stottlemyre in the javelin and the women’s 4x100-meter relay. The 4x1 was made up of Cambria Saunders, Kirchner, Kellie Rhodes and Rodencal.
Said Beisel in summing it up, “I’m very thankful for the team, administration and staff effort it took to pull off the meet. We put on a first-class athlete and fan experience. We give all glory to God and look forward to what’s to come.”
Automatic National Qualifying Standards
· Women’s 4x400m Relay (3:53.96); Esch; Tuls; Kirchner; Koepke
· Matthew Boyer – Javelin (194’)
· Carson Fehlhafer – Shot Put (52’ 1 ¾”)
· Abby Gerber – Shot Put (45’ 7”)
· Jordan Koepke – 400m Hurdles (1:03.48)
· Adrianna Rodencal – 100m Hurdles (13.84)
· Darien Semedo – Hammer Throw (180’ 4”); Shot Put (52’ 4 ¾”)
· Chris Wren – Hammer Throw (198’ 6”)
· Zach Zohner – Pole Vault (16’ 4 ¾”)
‘B’ Standards – Women’s 4x100m Relay; Connor Asche (hammer); Jenna Esch (400m); Kylahn Freiberg (1,500m); Austen Rozelle (hammer); Gretchen Stottlemyre (javelin); Zoey Walker (high jump).
Concordia Invite Champions
· Men’s 4x800m Relay (8:10.66); Rohde; Kuncl; Robertson; Opp
· Jenna Esch – 400 Meters (56.76)
· Kylahn Freiberg – 1,500 Meters (4:39.98)
· Abby Gerber – Shot Put (45’ 7”) – unseeded
· Jordan Koepke – 400m Hurdles (1:03.48)
· Kiki Nyanok – Long Jump (18’ 3 ¼”)
· Nathan Pennekamp – 3,000m Steeplechase (9:51.81)
· Joel Rathe – Long Jump (23’ ½”)
· Adrianna Rodencal – 100m Hurdles (13.84)
· Calvin Rohde – 1,500 Meters (3:59.65)
· Darien Semedo – Hammer Throw (180’ 4”) – unseeded
· Chris Wren – Hammer Throw (198’ 6”)
· Zach Zohner – Pole Vault (16’ 4 ¾”)
Next up on the 2024 outdoor slate will be the South Dakota Track & Field Challenge on Saturday, April 13. The meet will take place at Lillibridge Track Complex in Vermillion, S.D.
Rodencal, Wren earn GPAC Athlete of the Week awards April 10, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – A pair of Bulldogs from Concordia University Track & Field earned GPAC weekly awards courtesy of their performances at the 2024 Concordia Outdoor Invite. On Wednesday (April 10), the conference named sophomore Adrianna Rodencal the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Women’s Track Athlete of the Week and senior Chris Wren the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Field Athlete of the Week. Concordia Track & Field athletes have combined for nine GPAC Athlete of the Week awards in 2024.
A Lincoln Lutheran High School alum, Rodencal broke her own school record last week while running 100-meter hurdles times of 13.89 in the prelims and 13.84 in the finals of the Concordia Invite. As part of the meet, Rodencal placed first in the 100 hurdles, second in the 200 meters (25.74) and second as the anchor of the 4x100-meter relay (47.66). Rodencal has automatically qualified for nationals in the 100 hurdles while the time in the 4x1 represents a ‘B’ standard. On the current national lists, Rodencal ranks fourth in the 100 hurdles, 14th in the 4x1 and 22nd in the 400-meter hurdles.
A native of Fair Oaks, Calif., Wren popped off a personal best of 198’ 6” in the hammer throw and was the winner of the competition at the Concordia Invite. The mark pushed Wren to No. 1 in the GPAC and to No. 3 in the NAIA. Wren is on the cusp of becoming the fifth athlete in program history to hit 200 feet in the hammer. Wren has collected four NAIA All-America awards in his career.
Rodencal, Wren and the rest of the Bulldogs will be headed to Vermillion, S.D., on Saturday for the South Dakota Challenge. The action is slated to get underway at 11 a.m. CT.
2023-24 GPAC & NAIA Weekly Accolades – Concordia Track & Field
· Women’s 4x800m Relay – USTFCCCA NAIA Women’s Track & Field National Athletes of the Week (Jan. 23).
· Jenna Esch – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Feb. 14, April 3).
· Kylahn Freiberg – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24, Feb. 7).
· Abby Gerber – GPAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week (March 27).
· Adrianna Rodencal – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (April 10)
· Chris Wren – GPAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (April 10)
· Zach Zohner – NAIA Men’s Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 31); USTFCCCA NAIA Men’s Track & Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 30); GPAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24 and 31).
Bulldogs make gains while rubbing elbows with strong competition at USD Challenge April 13, 2024
VERMILLION, S.D. – The competition was stiff on Saturday (April 13) as Concordia University Track & Field went up against the likes of NCAA Division I University of South Dakota and South Dakota State University as part of the South Dakota Challenge in Vermillion, S.D. Unseasonably hot temperatures greeted the nationally ranked Bulldogs, who came away with five event championships and five second-place claims. The titles were won by Matthew Boyer (javelin), Kylahn Freiberg (5,000 meters), Calvin Rohde (5,000 meters), Gretchen Stottlemyre (javelin) and Chris Wren (hammer). Boyer exceeded a personal best of more than 200 feet in the javelin.
This marked the third full-scale weekend of outdoor competition for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads. They entered the weekend having compiled a combined 12 NAIA automatic national qualifying standards. The opposition at the meet also included the likes of GPAC rival Dordt and NCAA Division II Augustana College (S.D.).
“We saw some really good competition,” Beisel said. “We had some good things happen and then there were some things that didn’t click just right. With our distance crew, we usually do a pretty good job of pushing PR’s. We’ve been hitting our training really hard, and that’s going to benefit them two weeks from now. I think their legs were all a little dead. We did have some improvements in some areas. It’s part of the process. It was nice to be outside and have great weather. I just love being with this team and am thankful to God for all the blessings He’s given this team.”
Throwers have racked up six ‘A’ marks through the middle of April. The Jefferson City, Mo., native Boyer starred on Saturday with his first-place javelin mark of 201’ 6,” in addition to his runner-up toss of 154’ 3” in the discus at the USD Challenge. As for Wren, he is a model of consistency while continuing to push 200 feet in the hammer. He threw 193 feet on Saturday. The runner up in that event was teammate Darien Semedo, who again eclipsed ‘A’ marks in both the shot put (53’ 9 ¾”) and the hammer (185’ 1”). On the women’s side, Stottlemyre took first in the javelin with a mark of 128’ 4” and Abby Gerber hit a shot put PR of 47’ 2 ¼.”
National champion Zach Zohner continues to achieve excellence in the pole vault. He put a new outdoor personal best on the board by clearing 17 feet in Vermillion. That effort made him the fifth vaulter in program history to go 17 feet or higher in outdoor competition. In addition, Mayson Ostermeyer cleared 15’ ¼” as he backs up an All-America indoor season. On the women’s side of the vault, Sydney Reichert led the way by going over 11’ 3 ¾.” Two Bulldogs also cleared 10’ 8.”
The heat wasn’t necessarily conducive to great times in distance races, but All-Americans Freiberg and Rohde gave Concordia a sweep of the 5,000-meter titles. Freiberg finished in 17:58.43 and Rohde clocked in at 15:25.66. Trey Robertson was the runner up to Rohde in a time of 15:46.53. A major highlight on the track was put forth by junior Jenna Esch, who posted a PR of 56.37 in the 400 meters (fourth place). In the hurdles, Adrianna Rodencal placed second (100m H) with at time of 13.96 while Gage Fries ran a solid time of 15.09 (fifth place) in the 110 hurdles. Trevor Kuncl ran a solid 4:04.25 in the 1,500 meters.
Sophomore Josi Noble put together a strong all-around day as she nearly hit the auto mark in the triple jump with a new ‘B’ mark of 38’ 1 ½” (personal best). She placed fourth in the event. Noble also ran hurdles times of 15.92 in the 100 and 1:06.82 in the 400. A standout jumper on the men’s side, Myles Sadd posted marks of 22’ 3” in the long jump and 6’ 1 ¼” in the high jump. In the women’s high jump, Amy Richert placed fifth while getting above 5’ 2 ½.” In the men’s triple jump, Jonah Paulsen landed at 43’ 5 ¼.”
To expand upon the throws, a couple of men’s athletes are closing in on the ‘A’ mark in the hammer. Conner Asche (176’ 10”) and Austen Rozelle (176’ 2”) just missed out again on Saturday. Also noteworthy, Kamryn Pokorney achieved a ‘B’ in the shot put (43’ 9 ¼”) and was the team’s top female in the hammer (164’ 1”).
In the relays, the women’s 4x1 came in at 48.40 and the men’s 4x4 clocked in at 3:32.00. The 4x1 of Cambria Saunders, Kayla Kirchner and Rodencal owns a ‘B’ (47.66) on the season.
Automatic National Qualifying Standards
· Matthew Boyer – Javelin (201’ 6”)
· Jenna Esch – 400 Meters (56.37)
· Abby Gerber – Shot Put (47’ 2 ¼”)
· Darien Semedo – Shot Put (53’ 9 ¾”); Hammer (185’ 1”)
· Chris Wren – Hammer (193’)
· Zach Zohner – Pole Vault (17’)
South Dakota Challenge Champions
· Matthew Boyer – Javelin (201’ 6”)
· Kylahn Freiberg – 5,000 Meters (17:58.43)
· Calvin Rohde – 5,000 Meters (15:25.66)
· Gretchen Stottlemyre – Javelin (128’ 4”)
· Chris Wren – Hammer Throw (193’)
The Bulldogs will be headed to Doane for the first time this outdoor season when they compete at next week’s Jim Dutcher Memorial Classic (April 18-20) in Crete. Only two weeks of competition remain prior to the 2024 GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships (May 3-4).
Zohner earns third GPAC weekly award of 2024 April 17, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – Another 17-foot vault has yielded another honor for Concordia University Track & Field national champion Zach Zohner. On Wednesday (April 17), the conference office recognized Zohner as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week. Zohner has reeled in three GPAC weekly awards between the 2024 indoor and outdoor seasons. He was named NAIA Me’s Field National Athlete of the Week on Jan. 31.
While clearing exactly 17 feet (5.18 meters) at the USD Challenge on April 13, Zohner became the fifth Bulldog in program history to hit that mark in the outdoor vault. Zohner sits atop the NAIA national list in the event. The Battle Creek, Neb., native is in the process of building upon an indoor season that saw him capture GPAC and NAIA national championships in the vault. Zohner’s personal best for indoor was 17’ 2 ¾” accomplished at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships. Zohner is a three-time NAIA All-American.
Zohner and his teammates will return to action this week at the Jim Dutcher Memorial Classic (April 18-20) hosted by Doane.
2023-24 GPAC & NAIA Weekly Accolades – Concordia Track & Field
· Women’s 4x800m Relay – USTFCCCA NAIA Women’s Track & Field National Athletes of the Week (Jan. 23).
· Jenna Esch – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Feb. 14, April 3).
· Kylahn Freiberg – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24, Feb. 7).
· Abby Gerber – GPAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week (March 27).
· Adrianna Rodencal – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (April 10).
· Chris Wren – GPAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (April 10).
· Zach Zohner – NAIA Men’s Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 31); USTFCCCA NAIA Men’s Track & Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 30); GPAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24, Jan. 31 and April 17).
Boyer shatters javelin school record at Dutcher Classic April 19, 2024
CRETE, Neb. – In a meet that will mostly play out on Saturday, sophomore Matthew Boyer turned heads with a massive throw at the Jim Dutcher Memorial Classic hosted by Doane. Boyer shattered the Concordia University Track & Field record in highlighting the second of three days in Crete, Neb. A full meet recap will be posted on Saturday after all events have concluded.
Boyer’s toss in the javelin on Friday (April 19) landed at 219’ 1,” far surpassing the previous school standard of 205’ 5” by Kevin Baker in 1986. Boyer also significantly increased his former personal best of 201’ 6.” As noted by throws coach Ed McLaughlin, Boyer’s throw represents the farthest toss in program history for any throws event. The previous high had been 219 feet in the hammer by 2021 NAIA hammer throw national champion Jacob Cornelio. In the Dutcher Classic competition, Boyer defeated the runner up by more than 30 feet.
As other highlights from Thursday and Friday, senior Amy Richert and sophomore Josi Noble led the way in the heptathlon, placing second and third, respectively, and senior Calvin Rohde placed first in the 5,000 meters in a time of 14:58.96. The meet is slated to pick back up at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday from Al Papik Field and Lauritsen Outdoor Track.
New school record, 11 event titles highlight Dutcher Classic April 20, 2024
CRETE, Neb. – Matthew Boyer’s shattering of the javelin school record and a combined 11 event titles from Concordia University Track & Field athletes highlighted the three-day Jim Dutcher Memorial Classic. Boyer paced a throws group that featured four athletes who repeated NAIA automatic national qualifying standards in competition at two separate meets. Meanwhile, the likes of Jenna Esch and Jordan Koepke starred on the track and Amy Richert and Josi Noble racked up heptathlon point totals that will rank them amongst the best athletes in the NAIA.
This was the fifth full weekend of outdoor action for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s nationally ranked squads, which are gearing themselves to peak come championship season.
“Our heptathletes started us off with a really strong meet,” Beisel said. “We had a lot of personal bests and Amy put together her best heptathlon since her freshman year. Amy and Josie had marks that I hope and guess will keep them in the top 16 nationally. On Friday, Matthew Boyer obviously knocked it out of the park. That was really cool. With the 5k, we had almost all of our athletes run personal bests. Coming back today, our field events battled cold conditions. We did have improvements in the throws and we had some big running performances in the 400 meters on up.
A sophomore from Jefferson City, Mo., Boyer threw the javelin 219’ 1” on Friday and broke the former school record of 205’ 5” by Kevin Baker in 1986. If the current national rankings hold, Boyer would move to No. 4 on the NAIA list (No. 1 in the GPAC) in the javelin. A group of throwers also competed at the University of Kansas Relays this past week. In the men’s hammer throw, Chris Wren remained consistent in posting a mark of 196’ 3” (fifth place out of 24 athletes), just a couple of feet off his personal best. In the shot put, Concordia earned a sweep of Dutcher Classic titles as Abby Gerber (47’ 8”) and Darien Semedo (53’ 11 ¾”) both earned season bests. Gerber’s mark represented a personal best while Semedo’s toss was a hair off a PR.
In the heptathlon that ran Thursday-Friday, Richert placed second (4,600) and Noble (4,534) placed third as the ringleaders for a group of eight Concordia women’s multi-event athletes. Their totals will likely place them inside the top 10 of the NAIA national list. The school record in the event remains 4,733 by Emily Loy in 2021.
Six Bulldogs earned wins on the track on Saturday: Hannah Beintema in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (12:00.44), Jenna Esch in both the 400 meters (55.80) and 800 meters (2:18.21), Kylahn Freiberg in the 1,500 meters (4:36.15), Jordan Koepke in the 400-meter hurdles (1:02.15), Calvin Rohde in the 5,000 meters (14:58.96) and Isabelle Salters in the 100-meter hurdles (15.97). Esch set a new personal best in the 400 with a time that ranks No. 3 in program history while Koepke again hit the ‘A’ standard in the 400 hurdles. Meanwhile, Freiberg missed the auto time in the 1,500 meters by .15 seconds. Both Freiberg and Rohde ran alone without being pushed significantly at the top.
Another field event championship was notched by Kiki Nyanok in the long jump (17’ 9 ½”). Hayley Miles wasn’t far behind with her mark of 17’ 6 ¾” (third place). Miles also landed at 34’ 10 ¼” in the triple jump (fourth place) while Jonah Paulsen paced the men with his triple jump mark of 44’ 7” (third place).
The Concordia list of runners up at the Dutcher Classic included, in addition to Richert in the heptathlon, Connor Asche (hammer), Claire Beikmann (1,500 meters), Ellie Jander (5,000 meters), Trevor Kuncl (800 meters), Trey Robertson (5,000 meters), Austen Rozelle (discus) and Landrey Walter (100-meter hurdles). Asche has consistently been hitting 53-plus meters in the hammer while gunning for the ‘A’ mark (54.5 meters). In the pole vault, two Bulldogs placed third: Jax Jacobson on the men’s side and Kayla Svoboda on the women’s side.
Also noteworthy, Kayla Kirchner cracked a minute (58.72) in the 400 meters and placed third in both the 200 and 400 meters. In the 800 meters, four Bulldogs ran under 2:30, including Rhaya Kaschinske (2:21.20) and Julie McIntyre (2:23.47).
Said Beisel, “I think we made some progress in terms of getting marks that will get more of our athletes into the conference meet and be in a good position.”
Automatic National Qualifying Standards (April 18-20)
· Matthew Boyer – Javelin (219’ 1”)
· Jenna Esch – 400 Meters (55.80)
· Abby Gerber – Shot Put (47’ 8”)
· Jordan Koepke – 400m Hurdles (1:02.15)
· Darien Semedo – Shot Put (53’ 11 ¾”)
· Chris Wren – Hammer Throw (196’ 3” | achieved at KU Relays)
Dutcher Classic Champions
· Hannah Beintema – 3,000m Steeplechase (12:00.44)
· Matthew Boyer – Javelin (219’ 1”)
· Jenna Esch – 400 Meters (55.80); 800 Meters (2:18.21)
· Kylahn Freiberg – 1,500 Meters (4:36.15)
· Abby Gerber – Shot Put (47’ 8”)
· Jordan Koepke – 400m Hurdles (1:02.15)
· Kiki Nyanok – Long Jump (17’ 9 ½”)
· Calvin Rohde – 5,000 Meters (14:58.96)
· Isabelle Salters – 100m Hurdles (15.97)
· Darien Semedo – Shot Put (53’ 11 ¾”)
In the final week leading up to the 2024 GPAC Outdoor Championships, Concordia will be represented at three separate meets: the Nebraska Wesleyan Invite (April 25), the Drake Relays (April 25-27) and the Rock Chalk Classic (April 27). The schedule and entries for the Drake Relays can be found HERE .
Boyer, Esch honored as GPAC Athletes of the Week April 24, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – For their performances at the Jim Dutcher Memorial Classic, sophomore Matthew Boyer and junior Jenna Esch were recognized with accolades on Wednesday (April 24). Boyer was named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Field Athlete of the Week while Esch was tabbed the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Women’s Track Athlete of the Week. Esch has pulled in three GPAC weekly awards in 2024. Boyer has earned his first career GPAC weekly honor. As a program, Concordia University Track & Field has garnered 12 GPAC Athlete of the Week awards in 2024.
Boyer, who hails from Jefferson City, Mo., shattered the school record in the javelin with his toss of 219’ 1” at the Dutcher Classic. His mark eclipsed the previous school record of 205’ 5” by Kevin Baker in 1986. Boyer leapt to No. 5 nationally in the event while continuing to lead the GPAC. The mark is the farthest in program history, regardless of the type of throws event. Boyer also threw the discus 144’ 7” (fifth place) at the Dutcher Classic.
A native of Hastings, Neb., Esch won both of her events at the Dutcher Classic, beating out the competition in the 400-meter (55.80) and 800-meter (2:18.21) races. Esch’s time in the 400 represented a new personal best that ranks No. 3 on the program’s all-time list. It also places her at No. 1 in the GPAC and at No. 14 on the NAIA national list. Esch is qualified for nationals in the 400 meters and as part of the 4x400-meter relay. She is a six-time NAIA All-American.
The week for Concordia Track & Field is scheduled to include three meets: the Nebraska Wesleyan Invite (April 25), the Drake Relays (April 25-27) and the Rock Chalk Classic (April 27).
2023-24 GPAC & NAIA Weekly Accolades – Concordia Track & Field
· Women’s 4x800m Relay – USTFCCCA NAIA Women’s Track & Field National Athletes of the Week (Jan. 23).
· Matthew Boyer – GPAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (April 24).
· Jenna Esch – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Feb. 14, April 3, April 24).
· Kylahn Freiberg – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24, Feb. 7).
· Abby Gerber – GPAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week (March 27).
· Adrianna Rodencal – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (April 10).
· Chris Wren – GPAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (April 10).
· Zach Zohner – NAIA Men’s Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 31); USTFCCCA NAIA Men’s Track & Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 30); GPAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24, Jan. 31 and April 17).
Women's relays star in restructured weekend at Drake Relays, Doane Invite April 27, 2024
DES MOINES, Iowa / CRETE, Neb. – Due to storms that have swept the area over the past few days, some audibles were called by Concordia University Track & Field. Fortunately, the weather held up enough for four different Bulldog women’s relays to make their mark at the prestigious Drake Relays held in Des Moines, Iowa (April 25-27). Closer to home, the majority of the team took part in a hastily constructed dual meet with Doane on Saturday (April 27). A couple of highlights from the Doane Invite were new NAIA ‘B’ standards achieved by Emma Lloyd and Addie Reimer.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads made the best of a week that was originally slated to include the Nebraska Wesleyan Invite on Wednesday. However, that meet was canceled due to the threat of storms. Beisel and assistant coach Mark Samuels made their way to the Drake Relays this weekend.
“It’s a critical time of the year to get final marks in for conference and national qualifying,” Beisel said. “Inclement weather was a major factor this week. With God’s grace, we rolled with the punches and we got some good stuff done at Doane today. At Drake, even though there was a constant threat of bad weather, we got all of our events done and had one of the fastest 4x8s we’ve ever had. We also got a school record from the 4x2 and our 4x4 moved up the national list with the second fastest time in outdoor school history.”
The performances of the women’s relays stood out from the weekend of murky weather. It started on Thursday when the 4x800-meter relay group qualified for nationals in a time of 9:12.95. That crew was made up of Jenna Esch, Rylee Haecker, Rhaya Kaschinske and Kylahn Freiberg. Expectations are high for the 4x8 considering it celebrated an NAIA national title this past indoor season. The 4x8 finished fourth out of 15 groups in the college division.
Three more relays took to the Blue Oval in Des Moines on Friday. The women’s 4x100-meter relay began the day by clocking in at 48.08. The group featured Cambria Saunders, Kayla Kirchner, Kellie Rhodes and Adrianna Rodencal. The action continued as the 4x4 blazed to a time of 3:48.16, a figure which would rank No. 3 in the NAIA based on the national list coming into the weekend. The contributing Bulldogs to that time were Esch, Kirchner, Trinity Tuls and Jordan Koepke. Finally, the 4x2 of Esch, Kirchner, Koepke and Rodencal sped to a new school record of 1:40.76 (eclipsing the previous standard by roughly four seconds). The Lincoln Lutheran alum Rodencal also ran the 100-meter hurdles and clocked a time of 14.17 at the Drake Relays.
The Doane Invite did not get fully completed before it was called off due to lightning. The women’s hammer was limited to only one round. In the discus, Lloyd just missed the auto mark with her throw of 143’ 10” in Crete. While there were no new ‘A’ marks from throwers, Coach Ed McLaughlin took a degree of satisfaction from marks that will hopefully put more Bulldogs into next week’s conference meet. Some of the top throwers at Doane included Matthew Boyer in the men’s discus, Brady Klute in the men’s hammer and Kamryn Pokorney in both the women’s hammer and shot put.
A freshman from Lisbon, Wis., Addie Reimer broke through with a high jump of 5’ 5” (‘B’ mark) and was the first-place finisher at the Doane Invite. In the long jump, Kiki Nyanok landed at 17’ 10 ¼” and also ran 25.98 in the 200 meters. Meanwhile, Kayla Svoboda came in under 15.00 (14.96) in the 100-meter hurdles. Elsewhere on the track, Gage Fries ran 15.25 in the 110-meter hurdles, Liam Fagan ran 51.27 in the 400 meters, Isabelle Salters ran 1:00.04 in the 400 meters and Adric Schmitz ran 2:01.21 in the 800 meters.
In the pole vault, Zach Zohner ruled with another first-place claim as he cleared 16’ 10 ¾” at the Doane Invite. He continues to lead the NAIA in the event. The top vaulter on the women’s side was Amira Cummings, who went over 11’ 3 ¾.”
Other solid jumps efforts were turned in by Jonah Paulsen (45’ 2 ½”) and Hayley Miles (35’ 11 ¼”) in the triple jump and by Myles Sadd (6’ 6 ½”) in the high jump.
Automatic National Qualifying Standards Achieved April 25-27
· Women’s 4x400m Relay (3:48.16)
· Women’s 4x800m Relay (9:12.95)
· Zach Zohner – Pole Vault (16’ 10 ¾”)
Bulldogs at the Drake Relays
Thursday, April 25
· Women’s 4x800-meter relay placed 4th/15 in a time of 9:12.95 and qualified for the NAIA national meet. 4x8 group: Jenna Esch, Rylee Haecker, Rhaya Kaschinske and Kylahn Freiberg.
Friday, April 26
· Women’s 4x100-meter relay placed 14th/29 in a time of 48.08. 4x1 group: Cambria Saunders, Kayla Kirchner, Kellie Rhodes and Adrianna Rodencal.
· Adrianna Rodencal placed 20th/25 in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.17.
· Women’s 4x400-meter relay placed 4th/27 in the first round with a time of 3:48.16, marking the second fastest in program history. 4x4 group: Jenna Esch, Kayla Kirchner, Trinity Tuls and Jordan Koepke.
· Women’s 4x200-meter relay placed 7th/29 in a time of 1:40.76 for a new school record. 4x2 group: Jenna Esch, Kayla Kirchner, Jordan Koepke and Adrianna Rodencal.
Saturday, April 27
· Women’s 4x400-meter relay : Did not run in finals due to weather conditions.
Up next will be the 2024 GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships (May 3-4) hosted by Northwestern in Orange City, Iowa. Additional meet info, including the schedule, can be found HERE . At the 2024 GPAC indoor meet, the Bulldogs came away with place finishes of first on the women’s side and third on the men’s side.
Esch honored with fourth GPAC weekly award of 2024 May 1, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – The accolades are a reflection of the special 2024 athletic year that junior Jenna Esch has enjoyed while starring on the track for Concordia University Track & Field. On Wednesday (May 1), the Hastings, Neb., native was honored as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week. Esch has earned this award for the third time this outdoor season (back-to-back weeks) and for the fourth time in 2024.
A Saint Cecilia High School alum, Esch excelled last week for three different relays at the Drake Relays (April 25-27) in Des Moines, Iowa. Esch ran a split of 2:16.20 for the 4x800-meter relay that finished with an automatic national qualifying time of 9:12.95 and clocked a split of 55.7 for the 4x400-meter relay that improved its NAIA ‘A’ standard to 3:48.16. Finally, Esch also helped spur the 4x200-meter relay to a school record time of 1:40.76. She served as the leadoff leg for each of those relays. On the current NAIA national lists, the 4x8 ranks No. 3 while the 4x4 ranks No. 4. Esch has also qualified for nationals in the 400 meters (55.80). She was part of the 4x8 that won the national title this past indoor season.
Esch and her teammates are preparing to compete at the 2024 GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships (May 3-4) hosted by Northwestern. For a preview of the meet, click HERE .
2023-24 GPAC & NAIA Weekly Accolades – Concordia Track & Field
· Women’s 4x800m Relay – USTFCCCA NAIA Women’s Track & Field National Athletes of the Week (Jan. 23).
· Matthew Boyer – GPAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (April 24).
· Jenna Esch – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Feb. 14, April 3, April 24, May 1).
· Kylahn Freiberg – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24, Feb. 7).
· Abby Gerber – GPAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week (March 27).
· Adrianna Rodencal – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (April 10).
· Chris Wren – GPAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (April 10).
· Zach Zohner – NAIA Men’s Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 31); USTFCCCA NAIA Men’s Track & Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 30); GPAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24, Jan. 31 and April 17).
Boyer, Wren and Zohner claim GPAC titles on day one of outdoor championships May 3, 2024
ORANGE CITY, Iowa – A trio of Bulldogs came away with first-place medals on day one at the 2024 GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships hosted by Northwestern. The titles were seized on Friday (May 3) by Matthew Boyer in the javelin, Chris Wren in the hammer throw and Zach Zohner in the pole vault. Six of the 22 events on both sides were scored on the opening day of the championship event staged at De Valois Stadium in Orange City, Iowa.
In the early stages of the team races, Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads reside in first place on the men’s side (70 points) and in second place on the women’s side (46.5 points). The women’s program is hoping to extend its string of 10-consecutive GPAC championships (dating back to the 2019 indoor season).
The Battle Creek, Neb., native Zohner continues to dominate fellow NAIA competition. He’s now a winner of the GPAC men’s pole vault in three-straight conference meets. Zohner cleared 15’ 9” on Friday while being pushed most closely by teammate Mayson Ostermeyer. The Crofton, Neb., native went over a season best of 15’ 4” as the conference runner up. Freshman Jax Jacobson (14’ 11”) also scored in the event as a fifth-place finisher. Zohner continues to lead the NAIA in the event on the heels of capturing a national title this past indoor season.
Wren now has a GPAC hammer title to go along with the conference indoor championship he won in the weight throw. The Fair Oaks, Calif., native became the fifth athlete in program history to eclipse 200 feet in the hammer as he landed a toss of 203’ 11” on Friday, beating out the runner up by more than 15 feet. The men’s hammer proved to be a fruitful event as Darien Semedo (185’ 2”), Brady Klute (174’ 4”), Connor Asche (172’ 8”), Josiah Edwards (171’) and Austen Rozelle (170’ 6”) placed third through seventh. On the women’s side, three Bulldogs placed in all-conference territory: Abby Gerber (third), Kamryn Pokorney (fifth) and Abi Wohlgemuth (sixth).
Already the school record holder in the javelin, Boyer again hit the 200-feet mark in the process of becoming a GPAC champion for the first time. His mark on Friday came in at 200’ 8,” as he held off the runner up from Northwestern. In the women’s javelin, Gretchen Stottlemyre gave it a run at a conference title of her own. She placed second with a throw of 132’ 3” (NAIA ‘B’ standard), less than two feet shy of the first-place competitor. Emma Kucera placed eighth in the event.
The conference heptathlon list is dominated by Bulldogs. With four of seven events in the books, the Nos. 1 through 6 spots are held down by Concordia athletes: Amy Richert (2,818), Josi Noble (2,754), Zoey Walker (2,659), Faith Espinosa (2,552), Kucera (2,524) and Elena Batenhorst (2,487). Both Richert and Noble entered the weekend ranked amongst the top NAIA top 10 in the heptathlon. As part of the competition, Walker again hit the ‘A’ standard in the high jump (5’ 6”).
School 100-meter hurdles record holder Adrianna Rodencal ran the prelims of the event on day one and clocked in at 13.90 (best in the prelims). Rodencal and teammate Kayla Svoboda (14.55) have both qualified for the finals on Saturday. Elsewhere on the track, Jack Ellis (sixth) and Thomas Gorline (eighth) ran to all-conference placements in the 10,000 meters.
In the long jump, there were three Bulldogs who locked up All-GPAC awards, Kiki Nyanok (third) and Hayley Miles (fourth) on the women’s side and Myles Sadd (seventh) on the men’s side. Nyanok surpassed 18 feet (18’ 3 ¼”). On the women’s side of the pole vault, the Concordia athletes placed top eight: Amira Cummings (third), Sydney Reichert (third) and Svoboda (seventh).
2024 GPAC Outdoor Champions
· Matthew Boyer – Javelin (200’ 8”)
· Chris Wren – Hammer Throw (203’ 11”)
· Zach Zohner – Pole Vault (15’ 9”)
The multi-event competitions will resume at 9 a.m. CT on Saturday while running and field events are set to begin early in the afternoon in Orange City. An awards ceremony will take place at roughly 6 p.m.
GPAC women's title streak pushed to 11; Bulldogs earn 10 GPAC event championships May 5, 2024
ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The latest GPAC title won by the women of Concordia University Track & Field came with more drama than usual. In the end, the Bulldogs enjoyed another victory lap while celebrating their 11th-consecutive GPAC championship. The winning 4x4 relay clinched the team title in helping put a bow on the 2024 GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships (May 3-4) hosted in Orange City, Iowa, by Northwestern. Concordia athletes combined to win 10 GPAC event titles (six on the women’s side and four on the men’s side).
In addition to the women placing first with 209.5 points, Head Coach Matt Beisel’s men’s squad landed in third place with 139 points. The list of conference champions for the Bulldogs included the women’s 4x4 as well as Matthew Boyer, Kylahn Freiberg, Abby Gerber, Jordan Koepke, Josi Noble, Adrianna Rodencal, Darien Semedo, Chris Wren and Zach Zohner.
“There was a point with about four or five events left where Coach (Mark) Samuels and I were going, ‘I don’t know if there’s a pathway to win at this point,’” Beisel said. “We needed something really special to happen in order for that to occur. You never give up, but it was looking pretty bleak. God is good no matter what the outcome … Then the shot put results started coming in, and it was like, ‘oh my goodness.’ It would have been for naught if those points throughout the meet hadn’t happened. It set the stage for kind of a miraculous thing to happen. As stressful as it is, this is what college athletics is about."
The women’s championship streak appeared to be in serious jeopardy late in the meet as Doane held a 198.5 to 187.5 lead in the team scoring with only the shot put and 4x4 left to be scored. Gerber came up huge in vaulting to the top of the shot put leaderboard with tosses of 47’ ¼” and 47’ 4 ½” in the finals. The 12 team points in the shot put set the stage for Concordia to seize another banner. One of the program’s staples, the 4x4, polished off the win by clocking a first-place time of 3:50.97. The crew featured Jenna Esch, Kayla Kirchner, Trinity Tuls and Koepke.
Every point was needed as the rival Tigers tallied 204.5 points of their own. The first individual champion of the day came from first-time titlist Josi Noble, who finished the heptathlon in style – with a GPAC heptathlon meet record time of 2:21.69 in the 800 meters. Noble piled up 4,655 points while leading a loaded field of teammates in the event. The women’s heptathletes combined for 30 team points as Amy Richert placed second, Zoey Walker third, Emma Kucera sixth, Faith Espinosa seventh and Elena Batenhorst eighth.
A team championship was also made possible with the help of the aforementioned titles produced by Freiberg in the 1,500 meters (4:40.39), Koepke in the 400 hurdles (1:01.25) and Rodencal in the 100 hurdles (13.99). The fifth-year Bulldog Freiberg claimed her third career GPAC title in what has been a stellar run. Meanwhile, Koepke is now a seven-time GPAC champion (including the relays) and Rodencal, the 2023 GPAC Women’s Indoor/Outdoor Athlete of the Year, is a four-time conference champ.
On the men’s side of things, the 139 points scored were a significant increase from the 112 points they tallied at the 2023 conference outdoor meet. Concordia piled up 70 points on Friday alone as Boyer (javelin), Wren (hammer throw) and Zohner (pole vault) each won GPAC championships. The men’s hammer amassed 30 team points while the men’s pole vault contributed 22 points. It was a big meet for Semedo, who won the GPAC shot put title on Saturday with a mark of 54’ 10 ¼,” one day after he placed third in the hammer (185’ 2”).
Said Beisel of the men’s performances, “All of the guys felt really good about their efforts. We put more points on the board to get third than we’ve done in a long time. That’s a sign of progress. It got kicked off by the hammer guys knocking off 30 points on Friday and then the pole vault sealing the deal with 22 points. Then we had Jack Ellis and Thomas Gorline step up big in the 10k. We had 70 points after day one. Our guys feel good about their team effort, and they should. This is the kind of stuff that’s going to lead us to winning that banner for the guys as well.”
The Bulldog weekend list of GPAC runners up included the women’s 4x100-meter relay, Freiberg (5,000 meters), Luke Hammang (5,000-meter racewalk), Mayson Ostermeyer (pole vault), Richert (heptathlon), Calvin Rohde (1,500 meters), Austen Rozelle (discus) and Gretchen Stottlemyre (javelin). Worthy of note, the throwers added three fresh automatic national qualifying standards via Kamryn Pokorney in the shot put (44’ 8”), Gerber in the hammer (169' 7") and both Emma Lloyd (144’ 7”) and Austen Rozelle (165’ 4”) in the discus.
The Lincoln Lutheran alum Rodencal was her usual busy self. In addition to winning the 100 hurdles, she placed third in the 200 meters, seventh in 100 meters and second as part of the 4x1. A mega star in 2024, Esch helped the 4x4 to a title and placed third in the 400 meters, fourth in the 200 meters and eighth in the 800 meters. A seven-time GPAC champion individually, Rylee Haecker placed third in the 1,500 meters on Saturday in the final conference meet of her storied career.
Not previously mentioned third-place finishers were Amira Cummings and Sydney Reichert (pole vault), Gerber (hammer throw), Carson Fehlhafer (shot put), Trevor Kuncl (1,500 meters), Lloyd (discus), Kiki Nyanok (long jump) and Nathan Pennekamp (3,000-meter steeplechase).
The championship run has spanned the careers of every current women’s athlete in the program and dates back to the 2019 GPAC indoor championships. The indoor title this season came at Mount Marty.
2024 GPAC Outdoor Champions
· Matthew Boyer – Javelin (200’ 8”)
· Jenna Esch – 4x400m Relay (3:50.97)
· Kylahn Freiberg – 1,500 Meters (4:40.39)
· Abby Gerber – Shot Put (47’ 4 ½”)
· Kalya Kirchner – 4x400m Relay (3:50.97)
· Jordan Koepke – 400m Hurdles (1:01.25); 4x400m Relay (3:50.97)
· Josi Noble – Heptathlon (4,665 points)
· Adrianna Rodencal – 100m Hurdles (13.99)
· Darien Semedo – Shot Put (54’ 10 ¼”)
· Trinity Tuls – 4x400m Relay (3:50.97)
· Chris Wren – Hammer Throw (203’ 11”)
· Zach Zohner – Pole Vault (15’ 9”)
Though the conference championships are in the books, the Bulldogs will compete in two meets next weekend. They will host the Concordia Twilight on May 10 before taking part in the University of Nebraska-Kearney Loper Twilight on May 11. The tentative meet schedule for the Concordia Twilight can be found HERE .
Fifty Bulldogs earn All-GPAC honors; Beisel tabbed Women’s Coach of the Year May 9, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – Courtesy of their efforts at the 2024 GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, 50 athletes from Concordia University Track & Field have earned GPAC All-Conference accolades. All-GPAC honors go to the top eight individual place finishers and top three relays in each of the events at the conference championship meet. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads emerged from the ’24 conference outdoor meet with place finishes of first on the women’s side and third on the men’s side. The women’s program has won 11-consecutive GPAC championships. As a result of the latest title banner, Beisel and his staff have been honored with the Jim McMahon/Hauff Mid-America Sports GPAC Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Staff of the Year award.
The string of GPAC titles for the women’s program dates back to the 2019 conference indoor meet hosted by the Bulldogs. Beisel has presided over each of those championships as part of his eight-year tenure at his alma mater. Beisel has earned his 12th career GPAC Coach of the Year award (11 in track & field and one in cross country). Beisel is assisted on the coaching staff by Ed McLaughlin, Mark Samuels, Benjamin Hinckfoot, Jason Berry, Maddie Wachowski, Lia Guigui and Steve Hoger.
The list of 2024 outdoor All-GPAC honorees includes the women’s 4x400-meter relay, Matthew Boyer (javelin), Kylahn Freiberg (1,500 meters), Abby Gerber (shot put), Jordan Koepke (400m hurdles), Josi Noble (heptathlon), Adrianna Rodencal (100 hurdles), Darien Semedo (shot put), Chris Wren (hammer throw) and Zach Zohner (pole vault). The women’s 4x4 was made up of Jenna Esch, Kayla Kirchner, Trinity Tuls and Koepke. The honor roll features 26 women’s and 24 men’s athletes from Concordia. Seventeen of the 50 all-conference Bulldogs earned recognition in multiple events.
There were three athletes from the GPAC championship women’s team that landed on the all-conference list in four events: Esch, Rodencal and Kayla Kirchner. The shot put champion Gerber placed on the podium in three throwing events. On the men’s side, Semedo led the way with 16 team points thanks to his win in the shot put and third-place claim in the hammer.
Before the focus moves to the 2024 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships (May 22-24), the Bulldogs will host the Concordia Twilight on Friday. Select athletes will also be in action at the UNK Loper Twilight on Saturday.
2024 GPAC Outdoor All-Conference
MEN
· Connor Asche – hammer throw (5th); shot put (7th)
· Matthew Boyer – javelin (1st)
· Westley Determan – 3,000m steeplechase (8th)
· Josiah Edwards – hammer throw (6th)
· Jack Ellis – 10,000 meters (6th)
· Carson Fehlhafer – shot put (3rd); discus (7th)
· Thomas Gorline – 10,000 meters (8th)
· Luke Hammang – 5,000m race walk (2nd)
· Mason Hodges – 5,000m race walk (4th)
· Jax Jacobson – pole vault (5th)
· Brady Klute – hammer throw (4th)
· Trevor Kuncl – 1,500 meters (3rd)
· Mayson Ostermeyer – pole vault (2nd)
· Jonah Paulsen – triple jump (6th)
· Nathan Pennekamp – 3,000m steeplechase (3rd)
· Trey Robertson – 5,000 meters (6th)
· Calvin Rohde – 1,500 meters (2nd); 5,000 meters (5th)
· Austen Rozelle – discus (2nd); hammer throw (7th)
· Myles Sadd – long jump (7th)
· Caleb Schlichting – 5,000m race walk (3rd)
· Darien Semedo – shot put (1st); hammer throw (3rd)
· Aaron Spivey – triple jump (5th)
· Chris Wren – hammer throw (1st)
· Zach Zohner – pole vault (1st)
WOMEN
· Elena Batenhorst – heptathlon (8th)
· Hannah Beintema – 3,000m steeplechase (5th)
· Amira Cummings – pole vault (3rd)
· Jenna Esch – 4x400m relay (1st); 400 meters (3rd); 200 meters (4th); 800 meters (8th)
· Faith Espinosa – heptathlon (7th)
· Kylahn Freiberg – 1,500 meters (1st); 5,000 meters (2nd)
· Abby Gerber – shot put (1st); hammer throw (3rd); discus (6th)
· Rylee Haecker – 1,500 meters (3rd)
· Kayla Kirchner – 4x400m relay (1st); 4x100m relay (2nd); 400 meters (4th); 200 meters (6th)
· Jordan Koepke – 400m hurdles (1st); 4x400m relay (1st)
· Emma Kucera – heptathlon (6th); javelin (8th)
· Emma Lloyd – discus (3rd)
· Hayley Miles – long jump (4th)
· Josi Noble – heptathlon (1st); 400m hurdles (4th); triple jump (5th)
· Kiki Nyanok – long jump (3rd)
· Kamryn Pokorney – discus (5th); shot put (7th)
· Sydney Reichert – pole vault (3rd)
· Kellie Rhodes – 4x100m relay (2nd)
· Amy Richert – heptathlon (2nd)
· Adrianna Rodencal – 100m hurdles (1st); 4x100m relay (2nd); 200 meters (3rd); 100 meters (7th)
· Cambria Saunders – 4x100m relay (2nd)
· Gretchen Stottlemyre – javelin (2nd)
· Kayla Svoboda – 100m hurdles (5th); pole vault (7th)
· Trinity Tuls – 4x400m relay (1st); 400 meters (6th)
· Zoey Walker – heptathlon (3rd); high jump (6th)
· Abi Wohlgemuth – hammer throw (6th)
Rohde claims school 5k record, five new auto marks added at Concordia Twilight May 10, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – In the final home meet of the 2023-24 athletic year, Concordia University Track & Field competed alongside athletes from 41 institutions while hosting the Concordia Twilight. The highlights at the end of the night on Friday (May 10) included five fresh automatic national qualifying standards, a school record from senior Calvin Rohde and another reset of the women’s program 100-meter hurdles standard by sophomore Adrianna Rodencal.
Head Coach Matt Beisel and the program hosted four indoor and two outdoor meets in 2023-24. For some athletes, the Concordia Twilight put a cap on their seasons and/or careers.
“I’m very pleased with what we got out of today, starting with the weather,” Beisel said. “The wind died down earlier than we thought it would and we ended up having a perfect night with the right temperature. You combine that with lots and lots of teams that brought top-end competitors across event groups, it made for some really fast times and great marks. That always raises the level of competitiveness. We also had the urgency of people trying to hit national marks. We’re very thankful to God for how that came together.”
The newest additions to the NAIA national qualifying field from the Bulldog roster include Jenna Esch in the 800 meters, Kylahn Freiberg in the 1,500 meters, Brady Klute in the hammer throw, Mayson Ostermeyer in the pole vault and Kayla Svoboda in the 100-meter hurdles. Freiberg and Klute (unseeded hammer) won their events at the Concordia Twilight and so too did Jordan Koepke in the 200 meters, Rodencal in the 100 hurdles and Abi Wohlgemuth in the unseeded hammer throw.
As part of her tremendous 2023-24 campaign, Freiberg made a push for the 1,500-meter school record (4:33.84 by Rylee Haecker) and came up just shy while clocking a personal best 4:33.90. Meanwhile, Haecker finished in 4:47.33 (sixth place). On the men’s side of the distance ledger, Rohde accomplished what he set out to do in eclipsing the 5,000-meter record of 14:42.07 by Luka Thor in 2010. On Friday night, Rohde crossed the finish line in 14:39.56 (second place). Teammate Trey Robertson placed fifth in 15:10.50.
A week after winning the GPAC title in the hammer, senior Chris Wren bested his personal best with a massive toss of 213’ 8,” good for No. 2 on the current NAIA national leaderboard. The mark also places Wren third on the program’s all-time list behind only Jacob Cornelio (219’) and Cody Boellstorff (216’ 6”). The feel-good story of the day out of the throws was put forth by the Hampton, Neb., native Klute, who threw 180’ 11” in the hammer and has locked up his first career trip to the national meet, where he’ll be joined by teammates in Wren and Darien Semedo. On the women’s side of the hammer, Abby Gerber improved her auto mark (170’ 3”) and was a fourth-place finisher in the seeded shot put (46’ 8”).
The Lincoln Lutheran alum Rodencal keeps resetting her own hurdles record seemingly every meet. At the Concordia Twilight, she ran 13.65 in the prelims and 13.78 in the finals in a winning effort. A native of Wisner, Neb., Svoboda ran 14.39 in the finals and was the runner up in the event. Said Svoboda immediately afterwards, “I was just overjoyed. It’s kind of unbelievable that I started out the year in the 15s and I just built from there and got it down to the qualifying time. I just made sure I got out fast and got my legs over the hurdles quickly. You just have to go out there and do it.”
Loud noises rang out from the pole vault pit when the sophomore Ostermeyer (Crofton, Neb.) cleared two bars that met the ‘A’ standard – 15’ 9” and 16’ ¾.” Once again, Ostermeyer will join teammate Zach Zohner (the NAIA indoor national champion) at the national championships. Both Bulldogs were All-Americans this past indoor season. On the women’s side of the vault, Sydney Reichert hit the ‘B’ standard and placed seventh at the Concordia Twilight.
A GPAC champion in the javelin, Matthew Boyer has consistently landed throws well beyond the threshold for the ‘A’ standard. He placed fifth in Friday’s competition with a mark of 197’ 9.” Afterwards, he reflected on his GPAC title and school record earlier this season. Said Boyer, “It feels really good (to win a GPAC title). It was kind of my goal this year after last year. I didn’t perform how I wanted to. I made a goal to improve, and I think I exceeded that expectation. It’s more than what I was really expecting.”
The slew of new ‘B’ marks on Friday came courtesy of Freiberg in the 800 meters (2:14.78), Luke Hammang in the 5,000-meter race walk (25:08.53), Reichert in the pole vault (11’ 7 ¾”) and Rohde in the 5,000 meters. Meanwhile, the women’s 4x100-meter relay crew of Cambria Saunders, Kayla Kirchner, Kellie Rhodes and Rodencal boosted their ‘B’ standard to a time of 47.55.
Some of the top performers in the jumps were Hayley Miles in the triple jump (37’ 3 ¾”), Amy Richert in the high jump (5’ 3”), Kiki Nyanok in the long jump (18’ 1 ½”) and Justin Sherman in the triple jump (40’ 8 ¾”).
NAIA Automatic National Qualifying Standards
· Matthew Boyer – Javelin (197’ 9”)
· Jenna Esch – 800 Meters (2:12.11)
· Kylahn Freiberg – 1,500 Meters (4:33.90)
· Abigail Gerber – Shot Put (46’ 8”); Hammer Throw (170’ 3”)
· Brady Klute – Hammer Throw (180’ 11”)
· Mayson Ostermeyer – Pole Vault (16’ ¾”)
· Adrianna Rodencal – 100m Hurdles (13.65 | 13.78)
· Darien Semedo – Hammer Throw (181’ 9”)
· Kayla Svoboda – 100m Hurdles (14.39)
· Chris Wren – Hammer Throw (213’ 8”)
· Zach Zohner – Pole Vault (16’ ¾”)
Concordia Twilight Event Champions
· Kylahn Freiberg – 1,500 Meters (4:33.90)
· Brady Klute – Hammer Throw Unseeded (180’ 11”)
· Jordan Koepke – 200 Meters (25.11)
· Adrianna Rodencal – 100m Hurdles (13.65 | 13.78)
· Abi Wohlgemuth – Hammer Throw Unseeded (163’ 9”)
Select Bulldogs will be in action on Saturday at the Loper Twilight hosted by the University of Nebraska-Kearney. Further information on that meet can be found HERE . The Loper Twilight will be the final meet prior to the 2024 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships (May 22-24).
Wohlgemuth breaks through with 'A' mark, women’s 4x1 runs season best at Loper Twilight May 11, 2024
KEARNEY, Neb. – One day after Concordia University Track & Field hosted the Concordia Twilight, select Bulldogs competed on Saturday (May 11) at the Loper Twilight hosted by the University of Nebraska-Kearney. Another automatic national qualifying mark was put on the board as junior Abi Wohlgemuth unleashed a personal best in the hammer throw. Meanwhile, the team’s women’s 4x100-meter relay put together a season best performance.
The season tally of automatic national qualifying marks for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads stands at 23 after six were added this weekend. In addition two Bulldog heptathletes are positioned to earn spots at the national meet.
Eleven throwers represented Concordia at the Loper Twilight. A summary of their results can be found below. The breakthrough for the Lincoln Lutheran alum Wohlgemuth emerged as the clear highlight. Wohlgemuth won the non-invitational hammer throw competition at the meet with her throw of 172’ 10” (previous PR was 167’ 2”). On the men’s side of the hammer, Conner Asche and Austen Rozelle continued to approach the ‘A’ standard while coming up just short. Already locked into the national field in the hammer and shot put, Darien Semedo again hit the ‘A’ mark in the shot put in a final tune up prior to nationals.
Throwers at the Loper Twilight:
· Connor Asche threw 173’ 9” in the hammer (6th place – invitational).
· Matthew Boyer threw 140’ 6” in the discus (7th place).
· Josiah Edwards threw 171’ 9” in the hammer (2nd place).
· Carson Fehlhafer threw 136’ 11” in the discus (9th place).
· Sven Gredelj threw 155’ 10” in the hammer (9th place).
· Marissa Heins threw 141’ in the hammer (9th place).
· Brittni Kinne threw 36’ 9 ¾” in the shot put (12th place).
· Austen Rozelle threw 176’ 6” in the hammer (5th place – invitational).
· Darien Semedo threw 53’ 7 ¼” in the shot put (7th place).
· Gretchen Stottlemyre threw 129’ 9” in the javelin (8th place).
· Abi Wohlgemuth threw 172’ 10” in the hammer (1st place).
The women’s 4x1 gave it another shot at hitting the ‘A’ standard and came away .01 seconds shy of it. However, the time of 47.41 represented a season best. The crew featured Cambria Saunders, Kayla Kirchner, Kellie Rhodes and Adrianna Rodencal. The Lincoln Lutheran alum Rodencal reset her own school 100-meter hurdles record on Friday by running 13.65. As part of a light day for Concordia track athletes, Jenna Esch turned in a 200-meter time of 25.26 in Kearney.
In additional field events that took place on Saturday, Addie Reimer cleared 5’ 3 ¾” in the high jump, Hayley Miles landed at 17’ 11” in the long jump, Sydney Reichert rose above 10’ 9 ¼” in the pole vault, Jax Jacobson vaulted 14’ 11 ½” and Jonah Paulsen posted a mark of 45’ 1” in the triple jump.
The focus now shifts to the 2024 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships (May 22-24), which will take place in Marion, Ind., for the second-straight year. Official national qualifiers will be announced by the NAIA next week. The multi-event qualifiers are scheduled to be unveiled on May 13 with all other qualifiers revealed on May 17.
Reaching the upper 'Esch'-elon May 17, 2024
Behind the ongoing historic run for Concordia Women’s Track & Field are special student-athletes like Jenna Esch. She’s the kind of Bulldog who exemplifies what it looks like when athletic talent is combined with determined effort over the course of a collegiate career. The fruits of her labor became obvious on March 1, 2024, when Esch and her 4x800-meter relay teammates came together in a group hug in celebration of an NAIA national championship and school record.
The national title was a mountaintop moment for Esch as part of a truly remarkable 2024 indoor/outdoor campaign for the native of Hastings, Nebraska. A few short years ago, it hit home just how much Esch lived for these moments.
“I didn’t think about doing a sport in college at all,” Esch said when recalling her high school days. “I didn’t have much interest in it until my senior year. We didn’t really have a track season my junior year (due to COVID-19). I think that’s when I decided I wanted to do it in college. I realized how much I missed it.”
In her third year as a Bulldog, Esch has run like someone making up for lost time. She shook off surgery that wiped out her freshman indoor season and found herself feeling physically better than ever as the calendar flipped to 2024. It showed. During indoor season, Esch qualified for nationals in the 400, the 600 and the 800 while also qualifying as part of three relays: the 4x4, 4x8 and distance medley relay. She then won GPAC titles in every race she ran at the conference indoor meet: 600, 800 and 4x4. From the 200 through the 800 meters, there’s no one in the GPAC better than Esch.
The Saint Cecilia High School product will tell you she didn’t necessarily foresee this kind of success for herself. As a freshman and sophomore prep athlete, Esch ran mostly the 100 and 200 meters. She also gave basketball and volleyball a try. The first college coach Esch ever heard from during her recruitment was Concordia’s Matt Beisel. It left an impression upon Esch, who still wasn’t sure she wanted to compete as a college athlete. When the time arrived to make a decision, Concordia was top of mind.
“I didn’t know much about it, other than they were pretty good,” Esch said. “I knew a little bit about Coach (Mark) Samuels and Coach Beisel. I could see how great they could develop athletes. I felt like if I wanted to be the best I could be, this was the place to go – just with their experience and history of what they can do with athletes.”
Esch found herself in a competitive, encouraging environment that allowed her to thrive and grow in all aspects of life. The presence of fellow GPAC champions and All-Americans such as Kylahn Freiberg, Rylee Haecker and Jordan Koepke have helped push her into a stratosphere she didn’t realize was attainable. Running at nationals in open event? Not likely, or so Esch once thought. Not only did Esch win a national title as part of the 4x8 at the 2024 indoor national meet, she placed fourth in the 800 meters in a time that ranked third best in school history.
“She had one of the best indoor seasons of anyone that we’ve had at Concordia,” Samuels said of her exploits. “We’ve had a few that have had versatility like that, but she’s someone who covers two different groups. In my time we haven’t had someone who’s been quite like her. What she did at the indoor national championships and the amount of 800s she ran – the results were unbelievable. It was a special weekend for her.”
Esch trusted the process and committed to it. The yields have been piles and piles of medals and plaques. Said Esch of the keys to her success in 2024, “I didn’t have any broken bones or surgeries I had to take care of. I trained a lot in the summer and trusted what Coach Samuels had for me when I got back in the fall. I trusted the process. I think it helps that some of my biggest competitors are from Concordia. Being able to work out with them every day and pushing myself definitely showed up in the long run. I just did whatever Samuels gave me honestly.”
The ‘dream team’ 4x8 for the Bulldogs featured Esch, Haecker, Julie McIntyre and Freiberg. On that unforgettable national championship day in Brookings, S.D., everything came together. The splits were 2:16.32 for Esch, 2:17.10 for Haecker, 2:18.12 for McIntyre and 2:14.61 for Freiberg. It added up to a school record time of 9:06.48, sufficient to hold off the hard charging final leg for The Master’s of California (the runner up). As Haecker said at the time, “I’m just overcome with emotion. Senior year – that’s the way to go out for all of us as a relay.”
In reflection, Esch offered, “I definitely wasn’t expecting that at the beginning of the year. As it got closer, we thought we were capable of it. You’re capable of more than you think, I guess. If you put in the work, it will show eventually. I got to do it with a great group of girls, which was super exciting. We all wanted it really bad. I definitely won’t forget it.”
On a Thursday in the middle of May, Esch provides these reflections while nearing the end of her stellar career. Though she loves what she has as a college athlete and Business Administration major at Concordia, Esch has made this her final season. Life will take her in a new direction as she gets married and moves back to her hometown of Hastings. Wherever she goes, she’ll be thankful for the three-year journey as a Bulldog.
“I visited one other college, but this one really stuck out to me with the campus, the coaching staff and the athletes here,” Esch said. “It left an impression on me that they were the first college to reach out to me as a freshman in high school. I felt like I could really grow here. I liked the campus and the coaching staff.”
In turn, Esch will be remembered for her versatility as an athlete and for the way she carried on the program’s tradition of excellence on and off the track. There aren’t many who can say they ran personal bests of 25.26 in the 200, 55.80 in the 400, 1:33.52 in the 600 and 2:12.11 in the 800. There will be one final hurrah as Esch heads to Marion, Ind., for the 2024 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. She may need to make room for more medals. More importantly, it’s one final opportunity to create memories with the coaches and teammates that have made her realize just how much she’s capable of achieving.
“There were a lot of challenges for her that first year because of the injuries,” Samuels said. “I think she showed the type of person she is – she’s always been motivated and driven. She loves competing and loves challenging herself. She’s never shy about letting me know how she feels or what events she wants to do. She always wants to do more. That’s a fun dynamic having someone who really pushes themselves. I’m excited to see how she finishes up. I’m truly blessed to be able to coach her.”
Added Esch, “I’ve been counting down the meets I’ve got left since outdoor season started, not in a good way. It’s kind of sad to see it all come to an end. I’ll miss competing for sure, but it’s been really special what I’ve been able to do, especially with this group of people.”
Beisel named NAIA Midwest Region Coach of the Year for 10th time May 17, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – For the 10th time in his career, Concordia University’s Matt Beisel has been recognized as a regional coach of the year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Beisel was honored with 2024 NAIA Midwest Region Women’s Outdoor Coach of the Year accolades on Friday (May 17). The distinction comes soon after Beisel and his Bulldog staff received the Jim McMahon/Hauff Mid-America Sports GPAC Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Staff of the Year award. The USTFCCCA honors coaches and athletes in five separate regions.
Currently in his eighth season heading the cross country and track & field programs, Beisel has also been named GPAC Coach of the Year a total of 12 times (once for cross country). Beisel and his staff recently led the Concordia women’s program to its 11th-straight GPAC title. Conference champions on the women’s side included the women’s 4x400 meter relay, Kylahn Freiberg (1,500 meters), Abby Gerber (shot put), Jordan Koepke (400 hurdles), Josi Noble (heptathlon) and Adrianna Rodencal (100 hurdles).
During Beisel’s tenure, the women’s track and field program has placed 12th or better at 13 of 14 national meets. This past indoor season, the women’s team brought home a trophy while placing in a tie for third in the NAIA. Along the way, Beisel’s staff for his entire tenure has included assistants Ed McLaughlin, Mark Samuels and Jason Berry. In addition, Ben Hinckfoot joined the staff in January 2021. Maddie Wachowski and Lia Guigui serve as graduate assistants while Steve Hoger coaches the race walkers.
Beisel, his staff and 32 Bulldog athletes are preparing to compete at the 2024 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Marion, Ind., May 22-25.
Track programs rank highly for number of 2024 NAIA Scholar-Athletes May 21, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – A combined 53 student-athletes from the Concordia University Track & Field programs earned recognition on Tuesday (May 21) as 2024 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes. With 39 award winners, the Concordia women’s program led all NAIA track and field teams nationally. Meanwhile, the men’s squad raked in 14 Scholar-Athlete awards.
The 2023-24 list of track & field honorees features 873 men’s and 1,203 women’s student-athletes. In order to be nominated by an institution’s head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, must appear on the eligibility certificate for the sport and have attended one full year at said institution.
The list of 2024 NAIA Scholar-Athletes includes past College Sports Communicators Academic All-Americans in Kylahn Freiberg, Rylee Haecker, Josie Puelz, Calvin Rohde and Zach Zohner. Among the honorees are several individuals who were also recognized as NAIA Scholar-Athletes for cross country.
Winner of the 2023-24 GPAC All-Sports Championship Trophy, Concordia University ranks as the NAIA’s all-time leader in number of Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes with 2,322 entering the 2023-24 academic year. The school record for number of Scholar-Athletes in one academic year is 226 achieved in 2019-20. Concordia has been a regular national leader for both Scholar-Athletes and Scholar-Teams.
2024 Track & Field NAIA Scholar-Athletes
MEN
· Jack Ellis (Bend, Ore.)
· Carson Fehlhafer (Utica, Neb.)
· Marc Freiberg (Seward, Neb.)
· Thomas Gorline (St. Louis, Mo.)
· Charles Hayden (Elkhorn, Neb.)
· Trevor Kuncl (Mullen, Neb.)
· Teagan Meyer (Alta, Iowa)
· Mayson Ostermeyer (Crofton, Neb.)
· Nathan Pennekamp (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
· Joel Rathe (Sterling, Neb.)
· Calvin Rohde (Reed City, Mich.)
· Darien Semedo (Sacramento, Calif.)
· Micah Willweber (Kailua, Hawaii)
· Zach Zohner (Battle Creek, Neb.)
WOMEN
· Rachel Ada (DeSoto, Kan.)
· Elena Batenhorst (Columbus, Neb.)
· Hannah Beintema (Bettendorf, Iowa)
· Keegan Beisel (Seward, Neb.)
· Greta Corneliusen (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
· Amira Cummings (Cheyenne, Wyo.)
· Mickey Curl (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
· Lauren Dawson (Cedar Falls, Iowa)
· Jenna Esch (Hastings, Neb.)
· Kylahn Freiberg (Nampa, Idaho)
· Abigail Gerber (Columbus, Neb.)
· Peyton Gissler (Malcolm, Neb.)
· Rylee Haecker (Davenport, Neb.)
· Ellie Jander (St. Louis, Mo.)
· Rhaya Kaschinske (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
· Kayla Kirchner (Ogallala, Neb.)
· Skylar Kreifels (Lincoln, Neb.)
· Emily Loseke (Leigh, Neb.)
· Alyssa Marotz (Norfolk, Neb.)
· Anna McCoy (Grand Island, Neb.)
· Julie McIntyre (Chicago, Ill.)
· Hayley Miles (North Platte, Neb.)
· Katelyn Nix (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
· Grace Pennekamp (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
· Kamryn Pokorney (Shelby, Neb.)
· Josie Puelz (Lincoln, Neb.)
· Grace Reimer (Hartland, Wis.)
· Kellie Rhodes (Mullinville, Kan.)
· Amy Richert (Gresham, Neb.)
· Adrianna Rodencal (Lincoln, Neb.)
· Taberah Schmidt (Damascus, Ore.)
· Kimberly Schropfer (Ohiowa, Neb.)
· Amanda Steinke (Milwaukee, Wis.)
· Gretchen Stottlemyre (Olympia, Wash.)
· Kayla Svoboda (Wisner, Neb.)
· Trinity Tuls (Columbus, Neb.)
· Jaiden Tweton (Ashland, Neb.)
· Landrey Walter (Fort Morgan, Colo.)
· Lainey Werts (St. Edward, Neb.)
Day 1 Recap: Wren captures hammer title, Freiberg breaks school record May 22, 2024
MARION, Ind. – In the moments after tasting national championship glory for the first time, Chris Wren literally soaked the accomplishment in as teammates treated him to the traditional cold-water shower. The Fair Oaks, Calif., native won’t soon forget this day. In the finals of the hammer throw competition at the 2024 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, Wren edged out a fellow contender in the hotly contested finals while capturing his first career national title.
Wren’s achievement was the highlight of Wednesday (May 22) action in Marion, Ind. Additionally, Kylahn Freiberg broke the women’s program 1,500-meter record and Jordan Koepke put together a finals qualifying time in the 400-meter hurdles. Late in the evening, Gretchen Stottlemyre emerged as a Cinderella story in making her way to the All-America podium. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads seek to build upon their top-10 national placements at the ’24 NAIA indoor meet.
Assistant coach Ed McLaughlin has now presided over 20 individual national titles in the throws during his long-tenured Concordia career. This was the fairytale ending that athletes dream about. Wren has lived it.
Said Wren almost immediately at the conclusion of the hammer competition, “Honestly, relief. It was such a competitive competition. Three centimeters was all the difference was. It’s a feeling of relief and a little bit of pride but mostly, all glory be to God. Thanks to my teammates for sticking by me – and my coach (McLaughlin). They never stopped believing. I owe a lot to them, but mostly – glory be to God.”
Seeded second nationally entering the meet, Wren stood atop the field with a throw of 208 feet as Wednesday’s hammer finals got underway. On his fifth attempt, Marian University (Ind.)’s Christian Rios took over the lead at 208’ 4.” Wren immediately responded by eking past Rios at 208’ 5.” That mark held up through the closing attempts of the finals. The 2024 weight throw national runner up Wren effectively seized his fifth career All-America award.
This will also be the final meet of Freiberg’s career. The Nampa, Idaho, native will shoot for one more All-America award in the 1,500-meter finals on Friday. She blazed to a school record of 4:31.08 (third fastest in the prelims) in breaking the former school record of 4:33.84 by teammate Rylee Haecker at the 2023 national meet. Freiberg and Haecker also happen to be two of the stars of a 4x800-meter relay that took home an indoor national title. In the 4x8 appearance on Wednesday, the Bulldogs came up short of reaching the finals. The combination of Jenna Esch (2:15.12), Haecker (2:18.66), Rhaya Kaschinske (2:24.89) and Freiberg (2:16.41) finished in 9:15.11, settling for 11th place. Haecker won 10 All-America awards during an impressive collegiate career that is now complete.
Seeded 25th in the javelin entering the day, the Olympia, Wash., native Stottlemyre showed she meant business when her first throw of the day landed at a personal best distance of 136’ 6.” She placed second in the first flight and then had to wait through flights two and three before her spot in the finals was secured. Stottlemyre wound up in eighth place when the dust settled as she earned her first career All-America award.
Said Stottlemyre, “I really just wanted to go in there and have fun. I was a lot calmer this year since it was my second trip to nationals. Honestly, after I threw the first one, I didn’t think it was that good. Yeah, it was pretty good – and I went and hugged Ed. It was fun.”
Koepke will be looking to add to her six career All-America awards as a finalist in the 400 hurdles. She won her preliminary heat in a time of 1:02.07 (fifth overall in the prelims). Koepke is already the school record holder in the event (59.90). She’ll be in action as part of the 4x4 on Thursday.
It was a busy day for Concordia hammer throwers. Each of them took part in the celebration for Wren while also testing themselves on the national stage. On the men’s side, Darien Semedo placed 15th (183’ 1”), Brady Klute placed 19th (180’ 3”) and Connor Asche placed 25th (164’ 10”). On the women’s side, Kamryn Pokorney placed 16th (169’ 4”), Abby Gerber placed 17th (167’ 4”) and Abi Wohlgemuth placed 25th (154’ 10”). Gerber and Pokorney will be back in action on Thursday in the shot put.
In the women’s heptathlon, Josi Noble and Amy Richert will continue their push for All-America awards when competition picks back up on day two. With four events scored, Richert stands in ninth place with 2,849 points while Noble resides in 15th place with 2,700 points. The final three events to be scored in the heptathlon will be the long jump, javelin and 800 meters.
The throws crew qualified one athlete apiece in the men’s and women’s javelin. The GPAC champion and school record holder, Matthew Boyer scratched all three throws in his first experience at a national meet.
One of three women’s relays qualified for the meet, the 4x100-meter group ran in the afternoon on Wednesday and clocked in at 47.54 (18th place). That relay included Cambria Saunders, Kayla Kirchner, Kellie Rhodes and Adrianna Rodencal. There’s more to come this weekend for both Kirchner and Rodencal.
Day two of the national meet will get started at 11 a.m. EDT as the heptathlon resumes. The complete day two schedule for Concordia can be found below.
2024 NAIA Outdoor All-Americans
· Gretchen Stottlemyre – Javelin (8th; 136’ 6”)
· Chris Wren – Hammer Throw (1st; 208’ 5”)
Thursday (May 23) Concordia Schedule
All times EDT
· Heptathlon (11:00 a.m.) – Josi Noble, Amy Richert
· Women’s 100m Hurdles (2:00 p.m.) – Adrianna Rodencal, Kayla Svoboda
· Women’s Shot Put (2:30 p.m.) – Abby Gerber, Kamryn Pokorney
· Women’s 800m (2:30 p.m.) – Jenna Esch
· Men’s 5,000m Race Walk (5:15 p.m.) – Luke Hammang
· Men’s Discus (6:00 p.m.) – Austen Rozelle
· Men’s 5,000m (7:35 p.m.) – Calvin Rohde
· Women’s 4x400m Relay (8:15 p.m.) – Jenna Esch, Kayla Kirchner, Trinity Tuls, Jordan Koepke, Alternate: Isabelle Salters
Day 2 Recap: Esch, women’s 4x4 emerge as finalists May 23, 2024
MARION, Ind. – Jenna Esch and her women’s 4x400-meter relay teammates made noise on Thursday (May 23) while leading the way for Concordia University Track & Field at the 2024 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. Esch qualified for the finals of the 800 meters early in the afternoon before leading off the 4x4 amidst the twilight of the Marion, Ind., skies. The 4x4 that included Kayla Kirchner, Trinity Tuls and Jordan Koepke won its heat in the prelims while reserving a spot in Friday’s finals. Those were the major highlights on a busy day for the Bulldogs on the track and in the throws.
The Hastings, Neb., native Esch kicked her day off at 2:30 p.m. local time by galloping to a personal best of 2:11.81 in the 800 meters, good for second in her heat and eighth overall in the prelims. As the sun set on day two, Esch then put Concordia in a lead it would not relinquish as part of the 4x4. By the time Koepke raced across the finish line, the Bulldogs clocked in at 3:48.81 for the second fastest outdoor 4x4 in program history. This exact same 4x4 group placed sixth nationally for indoor. It will be its mission to wrap up the championship meet in style on Friday evening.
There’s been heartbreak for the accomplished sophomore Adrianna Rodencal at both the 2024 indoor and outdoor national meets. The Lincoln Lutheran alum missed another final by .01 seconds as she completed the 100-meter hurdles in 14.43 on Thursday. Rodencal placed 10th while teammate Kayla Svoboda (14.73) ran another sub 15-second time and placed 18th. During this outdoor season, Rodencal repeatedly set a new 100 hurdles school standard (13.65) and was the GPAC champion in the event.
The heptathlon concluded on Thursday as the long jump, javelin and 800 meters were contested. Senior Amy Richert put together a solid meet in placing 10th with 4,647 points. She turned in the fourth best javelin (115’ 11”) among the 16 heptathletes. The GPAC heptathlon champion, sophomore Josi Noble wound up in 15th place with 4,341 points. Noble ranked fifth best in the shot put (37’ 1 ¾”).
In the women’s shot put, junior Abby Gerber (two-time All-American) made a strong push for a spot on the podium. The Columbus, Neb., native reached the finals of the event with her mark of 46’ 1.” She put herself in a three-way tie for seventh place but officially earned ninth after next best throws were factored in. In the same competition, senior Kamryn Pokorney placed 15th with a toss of 44’ 7.”
A 2024 indoor All-American in the mile, Calvin Rohde (Reed City, Mich.) put a bow on his career while running the 5,000 meters on Thursday. The 5k school record holder Rohde paced the Indiana Wesleyan track in a time of 15:29.01 and finished 36th.
Hoping to earn discus All-America status for a second year in a row, junior Austen Rozelle (Wauneta, Neb.) fell just short of reaching the finals. His best toss on Thursday landed at 160’ 9,” putting him in 11th place. A year ago, Rozelle placed sixth in the discus. Emma Lloyd will be in action on the women’s side of the discus on Friday.
The day marked the first nationals experience for freshman Luke Hammang, who competed in the 5,000-meter race walk. Hammang was unable to complete the race. He stood in 16th place at the time he was pulled out of the competition.
The Concordia schedule for the third and final day of the meet can be found below. Through two days, hammer throw national champion Chris Wren and javelin All-American Gretchen Stottlemyre have been the program’s two point scorers. In Friday’s festivities, Esch, Koepke and Kylahn Freiberg will each run in the finals of individual races. In the men’s pole vault, Zach Zohner will take his shot at claiming a second pole vault national title in 2024.
2024 NAIA Outdoor All-Americans
· Gretchen Stottlemyre – Javelin (8th; 136’ 6”)
· Chris Wren – Hammer Throw (1st; 208’ 5”)
Friday (May 24) Concordia Schedule
All times EDT
· Women’s Discus Throw (1:00 p.m.) – Emma Lloyd
· Men’s Pole Vault (1:00 p.m.) – Mason Ostermeyer, Zach Zohner
· Women’s High Jump (2:00 p.m.) – Zoey Walker
· Women’s 1,500m-Final (2:00 p.m.) – Kylahn Freiberg
· Men’s Shot Put (3:00 p.m.) – Carson Fehlhafer, Darien Semedo
· Women’s 400m Hurdle-Final (3:10 p.m.) – Jordan Koepke
· Women’s 800m-Final (3:50 p.m.) – Jenna Esch
· Women’s 4x400m Relay-Final (5:15 p.m.) – Jenna Esch, Kayla Kirchner, Trinity Tuls, Jordan Koepke
Day 3 Recap: Zohner vaults to NAIA title, eight Bulldogs add names to All-America list May 24, 2024
MARION, Ind. – Just before the rain and thunderstorms engulfed Marion, Ind., Concordia University Track & Field athletes closed the book on the 2024 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships in memorable fashion. The biggest thrills came from the pole vault where senior Zach Zohner made it a sweep of 2024 NAIA national titles. The native of Battle Creek, Neb., was one of eight Bulldogs who officially became All-Americans on the third and final day (May 24) of the championship meet. The women’s 4x4 capped the festivities by blazing to a near school record time.
National champions Zohner and Chris Wren (hammer throw) led the way for a men’s team that placed seventh nationally with 25 points. On the women’s side, the 4x4 claimed fourth place and pushed Concordia into a tie for 20th place in the final team standings.
“First of all, God is great,” said Head Coach Matt Beisel. “I’m so thankful to Him for this entire year and all the people he’s brought together to make this team and culture what it is. It is all a God thing. Even in the things that didn’t go as well as we wanted, we give Him glory because His timing is perfect. We have such incredible staff, coaches and athletes. We have seniors we’re going to miss dearly as they move on in life and do other things. I’m just very grateful. We had two national champions on the men’s side. Top 10 in the nation as a team is a big deal.”
Zohner took on serious challenges from two other competitors in a heated national pole vault that saw three athletes eclipse 17 feet. Zohner ultimately cleared a personal best of 17’ 2 ¾” while missing on only two attempts until the very final height. Caleb Pouliot of The Master’s (Calif.) also cleared 17’ 2 ¾” but placed second due to a higher number of misses. An All-American at indoor nationals, Concordia’s Mayson Ostermeyer placed 13th (15’ 7”).
A two-time NAIA pole vault national champion in 2024, Zohner rose to No. 3 on the program’s all-time outdoor vault list. The latest title didn’t come easy, which made it a little bit extra special. Said Zohner, “I tried to have one key in my head. I wanted to really settle down my run on my first few steps and get quicker towards the end. I just had that one thing to fall back on when I saw someone else go over a big height.”
On the women’s side, the 4x4 supplied the highest point total. A switch was made on the fly with Isabelle Salters stepping in for Jordan Koepke (an All-American in the 400 hurdles). Collectively, the Bulldogs came through in the clutch. Jenna Esch ran 55.53, Trinity Tuls ran 56.98, Salters ran 58.28 and Kayla Kirchner polished it off by running 56.63. At 3:47.68, the group wasn’t far off the school record of 3:47.26. Five Concordia athletes earned credit for All-America awards in the event.
The Hastings, Neb., native Esch also placed seventh in the 800 meters while running 2:13.86 in Friday’s finals. Said Esch of the 4x4 race, “It was amazing. I told them before, I wasn’t nervous. I had confidence we could ‘All-American’ it. I knew they were all capable of it. We had to believe and whatever happens, happens. We pulled off a season PR and got pretty close to a school record, so we really couldn’t ask for much more. Izzy stepped in and did great. We switched up the order too, and Kayla finished strong for us.”
One more big moment came in the throws as Darien Semedo wound down the meet in the shot put. The Sacramento, Calif., native threw a personal best of 56 feet in the third flight and then increased his mark to 56’ 11 ¾” in the finals. With that toss, Semedo took fourth place and moved all the way up to No. 2 on the program’s all-time outdoor shot put list (behind only Zach Lurz). In addition, Carson Fehlhafer competed in the shot put and placed 20th (52’ 4”).
A fifth year of college competition proved to be a fruitful one for Kylahn Freiberg, who ranks among the top distance runners in program history. The Nampa, Idaho, native put a cherry on top of her career by placing seventh in the 1,500 meters. She ran a school record time of 4:31.08 in the prelims on Wednesday before clocking in at 4:32.07 in the finals. In doing so, Freiberg earned her eighth career All-America award (seven in track; one in cross country).
Said Freiberg, “I wasn’t expecting much, so it’s been a nice surprise for sure. I’m definitely thankful to God that I was able to finish my season on a high note. I was kind of wondering if it was real (in regard to the school record). I was thinking I’d wake up tomorrow and still have to run again. It was unreal.”
Koepke finished the 400-meter hurdle finals in 1:02.21 (eighth place) and earned her seventh career All-America award at the time. The career All-America count grew to eight for both Esch and Koepke after the 4x4. Esch was also part of the 4x8 that ran in the prelims on Wednesday. That group included senior Rylee Haecker, who pulled in 10 All-America awards in her time as a Bulldog.
In additional field events held on Friday, Emma Lloyd threw 131’ 1” (29th) in the discus and Zoey Walker got over the bar at 5’ 3” (24th) in the high jump. Walker earned All-America honors in the indoor high jump in 2024.
The 2024 outdoor season featured another GPAC championship on the women’s side (11th in a row) and a third-place conference finish on the men’s side. Meanwhile, outdoor program records were broken by the women’s 4x200-meter relay (1:40.76), women's indoor 4x800-meter relay (9:06.48), Matthew Boyer in the javelin (219’), Kylahn Freiberg in the 1,500 meters (4:31.08) and 3,000 meters (9:54.40), Rylee Haecker in the indoor 1,000 meters (2:52.88), Adrianna Rodencal in the 100 hurdles (13.65), Calvin Rohde in the 5,000 meters (14:39.56) and Zoey Walker in the high jump (5’ 6”). The men’s program placed in the top 10 nationally for both indoor and outdoor. The women tied for third in indoor and earned a team trophy.
2024 NAIA Outdoor All-Americans
· Jenna Esch – 4x400m Relay (4th; P – 3:48.81, F – 3:47.68); 800 Meters (7th; P – 2:11.81, F – 2:13.86)
· Kylahn Freiberg – 1,500 Meters (7th; P – 4:31.08, F – 4:32.07)
· Kayla Kirchner – 4x400m Relay (4th; P – 3:48.81, F – 3:47.68)
· Jordan Koepke – 4x400m Relay (4th; P – 3:48.81, F – 3:47.68); 400m Hurdles (8th; P – 1:02.07, F – 1:02.21)
· Isabelle Salters – 4x400m Relay (4th; P – 3:48.81, F – 3:47.68)
· Darien Semedo – Shot Put (4th; 56’ 11 ¾”)
· Gretchen Stottlemyre – Javelin (8th; 136’ 6”)
· Trinity Tuls – 4x400m Relay (4th; P – 3:48.81, F – 3:47.68)
· Chris Wren – Hammer Throw (1st; 208’ 5”)
· Zach Zohner – Pole Vault (1st; 17’ 2 ¾”)
Ten Bulldogs collect 2024 outdoor All-America awards May 28, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – Courtesy of their performances at the 2024 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, 10 Bulldogs have earned All-America honors in one or more events (full list below). In order to receive an All-America plaque, a top eight placement at the national championship meet is required. The list of 2024 Concordia University Track & Field outdoor All-Americans is headlined by pole vault national champion Zach Zohner and hammer throw national champion Chris Wren.
The Battle Creek, Neb., native Zohner became the men’s program’s first vaulter to sweep NAIA national championships in a single year since TJ Kloster in 2000. His vault of 17’ 2 ¾” in Marion, Ind., equaled his personal best winning clearance from the NAIA indoor national meet. Other pole vault national champions in men’s program history are TJ Kloster (six), Gene Brooks (five), Patrick Gellens (two), Jeb Myers (one) and Lucas Wiechman (one). Brooks owns the school indoor pole vault record (18’ ½”) while Kloser owns the program outdoor pole vault standard (17’ 6 ¼”). Zohner’s PR of 17’ 2 ¾” places him No. 3 on the school’s all-time indoor list. Pole vault coach Jason Berry has worked with the likes of Wiechman and Zohner on the men’s side and five-time national champion Josie Puelz on the women’s side.
Wren, who hails from Fair Oaks, Calif., claimed the fourth NAIA hammer throw title in men’s program history with his mark of 208’ 5.” The other hammer throw titlists from Concordia have been Cody Boellstorff (2015 and 2017) and Jacob Cornelio (2021). Throws coach Ed McLaughlin has helped lead Bulldog athletes to 20 individual national championships during his tenure. Wren is now a five-time All-American and was the NAIA indoor weight throw runner up.
In her final collegiate meet, Kylahn Freiberg broke the school record in the 1,500 meters (4:31.08 in the prelims) and wound up placing seventh in the NAIA in the event. Freiberg picked up her seventh career All-America award. Also on the track, the women’s 4x400-meter relay extended its string of consecutive appearances in the national finals to 11. The Bulldogs placed fourth (best ever women’s 4x4 finish) nationally. The group featured Jenna Esch, Kayla Kirchner, Isabelle Salters and Trinity Tuls in the finals. Jordan Koepke also ran the 4x4 in the prelims. Salters and Gretchen Stottlemyre (javelin) were Concordia’s two first-time All-Americans to emerge from the meet.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads earned 2024 NAIA outdoor national finishes of seventh on the men’s side and tied for 20th on the women’s side. At the conference level, the women won the GPAC title (11th in a row) and the men placed third.
2024 Outdoor All-Americans
*School record
Jenna Esch
Kylahn Freiberg
Kayla Kirchner
Jordan Koepke
Isabelle Salters
Darien Semedo
Gretchen Stottlemyre
Trinity Tuls
Chris Wren
Zach Zohner
Fairytale finish concludes championship Concordia experience for Wren June 7, 2024
When Coach Ed McLaughlin was first introduced to Chris Wren, he thought perhaps he was looking at a potential future Concordia distance runner. The high school version of Wren stood tall in stature but slender in build. Little did McLaughlin – or anyone else – know at the time, but Wren would grow into that frame to become a hammer throw national champion and husband to a Nebraska farm girl. Ironically, it was Chris’ father Michael who told McLaughlin that he wasn’t sending his son all the way from California to Nebraska to wed a farm girl.
But it was meant to be. Honestly, Michael Wren was only joking. He couldn’t help but look on proudly as his son celebrated a fairytale finish to his collegiate athletics career. Chris Wren wouldn’t have dreamt of anything more.
“I was just a kid coming out of California coming to a new state,” Chris said. “I had no idea what was out here. I didn’t know who I was when I left. I changed a lot from the time I entered Concordia to the time I left. I would not be the man I am today if it wasn’t for Concordia. I met my wife and I met all of my friends. I pretty much made a new family out here.”
Life for Wren as a Bulldog student-athlete spanned from the fall of 2019 through the spring of 2024 and included the turbulent COVID-19 era, hip and hand injuries, the introduction of his future wife, the birth of his son and a whole lot of personal and spiritual growth. The journey culminated with a national title at the 2024 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships in a storybook ending that not all athletes get to enjoy. Wren reigned atop the hammer throw podium while managing an incredible balancing act as a husband, father, student-athlete and bartender at Sparetime Lounge and Grill.
In the closing act of his Concordia Bulldogs chapter, Wren won an NAIA hammer competition that was truly a game of inches – even centimeters. Heading into the finals, Wren led the way with a throw of 208 feet. In round five, Marian’s Christian Rios took over the lead with a mark that landed at 208’ 4.” Incredibly, Wren regained the No. 1 spot while responding with the winning toss of 208’ 5.” In the immediate aftermath, Wren hugged McLaughlin and family and friends before being showered with water and ice by his throwing teammates. This was the goal for Wren, and he went after it with relentless determination.
Explained McLaughlin, “When we got to nationals, we were going for it. We weren’t going to just try to make finals. If he had scratched on his first throw, he had to be ready to come back and make sure he made finals. He said, ‘I’m ready for it.’ We trained it every day. The idea going into the meet was to go hard on the first one and put that thought into the other throwers’ minds – he knows he can win it. It was such a process to get there and for him to believe it was possible. To see it happen and to see the look on his face was so much fun. It never gets old watching kids do that and getting up on the podium.”
The crowning achievement of Wren’s athletic career was the result of his ability to manage a wealth of responsibilities. Life had changed late in the spring of 2023 when his wife Elle (also an All-American thrower at Concordia) gave birth to their son. Wren actually missed the 2023 outdoor national meet as Elle was due at the same time. Faith and family came first, and that’s the way it was always going to be for Chris. That could have been the end of Wren’s college athletics story. With one year of indoor and outdoor eligibility remaining, Chris wanted to keep the dream alive.
It wasn’t going to be easy. When Chris and Elle found out they were going to be parents, Chris went to McLaughlin’s house to discuss a plan for making it all work. There were going to be days when Chris wouldn’t be home for long as he went to classes, squeezed in time for practice and worked late into evenings at Sparetime. As the process wore on, Chris figured out how to manage his schedule. Sometimes he had to miss team activities in order to be a caring father.
“I can’t give enough glory to God for that,” Wren said. “It was not easy. It was a stressful time for me, as well as for my wife. I was gone from 7 o’clock until 3:30 and then I’d come home for maybe 30 minutes and have to go back to work as a bartender and work until around 1 or 2 in the morning. It was a grueling process and something we had to learn how to balance. Without God’s guidance, I don’t know that I would have been able to do it at all. I have to thank my wife for being willing to let me continue to pursue an athletic career, even though we were in a place where that probably would have been the thing to cut out first. She was still willing to let me follow that dream and finish the career that I started.”
The beginnings of that career can be traced back to Wren’s California roots. He was born in Clovis before his family moved to Fresno and then to the Sacramento area. His athletic career became more serious once Wren got connected with Coach Mike Curry and the Golden State Throwers, a program that has produced numerous collegiate athletes. The GST funnel to Concordia included 2021 hammer throw national champion Jacob Cornelio. After first trying hammer as a freshman in high school, Wren was hooked.
He took to the event so well that he eventually began to draw interest from NCAA Division I institutions. However, Wren had made his commitment to Concordia, and he wasn’t budging on it. The Wrens had basically welcomed McLaughlin into the family. When McLaughlin visited Sacramento on a recruiting trip, the Wrens proved especially hospitable. The glowing reviews from other athletes within GST made an impression upon Wren as he laid out a path for his future.
“We (at GST) all kept on coming because Ed seemed to really know what he was doing, and he really cared,” Wren said. “It’s hard to find a coach like Ed who has such a good grasp on your event and is also so easy to talk to and very respectful of your time. He cares about you personally, not just what you can provide to the team. Those were the qualities I was looking for in a coach. I came and found out I loved it here.”
By the time his career ended, Wren collected five All-America awards and claimed 2024 GPAC titles in the weight throw and hammer throw. Not only a hammer throw national champion, Wren placed as the ’24 national runner up in the weight throw. Essentially, Wren was the best in the country at what he did. Wren didn’t stop until he broke past 200 feet in the hammer or until he came as close as he possibly could to perfecting his craft. This past season, he worked exclusively at the weight and hammer in order to maximize his potential in those areas. It’s not overwhelming physical strength that has made Wren great, it’s his attention to detail and an analytical approach to throwing.
“It all started to come together after we went down to KU Relays (this spring),” McLaughlin said. “Chris ended up getting fourth or fifth. We were driving home and I was like, ‘What’s the difference between you and those guys? On their throw, what’s the major difference?’ He answered that they all go through the ring faster. They’re all done in about 3.5 or 4 seconds. For Chris, it was taking 4.5 seconds and sometimes 5. He thinks about throwing differently than most people. He doesn’t look at it like a boxing match. He looks at it like a chess match. He’s not going in there to beat you up. He’s going in there to outthink you. He went and had literally the best week of practice he’s ever had.”
Explains Wren, “I showed up as a freshman weighing 195 pounds. I wasn’t strong in the weight room, and I’m still not really that strong in the weight room. Ed always sits down with his athletes at the beginning of the season and talks about what their goals are, and he told me he had a plan. I trusted him as a coach to get me to that level. I think I started hitting 200 feet my senior year (2023) in the beginning of the season. We didn’t get it done in a meet that year, but we knew it was possible and I was capable of it. For the last year, maybe two years, it’s been about making it consistent and making sure it happens at a meet. A lot of it had to do with refining that technique and making sure I’m hitting all my positions I need to be hitting without mistakes.”
Wren put all that training, physical and mental, into practice at the 2024 national meet. When he was passed in the finals, Wren calmed himself by saying a prayer. He was going to be at peace with whatever happened, but his competitive juices were flowing. It wasn’t in his nature to settle for second place.
“During the final when I got passed, I knew I had to do something,” Wren said. “I said a little prayer and asked God if it was His will to let me be able to get something. He gave me exactly what I needed. It was by an inch that I was able to get back on top. We were able to get that one inch farther. It was a very intense competition, that’s for sure.”
Academically, Wren continues to pursue a career in physical therapy. Chris, Elle and their young son have moved to Kearney, where Chris will attend UNMC for physical therapy school. He credits Dr. Connie Callahan, Associate Professor of Biology, for being a “miracle worker” in his life. In so many ways and for so many reasons, Wren is counting his blessings.
As Wren says in sum, “The teachers, the coaches and the people I’ve met that I’ve been able to integrate into my life as family have made a huge impact for me. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for Concordia. I’m just very grateful for the opportunity and to now be a Concordia alum.”
Ten Bulldogs from cross country/track programs named CSC Academic All-District June 18, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Cross Country and Track & Field programs placed the maximum number of student-athletes on the list of 2023-24 Academic All-District honorees, as selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC). The award winners were announced on Tuesday (June 18) and featured Bulldog repeat selections in Kylahn Freiberg, Rylee Haecker and Josie Puelz on the women’s side and Calvin Rohde and Zach Zohner on the men’s side. The full list of Concordia all-district honorees is included below, along with their career accomplishments.
The 2023-24 Academic All-District® Cross Country/Track & Field Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Student-athletes must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in order to be nominated for this award. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA — for each gender.
Women’s Honorees
Jenna Esch | Hastings, Neb.
8x NAIA All-American (six in relays, two in individual events) … ran leadoff leg for 2024 indoor national championship winning 4x800m relay (school record time of 9:06.48) … 6x Great Plains Athletic Conference champion … five NAIA national meet appearances … member of six GPAC championship winning teams and three teams that earned NAIA national championship trophies (top four or better) … 2024 NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Kylahn Freiberg | Nampa, Idaho
T&F : 7x NAIA All-American … ran leadoff leg for 2024 indoor national championship winning 4x800m relay (school record time of 9:06.48) … 3x Great Plains Athletic Conference event champion (indoor 1,000m, outdoor 1,500m and outdoor 3,000m) … eight NAIA national meet appearances … 2023 NAIA indoor 1,000-meter national runner up (2:54.87) and 2024 NAIA indoor mile national runner up (4:54.09) … school record holder in the outdoor 1,500 meters (4:31.08) and 3,000 meters (9:54.40) … member of nine GPAC championship winning teams and six teams that earned NAIA national championship trophies (top four or better) … 2023 CSC Academic All-District/All-America … 4x NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
XC : 2023 NAIA All-American (16th) … 3x GPAC All-Conference … qualified for the NAIA national meet in 2019, 2022 and 2023 … helped the 2019 team to a GPAC title while placing as the conference individual runner up … 2019 team placed 12th nationally and 2023 team placed 18th nationally … 4x NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Rylee Haecker | Davenport, Neb.
T&F : 10x NAIA All-American (six in individual events; four in relays) … ran second leg for 2024 indoor national championship winning 4x800m relay (school record time of 9:06.48) … 7x Great Plains Athletic Conference event champion … school record holder in the indoor 1,000 meters (2:52.88) … seven NAIA national meet appearances … member of teams that won eight GPAC team championships and six teams that earned NAIA national championship trophies (top four or better) … 2023 CSC Academic All-District/All-America … 3x NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
XC: 2x All-GPAC runner; 3x NAIA national qualifier … helped the 2023 team place 18th nationally … 3x NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Josie Puelz | Lincoln, Neb.
5x NAIA pole vault national champion (runner up 2023 outdoor) … 8x NAIA pole vault All-American … 6x Great Plains Athletic Conference pole vault champion … 2021-22 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year award winner … 3x CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-American/All-District (entering 2024) … 3x NAIA Women’s Field Scholar Athlete of the Year, as selected by the USTFCCCA … 2021 State College Female Athlete of the Year in the state of Nebraska by the Lincoln Journal Star … owns the GPAC conference meet records for both the indoor and outdoor pole vault and holds school records in the indoor (13’ 4 ½”) and outdoor (13’ 7 ¼”) pole vault … has helped the program to nine GPAC team titles and to six NAIA national championship team trophies (top four or better) … 4x NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Adrianna Rodencal | Lincoln, Neb.
4x Great Plains Athletic Conference champion (three in individual events) … named the 2023 GPAC Indoor and Outdoor Female Athlete of the Year as a freshman … four NAIA national meet appearances … school record holder in the 60-meter hurdles (8.55) and the 100-meter hurdles (13.65) … member of four GPAC championship winning teams and one team that earned an NAIA national championship trophy (top four or better) … 2024 NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Men’s Honorees
Carson Fehlhahfer | Utica, Neb.
2x NAIA national qualifier … at the 2024 GPAC Outdoor Championships, placed third in the shot put and seventh in the discus … also a starter on the football team … NAIA Scholar-Athlete in both football and track & field.
Mayson Ostermeyer | Crofton, Neb.
2024 NAIA indoor pole vault All-American (5th) … 2x NAIA national qualifier … placed as the 2024 GPAC pole vault runner up for both indoor and outdoor … helped the team to two top 10 NAIA national place finishes in 2024 (eighth for indoor and seventh for outdoor) … pole vault PR of 16’ ¾” … 2024 NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Calvin Rohde | Reed City, Mich.
T&F: 6x NAIA national qualifier … placed sixth in the mile (4:10.63) at the 2024 NAIA indoor national meet and earned first career All-America award … 14 career all-conference awards … won the 2024 GPAC indoor 1,000-meter title in 2:34.93 … school record holder in the 5,000 meters (14:39.56) … helped the team to two top 10 NAIA national place finishes in 2024 (eighth for indoor and seventh for outdoor) … 2023 CSC Academic All-District/All-America … 3x NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
XC: 2021 and 2023 NAIA national qualifier … 3x all-conference award winner … helped Concordia place second in the GPAC in 2022 … 3x NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Darien Semedo | Sacramento, Calif.
2x NAIA All-American in the shot put … 4x NAIA national qualifier … won the 2024 GPAC outdoor shot put title with a throw of 54’ 10 ¼” … PR of 57’ in the shot put at the NAIA outdoor national championships … ranks No. 2 on the program’s all-time outdoor list … helped the team to two top 10 NAIA national place finishes in 2024 (eighth for indoor and seventh for outdoor) … 2024 NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Zach Zohner | Battle Creek, Neb.
Swept 2024 NAIA indoor/outdoor pole vault national titles … 2023 NAIA indoor pole vault national runner up … 4x pole vault All-American … 3x Great Plains Athletic Conference pole vault champion … seven career all-conference awards … owns all-time school rankings of No. 4 for the indoor vault (17’ 2 ¾”) and No. 3 for the outdoor vault (17’ 2 ¾”) … 2023 CSC Academic All-District/All-America … helped the team to two top 10 NAIA national place finishes in 2024 (eighth for indoor and seventh for outdoor) … 3x NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Women's Track and Field/XC first-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced on Tuesday, July 9. The Men's Track and Field/XC first-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced one day later on July 10.
Concordia women's XC/TF lands at No. 5 in final 2023-24 USTFCCCA program standings June 20, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – In the final 2023-24 NAIA Program of the Year Standings released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), the Concordia University women’s track & field and cross country programs landed at No. 5 nationally. The standings are calculated using a point system based on team finishes at the NAIA National Championships. The Bulldogs were ranked No. 1 among GPAC programs while situated behind only four programs nationally: College of Idaho, Cumberlands (Ky.), Taylor (Ind.) and Olivet Nazarene (Ill.).
This past 2023-24, Head Coach Matt Beisel’s women’s squads turned in NAIA national finishes of 18th in cross country, third in indoor track & field and 20th in outdoor track & field. Those placements resulted in a point total of 43 for Concordia in the USTFCCCA calculations. The rankings are determined by the lowest point totals and upward.
Throughout the 2023 cross country season, the Concordia women were paced by All-American Kylahn Freiberg, who finished 16th individually at the NAIA national meet. She was joined at the national championships in Vancouver, Wash., by teammates (in order of finish) Julie McIntyre, Hannah Beintema, Keeli Green, Keegan Beisel, Rylee Haecker and Alayna Vargas.
The Bulldogs emerged from the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Brookings, S.D., with a team trophy after placing in a tie for third place. The meet was highlighted by the national championship won by the 4x800-meter relay group of Jenna Esch, Rylee Haecker, Julie McIntyre and Kylahn Freiberg. In continuing her incredible fifth season as a Bulldog, Freiberg was also a national runner up in the mile. Additional women’s All-Americans were Esch in the 800 meters, Abby Gerber in the shot put, Haecker in the 1,000 meters, Josie Puelz in the pole vault, Zoey Walker in the high jump, Abi Wohlgemuth in the weight throw and the 4x4 relay of Esch, Kayla Kirchner, Trinity Tuls and Jordan Koepke.
At the 2024 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships held in Marion, Ind., seven Bulldog women’s athletes took home All-America medals. Five athletes contributed to the All-America 4x4: Esch, Kirchner, Koepke, Tuls and Isabelle Salters. Individual All-America awards were captured by Esch in the 800 meters, Freiberg in the 1,500 meters, Koepke in the 400-meter hurdles and Gretchen Stottlemyre in the javelin.
Detailing the career of the one, the only Josie Puelz June 27, 2024
As Josie Puelz is asked to reflect on the highs and the lows of five years as a Concordia Bulldog, she can’t help but feel a bit teary-eyed. The tears well up mostly because of how blessed she’s been from a wholistic life perspective. Now she is coming to grips with the closure of that chapter of her life. Josie is happy to cover the full spectrum, from the national titles to her challenging fifth year to the happiest of memories that include her showing off that signature wide smile while surrounded by the teammates and coaches she loves.
It would be easy to simply focus Josie’s story upon the success alone – there was plenty of that. However, Josie isn’t the type of person who’s comfortable with her identity being tied solely to athletic accomplishments. Go ahead and introduce her as a five-time national champion and watch her squirm.
Josie would much prefer to discuss enriching life experiences and relationships and her strong Christian faith, of course. Says Josie, “I’m an emotional person so I would just be a mess all the time if I constantly reflected on it (her career). It’s just been an absolute blessing. That’s the only word that I really have for it. I look back on my time here and I can see exactly why I was here in each season of life. Knowing how things have played out, I would have never dreamt of being anywhere else. What fabulous coaches and teammates I was fortunate to have.”
With class, character and that big smile, Puelz went on a three-year tear that saw her win five consecutive NAIA pole vault national championships while breaking the Concordia indoor and outdoor records and rewriting the GPAC championship meet record books. Academically, the Lincoln Lutheran High School alum carried a 4.0 grade point average for her entire college career while studying Elementary Education with a concentration in K-12 Physical Education. She’s also been named the NAIA women’s track & field All-American of the Year by College Sports Communicators and was voted homecoming queen.
We could go on, but you get the picture. Josie is one of those well-rounded student-athletes who set an exceptionally high standard. When she walks into a room, she lights it up with an engaging personality and an ability to connect with all types of people. Within Concordia’s campus, if you didn’t know her for her many accomplishments, you knew her for her outgoing and caring nature.
Pole vault coach Jason Berry has been by her side throughout the five-year college journey. Athletic skill isn’t what Berry thinks about first when it comes to Puelz. Says Berry, “I absolutely love her as a person and who she is – her heart and her faith. It’s hard not to love her. She’s an amazing young lady. The coaching part was a chance for us to spend time together doing something we both loved. You just really enjoy that. She’s an amazing person first and foremost. It was just a blessing to coach her.”
Berry admits that he may have danced a little jig when Josie first informed him of her decision to become a Bulldog. The daughter of parents who were both college athletes, Josie stayed close to home at the same institution that accelerated the personal growth of her father John. Roughly 30 years before Josie’s arrival on the scene, John helped lead the Concordia Men’s Basketball team of 1991-92 to the NAIA national semifinals. Josie’s uncle Todd Voss later became head coach for Bulldog Women’s Basketball.
In other words, Concordia was part of the family history. A young Josie would attend games coached by Voss and would grab snacks from her uncle’s office. As she grew older, Josie became more and more athletically inclined. Her experience in gymnastics eventually led to her giving pole vault a try at the urging of LPS pole vault coach Chris Johnson. Josie enjoyed it so much that she began renting poles and taking private lessons. As Josie said, “I fell in love with it.”
The apex of Josie’s high school athletic career came her senior year at Lincoln Lutheran when she won four golds at one state meet and led the Warriors to a Nebraska state championship. The results meant Puelz would not fly under the radar as she began life as a Concordia Bulldog. Expectations were high for Puelz, who came into the program at the same time as Berry’s son Chase, another high achieving Nebraska prep vaulter.
Puelz had the opportunity to go to bigger schools, but Concordia had something the others did not. “When I was looking for a college, it was a very stressful decision for me because I didn’t want to choose wrong,” Puelz said. “After each visit, I was like, ‘That was really good. How am I going to know which is the right place for me?’ While lots of other universities had a lot to offer, the focus points were a little bit different. Coming to Concordia felt very natural because I stepped into an immediate community where I had people who cared about me and who I loved to be around. They are people who inspire me and have faith at the forefront of their lives. That was evident in every aspect of Concordia, which ultimately drew me here.”
It was clear early on that Josie was going to put together a special career. That first indoor season of 2020, Puelz won the GPAC pole vault title and then placed third at the NAIA national championships. That’s when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and led Puelz (and many other athletes nationally) to reevaluate the path ahead. Because of the dynamics brought on by COVID, Puelz made the decision that she would stick around for five years with a revised plan that fit her academic pursuits and career aspirations.
The pandemic did nothing to hold back Puelz, who came off the break with a vengeance. As only a sophomore, Josie swept NAIA pole vault national titles while blowing away all reasonable expectations. Nothing would quite be the same for Josie, who now had the target squarely on her back. Naturally, the questions shifted to – how many could she win? And how high could she go?
The answer: higher than any GPAC women’s vaulter had ever gone before. Puelz broke the GPAC outdoor meet record in 2021 and then claimed the GPAC indoor meet record in 2022. She shattered school records in clearing 13’ 5 ¼ indoor and 13’ 7 ¼” outdoor. All the while, she obsessed over jumping that next bar.
Says Puelz, “If I could have laid out a vision for what my career was going to look like, that was pretty close to what I would have wanted because I am competitive and I hate settling for mediocrity. I wanted to push the standards and go after records wholeheartedly. I was so fortunate and blessed that it became a reality for me, especially so early on. I have teammates who pushed me really hard and supported me along the way. I was definitely fostered by the community around me to be set up for success.”
As the pressure mounted on Puelz to repeat as a national champion, she kept rising to the occasion. At most national meets, there were typically only a handful of competitors that had a shot to match Puelz vault for vault. Berry even joked that Josie would have time to read a whole book before she finally entered the competition at a national meet – no need to bother with the opening heights. It almost became a shock at the 2023 outdoor national meet when Puelz ‘settled’ for second place.
“Looking back at the championships, I don’t know if there’s one that was greater than the others,” Berry said. “I know that each one became more difficult. Each one came with a different set of competitors that were gunning for her and trying to beat her at nationals. She had this huge target on her back. To do that for five in a row was just amazing. I don’t know if there’s any female pole vaulters who have won five national titles in a row at any level. You have to win on that day and that takes something special to do. She was able to put together a string that was amazing.”
As that string was snapped in 2023, Puelz looked ahead to one final year of competition. It wasn’t smooth sailing despite her truckload of first-place conference and national medals. For a competitor like Puelz, the past was the past. She wanted to make year five as a Bulldog her best one yet. Unfortunately, her indoor season was sidetracked by a bout with mono and things were never quite the same. Puelz had also been seeing a sport psychologist as she dealt with moments of self-doubt and unforeseen circumstances.
On top of her academic work and training schedule, Puelz added student teaching to her plate this past fall semester. She managed to juggle it all exceptionally well before mono hit her hard early during the 2024 indoor season. There was a two-week period in which she did little more than sit in a chair and binge episodes of Percy Jackson on Disney Plus. That’s not something elite athletes like Puelz are used to.
Says Puelz, “I was surrounded by a lot of people who were saying, ‘When you look back, you want to be able to say that you pushed through it and you gave all that you had.’ I really, really struggled for a while because I was so miserable and I was so frustrated with how the vault was going. I tried talking to a sports psychologist and we tried talking through some things. A lot of it comes down to fear of failure. I was able to make some progress. I tried coming back in the spring and I had mono. I was out for like two or three weeks where I couldn’t even vault.”
In one of her last displays of greatness from a college athletics standpoint, Puelz persevered and claimed an All-America medal at the 2024 NAIA indoor national meet. She rose to the podium for the eighth and final time of her storied career. In attempting to reclaim her joy of competition, Josie tried her hand at the multi events during the outdoor season. She shook off a sprained ankle and qualified for the conference meet despite very little training in most of the events that make up the heptathlon.
As Josie offered, “While this year didn’t go at all like I had imagined it for myself, I was still able to find a lot of joy in what I was doing and the people I was around. It just took a little bit of a detour. That’s okay. I’ve had my fair share of highs in my career.”
She can be at peace with everything that occurred, good and bad, because Josie is more than just an athlete. The positive impact she will have as an educator is likely to far exceed anything she achieved while wearing the Concordia colors. Before many of the accolades were attained by Puelz, her father John attempted to pinpoint what made Josie so special.
Said John in late 2021, “Her faith is basically everything to her. She’s there to share what she has with other people. She’s been such a blessing to us. She’s very humble in everything she does. She’s put in a lot of hard work. Some people don’t even realize the amount of hard work she puts in with academics and athletics. She’s at home during break doing workouts. It makes me hurt seeing the workouts she does.”
As teammate Rachel Battershell remarked of Josie in 2023, “You see how gracefully she handles everything and how much joy she brings into it despite the immense pressure. It’s really refreshing and inspiring to me. To the team as a whole, she’s just a beacon of joy. She’s so funny and everyone loves her. On top of that, she works so hard. She’s a leader on the team.”
She sure is Josie Puelz, the five-time national champion, but that’s not how those who know her best will remember her time at Concordia. “She really lives her faith and who she is with her actions in competition and who she is towards others,” Berry said. “I don’t think Josie’s story is just one moment. It’s the character she has and how she handles herself. I was always thoroughly impressed. She is a wonderful person who achieved amazing things.”
It's all enough to make Josie slightly emotional. She jokes that she’s going to have to work on that. After all, she doesn’t want to be breaking down in front of her sixth-grade students beginning this fall at Lincoln Lutheran. One thing is certain: Josie will bring the same passion – and the same big smile – to all her vocations.
Says Josie, “I am thankful to have an able body to be able to compete and be surrounded by people that I love. It’s been the time of my life.”
Freiberg, Haecker and Puelz chosen as CSC Academic All-Americans July 9, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – Of the five Concordia Bulldogs women’s student-athletes named cross country/track & field Academic All-District honorees on June 18, three have been upgraded to Academic All-America status. As announced on Tuesday (July 9) by College Sports Communicators (CSC), Kylahn Freiberg and Rylee Haecker have been chosen as NAIA First Team Academic All-Americans while Josie Puelz was honored as a Second Team Academic All-American. Honorees were awarded based on voting by members of CSC.
Puelz has earned the fourth CSC Academic All-America award of her career while Freiberg and Haecker have each been recognized twice with such distinction. All three Bulldogs completed their collegiate careers this past 2023-24 season.
The 2023-24 Academic All-America® Cross Country/Track & Field Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Student-athletes must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in order to be nominated for this award. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA — for each gender.
Women’s Academic All-Americans
Kylahn Freiberg | Nampa, Idaho
T&F : 7x NAIA All-American … ran leadoff leg for 2024 indoor national championship winning 4x800m relay (school record time of 9:06.48) … 3x Great Plains Athletic Conference event champion (indoor 1,000m, outdoor 1,500m and outdoor 3,000m) … eight NAIA national meet appearances … 2023 NAIA indoor 1,000-meter national runner up (2:54.87) and 2024 NAIA indoor mile national runner up (4:54.09) … school record holder in the outdoor 1,500 meters (4:31.08) and 3,000 meters (9:54.40) … member of nine GPAC championship winning teams and six teams that earned NAIA national championship trophies (top four or better) … 2023 and 2024 CSC Academic All-District/All-America … 4x NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
XC : 2023 NAIA All-American (16th) … 3x GPAC All-Conference … qualified for the NAIA national meet in 2019, 2022 and 2023 … helped the 2019 team to a GPAC title while placing as the conference individual runner up … 2019 team placed 12th nationally and 2023 team placed 18th nationally … 4x NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Rylee Haecker | Davenport, Neb.
T&F : 10x NAIA All-American (six in individual events; four in relays) … ran second leg for 2024 indoor national championship winning 4x800m relay (school record time of 9:06.48) … 7x Great Plains Athletic Conference event champion … school record holder in the indoor 1,000 meters (2:52.88) … seven NAIA national meet appearances … member of teams that won eight GPAC team championships and six teams that earned NAIA national championship trophies (top four or better) … 2023 and 2024 CSC Academic All-District/All-America … 3x NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
XC: 2x All-GPAC runner; 3x NAIA national qualifier … helped the 2023 team place 18th nationally … 3x NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Josie Puelz | Lincoln, Neb.
5x NAIA pole vault national champion (runner up 2023 outdoor) … 8x NAIA pole vault All-American … 6x Great Plains Athletic Conference pole vault champion … 2021-22 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year award winner … 4x CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-American/All-District … 3x NAIA Women’s Field Scholar Athlete of the Year, as selected by the USTFCCCA … 2021 State College Female Athlete of the Year in the state of Nebraska by the Lincoln Journal Star … owns the GPAC conference meet records for both the indoor and outdoor pole vault and holds school records in the indoor (13’ 4 ½”) and outdoor (13’ 7 ¼”) pole vault … has helped the program to nine GPAC team titles and to six NAIA national championship team trophies (top four or better) … 4x NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Vaulters Ostermeyer, Zohner honored as CSC Academic All-Americans July 10, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – The pole vault crew of Concordia University Track & Field was well-represented on the honor roll announced on Wednesday (July 10) by College Sports Communicators (CSC). The organization named Bulldog vaulters in senior Zach Zohner and sophomore Mayson Ostermeyer 2023-24 NAIA Academic All-Americans. Zohner landed on the first team while Ostermeyer garnered second team accolades. Zohner earned the second CSC Academic All-America award of his career while Ostermeyer picked up the first of his promising collegiate journey.
The 2023-24 Academic All-America® Cross Country/Track & Field Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Student-athletes must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in order to be nominated for this award. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA — for each gender.
Men’s Academic All-Americans
Mayson Ostermeyer | Crofton, Neb.
2024 NAIA indoor pole vault All-American (5th) … 2x NAIA national qualifier … placed as the 2024 GPAC pole vault runner up for both indoor and outdoor … helped the team to two top 10 NAIA national place finishes in 2024 (eighth for indoor and seventh for outdoor) … pole vault PR of 16’ ¾” … 2024 CSC Academic All-District/All-America … 2024 NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Zach Zohner | Battle Creek, Neb.
Swept 2024 NAIA indoor/outdoor pole vault national titles … 2023 NAIA indoor pole vault national runner up … 4x pole vault All-American … 3x Great Plains Athletic Conference pole vault champion … seven career all-conference awards … owns all-time school rankings of No. 4 for the indoor vault (17’ 2 ¾”) and No. 3 for the outdoor vault (17’ 2 ¾”) … 2023 and 2024 CSC Academic All-District/All-America … helped the team to two top 10 NAIA national place finishes in 2024 (eighth for indoor and seventh for outdoor) … 3x NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Zohner honored as Scholar Athlete of the Year; track teams recognized by USTFCCCA July 15, 2024
SEWARD, Neb. – Recently named a First Team Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators, national champion Zach Zohner pulled in another major award in conjunction with an announcement from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Monday (July 15). The organization tabbed Zohner the 2023-24 Men’s Field Scholar Athlete of the Year for both indoor and outdoor track & field. In addition, the USTFCCCA recognized both Concordia University Track & Field squads as All-Academic Teams and awarded 37 Bulldog individuals with All-Academic Athlete status.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s women’s program paced the NAIA for number of women’s All-Academic athletes while the Concordia men ranked fourth nationally for total honorees. As part of the USTFCCCA Criteria, teams are required to achieve a collective 3.0 grade-point average or better and individuals must achieve at least a 3.25 GPA while also recording an automatic or provisional national qualifying mark in either indoor or outdoor. Concordia’s complete list of honorees is listed below.
A native of Battle Creek, Neb., Zohner swept 2024 NAIA indoor and outdoor pole vault national titles as part of a thrilling senior season. He completed his collegiate career as a four-time NAIA All-American, a three-time GPAC champion and a seven-time all-conference award winner. Zohner graduated with all-time school rankings of No. 4 for the indoor vault (17’ 2 ¾”) and No. 3 for the outdoor vault (17’ 2 ¾”). He’s twice been tabbed an Academic All-American by CSC.
As a program, Concordia Track & Field also boasted 10 Academic All-District and five Academic All-Americans (via CSC) in 2023-24. In addition, a combined 53 Bulldogs earned 2023-24 NAIA Scholar-Athlete distinction.
2023-24 Concordia All-Academic Athletes
· Nathan Baldwin (Sutton, Neb.)
· Elena Batenhorst (Columbus, Neb.)
· Hannah Beintema (Bettendorf, Iowa)
· Erin Boggs (Bertrand, Neb.)
· Amira Cummings (Cheyenne, Wyo.)
· Lauren Dawson (Cedar Falls, Iowa)
· Jenna Esch (Hastings, Neb.)
· Carson Fehlhafer (Utica, Neb.)
· Kylahn Freiberg (Nampa, Idaho)
· Abigail Gerber (Columbus, Neb.)
· Rylee Haecker (Davenport, Neb.)
· Luke Hammang (Arlington, Neb.)
· Jax Jacobson (Oakland, Neb.)
· Rhaya Kaschinske (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
· Kayla Kirchner (Ogallala, Neb.)
· Jordan Koepke (Greendale, Wis.)
· Trevor Kuncl (Mullen, Neb.)
· Julie McIntyre (Chicago, Ill.)
· Hayley Miles (North Platte, Neb.)
· Josi Noble (Stromsburg, Neb.)
· Mayson Ostermeyer (Crofton, Neb.)
· Kamryn Pokorney (Shelby, Neb.)
· Josie Puelz (Lincoln, Neb.)
· Joel Rathe (Sterling, Neb.)
· Addie Reimer (Lisbon, Wis.)
· Kellie Rhodes (Mullinville, Kan.)
· Amy Richert (Gresham, Neb.)
· Trey Robertson (Elsie, Neb.)
· Adrianna Rodencal (Lincoln, Neb.)
· Calvin Rohde (Reed City, Mich.)
· Isabelle Salters (Valentine, Neb.)
· Darien Semedo (Sacramento, Calif.)
· Gretchen Stottlemyre (Olympia, Wash.)
· Kayla Svoboda (Wisner, Neb.)
· Trinity Tuls (Columbus, Neb.)
· Chris Wren (Fair Oaks, Calif.)
· Zach Zohner (Battle Creek, Neb.)