For the first time this outdoor season, Concordia ran its 'A' team in the women's 4x400 meter relay, which clocked an automatic national qualifying time at the Drake Relays on Friday (April 26).
One new 'A' and one new 'B' standard qualifying mark got put on the board for the Bulldogs at the Prairie Wolf Invite on Thursday (April 25). A number of other nationals marks improved in the field events.
Three separate meets, including the Drake Relays, are part of this week's schedule for the Bulldogs. This is the final week before the GPAC Championships take place in Yankton, S.D.
The weekend included a new school record, six new automatic national qualifying marks and some advancements up the national leaderboard. The Bulldogs also won 10 event titles at the Dutcher Memorial Classic.
Jazzy Eickhoff recorded a new 'A' standard in the javelin and the Bulldogs claimed event titles in the men's 5,000 meters (Jordan Lorenz) and in the men's 4x8 on day one of the Dutcher Memorial Classic.
The biggest breakthrough on Thursday (April 18) at the Kansas Relays was achieved by junior Liam Hennessy, who eclipsed the 'A' standard in the hammer throw. Eight Bulldogs competed in the hammer competitions.
Cody Williams won the pole vault competition and qualified for nationals as one of the highlights of the NAIA Midwest Quad on Saturday (April 13). It marked the third outdoor meet of the 2019 season.
A big home meet in the field events vaulted the Concordia women up to No. 2 in the NAIA national ratings. The Bulldog women's program is coming off a GPAC championship in indoor this past season.
A rise up to No. 1 in the NAIA on the national hammer throw leaderboard has resulted in Addie Shaw being named the NAIA National Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week.
The annual Concordia Outdoor Invite was highlighted by nine 'A' standard qualifying marks from female field event athletes over the course of the two-day meet. The meet featured competitors from eight institutions.
She's one of a kind for so many reasons. In five years as a Concordia Bulldog, Josie Puelz not only won five NAIA national titles, she did so with class and that signature smile while living out her Christian faith.
The collegiate journey for Chris Wren culminated with a hammer throw national title. This mountaintop moment was meant to be for Wren, who looks back at his Concordia experience and how it transformed his life.
While feeling the best she ever has physically and mentally, Hastings native Jenna Esch has thrived in her third and final year as a Bulldog. Says Esch, "It’s been really special what I’ve been able to do, especially with this group of people."
On the heels of a fine indoor season, Concordia Track & Field sets its focus upon the 2024 outdoor campaign. The Bulldogs will attempt to build upon the All-America awards won by 15 individuals at the indoor national meet.
The ‘aha moment’ for Zach Zohner occurred during the middle of the 2023 indoor season when he decided he would no longer let the fear of injury monopolize his thoughts. The right mentality set him on a path to a national title.
Energetic and intensely competitive, Rylee Haecker has been described by coaches as "a gamer." Beyond athletics, Haecker is caring and outgoing, is a positive encourager of her teammates and is devout in her faith.
If the Bulldog Early Bird Meet is any indication, Concordia Track & Field is in for a phenomenal 2023-24 indoor season. The Bulldogs enter 2024 expecting to compete with the best of the GPAC and the NAIA once again.
With only a cinder track and no dedicated indoor facilities, Coach John Knight went to work building up the Concordia Cross Country and Track & Field programs. He succeeded in landing some of the top athletes in school history.
In winding down a fifth year of a remarkable collegiate journey, the triple major Rachel Battershell has rediscovered the joy that made her a champion. Nearing the finish line, Battershell reflected on an experience she calls "really special."
Outdoor track season has nearly arrived for the Bulldogs, who are coming off indoor GPAC placements of first for the women and third for the men. The dynamics change with a different set of events on tap for outdoor track.