The 2023-24 academic year has concluded at Concordia, but the track and field season continues for the Bulldogs, who will be in action this weekend at the Concordia and UNK Loper Twilight meets.
It came down to the wire, but the women of Concordia Track & Field extended the program's string of GPAC championships to 11 while taking the banner in Orange City. The men placed third in the GPAC.
Day one of the 2024 GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships yielded three individual GPAC champions on the men's side for the Bulldogs. The winners were Matthew Boyer, Chris Wren and Zach Zohner.
The accolades are a reflection of the special athletic year that junior Jenna Esch has enjoyed while starring on the track for the Bulldogs. She's been named GPAC Athlete of the Week for the fourth time in 2024.
Final exams will give way to the GPAC Championships for Concordia Track & Field. The Bulldogs will be headed to Orange City, Iowa, home to Northwestern for the outdoor meet set for Friday and Saturday.
The Bulldog women's relays shined at the Drake Relays while headlining a restructured week of competition for Concordia Track & Field. A new school record was set as part of the action in Des Moines, Iowa.
Matthew Boyer and Jenna Esch were honored by the GPAC for their personal best performances at the Dutcher Classic. Boyer ranks No. 1 in the GPAC in the javelin while Esch paces the conference in the 400 meters.
It will be an eventful week as the 2024 GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships loom in the background. Concordia will be represented this week at three separate meets, including the Drake Relays.
A school record from Matthew Boyer, 11 event titles and strong heptathlon marks from the likes of Amy Richert and Josi Noble highlighted the efforts of Concordia Track & Field at the Dutcher Classic hosted by Doane.
On the second day of the Dutcher Classic, Matthew Boyer turned heads with a program record toss in the javelin. The Bulldogs will continue action at Doane on Saturday.
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.