Not only were Concordia throwers the best in the NAIA in 2016, they were the best in the state of Nebraska and the 14th best among all collegiate throwing programs.
Several national qualifying members of the 2016 national championship women's outdoor track and field team provided reflections on just what the accomplishment in Gulf Shores meant to them.
A trio of Bulldogs received NAIA national awards from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Thursday (June 2).
Led by its powerful throwing program, Concordia University track and field has won both a men's and women's team national title over the past two seasons. Just how was the NAIA's top throwing program built?
Members of Concordia's national championship and national runner-up teams are set to appear at the Seward Memorial Library on Thursday (June 2).
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics has announced the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field All-Americans. Concordia placed 13 on the list. Seven of the Bulldogs were named All-Americans in more than one event.
Stephanie Coley, CJ Muller and Kim Wood each earned Academic All-District recognition from CoSIDA. Eight Bulldog athletes have received the award in 2015-16.
A combined total of 29 (20 women, nine men) Concordia University track and field athletes have been named Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes, more than any other school's total.
The Concordia women won a track and field national title for the first time ever while the men finished as a national runner up at the 2016 outdoor championships. Individually, Zach Lurz won the shot put title.
The All-America count has risen to 16 as the Concordia track and field programs make another push for team national titles in Gulf Shores.
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.