Concordia University sophomore Chris Tegtmeier and junior Michael Saalfeld are both now national champions after winning their respective events at the 2008 NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Johnson City, Tenn. The three-day event was hosted by Milligan College and Eastern Tennessee State University.
Tegtmeier, a Fairbury, Neb., native, established himself as one of the premiere race walkers in the country with his performance besting second place by over a minute. Tegtmeier finished the 3000 meter race with a time of 12:41.187 with the second place finisher, Thiago Ferreira of Missouri Valley, finishing with a time of 13:44.057.
Tegtmeier was also awarded NAIA All-America honors for his performance; this is his second consecutive year earning the honor.
Another Bulldog, junior Michael Saalfeld (David City, Neb.), also brought home a national championship in the 800 meter run. Saalfeld, also the Great Plains Athletic Conference champion in the same event, came into the meet with the fastest qualifying time in the country. Saalfeld actually had one of the slower preliminary times running out of the third heat but was able to turn it up a notch to earn the victory in the final by three tenths of a second.
Concordia also added seven other athletes to the NAIA All-American lists with: Emily Hansen and Tom Stolee in the race walk, Erin Eitzman and Dusty Morehead in the pole vault, Christina Lark and Katie Werner in the weight throw, and Jill Pfeifer in the long jump.
Lark also set a new school record with a throw of 54'8.25", good enough for third place at the meet.
In the team scoring race the women were finished for 14th place with 15 points, while the men finished in seventh place with 25 points.
See also: Complete meet results; video of Saalfeld's final 800m race; post-800m interview with Saalfeld, national champion; post 3K race walk interview with Tegtmeier, national champion