Bulldogs earn seven automatic qualifying marks in season opening event
By Taylor Mueller, Sports Information Assistant
SEWARD, Neb. – Concordia’s men’s and women’s track and field squads opened up the 2012-2013 season with the Polar Dog Dual against Hastings College. The two-day event hosted by Concordia’s Fieldhouse concluded Saturday with several standout performances by Bulldog competitors.
Numerous Bulldogs wasted little time in qualifying for the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships with Concordia posting “A standard” marks in a total of seven events. The Bulldogs also broke a total of seven Polar Dog meet records (see full list below).
Junior and two-time All-American Jamie Crouse turned in perhaps the most impressive effort of the day with a weight throw that measured at 59’ 3 ½”. That figure bested second place teammate Stephanie Coley by nearly five feet and set new meet and personal records while coming up less than one-tenth of an inch short of the Fieldhouse record.
“Jamie had a great day,” assistant coach Ed McLaughlin said. “She’s been injured for about six weeks. This was her first week throwing. Her mark was a personal best by three feet and she won conference last year by three feet, so that just puts her right up there challenging for top All-America honors already. If she can stay healthy, the sky’s the limit right now.”
Performing well and earning a bid to Geneva, Ohio, was the men’s 4x800 meter relay with a time of 7:54.73. Making up the team was senior Jared Hoffman, sophomore Charlie Bloomfield, junior Adam Prahlow and sophomore Ben Sievert. In the 400 meter dash, junior John Cartier stole the show with a time of 49.15, also setting a meet record.
“Today it was a culmination of efforts not only from me, but from my coaches, teammates and just training hard as a whole,” Cartier said. “I think it was good just to see where we were at. And just showing that the hard work we’ve been putting in is really going to pay off this year. Seeing where I was a freshman, I’ve definitely improved a lot not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually.”
Several other throwers also performed well. Coley, a freshman, participated in the weight throw and got a mark of 54’ 6” on the way to shattering the school freshman record by over six feet. Sophomore Brittany Erdman threw the shot put 42’ 9 ½”.
McLaughlin also commented on the great day that senior Nate Ernstmeyer had, who beat his personal best by two feet in the weight throw, measuring in at 55’ 1 ½”.
“He won the competition, which is great for him,” McLaughlin said. “He probably threw six feet farther today than he did at the same time last year. Potentially he could start getting up there. He’s about two feet off the national qualifying mark, but he does have a reporting mark.”
“I did pretty well,” Ernstmeyer said. “I handled it better than I thought I would. I’ve been practicing and working hard all semester. The team has been working hard.”
Ernstmeyer commented on what has gone into the success that he has experienced.
“Time put in the weight room and double time put in the weight room,” Ernstmeyer said. “Time put in the ring. It takes everything.”
In the 3,000 meter run, senior Collin Morrissey set a new meet record with a time of 8:40.22. In the ring, sophomore Jose Rojas threw the shot put 52’ 3 ¼”. Each of these athletes qualified for the national indoor track and field meet.
Numerous Polar Dog records fell as well. In the 60m hurdles, junior Jonathon Becker won with a time of 8.27 in the preliminaries prior to an 8.28 in the final. Cartier claimed the 200 meter dash with a time of 22.37, junior Carson Farr won the pole vault with a clearance of 14’ 11” and freshman Jessica Klaustermier crossed the finish line first in the 400 meter dash with a time 1:00.26.
Senior Ashlee Brown, a returning national qualifier, won the pole vault and cleared a height of 11’ 3”.
“It was a good meet, Brown said. “ It was a little disappointing that we came off the national qualifying mark by two inches. But it felt good to come out and vault. We got on some good poles, so that was exciting. We have a ton of potential on the team this year as far as girls’ vaults and guys’ vaults too. There’s a bunch of us that have a really good chance of qualifying. Overall for the team, I think we had a really good first meet.”
The Bulldogs will next compete in the Prairie Wolf Invite in Lincoln, Neb., on Jan. 18.
NAIA Automatic Qualifying Marks
- Men’s 4x800 meter relay (7:54.73)
- John Cartier – 400 meter dash (49.15)
- Stephanie Coley – weight throw (54’ 6”)
- Jamie Crouse – weight throw (59’ 3 ½”)
- Brittany Erdmann – shot put (42’ 9 ½”)
- Colin Morrissey – 3,000 meter run (8:40.22)
- Jose Rojas – shot put (52’ 3 ¼”)
Polar Dog Meet Records Broken
- Jonathan Becker – 60 meter hurdles (8.27)
- John Cartier – 400 meter dash (49.15); 200 meter dash (22.37)
- Jamie Crouse – weight throw (59’ 3 ½”)
- Carson Farr – pole vault (14’ 11”)
- Jessica Klaustermeier – 400 meter dash (1:00.26)
- Colin Morrissey – 3,000 meter run (8:40.22)
