Seven Concordia athletes hit NAIA qualifying marks in Polardog Invite
Concordia University hosted the 2012 Polardog Invite on Saturday at the Bulldog Field House. A total of eight teams took part in the meet, as Nebraska-Kearney, Wayne State, Hastings College, York College, Tabor College, Sterling College and Colby Community College were in attendance.
Beth Sutton (Lincoln, Neb.), Martha Meineke (Denver, Colo.), Sarah Kortze (Rockford, Ill.) and Kellie Fegter (Holdrege, Neb.) all picked up wins for the Bulldog women on the day. Fegter joined Jamie Crouse (Belgrade, Neb.), Sara Retzlaff (Pierce, Neb.), Lauren Eickemeyer (Houston, Texas), Katelyn Butts (Kalispell, Mont.) and Marlee Denton (Fremont, Neb.) as NAIA automatic qualifiers for their performances on Saturday.
Sutton ran unattached but won the 1,000 meter run with a new meet record time of 3:04.13. Meineke picked up a win in the mile with a time of 5:12.60. Meineke was also second in the 1,000 meter run. Kortze finished first in the 3,000 meter run with a time of 10:54.37. She also finished fifth in the mile. Fegter won the pole vault with an NAIA qualifying mark of 11-10.75. Crouse, Retzlaff, Eickemeyer, Butts and Denton all hit NAIA qualifying marks in the weight throw. Crouse finished third in the event with a toss of 54-10.75, while the others finished seventh through 10th, respectively, in the event.
In the 600 meter run, Megan Letts (Lakewood, Colo.) finished second with a time of 1:42.80, while Christina Tomka (Dodge, Neb.) finished close behind in third with a time of 1:44.28. Jenean Williams (North Mankato, Minn.) was fourth in the 800 meter run (2:33.45), while Jena Schwalenberg (Columbus, Neb.) and Anna Meyer (Seward, Neb.) were second and third, respectively, in the mile. Meyer also finished second in the 3,000 meter run.
Concordia had the top five finishers in the pole vault on Saturday. Fegter won the event. Ashlee Brown (North Platte, Neb.) was second at 10-11.00, and Rianne Gross (Riverside, Calif.) was third at 10-05.25. Shelby Yelden (Seward, Neb.) and Lindsay Anderson (Columbus, Neb.) were fourth and fifth. Brittany Erdmann (Chanhassen, Minn.) finished third in the shot put in her first Bulldog meet. Crouse was sixth in the shot put.
John Cartier (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Matt Trampe (Kearney, Neb.) each picked up a pair of wins to lead the way for Concordia’s men. Jonathon Becker (Hartington, Neb.) and Adam Dannehl (Bertrand, Neb.) also won an event, while Derek Rodine (Polk, Neb.) hit an NAIA automatic qualifying mark in the shot put. Cartier won the 200 meter dash (22.80) and the 400 meter dash (49.77). Trampe won both the 1,000 meter run (2:37.66) and the mile (4:23.66). Becker won the 60 meter hurdles (8.38), while Dannehl won the pole vault at 14-01.25. Rodine was second in the shot put with a toss of 52-04.75.
Noah Smith (Largo, Fla.) was also a top finisher for the Bulldogs, placing third in the 60 meter dash and sixth in the 200 meter dash. Alex Heiden (Lincoln, Neb.) and Adam Birt (Longmont, Colo.) were second and third in the 400 meter dash, while David Eads (Bellevue, Neb.) and Ben Hinckfoot (Colorado Springs, Colo.) went third and fourth, respectively, in the 600 meter run. Ben Sievert (Frankenmuth, Mich.) went second in the 1,000 (2:38.30) and fourth in the mile (4:26.37). Adam Prahlow (Florissant, Mo.) and Hayden Hohnholt (Gillette, Wyo.) went second and third in the mile. Hohnholt also added a second place finish in the 3,000 meter run. Hinckfoot and Marcus Ruhl (Exeter, Neb.) also finished in the top five in the 60 meter hurdles.
In the field events, Bryan Heidemann (Elk Creek, Neb.) finished second in the high jump and the long jump. Robert Klingsporn (Polk, Neb.) and Garrett Blomstedt (Sutherland, Neb.) finished third and fourth in the long jump, while Rodine added a fourth place finish in the weight throw.
The Bulldog track and field squads travel to Lincoln on January 20 for the Nebraska Wesleyan Invite.
