SEWARD, Neb. – A pair of Bulldogs bound for the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Gainesville, Fla., have received appropriate recognition. Junior Jonny Jurchen and senior Adrianna Rodencal have been named Bulldog Athletics Association Member Athletes (BAAM) of the Month for February 2026. The winners emerged from a vote conducted on Tuesday (March 3) among attendees at the BAAM luncheon. BAAM luncheons are held every Tuesday (when classes are in session) at 12 p.m. CT inside the Dog House Grill.
A Seward High School product, Jurchen proved to be a natural in the racewalk when he picked up the event as a freshman in 2024-25. In the month of February, Jurchen briefly rose to the top of the NAIA national leaderboard in the 3,000-meter racewalk when he achieved a personal best of 12:19.55 at the Concordia Invite on Feb. 14. Later in the month, Jurchen broke his own GPAC Indoor Championships record by clocking in at 12:43.38, enabling him to win his third career GPAC racewalk title. Jurchen enters this weekend’s national championship meet as the No. 3 seed in the racewalk. He garnered All-America accolades a year ago when he placed seventh in the racewalk at the NAIA indoor meet. Jurchen is a Chemistry major.
Rodencal aspires to make something special happen at this weekend's national meet. The Lincoln Lutheran High School alum turned heads in February when she ran a blazing fast 60-meter hurdle time of 8.26 for a first-place finish at the Sevigne Husker Invite. That time remains a school record. Throughout February, Rodencal ran separate 60 hurdles times of 8.26, 8.38, 8.65, 8.36, 8.44 and 8.42. At the GPAC Indoor Championships, she placed first in the 60 hurdles, third as part of the 4x400-meter relay and fifth in the 200 meters. Rodencal also ran an NAIA auto standard of 56.99 in the 400 meters at the Concordia Invite. Following the Husker Invite, Rodencal was recognized by the USTFCCCA as the NAIA National Women’s Track Athlete of the Week. She was recently honored by the USTFCCCA as the 2026 Midwest Region Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. Rodencal will take the top seed in the 60 hurdles into the national meet. She is a Biochemistry major.
BAAM Athletes of the Month are rewarded out of the pool of student-athletes that garner BAAM Athlete of the Week recognition throughout the month.
2025-26 BAAM Athletes of the Month
February – Jonny Jurchen (track & field) / Adrianna Rodencal (track & field)
January – Hayden Kluthe (track & field) / Adrianna Rodencal (track & field)
December – Brooks Kissinger (basketball) / Adysen McCarter (track & field)
November – Ava Greene (volleyball) / Brooks Kissinger (basketball)
October – Kierstynn Garner (soccer) / Adam Van Cleave (football)
September – Carson Fehlhafer (football) / Katie Welker (shooting sports)
2024-25 BAAM Athletes of the Month
April – Christian Gutierrez (baseball) / Adrianna Rodencal (track & field)
March – Jennifer Katz (softball) / Jaidan Quinn (baseball)
February – Abby Krieser (basketball) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
January – Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
December – Gabi Nordaker (volleyball) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
November – Austin Jablonski (football) / Kristin Vieselmeyer (basketball)
October – Carson Fehlhafer (football) / Kierstynn Garner (soccer)
September – Mark Arp (football) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)