SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – It was a meet so large that four separate races were needed to satisfy a field featuring athletes from 17 different institutions. As part of the Gold Divisions at Saturday (Oct. 11)’s Holiday Inn Express Classic hosted by Dordt, Concordia University, Nebraska Cross Country finished the day with team placements of seventh out of 16 on the men’s side and 14th out of 17 on the women’s side. All teams entered their top 10 runners into the Gold Division. A Black Division was run afterwards for all other athletes.
The outing in Sioux Center, Iowa, represented the fourth this season for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads. For the first time in 2025, the Bulldogs were tasked with running on back-to-back Saturdays. Out of the field of Concordia runners, Trey Robertson paced the men and Annaka Schlachter led the women. The wealth of season and personal bests for Concordia had Beisel coming away encouraged.
“It was hands down, by far, the best race across the entire team that we have had all season. It was incredible,” Beisel said. “Almost everybody had 50-to-70 second personal bests or season bests. Out of all the guys and girls that didn’t run a PR, they may have been two seconds slower. It was a legit course that’s very accurate. It was perfect conditions, about 55 degrees, cloudy and light winds. Great competition. When you’re top seven for men and women all run huge season bests or personal bests, that’s all you can ask for. God said ‘yes’ to a lot of prayers. They are all making big progress. Instead of being really good early, we want to hit our best in those last couple of weeks. This is evidence to me that we’re getting there.”
Women’s Summary
Top Dawgs | 6K – Gold Division
64. Annaka Schlachter: 23:09.90
75. Ashley Robertson: 23:17.25
104. Alison Stepanek: 24:04.49
106. Rachel Harris: 24:05.96
108. Izzi Brumbaugh: 24:06.32
109. Macee Ripke: 24:06.58
113. Lydia Edmonds: 24:18.02
123. Lilly Dall: 24:46.04
133. Claire Beikmann: 25:06.75
141. Hannah Beintema: 26:01.76
Without two-time 2025 GPAC Runner of the Week Keeli Green on Saturday, sophomore Annaka Schlachter stepped up to lead the way. With its 14th place finish as a team, Concordia defeated the likes of Bellevue University (15th), Southwest Minnesota State University (16th) and Wayne State College (17th). Six teams in the women’s field entered the meet either ranked or receiving votes in the latest NAIA coaches’ poll. The team placement isn’t what Beisel is most focused on.
Said Beisel, “If Keeli had not been sick, it would have made a difference in the team scoring. She had a really good chance of being in the top 10. One thing I would mention on the women’s side is this was only the second time that our freshmen have run a 6k, which is a big adjustment. They all ran incredible improvements in one week. Four of our top eight were freshmen. Annaka led the pack. She was phenomenal, and I’m very proud of her.”
While trekking along the Dordt Prairie, Schlachter of Grand Island, Neb., improved her 6K time from a week earlier by running 23:09.90. She placed 64th out of 150 runners in the women’s Gold Division. She was joined in the top 100 by freshman Ashley Robertson, who clocked in at 23:17.25 (75th place). The rest of the team’s top five included sophomore Alison Stepanek (24:04.49) and freshmen Rachel Harris (24:05.96) and Izzi Brumbaugh (24:06.32).
Concordia’s six through 10 runners in the Gold Division were junior Macee Ripke (24:06.58), sophomore Lydia Edmonds (24:18.02), freshman Lilly Dall (24:46.04), junior Claire Beikmann (25:06.75) and senior Hannah Beintema (26:01.76). In the Black Division of the meet, junior Josie Smith posted a time of 25:13.23 and placed 49th out of 96 runners.
Men’s Summary
Top Dawgs | 8K – Gold Division
22. Trey Robertson: 25:23.97
24. Aidan Limback: 25:30.19
58. Abe Chance: 26:10.46
64. Vaughn Hendrickson: 26:15.58
71. Ransom Watts: 26:21.40
76. Justin Sherman: 26:29.85
77. Trevor Kuncl: 26:30.36
86. Keith Siek: 26:42.83
96. Charlie Evans: 26:53.78
107. Jessup Pederson: 27:13.02
For the fourth-straight meet in 2025, junior Trey Robertson sped to the top of the Bulldog lineup. His efforts put Concordia in the top half of a team field that included GPAC nationally ranked teams such as No. 15 Doane and No. 25 Dordt. The Bulldogs outkicked GPAC foe Northwestern (12th) and a pair of NCAA Division II opponents in University of Sioux Falls and Wayne State College. Concordia finished 25 points behind sixth-place Benedictine College (Kan.), a “receiving votes” team in the NAIA.
Said Beisel, “Trey was off to a great start and unfortunately had a really bad calf cramp. He considered stepping off multiple times, but he gutted through it and still dropped 40 seconds off a season best. He and I both know he can run probably a minute faster, which would have put him in a top 10 position. Vaughn Hendrickson, I think he’s figured it out. He had his best race of the season. He felt better than he’s felt. There are pieces of the puzzle that haven’t quite come together yet. We have four weeks.”
Robertson consistently runs the 8k in a sub-26-minute territory. He decreased his time as compared to a week earlier at the Briar Cliff Invite, finishing in 25:23.97 in Sioux Center, Iowa. Robertson placed 22nd among 147 runners in the Gold Division. Hot on his heels was junior Aidan Limback, a 24th-place finisher in 25:30.19. Next in line were freshman Abe Chance (26:10.46), sophomore Vaughn Hendrickson (26:15.58) and junior Ransom Watts (26:21.40). The result represented a solid bounce-back performance for Hendrickson, the 2025 GPAC champion.
Six through 10 in the Bulldog lineup at the Holiday Inn Express Classic (Gold Division) were junior Justin Sherman (26:29.85), senior Trevor Kuncl (26:30.36), freshmen Keith Siek (26:42.83) and Charlie Evans (26:53.78) and sophomore Jessup Pederson (27:13.02). In the Black Division, Cooper Schelkopf paced Concordia in a time of 26:40.04. Not far behind, Jarrett Miles ran 26:55.32.
Up Next
The next meet on the 2025 slate is the Blazing Tiger Classic on Saturday, Oct. 25. The meet will be held at Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Neb., and will be co-hosted by College of Saint Mary and Doane. The same location will host the 2025 GPAC Cross Country Championships.