Men’s Outlook
Head Coach: Matt Beisel (10th season)
2024 Finish: 3rd in GPAC
Key Returners (from 2024 GPAC meet): Vaughn Hendrickson; Trevor Kuncl; Aidan Limback; Jarrett Miles; Trey Robertson; Ethan Sholey; Cole Yunker.
Key Newcomers: Abram Chance; Charlie Evans; Jessup Pederson; Keith Siek.
Key Losses: Jack Ellis; Thomas Gorline; Nathan Pennekamp.
2024 GPAC All-Conference: Vaughn Hendrickson (1st); Trey Robertson (2nd).
2024 NAIA All-American: Vaughn Hendrickson.
Incremental improvement just might be enough to get Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Cross Country over the hump and onto the national championships stage. The Bulldogs came up a hair short of qualifying the team for nationals in 2024 while following the lead of the GPAC’s top two finishers at the conference meet, Vaughn Hendrickson and Trey Robertson. Many of the heavy hitters return to the trails this fall for a motivated bunch of Bulldogs. They were pegged third in the GPAC preseason poll, but there’s hope of achieving greater heights.
This will be Head Coach Matt Beisel’s 10th year leading the cross country and track & field programs at his alma mater. Men’s cross country has placed top three or better in the GPAC in each of the past three seasons as a consistent player in one of the NAIA’s most competitive conferences.
“I think we can be a top two team in the conference, absolutely,” Beisel said. “Even though we lost people like Nathan Pennekamp, Jack Ellis and Thomas Gorline, we return everybody else, and we have some very talented freshmen and transfers. They have come in and are going to help us make up for who we lost.”
As a freshman last season, Hendrickson became the men’s program’s first individual GPAC champion since Colin Morrissey in 2012. Hendrickson and the ’24 conference runner up Robertson give the Bulldogs an impressive 1-2 punch that could make Concordia a GPAC championship contender. Based on the GPAC preseason poll, Dordt and Doane are the teams the Bulldogs will be chasing at the front of the pack. Doane (No. 14) actually landed above Dordt (No. 18) in the NAIA’s preseason national coaches’ poll.
In order to accomplish its goals, Concordia will need to develop depth to combine with Hendrickson and Robertson. Based on the 2024 GPAC Championships, the Bulldogs’ next top returners include junior Aidan Limback (16th in the GPAC), senior Trevor Kuncl (29th) and sophomores Jarrett Miles (31st), Ethan Sholey (40th) and Cole Yunker (61st). The only departures from last season’s GPAC roster are 2024-25 seniors Jack Ellis, Thomas Gorline and Nathan Pennekamp.
Says Robertson, a Wallace, Neb., native, “We were a pretty young team last year. Vaughn and I were freshman and sophomore, inexperienced kids who hadn’t done a lot of running (at the college level) in our past. Our whole team seemed to learn and grow throughout the season. In the beginning we had some good things, but we were still learning. We were inconsistent. Towards the end we started to have guys figure it out. Throughout track season and summer training, we had the mentality that we were so close last year, and we want to go the next step to get us there. Everyone is super excited and ready to try to get us to nationals. We’re really hoping to make it as a team this year.”
Hendrickson’s conference championship winning 8k time came in 25:44.09 at Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Neb. Hot on his heels, Robertson crossed the finish line in 25:51.70. In continuing his remarkable freshman season, Hendrickson placed 36th at the NAIA national meet, earning All-America honors. Meanwhile, Robertson placed 99th in his first experience at nationals, which took place in Columbia, Mo., a year ago.
Beisel has reason to believe that both Hendrickson and Robertson can be even better this fall. “They’re both in great shape,” Beisel said. “They finished up the outdoor track season. Trey hurt his foot and didn’t have the finish he wanted. Vaughn was just tired at the end of his freshman year after a phenomenal season and year. Both of them had a nice rest and had great training this summer. Both of them are in very, very good fitness – better than they were last year.”
In the team’s 1,600-meter time trial this preseason, Robertson led the way while freshman Keith Siek finished second and Hendrickson third. Among seniors, Kuncl is the top returner and someone Beisel calls a “rock star” one of the team’s “best runners.” The senior class also features Westley Determan, Aaron Jendro and Hudson Opp.
There are 35 total runners on the men’s roster, which is fortified by newcomers such as Siek, and others like transfers like Mark Bultemeier and Jessup Pederson and freshmen Abram Chance and Charlie Evans. The door is open for plenty of others to also make positive contributions on and off the trails. According to Robertson, team chemistry will be a strength for the 2025 team.
“Truly, it’s been like a dream,” Robertson said. “The team that I have, they’ve become some of my best friends. They are people I want to hang out with all the time. It’s never a dull moment. It’s always something new going on with a ton of laughs. The whole team – boys and girls – it’s just a super encouraging team. They’re fun to be around. They’re like a second family to me.”
As Beisel said of the roster, “In all of those guys, so much, depth, so much talent and so much potential. I’m going to be really curious to see how it goes.”
Early in the preseason, the Bulldogs are still working on hammering out their goals, but they are dreaming about a trip to Tallahassee, Fla., come November.
“I’m really hoping to see our guy’s team make nationals,” Robertson said. “We have a lot of guys who have been working hard all summer and they’ve put in the time. They’ve given a lot to it. I just want to see them succeed and get to go on a fun trip and compete on a high level. I think that would be really special. Individually, I think it’s kind of just do the best I can and see what I can do. I love Vaughn, but I have to compete with him too. Iron sharpens iron. We have to see how fast we can get each other. I’m excited to see what we can do there.”
As a coach, Beisel is there to ensure his teams aren’t obsessing over outcomes. Beisel advises, “Don’t think too far in advance, but look at it a day at a time, a week at a time, and find joy in being at practice, doing these challenging things with an amazing group of people. Give the rest up to God. The rest takes care of itself. God already knows the outcome of our season. I trust him 100 percent. Bottom line is, we’re going to have a great time working together as teams, building relationships, working our butts off and seeing what happens.”
The 2025 campaign will officially get started on Sept. 5 at the Augustana Twilight hosted by Augustana University. It will mark the first of five meets leading into the 2025 GPAC Championships (Nov. 8) at Mahoney State Park. If prayers are answered, the season will journey to Tallahassee on Nov. 21 for the 2025 NAIA Cross Country National Championships. View the complete schedule HERE.
Women’s Outlook
Head Coach: Matt Beisel (10th season)
2024 Finish: 4th in GPAC
Key Returners (from 2024 GPAC meet): Claire Beikmann; Hannah Beintema; Keegan Beisel; Kelsie Heins; Christina Martinson; Annaka Schlachter; Annika Staab; Alison Stepanek.
Key Newcomers: Izzi Brumbaugh; Lilly Kenning; Macee Ripke; Ashley Robertson.
Key Losses: Ellie Jander; Rhaya Kaschinske.
2024 GPAC All-Conference: Keegan Beisel (9th).
Just two years removed from an 18th place NAIA national finish, Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Cross Country enters a new season with high hopes. The potential is there for a squad that returns eight of the 10 competitors that ran at the 2025 GPAC Championships. The Bulldogs are perennially a factor in the conference race, having placed either first or second 13 times during the GPAC era (2000-present). Concordia landed at No. 4 in the GPAC preseason poll, exactly where it finished in 2024.
Head Coach Matt Beisel enters his 10th season at the helm of the cross country and track & field programs at his alma mater. Beisel led the 2019 women’s cross country team to a GPAC title and has guided the program to top five GPAC placements in eight consecutive seasons. Beisel and company will expect that string to continue in ’25.
“I’m very optimistic,” Beisel said. “We lost Rhaya Kaschinske. She was a heavy hitter and had her very best season last year. We return my daughter Keegan, who had a great year last year. She had some health issues through the spring, so she’s not even close to 100 percent as she would tell you. She’s one of those people who can somehow put things together when she gets consistent training in. She and I have talked about taking a wait-and-see attitude and taking it a day at a time. At the same time, whatever level of performance she has, she’s very committed to the team, she’s a great leader and she loves these girls. She and her teammates have a vision for what they want this team to be, and they’ve already worked towards that. She provides leadership along with other seniors like Hannah Beintema.”
Unfortunate circumstances led to Keegan missing the 2025 indoor and outdoor track seasons. She placed ninth at the 2024 GPAC Cross Country Championships, and the hope is she’ll eventually round into form as she fights her way back from injury. Keegan is one of three Bulldogs on the roster who helped the ’23 squad to a top 20 national finish. She was joined in Fort Vancouver, Wash., by fellow senior Hannah Beintema and Keeli Green, who is another talented runner looking to re-emerge in a major way.
Keegan ran a 2024 conference meet 6k time of 23:47.5 while pulling in GPAC All-Conference accolades. Among returners, the next Bulldogs in line at the GPAC meet were Annika Staab (22nd in GPAC), Annaka Schlachter (24th), Kelsie Heins (37th), Beintema (38th), Christina Martinson (44th), Alison Stepanek (45th) and Claire Beikmann (64th). As just freshmen, Staab and Schlachter narrowly missed out on All-GPAC accolades. Worth noting, Green placed third in the GPAC (21:57.7 6k time) in 2023.
Things are just beginning to come together this preseason. So far, Keegan sees the potential in her teammates in terms of both running ability and in who they are as people.
“So far, things are amazing,” Keegan said. “We’re very thankful for all the wonderful girls God has brought here this year and for all the returners and their hearts for the team and for Christ. We’re all pretty committed to investing in the team and making it a top priority in our lives. I’m super excited for this season and the bond we’re going to have by the end of it. Running-wise, everyone is very dedicated. We have a lot of talented girls coming back from injuries. We have great potential, but who knows what’s going to happen. Nothing’s guaranteed. I’m super excited to see what everyone is going to do.”
In sum, Beisel, Beintema and Green have each earned All-GPAC awards in previous seasons and have the ability to reach that territory again this fall. A native of Arlington, Neb., Green could prove to be a true difference maker, as Coach Beisel pointed out.
Said Beisel, “One of the things that is a potential hit is Keeli Green, who was an outstanding runner for us two years ago. She went through some pretty serious health issues and things really turned around for her. She was cleared to start training and competing with us again. She’s in great shape and brings a huge element of positive energy to the team, and also a lot of talent.”
A host of newcomers will also have opportunities to make an impact this fall. One of those athletes is freshman Ashley Roberston, the younger sister of Trey (a standout on the men’s team). Ashley won multiple state championships for Wallace High School and won the team’s preseason time trial in the 1,600 meters. Another name to watch is Macee Ripke, a transfer from Concordia University Ann Arbor and a National Christian College Athletic Association All-American in track & field. Freshman Lilly Kenning has also begun to make waves. Robertson and Kenning are two of the team’s eight freshmen.
Admittedly, there are unknowns. The return to health of many of the team’s top runners will be a critical aspect that helps determine what heights are achieved in 2025.
“Some of them had weird injury things happen, but we are coming back,” Coach Beisel said. “Annaka ran her best time trial ever coming off an injury this spring. I think it’s one of those things where we absolutely believe we have the talent and depth to be a top two team in the conference and make it to nationals. I think that is understood, but we don’t know how it plays out.”
Just a few days into preseason training, Keegan provided an update on where she stands. Said Keegan, “I wasn’t able to train for about five months. I definitely became more active over the summer and was able to get back into running every few days. With preseason, I’m doing that even more, but taking it really slow. I’m not expecting much out of my own performance this season. I’m just going to do the best I can and soak up my last year with these girls and my dad as the coach.”
The 2025 season will get underway on Sept. 5 at the Augustana Twilight in Sioux Falls, S.D. The season opening meet will be one of five leading up to the 2025 GPAC Championships at Mahoney State Park. If the Bulldogs are able to maximize their potential, they just might find their way to Tallahassee, Fla., site of the 2025 NAIA Cross Country National Championships. Keegan hopes to make a fourth straight trip to cross country nationals. View the team’s ’25 schedule HERE.
Regardless of outcomes, Coach Beisel understands how to place everything into proper perspective.
As Beisel tells his athletes, “Your identity is in Christ. Your value to me has zero to do with your performance and everything to do with the fact that Christ created you and loves you. That’s a message I want them to know. Yes, we want to figure out how to improve and make progress as runners, but I want to make sure we’re doing it in the right way and doing it in a way that’s going to help them reduce anxiety and to really enjoy the experience. If you’re enjoying the experience and having a great time, the success is more likely to come.”