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.
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.”
Green, Robertson pace Bulldogs to GPAC best team finishes at Augie Twilight
Sep. 5, 2025
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The gun went off on the start of the 2025 season on Friday (Sept. 5) with Concordia University, Nebraska Cross Country making some noise of its own. At the annual Augustana Twilight contested after sunset, the Bulldogs outran all of their GPAC rivals and nearly all NAIA competition in the largescale event. Overall, the Concordia men placed fourth out of 25 teams and the Bulldog women finished eighth out of 26 squads. Keeli Green and Trey Robertson starred for their respective sides.
The meet marked the beginning of year 10 for Matt Beisel as head coach. In the ’25 season opener, his teams scored point totals of 168 on the men’s side and 237 points on the women’s side. The effort and attitude of both teams left Beisel pleased following outing No. 1.
“Our big focus this year is on finding joy each day being with each other, giving glory to God and letting the outcomes take care of themselves,” Beisel said. “At the same time, we want to find a balance. We have work to do and we have some things to accomplish. Don’t let that be something you fear. We’re going to do this together. I feel like our teams were in a good mindset going into this race. Not quite half our team is brand new. They just went out and ran beautifully, and I’m so proud of all of them and thankful to God that we were able to have a night like this.”
As usual, the Augustana Twilight featured a women’s 5,000-meter race followed by a men’s four-mile race. The 2025 meet included 319 women’s and 394 men’s athletes and was staged at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Women’s Summary
In her return to competition, Keeli Green burst out of the gates by placing as the top finisher outside of NCAA Division I runners. Green and the next six Bulldogs across the finish line each completed the 5k race in under 20 minutes. Collectively, they helped Concordia outpace all GPAC squads in the field, including Morningside (10th), Doane (12th), Northwestern (15th) and Midland (24th).
Said Beisel, “Keeli’s goal was to break 18 minutes. We were pretty convinced with how she’s been running in practice that she could do it. How far under was a big question mark. She found herself right up in the front of the pack. At 1,000 meters, she was sort of shocked, but she felt really good and kept hammering away. For Concordia, that was a course record at the Augustana Twilight. Then we had Annaka Schlachter and Ashley Robertson run gigantic personal bests and four more girls were under 20 minutes … I’m super proud of everybody. That was a good starting point. It’s going to give us a lot of confidence.”
A native of Arlington, Neb., Green far exceeded her performance at the 2023 Augustana Twilight when she placed 23rd in a 5k time of 18:35.95. Green slashed a full minute off that effort with an eye-popping 17:31.9 on Friday night (best ever for a Bulldog at Yankton Trail Park, as noted by Beisel). The result showed Green is well ahead of schedule compared to her freshman season when she took third place at the GPAC Championships.
Two of her teammates also came in under 19 minutes as sophomore Annaka Schlachter ran 18:54.4 and freshman Ashley Robertson clocked in at 18:58.8. A Grand Island native, Schlachter cut more than 30 seconds off her time from the 2024 Augie Twilight. The team’s top five in Sioux Falls on Friday was rounded out by sophomore Alison Stepanek (19:25.0) and Concordia University Ann Arbor transfer Macee Ripke (19:50.7).
The 6 through 10 finishers in the Concordia lineup were freshmen Lilly Dall (19:50.7) and Rachel Harris (19:52.0), sophomore Lydia Edmonds (20:03.1), freshman Izzi Brumbaugh (20:03.2) and junior Claire Beikmann (20:10.6). Past GPAC All-Conference runner Hannah Beintema came in next in line as she ran 20:25.31. There were 22 total Bulldog runners in the Augie Twilight field.
In defeating Doane, the Bulldogs outran a squad that received votes in the NAIA preseason poll. Of the seven squads that placed in front of Concordia, one is an NCAA Division I team and five are affiliated with NCAA Division II. NAIA Dakota State University (S.D.) placed two spots in front of Concordia.
Men’s Summary
When last cross country season ended, Trey Robertson and Vaughn Hendrickson were neck and neck at the top of the Bulldog pack. They continued to lead the way as Concordia produced encouraging results on the opening day of the 2025 season. Most notably from a team perspective, the Bulldogs upset NAIA 14th-ranked Doane (177 points) as they totaled 168 points in the team standings. The only teams that placed higher were NCAA Division I or II squads in South Dakota State University, Augustana University and Minnesota State University – Mankato.
Said Beisel, “It felt great to beat all the GPAC schools. Doane is very formidable. They have a really good program and are something to be reckoned with. Our guys were happy to be in the running there tonight. We had almost every guy run under 23 minutes and most ran in the 21s or faster. That was a fantastic start. Vaughn Hendrickson didn’t feel that well, but he kept hammering away. Aidan Limback has continued to develop. That was his fastest race. Trevor Kuncl had a setback in the summer and for him to run 20:18 was great. Ransom Watts continues to get better and our freshmen did great. We had a solid core of guys get work done.”
Hendrickson emerged from his freshman season of 2024 as the GPAC champion and an NAIA All-American while Robertson claimed conference runner-up status. Both Bulldogs ran similar four-mile times as they did a year ago in Sioiux Falls. Meanwhile, junior Aidan Limback was a mover and a shaker as he crossed the finish line in under 20 minutes (19:58.4), more than 45 seconds faster compared to the ’24 Augie Twilight. The West Des Moines, Iowa, native narrowly missed out on all-conference honors last season.
The next Concordia finishers in the top five were senior Trevor Kuncl (20:18.2) and junior Ransom Watts (20:20.8). Each of the team’s top six, including freshman Abe Chance (20:21.8) placed inside the top 100 on the overall leaderboard. Kuncl is one of four seniors on the roster and is as experienced as any Bulldog competitor.
Chance began a string of three straight freshmen. Next in line for Concordia were rookies Charlie Evans (20:41.7) and Cooper Schelkopf (20:52.6). Also in the team’s top 10, sophomore Jarrett Miles (21:00.4) and junior Justin Sherman (21:02.3) finished within two seconds of each other. A total of 30 Bulldogs navigated the trail at the Augie Twilight.
Picked third in the GPAC preseason poll, Concordia did not receive votes in the NAIA coaches’ poll released on Aug. 22. The Bulldogs made a strong case for an at-large bid to nationals last season before coming up short. Hendrickson and Robertson both qualified individually.
Up next
The 2025 season will resume in two weeks as the Bulldogs look ahead to the Greeno/Dirksen Invite scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 20. The meet is slated to get underway at 10 a.m. CT on that date from Mahoney Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb.
Green, Robertson combine for sweep of GPAC weekly awards
SEWARD, Neb. – Impressive showings at the Augustana Twilight led to a pair of awards announced on Wednesday (Sept. 10) by the GPAC league office. In a sweep for Concordia University, Nebraska Cross Country, sophomore Keeli Green was named GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week while junior Trey Robertson was tabbed GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week. Robertson also earned a conference weekly award in 2024.
After a year away from the cross country trails, Green is running as strong as ever. The Arlington, Neb., native clocked the fastest Augustana Twilight 5k time ever by a Bulldog women’s runner with her time of 17:31.86 on Sept. 5. Green placed fourth out of 319 runners (best outside of all non-NCAA Division I competitors) in the field in Sioux Falls, S.D. As a team, Concordia placed eighth out of 26 (and first among GPAC squads). Green ran more than a minute faster than she did at the Augie Twilight two years earlier. The Arlington High School product placed third in the GPAC as a freshman in 2023.
A Wallace, Neb., native Robertson opened his junior season in style as he beat all GPAC and NAIA runners in the Augustana Twilight field. He completed the four-mile race in 19:22.78, landing him in 15th place overall in a field of 394 runners. Robertson’s efforts helped boost the Bulldogs to a fourth-place team finish (out of 25). The Wallace High School alum is coming off a ’24 campaign that saw him place as the GPAC runner up and qualify for the NAIA national meet.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s Bulldogs will resume the season on Saturday, Sept. 20 when the Greeno/Dirksen Invite will be held at Mahoney State Park in Lincoln, Neb.