HASTINGS, Neb. – The winds were gusty, but the temperatures were warm throughout Saturday (April 12) at the Hastings Invite for Concordia University, Nebraska Track & Field. In major highlights, Nathan Baldwin crushed his personal best in the discus, Abby Gerber posted a season best in the shot put and Adrianna Rodencal ran stellar 100- and 400-meter hurdle races that counted this time. In a relatively small meet in terms of quantity of competitors, the Bulldogs were joined at Jack Osborne Track Complex by Hastings, Northwestern Oklahoma State University and York University.
Head Coach Matt Beisel and company were happy to see the mercury rise one week after chilly weather caused a reconfiguration of the Concordia Invite. The Hastings Invite marked week three of Concordia’s outdoor season.
“We were pleased with the temperature and the wind, especially in the shorter distances, was beneficial,” Beisel said. “We were able to get some legal national qualifying marks because of that. Overall, even though it was hot and dusty, we got some really good results in the sprints and the hurdles. We had some really nice jumps in the long and triple jump for men and women. We’re seeing some consistent performances from athletes like Kiki Nyanok and Hayley Miles, and Aaron Spivey keeps improving. In the throws, we had a lot of personal bests. We got some really good stuff done today.”
The fruits yielded from the Hastings Invite came in the form of 25 event championships and a total of eight performances that met at least the NAIA ‘B’ national qualifying standard. In addition to auto marks turned in by Baldwin, Gerber and Rodencal, the following Bulldogs posted B standards on Saturday: Connor Asche (hammer), Matthew Boyer (javelin), Kiki Nyanok (long jump) and Abi Wohlgemuth (hammer). Achieving such marks became more difficult in 2025 with the raising of the national standards.
The Lincoln Lutheran alum Rodencal ran a 13.45 100-meter hurdles two weeks earlier at the Central Nebraska Challenge, but the time did not make it on the conference or national lists due to the wind factor. This time around, Rodencal put a time of 13.46 on the board in a performance that ranks No. 2 in the NAIA this season (based on times entering the weekend). Rodencal later returned to the track and clocked another auto time while speeding to a win in the 400 hurdles in 1:01.36 (also second best nationally).
Baldwin (Sutton, Neb.) already locked up a spot at nationals when he threw the discus 172’ 10” at the Central Nebraska Challenge. He tacked on six feet (178’ 10”) on Saturday in a winning performance. The throws crew racked up first-place claims at the Hastings Invite thanks to the likes of Baldwin, Gerber (women’s shot put), Matthew Boyer (javelin) and Carson Fehlhafer (men’s shot put). Gerber’s improved A standard came in at 47’ 11 ¼.” Meanwhile, Boyer tossed the javelin a season best 198’ 8.” In the men’s hammer, senior Connor Asche hit the B standard once again.
Grand Island native Kiki Nyanok put together a fine meet as she took first place in the long jump with a B mark of 18’ 11 ¾.” She also ran 25.59 in the 200 meters and placed second. In winning performances across the jumps crew, Jaxon Lipker (men’s high jump), Adysen McCarter (women’s triple jump), Myles Sadd (men’s long jump) and Aaron Spivey (men’s triple jump) each took first place. Miles placed second in the long jump to Nyanok while also flying past 18 ½ feet.
In addition to Rodencal, other event champions on the track were Claire Beikmann (800 meters), Hannah Beintema (3,000-meter steeplechase), Liam Fagan (400 meters), Ellie Jander (10,000 meters), Hayden Kluthe (110 / 400 hurdles), Aidan Limback (5,000 meters), McCarter (100 meters), Jarrett Miles (3,000-meter steeplechase) and Trinity Tuls (400 meters). Both Tuls (58.82) and Kayla Kirchner (58.83) ran under a minute in the 400 meters. Kluthe clocked in at 55.33 in the 400 hurdles, a hair off the B standard.
Concordia had entries in nearly all of the relays at the Hastings Invite. The top Bulldog crews recorded times of 47.59 in the women’s 4x1 (first place), 3:39.08 in the men’s 4x4 (third place) and 4:03.96 in the women’s 4x4 (first place). The women’s 4x1 of Cambria Saunders, Kirchner, Emily Loseke and Rodencal just missed the NAIA B standard of 47.52. Rodencal, Loseke and Kirchner also joined Tuls in the 4x4.
Said Beisel, “From the 400 on up, it was tough conditions. The air quality index was pretty bad, but we still got good work done. A lot of those longer distance events, it was a Concordia only crew. We had two guys and two girls do the 10k and get some marks for conference … I’m thankful to God that it wasn’t rained out and it wasn’t freezing cold. One of the things I love is how our kids care about each other. They were lining the track cheering for each other. It was a good team day.”
Beisel went on to laud the steeplechase efforts of Miles and Cole Yunker on the men’s side and Beintema, Lydia Edmonds and Rachel Ada on the women’s side. Limback ran solo in the 5,000 meters and finished in 16:34.52. In the men’s 800 meters, three Bulldogs clocked in under two minutes: Trevor Kuncl, Justin Sherman and Lucas Corwin. In the 1,500 meters, Ransom Watts and Annika Staab led the way. In running along with Rodencal in the 100 hurdles, Kayla Svoboda ran 14.96 and placed second.
In the pole vault, Evan Hill (14’ 3 ¼”) and Aliana McNair (10’) were winners. All-American Mayson Ostermeyer took a break from the vault and ran an 11.05 100 meters on Saturday.
NAIA National Qualifying Standards Achieved at Hastings Invite:
· A – Nathan Baldwin: discus (178’ 10”)
· A – Abby Gerber: shot put (47’ 11 ¼”)
· A – Adrianna Rodencal: 110-meter hurdles (13.46); 400-meter hurdles (1:01.36)
· B – Connor Asche: hammer throw (180’ 3”)
· B – Matthew Boyer: javelin (198’ 8”)
· B – Kiki Nyanok: long jump (18’ 11 ¾”)*
· B – Abi Wohlgemuth: hammer throw (170’ 6”)
*Did not count towards national leaderboard due to wind.
The outdoor season will continue next week with Bulldogs in competition at two different meets: the Jim Dutcher Invite (April 16-18) hosted by Doane and the University of Kansas Relays (April 17-19). Only two weeks of action remain prior to the fast approaching 2025 GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships (May 2-3).