Boellstorff and Starks garner GPAC field weekly honors
SEWARD, Neb. – For the second week in a row, the Concordia University track and field programs have swept weekly field honors from the conference. On Wednesday NAIA event leaders in junior Cody Boellstorff and senior Cassie Starks were named GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Outdoor Field Athletes of the Week. The announcement also marks the second-consecutive weekly award for Starks.
Boellstorff and Starks join sophomore Zach Lurz as the second and third Bulldogs to be named conference field athlete twice in 2015. Lurz (April 8) and sophomore Kali Robb (Feb. 18) have national field athlete of the week accolades to their credit.
Boellstorff, a native of Waverly, Neb., receives this week’s recognition after again eclipsing 200 feet in the hammer throw in a winning effort at the Concordia Outdoor Invite on April 11. His personal best and school record mark of 205’ 8” leads teammate Josh Slechta (191’ 1”) by more than 14 feet on the NAIA hammer throw national leaderboard. Just short of a national qualifying mark in the shot put, Boellstorff is a three-time All-American and seven-time all-conference performer.
Meanwhile, Starks now owns both the indoor and outdoor program pole vault records all to herself after clearing an NAIA-pacing 12’ 6 ¼” in a winning effort at last week’s Concordia Invite. The native of Haigler, Neb., has jumped better than 12 feet in each of the first three outdoor meets of the season. Starks was a 2015 indoor All-American and GPAC titlist.
Now ranked third nationally for both men and women, according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, the Bulldogs return to action on Friday and Saturday at the Doane Relays in Crete. View the event schedule HERE.
2015 Concordia GPAC athletes of the week
Jan. 28 – Zach Lurz
Feb. 11 – Stephanie Coley
Feb. 18 – Kali Robb*
April 1 – Cody Boellstorff
April 8 – Zach Lurz* and Cassie Starks
April 15 – Cody Boellstorff and Cassie Starks
*NAIA National Field Athlete of the Week