SEWARD, Neb. – Conditions were cold and blustery, but the 2026 Concordia Outdoor Invitational carried on, filling up the athletic facilities on the Concordia University, Nebraska campus. By the time darkness arrived on Monday (April 6), Bulldog Track & Field athletes had combined for 13 event championships and eight marks that met the ‘A’ or ‘B’ NAIA national qualifying standards. In the triple jump, sophomore Adysen McCarter soared to another school record.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads were originally scheduled to host the meet prior to the Easter holiday. The teams involved made the best of the circumstances at the Concordia Invite, which moved the jumps and the pole vault inside the Fieldhouse. Partly sunny skies provided a degree of afternoon warmth.
“We got some initial marks in events like the 10k and the steeplechase,” Beisel said. “My kids hadn’t had a chance to run those yet. We got some good marks in. We did see some injuries happen to sprinters with the cold, but I think we got some valuable experience. It’s been a weird couple weeks with a Sunday meet and then this meet being moved to Monday. Once we get past this, hopefully we can get into a normal rhythm. There are a number of athletes who are really happy with their marks and some who have more they want to accomplish. We had a lot of people come together to help run this meet.”
It was a fine all-around day for McCarter, now a four-time national qualifier. The Overton, Neb., native eclipsed her own school record in the triple jump by landing at 39’ 6 ½” on Monday. She won the triple jump competition while also placing second in the 200 meters (PR of 24.88). Additionally, McCarter ran the leadoff leg for the 4x100-meter relay that clocked in at 47.17, just off a season best. McCarter was joined on the 4x1 by Kayla Kirchner, Kiki Nyanok and Adrianna Rodencal.
The cold and the wind did not lend to particularly fast times in the sprints or hurdles, but Rodencal still did her thing. She ran times of 13.48 in the 100-meter hurdles (prelims) and 1:01.76 in the 400-meter hurdles, triumphing over the field in both events. She currently leads the NAIA in the 100 hurdles. Rodencal was later part of the 4x400-meter relay that posted a time of 4:02.41. The 4x4 included Josi Noble and the Kirchner sisters, Kayla and Tayden. On the men’s side, Braxton Borer placed third in the 110-meter hurdles (15.31) and Hank Moore recorded a time of 22.38 in the 200 meters.
McCarter and freshman Jack Habegger were the two Bulldogs that turned in fresh NAIA auto standards on Monday. Habegger was part of a race walk crew that closed out the Concordia Invite. Habegger completed the 5,000-meter race walk in 23:05.70, placing second to All-American Jonny ‘The Jet’ Jurchen (22:52.13). Jurchen was roughly 24 seconds off his personal best. In placing third, teammate Luke Hammang crossed the finish line in 24:21.34 for a B standard. All three Bulldog walkers competed at the indoor national meet.
Out on the east campus throwing fields, the Bulldogs came away with several highlights. Two-time All-American Nathan Baldwin neared his PR in the hammer by throwing 184’ 8.” Both Baldwin (second) and Josiah Edwards (fifth; 175’ 5”) placed in the top five of the men’s hammer competition while Baldwin also took sixth in the discus (153’). On the women’s side of the hammer, sophomore Harper Boche produced a personal best of 166’ 1” and placed second. Boche was also the runner up in the women’s shot put (41’ 10 ½”).
In another Concordia Invite winning effort, Emma Kucera rose to the top in the javelin with her mark of 123’ 8.” In additional top-five performances, Stephen Meisel placed fourth in the men’s javelin (146’ 6”) and Halee Nickels claimed fourth in the discus (141’ 7”).
While McCarter led the way for the horizontal jumps, both Addie Reimer and Makenna Starkey competed for the Concordia Invite title in the high jump. The junior Reimer cleared 5’ 5 ¾” for a new NAIA B standard and placed second. Starkey finished third with her jump of 5’ 3 ¾.” Elsewhere in the jumps, Nyanok was a winner in the women’s long jump (18’ 2 ½”) and Xavier Marburger placed third in the men’s long (22’ ¾”) and triple (43’ 10 ¾”) jumps. Marburger also ran 100-meter time of 10.88 as he and Avery Eaves (10.75) continue to push each other in the sprints. They teamed up with Jett Farwell and Ben Sullivan for a 4x1 relay time of 43.03.
In the distance events, the Bulldog men earned first-place finishes via Vaughn Hendrickson in the 10,000 meters (31:41.85), Trey Robertson in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:42.90) and Ransom Watts in the 5,000 meters (16:04.48). The 10k featured six Concordia competitors on the men’s side with a fourth-place claim going to Aidan Limback (33:21.27). In the middle distances, Lucas Corwin and Trenton Kumm ran respective 800-meter times of 1:56.52 and 1:56.76 (placing second and third). Landri Loos led the way on the women’s side with an 800-meter time of 2:28.12.
It was a breakthrough in the pole vault on Monday for senior Kayla Svoboda. She cleared a personal best of 11’ 9” and won the competition. On the men’s side of the vault, Caden Brooks and David Unruh both cleared 13’ 11 ¼.” Thirteen Bulldogs tried their hand in the pole vault within the comfort of the Fieldhouse.
National Qualifying standards achieved at Concordia Invite
· A – Jack Habegger: 5,000-meter race walk (23:05.70)
· A – Jonny Jurchen: 5,000-meter race walk (22:52.13)
· A – Adysen McCarter: triple jump (39’ 6 ½”)
· A – Adrianna Rodencal: 100-meter hurdles (13.48)
· B – Nathan Baldwin: hammer throw (184’ 8”)
· B – Luke Hammang: 5,000-meter race walk (24:21.34)
· B – Addie Reimer: high jump (5’ 5 ¾”)
· B – Adrianna Rodencal: 400-meter hurdles (1:01.76)
Concordia Invite Champions
· Men’s 4x100-meter relay (43:03)
· Women’s 4x100-meter relay (47.17)
· Women’s 4x400-meter relay (4:02.41)
· Vaughn Hendrickson: 10,000 meters (31:41.85)
· Jonny Jurchen: 5,000-meter race walk (22:52.13)
· Emma Kucera: javelin (123’ 8”)
· Adysen McCarter: triple jump (39’ 6 ½”)
· Kiki Nyanok: long jump (18’ 2 ½”)
· Trey Robertson: 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:42.90)
· Adrianna Rodencal: 100-meter hurdles (13.48); 400-meter hurdles (1:01.76)
· Kayla Svoboda: pole vault (11’ 9”)
· Ransom Watts: 5,000 meters (16:04.48)
The Bulldogs are scheduled to compete again on Saturday at the Hastings Bronco Invite. The meet is scheduled to get underway at 10 a.m. from the Jack Osborne Track Complex in Hastings. For additional information, check out the Hastings track & field schedule page linked HERE.