DES MOINES, Iowa – A weekend that included action at the Prairie Wolf Invite and the Drake Relays is in the books for Concordia University Track & Field. On Saturday (April 30)’s final day at the Drake Relays, the Bulldog women’s 4x400 meter relay group ran in the finals of the event while Sarah Ragland and Chris Wren both competed in the hammer throw. Over Friday and Saturday, 18 athletes represented Concordia at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.
Full results for Bulldogs at the Drake Relays can be found below. The major highlights of the weekend in Des Moines were the season best performances by the women’s 4x800 and 4x400 meter relays. In the finals on Saturday, the 4x4 clocked a time of 3:53.91 and placed eighth. A day earlier, the 4x4 group that included Sarah Lewis, Jordan Koepke, Jacee Pfeifer and Rachel Battershell finished in 3:49.86. That time currently ranks No. 3 in the NAIA. Meanwhile, the 4x8 crew of Rylee Haecker, Koepke, Jenna Esch and Keri Bauer turned in a time of 9:09.24 on Friday. That time puts the Bulldogs at No. 2 in the NAIA.
Concordia results at Drake Relays
· Women’s 4x800 meter relay – 9:09.24 (3rd / 12 in College Division)
o Rylee Haecker, Jordan Koepke, Jenna Esch, Keri Bauer
· Women’s 4x100 meter relay – 48.73 (13th / 31)
o Rachel Battershell, Brittney Aitken, Sarah Lewis, Cora Olson
· Men’s 4x100 meter relay – 42.33 (19th / 31)
o Cade Kleckner, Joel Rathe, Jacob Jennings, Xavier Ross
· Women’s 4x400 meter relay – 3:49.86 in prelims (8th / 23); 3:53.91 in finals (8th)
o Sarah Lewis, Jordan Koepke, Jacee Pfeifer, Rachel Battershell
· Men’s 4x400 meter relay – DNF
o Jacob Jennings, Cade Kleckner, Colton Meyer, Xavier Ross
· Josie Puelz – cleared 12’ 8 ¼” in pole vault (9th / 25)
· Rachel Battershell – ran 1:01.23 in 400 meters (21st / 23)
· Wyatt Loga – NH in high jump
· Sarah Ragland – 163’ 6” in weight throw (24th / 28)
· Chris Wren – NM in weight throw
The 2022 GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships are up next. The conference meet will play out next Friday and Saturday (May 6-7) on the Doane campus in Crete, Neb. The Bulldog women’s program will attempt to extend its active streak of six-straight GPAC titles while the men will aim to move up from their fourth-place conference finish this past indoor season.