NAIA National Championships Live Results
Day 1 Recap | Concordia T&F YouTube
MARION, Ind. – The first two All-America awards of the week for Concordia University, Nebraska Track & Field were delivered on Thursday (May 22) in the throws. Senior Abby Gerber wrapped up her college career with a national runner-up claim in the shot put while redshirt freshman Nathan Baldwin ascended onto the podium in his first appearance on the national stage. Their efforts were major highlights on day two of the 2025 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships in Marion, Ind., where the weather has been unseasonably cold and windy. To cap the evening, the Bulldog women’s 4x400-meter relay qualified for the finals while led by the extraordinary Adrianna Rodencal.
There were 13 total Bulldogs who represented Head Coach Matt Beisel’s programs on day two of the championship meet. Concordia traveled 20 athletes to Marion.
A Columbus, Neb., native, Gerber went out in style as she seized the fourth NAIA All-America medal of her career. After placing eighth in the shot put at indoor nationals, Gerber briefly held the national lead in Thursday’s competition when she popped off a throw of 48’ 5” on her second attempt. An impressive series continued as Gerber whirled marks of 49’ 7 ¾” (personal best) and 49’ 6” in the finals. In the program’s history, only Samantha Liermann (50’ 8 ¼”) and Tierra Hubbard (50’ 2”) have out-distanced Gerber in the women’s outdoor shot put.
Said Gerber, “It’s what you’ve been working for all year, all season and all five years in my case. It was nice to have it actually happen for once at a meet, especially the big one. It was amazing … I scared Sam, our record holder, a little bit. I take a little pride in that, that I was that close.”
The GPAC champion in the discus, Baldwin added to an already stellar outdoor season while grabbing All-America honors. The Sutton, Neb., native got the job done with his very first throw, which sailed a distance of 160’ 10.” This is a starting point for Baldwin, who has a bright collegiate career ahead of him. He entered the national meet seeded fifth and carried high expectations into the week.
Said Baldwin, “I’m very grateful that I was able to come out and throw, but I really thought I was going to do a little better. I had a throw that could have done a little better (but was a scratch), but it’s pretty good, so I’ll take it … The nerves weren’t really that bad in the moment. In the days leading up to it, I was really nervous. Once I stepped in the ring, I was pretty calm. I just tried to do what I was working on.”
The GPAC Athlete of the Year Rodencal will have three finals races to run on Friday. One day after qualifying in the 400-meter hurdles (1:00.61), the Lincoln Lutheran alum did the same in the 100-meter hurdles. Her time of 13.73 put her in first in her heat and in third overall in the prelims. Late in the evening as the temperatures dropped, Rodencal returned to the track to run the anchor leg for the 4x4. She was followed in the relay by Trinity Tuls, Isabelle Salters and Kayla Kirchner. Collectively, they finished in 3:52.61. The entire group is made up of past All-America award winners. The finals of the 4x4 will polish off the meet for Concordia on Friday.
In the men’s 5,000-meter race walk, three Bulldogs tested themselves against the national field. An indoor All-American and two-time GPAC champion, freshman Jonny ‘The Jet’ Jurchen led the Concordia trio by placing 11th with a time of 24:09.06. In his first experience at a national meet, freshman Sam Olson placed 18th (27:37.82). Meanwhile, sophomore Luke Hammang pulled out of the race in what marked his third trip to nationals.
Sophomore Addie Reimer of Lisbon, Wis., moved up a spot (to 14th place) on the second and final day of action in the heptathlon. On day two, Reimer landed at 15’ 2 ¼” in the long jump, fired the javelin a distance of 107’ 5” and ran 2:42.82 in the 800 meters. Reimers finished with 4,063 points in her first time qualifying in the heptathlon.
A national qualifier for both indoor and outdoor as a freshman, Adysen McCarter capped her rookie season by placing 19th in the triple jump (38’). The native of Overton, Neb., set a new school standard in the event with her personal best of 39’ 1 ¾” achieved at the GPAC Championships.
The shot put competition on Thursday also featured freshman Harper Boche. The two-time national qualifier Boche wound up in 16th place with her toss of 42’ 5 ½” that came on her final attempt. On the men’s side of the discus, 2023 All-American Austen Rozelle, a senior from Wauneta, Neb., placed 20th with a mark of 151’ 8.” Rozelle also joined Baldwin and Connor Asche in the hammer throw on day one of nationals.
Rodencal will take center stage all afternoon for the Bulldogs on Friday. The final day of the meet will also feature Mayson Ostermeyer in the pole vault and Connor Asche in the shot put. All the action can be watched live via the NAIA Network.
2025 NAIA Outdoor All-Americans
· Nathan Baldwin – Discus (8th | 160’ 10”)
· Abby Gerber – Shot Put (2nd | 49’ 7 ¾”)
Concordia Friday (May 23) Schedule:
Times are EDT to reflect local time in Marion.
· 1:00 p.m. – Men’s Pole Vault: Mayson Ostermeyer
· 1:00 p.m. – Men’s Shot Put: Connor Asche
· 2:20 p.m. – Women’s 100m Hurdle Final: Adrianna Rodencal
· 3:10 p.m. – Women’s 400m Hurdle Final: Adrianna Rodencal
· 5:15 p.m. – Women’s 4x400m Relay Final: Adrianna Rodencal, Trinity Tuls, Isabelle Salters and Kayla Kirchner