SEWARD, Neb. – Following the first outing of the 2024 outdoor season, junior Abby Gerber has been honored by the GPAC. On Wednesday (March 27), the conference named Gerber the Hauff Mid-America Sports GPAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week. The announcement marks the first career GPAC weekly award for Gerber.
A native of Columbus, Neb., Gerber immediately qualified for the NAIA outdoor national meet thanks to her mark of 45’ 1 ¾” in the shot put at the Bethel Invitational on March 23. Gerber won the competition over a field of 24 athletes in North Newton, Kan. As part of the Bethel Invite, Gerber also placed third in the discus (124’ 4”) and sixth in the hammer throw (152’ 5”).
An NAIA Scholar-Athlete and two-time NAIA All-American, Gerber is coming off an indoor season that saw her place fifth in the shot put (46’ 4”) at the NAIA Indoor National Championships. She also helped the team to another GPAC championship as she turned in 2024 indoor conference finishes of third in the shot put and seventh in the weight throw.
Gerber and her teammates are slated to continue the season on Thursday at the Central College Invite in Pella, Iowa. The first action is set to get underway at 12 p.m. CT.
2023-24 GPAC & NAIA Weekly Accolades – Concordia Track & Field
· Women’s 4x800m Relay – NAIA Women’s Track & Field National Athletes of the Week (Jan. 23).
· Jenna Esch – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Feb. 14)
· Kylahn Freiberg – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24, Feb. 7).
· Abby Gerber – GPAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week (March 27)
· Zach Zohner – NAIA Men’s Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 31); USTFCCCA NAIA Men’s Track & Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 30); GPAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24 and 31).