SEWARD, Neb. – The action sprawled across more than 12 hours on Saturday as athletes from 15 institutions showcased their talents at the Concordia Classic (Jan. 30-31). The jampacked meet included multi events and distance medley relays and was highlighted by a series of new standards set on the track. Junior Hayden Kluthe broke the men’s school record in the 60-meter hurdles, senior Adrianna Rodencal set a new women’s 60-meter hurdles Fieldhouse standard and freshman Avery Eaves sprinted his way to the fastest nonconverted 60-meter dash time in the history of Concordia University, Nebraska Track & Field.
The Concordia Classic marked home meet No. 3 of the indoor season for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads, which combined for five event titles on the weekend. The Bulldogs entered the meet rated 10th nationally for both men and women (according to the USTFCCCA calculation).
“One of the big things for me was we had a really good-sized meet, and that brings great competition,” Beisel said. “There were some really good teams here, and it helped all of us. When you put the best runners, jumpers and throwers against each other, it just raises everything a notch, and you get really good results out of it. I love the fact that we had a very large meet and ran it off very efficiently. The energy and excitement of our kids for each other was evident throughout this meet.”
Some of the loudest cheers of the day rang out when Kluthe’s time appeared on the videoboard. In his two attempts at the 60 hurdles on Saturday, he ran 8.19 in the prelims and then 8.04 in the finals (first place). The latter time broke the former school record of 8.13 recorded early last indoor season by Easton Fries. On the women’s side of the hurdles, Rodencal keeps performing at an elite level meet after meet. Her finals time of 8.43 broke the Fieldhouse record and was .02 seconds shy of her own program standard. There will be more cracks at improving upon those records for Coach Mark Samuels’ star hurdlers.
A native of Tomball, Texas, Eaves shaved his 60-meter dash time down a notch from last week’s 6.93. Eaves galloped across the finish line in 6.90 in Saturday’s prelims (6.94 in the finals) and won the event. The official school record book shows 6.83 atop the 60-dash list. Eaves later ran the leadoff leg for Concordia’s 4x400-meter relay.
Said Eaves following the finals of the 60 meters, “I wasn’t expecting to go all-out, but I’m really satisfied with what I ran today. Where I’m at right now – I’m pretty excited with that – but I’m trying to get a faster time.”
Other Bulldogs to claim Concordia Classic titles were Keith Siek in the men’s 1,000 meters (2:33.96) and Thomas Thomas in the unseeded men’s weight throw competition (54’ 1”). The list of runners up included Harper Boche in the unseeded women’s weight throw (53’ 6 ½”), Josiah Edwards in the seeded men’s weight throw (58’ 7 ½”), Jonny Jurchen in the racewalk (more on that below), Brittni Kinne in the unseeded women’s shot put (40’ ½”), Hank Moore in the men’s heptathlon and three relay teams (both 4x4s and the men’s distance medley relay).
In back-to-back weekends, the Fieldhouse has showcased a reigning NAIA racewalk national champion. In getting things started on the track right at noon on Saturday, sophomore Jonny ‘The Jet’ Jurchen gave defending national champion Owen Nolte of Benedictine College (Kan.) a tight wire-to-wire race. Jurchen clocked a 3,000-meter racewalk time of 12:44.17, less than two seconds off Nolte for first place. Meanwhile, freshman Jack Habegger achieved a personal best (13:33.52) while solidifying his spot amongst the nation’s top 10 racewalkers.
As of late Saturday night, the Bulldog men’s distance medley relay held down a top 10 spot on the NAIA leaderboard. Trey Robertson, Lucas Corwin, Justin Sherman and Vaughn Hendrickson teamed up to run a time of 10:21.55 (converted to 10:13.23 on the national list). In the mile, Hendrickson ran 4:30.23.
In leading the throws group, Nathan Baldwin achieved a personal best in the shot put (52’ 1 ¾”). He came up a hair shy of the B standard (current top 20 national mark) and placed fifth in the seeded competition. He joined Edwards with top four place finishes in the seeded weight throw battle. Meanwhile, the aforementioned weight throw mark for Boche represented a PR. Boche also threw a women’s team best 40’ 8 ¾” in the shot put.
The marathon meet concluded with the 4x4 relays. On the women’s side, Concordia posted a time of 3:57.85 thanks to the combined efforts of Adysen McCarter, Rodencal, Tayden Kirchner and Kayla Kirchner. The men’s time came in at 3:23.12. That group was made up of Eaves, Kluthe, Perry Chadwick and Liam Fagan.
Beisel made mention of a solid 1,000-meter display on the men’s side. Not only did Siek win the race, teammates Trevor Kuncl (2:35.77) and Jessup Pederson (2:36.70) placed top five. Landri Loos crossed the finish line in 3:13.27 in the women’s 1,000 meters. In other noteworthy performances on the track, Kayla Svoboda clocked in at 9.08 in the 60 hurdles (while also leading the women’s pole vault crew at 10’ 10 ¼”) and Abram Chance completed the 3,000 meters in 8:54.85.
In the multi events, the top Dawgs were Addie Reimer in the women’s pentathlon (2,978 points) and Moore in the heptathlon (4,298 points). Concordia had the top runners in the women’s pentathlon 800 meters (Kennedee Canales) and the men’s heptathlon 1,000 meters (Moore).
A couple of Bulldog jumpers made their way into the top five at the Concordia Classic. Makenna Starkey placed fourth in the women’s high jump (5’ 3 ¼”) and Kiki Nyanok placed fifth in the women’s long jump (17’ 10 ¾”). Elsewhere in field events, Malaki Peoples topped the men’s pole vault crew by clearing 13’ 2 ½.”
Beisel commended several athletes by name as part of his post-meet remarks, which included an expression of congratulations to Kluthe for his school record. Added Beisel, “I could go on and on. Overall, it’s still not everything we wanted and yet, I think there was some satisfaction with what happened today … Hayden is kind of the big star for the day. He ran an incredible time, and I was so happy for him. He is a workhorse. He is one of those people who sets the example on what it means to have a work ethic and live the life.”
National qualifying standards achieved at Concordia Classic
· A – Jack Habegger: 3,000-meter racewalk (13:33.52)
· A – Jonny Jurchen: 3,000-meter racewalk (12:44.17)
· A – Adrianna Rodencal: 60-meter hurdles (8.43)
· B – Hayden Kluthe: 60-meter hurdles (8.04)
Concordia Classic event champions
· Avery Eaves: 60 meters (6.94)
· Hayden Kluthe: 60-meter hurdles (8.04)
· Adrianna Rodencal: 60-meter hurdles (8.43)
· Keith Siek: 1,000 meters (2:33.96)
· Thomas Thomas: weight throw, unseeded (54’ 1”)
For a change, the Bulldogs will be away from home next weekend with Bulldog athletes being spread between the Sevigne Husker Invitational (Feb. 6-7) and the Fred Beile Classic (Feb. 7). The final home meet of the indoor season will take place on Feb. 14, the date of the Concordia Invitational.