SEWARD, Neb. – Following five weekends of indoor competition this 2023-24 season, Concordia University Track & Field is gearing up for the 2024 GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. The meet will take place Friday and Saturday in Yankton, S.D., home to Mount Marty. The meet venue, the Ruth Donohoue First Dakota Fieldhouse, played host to the 2021 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads turned in 2023 GPAC indoor placements of first on the women’s side and third on the men’s side in action that took place inside Concordia’s Walz Fieldhouse.
MEET INFO
2024 GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championships
Friday/Saturday, Feb. 16-17
Ruth Donohoue First Dakota Fieldhouse | Yankton, S.D.
Event Schedule (PDF)
Live Coverage
--Video Streams: Running Events | Field Events
--Results: Black Squirrel
--Admission: $10 for adults/senior citizens, $3 for K-12; only those with NAIA passes and GPAC student ID’s will be admitted free of charge.
Overview
The Bulldogs will carry 32 automatic national qualifying standards into the conference championships. Concordia athletes added to the season tally last week at the Concordia Invite with fresh NAIA auto marks achieved by Jenna Esch (800 meters), Kylahn Freiberg (1,000 meters), Rylee Haecker (800 meters), Jordan Koepke (400 meters), Calvin Rohde (1,000 meters) and Darien Semedo (shot put). Incredibly, Esch has qualified for nationals in three individual events and as part of three different relays. Freiberg and Haecker have been similarly impressive this indoor season. Freiberg has qualified for nationals in four individual events and Haecker has qualified in three races. NAIA best marks continue to be held down by Zach Zohner in the pole vault and by the women’s 4x800 meter relay. Meanwhile, No. 2 national rankings are owned by Esch in the 800 meters, Freiberg in the 1,000 meters and Rohde in the 1,000 meters.
Concordia’s women’s program hopes to extend its string of nine-straight GPAC meet titles. Returning Bulldogs who won GPAC event championships at the 2023 conference indoor meet include the women’s 4x400 meter relay, Lauren Dawson (race walk), Rylee Haecker (mile and 1,000 meters), Josie Puelz (pole vault), Amy Richert (pentathlon) and Adrianna Rodencal (60 hurdles and 200 meters). A sophomore out of Lincoln Lutheran High School, Rodencal swept indoor/outdoor GPAC Women’s Track & Field Athlete of the Meet awards in 2023. Rodencal will enter this year’s indoor meet with GPAC seedings of first in the 200 meters, second in the 60 meters and third in the 60 hurdles. Haecker and Puelz both own six career GPAC event championships to their credit.
The current GPAC performance lists show Concordia leading the conference in a total of 16 events (12 on the women’s side and four on the men’s side). The Hastings, Neb., native Esch paces the GPAC in the 400, 600 and 800 meters. GPAC leaders on the men’s side include Rohde (mile), Semedo (shot put), Chris Wren (weight throw) and Zohner (pole vault). Zohner emerged as the 2023 GPAC outdoor pole vault champion.
Bulldogs with top-rated GPAC marks
· Women’s 4x400m relay
· Women’s 4x800m relay
· Women’s distance medley relay
· Lauren Dawson (3,000 race walk)
· Jenna Esch (400 meters; 600 meters; 800 meters)
· Kylahn Freiberg (1,000 meters; mile)
· Hayley Miles (long jump)
· Adrianna Rodencal (200 meters)
· Calvin Rohde (mile)
· Darien Semedo (shot put)
· Zoey Walker (high jump)
· Chris Wren (weight throw)
· Zach Zohner (pole vault)
Head Coach Matt Beisel is in his eighth season leading both the cross country and track programs. He’s been named a GPAC Coach of the Year 10 times (once for cross country). All 10 of his conference championships have come on the women’s side. The men are looking to break through after having placed second in the GPAC three times in track during Beisel’s tenure. In cross country this past 2023 season, the Bulldogs recorded conference place finishes of second on the women’s side and third on the men’s side. Freiberg garnered All-America status at the national meet held in Vancouver, Wash.
Automatic National Qualifiers (32)
· Women’s 4x400m Relay (3:53.06) – Esch, Kirchner, Tuls, Koepke
· Women’s 4x800m Relay (9:08.93) – Esch, Freiberg, McIntyre, Haecker
· Women’s Distance Medley Relay (12:11.86) – Haecker, Salters, Esch, McIntyre
· Amira Cummings – Pole Vault (11’ 8 ½”)
· Jenna Esch – 400 Meters (56.89); 600 Meters (1:33.52); 800 Meters (2:14.14)
· Kylahn Freiberg – 1,000 Meters (2:54.39); Mile (5:00.45); 3,000 Meters (10:09.36); 5,000 Meters (17:40.14)
· Abigail Gerber – Weight Throw (53’ 10 ½”); Shot Put (45’ 9”)
· Rylee Haecker – 800 Meters (2:15.66); 1,000 Meters (2:54.91); Mile (5:04.85)
· Jordan Koepke – 400 Meters (57.19); 600 Meters (1:35.56)
· Julie McIntyre – 5,000 Meters (17:47.74)
· Hayley Miles – Long Jump (19’ 4 ¼”)
· Kamryn Pokorney – Weight Throw (53’ 7 ¾”)
· Josie Puelz – Pole Vault (11’ 8 ½”)
· Joel Rathe – Long Jump (23’ 9”)
· Sydney Reichert – Pole Vault (11’ 8 ½”)
· Adrianna Rodencal – 60 Hurdles (8.55)
· Calvin Rohde – 1,000 Meters (2:26.17); Mile (4:12.15)
· Darien Semedo – Shot Put (53’ 5 ¾”)
· Chris Wren – Weight throw (64’ 5”)
· Zoey Walker – High Jump (5’ 6”)
· Abi Wohlgemuth – Weight Throw (58’ 10 ¼”)
· Zach Zohner – Pole Vault (17’ ¾”)
In addition to the ‘A’ marks listed above, two Bulldogs reside in the top 16 nationally in the women’s pentathlon: No. 11 Josi Noble and No. 13 Zoey Walker. The GPAC meet will be a final chance to post national qualifying marks. Those who qualify will continue their indoor seasons at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Brookings, S.D., Feb. 29 – March 2. More details on the national meet can be found HERE. National qualifiers for multi events will be announced on Feb. 19 while all other qualifiers will be revealed on Feb. 23.
Concordia all-time conference titles
MEN – indoor: 2014 | outdoor: 2014, 2015
WOMEN – indoor: 2010, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 | outdoor: 1998, 2010, 2012, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
Concordia all-time conference runner-up finishes
MEN – indoor: 2003, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019 | outdoor: 2002, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017
WOMEN – indoor: 2003, 2005, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016 | outdoor: 2005, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Current Bulldogs with GPAC titles
Lauren Dawson – 1 (2023 indoor 3,000m race walk)
Jenna Esch – 2 (2023 outdoor 4x400m relay; 2023 indoor 4x400m relay)
Kylahn Freiberg – 2 (2021 indoor 1,000 meters; 2020 indoor 3,000 meters)
Rylee Haecker – 6 (2023 outdoor 1,500 meters; 2023 indoor mile; 2023 indoor 1,000 meters; 2022 outdoor 1,500 meters; 2022 indoor mile; 2022 indoor 1,000 meters)
Kayla Kirchner – 2 (2023 outdoor 4x100m relay; 2023 outdoor 4x400m relay)
Jordan Koepke – 3 (2023 indoor 4x400m relay; 2022 outdoor 400 hurdles; 2022 indoor 600 meters)
Josie Puelz – 6 (2023 outdoor pole vault; 2023 indoor pole vault; 2022 outdoor pole vault; 2022 indoor pole vault; 2021 outdoor pole vault; 2020 indoor pole vault)
Joel Rathe – 1 (2021 outdoor 4x100m relay)
Kellie Rhodes – 1 (2023 outdoor 4x100m relay)
Amy Richert – 1 (2023 outdoor heptathlon; 2023 indoor pentathlon)
Adrianna Rodencal – 2 (2023 outdoor 4x100m relay; 2023 indoor 60 hurdles; 2023 indoor 200 meters)
Trinity Tuls – 2 (2023 outdoor 4x400m relay; 2023 indoor 4x400m relay)
Zach Zohner – 1 (2023 outdoor pole vault)