Results | Day 1 Recap | Day 2 Recap
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – On the final day of her collegiate track career, senior Adrianna Rodencal went out a winner. By the end of the afternoon on Friday (May 22), Rodencal won a national title in the 100-meter hurdles while adding a runner-up medal in the 400-meter hurdles and a sixth-place finish as part of the team’s 4x400-meter relay. Rodencal was one of six Concordia University, Nebraska Track & Field athletes to emerge from the 2026 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships with an All-America medal. In capping the meet, Rodencal was joined on the 4x4 podium by teammates Adysen McCarter, Tayden Kirchner and Kayla Kirchner.
Other All-Americans over the course of the three-day meet for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s programs were Emry Gutz in the javelin, Jonny Jurchen in the race walk and McCarter in the triple jump. When all 23 events concluded in rainy Asheville, N.C., the Bulldogs earned team place finishes of tied for seventh (25 points) on the women’s side and tied for 37th (seven points) on the men’s side. The Concordia women placed highest among GPAC teams.
“In any championship, you have some disappointments and some things that go well. I’m super proud of everybody,” Beisel said. “We have such a great group of athletes in terms of who they are as people and teammates. It’s a joy to be with them. That makes this trip really special. The highlight of my experience is just to be around them and see them go out there and see what they can accomplish. I love the way they handle the disappointments along with the successes. They bounce back and cheer for their teammates.”
An exemplary Concordia student-athlete in all aspects of life, Rodencal cemented legendary status on Friday, if she hadn’t already. The Lincoln Lutheran product trained and toiled relentlessly for these moments. The challenge Rodencal faced on the meet’s final day was to run three events in less than a two-hour span. First, Rodencal secured her second career national title by holding off Hastings’ Jaida Rowe in the 100-meter hurdles. The winning time for Rodencal was 13.57. There was little time to celebrate with the 400-meter hurdle finals less than 45 minutes away. The second hurdles event also became a two-horse race in a photo finish. Rodencal broke her own school record in a time of 57.98 and claimed second as Rowe sprinted to the finish line in 57.96.
Rodencal still had something left in the tank for the 4x4. As part of a two-section final, the Bulldogs ran in the first heat and clocked in at 3:47.36 (just shy of their preliminary time of 3:47.14). McCarter led off with a split of 56.09 and was followed by Rodencal (56.10), Tayden Kirchner (58.46) and Kayla Kirchner (56.71). The performance made McCarter a two-time All-American on the week while Kayla Kirchner picked up her fourth career All-America medal and sister Tayden Kirchner her first. The same crew also broke the school’s 4x4 record with a victory at the GPAC Championships. Said Beisel, “I thought it was so cool to have two sisters make All-American together. For Kayla to have that on her way out – you don’t see that very often. It’s pretty special.”
The Sutton., Neb., native Nathan Baldwin narrowly missed out on All-America medals in both this week’s hammer and discus events. In Friday’s discus competition, Baldwin moved up to seventh place at one point during the finals before eventually being bumped back to ninth place. Baldwin’s best throw during the series came on attempt No. 5 when he landed a mark of 156’ 5.” A two-time NAIA All-American, Baldwin came away with two ninth-place finishes for the week. In both cases, Baldwin was knocked off the podium on final attempts.
Two Bulldogs took part in Friday’s women’s high jump competition. School record holder Makenna Starkey (Minden, Neb.) cleared the opening height of 5’ 3 ¾” on her first attempt. She then was unsuccessful in three cracks at 5’ 5 ¾,” leaving her in 11th place out of more than 20 competitors in the field. Starkey qualified for both indoor and outdoor nationals as a freshman. Meanwhile, teammate Addie Reimer (Lisbon, Wis.) missed on her three tries at the opening height. Reimer is a three-time national qualifier.
The medals and plaques won by Rodencal are enough to fill up an entire wing of a house. Her career All-America count has reached eight. She’s also a 14-time GPAC champion, five-time GPAC Athlete of the Year and the owner of five school records (including all three indoor/outdoor hurdles events). Rodencal’s first national title occurred this past indoor season when she won the 60-meter hurdle NAIA championship.
In All-America performances from previous days, Emery Gutz threw 203’ 3” in the javelin and placed fifth, Jonny Jurchen timed in at 21:51.86 in the 5,000-meter race walk and placed sixth and McCarter landed at 39’ 5 ¼” in the triple jump and placed fifth. There were a total of 19 Concordia athletes who competed over the three days in Asheville, a new location for the NAIA Outdoor Championships.
Beisel went on to commend virtually the entire group of 19 athletes in the travel party, in addition to the coaching staff of Ed McLaughlin, Mark Samuels, Jason Berry, Darien Semedo and Greta Corneliusen. As Beisel observed, “It’s typical of Concordia relays to outcompete our seed marks. I’ve seen it so many times.” Beisel gave kudos to the men’s 4x8 for that very feat on day one of the meet.
Said Beisel in his closing remarks, “I’m very grateful for our coaching staff and I couldn’t ask for a better group of men and women to work with, and I’m very proud of all of them. There are so many sacrifices – and it’s a long year. It’s been a very challenging year. We found ourselves in a caretaker role that goes above and beyond what we normally do. Everyone has earned a chance to regroup. I’m very thankful that God brought us all together.”
2026 NAIA Outdoor All-Americans
• Emry Gutz: javelin (5th; 203’ 3”)
• Jonny Jurchen: 5,000-meter race walk (6th; 21:51.86)
• Kayla Kirchner: 4x400-meter relay (6th; 3:47.36)
• Tayden Kirchner: 4x400-meter relay (6th; 3:47.36)
• Adysen McCarter: triple jump (5th; 39’ 5 ¼”); 4x400-meter relay (6th; 3:47.36)
• Adrianna Rodencal: 100-meter hurdles (1st; 13.57); 400-meter hurdles (2nd; 57.98); 4x400-meter relay (6th; 3:47.36)