MEET INFO: Schedule | Live Results | Live Webcast
SEWARD, Neb. – Ranked in the top five nationally throughout the 2020 indoor season, the Concordia University track and field squads have plenty of reasons to believe they can compete for lofty GPAC finishes this weekend. The 2020 GPAC Indoor Track and Field Championships will run off Friday and Saturday (Feb. 21-22) at the DWU/Avera Sports and Wellness Complex. Dakota Wesleyan (Mitchell, S.D.) will serve as the meet host.
A year ago, head coach Matt Beisel’s women’s program celebrated a GPAC title on its home turf inside the Fieldhouse. Meanwhile, the men placed second at the 2019 conference indoor meet. Similar finishes are possible in 2020.
“I think we’re in a very good position to place high at the GPAC,” Beisel said following the Concordia Invite on Feb. 14. “I think our women could win and our men could place top two. This (past) week we saw a huge number of personal bests across the board. We didn’t put the kids in a ton of events. We’re de-loading them and preparing them for a very important meet. At the same time, we saw a lot of good things happen.”
Historically, Bulldog track and field has captured six women’s conference titles and three men’s conference championships (along with 26 combined conference runner-up claims). Reigning Concordia GPAC indoor event titlists include Allie Brooks (pole vault), Jacob Cornelio (weight throw), Cody Williams (heptathlon) and the women’s 4x400 meter relay. (Unfortunately, Williams has been out for most of the indoor season with an injury). The current roster of Bulldogs owns 16 collective GPAC individual titles (see list at bottom).
The following Concordia athletes carry GPAC best marks into the meet:
· Women’s 4x400 relay
· Men’s 4x400 relay
· Women’s 4x800 relay
· Rachel Battershell – 400 meters; 600 meters; 60 hurdles
· Allie Brooks – pole vault
· Jacob Cornelio – weight throw
· Kennedy Mogul – pentathlon
· Xavier Ross – 400 meters
· Addie Shaw – weight throw
The following Concordia athletes carry marks that rank No. 2 in the GPAC:
· Gavin DeHaai – pole vault
· Kylahn Heritage – mile; 3,000 meters
· Amie Martin – 5,000 meters
· Colton Meyer – 60 hurdles
· Cora Olson – 200 meters; triple jump
· Josie Puelz – pole vault
· Addie Shaw – shot put
· Cody Williams – heptathlon
Battershell’s endurance will be put to the test on Saturday as the GPAC leader in three events and a key piece of the 4x400 relay. She says she’s ready for it. “I have my goals for GPAC, and am focused on those throughout this week. For me, it is important to have in mind what outcome I want and work backwards from there to prepare my brain and body to do what they need to. Always at the back of my mind is the perspective that it is only because of God's grace that I can run and compete alongside such amazing people.”
The conference meet also serves as a last chance opportunity for putting up national qualifying marks. Through six main weekends of indoor competition, Bulldog athletes have combined for 22 automatic national qualifying marks, 19 ‘B’ standards and four NAIA top 21 multi-event point totals. Battershell highlights the list with three individual national qualifying times on the track. Battershell (60 hurdles), Brooks (pole vault) and Shaw (weight throw) have each broken program records this indoor season.
Both the Concordia men and women continue to compete at a level that places them among the top five in the NAIA. Entering the weekend, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has released four sets of 2020 NAIA national rankings (Jan. 29, Feb. 5, Feb. 12, Feb. 19). The Bulldog women have been ranked No. 2 nationally in all four ratings while the men slotted in at No. 2 on Jan. 29 before settling at fourth in the next two rankings and fifth this week. The USTFCCCA also computes top event groupings. Their full rankings can be viewed HERE.
After sweeping 2019 indoor/outdoor GPAC titles, Battershell and the women hope to continue their reign this weekend. Says Battershell, “In practice we are so competitive with each other, which increases both the level of fun as well as the intensity day-in and day-out. It has been so encouraging to see teammates cheering each other on at every practice. I think the fact that we all genuinely want each other to succeed has helped create both a positive and challenging culture at practice. With this ambition and drive, I believe that we could accomplish great things at both GPAC and NAIA Nationals. I'm excited to see how we rise to this challenge.”
The USTFCCCA rates the Bulldog women’s pole vault group as the best in the nation. Coach Jason Berry’s women’s pole vaulters have had quite a run of GPAC titles in recent years. Going back to the 2014 GPAC outdoor championships, Concordia has won eight of the 11 GPAC women’s pole vault championships. Five different Bulldogs have contributed to that run: Brooks (two), McKenzie Gravo (two), Erin Mapson (one), Cassie Starks (two) and Shelby Yelden (one).
Once the GPAC championships are in the books, focus will shift to the 2020 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships (March 5-7). The Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex in Brookings, S.D., will be the venue for the national meet for the second year in a row. For additional meet info, check out the NAIA track and field page HERE.
Concordia all-time conference titles
MEN – indoor: 2014 | outdoor: 2014, 2015
WOMEN – indoor: 2010, 2019 | outdoor: 1998, 2010, 2012, 2019
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
Rachel Battershell – 2 (2019 indoor 4x400m relay; 2019 outdoor 400 meters)
Allie Brooks – 2 (2017 indoor pole vault; 2019 indoor pole vault)
Jacob Cornelio – 2 (2019 indoor weight throw; 2019 outdoor hammer)
McKenzie Gravo – 2 (2016 indoor pole vault; 2016 outdoor pole vault)
Sarah Lewis – 1 (2019 indoor 4x400m relay)
Erin Mapson – 1 (2019 outdoor pole vault)
Jacee Pfeifer – 1 (2019 indoor 4x400m relay)
Addie Shaw – 1 (2019 outdoor discus)
Cody Williams – 4 (2018 outdoor decathlon; 2019 indoor heptathlon; 2019 outdoor 110 hurdles; 2019 outdoor long jump)
GPAC teams ranked in the USTFCCCA NAIA Top 25
Men
3 – Doane
5 – Concordia
9 – Dordt
18 – Midland
19 – Hastings
Women
2 – Concordia
8 – Doane
12 – Hastings