SEWARD, Neb. – Yet another postseason accolade has come in for Josie Puelz. On Wednesday (July 13), the four-time pole vault national champion was named the 2022 NAIA Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Scholar Field Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). In addition, Puelz was one of 42 student-athletes from the Concordia University Track & Field program to be recognized as by the coaches’ organization as All-Academic Athletes.
For their work in the classroom, Head Coach Matt Beisel’s men’s and women’s squads were also honored with All-Academic Team accolades. Teams are required to achieve a collective 3.0 grade-point average or better and individuals must achieve at least a 3.25 GPA while also recording an automatic or provisional national qualifying mark in either indoor or outdoor.
This marks the second year in a row that Puelz has garnered the National Scholar Women’s Field Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA. The list of accolades for the Lincoln Lutheran High School alum is a mile wide. This past weekend, the Omaha World-Herald tabbed Puelz as its Midlands Female Athlete of the Year. Just prior to that announcement, College Sports Information Directors of America voted Puelz the 2022 Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year for NAIA women's track & field. Puelz sports a perfect 4.0 GPA while studying Elementary Education. She owns the GPAC conference meet records for both the indoor and outdoor pole vault, holds school records in the indoor (13’ 5”) and outdoor (13’ 7 ¼”) pole vault and is a four-time GPAC champion, in addition to her four national titles. Puelz earned 2021 and 2022 CoSIDA Academic All-District and Academic All-America First Team accolades.
This past year, 18 Bulldogs emerged from the NAIA indoor national meet with at least one All-America plaque while 17 athletes represented Concordia with one or more All-America honors at the outdoor national championships. The Bulldog women swept 2022 indoor and outdoor conference titles while extending their run of GPAC championships to seven in a row.
2022 Concordia All-Academic Athletes
· Brittney Aitken
· Jordyn Anderson
· Elana Batenhorst
· Rachel Battershell
· Keri Bauer
· Zach Bennetts
· Chase Berry
· Oliva Buschow
· Amira Cummings
· Morgan De Jong
· Jenna Esch
· Mackenzie Ferrel
· Abby Gerber
· Rylee Haecker
· Kylahn Heritage
· Sara Huss
· Jacob Jennings
· Cade Kleckner
· Grant Lammers
· Sarah Lewis
· Wyatt Loga
· Erin Mapson
· Maccoy Menke
· Colton Meyer
· Ben Moll
· Hannah Newton
· Cora Olson
· Alli Owings
· Erin Painter
· Jacee Pfeifer
· Sam Plante
· Kamryn Pokorney
· Josie Puelz
· Sarah Ragland
· Joel Rathe
· Grace Reiman
· Amy Richert
· Calvin Rohde
· Xavier Ross
· Camden Sesna
· Trinity Tuls
· Zach Zohner