SEWARD, Neb. – A pair of Bulldogs from Concordia University Track & Field earned GPAC weekly awards courtesy of their performances at the 2024 Concordia Outdoor Invite. On Wednesday (April 10), the conference named sophomore Adrianna Rodencal the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Women’s Track Athlete of the Week and senior Chris Wren the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Field Athlete of the Week. Concordia Track & Field athletes have combined for nine GPAC Athlete of the Week awards in 2024.
A Lincoln Lutheran High School alum, Rodencal broke her own school record last week while running 100-meter hurdles times of 13.89 in the prelims and 13.84 in the finals of the Concordia Invite. As part of the meet, Rodencal placed first in the 100 hurdles, second in the 200 meters (25.74) and second as the anchor of the 4x100-meter relay (47.66). Rodencal has automatically qualified for nationals in the 100 hurdles while the time in the 4x1 represents a ‘B’ standard. On the current national lists, Rodencal ranks fourth in the 100 hurdles, 14th in the 4x1 and 22nd in the 400-meter hurdles.
A native of Fair Oaks, Calif., Wren popped off a personal best of 198’ 6” in the hammer throw and was the winner of the competition at the Concordia Invite. The mark pushed Wren to No. 1 in the GPAC and to No. 3 in the NAIA. Wren is on the cusp of becoming the fifth athlete in program history to hit 200 feet in the hammer. Wren has collected four NAIA All-America awards in his career.
Rodencal, Wren and the rest of the Bulldogs will be headed to Vermillion, S.D., on Saturday for the South Dakota Challenge. The action is slated to get underway at 11 a.m. CT.
2023-24 GPAC & NAIA Weekly Accolades – Concordia Track & Field
· Women’s 4x800m Relay – USTFCCCA NAIA Women’s Track & Field National Athletes of the Week (Jan. 23).
· Jenna Esch – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Feb. 14, April 3).
· Kylahn Freiberg – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24, Feb. 7).
· Abby Gerber – GPAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week (March 27).
· Adrianna Rodencal – GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week (April 10)
· Chris Wren – GPAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (April 10)
· Zach Zohner – NAIA Men’s Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 31); USTFCCCA NAIA Men’s Track & Field National Athlete of the Week (Jan. 30); GPAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24 and 31).