It didn’t take Rylee Haecker long to make her mark. In response to the Davenport, Neb., native qualifying for the 2021 NAIA national finals of the 1,000 meters as just a freshman, assistant coach Mark Samuels remarked simply, “she’s a gamer.” It’s an apt description of the energetic and intensely competitive Haecker, who found herself momentarily disappointed to have ‘only’ finished eighth in the finals of the 1,000 meters. She had already set a high bar, but that was only going to be the beginning. Haecker would see to that.
Haecker can look back now and laugh. Knowing she placed eighth, Haecker crossed the finish line and expressed despair while greeted by teammate Keri Bauer. ‘You’re an All-American!’ Bauer exclaimed in reassuring her. “I know, I know,” Haecker shot back.
Five national meets later, the All-America count has reached eight for Haecker, the type of student-athlete who epitomizes what Concordia cross country and track & field is all about. Make no mistake, Haecker’s extremely grateful for the incredible experiences she’s enjoyed. She just always wants more. That’s part of what makes her who she is – a special person and competitor. Beyond athletics, Haecker is caring and outgoing, is a positive encourager of her teammates and is devout in her faith.
Concordia Head Coach Matt Beisel first made contact with Haecker during her sophomore year of high school while she attended Raymond Central High School. Haecker will always be grateful that Beisel saw potential in her even before she became a state medalist and before most college recruiters began to take notice. Beisel has watched her grow tremendously since then while coaching her in both cross country and track.
Says Beisel, “I am incredibly proud of Rylee and thankful that God brought her to our team. She has been a decisive, focused and committed leader by both word and action, and has been a positive influence on many of our women. Her faith is deep and strong, and she gives glory to God for her accomplishments. She has had more than her share of hardship and setbacks, yet has been resilient and – with God’s help – not just survived but thrived. It’s always exciting to watch her compete, and we can’t wait to see how her career finishes up this spring. She will leave behind a legacy and will be missed.”
The legacy of Haecker begins with her roots. Her parents, Kolin and Crystal, are athletic-minded and so too are her older sisters, Karlee and Haylee. Young Rylee wanted to be just like Karlee and Haylee, who were competing in just about anything that piqued their interests. All three siblings seemed to gravitate towards running and playing basketball. Thus, Rylee credits her sisters as role models and as her “biggest supporters.”
Karlee and Haylee were recruited to run at Concordia before choosing to go elsewhere. The third time was a charm for the Bulldog coaching staff. While smiling wide, Rylee says, “It was kind of funny – Coach Samuels was like, ‘We finally got one.’ The last one. I joked, ‘the best one, obviously.’”
The merging of family and athletics leads Rylee to recall the time, as a third grader, when she traveled with her dad for a meet in Pawnee City. As Rylee says of her parents, “They would drive anywhere and do anything to get me involved in a sport.” The third-grade version of Rylee ran the 400 and 800 meters at that particular race in Pawnee City and quickly made up her mind that the 400 wasn’t for her. By her sophomore year of high school, Rylee became a state medalist in the 800, and recruiting was heating up.
Haecker then experienced a high school senior year of upheaval as she adjusted to a new high school, Bruning-Davenport, and had her track seasons ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. At that point, she still wasn’t quite sure she wanted to be a college athlete. The dynamics at Concordia eventually changed the game for Rylee.
“There were some other GPAC schools that reached out, but Concordia really stuck out to me,” Rylee said. “Concordia was the first school that reached out. I was kind of taken aback thinking that someone sees that I could make something of myself in running. Running in college definitely wasn’t my first thing. I was debating whether I should do it coming out of senior year in high school. Here we are four years later.”
Rylee will never forget the way her college career got started. It was December of 2020 with the world still in the middle of the pandemic that had completely shut down sports that past spring. One of the compromises for competition in 2020-21 was the banning of fans from indoor sports. Before running the 600 meters and as part of the 4x800 meter relay that early December day, Rylee paced her dorm room. Says Rylee, “I was so, so nervous.”
Nerves subsided in favor of Rylee’s competitive nature. As she put it, “I am so competitive. In anything, I want to win. In running there’s no limit. You’re able to push yourself.”
And push herself she did. That first career national meet in 2021 when no fans were permitted in Yankton, S.D., Haecker earned All-America awards not only in the 1,000 meters, but also as part of the distance medley relay. She’s gone on to claim six additional All-America honors, including four more (five total) in individual events. The résumé also includes six individual GPAC track championships and another three national meet appearances in cross country.
That’s not to say there haven’t been peaks and valleys. Rylee placed third nationally in the 1,000 meters at the 2022 NAIA indoor championships and then settled for sixth in that same event in 2023. She showed visible frustration in the moment, only because the expectations she places upon herself are that lofty. Emotionally, Rylee felt like she wasn’t quite where she needed to be.
Then came the high of the 2023 outdoor national meet in Marion, Ind., where Rylee did something that even outpaced her own aspirations for that championship weekend. She clocked a 1,500-meter time of 4:33.84 and broke the school record that had stood since 2005.
“Getting the school record was nothing I thought was possible,” Rylee said. “I had a tough indoor season mentally, so coming out and finding the joy in running definitely made it sweeter. Knowing what I came from mentally indoor, it was completely different. I was able to lean into God and He showed me my support system. My family, teammates and coaches were right there for me. That’s a highlight I’ll remember.”
Of course, Rylee will also remember the shared glory with teammates. Together, they have grown accustomed to astounding success. Rylee has helped the women’s track program push its string of consecutive GPAC titles to nine while earning national recognition and status as one of the top programs in the NAIA.
For Rylee and her teammates, it goes beyond the medals and championship trophies. When it comes to her faith walk, Rylee talks the talk and then walks the walk. Says Rylee, “I wouldn’t be here without Him. I’ve grown spiritually through running. It’s a beautiful way to see the Christian faith. It’s a day-in and day-out commitment and you’re going to have highs and lows. Spending time with Him is what’s going to make it easier, even when it is hard. I’ve definitely grown to trust Him when I’m running. I’m going to show up and have fun and He’s going to do the rest.”
While Rylee is still writing her Concordia story with GPAC and NAIA national meets to come for both indoor and outdoor in 2024, she’s fully prepared for the future. She can say that because of the education she’s received and because of the lessons she’s learned through her family, coaches, teammates and life experiences. Currently serving as a student teacher for a kindergarten class in Seward, Rylee is following another of her passions.
“Growing up, I loved playing teacher,” Rylee said. “My parents are educators, so I grew up around it. I always wanted to be a teacher. I loved helping kids in my classes. Growing into this role, I’ve developed a love for the kids and for helping them learn. It keeps me going. It’s so fun. You truly never know what they’re going to say and what you’re going to experience. It’s definitely a unique profession and I’m so excited to step into that.”
Knowing Rylee, she’ll want to be the best teacher around, because she wouldn’t strive for less. Rylee won’t ever be someone who can just settle. As she says, “That’s where the competitiveness comes through. I’m super, super thankful because a lot of people don’t get the same opportunity.”