LINCOLN, Neb. – Some Bulldogs had already started out for the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, but the majority of Concordia University Track & Field athletes were in competition on Thursday (April 28) at the Prairie Wolf Invite hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan University. Several Bulldogs took advantage of warm weather and light winds. The highlights included a trio of event championships and a personal best pole vault performance from Chase Berry, a Seward High School alum who has found his groove.
Head Coach Matt Beisel and company are hoping to boost the combined tally of 15 automatic national qualifying standards produced this season by Concordia athletes. While there were no new ‘A’ standards on Thursday, Camden Sesna and Calvin Rohde came away with personal bests in the 1,500 meters and hit the ‘B’ standard.
The confidence is back for Berry, who vaulted a collegiate personal best of 15’ 9” at the Loper Invitational two weeks ago. On Thursday, Berry cleared 16’ 1 ¾” for a mark that moves him up to No. 3 on the NAIA national list (pending results from other meets this weekend). Berry placed second in the competition at the Prairie Wolf Invite behind only an NCAA Division II competitor. On the women’s side of the pole vault, the Bulldogs held back top vaulters Josie Puelz and Erin Mapson. Erin Boggs led the way for Concordia by placing third with a vault of 11’ 1.”
Cross country national qualifiers Sesna and Rohde appear to be gearing up to score significantly at the conference meet next week. Sesna won the 1,500 meet title at the Prairie Wolf Invite by finishing in 3:55.51. Rohde was hot on his heels and placed second with a time of 3:55.89. Seven Bulldogs ran the event on Thursday.
Additional event titles were claimed at the Prairie Wolf Invite by Sara Huss in the discus (141’ 10”) and Trinity Tuls in the 400 meters (58.98). Kailey Weichel and Emily Loseke placed third and fourth, respectively, in the 400 meters. Another noteworthy effort out of the throws was supplied by Abby Gerber, who landed a new ‘B’ standard of 43’ 9 ¾.” On the men’s side of the shot put, Andy Amos recorded a mark (48’ 11 ½”) about a foot-and-a-half shy of the ‘B’ standard. In the men’s javelin, Logan Adam placed third out of 13 throwers.
Elsewhere in the jumps, Grace Reimer placed third in the high jump (5’ ¼”), Katie Severt placed sixth in the triple jump (35’ 1 ¼”) and seventh in the long jump (17’ 3 ½”) and Jacob Glines finished fifth in the high jump (6’ 5 ½”). Averie Lambrecht also landed at 35’ 1 ¼” in the triple.
Concordia ran just one relay on Thursday (the men’s 4x100) as the program’s top relay runners prep for the Drake Relays. The one relay at the Prairie Wolf Invite featured Kameron Farmer, Jon Fosler, Matthew Caruso and Marc Freiburg. That group finished the 4x1 race in 45.43.
Select Bulldogs will be in action on Friday and Saturday at the 2022 Drake Relays. For a breakdown from a Concordia perspective, check out the meet preview HERE. The link includes information on how to follow live coverage of the Drake Relays, which take place at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.
Prairie Wolf Invite Event Champions
· Sara Huss – Discus (141’ 10”)
· Camden Sesna – 1,500 Meters (3:55.51)
· Trinity Tuls – 400 Meters (58.98)
New ‘B’ standards came from Abby Gerber (shot put), Kamryn Pokorney (hammer), Calvin Rohde (1,500 meters) and Camden Sesna (1,500 meters).