NAIA National Qualifiers: Men | Women
SEWARD, Neb. – The field of 2023 NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships Qualifiers was unveiled on Friday (Feb. 24) by the NAIA. In conjunction with that release, the Concordia University Track & Field program has announced a nationals team of 32 individuals (including 20 women and 12 men). The event will run March 2-4 at the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex in Brookings, S.D. This will mark the fourth time the NAIA national indoor meet has taken place at this location.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads are coming off conference places finishes of first for the women and third for the men at last week’s GPAC Championships hosted by Concordia. In the most recent NAIA ratings released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, Concordia appeared at No. 4 on the women’s side and at No. 16 on the men’s side.
The GPAC champion women’s program has placed in the top five of six-straight NAIA national championship meets and will be looking for another strong national finish. The list of Bulldog female athletes with previous All-America awards includes Rachel Battershell (10), Jenna Esch (one), Kylahn Freiberg (three), Rylee Haecker (six), Jordan Koepke (four), Erin Mapson (five), Josie Puelz (five), Amy Richert (three) and Maddie Robinson (three at Olivet Nazarene). Puelz is the winner of each of the past four NAIA pole vault national championships and Battershell is a two-time national champ in the 400 meters. Puelz is one of five women’s vaulters headed to Brookings.
On the men’s side, the Bulldogs are seeking to improve upon last season’s NAIA indoor place finish of 36th. Returners with past All-America awards include Zach Bennetts (one), Chase Berry (two), Wyatt Loga (two), Colton Meyer (three) and Chris Wren (three). Just like on the women’s side, the Concordia men are deep in the pole vault with three national qualifiers. Bennetts is seeded fourth in the NAIA thanks to his GPAC championship-winning personal best of 16’ 2 ¾.” Meyer will be competing in the 400 meters and as part of the distance medley relay. In the throws, Chris Wren returns to the ring in the weight throw after he turned in a nationals place finish of fourth in 2022.
The list of Bulldogs making their first-ever national championship appearance includes Erin Boggs, Dagne’ Buck, Ethan Ideus, Josi Noble, Kamryn Pokorney, Adrianna Rodencal, Darien Semedo Kayla Svoboda and Abi Wohlgemuth. As just a freshman, Rodencal earned GPAC Women’s Indoor Athlete of the Year accolades after she scored 28 points at the conference meet. Rodencal will run both the 60 hurdles and 200 meters in Brookings.
For additional details on the national meet, visit the NAIA website HERE.
2023 Concordia indoor national qualifiers
(Current national seeding in parentheses)
MEN
· Zach Bennetts, senior
-Pole Vault (4th, 16’ 2 ¾”)
· Chase Berry, junior
-Pole Vault (15th, 15’ 7”)
· Dagne’ Buck, senior
-Weight Throw (15th, 57’ 7 ¾”)
· Ethan Ideus, sophomore
-Distance Medley Relay (13th, 10:10.06)
· Wyatt Loga, junior
-High Jump (23rd, 6’ 7”)
· Colton Meyer, junior
-400 Meters (13th, 48.45)
-Distance Medley Relay (13th, 10:10.06)
· Joel Rathe, sophomore
-Long Jump (10th, 23’ 6 ¼”)
· Calvin Rohde, sophomore
-1,000 Meters (8th, 2:27.16)
-Distance Medley Relay (13th, 10:10.06)
· Darien Semedo, sophomore
-Shot Put (18th, 51’ 5 ¾”)
-Weight Throw (29th, 55’ 3 ½”)
· Camden Sesna, junior
-Distance Medley Relay (13th, 10:10.06)
-Mile (33rd, 4:14.52)
· Chris Wren, junior
-Weight Throw (5th, 62’ 10 ¾”)
· Zach Zohner, sophomore
-Pole Vault (7th, 15’ 11”)
WOMEN
· Rachel Battershell, senior
-4x400m Relay (6th, 3:53.49)
-400 Meters (14th, 57.06)
· Erin Boggs, sophomore
-Pole Vault (18th, 11’ 6 ½”)
· Amira Cummings, sophomore
-Pole Vault (18th, 11’ 6 ½”)
· Jenna Esch, sophomore
-4x400m Relay (6th, 3:53.49)
-600 Meters (13th, 1:35.40)
· Kylahn Freiberg, junior
-Distance Medley Relay (14th, 12:20.68)
-1,000 Meters (19th, 2:59.90)
· Abby Gerber, sophomore
-Shot Put (18th, 44’ 6 ¾”)
· Rylee Haecker, sophomore
-1,000 Meters (6th, 2:56.44)
-Distance Medley Relay (14th, 12:20.68)
· Rhaya Kaschinske, sophomore
-Distance Medley Relay (14th, 12:20.68)
· Jordan Koepke, sophomore
-4x400m Relay (6th, 3:53.49)
-600 Meters (25th, 1:36.52)
· Erin Mapson, senior
-Pole Vault (6th, 12’ 6 ¼”)
· Hannah Newton, sophomore
-High Jump (6th, 5’ 5 ¾”)
· Josi Noble, freshman
-Distance Medley Relay (14th, 12:20.68)
· Kamryn Pokorney, sophomore
-Weight Throw (23rd, 53’ 6 ¼”)
· Josie Puelz, junior
-Pole Vault (3rd, 13’ ¼”)
· Amy Richert, sophomore
-Pentathlon (4th, 3,487)
-High Jump (14th, 5’ 4 ½”)
· Maddie Robinson, senior
-Weight Throw (10th, 55’ 11”)
-Shot Put (16th, 44’ 9”)
· Adrianna Rodencal, freshman
-60 Hurdles (14th, 8.72)
-200 Meters (47th, 25.37)
· Kayla Svoboda, freshman
-Pole Vault (18th, 11’ 6 ½”)
· Trinity Tuls, sophomore
-4x400m Relay (6th, 3:53.49)
· Abi Wohlgemuth, sophomore
-Weight Throw (24th, 53’ 5 ¾”)
2023 Concordia Indoor National Qualifiers – a closer look
Rachel Battershell, senior (eighth trip to nationals; 10 All-America awards; two-time 400 meter national champ)
Zach Bennetts, senior (fourth trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Chase Berry, junior (fifth trip to nationals; two All-America awards)
Erin Boggs, sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Dagne’ Buck, senior (first trip to nationals)
Amira Cummings, junior (fifth trip to nationals)
Jenna Esch, sophomore (second trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Kylahn Freiberg, junior (fifth trip to nationals; three All-America awards)
Abigail Gerber, junior (fifth trip to nationals)
Rylee Haecker, sophomore (fourth trip to nationals; six All-America awards)
Ethan Ideus, sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Rhaya Kaschinske, sophomore (second trip to nationals)
Jordan Koepke, sophomore (third trip to nationals; four All-America awards)
Wyatt Loga, junior (fifth trip to nationals, two All-America awards)
Erin Mapson, senior (seventh trip to nationals; five All-America awards)
Colton Meyer, junior (sixth trip to nationals; three All-America awards)
Hannah Newton, sophomore (second trip to nationals)
Josi Noble, freshman (first trip to nationals)
Kamryn Pokorney, sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Josie Puelz, junior (sixth trip to nationals; five All-America awards; four-time pole vault national champ)
Joel Rathe, sophomore (third trip to nationals)
Amy Richert, sophomore (fifth trip to nationals; three All-America awards)
Maddie Robinson, senior (seventh trip to nationals; three All-America awards at Olivet Nazarene)
Adrianna Rodencal, freshman (first trip to nationals)
Calvin Rohde, sophomore (third trip to nationals)
Darien Semedo, sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Camden Sesna, junior (fourth trip to nationals)
Kayla Svoboda, freshman (first trip to nationals)
Trinity Tuls, sophomore (second trip to nationals)
Abi Wohlgemuth, sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Chris Wren, junior (fifth trip to nationals; three All-America awards)
Zach Zohner, sophomore (third trip to nationals)