NAIA National Qualifiers: Men | Women
SEWARD, Neb. – The field of 2023 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships Qualifiers was unveiled on Friday (May 19) by the NAIA. In conjunction with that release, the Concordia University Track & Field program has announced a nationals team of 32 individuals. The event will run May 24-26 at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Ind. Marion will serve as the host location after the NAIA outdoor meet took place in Gulf Shores, Ala., 2014 through 2022.
Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads are coming off conference places finishes of first for the women and third for the men at the 2023 GPAC outdoor meet hosted by Dordt. In the most recent NAIA ratings released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (May 17), Concordia appeared at No. 8 on the women’s side and at No. 24 on the men’s side.
The GPAC champion women’s program had placed in the top five of six-straight NAIA national championship meets prior to finishing sixth at the 2023 indoor championships. The list of Bulldog female athletes with previous All-America awards includes Rachel Battershell (11), Jenna Esch (two), Kylahn Freiberg (four), Rylee Haecker (seven), Jordan Koepke (five), Erin Mapson (six), Alli Owings (one), Erin Painter (one), Josie Puelz (six), Amy Richert (three) and Trinity Tuls (one). Puelz is the winner of each of the past five NAIA pole vault national championships and Battershell is a two-time national champ in the 400 meters. Puelz is one of four Concordia women’s vaulters headed to Marion.
On the men’s side, the Bulldogs are seeking to improve upon the seven points they scored at the 2022 outdoor national meet. Returners with past All-America awards include Wyatt Loga (two), Chris Wren (three) and Zach Zohner (one). Both of Loga’s All-America awards have come in the high jump. A rising star, Zohner placed as the 2023 NAIA indoor national runner up in the pole vault. He will enter next week seeded third with an outdoor personal best of 16’ 5 ¼.” Unfortunately, Wren will not compete in Marion. He was a fifth-place hammer throw finisher at the ’22 NAIA outdoor meet.
The list of Bulldogs making their first-ever national championship appearance includes Keegan Beisel, Lauren Dawson, Kayla Kirchner, Emma Lloyd, Kellie Rhodes, Austen Rozelle and Gretchen Stottlemyre. Dawson has qualified in the race walk, an event Beisel and his staff have put greater emphasis upon the past couple years. Notably, Stottlemyre is the younger sister of Liz Stottlemyre, the 2021 NAIA javelin national champion.
For additional details on the national meet, visit the NAIA website HERE.
2023 Concordia outdoor national qualifiers
(Current national seeding in parentheses)
MEN
· Wyatt Loga, junior
-High Jump (9th, 6’ 8 ¾”)
· Joel Rathe, junior
-Long Jump (21st, 23’ 9 ½”)
· Calvin Rohde, junior
-5,000 Meters (24th, 14:42.28)
· Austen Rozelle, sophomore
-Discus (14th, 162’ 7”)
· Darien Semedo, junior
-Hammer Throw (13th, 184’ 4”)
-Shot Put (25th, 51’ 10 ½”)
· Chris Wren, junior
-Hammer Throw (8th, 197’) – will not compete
· Zach Zohner, junior
-Pole Vault (3rd, 16’ 5 ¼”)
WOMEN
· Rachel Battershell, senior
-4x400m Relay (5th, 3:49.24)
-400 Meters (14th, 56.10)
-4x100m Relay (17th, 47.40)
· Keegan Beisel, freshman
-4x800m Relay (11th, 9:20.98)
· Erin Boggs, sophomore
-Pole Vault (16th, 11’ 7 ¾”)
· Lauren Dawson, junior
-5,000m Race Walk (10th, 28:33.68)
· Jenna Esch, sophomore
-4x400m Relay (5th, 3:49.24)
-4x800m Relay Alternate (11th, 9:20.98)
-800 Meters (25th, 2:14.81)
· Kylahn Freiberg, senior
-4x800m Relay (11th, 9:20.98)
· Rylee Haecker, junior
-4x800m Relay (11th, 9:20.98)
-1,500 Meters (27th, 4:40.11)
· Rhaya Kaschinske, sophomore
-4x800m Relay (11th, 9:20.98)
· Kayla Kirchner, freshman
-4x100m Relay (17th, 47.40)
· Jordan Koepke, sophomore
-400 Hurdles (13th, 1:02.71) – will not compete
-4x400m Relay Alternate (5th, 3:49.24)
· Emma Lloyd, freshman
-Discus (20th, 145’ 6”)
· Erin Mapson, senior
-Pole Vault (12th, 11’ 11 ¾”)
· Hannah Newton, sophomore
-High Jump (10th, 5’ 5 ¼”)
· Josi Noble, freshman
-4x400m Relay (5th, 3:49.24)
-Heptathlon (16th, 4,241 pts)
-4x100m Relay Alternate (17th, 47.40)
· Alli Owings, junior
-Hammer Throw (19th, 169’)
· Erin Painter, junior
-Discus (11th, 149’ 7”)
· Kamryn Pokorney, junior
-Hammer Throw (8th, 175’ 6”)
-Shot Put (24th, 43’ 6”)
· Josie Puelz, junior
-Pole Vault (4th, 12’ 9 ½”)
· Kellie Rhodes, junior
-4x100m Relay (17th, 47.40)
· Amy Richert, junior
-Heptathlon (12th, 4,336 pts)
· Adrianna Rodencal, freshman
-100 Hurdles (12th, 14.00)
-4x100m Relay (17th, 47.40)
· Gretchen Stottlemyre, sophomore
-Javelin (18th, 133’ 10”)
· Kayla Svoboda, freshman
-Pole Vault (16th, 11’ 7 ¾”)
· Trinity Tuls, sophomore
-4x400m Relay (5th, 3:49.24)
· Abi Wohlgemuth, sophomore
-Hammer Throw (23rd, 165’ 11”)
2023 Concordia Outdoor National Qualifiers – a closer look
Rachel Battershell, senior (ninth trip to nationals; 11 All-America awards; two-time 400 meter national champ)
Keegan Beisel, freshman (first trip to nationals)
Erin Boggs, sophomore (second trip to nationals)
Lauren Dawson, junior (first trip to nationals)
Jenna Esch, sophomore (third trip to nationals; two All-America awards)
Kylahn Freiberg, junior (sixth trip to nationals; four All-America awards; 2023 indoor 1,000 meter national runner up)
Rylee Haecker, sophomore (fifth trip to nationals; seven All-America awards)
Rhaya Kaschinske, sophomore (third trip to nationals)
Kayla Kirchner, freshman (first trip to nationals)
Jordan Koepke, sophomore (fourth trip to nationals; five All-America awards)
Emma Lloyd, freshman (first trip to nationals)
Wyatt Loga, junior (sixth trip to nationals, two All-America awards)
Erin Mapson, senior (eighth trip to nationals; six All-America awards)
Hannah Newton, sophomore (third trip to nationals)
Josi Noble, freshman (second trip to nationals)
Alli Owings, junior (third trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Erin Painter, junior (third trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Kamryn Pokorney, sophomore (second trip to nationals)
Josie Puelz, junior (seventh trip to nationals; six All-America awards; five-time pole vault national champ)
Joel Rathe, sophomore (fourth trip to nationals)
Kellie Rhodes, junior (first trip to nationals)
Amy Richert, sophomore (sixth trip to nationals; three All-America awards)
Adrianna Rodencal, freshman (second trip to nationals)
Calvin Rohde, sophomore (fourth trip to nationals)
Austen Rozelle, sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Darien Semedo, sophomore (second trip to nationals)
Gretchen Stottlemyre, sophomore (first trip to nationals)
Kayla Svoboda, freshman (second trip to nationals)
Trinity Tuls, sophomore (third trip to nationals; one All-America award)
Abi Wohlgemuth, sophomore (second trip to nationals)
Chris Wren, junior (sixth trip to nationals; three All-America awards)
Zach Zohner, sophomore (fourth trip to nationals; one All-America award; 2023 indoor pole vault national runner up)