RESULTS:
-Drake Relays (April 27-29)
-Prairie Wolf Invite (April 28-29)
-Rock Chalk Classic (April 29)
Concordia University Track & Field athletes represented the program at three separate meets in three different states over the weekend that marked the precursor to the 2023 GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Most notably, the women’s relays blazed to automatic national qualifying times and to a new school standard while pacing the Blue Oval in Des Moines, Iowa, at the 2023 Drake Relays (April 27-29). Elsewhere, the bulk of the team competed at the Prairie Wolf Invite (April 28-29) hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan and a select group of throwers traveled to the Rock Chalk Classic (April 29) hosted by the University of Kansas. Competitors battled especially strong winds on Saturday.
In highlighting the efforts of Head Coach Matt Beisel’s nationally ranked squads, the women’s 4x800 meter relay put up a fresh automatic national qualifying standard, the women’s 4x200 meter relay broke the school record and the women’s 4x400 meter relay reached the finals at the Drake Relays. Coach Mark Samuels accompanied the relay crews for each of the three days in Des Moines.
The women’s 4x8 got the weekend started on Thursday when it clocked in at 9:20.98 at the Drake Relays. That time ranks No. 5 nationally (No. 2 in the GPAC) and was achieved despite some late shuffling of the group. The quartet wound up featuring Jenna Esch, Kylahn Freiberg, Rhaya Kaschinske and Keegan Beisel. The reigning GPAC women’s track athlete of the week, Esch also ran the leadoff leg for the 4x4, which wound up placing fourth in the college division of the Drake Relays. She teamed up with Kayla Kirchner, Josi Noble and Rachel Battershell. They ran separate times of 3:50.29 and 3:50.43 (both national qualifying times). That crew is the top-ranked 4x4 in the GPAC.
In Friday’s action at the Drake Relays, the women’s 4x2 broke the program standard that had stood since 1990 (which was led by NAIA Hall of Famer Carol Bailey-Moravec). The new record-holding 4x2 was made up of Battershell, Kirchner, Emily Loseke and Adrianna Rodencal. They clocked in at 1:44.26, eclipsing the previous standard of 1:44.92.
A handful of additional Concordia athletes made their way to Drake Stadium. A young men’s 4x4 also took to the Blue Oval. The group of Colby Sugden, Gage Fries, Liam Fagan and Teagan Meyer clocked in at 3:27.29. In the women’s open 400 meters, Esch ran 57.65 and Battershell crossed the finish line in 59.84. In the men’s high jump, Wyatt Loga cleared the opening height of 6’ 4 ¾.”
Meanwhile in Lincoln, three Bulldogs won event titles at the Prairie Wolf Invite: Mark Cooke in the 100 meters (10.67), Josie Puelz in the pole vault (12’ ¾”) and Joel Rathe in the long jump (23’ 3 ½”). There were no fresh ‘A’ standards produced the Prairie Wolf Invite, but Hannah Newton improved upon a ‘B’ in the high jump (5’ 5 ¼”) and Alli Owings turned in a new ‘B’ mark in the hammer throw (159’ 10”). After competing at Drake, Rodencal ran the 100 hurdles in 14.31 (second place) in her hometown Lincoln on Saturday.
Among the throwers who went to Lawrence, Kan., for the Rock Chalk Classic, Chris Wren and Darien Semedo performed well on a national scale. Wren boosted his existing ‘A’ standard in the hammer with a toss of 190’ 7” while Semedo posted a ‘B’ in the shot put (50’ 10 ¼”). Coach Ed McLaughlin’s bunch also had entrants in the men’s and women’s discus and the men’s and women’s javelin. In Lincoln, Kamryn Pokorney again hit the ‘B’ in the hammer (160’ 5”; fourth place) and Emma Lloyd wasn’t far off in the discus (136’ 6”). In the men’s shot put, Connor Asche placed fifth (48’).
The 1,500 meters continues to be an area of strength for Concordia. At the Prairie Wolf Invite, Camden Sesna (4:07.84) and Calvin Rodhe (4:11.19) placed in the top five of the 1,500 on the men’s side. Meanwhile, Julie McIntyre ran 5:04.43 on the women’s side. While Newton led the jumps crew in Lincoln, Taylor Moes and Elena Batenhorst both placed top five in the women’s triple jump.
Automatic national qualifying standards achieved (April 27-29)
· Women’s 4x400m Relay (3:50.29); Esch, Kirchner, Noble, Battershell
· Women’s 4x800m Relay (9:20.98); Esch, Freiberg, Kaschinske, Beisel
· Josie Puelz – Pole Vault (12’ ¾”)
· Chris Wren – Hammer Throw (190’ 7”)
Prairie Wolf Invite Event Championships
· Mark Cooke – 100 Meters (10.67)
· Josie Puelz – Pole Vault (12’ ¾”)
· Joel Rathe – Long Jump (23’ 3 ½”)
The 2023 GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships are up next. Dordt will host the meet at Open Space Park in Sioux Center, Iowa, May 5-6. The Concordia women will be looking to extend their streak of eight consecutive GPAC championships. More information on the meet can be found via the GPAC website HERE.