Josie Puelz earned the third Scholar Athlete of the Year award of her career as one of 40 Bulldogs to be named All-Academic Athletes by the USTFCCCA. Additionally, both Concordia squads earned All-Academic Team status.
With only a cinder track and no dedicated indoor facilities, Coach John Knight went to work building up the Concordia Cross Country and Track & Field programs. He succeeded in landing some of the top athletes in school history.
A two-time pole vault All-American and three-time GPAC champion, Zach Bennetts has been named the 2022-23 NAIA Track & Field All-American of the Year. He was joined with All-America accolades by Calvin Rohde and Zach Zohner.
Rachel Battershell headlined the list of five Bulldogs to earn Academic All-America awards from College Sports Communicators. Battershell was recognized as the Academic All-America Team Member of the Year for NAIA women's track & field.
A group of 10 Bulldogs from the Concordia Track/Cross Country programs earned distinction as 2022-23 Academic All-District® award winners, as announced by College Sports Communicators on Wednesday (May 31).
Thanks to their performances at the 2023 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, nine Bulldogs have earned All-America honors for the outdoor season. Six of the honorees are repeat All-Americans.
Seven Bulldogs earned spots on the All-America podium on the final day of the 2023 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The highlights included a school record for Rylee Haecker and a sendoff for the accomplished Rachel Battershell.
In highlighting day two of the 2023 NAIA outdoor meet, the Concordia women’s 4x400 meter relay blazed to a first-place time in its heat of the prelims and Austen Rozelle crashed the All-America party in the discus. Twelve total Bulldogs competed.
A total of 19 Bulldogs represented Concordia Track & Field on day one of the 2023 NAIA outdoor national meet. The highlights included an NAIA national runner-up claim for Josie Puelz and a finals qualification for Rylee Haecker.
Concordia Track & Field boasts the most 2023 NAIA Scholar-Athletes for both men and women. A total of 60 Bulldogs have achieved Scholar-Athlete status, including 37 women and 23 men.
While plenty of All-Americans and GPAC champions have departed, Head Coach Matt Beisel and company are eager to see how the pieces fit together for 2024-25 track teams with the usual lofty aspirations.
She's one of a kind for so many reasons. In five years as a Concordia Bulldog, Josie Puelz not only won five NAIA national titles, she did so with class and that signature smile while living out her Christian faith.
The collegiate journey for Chris Wren culminated with a hammer throw national title. This mountaintop moment was meant to be for Wren, who looks back at his Concordia experience and how it transformed his life.
While feeling the best she ever has physically and mentally, Hastings native Jenna Esch has thrived in her third and final year as a Bulldog. Says Esch, "It’s been really special what I’ve been able to do, especially with this group of people."
On the heels of a fine indoor season, Concordia Track & Field sets its focus upon the 2024 outdoor campaign. The Bulldogs will attempt to build upon the All-America awards won by 15 individuals at the indoor national meet.
The ‘aha moment’ for Zach Zohner occurred during the middle of the 2023 indoor season when he decided he would no longer let the fear of injury monopolize his thoughts. The right mentality set him on a path to a national title.
Energetic and intensely competitive, Rylee Haecker has been described by coaches as "a gamer." Beyond athletics, Haecker is caring and outgoing, is a positive encourager of her teammates and is devout in her faith.
If the Bulldog Early Bird Meet is any indication, Concordia Track & Field is in for a phenomenal 2023-24 indoor season. The Bulldogs enter 2024 expecting to compete with the best of the GPAC and the NAIA once again.
With only a cinder track and no dedicated indoor facilities, Coach John Knight went to work building up the Concordia Cross Country and Track & Field programs. He succeeded in landing some of the top athletes in school history.
In winding down a fifth year of a remarkable collegiate journey, the triple major Rachel Battershell has rediscovered the joy that made her a champion. Nearing the finish line, Battershell reflected on an experience she calls "really special."