For the 10th time in his career, Concordia's Matt Beisel has been recognized as a regional coach of the year. Beisel was honored with 2024 NAIA Midwest Region Women’s Outdoor Coach of the Year accolades on May 17.
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."
Concordia Track & Field will send 32 athletes to the 2024 NAIA outdoor national meet in Marion, Indiana. Official national qualifiers were announced on Friday (May 17) by the NAIA.
In the final meet prior to the national championships, Abi Wohlgemuth took advantage by achieving an NAIA auto mark in the hammer while the women's 4x100-meter relay ran a season best.
Five new automatic national qualifying standards were put on the board and Calvin Rohde became the new school record holder in the 5k as part of the 2024 Concordia Twilight on May 10.
A total of 50 Bulldogs earned All-GPAC honors while Matt Beisel and his staff were recognized as the GPAC Women's Outdoor Coaching Staff of the Year. Adrianna Rodencal and Darien Semedo were the team's top point scorers.
The 2023-24 academic year has concluded at Concordia, but the track and field season continues for the Bulldogs, who will be in action this weekend at the Concordia and UNK Loper Twilight meets.
It came down to the wire, but the women of Concordia Track & Field extended the program's string of GPAC championships to 11 while taking the banner in Orange City. The men placed third in the GPAC.
Day one of the 2024 GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships yielded three individual GPAC champions on the men's side for the Bulldogs. The winners were Matthew Boyer, Chris Wren and Zach Zohner.
The accolades are a reflection of the special athletic year that junior Jenna Esch has enjoyed while starring on the track for the Bulldogs. She's been named GPAC Athlete of the Week for the fourth time in 2024.
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."
Outdoor track season has nearly arrived for the Bulldogs, who are coming off indoor GPAC placements of first for the women and third for the men. The dynamics change with a different set of events on tap for outdoor track.
Twenty Bulldogs return who experienced the 2022 NAIA indoor national meet. The group includes past national champions Rachel Battershell and Josie Puelz. The program again has high hopes as the 2023 season has arrived.
In a different era of Bulldog Athletics, Bob Schulze left a legacy as a four-sport athlete. Schulze may not have known exactly what he was getting into, but 58 years after his graduation from Concordia, he knows that God led him to the perfect place.