Following six weekends of indoor competition, Concordia Track & Field is ready to host the 2023 GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. The meet will take place Friday and Saturday inside the Fieldhouse.
In a final outing prior to the GPAC Championships, the Bulldogs combined for five new automatic national qualifying standards and 10 event titles while Adrianna Rodencal broke her own school record in the 60 hurdles at the Concordia Invite.
One of the GPAC's top distance runners this indoor season, Calvin Rohde has been chosen as the GPAC Men's Track Athlete of the Week for the second straight time. Rohde moved up to No. 4 in the NAIA in the 1,000 meters.
In what will be home meet No. 4 of the indoor season, the Bulldogs will host athletes from 10 institutions at the Concordia Invite. Coach Matt Beisel's squads will look to add to their season tally of 20 automatic national qualifying standards.
Calvin Rohde and Rylee Haecker polished off the weekend by running personal bests in the mile at the Sevigne Husker Invitational. They were two of 11 Bulldogs to compete at the Devaney Center in Lincoln.
As part of a jampacked Concordia Classic meet, the Concordia vaulters crushed with a combined eight performances that met the automatic national qualifying standard. Meanwhile, Adrianna Rodencal broke the school 60 hurdles record.
A new automatic national qualifying time in the mile led to Calvin Rohde being named the GPAC Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week. Rohde is qualified for nationals in three events for the fifth-ranked Bulldogs.
The third of five home indoor meets this season will be Friday's Concordia Classic. The Bulldogs are slated to welcome athletes from 13 competing institutions as they look to add to their season tally of 16 automatic standards.
It was another solid weekend of indoor competition as the top five nationally ranked Bulldogs combined for four fresh 'A' marks and 14 event championships at the Fred Beile Classic hosted by Doane on Saturday (Jan. 28).
In the initial 2023 NAIA national ratings index released by the USTFCCCA, the Bulldog women appeared at No. 2 while the men landed at No. 5. Concordia athletes have combined for 12 automatic national qualifying marks so far.
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.