Bulldog track and field competes in its first meet since tragic accident

Sophomore Vaughn Hendrickson crosses the finish line (photo from previous meet).

Photo credit: Maximus Fritsche

By Kai Olbrich

Sports Editor

The Concordia track and field team opened up its outdoor season with multiple event championships and national qualifying times on Sunday at the Central Nebraska Challenge meet.

The Bulldog athletes competed just a day after the memorial service of late Concordia track and field athlete Matthew Wing. Wing passed away in a car accident on March 13, and his teammates sported golden wings on their shirts in his memory. The athletes also wore green ribbons on their uniforms for traumatic brain injury awareness month in support of Noah Ramirez, who was injured in the crash.

On the track, Senior Adrianna Rodencal picked up where she left off in the outdoor season, winning the women’s 100-meter hurdles and placing second in the 400-meter hurdles. Her times of 13.55 and 59.32 seconds broke the A standard for national qualification.

Rodencal also competed in the 4×100-meter relay, which placed second with a time of 46.99, and achieved the national B standard. Also on the relay team were sophomore Adysen McCarter, senior Kayla Kirchner and junior Tayden Kirchner.

McCarter had success individually, as well as on the relay. McCarter came in fifth in the women’s long jump with a 5.43-meter mark. She then improved to second in the triple jump with an 11.67-meter leap.

Junior Emry Gutz defeated all Great Plains Athletic Conference opposition on his way to achieving the national B standard in the men’s javelin. Javelin is only thrown outdoors, so it was Gutz’s first throw of the season. He set a personal best with a 59.06-meter throw.

Sophomore Nathan Baldwin achieved two B standards at Sunday’s meet. He placed third in the men’s discus, throwing 50.08 meters, and fourth in the hammer throw with a 56.46-meter mark.

Freshman Avery Eaves had a successful day in the sprints. He placed second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.61 seconds. Eaves also placed ninth in the 200-meter dash and first in the 4×100-meter relay. Eaves was joined in the race by sophomore Perry Chadwick, freshman Ben Sullivan and sophomore Xavier Marburger. The team finished the race in 41.87 seconds.

Sophomore Alison Stepanek led the women’s distance squad through the 5k. Her time of 19:23.69 was second overall and first for Concordia.

Junior Aidan Limback did nearly the same in the men’s 5k race. Limback placed third overall with a 15:59.25 and was trailed closely by juniors Ransom Watts, Trey Robertson and sophomore Vaughn Hendrickson.

Sophomore Harper Boche came in third in the women’s shot put, throwing 13.32 meters.

The Bulldog track and field team is back in action on Monday, April 6, for the Concordia Invitational. The meet was originally scheduled for April 2-3 but was moved due to weather.