Bulldogs top the GPAC at Augustana Twilight meet
Concordia runners Thomas Gorline and junior Ransom Watts compete in a Spring 2025 tournament.
Photo credit: Maddy Peters
By Kai Olbrich
Sports Editor
The Concordia University cross country team opened up the 2025 season by besting all other Great Plains Athletic Conference teams at the Augustana Twilight meet.
The Bulldogs excelled in the men’s and women’s races, with the men placing fourth out of 25 teams and the women claiming eighth spot in a 26-team field.
Sophomore Keeli Greene was the headline act for Concordia as she led the women with a fourth overall finish and personal record in the 5k with a time of 17:31.86.
The rest of the scorers for the women were sophomore Annaka Schlachter, who placed 51st, freshman Ashley Roberston, who got 56th, sophomore Alison Stepanek in 89th, and junior Macee Ripke rounded out the top five with a 117th-place finish out of 319 runners.
The men were led by junior Trey Robertson, who crossed the line in 19:22.78 for his four-mile race. 2024 All-American, Sophomore Vaughn Hendrickson, came in 40th place, junior Aidan Limback earned 51st, senior Trevor Kuncl placed 77th, junior Ransom Watts finished in 83rd, and freshman Abe Chance got 87th out of 394 in his first collegiate race.
Both teams came out on top when it came to GPAC foes, besting the likes of Doane, Northwestern, Midland and more.
The Bulldogs have two weeks to prepare for their next meet, when they will take the short trek to Mahoney golf course in Lincoln, Nebraska, for the UNL/NWU Greeno/Dirksen Invite. The starting gun will sound at 10 a.m.
