Green and Hendrickson earn top-three finishes at the Blazing Tiger Invite
Senior Hannah Beintema crosses the finish line (photo from 2024-25 season).
Photo credit: Maddy Peters
By Kai Olbrich
Podium finishes were afoot for members of the Concordia University cross-country team as the Bulldogs raced to top half team placements at the Blazing Tiger Invite on Oct. 25.
The meet was the final preparation before the Bulldogs take on the Great Plains Athletic Conference meet, and Concordia set itself up well with positive team placements. The men finished sixth out of 26 teams, and the women were ninth of 27.
Sophomore Keeli Green was back after missing the previous meet due to illness. Green got right back into the swing of things with a third-place result, running 21:34.52 in the 6k race. Green was followed by sophomore Annaka Schlachter in 40th, sophomore Alison Stepanek in 80th, freshman Ashley Robertson in 85th, sophomore Lydia Edmonds in 89th, and junior Macee Ripke in 96th.
2025 All-American, sophomore Vaughn Hendrickson had been performing below his standards from last season, but appears to be peaking at the right time as he flew to a third-place finish in the men’s 6k with a time of 24:49.43. Hendrikson was closely followed by junior Trey Robertson, who placed 15th with a 25:10.53.
The rest of the Bulldog top six was junior Aidan Limback in 22nd, senior Trevor Kuncl in 54th, junior Justin Sherman in 79th, and junior Ransom Watts in 81st.
The Bulldogs will look to recuperate and gear up for the GPAC Cross Country Championships on Nov. 8, a meet that Hendrikson and Trey Robertson went one and two at last year. The meet will be a chance for the Concordia athletes to qualify for the national meet on Nov. 22.
