Lurz and Wiechman Reflect on Championships and Look to the Future

Photo by Noah Rohlfling

by Noah Rohlfing

Though seniors Zach Lurz and Lucas Wiechman are finishing their careers on the track and in the classroom, they have bright futures ahead.

It has been a remarkable run for the two seniors. They have been a part of the Concordia track & field program’s record-breaking results over the past four years, including the second-place team finish in the 2017 Indoor Track & Field National Championships in March.

Lurz won four national titles during his indoor career, including a national championship in the shot put this year. He also finished third in the weight throw, finishing behind fellow Bulldog senior Cody Boellstroff.

“It’s really cool to be a national champion,” Lurz said.

Wiechman was named Most Outstanding Performer at the national championships, with Top Five finishes in three separate events. The self-described “freak of an athlete” had numerous successes during his indoor career, but he was most proud of how he performed this year.

“It’s humbling, but still exhilarating,” Wiechman said. “It’s a nice end to the journey that I’ve made.”

The duo is quick to put praise on their teammates and coaches as well.

“(The team did) really well across the board…Lucas killed it,” Lurz said.

“We knew there was potential, (so) ending up getting second was really awesome,” Wiechman said.

Before they move on, the well-decorated seniors still have one more outdoor season ahead of them.

Lurz will do the shot put, long throw and discus.

“When you go outdoor, the shot put drops to a smaller circumference,” Lurz said. “It gets a little harder for me because I’m adding another event. So the shot put itself gets easier, but the training regimen gets harder.”

Wiechman is adding three more events to his schedule for the outdoor season, so he now competes in 10 events overall.

Lurz and Wiechman both shared what they loved about Concordia and their plans for after graduation.

For Lurz, Concordia was always a place that felt like his hometown of Chadron, while Wiechman chose Concordia over the University of Nebraska at Kearney because it also felt like home for him and he liked the campus.

“The facilities are phenomenal. They’re the best in the state,” Wiechman said.

Wiechman said that his favorite place to be on campus is the volleyball courts by Janzow.

“I tried to stay away from intramurals, but we always had a volleyball team,” Wiechman said.

After finishing his time at Concordia, Wiechman plans to take a gap year in St. Louis working and spending time with his close friend before enrolling in chiropractic college.

Lurz plans on getting a coaching job somewhere in the area.

“I have some interviews set up, and I’ll have a better idea about where I’m going in the next month,” Lurz said.

Lurz and Wiechman have ended their indoor careers at Concordia on a high, and are ready and determined to succeed wherever they end up in the future.