Polar Dog Invite demonstrates strengths of Concordia track and field teams
Junior Adrianna Rodencal wins first place in the women’s 60-meter hurdles (photo from previous meet).
Photo credit: Maddy Peters
By Kai Olbrich
The Concordia Bulldog men’s and women’s track and field teams picked up right where they left off before the new year, earning multiple first-place finishes, getting a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics A standard in the weight throw, and setting a meet record in the 3000-meter race walk at the Concordia Polar Dog invite.
The meet, set on Jan. 17, was the first for the Bulldogs since December 14, so it was one to shake off the rust and test the athletes’ individual training.
One of the biggest highlights of the day for the Bulldogs was senior Abi Wohlgemuth’s performance in the women’s weight throw. Wohlgemuth set a personal record of 18.20 meters, took first place at the meet, and crushed the NAIA A standard mark of 17.24 meters. With that throw, Wohlgemuth qualified for her second straight nationals.
Freshman Jonny Jurchen also impressed in his second-ever college track meet. Jurchen also set a personal best, 14:32.16 in the 3000-meter race walk. That time also took down the previous meet record of 14:41:20. The time after conversions due to the track size, got him the A standard for national qualifying.
Both athletes got first place in their respective events, and many other Bulldogs joined them.
Freshman Easton Fries took first place in the men’s 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.20. Fries placed second in the preliminary round with an 8:36, before besting Doane’s Addison Croghan in the finals.
Junior Adrianna Rodencal impressed with the top spot in the women’s 200-meter dash. The Lincoln native had a finishing time of 25:82 which is just 0.31 seconds off of her indoor PR.
The men’s 5000-meter race was a stacked affair in the case of the Bulldogs. Out of 16 competitors, 15 came from the host team. The friendly nature of the competitors, however, did not stop the athletes from competing at a high level. Five Bulldogs broke the 16-mark as Concordia swept the top eight. Freshman cross-country All-American Vaughn Hendrickson was top with a 15:35.28, sophomore Trey Roberston placed second with a 15:45.71 and senior Thomas Gorline was right behind in third with a time of 15:49.31.
The woman did not have quite the same near Bulldog-exclusive field but still had a first-place finish. Freshman Annaka Schlachter ran 19:38.15 in her first attempt at the 5k indoor.
The men’s 4×4 relay was a back-and-forth battle between Concordia, Hastings and Doane. Hastings took the lead after the first leg, but freshman Lucas Corwin put the Bulldogs into the lead heading into the third leg. Hastings snatched the lead once again in the third leg before Concordia took it back for good through the efforts of sophomore Jackson Lindburg.
Despite being in third place nearly the entire race, Doane almost made a comeback, but was unable to best Lindburg at the end. The race finished with Concordia in first, featuring sophomore Hayden Kluthe, Corwin, senior Teagan Meyer, and Lindburg. Doane finished second, and Hastings third.
Some second-place finishers for the Bulldogs include junior Liam Fagan with a 50.65 in the men’s 400, freshman Jaxon Lipker with a 1.98-meter mark in the men’s high jump, sophomore Addie Reimer with a 1.60-meter jump in the women’s high jump, junior Hayley Miles with 5.59-meters in the women’s long jump, junior Carson Fehlhafer who had a mark of 18.25-meters in the men’s weight throw.
Some of the Bulldogs will compete on Jan. 18 at the University of Nebraska Graduate Classic in Lincoln, with the full team back in action on Jan. 24-25 for the Concordia Classic at Walz Fieldhouse.