Bulldogs Win 17 Meet Titles at 2023 Polar Dog

Daniel Kuefner
Sower Staff

The Concordia men’s and women’s track teams walked away from the 2023 Concordia Polar Dog Invite with 17 titles and five new national qualifying standards on Saturday. Freshman Adrianna Rodencal collected a title in the 200 meters (26.05) as well as a national qualifying time and a title in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.89.

In the women’s 1,000 meters junior Rylee Haecker came away as the event winner with a national qualifying time of 2:58.36. Sophomore Hannah Newton won the women’s high jump with a jump of 5’ 4.5”. The women’s 4×400 relay capped off the invite with another Bulldog win at 3:57.92. The team consisting of sophomores Jenna Esch, Jordan Koepke, and Trinity Tuls, alongside senior Rachel Battershell, finished with an automatic qualifying time.

The Bulldogs’ pole vaulters had an excellent showing during the invite. Five of the top six places for women’s pole vaulters at the invite were held by Bulldogs. Junior Josie Puelz vaulted 12’ 6.25″, outlasting senior Erin Mapson, who finished second at 12′ 2.5”. Both Mapson and Puelz achieved the automatic national qualifying mark with their vaults.

Senior Mark Cooke won the men’s 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.29. Junior Colton Meyer won the men’s 400 meter with a national qualifying time of 49.34. In the men’s pole vault junior Zach Zohner took the first place finish with a vault of 15’ 3”. Junior Christopher Wren out-muscled his opponents in the weight throw with a national qualifying toss of 62’ 10.75”.

The men’s distance medley relay, consisting of sophomore Ethan Ideus and juniors Camden Sesna, Kameron Farmer, and Calvin Rohde, came away with a win and a qualifying time of 10:18:34. Rohde also won the men’s 1,000 meters with a qualifying time of 2:30.64. Sesna won the men’s 5,000 meters with a time of 15:11.97.

Concordia will be back in action next Saturday (Jan. 28) as they travel to Crete for the Fred Beile Classic.