Schepp Shape At The Bison Open
FARGO, N.D. (2/15/14)—Concordia was in "Schepp Shape" at the Bison Open as freshman Jackson Schepp posted top 10 conference marks in both the high jump and triple jump.
Schepp soared over a height of 6-03.50 in the high jump and placed sixth in the event. His sixth-place finish was tops for Concordia at the NCAA Division I and II-laden meet. Schepp also bettered his previous season best by over four inches and is now ranked fourth in the MIAC in the event. It is the first time he cleared 6-feet in the event in college and he now gives the Cobbers a pair of athletes in the top 5 in the high jump in the conference rankings.
Not to be content with a top 10 conference mark in just the high jump, Schepp went out and busted a leap of 42-01.25 in the triple jump which is the sixth farthest in the MIAC this season.
A Cobber recap in 2014 wouldn't be complete without talking about the cheetah-like Vickstrom who ran in 60 meters in the Bison Open. He was the only non-Division I or II athlete to qualify for the finals in the vent and came home with an 11th-place finish in a time of 7.24. He ran faster in the prelims when he clocked a 7.13 and was sixth. Vickstrom still ranks second in the MIAC in the 60 meters and is currently tops in the 200 meters. He also sits in position to qualify for both events at the NCAA National Meet.
Another Concordia athlete that is enjoying a solid season is senior captain Alex Benzegala. Benzegala ran both the 200 and 400 meters at the Bison Open. He ran a 23.67 in the 200 meters and a 51.62 in the 400-meter race. His time in the 400 meters is a season best and pushed him into the top 20 at the meet. His time of 51.62 is the 12th fastest in the MIAC this season and Benzegala also owns the sixth best time in the 200 meters.
Schepp's freshman teammate Carl Wahlin recorded a pair of quality marks in middle distance events. He clocked a 2:40.72 in the 1000 meters to claim eighth place and ran a 4:41.82 in the mile. Both times are season bests for Wahlin and his time in the 1000 meters is faster than last year's final qualifier for the MIAC Meet in the event.
Jamie Marrier struck a chord for the team's upperclassmen when he ran a season-best in the 60-meter hurdles. Marrier recorded a time of 9.10 at the Bison Open which is the best for the Cobbers this season and the No.8 time in the conference in 2014.
Concordia will finally break away from NCAA Division I and II competition when they head south to Collegeville to compete in the St. John's Quadrangular on Saturday, Feb. 22.
