Youth Is Served
MOORHEAD, Minn. (1/19/19)--- Concordia's freshmen stepped to the forefront in the very first meet of 2019 as they led the team at the annual Cobber Open.
First-year middle distance runner Jesse Middendorf claimed one of two individual event wins on the day as he was victorious in the 600 meters. Middendorf came home in a time of 1:26.58 and won the race by .56 of a second. Middendorf waited until the second lap to make his move and then raced past the leader to pick up his first collegiate victory. Middendorf's time is also the 10th fastest in the MIAC this year.
While Middendorf claimed the only individual event win for the Cobbers it was a group of three first-year athletes that led the 4x200-meter relay team to a victory in the event. Cal Wright, Hayden Gagnon and Colin Schuller raced the final three legs of the relay and helped Concordia post a winning time of 1:34.35. That time is in the Top 25 in school history and in the Top 5 times in the MIAC this season.
The lone upperclassmen on the winning relay quartet was Tom Whiting who led off the race and also went on to post two other Top 10 finishes at the meet. He was third in the 200 meters at 24.65 and then placed ninth in the 60 meters with a time of 7.64.
Junior Matt Bye led the Cobber field contingent as he won the long jump with a personal-best distance of 20-07.75. Bye qualified for the NCAA National Meet in the decathlon last season and is looking to duplicate the feat in the indoor heptathlon this season.
Bye also had the other Top 3 track finish for the Cobbers at the meet as he sped to a finishing time of 8.61 in the 60-meter hurdles and placed second. Bye's time is fourth fastest in the conference this season.
The top event for Concordia on the day was the weight throw where three different Cobbers posted Top 15 school marks. Junior Kiefer Miller placed fourth in the event with a distance of 48-04.50. That mark is sixth best in program history and eighth in the conference this season. Sophomore Jake Steiner was four inches behind with a throw of 48-00.50 which is the eighth farthest distance in school history. Sophomore Ben Schelske claimed the No.12 spot on the school's all-time list with a distance of 45-00.50. That mark was good for eighth place in the event.
Steiner went on to place second in the shot put with a distance of 46-09.50 which is also in the Top 20 on the school's all-time list and is No.10 in the MIAC this year.
Sam Haley, Gabe Eisenbacher and Jacob Probst had the other Top 5 field finishes for CC. Haley was third in the pole vault with a height of 12-10.75 while Eisenbacher and Probst both came away with fifth-place finishes. Eisenbacher was fifth in the high jump at 5-07 and Probst was fifth in the triple jump at 39-07.75.
UP NEXT: Concordia continues its indoor season when they head to Grand Forks to participate in the UND Invitational on Jan. 25-26.
Cobber Notables
Personal Bests
Relays – Indoor Season Bests
4x200 - Tom Whiting, Cal Wright, Hayden Gagnon, Colin Schuller, 1:34.35
4x400A - Cal Wright, Hayden Gagnon, Colin Schuller, Jake Svenby, 3:32.98
4x400B - Connor Haugrud, Justin Kringler, Olsen Pancoast, Luke Lindhorst, 3:48.67
Indoor Personal Records @ Cobber Open, Sat, Jan 19, 2019
600 - Dan Wilson
Mile - Eric Wicklund, Noah Kneeskern
60H - Matt Bye
PV - Cole Guzman
LJ - Matt Bye
SP - Jake Steiner, Matt Bye, Hunter Berggren, Jake Kerzman, Howard Zuniga
WT - Jake Steiner, Ben Schelske, Hunter Berggren