A Splash & Throw Day At Season-Opening Hamline Invite

ST. PAUL, Minn. (4/6/24)----The steeplechase and shot put crews led Concordia at the Hamline Invitational. The Cobbers had three athletes in each event post a Top 10 finish at the first full outdoor meet of the year.       

The two events were responsible for six of Concordia's 16 Top 10 finishes at the meet.

Brady Goss, Cole Nowacki and Gavin Groshelle were the trio that went 4-5-6 in the 3000-meter steeplechase.

Goss crossed the line in a time of 9:38.83 to post a third-place finish in his first-ever collegiate steeplechase event. His time is the eighth fastest in program history and No.4 in the MIAC this year.

Nowacki finished fourth in the race with a time of 9:52.42. That mark is a personal best for the senior and jumps him into the Top 10 of the MIAC.

Groshelle was right behind Nowacki. He clocked a 9:59.22 to give the Cobbers a trio of sub-10-minute steeplechasers.

All-American Cooper Folkestad led the shot put crew at the meet. His best distance on the day was 49-05.00 which was good for third place. Freshman Blake Houska was fifth in his first collegiate outdoor meet. He finished with a distance of 47-06.25. Junior Sam Dioszeghy rounded out the Top 10 trio. He placed 10th with a mark of 46-05.50.

Folkestad was also fourth in the discus at 139-04. He was joined by teammate Ricky Ramirez as Top 10 finishers in the event. Ramirez came through with a distance of 131-02 and placed eighth.

The lone win of the afternoon came courtesy of Peyton Johnsrud in the high jump. Johnsrud cleared the bar at 6-04.75 which tied for the top spot in the event and is tied for the top mark in the conference. 

A pair of field newcomers had successful days in the javelin. First-year athlete Elijah Hayes posted a second-place finish when he let loose a throw of 176-02. That distance is No.16 on the Cobbers' all-time list and second farthest in the MIAC this year. Sophomore Jacob Pipho, who also plays for the Cobber football team, was sixth in the event in his first-ever collegiate meet. He posted a mark of 158-09 which also has him in the Top 10 of the MIAC.

Gabe Thompson and Ben Peterson led the Concordia jump squad – with both athletes posting Top 4 finishes. Thompson was third in the triple jump with a personal-best distance of 41-11.50, while Peterson recorded a mark of 21-00.75 and was fourth in the long jump. Like Thompson's mark, that distance is also a PR for Peterson.   

Logan Clark, Wade Rhonemus and Trevor Tiongson came through with Top 10 finishes in track events. Clark and Rhonemus doubled up in the 110-meter hurdles by placing fifth and sixth. Clark crossed the line in 15.46, while Rhonemus was right behind with a 15.53. Tiongson cruised to a time of 51.40 in the 400 meters and was eighth in the event.

UP NEXT: Concordia will participate in the annual Al Cassell Classic at the University of Jamestown on Friday, Apr. 12 beginning at 4 p.m.