Freshman Maddie Guler (L) finishes the first leg of the 4x800-meter relay and passes the baton to Carly Fornshell. The CC team would go on to finish seventh in the race. (Photo courtesy of Nathan Lodermeier)
Freshman Maddie Guler (L) finishes the first leg of the 4x800-meter relay and passes the baton to Carly Fornshell. The CC team would go on to finish seventh in the race. (Photo courtesy of Nathan Lodermeier)
Posted: May 14, 2021

Setting Up A Drama-Filled Saturday

ST. PAUL, Minn. (5/14/21)—The Cobbers scored team points in three different events on Day 1 of the MIAC Championship Meet and ended Friday in seventh place in the team standings. Concordia came through with points in a pair of field events and a relay race.

Even though CC only scored points in three events on Friday, the set themselves up for more points on Saturday by qualifying several athletes for track events after the prelim races on Day 1.

Junior Cayle Hovland was the top point getter for the Cobbers on Friday. She finished third in the shot put. Her top distance of the meet came on her third attempt in the prelim round when she posted a distance of 43-09.25. That mark is shy of her season-best distance which is still tied for the No.9 spot in Division III.

Teammate Jacey Schlosser gave the Cobbers two Top 8 finishers in the event which led to eight team points. Schlosser was seventh with a distance of 39-11.50 which she put up in her second attempt of the afternoon. Her mark also ties her season-best distance.   

The other field event that produced team points was the javelin where freshman Aubrie Werk placed eighth. Her top mark came on the very first throw of the day where she tossed the javelin 100-10. Sophomore Lauren Forness finished in 10th place with a distance of 93-03.

The 4x800-meter relay team of Maddie Guler, Carly Fornshell, Meritt Miller and Isabel Fredrickson crossed the line in a season-best time of 9:51.75 which was good for seventh place.

Concordia qualified six athletes in different track events for the finals on Saturday.

The 1500 meters and 400-meter hurdles were the top events for CC as both saw two Cobbers qualify for the finals.

Seniors Josie Herrmann and Miller advanced to the finals in the 1500 meters by finishing in the Top 12 in the prelims. Herrmann eased out to a 4:49.32 which put her in the Top 3 in the prelims. Miller qualified from the second heat with a PR time of 4:56.51. It was the first time in her career that she broke the 5-minute mark.

The race of the meet could come in the finals of the 1500 meters where Herrmann will go head-to-head with St. Ben's freshman in a battle of the top middle distance and distance runners in the conference.  

Herrmann also qualified for the finals in the 800 meters where she owns the fastest time in the MIAC this year and ninth fastest in DIII. Herrmann was able to conserve her energy on Friday and posted a time of 2:17.49 which won the second heat.

Fornshell and Kelly Lorenz will represent CC in the finals of the 400-meter hurdles on Saturday. Fornshell ran the third fastest prelim time at 1:06.79 while Lorenz was sixth at 1:08.15. Fornshell's time is almost 2.5 seconds faster than her previous college best while Lorenz' mark is a full second faster than her PR.

The last track qualifier for Saturday's finals' races was MIAC heptathlon champion Peyton Selle. Selle crossed the line in the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 15.76 which was a season best and the sixth fastest in the prelims. Her time was .16 of a second faster than what she clocked at the MIAC Heptathlon Meet last weekend.     
    
UP NEXT: There will be plenty of drama and close finishes on Saturday, May 15 when the Cobbers close out the 2021 MIAC Championship Meet at 11:30 at Hamline.

RECAP SPONSOR: Today's recap sponsor is Bursch Travel. Cobber athletics would like to thank Bursch Travel for their longtime support of Concordia student/athletes.