Cobbers Send Seven To NCAA National Indoor Championship Meet

MOORHEAD, Minn. (03/07/22)---Concordia had seven student-athletes qualify for the NCAA Division III National Meet it was announced by the NCAA Championships Committee on Sunday. The Cobber men’s team had a program-record six athletes, and a relay, earn a spot at the national meet. Senior Cayle Hovland will be the lone representative at nationals for the women’s team.  

For each women's and men's individual event contested, including the pentathlon and heptathlon, the top 20 declared student-athletes were accepted into the competition. For each relay event contested, the top 12 declared relay teams, one per institution, were accepted into the competition.

The NCAA Division III Indoor Meet will be on Mar. 11-12 at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C. with Visit Winston-Salem and Guilford College serving as hosts.  

The program-record delegation from the men’s program includes All-American Jesse Middendorf, Cal Wright, Colin Schuller, Wade Rhonemus, Cooper Folkestad and Tommy Kern.

Middendorf will be making his second straight appearance at a national meet, but his first go around at an NCAA Indoor Meet. The other five Cobbers will be making their very first trip to nationals.

Middendorf qualified for the indoor national meet in the 800 meters. He ran a 1:53.23 to win the event at the MIAC Championship Meet. His time is currently No.10 in the nation. The 800 prelims will take place on Friday, Mar. 11 at 3:35 p.m. (cst).

Middendorf will also be a part of the Cobber 4x400-meter relay team which had the race of the year on Saturday at the Wartburg Qualifier. Middendorf was joined by Wright, Schuller and Kern – and clocked a 3:16.87. That time won the event, broke the school record by almost 3-seconds and is the third fastest time in DIII this year. The prelims for the 4x400 are scheduled for Friday at 4:35 p.m.  

Wright and Kern will also be competing in the 400 meters in North Carolina. They both qualified with times that put them in the Top 10 of the country. Wright posted his qualifying time at the SDSU Indoor Classic on Feb. 11 when he ran a 49.03. That time is tied for ninth fastest in the nation. Kern’s top time of the year came at the Bison Open on Feb. 4 when he broke the school record with a mark of 48.77, which is No.4 in DIII heading into nationals. The 400 prelims at the DIII meet will take place on Friday at 1:30 p.m.

Rhonemus and Folkestad will carry the torch for the CC field athletes. Rhonemus might be the surprise qualifier on the team. He has continually improved in the multi-event competitions and broke through at the MIAC pentathlon when he finished with a total of 4,664 points. That total is fifth most in school history and has him as the No.18 seed heading into the DIII Meet.

Rhonemus kicks off his very first national meet appearance when he competes in the 60-meter dash in the pentathlon on Friday at 10 a.m.

Folkestad came through with his best mark of the season in the shot put on his very last attempt in the very last qualifying meet. He uncorked a throw of 54-01.25 which is No.6 in the nation and second farthest in school history.

Folkestad will have to wait for Day 2 for his national meet appearance. The shot put is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m.               

Like Middendorf, Hovland will be making her second straight trip to a Division III National Meet – but first to the Indoor Championships.

Hovland earned her trip to the Tarheel State by posting a distance of 44-01.25 at the MIAC Indoor Championship Meet on Feb. 24. That mark is a personal best for Hovland and the fifth farthest distance in program history.

Hovland is seeded 18th heading into the national meet. The shot put competition will be held on Saturday, Mar. 12 at 10 a.m. (cst).