Business As Usual On Day 1 at MIAC Indoor Meet

NORTHFIELD, Minn. (02/25/22)---It was business as usual for Concordia on Day 1 at the MIAC Indoor Championship Meet. The Cobbers broke two more school records on opening day and posted wins in three different events.

The records and event wins added up to 65 team points which puts the Cobbers in second place heading into the final day of competition.

Seniors Jesse Middendorf and Munir Isahak led the "business as usual" crowd as they posted the school record-breaking time on Friday.    

Middendorf can now be named "Mr. 800" as he dominated the competition to win the 800 meters by 3-seconds. His winning time of 1:53.23 broke his own school record and is the sixth fastest time in Division III this year.

Isahak finished of his trifecta of school record in the 3000 meters. Earlier this season he had set the program records in the mile and 5K, and on Friday he ran a 14:31.91 to take down the 10-year-old mark in the 5K. Isahak has now broken all three distance records that were previously held by Cobber standout Tom Sederquist.

Isahak's finishing time on Friday earned him a second-place finish as he was edged at the tap by a mere .61 of a second.

A pair of freshmen turned in the other event wins for Concordia. Tommy Kern, who owns the school record in the 400 meters, won that event on Friday with a time of 49.54. He out leaned teammate Cal Wright at the wire. Wright ran a time of 49.72 which was good for second place and eight team points.

Anthony Marsh provided the most drama for the Cobbers on Day 1. He came from nowhere to win the long jump with a season-best mark of 22-06.25. Marsh then made his way to the track where he ran in the 55-meter dash finals. He finished with a time of 7.44, which is a huge accomplishment after he pulled his hamstring in midrace.

Following the race, Marsh had to be wheeled over to the awards stand in a wagon and propped up on top of the podium to receive his award for winning the long jump.

Cooper Folkestad and Jake Kerzman both earned team points in the weight throw. Folkestad posted a distance of 52-04.75 and was sixth, while Kerzman finished seventh at 51-02.75.

Wade Rhonemus and Nolan Valdez had the other Top 8 finishes in field events to score points for CC. Rhonemus, who placed third in the heptathlon that finished earlier in the day, was seventh in the pole vault with a height of 14-00.50.

Valdez was eighth in the long jump at 20-04.50.

Nolan Morical was the final team-point getter for the Cobbers on Friday. He clocked a 6.76 in the finals of the 55-meter dash and placed sixth. He ran a 6.69 in the prelims which was a season-best mark for Morical.

UP NEXT: Concordia will hope for more records and less drama when they finish the MIAC Meet on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 12 p.m. at Carleton College.