Conference Prep Is Finished

NORTHFIELD, Minn. (5/08/21)---Concordia competed in the USD Tune-Up and St. Olaf Ole Open on Friday and Saturday as they get ready for the MIAC Championship Meet on May 14-15.

The Cobbers sent the middle distance and distance runners to South Dakota while the remainder of the team headed to Northfield to participate in the Ole Open.

Junior Jesse Middendorf placed seventh in the 1500 meters at the Division I-laden USD Tune-Up. He posted a time of 3:58.99 which is a personal best and the 10th fastest in school history. It also pushes him into the Top 10 in the MIAC this year in the event.

Senior Munir Isahak also crossed the finish line with a personal best time at USD. He competed in the 800 meters on Friday and posted a time of 1:57.50 which is just outside the Top 10 in the MIAC this year.

Junior Leo Smith had the best finish of any CC athlete at USD as he won the 5000 meters which had a smaller field than most of the other events. His winning time of 15:52.62 is off his season-best mark of 15:28.72 which he set at the St. John's Last Minute Meet on Apr. 10.

A pair of other Cobber runners posted season-best time which will get them into the MIAC Meet. Junior Dan Wilson recorded a personal-best time of 56.81 in the 400-meter hurdles which is sixth fastest in the conference this year and in the Top 20 on the Cobber all-time list. Junior Nolan Christenson came away with a PR in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a mark of 10:06.39 which is No.11 in the MIAC this year and in the Top 20 in the history of the program. 

Freshman Cooper Folkestad and senior Jacob Steiner continue to push each other this season in each other in the throwing events and both had multiple Top 6 finishes in Northfield on Saturday. Folkestad won the shot put with a distance of 49-07.00. Steiner was right behind in second place at 48-08.00. Both athletes are in the Top 4 in the MIAC in the shot put this year.

Folestad also finished fourth in the discus and Steiner was sixth in the hammer throw. Folkestad had a distance of 140-06 in the discus and Steiner came up with a day's best mark of 161-03.00 in the hammer.       

Colin Schuller and Dawson Schaffer led the track athletes at the Ole Open. Both sprinters finished in the Top 6 in the 200 and 400 meters. Schuller was fifth in the 200 at 23.10 and second in the 400 with a season-best time of 51.32 while Schaffer posted season-best times in both events. He was sixth in the 200 with a mark of 23.18 and third in the 400 at 51.96.

UP NEXT: Concordia will compete in an MIAC Championship Meet for the first time since the indoor meet in 2020 when they finished in second place. This year's conference meet will be held at Hamline University on Friday, May 14 and Saturday, May 15.