SEWARD, Neb. – The postseason accolades have not stopped pouring in for the likes of national champions Jacob Cornelio and Josie Puelz. On Thursday (July 22), the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) honored Jacob Cornelio as the NAIA Men’s Outdoor Track & Field National Scholar Field Athlete of the Year while Josie Puelz was chosen as the NAIA Women’s Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field National Scholar Field Athlete of the Year.
Additionally, Head Coach Matt Beisel’s men’s and women’s squads were recognized as All-Academic Teams by the USTFCCCA and 48 Bulldogs garnered All-Academic Athlete status. Teams are required to achieve a collective 3.0 grade-point average or better and individuals must achieve at least a 3.25 GPA while also recording an automatic or provisional national qualifying mark in either indoor or outdoor.
Cornelio (2020-21 Concordia Senior Male Athlete of the Year) ended his collegiate career on a high by winning the 2021 hammer throw national title with a school record mark of 219 feet. As a fifth-year member of the program, he also won the GPAC hammer throw crown and qualified for nationals in the discus. A two-time national champion, Cornelio totaled six career All-America awards and four individual GPAC titles and made seven appearances at national championship meets. He helped the Bulldogs place in the top 10 nationally three times. Cornelio graduated with a degree in Psychology and is pursuing an MBA.
Recently named the State College Female Athlete of the Year by the Lincoln Journal Star, Puelz rose to stardom in 2021 by sweeping NAIA indoor and outdoor pole vault national titles. In the process of winning championships, Puelz broke the school indoor (13’ 4 ½”) and outdoor (13’ 7 ¼”) pole vault records. Puelz won the 2021 GPAC outdoor championship and was rewarded with the GPAC Field Performance of the Meet honor. Puelz is a two-time GPAC champion and a three-time All-American. She carries a perfect 4.0 GPA while studying Elementary Education.
This past year, 22 Bulldogs emerged from the NAIA indoor national meet with at least one All-America award while 16 athletes represented Concordia with one or more All-America plaques at the outdoor national championships. Each of those athletes are included in the list below. In addition to the national titles won by Cornelio and Puelz, Elizabeth Stottlemyre took the javelin national title.
Concordia 2021 USTFCCCA All-Academic Athletes
MEN
· Zach Bennetts
· Chase Berry
· Jacob Cornelio
· Jacob Jennings
· Cade Kleckner
· Maccoy Menke
· Colton Meyer
· Ben Moll
· Joel Rathe
· Henry Reimer
· Calvin Rohde
· Darien Semedo
· Camden Sesna
· Christian Van Cleave
· Zach Zohner
WOMEN
· Jordyn Anderson
· Anna Baack
· Rachel Batterhsell
· Keri Bauer
· Jamey Broman
· Olivia Buschow
· Amira Cummings
· Morgan De Jong
· Abigail Gerber
· Rylee Haecker
· Kylahn Heritage
· Sara Huss
· Sarah Lewis
· Emily Loy
· Elle Luehr
· Erin Mapson
· Taylor Moes
· Kennedy Mogul
· Hannah Mulligan
· Cora Olson
· Alli Owings
· Jacee Pfeifer
· Kamryn Pokorney
· Josie Puelz
· Sarah Ragland
· Grace Reiman
· Amy Richert
· Sydni Schernikau
· Katie Severt
· Adrianna Shaw
· Bethany Shaw
· Elizabeth Stottlemyre
· Lainey Werts
