Experience And Relays Shine At Cobber Open
Concordia had a trio of upper-class athletes and a pair of relay teams lead the team at the season-opening Cobber Open on Saturday. Airial Johnson, Peyton Selle and Brooke Kangas all posted Top 3 finishes to help the Cobbers kick off the 2024 campaign, while the CC 4x200 and 4x400-meter relay teams both recorded event wins.
MOORHEAD, Minn. (1/20/24)--- Concordia had a trio of upper-class athletes and a pair of relay teams lead the team at the season-opening Cobber Open on Saturday. Airial Johnson, Peyton Selle and Brooke Kangas all posted Top 3 finishes to help the Cobbers kick off the 2024 campaign, while the CC 4x200 and 4x400-meter relay teams both recorded event wins.
Johnson came away with one of two individual event wins for Concordia. She posted a personal-best time of 2:44.85 in the 800 meters and edged teammate Elsie Hatlevig by 2.44 seconds.
Johnson also posted a fourth-place finish in the mile with a finishing time of 5:49.93.
Hatlevig was also sixth in the mile as CC had four athletes finish in the Top 6 of that event. Hatlevig posted a mark of 5:56.21, while Amelia Rowley was fifth at 5:51.49.
Selle started her training for the indoor multi-event competition by participating in five different events. She claimed the top spot in the triple jump with a distance of 35-02.50. That mark is No.5 on the conference list this year.
Selle was also fourth in the long jump (16-05.00), fourth in the high jump (4-09.00), fifth in the 60-meter hurdles (9.59) and 16th in the shot put (31-01.75).
Kangas led the Cobber throwing contingent with a third-place finish in the weight throw. She recorded a distance of 43-11.25 on her fifth attempt and jumped into the Top 3 in the event that had 15 athletes.
The other Top 3 finish for the Cobbers on Saturday was turned in by distance runner Drew Frolek. Frolek competed in the mile run and clocked a time of 5:46.33, which was good for third place in the event.
A pair of sprinters posted Top 5 finishes in the 60-meter dash. Sophomore Emily Rengo raced to a time of 8.11 and edged first-year teammate Andie Sandman, who crossed the line in a time of 8.19. Rengo was fourth in the event and Sandman finished fifth. Both times are in the Top 10 of the MIAC this season. Sandman's time is also No.10 on the Cobber all-time list.
First-year athlete Piper Osborne gave CC three sprinters with a time of under 8.40 in the event. Osborne posted a career-best time of 8.39 and is in the Top 20 of the conference in the event.
Concordia used the strength of its sprinters and middle-distance crew to win both the 4x200 and 4x400-meter relay events at the meet. The quartet of Rengo, Meg Shercliffe, Osborne and Kyla Nygaard came through with a time of 1:50.40 to win the race by 2.11 seconds over second-place DII MSU Moorhead. That mark is the second fastest in the MIAC this year.
Frolek and Nygaard joined forces with Grace Ciarrochi and Izzy Johnson to claim the title in the 4x400-meter relay. The Cobbers' top team clocked a 4:33.83. That time won the race by .99 of a second.
UP NEXT: Concordia will continue the 2024 indoor season when they head north on I-29 to participate in the UND Open on Saturday, Jan. 27 at noon.
COBBER NOTABLES:
Cobber Open
Olson Forum
January 20, 2024
COBBER ALL-TIME LIST:
60 – Andie Sandman – 8.19 – All-Time #10
60 – Piper Osborne – 8.39 – All-Time #21
200 – Kyla Nygaard – 27.59 – All-Time #25
Triple Jump – Peyton Selle – 35-2.5 (10.73m) – All-Time #13
PERSONAL RECORDS:
60- Piper Osborne
Long Jump- Jenna Kalevik
Shot Put- Charlotte Dove, Laura Fuller Brown, Grace Ciarrochi, Alaina Voss
Weight Throw- Laura Fuller Brown, Alaina Voss.