ST. PAUL, Minn. – With 41 men, 28 women, and a hungry group of returners, the Concordia-St. Paul men's and women's track and field teams are set to get the 2021 track and field season underway this weekend. The indoor season will begin with the Mel Tjeerdsma Classic hosted by Northwest Missouri State on Saturday, January 16, in Maryville, Mo.

TEAM OVERVIEW
In the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll released last month, the women's team was picked to finish sixth and the men were picked to finish eighth in the conference. This marks improvement for both teams as the women were picked to finish 10th and the men were picked to finish ninth a season ago.

Sam Johnson returns as head coach for his ninth season with the Golden Bears. Assistant coach and throws/recruiting coordinator Lina Baker will also be returning for her third year with Concordia.

With 26 returners on the men's side and 23 for the women, Johnson is excited to watch these student-athletes take advantage of the opportunities they have. "For our returners, things really have come full circle. As a part of the first cohort of athlete's to be affected by the pandemic and lost opportunities at the indoor national meet and subsequent cancellation of the outdoor national meet, I feel like this group understands as much as anyone to not take these opportunities for granted."

With so much uncertainty surrounding them, Johnson has also been impressed with the ability of his team to adapt to the circumstances. "I have seen a renewed sense of purpose and an attitude of embracing development through a long fall of training even in the face of so much uncertainty; this group is resilient and hungry!"

The track and field team will also welcome 19 new recruits and one new transfer, including five women and fifteen men. On this group, Johnson said, "I am mainly just excited to see them have the opportunity to compete. Most of the newcomer's have seen very little, if any, track and field competition since the spring or summer of 2019 during their junior year of high school. It sounds crazy but that is approaching almost two years for some. A lot can happen in that stretch of time and I am convinced these newcomers will surprise some people, perhaps even me!"

GOLDEN BEARS TO WATCH: MEN
Back in December, Isaiah Winowiski and Jakob Tordsen were named the CSP track and field athletes to watch by the NSIC.

Winowiski, a distance runner from Mosinee, Wis., returns for his second season as a Golden Bear. Last year, the sophomore recorded a personal best in the 3000 at the 2019 NSIC Indoor Championships with a time of 9:14.14, landing him in 24th place. He was also a part of the 4x400 team that took ninth place at the NSIC Indoor Challenge (Feb 15) with a time of 3:40.42.

When asked about Winowiski, Johnson said, "Isaiah showed much promise as a true freshman last year on the track and we believe Isaiah is poised for a breakout this winter."

Tordsen, a multi-event athlete from Wausau, Wis., will return after redshirting the indoor season last year. The senior set a personal best in the heptathlon at the 2019 NSIC Track and Field Indoor Championships, finishing seventh and scoring 4625. Tordsen also recorded a personal best in the high jump with a jump of 1.89m while finishing in fifth place at the Ted Nelson Classic.

Speaking about Tordsen, Johnson said, "Jakob is coming off a redshirt indoor season from last year and is in the best shape of his life. He has continued to improve his weaker events in the heptathlon and is really starting to look like an all-around, well-balanced heptathlete."

GOLDEN BEARS TO WATCH: WOMEN
On the women's side, sprinter Toni Canfall and pole vaulter Sofia Dodge were named the CSP track and field athletes to watch.

Last season, Canfall broke the school record in the 60m with a time of 7.44 seconds, putting her in second place at the 2020 NSIC Indoor Championships. The St. Petersburg, Fla. native also broke the school record in the 200m in the same weekend with a time of 24.73 seconds.

When asked about Canfall, Johnson said, "Toni returns to us this year with unfinished business on the track after an indoor season last year where she established herself as one of the top competitors in the conference and country. She has proven that she has the ability to rise to the occasion on a big stage."

Dodge, a sophomore from Chisago Lake, Minn., will return to the team after a promising freshman campaign a season ago. She won the pole vault twice during her first season as a Golden Bear, including setting a personal record in the pole vault after clearing 11'5.75" at the Minnesota State Invitational. Dodge placed fourth at the NSIC Indoor Championships with a mark of 11'2.5".

Speaking about Dodge, Johnson said, "After a promising start to her freshman indoor season last year, Sofia ran into some injuries that kept her from achieving her goals. Now, with another year in training and a healthy start to the season, we are excited for Sofia and her potential in the pole vault."

The Golden Bears will return two additional All-NSIC performers from last year in Arika Robinson and Christabelle Mulcahy. Robinson placed third in high jump at the 2020 NSIC Indoor Championships in Mankato after clearing 5'4.25". Mulcahy placed second in the 60m hurdles at the 2020 NSIC Indoor Championships with a time of 8.78 seconds.

LOOKING AHEAD
Following the Mel Tjeerdsma Classic this weekend, the Golden Bears will head to Mankato, Minn. for the Chuck Peterson Dual on January 23. The team will then hit the road to Topeka, Kan. for the Washburn Open hosted by Washburn University on January 29 and 30.

As the season progresses, Johnson is excited to watch his team grow and develop. "I am interested to see how the competitive identity of this team will develop. We spent the fall semester training in small event-based groups and we didn't have any large, full team activities in person, so we haven't truly developed a full team identity. That process typically begins after the cross country season and proceeds through late fall semester so it will take a more concerted effort to build our team cohesion during and throughout the competitive season."