ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Concordia-St. Paul department of athletics has announced its 2020-21 CSP Female and Male Athletes of the Year with senior track & field athletes
Toni Canfall and
Marcus Gustaveson earning the honors.
The honor awards the top athletic performers among Concordia's student-athletes with criteria focused on, but not limited to, performance in competition. Nominations for the award were solicited from head coaches of each program and voted on by athletic department head coaches and administrators.
This is the first time the track & field program has swept the male and female honors in the same year since records were kept of the annual honor dating back to the 2006-07 academic year.
Canfall joins Wakpor Ighovojah (2017-18) on the female side while Gustaveson joins
Benjamin Allen (2018-19), Mike Cullen (2014-15) and Nate Thienes (2012-13) from the men's track & field program. Gustaveson and Allen were teammates, while he joins Cullen and Thienes from the throws event. Coincidentally, Gustaveson, Cullen and Thienes were all members of the football program during their careers, as well.
TONI CANFALL, track & field
(Sprints, 5-1, Sr., St. Petersburg, Fla. / Boca Ciega HS)
USTFCCCA Indoor All-America First Team in two events (60m & 200m)
USTFCCCA All-Region during Indoor & Outdoor seasons
2021 NSIC Indoor Champion (60m)
Ranked 8th in NCAA Division II in the 100m (11.57)
"This year Toni finally got a chance to compete at the highest levels of Division II track and field after being pulled off the track at the indoor national championships in March of 2020 due to COVID-19, and her performances did not disappoint. She's proven that she is a threat to win any race she is entered in and has a unique ability to shine in the biggest moments on the biggest stages. Speaking to her demeanor and personality, opposing coaches and athletes respect and admire her as evidenced by the support and empathy they shared with her after she suffered a significant injury during this outdoor season," –
Sam Johnson, head track & field coach
- 2021 USTFCCCA All-America First Team (indoor 60m and 200m)
- 2021 USTFCCCA All-Region Team (indoor and outdoor)
- 2020 USTFCCCA All-Region
- Six-time All-NSIC performer, 4x indoor & 2x outdoor (60m, 100m, 200m)
- 2021 NSIC Champion in the indoor 60m
- Scored 63 points throughout her career at the NSIC Track & Field Championships
- Ranks eighth in the nation for Division II with her time of 11.57 in the 100m
- Ranks 32nd in the nation for Division II with her time of 24.38 in the 200m
- Ranks first in the NSIC in the indoor 60m and outdoor 100m in 2021
- Nine-time NCAA DII Championships provisional qualifier in 2021
- Holds the CSP school record in the indoor 60m and 200m and outdoor 100m and 200m
- Three-time CSP Athlete of the Week in 2020-21 and 7x in her career
MARCUS GUSTAVESON, track & field (formerly football)
(Throws, 6-5, 210, Sr., Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton North HS)
Accepted for US Olympic Team Trials in June, 2021
Top-Ranked in Division II in the discus (61.53m)
Ranked top-5 all-time in DII history in the discus (61.53 - updated rankings pending)
USTFCCCA Outdoor All-America First Team (Discus)
Placed 3rd in the discus at NCAA Championships
"Marcus chose to return to CSP for his final outdoor track & field season after the pandemic prematurely ended what would have been his senior year in 2020. Citing unfinished business in his primary event, the discus throw, he wanted to see what might be possible if he dedicated a full off-season to training for that event. He has always had the potential to be elite; we are now beginning to see what that exactly means as he will have an opportunity to compete at the US Olympic Trials at the end of this month, which will hopefully spring-board him to further opportunities at the professional and international level in the future." – Sam Johnson, head track & field coach
- 2020 US Olympic Team Trials (June, 2021)
- 2021 USTFCCCA All-America First Team (discus)
- Finished third at the 2021 NCAA DII Championships in the discus
- 2021 USTFCCCA All-Region Team
- 2021 USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week (3/23)
- Eight-time NCAA DII Championships automatic qualifier in 2020-21
- Nine-time NCAA DII Championships provisional qualifier in 2020-21
- Five-time NSIC Field Athlete of the Week in 2021
- 2021 NSIC Champion in the shot put
- 2021 NSIC Champion in the discus
- Ranks first in the nation for Division II with a distance of 61.53m in the discus
- Ranks 21st in the nation for Division II with a distance of 17.53m in the shot put
- Ranks first in the NSIC in the discus in 2020-21
- Ranks first in the NSIC in the shot put in 2020-21
- Eight-time All-NSIC performer in his career including 5x Outdoor & 3x Indoor (shot put, discus)
- Compiled 75 points throughout his career at the NSIC Championships
- Holds the CSP record in the outdoor shot put and discus
- Six-time CSP Athlete of the Week in 2020-21 and 11x in his career
- Four year starting wide receiver in football (2016-19), with 120 catches for 1,796 yards and 19 touchdowns in 42 games
- 2017 All-NSIC South Division honorable mention wide receiver with 43 catches, 656 yards and nine TDs
