BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Concordia-St. Paul women's track and field team was picked to finished 10th in the 2025-26 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Indoor Track & Field Preseason Coaches Poll, it was announced by the conference office on Thursday morning.
The Golden Bears received 68 points in the poll, putting them four points ahead of 11th-place Minot State and 11 points behind ninth-place Southwest Minnesota State.
Minnesota State was picked to repeat as conference champions with a total of 196 points, receiving 14 of the 15 first-place votes. UMary was picked as the conference runner-up with 181 points and the final first-place vote.
The Golden Bears were also picked to finish 10th in the same poll a season ago and wound up placing 11th at the NSIC Indoor Championships.
The 2025-26 campaign will mark the first under new leadership for Concordia, with Head Coach
Sam Kettenhofen taking over after former Head Coach Sam Johnson stepped down in the spring, following a 13-year run at the helm.
Senior distance runner
Nyadio Chan was named CSP's track athlete to watch for the indoor season while senior thrower
Maya Lavendusky was named Concordia's field athlete to watch.
When asked about Chan, Kettenhofen stated, "One athlete I think people should keep an eye on is Nyadio, our standout in the 800 meters. She had a really strong last season and has come back this year with even more focus and maturity. Her training has been consistent, she's stronger than ever, and I think she's ready to take a big step forward this indoor season."
Speaking about Lavendusky, Kettenhofen added, "She's been putting in a lot of quality work this preseason — technically, she's made some great adjustments, and the strength gains she's made in the weight room are really starting to show. What stands out about her is her work ethic and competitiveness; she's never satisfied and always looking for ways to improve. I think this indoor season could be a yet another successful one for her."
On his women's squad as a whole ahead of the season, Kettenhofen stated, "We have a really great mix of veterans who know what it takes to compete at a high level and younger athletes who are eager to make their mark. The indoor season is always a great opportunity to build momentum, grow together as a unit, and establish the competitive mindset we'll carry with us throughout the year season. What stands out about this group is their energy and how much they push and support each other. I'm excited to see that translate into strong performances during the indoor season."
The Golden Bears are set to open the 2025-26 campaign this weekend with a select group of athletes competing at the Chuck Peterson Open hosted by Minnesota State in Mankato, Minn. on Friday.
