Tabor track members qualify for Nationals
Even before the outdoor track season begins on March 13, the Tabor College men's track program has already produced an All-American.
Landon Goertzen, a senior from Henderson, Neb., followed up his three-time outdoor KCAC championships in the 800 meter run by qualifying and placing sixth at the NAIA National Indoor Track meet March 4 to 6.
Goertzen was an automatic qualifier for the 600-meter run. He qualified with a time of 121:85 at the Nebraska Wesleyan invitational.
While competing at the national meet in Johnson City, Tenn., Goertzen won his preliminary heat with a time of 121:8, said head track coach Dave Kroeker.
"He competed really well and he beat some kids that had several second faster qualifying times in his qualifying heat," he said. "He then ran a good race in the finals."
Out of the six finalists in his race, Goertzen placed sixth with a time of 121:03. This sixth-placed finish earned Goertzen All-American honors in the 600 meters.
"I'm excited for Landon," Kroeker said. "He accomplished something really special. It doesn't happen to a Tabor athlete very often that they get to be recognized as an All-American."
Ashley Scherrer, a freshman from Limon, Colo., also qualified for the National Indoor Track meet in the triple jump.
Scherrer was a provisional qualifier for the meet with a jump of 35' 4 1/2" at the Central Missouri State meet.
While Scherrer didn't make finals, she ended her indoor season with a leap of 35' 10 3/4."
"She performed really well not having spent a lot of time and energy working on that particular event, which is her primary event," said Kroeker. "I hope she was very pleased. I surely was that she was able to do that with a limited amount of actual, on the runway practice."
While indoor track is not the focus of the Tabor College track program, Kroeker said he was pleased with the results.
"Being good enough to be there was a real honor," he said. "Experiencing the competition and then being in a big indoor facility and around the best athletes at our level of competition is an honor."
