RIVER FOREST, Ill.  – It's not long now before the first official meet of the season and the Concordia University Chicago (CUC) track and field teams are raring to go. Led by head coach Andy Chizzo in his third season at the helm, the Cougars strive to keep breaking records and putting their stamp on the track and field.
 
Last Indoor Season
The Cougars started off the season on December 7^th, 2024, at the ONU Holiday Invite. There, the Cougars set the tone for the remainder of the season with multiple top 10 performances and personal records. CUC then competed at the Cardinal Opener, Heenan Invitational, Aurora Grand Prix, Windy City Rumble, Tadd Metzger Invite & Multis, Chicagoland Championships, and Margaret Bradley Invite. Throughout the eight meets of the season, CUC reached new heights, including shattering a few school records. On the men's side, the 4x400m relay team consisting of Vincent Scarnato (Pottstown, Pa.), Austin Knight (Forest Park, Ill.), Jamel Goins (Columbus, Ohio), and Miguel Sanchez set a new record of 3:22.52. For the women, Noor Sammour (Berwyn, Ill.) broke the 25-year-old high jump record with a leap of 1.53m.

At the NACC Indoor Championships, the Cougars showcased their talents, picking up 16 All-Conference accolades, a plethora of PR's, and two more school records. Eve Shelton (St. Louis, Mo.) led the women's team with a gold medal performance in the 60m hurdles. Her time of 9.05 not only broke the school record but also broke the NACC record and the NACC Indoor Championships record in the event. The men's 4x400m relay team once again shone, taking first place. Matthew Cardwell (Cincinnati, Ohio) secured a new school record in the heptathlon with 3792 points and a fourth-place finish. Rounding out the medals was Darius Strother (Joliet, Ill.) who took bronze in the high jump.
 
Last Outdoor Season
With the first meet of the season not for another few weeks, the Cougars had time to train, recover, and build on the momentum from the indoor conference championships. The Cougars competed at the First Chance Invite and the Chicagoland Championships before hosting the Cougar Invitational on April 11-12. The Cougars rounded out their schedule at the Green & White Invitational, Kip Janvrin Open, Elmhurst Twilight Invitational, and Drake Relays before heading into the NACC Championships.

The Cougars put on a dominant showing at the Championships, breaking school records, recording multiple PRs, and accumlating 17 All-Conference accolades. Shelton again took home the gold, this time in the 100m hurdles with a time of 14.92. Kirsten Bockhorst (Union, Mo.) secured bronze in the long jump with a PR leap of 5.27m. On the men's side, Knight was named NACC Track Athlete of the Year for his outstanding performances year-round. At the championships, Knight broke the school record in the 200m dash to take gold with a time of 21.57. Knight also PR'd in the 100m, running a 10.77 to secure silver. Goins also broke a school record and set a PR of 55.96 in the 400m hurdles to take bronze. Cardwell secured bronze in the Decathlon with 4810 points.

After the Championships, a select group of Cougars competed at the USF Fighting Chance Invite and the Augustana Penultimate Qualifier. The Cougars broke one more school record, as the 4x800m relay team consisting of Breanna Walters (Poplar Grove, Ill.), Tegan Oas (Shingle Springs, Calif.), Addi McKee, and Izzy Fairless (Royal Oak, Mich.) set a new top time of 10:28.38 on the women's side.
 
2025 All-Conference Honorees
2025 Indoor NACC Conference Championship
60m Hurdles
Eve Shelton (9.05)*
 
200 Meter
Austin Knight (22.61)
 
800 Meter
Izzy Fairless (2:29.41)
 
3000 Meter
Ariel Martinez (11:12.24)
 
High Jump
Darius Strother (1.86m)
 
Shot Put
Brandon Montford (13.17m)
 
Heptathlon
Matthew Cardwell (3792 points)
Vincent Scarnato (3319 points)
 
Distance Medley Relay
Adrian Mendez, Cameron Mitchell, Jamel Goins, Donovan Depakakibo (11:30.73)
Tegan Oas, Ariel Martinez, Breanna Walters, Izzy Fairless (13:54.63)
 
4x400m Relay
Austin Knight, Vincent Scarnato, Miguel Sanchez, Jamel Goins (3:27.85)*
Eve Shelton, Tegan Oas, Izzy Fairless, Hanna Holmes (4:25.19)
 
2025 Outdoor NACC Conference Championship
100 Meter
Austin Knight (10.77)
 
100 Meter Hurdles
Eve Shelton (14.92)*
 
200 Meter
Austin Knight (21.57)*
Aniyah Isom (26.82)
 
400 Meter
Vincent Scarnato (50.64)
 
400 Meter Hurdles
Jamel Goins (55.96)
Tegan Oas (1:12.30)
 
800 Meter
Izzy Fairless (2:29.00)
 
3000 Meter Steeplechase
Ariel Martinez (12:28.23)
 
Long Jump
Kirsten Bockhorst (5.27m)
 
High Jump
Darius Strother (1.76m)
 
Pole Vault
Dayton Merli (3.73m)
 
Shot Put
Brandon Montford (13.56m)
 
Decathlon
Matthew Cardwell (4810 points)
 
4x100 Meter Relay
Vincent Scarnato, Julian Switzer, Miguel Sanchez, Austin Knight (42.08)*
Jerzey Allen, Aniyah Isom, Eve Shelton, Daisia Wilson (51.62)
 
4x400 Meter Relay
Miguel Sanchez, Vincent Scarnato, Jamel Goins, Austin Knight (3:22.87)*
 
*Denotes a first-place finish
 
Coaching Staff
The coaching staff returns Chizzo as well as assistant coach Max Woywod. Woywod leads the sprinters and hurdlers, a familiar area for the Track & Field alum. The Cougars add a few new faces as well to the staff including assistant coach Chris Dvorak, who just finished up his first season as head coach of the cross country teams. The team also has two graduate assistants, as Christopher Duron Jr. will help the distance runners while Larry Branch III will help out the jumpers.
 
What's to Come
Indoor Season
The Cougars kick off the indoor season tomorrow, December 6^th, at the ONU Holiday Open in Bourbonnais, Ill. To ring in the new year, CUC will make a quick trip to Chicago for the Phoenix Invite on January 10^th and then head down to Naperville for the Heenan Invite on January 17^th. On January 24^th, the Cougars will travel to Aurora, Ill. for the Aurora Grand Prix before returning to Bourbonnais on January 30^th for the ONU Invitational. The Cougars will have three meets in February, including the Red Hawk Invite on the 7^th, the Chicagoland Championships on the 13^th, and the Margaret Bradley Invitational on the 21^st. All of these meets culminate to the NACC Indoor Championships, which will be held February 27^th-28^th in Ripon, Wis. The Cougars will then have one final weekend to push themselves, with the Carthage Final Qualifier on March 6^th and the UW-La Crosse Final Qualifier on March 7^th, in hopes of securing a spot at the NCAA DIII Indoor Championships on March 13^th-14^th.
 
Outdoor Season
While the schedule is still being built, there's no doubt the Cougars will have plenty of action in the outdoor season, including hosting the Cougar Invite on April 24^th-25^th.
 
Coverage can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.