Week 4: GPAC Men's Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week

(Sioux City, Iowa) – The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) and Hauff Mid-America Sports are proud to announce the following men's indoor track & field athletes-of-the-week for events held April 6-12, 2026. Hauff Mid-America Sports is the presenting sponsor of the 2025-2026 GPAC Players-of-the-Week and Players and Coaches-of-the-Year awards program. 

Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Men's Indoor Track & Field Athletes-of-the-Week

Field Events – Cale Bessler, Doane University

Cale Bessler of Doane University is this week's field athlete-of-the-week. Bessler, a senior from Crete, Nebraska, posted four runner-up finishes while hitting an NAIA standard with each throw. At the Concordia Invite, he posted a personal best throw of 17.14m (56-03.00) and sits second in the NAIA. He had a throw of 50.35m (165-02) in the discus. Two days later in a dual with Nebraska Wesleyan, he had a personal best in the discus with a throw of 51.56m (169-02) to move into eighth in the NAIA. He added a throw of 16.77m (55-00.25) in the shot put.

Track Events – Jonny Jurchen, Concordia University

Jonny Jurchen of Concordia University is this week's track athlete-of-the-week. Jurchen, a sophomore from Seward, Nebraska, eclipsed the NAIA automatic national qualifying standard twice in the race walk during the week. His time of 21:44.43 at the Hastings Invite represented a new personal best and moved him to sixth on the NAIA national list (No. 1 in the GPAC). That time also ranks second best in school history.