Concordia University Athletics has announced its 2021-22 Concordia Senior Athletes of the Year. As voted upon by members of the athletic department, Lane Napier has been selected as the 2021-22 Male Senior Athlete of the Year while Sarah Lewis has been honored as the 2021-22 Concordia Female Senior Athlete of the Year. As senior athletes of the year, the two standout Bulldogs will automatically be nominated for future consideration as members of the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame.
As this year’s award winners, Lewis and Napier will be invited to attend the 2022 Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony slated for the night of Sept. 16. The ceremony represents one of the highlights of homecoming weekend on the Concordia University Nebraska campus.
Said Director of Athletics Devin Smith, “It is our privilege to honor Sarah Lewis and Lane Napier as Concordia’s Senior Athletes of the Year for 2021-22. It’s been a joy to watch Sarah and Lane grow athletically, academically and in their Christian faith during their time as Bulldogs. Sarah’s accomplishments as a nine-time All-American are tremendous and Lane’s impressive achievement on the football field speak for itself. I know they will both continue to make us proud as they continue with the next steps of their lives. Congratulations to Sarah and Lane!”
Sarah Lewis, Track & Field
In 2021-22, Sarah Lewis put the finishing touches on a remarkable collegiate career. As a senior, Lewis earned three separate All-America awards and starred for a 4x400 meter relay group that broke the outdoor school record. A native of Mason City, Neb., and Ansley Public Schools alum, Lewis collected nine career All-America awards, including seven in the 4x4 and two in the 400 meter hurdles. She also took home three GPAC titles in the 4x4 and raked in 19 total all-conference awards in her career. Lewis helped lead Concordia Women’s Track & Field to seven-straight GPAC titles (beginning in 2019) and to six-consecutive top-five NAIA national meet finishes as a team. A Business Administration and Accounting major, Lewis earned high marks in the classroom and was a three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
This past 2022 outdoor season, Lewis turned in a fourth-place national finish in the 400 hurdles in one of the major highlights of her career from an individual perspective. Lewis graduated with school records in both the indoor 4x4 (3:47.39) and outdoor 4x4 (3:47.26). For indoor, she also boasts all-time indoor school rankings of second in the 60 hurdles (8.87) and third in the 400 meters (58.10). On the program outdoor lists, she ranks second in the 100 hurdles (14.53), second in the 4x100 meter relay (47.70) and third in the 400 hurdles (1:01.14).
Said Head Coach Matt Beisel, “Sarah brings joy with her wherever she goes. I love being around her – she’s like a power outlet to everyone in her presence. She has a magnetic personality and a huge heart and is a pivotal leader on our team. Coming out of the smaller environment at Ansley-Litchfield High School, where she was able to accomplish some big things in the hurdles at the state level, she had a lot of room to grow and develop as an athlete in a big environment like this. It’s been so much fun seeing her rapid progression to All-American athlete and school record holder. I’m grateful to God that He brought her to us.”
Lane Napier, Football
In terms of defensive production, Lane Napier has no equal in the history of Concordia Football. The David City, Neb., native and Aquinas Catholic High School alum returned to Concordia for a fifth season in 2021 and starred as one of the nation’s best defensive players. He was named an NAIA First Team All-American by both the American Football Coaches Association and the Associated Press and was recognized as the GPAC Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, Napier garnered additional 2021 awards as the Omaha World Herald’s All-Midlands Team Defensive Captain and as a Cliff Harris Award nominee (for nation’s top small college defensive player). In his final season as a Bulldog, Napier led the team to a 7-3 record while totaling 134 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, three pass breakups, one interception, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
By career’s end, Napier piled up an astounding 535 tackles, a figure that ranks as the most by any player in the history of the GPAC. Due to the circumstances brought about by COVID-19, Napier accomplished an exceptionally rare feat of landing on the GPAC’s first team honor roll five times. Not only that, the AFCA chose Napier as an All-American in four separate seasons – honorable mention in 2018 and 2019, second team in 2020 and first team in 2021. The World-Herald tagged Napier as its All-Midlands Defensive Captain three times (2018, 2019 and 2021). In addition to his 535 tackles, Napier posted career figures of 36.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, 10 pass breakups, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions.
Said Head Coach Patrick Daberkow of Napier, “Lane is one of the toughest players to ever come through this football program. He played through more bumps, bruises, and full-blown injuries than most people know. His style of tackling is very rare. He always had an understanding of down and distance and was always tackling players in a way that they weren’t able to fall forward, or reach the ball out. The extra yard always belonged to Lane in a matchup with a ball carrier. I’m so thankful to have coached him, and I appreciate all that he’s done for our football program and university over the course of his career!”