Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
Male: Brad Hallock, Baseball
A senior from Carrollton, Texas, Brad Hallock continued his power surge this past week as he homered four times and drove in 13 runs while going 8-for-19 (.421) at the plate as part of the four-game series at Mount Marty. Hallock now leads all GPAC players this season in home runs (18) and RBIs (51).
Female: Adrianna Rodencal, Track & Field
A junior from Lincoln, Neb., Adrianna Rodencal clocked automatic national qualifying times in the 100-meter hurdles (13.46) and 400-meter hurdles (1:01.36) at the Hastings Invite. Both times rank inside the top three on the NAIA national lists. Rodencal also contributed to first-place finishes in the 4x1 and 4x4 relays last week.
2024-25 BAAM Athletes of the Month
March – Jennifer Katz (softball) / Jaidan Quinn (baseball)
February – Abby Krieser (basketball) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
January – Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
December – Gabi Nordaker (volleyball) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
November – Austin Jablonski (football) / Kristin Vieselmeyer (basketball)
October – Carson Fehlhafer (football) / Kierstynn Garner (soccer)
September – Mark Arp (football) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)
2024-25 BAAM Athletes of the Week
April 8 – Brad Hallock (baseball) / Rylee Ladd (powerlifting)
April 1 – Taryn Ganstrom (softball) / Jaidan Quinn (baseball) / Adrianna Rodencal (track & field)
March 25 – Ishane Derman (tennis) / Grady Works (tennis)
March 18 – Hagen Heistand (wrestling) / Jennifer Katz (softball)
March 4 – Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
Feb. 25 – Creighton Baughman (wrestling) / Adrianna Rodencal (track & field)
Feb. 18 – BAAM luncheon canceled
Feb. 11 – Jonny Jurchen (track & field) / Abi Wohlgemuth (track & field)
Feb. 4 – Abby Krieser (basketball) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
Jan. 28 – Makynna Robbins (basketball) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
Jan. 21 – Megan Belt (basketball) / Tristan Smith (basketball) / Abi Wohlgemuth (track & field)
Jan. 14 – Raelyn Kelty (basketball) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
Dec. 17 – Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
Dec. 10 – Creighton Baughman (wrestling) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)
Dec. 3 – Vaughn Hendrickson (cross country) / Kristin Vieselmeyer (basketball)
Nov. 19 – Daylon Henson (football) / Addie Kirkegaard (volleyball)
Nov. 12 – Keegan Beisel (cross country) / Vaughn Hendrickson (cross country)
Nov. 5 – Angela Banks (soccer) / Austin Jablonski (football)
Oct. 29 – Kierstynn Garner (soccer) / Devin Harris (shooting sports)
Oct. 22 – Taylor Hedke (weightlifting) / Austin Jablonski (football)
Oct. 15 – Kierstynn Garner (soccer) / Hugo Garrote (soccer)
Oct. 8 – Carson Fehlhafer (football) / Kaylee Hinton (shooting sports)
Oct. 1 – Carter McKenna (shooting sports) / Kya Scott (volleyball)
Sept. 24 – Ishane Derman (tennis) / Daylon Henson (football)
Sept. 17 – Mark Arp (football) / Ella Waters (volleyball)
Sept. 10 – Hannah Beintema (cross country); Trey Robertson (cross country)
Sept. 3 – Nolan Fuelberth (soccer); Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)
Aug. 27 – Martin Herrera (soccer); Ashley Keck (volleyball)
News and notes:
BAAM luncheons are held every Tuesday at 12 p.m. CT inside the Dog House Grill, located in the Janzow Campus Center. The luncheons feature reports from head coaches who are in season at the time. For information on how to join BAAM, click HERE. It is not a requirement to be a BAAM member in order to attend the weekly luncheons.
Powerlifting hosts second ever home meet: The second home competition in the history of Concordia Powerlifting unfolded this past Saturday (April 12) as 27 athletes displayed their strength inside the PE Center Gym. The field of competitors included 10 Bulldogs. A recap from the meet can be found HERE. The meet followed the 2025 Collegiate Powerlifting National Championships, which saw Head Coach Freddie Myles women’s team bring home a banner thanks to its fifth-place nationals finish. In a major highlight, Rylee Ladd won the 52kg national title. As for weightlifting, that program will host a meet of its own on Saturday, April 26 (as a fundraiser, not an official collegiate competition). Recently, we featured the weightlifting program’s first national champion, Kaiden Mima, in a story that is linked HERE.
Shooting sports concludes 2024-25 competition with international tournament: Before officially wrapping up the 2024-25 season, Concordia Shooting Sports hosted the Concordia Bulldog International Tournament at Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island, Neb., on April 12-13. When the dust settled, Devin Harris emerged as the top shooter in International Skeet while Kaylee Hinton prevailed in Bunker. A total of 12 Bulldogs were put to the test in a unique event that was held for the third-straight year. For more details on Head Coach Dylan Owens and Bulldog Shooting Sports, check out the program’s homepage HERE.
Bulldog Football travels for mission trip at LCMS camp: 15 Bulldogs from Coach Patrick Daberkow's Concordia Football program devoted their spring break to service, helping rebuild an LCMS camp (in Linville, North Carolina) ravaged by Hurricane Helene. Said Daberkow, "It’s really impressive to me to have our players spend their spring break like that ... I think it speaks to their character." Added junior Jesse Herndon, "Just seeing the end product compared to where we started was really gratifying." For more details on the service project (organized by Orphan Grain Train), check out our feature (linked HERE) with thoughts from Daberkow and three of the student-athletes who took part in it.
Devin Smith named Athletics Director of the Year by NACDA: For the second time in five years, Concordia University, Nebraska’s Devin Smith has been honored as an Athletics Director of the Year Award winner by the National Association of Directors of Athletics (NACDA). Smith was announced by NACDA as one of the 28 honorees for 2024-25 on Monday (March 17). The award spans seven divisions (NCAA FBS, FCS, Division I-AAA, II, III, NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions and Junior College/Community Colleges). Winners will be recognized in conjunction with the 60th Annual NACDA & Affiliates Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla., on June 10. For more details on the award, click HERE.
Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its 10th year of existence. The show airs live for a half hour every Thursday beginning at 5:30 p.m. CT on KTMX-FM 104.9 Max Country. The weekly feature can also be heard live via 104.9 Max Country’s website or by downloading the Max Country app. Throughout the 2024-25 season, Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball contests will be aired live on Max Country. Parker Cyza serves as the host of the coaches’ show as well as the play-by-play voice for football and basketball. Frank Greene completed his 10th season calling Concordia volleyball.
Concordia Sports Network: Live webcasts for most home varsity contests can be accessed by visiting https://www.cune.edu/athletics/watch-bulldogs at game time. Beginning with the 2023-24 academic year, Concordia Athletics began a partnership with Hudl for live video streaming. Live webcast links for away contests are publicized in sport specific releases that preview action for that particular week. Scrimmages, exhibitions and junior varsity events are not broadcasted on the Concordia Sports Network.
Softball
· Current record: 23-15, 8-8 GPAC.
· Last week:
o Lost at Morningside, 8-0 (5 inn.), on April 8.
o Lost at Morningside, 7-1, on April 8.
o Lost at Doane, 2-0, on April 11.
o Won at Doane, 5-4, on April 11.
o Won vs. Waldorf, 8-0 (6 inn.), on April 12.
o Won vs. Waldorf, 2-1, on April 12.
· Notable: It was a hectic week of conference play as Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad played three GPAC doubleheaders. After being swept at Morningside and failing in game one at Doane, Concordia had lost six in a row. The Bulldogs then found some relief as they edged Doane in game two, 5-4, and swept a home twin bill from Waldorf. Those results leave Concordia in the middle of the conference pack at 8-8 (sixth place). In response to the string of defeats, Culler shuffled the deck – 16 different position players started at least once game last week. From an offensive perspective, center fielder Jennifer Katz and shortstop/DP Taryn Ganstrom continue to perform with the best consistency. This past week, Katz went 6-for-16 (.375) with two doubles, a home run and three RBIs. Her two-run blast versus Waldorf helped enact the run rule after six innings. Meanwhile, Ganstrom went 5-for-16 with a triple and five runs scored for the week. Katz ranks eighth among GPAC players with a .682 slugging percentage this season. In the pitching circle, senior Megan Eurich put together another fine week as she limited opponents to three earned runs on 13 hits and four walks (18 strikeouts). Kaylei Denison also made three starts last week and is 9-4 with a 3.17 ERA in 2025. Eurich’s 449 career strikeouts rank as the fourth most in program history. The Bulldogs will stay at home this week as they prepare to host Dordt and Mount Marty. Between games of Saturday’s doubleheader, Concordia will recognize a senior class of nine student-athletes.
· For additional news and notes on the softball program, click HERE.
· This week:
o Tuesday, April 15 vs. Dordt (17-24, 6-8 GPAC), 4 p.m. DH.
o Senior Day – Saturday, April 19 vs. Mount Marty (18-16, 9-7 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH.
Golf
· Most recent:
o Men – Lost Bulldog-Tiger Cup to Doane, 10-5, on April 12.
o Women – Finished round one of Kaitlyn Erickson Invite in 11th place/14 on April 14.
· Men’s Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Women’s Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Notable: The clock is ticking until the 2025 GPAC Golf Championships arrive. This past weekend, Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad went head-to-head with Doane in the annual Bulldog-Tiger Cup. The match was tied after best ball, but Doane dominated in singles play and ran away with a 10-5 victory. In best ball, the Bulldogs got wins from the duos of Jacob Dowd and Jake Richmond and Maxwell Fremarek and Bret Brenneis. In singles, Justin Webert claimed a victory. A junior from Elkhorn, Neb., Richmond has been Concordia’s star of the spring with two GPAC Golfer of the Week awards to his credit. Richmond placed in the top 10 of the Doane Invite and Bethel Invite. On the women’s side, the Bulldogs are in the midst of the Kaitlyn Erickson Invite (as of Tuesday afternoon). On day one of the tournament, Concordia shot a team score of 379 and entered round two in 11th place out of 14 groupings. Junior Emery Custer led the Bulldogs by shooting 89 on Monday. She was followed in the lineup by Jennifer Gillotti and Maddie Lewis (94 apiece). The women’s team had been idle since hosting the Concordia Invite on April 1-2. The men will get back to action on Wednesday at the Red Raider Invite. Looming in the near future are the GPAC Championships for both men (April 21-22) and women (April 28-29).
· Up next:
o W – Will complete Kaitlyn Erickson Invite hosted by Doane today (April 15); 2025 GPAC Women’s Golf Championships will take place April 28-29 at Centura Hills Golf Club in Cairo, Neb.
o M – Wednesday, April 16 at Red Raider Invite, 10 a.m.; 2025 GPAC Men’s Golf Championships will take place April 21-22 at Beatrice Country Club in Beatrice, Neb.
Outdoor Track & Field
· Indoor season: women placed third in the GPAC and 20th in the NAIA; men placed fourth in the GPAC and 56th in the NAIA.
· Last week:
o Competed at the Hastings Bronco Invite on April 12.
· Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | TFRRS Performance Lists
· Notable: Week three of the outdoor season saw Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads compete at the Hastings Bronco Invite. The yields included 25 event championships and seven performances that met at least the NAIA B national qualifying standard. The event titles were racked up as part of a small meet that included athletes from Hastings, Northwestern Oklahoma State University and York University. In major highlights, Nathan Baldwin crushed his personal best in the discus (178’ 10”), Abby Gerber posted a season best in the shot put (47’ 11 ¾”) and Adrianna Rodencal ran stellar 100- and 400-meter hurdle races (respective times of 13.46 and 1:01.36) that counted this time. On the current NAIA national leaderboards, Rodencal ranks No. 2 in the 100 hurdles and No. 3 in the 400 hurdles. Thanks to the marks achieved at the Hastings Invite, the following throwers also moved up on the national lists: Gerber (No. 2 in the women’s shot put), Baldwin (No. 4 in the men’s discus), Abi Wohlgemuth (No. 6 in the women’s hammer) and Matthew Boyer (No. 12 in the men’s javelin). In addition, Mayson Ostermeyer ranks No. 2 nationally in the men’s pole vault (16’ 6 ¾” cleared at the Central Nebraska Challenge). Grand Island native Kiki Nyanok put together a fine meet at Hastings as she took first place in the long jump with a mark of 18’ 11 ¾.” She also ran 25.59 in the 200 meters and placed second. The Bulldogs will look for more national qualifying efforts and personal bests this week as they send athletes to the Jim Dutcher Memorial Invite (hosted by Doane) and the University of Kansas Relays.
· For additional news and notes on the track & field programs, click HERE.
· This week:
o Wednesday-Friday, April 16-18 at Jim Dutcher Memorial Invite (at Doane).
o Thursday-Saturday, April 17-19 at University of Kansas Relays.
Tennis
· Current records: men – 11-7, 3-2 GPAC | women – 14-2, 4-1 GPAC
· Last week:
o W – Won vs. Hastings, 7-0, on April 9.
o W – Won at Nebraska Wesleyan, 6-1, on April 10.
o M – Won vs. Hastings, 7-0, on April 9.
o M – Lost at Midland, 4-3, on April 11.
· Men’s Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Women’s Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Notable: The regular season has reached its final week for Concordia Tennis. It was a busy stretch this past Wednesday through Friday for Head Coach Lisa Hart’s squads. The women went 2-0 with wins over Hastings, 7-0, and Nebraska Wesleyan, 6-1, while the men went 1-1 with a win over Hastings, 7-0, and a nail-biting loss to Midland, 4-3. The women need just one more victory to tie the program single season record of 15 victories by the 2018-19 squad. The women’s team was nearly perfect last week with the only blemish on the team scoring being a No. 6 singles defeat in the matchup with Nebraska Wesleyan. Impressively, five players have reached double figures for singles wins this season: Ishane Derman (14-1), Chakira Derman (14-2), Mariana Molano (13-3), Alana Lopez Pagan (12-2) and Alexa Richert (11-2). The Bulldogs have rolled to an 81-15 singles record in duals matches in 2024-25. Meanwhile, Santiago Abadia equaled a program record on the men’s side with 14 doubles wins in a season and Nick Velders has tied the school standard with 16 singles victories in 2024-25. The clash with Midland was a battle for the No. 2 spot in the league standings. In a match that started at 8 a.m., Concordia relinquished the doubles point and never recovered as the two sides split in singles. Currently, the Bulldogs reside in second place (tied) in the GPAC on the women’s side and in third place on the men’s side. Both teams will finish the GPAC regular season slate by hosting Doane (senior day for both teams). The women will also host NCAA Division II Fort Hays State University (Kan.) on Friday. The GPAC tournaments are coming up later in April.
· For additional news and notes on the tennis programs, click the following links: Men | Women.
· This week:
o W – Tuesday, April 15 vs. Doane, 4 p.m. (Senior Day)
o M – Wednesday, April 16 vs. Doane, 4 p.m. (Senior Day)
o W – Friday, April 18 vs. Fort Hays State, 1 p.m.
Baseball
· Current record: 29-9, 17-3 GPAC; ranked No. 17 in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Last week:
o Won at Mount Marty, 4-3 (10 inn.), on April 12.
o Won at Mount Marty, 12-10, on April 12.
o Won at Mount Marty, 14-1, on April 13.
o Lost at Mount Marty, 13-12 (10 inn.), on April 13.
· Links: 2025 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Polls
· Notable: The final road trip of the 2025 regular season came this past weekend as the Bulldogs took three of four in their series at Mount Marty. Concordia won the first three contests before falling in walk-off fashion in game four. While the loss snapped the team’s 14-game winning streak (school record is 15), Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad remains firmly in the driver’s seat in the race for the GPAC regular season title. At 17-3 in league play, the Bulldogs own a full five-game lead over three teams tied for second place: Doane, Morningside and Northwestern. In the action in Yankton, Brad Hallock continued to smolder as he homered four times and drove in 13 runs over the weekend. Over the four games, Concordia piled up 42 runs on 50 hits and 22 walks while continuing to wear out opposing pitchers. It was also a fine series for the likes of Ty Nekoliczak (8-for-17 with seven runs and five stolen bases), Jaidan Quinn (4-for-10 with six walks and three hit-by-pitches) and Jaeden Jordahl (6-for-15 with five runs and seven RBIs). From a pitching perspective, Alex Johnson and Braxton Greenburg put together strong outings and closer Daiten Schmidt earned a win and a save on the first day at Mount Marty. Hallock is now the GPAC leader in home runs (18) and RBIs (51) on the season. The final eight games of the regular season will all take place at Plum Creek Park as the Bulldogs look forward to hosting Dordt for four and Dakota Wesleyan for four contests. Between games of Saturday’s twin bill, Concordia will honor its senior class.
· For additional news and notes on the baseball program, click HERE.
· This week:
o Friday, April 18 vs. Dordt (17-25, 6-14 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH.
o Senior Day – Saturday, April 19 vs. Dordt (17-25, 6-14 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH.