Bulldog Weekly Report (April 23)

By Jacob Knabel on Apr. 23, 2019 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week

Male: Cody Williams, Track & Field

Williams, a sophomore from Imperial, Neb., added a fresh automatic national qualifying mark last week by clearing 6’ 9 ¾” in the high jump (second place) at the Dutcher Memorial Classic. Williams also won the pole vault competition with another ‘A’ standard and clocked in at 14.80 in the 110 meter hurdles.

Female: Jessica Deterding, Track & Field

Deterding, a junior from Eustis, Neb., broke the program’s outdoor record in the heptathlon by accumulating 4,707 points in a first-place effort at the Dutcher Memorial Classic. Already the school record holder in the indoor pentathlon, Deterding now ranks No. 3 in the NAIA on the heptathlon leaderboard.

Previous Athletes of the Week
April 16 – Jason Munsch (baseball) / Hhana Haro (softball)
April 9 – Cody Williams (track & field) / Kirsten Wagner (tennis)
April 2 – Wyatt Hambly (shooting sports) / Erin Lokke (shooting sports)
MARCH Athletes of the Month: Wyatt Hambly (shooting sports) / Grace Barry (basketball)
March 26 – Jesse Garcia (baseball) / Tori Homolka (softball)
March 17 – Grace Barry (basketball)
March 3 – Alberto Garcia (wrestling) / Jacee Pfeifer (track & field)
FEBRUARY Athletes of the Month: Josiah McAllister (track & field) / Taylor Cockerill (basketball)
Feb. 26 – Wade Council (baseball) / Philly Lammers (basketball)
Feb. 19 – Josiah McAllister (track & field) / Jacee Pfeifer (track & field)
Feb. 12 – Isaac Howes (tennis) / Quinn Wragge (basketball)
Feb. 5 – Cam Devers (wrestling) / Taylor Cockerill (basketball)
JANUARY Athletes of the Month: Brevin Sloup (basketball) / Taylor Grove (track & field)
Jan. 29 – Mario Ybarra (wrestling) / Taylor Grove (track & field)
Jan. 22 – Michael Stann (wrestling) / Addie Shaw (track & field)
Jan. 15 – Brevin Sloup (basketball) / Leah Larson (track & field)
Jan. 8 – Zack Moistner (wrestling) / Mackenzie Koepke (basketball)
DECEMBER Athletes of the Month: Tanner Shuck (basketball) / Philly Lammers (basketball)
Dec. 31 – Brevin Sloup (basketball) / Philly Lammers (basketball)
Dec. 18 – Taylor Cockerill (basketball) / Michael Stann (wrestling)
Dec. 11 – Deandre Chery (wrestling) / Philly Lammers (basketball)
Dec. 4 – Tanner Shuck (basketball) / Taylor Grove (track & field)
NOVEMBER Athletes of the Month: Alberto Garcia (wrestling) / Quinn Wragge (basketball)
Nov. 27 – Alberto Garcia (wrestling) / Taylor Grove (cross country) / Quinn Wragge (basketball)
Nov. 13 – Zac Walter (football) / Grace Barry (basketball)
Nov. 6 – Jack Bennett (soccer) / Tori Cera (soccer)
OCTOBER Athletes of the Month: Carlos Ferrer (soccer) / Maria Deeter (soccer)
Oct. 30 – Carlos Ferrer (soccer) / Taylor Cockerill (basketball)
Oct. 23 – Josiah McAllister (cross country) / Jenna Habegger (volleyball)
Oct. 16 – Carlos Ferrer (soccer) / Maria Deeter (soccer)
Oct. 9 – Kordell Glause (football) / Brynn Suddeth (soccer)
Oct. 2 – Zac Walter (football) / Maria Deeter (soccer)
SEPTEMBER Athletes of the Month: Ryan Durdon (football) / Emmie Noyd (volleyball)
Sept. 25 – Roger de la Villa (soccer) / Erin Lokke (shooting sports)
Sept. 18 – Lane Napier (football) / Emmie Noyd (volleyball)
Sept. 11 – Ryan Durdon (football) / Marissa Hoerman (volleyball)
Sept. 4 – JP Verissimo (soccer) / Lauren Martin (soccer)
Aug. 28 – Garrett Perry (soccer) / Jenna Habegger (volleyball)

News and notes:

Spring GPAC Championships underway: Spring GPAC championships got underway today (April 23) with men’s golf playing the first of two championship rounds this week in Dakota Dunes, S.D. Below is a rundown of dates for GPAC spring championships.
-Men’s Golf: April 23-24 (Dakota Dunes, S.D.)
-Women’s Golf: April 26-27 (York, Neb.)
-Tennis: April 26-27 (Fremont, Neb.)
-Baseball: May 2-4, 7 (Concordia will host a pod)
-Softball: May 2-4 (Sites TBD)
-Track & Field: May 3-4 (Yankton, S.D.)

Lammers honored as All-Nebraska captain; nine Bulldogs collect recognition: For the second year in a row, the Omaha World-Herald announced Concordia hoops star Philly Lammers as the captain of its NAIA/NCAA Division III All-Nebraska women’s basketball team. Lammers was one of six Bulldogs from the national championship squad awarded with All-Nebraska honors. On the men’s side, Brevin Sloup headlined the All-Nebraska squad for Concordia by landing on the second team. For complete All-Nebraska teams, check the links below.
-All-Nebraska Women’s Team
-All-Nebraska Men’s Team

Physical progress evident during spring football: The spring season presented the Concordia University football team with 13 practice opportunities to get better. What head coach Patrick Daberkow really wanted to see was how offseason training since November would carry over to actual football performance. For those who got a first-hand look at the team’s open-to-the-public intra-squad on April 12, they may have observed improved physicality in the trenches. Spring storylines included the growth of a youthful offensive line, admiration of a talented and veteran linebacker crew, simplification of the offensive playbook, another quarterback battle and the return from injury of a bevy of key figures who were sidelined for much of 2018. For more details on spring football, click HERE.

Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its fourth 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 2018-19 season, Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball contests will be aired live on Max Country. Tyler Cavalli serves as the host of the coaches’ show as well as the play-by-play voice for football and basketball. Frank Greene is in his fourth season calling Concordia volleyball.

Concordia Sports Network: Live webcasts for most home varsity contests can be accessed by visiting http://www.cune.edu/csn at game time. Check team schedules/results pages for webcast dates. Scrimmages, exhibitions and junior varsity events are not broadcasted.

Track & Field

  • The fourth week of the outdoor season turned out to be a good one for the Bulldogs, who last week were ranked No. 2 on the women’s side and No. 29 on the men’s side in NAIA ratings released by the USTFCCCA. The yields from performances at the Kansas Relays (April 18) and the Jim Dutcher Memorial Classic (April 19-20) were six new automatic national qualifying marks, 10 event titles and a new school record. These were the results head coach Matt Beisel and his staff were hoping for after a so-so meet at the NAIA Midwest Quad a week earlier. For more on Concordia track and field, click HERE.
  • Through the first four weeks of the outdoor season, Bulldogs athletes have totaled 20 automatic national qualifying marks and 11 ‘B’ standard marks (see list below). Of the 31 marks put on the national board, 17 have been achieved by throwers. Familiar names in Samantha Liermann, Addie Shaw and Cody Williams lead the way with two automatic marks apiece. Williams now has one ‘A’ mark and two ‘B’ marks. In addition, several Bulldog women met the minimum qualifying standard in the heptathlon at the Dutcher Memorial, including Jessica Deterding.
    • 4x800 meter relay – (B, 7:45.73)
    • Evan Asche – marathon (A, 1:13:30 in half)
    • Allie Brooks – pole vault (B, 11’ 5 ¾”)
    • Jacob Cornelio – hammer throw (A, 195’)
    • Claire Cornell – long jump (A, 18’ 10 ¾”)
    • Morgan De Jong – discus (B, 141’ 7”)
    • Jessica Deterding – ranked No. 3 in NAIA in heptathlon
    • Jazzy Eickhoff – javelin (A, 134’ 1”)
    • McKenzie Gravo – pole vault (A, 12’ 1 ½”)
    • Taylor Grove – marathon (A, 1:25:04 in half)
    • Liam Hennessy – hammer throw (A, 175’ 3”); shot put (B, 51’ 3 ½”)
    • Mackenzie Koepke – high jump (A, 5’ 5 ¾”)
    • Leah Larson – triple jump (B, 38’ ¾”)
    • Wyatt Lehr – marathon (B, 1:14:12 in half)
    • Samantha Liermann – shot put (A, 48’ 10 ¼”); hammer throw (A, 177’ 10”)
    • Erin Mapson – pole vault (A, 12’ 5 ½”)
    • Tristen Mosier – pole vault (A, 11’ 9 ¾”)
    • Renato Oyarzun – hammer throw (B, 166’ 9”)
    • Johanna Ragland – hammer throw (A, 165’ 3”); shot put (B, 43’ 9 ¼”)
    • Ryan Sanchez – hammer throw (A, 175’ 4”)
    • Adrianna Shaw – hammer throw (A, 183’ 4”); discus (A, 154’ 9”); shot put (B, 43’ 1 ¾”)
    • Bethany Shaw – discus (A, 147’ 2”)
    • Sam Sisco – pole vault (B, 15’ 3”)
    • Carley Weisser – discus (A, 144’ 6”); hammer throw (B, 162’ 2”)
    • Cody Williams – pole vault (A, 15’ 7”); high jump (A, 6’ 9 ¾”); 110 meter hurdles (B, 14.80)
  • Already the school record holder in the indoor pentathlon, junior Jessica Deterding can now claim the title of program standard bearer in the outdoor heptathlon. By day’s end in Crete, Neb., Deterding pushed her name to the top of the school leaderboard in the heptathlon by accumulating 4,707 points, toppling the previous program standard of 4,671 by Lydia Pomerenke. As part of the heptathlon competition, Deterding narrowly missed a ‘B’ mark in the long jump by landing at 18’ 4 ½.” By the close of the weekend, Deterding ranked No. 3 nationally in the heptathlon. Deterding also broke the record in the pentathlon that was held Pomerenke.
  • It was a fruitful weekend in the throws with Jazzy Eickhoff (javelin), Liam Hennessy (hammer throw), Johanna Ragland (hammer throw), Bethany Shaw (discus) and Carley Weisser (discus) each turning in fresh ‘A’ standards. In addition, Samantha Liermann won the shot put competition at the Dutcher Memorial with a season best of 48’ 10 ¼” that moved her up to No. 2 on the national list. Also in the shot put, Ragland hit a ‘B’ mark (43’ 9 ¼”). Concordia throwers have combined for 11 automatic national qualifying marks this outdoor season.
  • Williams may not be competing in multi-events this outdoor season, but he is a major player in a number of events. His high jump at the Dutcher Memorial cleared 6’ 9 ¾” for an automatic berth in the national championships. That measurement ranks in a tie for fifth nationally and is just off the school record of 6’ 10” by David Fiala in 1997. Williams will also be competing at nationals in the pole vault and currently sports a ‘B’ standard in the 110 meter hurdles.
  • The NAIA national leaderboards are a clear indication of elite nature of the women’s team. By clearing a personal best of 12’ 5 ½” (Dutcher Memorial meet record), freshman Erin Mapson moved to No. 1 in the NAIA in the pole vault. In addition, Addie Shaw owns the nation’s top mark in the hammer throw (183’ 4”) and the No. 2 mark in the discus (154’ 9”), an event she won the national title in a year ago. As mentioned previously, the two-time shot put national champion Liermann pushed herself to No. 2 on the NAIA in the shot put. Such efforts should solidify the team’s No. 2 national ranking.
  • When the dust settled, the Bulldogs captured 10 event titles at the Dutcher Memorial. Not previously mentioned event winners were the men’s 4x800 meter relay, Rebekah Hinrichs (1,500 meters), Jacy Johnston (steeplechase), Sarah Lewis (400 hurdles), Jordan Lorenz (5,000 meters) and Josiah McAllister (800 meters). The men’s 4x8 achieved a ‘B’ standard that currently sits No. 6 nationally. It was a fine day for Lewis, who ran 1:05.43 in the 400 hurdles and 15.34 in the 100 hurdles (third place).
  • There were many other noteworthy performances throughout the weekend. Xavier Ross ran a time of 49.25 in the 400 meters (third place), Hannah Mulligan continues to progress in the sprints (ran 12.67 in the 100 and 26.68 in the 200), Cora Olson broke out a PR in the long jump (18’ 1 ¾”) and Kennedy Mogul (4,172 points), Emily Loy (4,100 points) and Claire Cornell (4,048 points) met the minimum national qualifying standard in the heptathlon. In the 1,500 meters, Alyssa Fye was just behind Hinrichs with a personal best of 5:06.27.
  • Bulldog athletes will represent Concordia at meets Thursday through Saturday. Select competitors will head to the prestigious Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, to test themselves against top flight athletes. This week’s schedule also includes the Nebraska Wesleyan University Invite on Thursday and the Concordia Blizzard Buster home meet on Saturday. The event schedule for the Blizzard Buster can be found HERE.

Baseball

  • By the end of this week, the Bulldogs hope to be celebrating a second GPAC regular season title in three years. The magic number has dwindled to two for Concordia, which is coming off a four-game split at Northwestern that occurred just before Easter. At 20-4 in the GPAC (26-16 overall), fifth-year head coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has clinched at least a top two seed for the conference tournament, which means it will host one four-team pod in GPAC postseason play. As long as the Bulldogs remain in first place, they will also lock up an automatic bid to the national tournament. For more information on Concordia baseball, click HERE.
  • The Bulldogs were an impressive 14-4 in true road games prior to dropping both games at Northwestern on April 19. It marked the first time this season that Concordia had been swept in a conference doubleheader. Fortunately, a 15-0 run to begin GPAC action allowed for some breathing room at the top. It was also crucial that Morningside came back to defeat second place Jamestown in the final game of their four-game series in North Dakota. The Jimmies (17-7 GPAC) are the only team in the GPAC that still has a mathematical shot of catching the Bulldogs for first place. Any combination of two Concordia wins/Jamestown losses will clinch an outright regular season title.
  • A four-year starter at second base, Christian Meza just keeps on hitting. The San Diego, Calif., native reached a personal milestone last week in the second game at Northwestern by notching career hit No. 200. Meza now stands at 204 career hits (school record is 234) following a week that saw him go 7-for-18 (.389) with six walks and a hit-by-pitch. The walks demonstrate Meza’s improved approach at the plate. His walk numbers over his career have gone from eight as a freshman to 11 as a sophomore to 19 as a junior to 23 so far as a senior.
  • The team ERA went up a bit last week, but the pitching staff remains a large reason why the Bulldogs are on the cusp of a conference championship. The staff ERA in GPAC games only stands at 2.34 over 182.1 innings. In the 24 league games, Concordia has piled up 217 strikeouts and held opposing hitters to a .218 batting average with a collection of swing-and-miss starters. Both Jason Munsch (70 strikeouts) and Jake Fosgett (65 strikeouts) rank in the top five of the conference in strikeouts.
  • Munsch pitched well enough to get a win in what turned out to be a 5-3 loss at Northwestern in game three of the series. Only one of the five runs he allowed in six innings were earned. The lefty from Campbell, Calif., again had the good stuff. He amassed 12 strikeouts and did not walk a single hitter. In separate starts against GPAC foes this season, Munsch has produced gaudy strikeout totals of 13 versus Hastings, 16 versus Jamestown and then 12 versus Northwestern. His walk rate has fallen from 4.91 per innings last season to 3.38 this season.
  • Saturday will be senior day for a program with a number of seniors who have made a big impact on the most successful run Concordia baseball has ever experienced. Seniors in Meza and Logan Ryan have formed the middle of the infield since the start of the 2016 season. Meanwhile, fellow seniors Dylan DuRee, Jared Schipper and Tanner Wauhob have put together solid seasons on the mound. Wauhob worked his way into the rotation this season while DuRee has been Dupic’s most called upon reliever. Thomas Sautel, second team All-GPAC in 2018, is a senior academically but plans to come back after redshirting this spring.
  • Right at the top of the lineup, Wade Council and Meza have been the team’s most consistent hitters. Several others are still developing. As just a freshman, Jesse Garcia is hitting .313 with team highs of seven home runs and 34 RBIs. Garcia has added a power bat to the middle of the lineup and possesses exciting potential. Other young players like sophomores Keaton Candor (also seven home runs) and Luciano DePamphilis and freshmen Ben Berg and Teyt Johnson also appear to have promising futures.
  • It certainly could be argued that Fosgett has been as valuable as any pitcher in the GPAC this season. In four starts against conference opponents, the native of Carlsbad, Calif., is 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 26.1 innings. Like Munsch, Fosgett features a fastball-breaking ball combination that has often devastated the opposition. In conference play alone, Concordia has six pitchers with GPAC ERA’s under 2.00 that have pitched in more than 10 innings in conference play.
  • The goal now is to wrap up a GPAC title this weekend with Dordt (6-24, 3-20 GPAC) coming to town for a four-game series that will play out Friday and Saturday at Plum Creek Park. Game times are 4 p.m. CT on Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday. After the weekend concludes, the Bulldogs can then look forward to hosting GPAC tournament action May 2-4. Official tournament pairings will be announced after all regular season games are in the books.

Softball

  • The regular season is winding down for Concordia, which went on the road for a pair of GPAC doubleheaders within the state of Nebraska last week. The Bulldogs split with both No. 20 Midland and Hastings in contests that were mostly dominated by pitchers on both sides. The games at Hastings both ended with 1-0 final scores. The 2-2 mark last week leaves head coach Shawn Semler’s squad in third place in the GPAC standings at 11-5 in conference play (22-8 overall). The top two seeds both get to host four-team pods in the GPAC tournament. For more information on Concordia softball, click HERE.
  • Even if the Bulldogs are unable to catch Midland (15-3 GPAC) and/or Morningside (14-4 GPAC) at the top of the league standings, Semler feels confident that his team can compete with anyone in the GPAC and be a threat to take the postseason title. The win in game one at Midland marked the second time this season that Concordia has defeated a ranked opponent. It also earned a 6-1 victory over Valley City State University (N.D.), currently No. 8 in the NAIA poll, at the Tucson Invite during spring break.
  • Semler is hoping the bats heat back up this week, but at least he knows he has two pitchers who will routinely give the team a chance to win. Freshman Camry Moore was brilliant in the circle last week. She even outdueled Midland ace Jaylee Hinrichs in a game one that went nine innings. Moore scattered six hits and struck out seven Warriors in a nine-inning shutout that was decided by a 1-0 score. On the season, the Crete High School product owns a 2.82 ERA in 19 appearances. Moore has walked only seven hitters in 96.2 innings.
  • Pitching is the theme of the week in this report. Senior Brittany Woolridge has enjoyed a fine season. Her record now stands at 11-1 after she whirled a three-hit shutout at Hastings. The native of Tucson, Ariz., has also recorded shutouts of Doane and Briar Cliff this season. In 16 appearances (82.2 innings) this season, Woolridge sports a 2.71 ERA. In conference play, Moore and Woolridge have covered all but one-third of an inning for the Bulldogs.
  • There were not a large number of offensive highlights last week, but freshman second baseman Kylee Nixon just keeps on hitting. The York High School grad carries a seven-game hitting streak into the week. During that stretch, Nixon has gone 11-for-20 (.550) with five runs, two doubles, a home run and six RBIs. Nixon does now qualify for the conference and national leaderboards (requires 2.5 plate appearances per team game) and ranks second in the GPAC with a .480 season batting average.
  • The lack of offense last week was not like what has been seen out of Concordia most of this season. It currently ranks third in the GPAC with an average of 6.23 runs per game. On the plus side, the Bulldogs have shown they can win in a lot of different ways. Moore and Woolridge have been adept at inducing weak contact, which works well for a team that leads the GPAC in fielding percentage (.967). Concordia pitchers have the lowest walk rate in the conference (1.07 per game).
  • The Bulldogs let opportunities slip away too often in the first game at Hastings. Concordia managed only two hits while being shut out, but it took seven walks and a hit-by-pitch against hard throwing Josie Bumgardner. The Bulldogs left 10 players on base. In both 1-0 victories last week, the Bulldogs found a way to push across an unearned run. In the extra inning affair at Midland, Hhana Haro singled to lead off the ninth. With two outs, pinch runner Emily Sherstone stole third and advanced home on the same play when the catcher’s throw went into left field.
  • Even if Concordia does fall short of a GPAC regular season title, it has rebounded nicely from an up-and-down 2018 campaign, which marked the fifth and final season of previous head coach Todd LaVelle’s tenure. This season has looked much more like the 2017 year that saw the Bulldogs go 34-14 overall and tie for second place in the GPAC. Concordia is hoping to do what LaVelle’s teams did in 2014 and 2015 – reach the national tournament.
  • It will be a busy final week of the regular season. Concordia will play today (April 23) at Northwestern (15-18, 8-6 GPAC) in a makeup doubleheader. The Bulldogs will then come home to host College of Saint Mary (13-25, 6-10 GPAC) at 5 p.m. CT on Wednesday before welcoming Dordt (13-18, 7-9 GPAC) to Plum Creek Park on Saturday for a 1 p.m. first pitch. Concordia will celebrate its seniors on Saturday. There are eight seniors on the 2019 roster.

Tennis

  • Both squads ended a somewhat lengthy idle stretch by closing out the regular season in Baldwin City, Kan., on Monday. The women took all three doubles matches and defeated host Baker University by a 7-2 score. Meanwhile, the men fell narrowly to Baker, 5-4. Postseason play is up next for head coach David DeSimone’s squads. The women placed third in the GPAC with a 5-2 conference mark (13-5 overall). The men finished fourth in the conference at 3-3 (9-9 overall). For more information on Bulldog tennis: Men | Women.
  • The Concordia women equaled the program record for wins in a season by recording their 13th victory on Monday. The 2018 squad went 13-10 while breaking the previous school standard that was set by the 2013 team that finished 12-7 under then head coach Amy Harms. The 5-2 GPAC record is also the best for the program since producing that same conference mark in 2013. The Bulldogs had experienced back-to-back 3-4 GPAC records before this season’s improvement.
  • The addition of senior Marlene Maier has played a significant role in the success of the women’s team. While playing all 18 regular season matches at No. 1 singles, Maier went 16-2, including a 6-1 record against GPAC opponents. The native of Uppsala, Sweden, transferred to Concordia after playing for three seasons at NCAA Division I Alcorn State University in Mississippi. In Monday action, Maier topped Kate Taylor-Doran, 6-1, 6-3.
  • Maier’s 16 singles wins rank No. 1 on the team. She’s followed on the team wins list by sophomore Allison Marshall (11-7) and juniors Angela Bell (10-3) and Kirsten Wagner (10-7). Marshall possesses the longest singles win stream of any Bulldog having won nine matches in a row. She is also an impressive 7-0 in conference play. In addition, Wagner went 6-0 and Bell went 5-1 versus GPAC foes. Collectively, Concordia put together a GPAC singles record of 34-8.
  • Through the regular season, the Bulldog women went 7-1 at home, 6-3 on the road and 0-1 in neutral matches. They have produced team records of 72-36 in singles and 37-17 in doubles. Individual doubles wins leaders are Marshall (13-4), Wagner (12-5) and four with nine victories apiece: Bell (9-3), Schultz (9-3), Claudia Miranda Viera (9-5) and Maier (9-8). In doubles by position, Concordia is 10-8 at No. 1, 12-6 at No. 2 and 15-3 at No. 3. The back half of the lineup has also been stellar in singles: 12-6 at No. 4, 14-4 at No. 5 and 13-5 at No. 6.
  • On the men’s side, the Bulldogs dropped all three doubles matches at Baker and could not quite dig out of the 3-0 hole. Concordia made a comeback attempt by getting singles wins from junior Luke Zoller at No. 2, sophomore Jeremy Berryman at No. 3, freshman Isaac Howes at No. 4 and freshman Joseph Bindl at No. 6. Even with the team loss, the Bulldogs have shown improvement as compared to the 2018 campaign when they were 8-11 overall and 1-4 in conference play.
  • The numbers show that the Concordia men have been a little bit better in singles, rather than doubles. After 18 regular season matches, the Bulldogs are a combined 58-50 in singles and 25-29 in doubles. Broken down by conference play only, Concordia went 25-11 in singles and 9-9 in doubles. Individual leaders in singles are Howes (11-7), senior Conner Works (11-7), Berryman (9-9) and Zoller (9-9). Meanwhile in doubles, freshman Jack Kitson (9-9) paces the team with Zoller (8-10) just behind him.
  • The GPAC tournament will get started on Friday at Fremont High School in Fremont, Neb., where the top six teams in the conference standings will meet for both men and women. The top two seeds earn byes to the semifinal rounds. As the No. 3 seed, the Bulldog women will go head-to-head with No. 6 Midland at 11:30 a.m. CT on Friday. The winner will play No. 2 College of Saint Mary in the semifinals at 4:30 p.m. The fourth-seeded Concordia men will take on No. 5 Morningside at 9 a.m. on Friday. The winner will challenge top-seeded Doane at 2 p.m. in the semifinals. Both GPAC championships matches will be contested at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The tournament champions earn automatic bids to the NAIA national championships.

Golf

  • Both squads have been idle since last week’s report. The men got underway at the GPAC Spring Championships today (April 23) at 10:40 a.m. CT for the third of four championship rounds throughout the 2018-19 season. Meanwhile, the women have been off from competition since a 5.5 to 4.5 loss in the Concordia-Mount Marty Cup on April 14. The GPAC championships are up next for both teams. For more information on Bulldog golf: Men | Women.
  • It was another long day of action on April 15 for senior Nolan Zikas and company, who navigated the Dakota Dunes Country Club course that will also serve as the site of this week’s GPAC championships. The Bulldogs shot a two-round total of 328-316–644, which falls below their expectations. The team scoring average over 15 rounds in 2018-19 is now 311.67. The team’s top round this season came back in the fall with a 293 on the second day of the Siouxland Invitational.
  • Zikas was again the squad’s top player with his efforts in Dakota Dunes. He shot nine over par (79-74–153) and tied for 12th on the tournament leaderboard. Zikas was just two strokes off of a fifth top 10 finish this 2018-19 season. Five other Bulldogs were also present in Dakota Dunes, S.D. – Tylar Samek (84-79–163; T-39th), freshman Jack Williams (79-85–164; T-41st), sophomores Jayden Neal (86-78–164; T-41st) and Harrison Helmer (91-93–184; 81st) and freshman Landon Walkenhorst (98-101–199; 87th).
  • The collegiate career of Zikas is winding down. A three-time All-GPAC honoree and winner of the 2018 David Toms Overcoming Adversity award, Zikas will go down as an all-time great for the program. He has been the team’s most consistent performer throughout 2018-19 by shooting an average score of 73.67. In 63 career rounds, Zikas carries an average of 75.56. The highlight of his senior year to date was the tournament title he won at the Siouxland Invitational. The La Vista, Neb., native has work to do at the upcoming conference championships to move up from his current standing of tied for 20th.
  • The Concordia women came up short in York on April 14 despite a strong showing on the back nine of the event. Muller’s squad trailed 3.5 to 1.5 after the first wave of action. The Bulldogs then made up some ground on the second wave, just not enough to come all the way back. Wins on the second wave were produced by freshmen Britney Jepsen and Kendra Placke and junior Murphy Sears. Concordia had not played at an official meet since hosting the Concordia Spring Invitational on March 28.
  • It should be noted that the 332 turned in by the women at the Concordia Invite on March 28 broke the previous program single round record of 334. Both Sears (78) and Placke (79) placed inside the top 10 on the individual leaderboard while DJ Bokelman carded a career low 84. Through 11 rounds in 2018-19, the Bulldogs have averaged a team score of 357.00. Placke (80.18) and Sears (85.36) have been the team’s top two individuals in terms of 18-hole average.
  • The men’s conference championships will take place Tuesday and Wednesday (April 23-24) at Dakota Dunes Country Club. Meanwhile, the women will compete in the conference championships this Friday and Saturday (April 26-27). Both Concordia teams are currently in sixth place in the GPAC with scores of 334-338–672 on the women’s side and 309-300–609 on the men’s side. Placke (T-4th), Sears (8th) and Samek (T-6th) are each in the top 10 of the current individual GPAC standings.