Bulldog Weekly Report (Dec. 17)

By Jacob Knabel on Dec. 17, 2019 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week

Male: Gavin DeHaai, Track & Field

A senior from Sioux Falls, S.D., DeHaai shattered his previous personal best in the pole vault by clearing 16’ 4 ¾” at last week’s Concordia Early Bird Meet. Not only did DeHaai win the competition, his mark currently puts him at No. 1 in the NAIA.

Female: Kennedy Mogul, Track & Field

A junior from York, Neb., Mogul piled up 3,341 points in the pentathlon at the Concordia Early Bird Meet. That total puts her atop the national leaderboard. In the process, Mogul either equaled or surpassed personal bests in all five events. Her time of 9.14 in the 60 meter hurdles represented a school record until it was broken the next day by Rachel Battershell.

2019-20 BAAM Athletes of the Week
Dec. 10 – Issiah Burks (wrestling) / Emmie Noyd (volleyball)
Dec. 3 – Mario Ybarra (wrestling) / Kylahn Heritage (cross country)
Nov. 19 – Carter Kent (basketball) / Kara Stark (volleyball)
Nov. 12 – Mario Ybarra (wrestling) / Kylahn Heritage (cross country)
Nov. 5 – Carter Kent (basketball) / Delani Fahey (basketball)
Oct. 29 – Brevin Sloup (basketball) / Kylahn Heritage (cross country)
Oct. 22 – Camryn Opfer (volleyball)
Oct. 15 – Lane Napier (football) / Marissa Hoerman (volleyball)
Oct. 8 – Caleb Goldsmith (soccer) / Tara Callahan (volleyball)
Oct. 1 – AJ Jenkins (football) / Rebekah Hinrichs (cross country)
Sept. 24 – Derek Tachovsky (football) / Kendra Placke (golf)
Sept. 17 – Moises Jacobo (soccer) / Kara Stark (volleyball)
Sept. 10 – Carlos Orquiz (soccer) / Amie Martin (cross country)
Sept. 3 – Eduardo Alba (soccer) / Emmie Noyd (volleyball)

2019-20 BAAM Athletes of the Month
November – Carter Kent (basketball) / Kara Stark (volleyball)
October – Tara Callahan (volleyball) / Lane Napier (football)
September – Derek Tachovsky (football) / Emmie Noyd (volleyball)

News and notes:

Callahan, Noyd garner All-America recognition: After helping lead the Concordia volleyball team to the round of 16 at the NAIA Volleyball National Championship, Emmie Noyd and Tara Callahan garnered All-America recognition from the NAIA and the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Both organizations named Noyd a third team All-American and Callahan an honorable mention All-American. Noyd is first player from the program to be chosen as a first/second/third team All-American since Rachel (Kirchner) Miller picked up third team honors in 2001. For more on Noyd and Callahan, click HERE.

Recapping the fall in Concordia athletics: By the close of the fall, Concordia athletics sat in fifth place in the GPAC All-Sports Trophy Standings and checked in at No. 28 in the NAIA Learfield Cup Standings. The highlights this fall included the GPAC championship won by the women’s cross country team (placed 12th at nationals) and the national round of 16 advancement made by the volleyball team. For a complete wrap up of the fall athletic season, 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 https://www.cune.edu/athletics/watch-bulldogs at game time. Beginning in 2019-20, Concordia Athletics is partnering with PrestoSports for live video and statistical streaming. For more details on this change, click HERE. Check team schedules/results pages for webcast dates. Scrimmages, exhibitions and junior varsity events are not broadcasted.

Track & Field

  • The indoor season officially got started in the month of December for the first time since 2012. While hosting the Concordia Early Bird Meet over the weekend (Dec. 13-14), Bulldog athletes combined for nine automatic national qualifying marks, 13 ‘B’ standard qualifying marks, three totals in the multi-events that met the minimum qualifying standard and one school record was broken courtesy of sophomore Rachel Battershell. This marks Matt Biesel’s fourth season as head coach at Concordia. For more on Bulldog track and field, click HERE.
  • Both the men’s and women’s have been ascending over the past few seasons. For just the second time in school history, the Concordia women swept conference titles by winning the 2019 indoor and outdoor GPAC championship meets. Led by the likes of three-time shot put national champion Samantha Liermann, the Bulldogs posted 2019 national finishes of ninth for indoor and fifth for outdoor. Meanwhile, the men turned in GPAC placements last year of second for indoor and third for outdoor. They took ninth place at the 2019 NAIA indoor national meet.
  • The nine automatic national marks that were recorded last week came from eight different individuals. Senior Adrianna Shaw qualified for nationals in both throwing events with marks of 45’ 11 ¼” in the shot put and 60’ 5 ¼” in the weight throw. The other automatic qualifiers were Allie Brooks (pole vault), Jacob Cornelio (weight throw), Morgan De Jong (weight throw), Gavin DeHaai (pole vault), Liam Hennessy (weight throw), Josie Puelz (pole vault) and Cody Williams (pole vault). All ‘A’ and ‘B’ standard marks produced by Concordia athletes can be viewed below.
  • The following Bulldogs notched marks at the Early Bird Meet that appear on the NAIA national list:
    • Andy Amos – B, weight throw (54’ 10 ¼”)
    • Rachel Battershell – B, 400 meters (59.22); B, 60 meter hurdles (9.02)
    • Taylor Beck – B, triple jump (B, 46’ 3 ½”)
    • Allie Brooks – A, pole vault (11’ 10 ½”)
    • Jacob Cornelio – A, weight throw (64’ 8 ¾”)
    • Morgan De Jong – A, weight throw (54’ 8”)
    • Gavin DeHaai – A, pole vault (16’ 4 ¾”)
    • McKenzie Gravo – B, pole vault (11’ 2 ½”)
    • Liam Hennessy – A, weight throw (56’ 7 ½”)
    • Kylahn Heritage – B, mile (5:13.84)
    • Samuel Joseph – B, triple jump (46’ 4”)
    • Wyatt Loga – B, high jump (6’ 7”)
    • Emily Loy – No. 4 in NAIA with 3,109 points in pentathlon
    • Kennedy Mogul – B, 60 meter hurdles (9.14); No. 1 in NAIA with 3,341 points in pentathlon
    • Jerod Peters – B, shot put (51’ 5 ¾”)
    • Tucker Platt – B, pole vault (15’ 3”)
    • Josie Puelz – A, pole vault (12’ 6 ¼”)
    • Adrianna Shaw – A, shot put (45’ 11 ¼”); A, weight throw (60’ 5 ¼”)
    • Sam Sisco – pole vault (15’ 3”)
    • Cody Williams – A, pole vault (15’ 7”); B, high jump (6’ 7 ½”); No. 2 in NAIA with 5,195 points in heptathlon
  • Concordia has the potential to score big points at conference and nationals in the pole vault with a deep and talented group on both sides. Freshman Josie Puelz did not waste any time in beginning her career with a national qualifying clearance of 12’ 6 ¼,” which places her No. 2 on the program’s all-time indoor pole vault list. She also took a shot at the school record held by Allie Brooks and came up just short. Freshmen like Puelz and Chase Berry add to an already accomplished crew. Brooks, Gavin DeHaai, McKenzie Gravo, Erin Mapson, Jordan (Mosier) Metzger, Jacee Pfeifer and Cody Williams have each been All-Americans in the past. DeHaai turned in a personal best clearance of 16’ 5” at the Early Bird.
  • It’s very early, but senior Jacob Cornelio is the current national leader in the weight throw. His toss last week of 64’ 8 ¾” was not far off the mark he had at last year’s NAIA indoor national championships when he was the runner up in the event. Winning a national title is about the only thing the native of Elk Grove, Calif., hasn’t accomplished in his career. Cornelio is the reigning GPAC champion in the weight throw and the hammer throw. He ranks No. 2 on the school’s all-time weight throw list behind only Cody Boellstorff (69’ 9”).
  • The women’s 60 meter hurdle school record was actually broken twice at the Early Bird. The record was formerly held by Monique Odom, who clocked a time of 9.16 in 1987. Junior Kennedy Mogul came in under that time at 9.14 as part of her run through the pentathlon on Dec. 13. The next day, Battershell finished in 9.02 while running in the prelims. Battershell also ranks second in school history in the 400 meters (personal best is 57.28).
  • Williams is going to be quite busy again this indoor season while putting his talents to use in a variety of events. His automatic mark in the pole vault occurred as part of his efforts in the pentathlon. His total of 5,195 in the heptathlon is just shy of the 5,231 points he accumulated at the 2019 NAIA indoor meet when he was the runner up. Williams was also the 2019 GPAC Outdoor Athlete of the Year for earning the most team points at the conference meet.
  • The season will be put on hold for Christmas break at Concordia. The action will pick back up the weekend of Jan. 17-18 with the Scott Nisely Invite at Doane and the Graduate Classic at the University of Nebraska. The next home meet will be the Polar Dog Invite on Jan. 25.

Wrestling

  • In the lone event last week, the 19th-ranked Bulldogs made quick work of Midland in a 54 to -1 GPAC dual victory on Dec. 13. Only two of the 10 matches went a full three periods, meaning Concordia won with bonus points in eight matches. Second-year head coach Levi Calhoun’s squad is now 3-0 this season in GPAC duals having also defeated Northwestern and Morningside. The Bulldogs have also competed in three tournaments to this point in the campaign. For more information on Concordia wrestling, click HERE.
  • Through the three GPAC dual victories, the Bulldogs have won 23 of the 30 individual matches. Individual Concordia wrestlers with 3-0 conference marks are Deandre Chery (174), Chris Kimball (141) and Mario Ybarra (125). The 55-point margin of victory over Midland marked the largest spread in a Bulldog dual win since it defeated Dakota Wesleyan 58-0 last season. The 2018-19 squad also notched conference blowout wins over Hastings, 42-6, Jamestown, 40-0, and Doane, 44-9.
  • In the current GPAC standings, Concordia is the only team with three conference wins on the board. At 2-0, Briar Cliff also appears to be a threat in the GPAC title race. Since the start of the 2014-15 season, the Bulldogs are 36-4 in conference duals. That stretch included three-straight seasons of 7-0 GPAC dual records from 2014-15 through 2016-17. The run also has included four GPAC regular-season titles and three GPAC/NAIA North Qualifier championships.
  • Ranked 13th nationally at 125 pounds, Ybarra continues to lead the team in wins. He is now 11-3 after earning a victory last week over Cesar Sandoval, who tapped out in the first period due to injury. Next in line in terms of wins are Kimball (9-3 at 141), Gad Huseman (8-4 at 141/149), Chery (7-3 at 174), Demitrius Miller (7-6 at 285) and Darrin Miller (6-2 at 184). Ybarra has been the team’s most successful wrestler in tournaments having turned in place finishes of third at the Dakota Wesleyan Open and fifth at the University of Nebraska-Kearney Open.
  • The dual versus Midland ended with a bang when fifth-year senior Demitrius Miller pinned Schuyler Scherrs in 1:05. A native of Pueblo, Colo., Miller was making his first career appearance on that mat inside Walz Arena. So far this season, Miller has been putting together some of the best wrestling of his career while providing depth at heavyweight. At the Doane Open back on Dec. 7, Miller notched a pair of victories and his two losses were by margins of two and one points, respectively. He is 7-6 this season.
  • Also in the dual versus Midland, Huseman (149) and Chery (174) earned pins in the first period of their respective matches. A two-time GPAC champion, Chery had mounted an 11-0 lead over Bryan Sledge before abruptly ending the tussle. Similarly successful at 157 pounds, junior Gabe Crawford racked up 12 points with near falls and manhandled Bryson Jensen by a 17-0 score. Other Bulldogs to claim victory included Kimball by decision (8-3) at 149 and Miller (8-0) by major decision at 197. The Warriors wound up with a negative team score due to a point deduction that occurred early in the dual.
  • Concordia will be back at the Desert Duals Classic in Las Vegas for the first time since the 2014-15 season. On Dec. 20, 2014, the Bulldogs went 1-3 in Vegas with all four duals coming against NAIA squads ranked in the top 20 of the national poll. This year’s event will be held on Sunday (Dec. 22) and will be staged in the ballroom of the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino located along the Vegas strip. The opponents will be Vanguard University (Calif.), No. 11 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Ariz.), Life Pacific University (Calif.) and Arizona Christian University. The action will get started at 8 a.m. local time (10 a.m. CT).

Women’s Basketball

  • The final week of GPAC play prior to New Year’s is in the books for the top-ranked Bulldogs, who remain undefeated. In recent action, Concordia won twice on the road – 88-77 over No. 7 Morningside on Dec. 11 and 80-50 over Mount Marty on Dec. 14. Those were actually the first two true road contests of the season (when excluding the exhibition contests at Creighton University and Metropolitan State University of Denver). Fourteenth-year head coach Drew Olson’s squad is 11-0 overall and 7-0 within the GPAC. For more information on Bulldog women’s basketball, click HERE.
  • Morningside gave Concordia its stiffest challenge since the overtime victory over No. 2 Southeastern University (Fla.) back in October. The Bulldogs actually jumped out to a 12-0 lead in Sioux City and never trailed. Throughout the entire second half, Concordia held a lead between eight and 15 points. The Mustangs’ 22 turnovers represented a season low for Bulldog opponents. In addition, the 77 points scored by Morningside were the most Concordia has allowed in a game this season.
  • Senior Grace Barry’s performance at Morningside will be one for the record books. Nothing within school archives indicates that any Bulldog had ever turned in a triple-double – until Barry accomplished that feat last week. Barry finished the game at Morningside with 20 points, 10 assists and 10 steals. The Lincoln East High School product added 15 points at Mount Marty. She ranks in the top 10 nationally in both steals (4.00) and assists (6.09). Barry is also averaging 13.5 points per game.
  • In the victory at Mount Marty, the Bulldogs started slow from a shooting perspective. They misfired on their first eight tries from 3-point range before catching fire. Concordia separated itself from the Lancers with dominant second and fourth quarters during which it outscored them 22-10 and 25-13, respectively. The Bulldogs ended the first half on a 20-5 run that put them up 39-21 at the break. Barry and Philly Lammers combined for 36 points and the reserves contributed another 35 points.
  • Turnovers have always been part of the narrative for the many elite teams Olson has presided over. While Morningside limited its turnovers to 22, Mount Marty turned it over 43 times. Concordia foes are turning it over an average of 35.9 times per game. Led by the peskiness of Barry and Riley Sibbel in the backcourt, the Bulldogs continue to lead the nation in steals per game (24.6) and in turnover margin (+19.5).
  • Lammers put together a nice week that included a combined 40 points and 16 rebounds. She made 17-of-28 (.607) shots from the floor. The Millard West High School product continues to move up the school’s all-time lists. She is currently sixth in scoring (1,743), sixth in steals (303) and seventh in rebounds (897). Lammers needs 312 more points to break the program’s career scoring record, which is currently 2,054 (Bailey Morris).
  • Despite scoring in the 80s in both of last week’s outings, Concordia is still averaging more than 100 points per game at 101.0. Prior to last week, the Bulldogs had reached the 100-point mark in seven of their first nine games. While Barry and Lammers are the go-to scorers, Concordia has proven to have plenty of weapons with 12 players averaging 4.5 points or more. The takeaways have been a big part of the offensive success and have allowed the Bulldogs to attempt 237 more shots than their opponents.
  • Rylee Pauli has taken a step forward as a sophomore and has become one of the team’s most dependable reserves. In the win at Mount Marty, Pauli posted a line of six points, five steals and four rebounds. Pauli has contributed at least four points in nine games this season. She is averaging 6.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
  • The focus is on final exams before Concordia heads to Lakeland, Fla., for the head Southeastern University Classic for a game apiece on Friday and Saturday. Another rematch with host and second-ranked Southeastern (10-2) will take place Friday with tipoff at 3 p.m. CT (4 p.m. in Florida). The Bulldogs will then take on William Carey University (Miss.) (4-5) at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday. GPAC play will resume after New Year’s.

Men’s Basketball

  • Concordia faced perhaps its most challenging week of the entire season while up against No. 1 Morningside and No. 23 Mount Marty, both on the road. The Bulldogs nearly rocked the NAIA landscape while surrendering a lead in the final seconds in a 72-71 loss at Morningside on Dec. 11. The situation was much different a few days later in Yankton, S.D., where Concordia was blown out, 97-70, by the hot shooting Lancers. Head coach Ben Limback’s squad has dropped three games in a row and is now 7-4 overall and 2-4 in GPAC play. For more information on Bulldog men’s basketball, click HERE.
  • Concordia came so very close to snapping its series losing streak against Morningside, which has now beaten the Bulldogs eight-straight times. Hot shooting from the perimeter allowed Concordia to hold the lead for the majority of the night. The Bulldogs went 9-for-12 from 3-point range in the first half and 13-for-21 for the game. A Brevin Sloup jumper at the 1:19 mark gave Concordia a 71-70 lead. Then with nine seconds left, Alex Borchers drained two free throws for the deciding tallies. Sloup’s tightly defended 3-point try at the buzzer clanged off the rim.
  • A win on the home court of the No. 1-ranked team in NAIA Division II would have been one for Bulldog men’s basketball lore. Concordia’s backcourt of Carter Kent, Sloup and Justin Wiersema will be hard pressed to duplicate that shooting display again. Together they combined to go 13-for-17 from beyond the arc. Kent was a perfect 5-for-5 and finished with a team high 21 points. Sloup and Wiersema both knocked down four 3-point field goals. The Bulldogs have not beaten a ranked team on the road since their 109-106 overtime win over No. 7 Dakota Wesleyan on Feb. 12, 2017.
  • Concordia wound up in a faster-paced game at Mount Marty – something it did not want to happen. The Lancers were crazy hot from 3-point range, where they sank 21-of-45 (.467) attempts. Chris King went 8-for-12 from beyond the arc on his way to 30 points while Colby Johnson was 4-for-7 from long distance in the process of piling up 21 points. At 6-1 in GPAC play (13-2), Mount Marty has the look of a squad that could compete for the GPAC title.
  • The 97 points allowed in Yankton were by far the most for a Bulldog opponent this season. Previously, no foe had scored more than 77 points against a Concordia squad that has ranked highly in the GPAC in several defensive categories. In addition, no opponent had more than eight treys against the Bulldogs. Even after the rough performance, Concordia sports conference rankings of third in scoring defense (70.7) and third in field goal percentage defense (.433).
  • A big reason for the defensive success of the Bulldogs for most of this season has been the work of Chuol Biel in the paint. The native of Grand Island, Neb., blocked six shots at Morningside before fouling out late in the game. Biel led the GPAC in blocks per game last season and is the current leader this season with an average of 2.09 per game. In 39 career games at Concordia, Biel has racked up 63 blocks. He has also ratcheted up his rebound numbers this season by pulling down 7.6 boards per game.
  • Inconsistency on the offensive end has been an issue. After having their most efficient 3-point shooting performance of the season at Morningside, the Bulldogs slipped to 8-for-29 (.276) from beyond the arc at Mount Marty. Concordia’s fortunes seem to often hinge upon its perimeter shooting. Among GPAC squads, the Bulldogs rank ninth in field goal percentage offense (.447) and 10th in scoring (76.2).
  • Up next for Concordia is a trip to Honolulu, Hawaii, for the Malika Sports Tours Hoop N Surf Classic. The Bulldogs will be in action on Saturday and Sunday with game times scheduled for 4 p.m. CT (12 p.m. Hawaii time) on both days. Concordia will go up against MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.) (7-4) on day one before taking on Menlo College (Calif.) (5-3) on day two. The program has not ventured to Hawaii since before the GPAC era began (2000-present). The Bulldogs will also be back at home to host Peru State College (6-5) on Dec. 28.