Bulldog Weekly Report (Feb. 19)

By Jacob Knabel on Feb. 19, 2019 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week

Male: Josiah McAllister, Track & Field

McAllister, a native of Atkinson, Neb., won a conference championship in the 1,000 meters and placed as a runner up in the mile while helping the Bulldog men’s track and field team to a second place finish in the GPAC standings. McAllister is the NAIA national leader in the 1,000 meters.

Female: Jacee Pfeifer, Track & Field

Pfeifer, who hails from Holdrege, Neb., produced 16 team points in three individual events (200 meters, 400 meters, pole vault) while also helping the 4x400 meter relay to a title at last week’s GPAC championships. The 4x4 also broke the school record as part of a team GPAC championship performance.

Previous Athletes of the Week
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:

DeSimone named head tennis coach: A former team MVP during his time as a student-athlete at Kalamazoo College in Michigan, David DeSimone has been named the head coach for Concordia University’s men’s and women’s tennis teams. In addition to coaching duties, DeSimone will serve in an athletic fund development role. The hiring was announced on Monday (Feb. 18). A native of Bettendorf, Iowa, DeSimone graduated from Kalamazoo College (Mich.) and had been working at the University of Nebraska as a Development Operations Assistant. He continues to finish up his master of arts in business at Nebraska. For more details on the hiring, click HERE.

Start of softball season delayed by inclement weather: Continued chilly temperatures and wintry weather prevented the Concordia softball team from playing doubleheaders that were scheduled at MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.) on Feb. 15 and at University of Saint Mary (Kan.) on Feb. 16. As a result, head coach Shawn Semler’s squad will make another attempt to open up the 2019 season this Friday through Sunday with twin bills slated to be played at Kansas Wesleyan University, at Tabor College (Kan.) and at Baker University (Kan.). The Bulldogs and Saint Mary have rescheduled their doubleheader for Wednesday, Feb. 27. No makeup has been made for the canceled twin bill at MidAmerica Nazarene.

Baseball getting set for four-game weekend swing in Oklahoma City: Head coach Ryan Dupic’s squad is also hopeful of opening up the 2019 campaign this weekend. The Bulldogs are slated to be in Oklahoma City, Okla., Saturday and Sunday. They are set to play one game apiece with MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.) and Oklahoma City University on Saturday. Then on Sunday, Concordia will play a doubleheader with Oklahoma City. The Stars are ranked eighth in the NAIA preseason poll.

Cross country men top nation, Grove named USTFCCCA All-Academic: As announced on Feb. 14 by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), the 2018 Concordia University men’s cross country squad has topped the nation (in terms of collective grade point average) on the coaches’ organization’s list of NAIA All-Academic Teams. Meanwhile, the Bulldog women ranked ninth nationally for highest GPA. Additionally, head coach Matt Beisel’s squads were represented on the list of USTFCCCA All-Academic individuals by senior Taylor Grove. 

Bulldog dance and cheer preps for Friday’s NAIA North Qualifier: Berths to the national championships will be at stake on Friday when the Concordia cheer and dance teams compete at the NAIA North Regional Qualifier hosted in Fremont, Neb., by Midland on Friday. The Bulldogs are coming off of GPAC championships finishes of sixth in dance and seventh in cheer. The 2019 NAIA Cheer & Dance National Championships are set to take place in Davenport, Iowa, on March 8.

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

  • It was a weekend to remember for the Bulldog track and field squads, which both entered the 2019 GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championships (Feb. 15-16) with hopes of hoisting the championship trophy. The women captured the program’s first conference indoor title since 2010 by racking up 173.5 points. Meanwhile, the men placed second with 116.5 points. By the end of a long championship hunt, head coach Matt Beisel’s squads had combined to produce seven GPAC event titles, four fresh automatic national qualifying standards and two new school records. For more on Concordia track and field, click HERE.
  • With the bulk of the indoor season now in the books, Bulldog athletes have combined for 28 automatic national qualifying marks and 12 ‘B’ standard qualifying marks. Concordia athletes with multiple ‘A’ standards in individual events include Gavin Davis, Samantha Liermann, Jacee Pfeifer, Johanna Ragland and Addie Shaw. The pole vault crew has shown off impressive depth by piling up seven ‘A’ and five ‘B’ clearances between the men and women. The list below also includes Concordia multi-event athletes with performances that met the minimum standard required to reach the national championships.
    • Men’s 4x400m relay (A, 3:19.45)
    • Women’s 4x400m relay (A, 3:57.55)
    • Men’s 4x800 meter relay (A, 7:51.74)
    • Rachel Battershell – 400 meters (A, 57.83)
    • Zach Bennetts – pole vault (B, 15’ 1”)
    • Dalton Berry – pole vault (B, 15’ 1”)
    • Allie Brooks – pole vault (A, 12’ 2 ½”); high jump (B, 5’ 3 ¾”)
    • Jacob Cornelio – weight throw (A, 65’ 11 ½”)
    • Gavin Davis – 200 meters (A, 22.23); 400 meters (A, 49.48)
    • Morgan De Jong – weight throw (A, 53’ 5”)
    • Gavin DeHaai – pole vault (A, 15’ 9”)
    • Jessica Deterding – long jump (A, 18’ 3 ¼”); triple jump (B, 37’ 2 ½”); No. 6 nationally in pentathlon (3,410)
    • Jodi Fry – shot put (A, 44’ 11 ¾”)
    • McKenzie Gravo – pole vault (A, 12’ 2 ½”)
    • Liam Hennessy – shot put (B, 51’ 4 ½”); weight throw (B, 54’ 7 ¼”)
    • Mariah Huneke – weight throw (B, 52’ 10 ¼”)
    • Leah Larson – triple jump (A, 38’ 2 ¾”)
    • Samantha Liermann – shot put (A, 47’ ¼”); weight throw (A, 55’ 5”)
    • Erin Mapson – pole vault (A, 12’ 2 ½”)
    • Nathan Matters – 600 meters (A, 1:21.65)
    • Josiah McAllister – 1,000 meters (A, 2:29.93)
    • Kennedy Mogul – No. 20 nationally in pentathlon (3,030)
    • Tristen Mosier – pole vault (A, 11’ 6 ½”)
    • Jacee Pfeifer – pole vault (A, 11’ 10 ½”); 400 meters (A, 58.14)
    • Tucker Platt – pole vault (B, 15’ 1”)
    • Ben Pratt – high jump (B, 6’ 6 ¼”)
    • Johanna Ragland – shot put (A, 45’ 1 ¾”); weight throw (A, 55’ 11 ¼”)
    • Tyrell Reichert – pole vault (B, 15’ 1”)
    • Addie Shaw – shot put (A, 46’ 8 ¼”); weight throw (A, 60’ 6 ¾”)
    • Adrianna Sims – triple jump (B, 37’ ¼”)
    • Sam Sisco – pole vault (B, 15’ 1”)
    • Carley Weisser – weight throw (A, 54’ ½”)
    • Cody Williams – pole vault (A, 16’ ¾”); 60 meter hurdles (B, 8.38); long jump (B, 22’ 11 ¼”); No. 1 nationally in heptathlon (5,213)
  • Concordia’s seven GPAC event championships were produced by the women’s 4x400 meter relay, Allie Brooks (pole vault), Jacob Cornelio (weight throw), Taylor Grove (3,000 meters), Josiah McAllister (1,000 meters), Thomas Taylor (800 meters) and Cody Williams (heptathlon). Cornelio, McAllister and Taylor were each first time conference champions in individual events. Brooks, Grove and Williams have each captured two career individual GPAC titles. Williams has won the past two GPAC multi-event crowns.
  • Ranked third nationally in the heptathlon entering last week, Williams elevated his game and even put himself within striking distance of GPAC meet and school records. Since it was still early on day two of the GPAC championships, Williams elected to take it easy on the 1,000 meter run in order to preserve his energy. He still finished with 5,213 points in the heptathlon to rise to No. 1 on the NAIA performance list. In last season’s indoor national championships, Williams placed seventh and earned All-America honors.
  • Concordia also has a star in the women’s pentathlon in junior Jessica Deterding. It came down the wire in the final event, but Deterding managed to run an 800 meter time just under what she needed to break the school’s pentathlon record. She compiled 3,410 points (GPAC runner up) to move herself up to No. 6 on the NAIA national list. The previous record of 3,401 points was achieved by Lydia Pomerenke at the 2014 NAIA indoor national championships. Prior to last week, Deterding had been No. 2 on the list with 3,183 points.
  • The women’s 4x400 meter relay is only going to get better. As it stands right now, it’s already pretty darn good. The group includes three freshmen in Rachel Battershell, Sarah Lewis and Jacee Pfeifer, in addition to senior Jamie Nikodym. Together, they blazed to a school record time of 3:57.55 for a GPAC title last week. That time ranks No. 4 nationally. The group ran an even faster time at the Devaney Center earlier this season that had been disqualified.
  • The GPAC championships were further proof that both squads have improved immensely as compared to 2018. A year earlier at the GPAC indoor championships, the Concordia men placed fourth and the women fifth. This time around, the women got big point totals out of the pole vault and the throws in the process of winning the fifth conference title (only the second in indoor) in women’s program history. The men placed as a GPAC runner up for the 14th time in school history.
  • Official NAIA national qualifiers will be announced towards the end of this week. Those who make the qualifying field will compete at the 2019 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships at the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex in Brookings, S.D., Feb. 28 – March 2. For more on the national championships, click HERE.

Women’s Basketball

  • There were certainly challenges along the way, but the top-ranked Bulldogs were successful in their bid to win the GPAC regular season title for the third-straight year and for the sixth time in program history. Concordia ended up sharing the title with Northwestern, which also went 19-3 in league play. The Bulldogs closed the regular season last week with victories over College of Saint Mary, 95-51, and at Mount Marty, 66-55. Thirteenth-year head coach Drew Olson’s squad will move into the postseason at 27-3 overall. For more information on Concordia women’s basketball, click HERE.
  • Olson’s entire tenure has produced incredibly impressive results, but this current three-year stretch has been unprecedented in program annals. The 2002-03 through 2004-05 squads set a tremendous standard by going 95-15 overall, winning one GPAC regular season and one GPAC tournament title and by advancing to two national semifinals. Since the beginning of the 2015-17 campaign, the Bulldogs are a combined 97-8 with five GPAC titles (three regular season, two postseason) and two national semifinal berths (including a national runner-up finish).
  • Concordia has been dominant despite playing the NAIA’s best women’s basketball league. Even while taking in GPAC games only, the Bulldogs outscored their opponents by nearly 20 points per game (87.5 to 68.1) and caused conference foes to commit 30.6 turnovers per game. Of the 19 GPAC games Concordia won, only two were decided by single digit margins. The Bulldogs were also the only team to sweep the regular season series from Dakota Wesleyan, which is 13-1 at home.
  • Securing the No. 1 seed for the GPAC tournament is a big deal for Concordia, which went 12-1 at home during the regular season. The lone blemish, an 84-75 loss to Morningside, interrupted what had been a 40-game home win streak. Prior to the defeat dealt by Morningside, you have to go all the way back January 2016 for the most recent home loss. The Bulldogs have also won 16 GPAC postseason home games in a row, a string that dates all the way back to a conference tournament home loss to Mount Marty in 2008.
  • Last week the Omaha World-Herald featured the dynamic backcourt duo of Grace Barry and Taylor Cockerill. Both players are in their first seasons as starters at the collegiate level. At times in the win over Mount Marty, they had to carry Concordia. The Bulldogs struggled offensively for much of the afternoon, outside of three players. Cockerilll poured in a critical 20 points (seventh 20-plus point game of the season) and Barry added 17.
  • In GPAC games only, Cockerill finished fifth among league players in scoring at 15.7 points per game. The top four were Dordt’s Erika Feenstra (20.4), Dakota Wesleyan’s Sarah Carr (18.4), Dakota Wesleyan’s Kynedi Cheeseman (18.1) and Northwestern’s Kassidy De Jong (17.7). Philly Lammers also checked in at No. 9 (14.3) on that same list. Additionally, Barry (17th, 11.2) and Quinn Wragge (18th, 11.0) made their way into the top 20.
  • For now, Wragge is still at No. 7 on the program’s all-time scoring list with 1,697 career points. Depending on Concordia’s postseason success, Wragge could soon catch Lynda Beck (1,720) and Stephanie Schilke (1,736) and move into the top five. Just a junior, Lammers is going to keep climbing as well. Her 1,453 points rank 11th in school history. She has a ways to go to surpass Andrea Jansssen (1,559) for No. 10 on the list. Wragge and Lammers are both top 10 all-time in rebounding.
  • In terms of forcing turnovers, this team has been on a different level, even as compared to the program’s previous elite squads. The school record of 1,014 turnovers forced was achieved by the 2014-15 national runner up team that forced an average of 26.7 turnovers per game. This year’s group has caused 939 turnovers for an average of 31.3 per contest. With that average, the current team will need three more games to break the record.
  • Now it’s time for the Bulldogs to go for a three-peat in GPAC postseason play. They will host eighth-seeded Briar Cliff (15-15, 9-13 GPAC) at 7 p.m. CST on Wednesday. In regular season action, Concordia topped the Chargers, 99-71, in Sioux City, and 87-58 in Seward. The winner on Wednesday will advance to Saturday’s semifinal round and take on either fourth-seeded Dordt or fifth-seeded Hastings. Both of the Bulldogs’ meetings with Dordt this season have gone down to the wire. The championship game will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 26.

Wrestling

  • The 2018-19 season continued at the GPAC Wrestling Championships for the 12 Bulldogs chosen to compete in at Northwestern in Orange City, Iowa, on Feb. 16. Those dozen Concordia representatives combined for 25 victories, eight advancements to the semifinals, two runner-up claims and one individual GPAC title. As a team, head coach Levi Calhoun’s squad placed fourth (121.5 points) in a tight pack at the top of the heap. Five Bulldogs emerged as NAIA national qualifiers. For more information on Bulldog wrestling, click HERE.
  • The program will be represented at the NAIA national championships by Deandre Chery (174), Walker Fisher (174), Alberto Garcia (133), Zack Moistner (133) and Michael Stann (285). Conferences are awarded automatic bids based upon the number of nationally ranked wrestlers they have in each weight class. Based on their performances this season, Chery and Stann appeared to be near locks entering this past weekend. Chery successfully defended his 2018 174-pound title to lock up his bid to nationals.
  • The next step for Chery may be getting himself up on the podium at the national championships. He took care of business at the conference tournament by pinning Jacob Williams of Doane and Haggen Meyer of Northwestern on his way to the finals. Those results marked the 16th and 17th pins of the season for Chery, who is now 34-9 overall. Fisher also reached the finals at 174. Concordia elected to forfeit the match to Chery, now a two-time GPAC champion who will head to nationals for the second time in his career.
  • The national berth for Fisher is a feel good story. The senior from Ashland, Neb., came close to making it last season as a junior during a campaign that saw him go 24-11 overall. Fisher has battled through some injury issues this season but got himself right at an opportune moment. Fisher never once lost inside Walz Arena and is now 13-6 this season after picking up wins at the conference tournament over Scott Teesdale of Doane and Nickolas Madsen of Morningside. Fisher has collected 54 career wins as a Bulldog.
  • Stann has shown an ability to compete with the top heavyweights in the country. He has been ranked as high as No. 10 nationally during an impressive first collegiate season. The Temecula, Calif., native appears to have used his 2017-18 redshirt season wisely. Now 37-12 overall this season, Stann is 7-2 over his last nine matches with the only two defeats coming at the hands of Morningside’s Phil Rasmussen. The Mustang heavyweight knocked off Stann, 6-0, in the GPAC title match.
  • In his one and only season competing with the Bulldogs, Garcia will be headed to the national championships. He entered the weekend ranked in a tie for sixth nationally at 133 (second in the GPAC). After getting upset in the semifinals, Garcia bounced back with wins over his teammate Moistner and over Briar Cliff’s Isiah Lysius in the third-place match. Moistner also came up big and avenged two previous losses to squeeze his way into the national tournament.
  • Five Bulldogs suffered defeats in the semifinal round – Mario Ybarra (125), Garcia (133), Cameron Devers (141), Chucky Hedrick (157) and Blake Castillo (165). Devers and Hedrick both placed fourth, narrowly missing out on berths to the national championships. Of Concordia’s national qualifiers, Chery is the only one with experience on the NAIA national stage. Last season Chery went 1-2 with his victory being an upset of fifth-ranked Cody Carson of Missouri Valley College.
  • The season will continue for the five Bulldog national qualifiers. The 2019 NAIA Wrestling National Championships will unfold inside the Jacobson Exhibition Center in Des Moines, Iowa, March 1-2. The Des Moines site will serve as the national host for the second year in a row. At the 2018 event, Concordia placed 22nd nationally (18 points) mostly on the strength of Giovanni Castillo’s fifth-place All-America finish at 133.

Men’s Basketball

  • Following a mid-week bye, the Bulldogs returned to action at Mount Marty over the weekend and picked up their second GPAC road win of the campaign. Concordia shot 56.6 percent from the floor while holding off the Lancers, 84-79, in Yankton, S.D., on Feb. 16. The victory avenged a 70-69 home loss to Mount Marty on Dec. 8 that featured a game winning 3-point buzzer beater. Sixth-year head coach Ben Limback’s squad will now enter the postseason at 15-15 overall (7-13 GPAC). For more information on Bulldog men’s basketball, click HERE.
  • It’s been noted in this space before, but it bears repeating that Concordia appeared dead in the water at 1-9 halfway through the conference schedule. The capper on that stretch was a frustrating 76-59 home loss to Northwestern. Somehow, the team’s fortunes flipped dramatically when it roared back late for an improbable comeback win at Hastings on Jan. 9. The Bulldogs went 6-4 with an upset of then seventh-ranked Briar Cliff over their final 10 league games. The improvement has kept Concordia’s season alive.
  • In terms of efficiency, the offensive performance at Mount Marty was one of the Bulldogs’ best this season. Concordia’s shooting percentage of 56.6 was its highest since it shot 57.1 percent in a 66-51 home win over Midland on Jan. 16. In the latest victory, the Bulldogs were also a sizzling 11-for-20 from 3-point range. Concordia has shot 50 percent or better from the field eight times this season. It has lost in only one of those instances – a 77-70 home decision versus then fourth-ranked Morningside.
  • For the first time this season, Crete native Carter Kent has pushed his scoring average into double figures (10.1). He put up a team high 19 points at Mount Marty while going 6-for-8 from the field, 2-for-3 from 3-point range and 5-for-6 from the free throw line. Over the past six outings, Carter has produced high single game scoring totals of 19, 19 and 18. The freshman has had success against this week’s opponent, Morningside, having totaled 35 points in the two regular season meetings.
  • Junior point guard Brevin Sloup has stated his case for recognition as an all-conference honoree. The Seward High School product has inarguably been the team’s most consistent offensive threat. He notched 16 points at Mount Marty extending his streak of double-figure point totals to 16 games in a row. The GPAC leader in free throw percentage boosted his scoring average for 4.5 as a sophomore to 16.5 as a junior. He’s scored 713 points over 82 career games as a Bulldog.
  • Sammy Adjei is making strides as he continues to get more comfortable with Concordia. He put up 16 points while making 6-of-8 shots from the field at Mount Marty. That point total bested his previous career best of 12 points (twice). He has also grabbed at least four rebounds in 12-straight games. He has teamed with Chuol Biel in the post. Biel continues to lead the GPAC in blocks per game (1.48).
  • The program continues to attempt to stop a nasty string of eight-straight losses in GPAC tournament play. The Bulldogs last won a GPAC postseason contest in 2009 when they made a run to the semifinals with two tournament victories when the conference had a different postseason format. Three of the five seasons under Limback have ended with a GPAC quarterfinal loss at Dakota Wesleyan.
  • Postseason play begins Wednesday with the quarterfinal round. Eighth-seeded Concordia will be at top-seeded Morningside (25-2, 18-2 GPAC) for a 7 p.m. CST tipoff from Sioux City, Iowa. The Mustangs have yet to lose at home this season but did suffer an 88-75 loss at Jamestown in the regular season finale. The Bulldogs have dropped six in a row in the series since sweeping the Mustangs during the 2015-16 campaign. Wednesday’s winner will advance to play either fourth-seeded Dakota Wesleyan or fifth-seeded Northwestern in the semifinals on Saturday.

Tennis

  • The spring seasons are underway for squads that have been coached by Nikita Kostikov on the men’s side and Javier Moreno on the women’s side. Both Bulldog teams began the 2018-19 campaigns back in the fall and competed at the GPAC Invite in September. The women also earned a fall victory over Central College (Iowa). The women’s squad is now 1-1 overall after falling by a 6-3 final score at Grand View University (Iowa) on Feb. 8. The men are also 1-1 following an opening weekend (Feb. 8-9) that included a 5-4 win over Grand View and 7-2 loss at Central. For more information on Concordia tennis: Men | Women.
  • Kostikov arrived in Seward in the middle of the 2017-18 school year, not long after completing his college career as a student-athlete at NCAA Division I Alcorn State University (Miss.). Kostikov was an All-South Western Athletic Conference honoree and moved up to the No. 1 singles and doubles spots in the lineup as his career progressed. Meanwhile, Moreno graduated from Concordia in 2017. The native of Morelia, Mexico, earned four career All-GPAC awards and won 27 singles and 31 doubles matches as a Bulldog.
  • It was the back half of the lineup that lifted the Concordia men to the win at Grand View. The contest actually began with singles action. Ultimately, the team scoring came down to No. 2 doubles and the freshman duo of Isaac Howes and Jack Kitson. Under the pressure of a 4-4 team tie, Howes and Kitson emerged with an 8-6 victory over their Viking counterparts. Concordia was also an 8-2 winner at No. 3 doubles, which featured senior Thomas Greeff and freshman Joseph Bindl. Howes first produced a 6-1, 6-1, win at No. 4 singles over Ryan Kucera. With Bulldogs falling at the Nos. 1 through 3 singles positions, Concordia needed the performances it got from Howes, Jeremy Berryman (No. 5) and Connor Works (No. 6). Berryman won at No. 5, 6-0, 6-0, while Works too his match by the same score.
  • The lineup on Feb. 9 included the same seven individuals who competed at Grand View the previous day. Howes produced the Bulldogs’ lone singles victory. He was able to outlast Josh Phillips, 7-5, 6-7 (8), 10-4, at the No. 3 spot. In doubles action, the pair of Berryman and Luke Zoller at No. 1 earned an 8-6 triumph. Concordia dropped three singles matches in third-set tiebreakers as part of a clash that was closer than the 7-2 team score indicated.
  • Transfer Marlene Maier (a three-year contributor at Alcorn State University) again topped the lineup for the Bulldogs. She fell at No. 1 singles, 6-3, 6-4, to Kristina Khmelevskaia. In doubles, Maier teamed up with Claudia Miranda Viera in an 8-3 defeat. Maier was followed in the singles lineup by Miranda Viera, Kirsten Wagner, Allison Marshall, Lindee Schultz and Angela Bell. Schultz won at No. 5, 7-5, 6-0, over Tina Kajtazovic while Bell took a 6-0, 6-0, decision at No. 6. The other Bulldog victory was delivered by the No. 3 doubles combo of Marshall and Wagner.
  • Both Concordia teams were off from competition this past week. They will be back at it on Friday and Saturday at Genesis Health Club in Lincoln. On Friday, both the men and women will take on Bethel College (Kan.) in matches set to get started at 4 p.m. CST. Then on Saturday, Bethany College (Kan.) will be the opponent with matches slated for a 2 p.m. first serve.