Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week
Male: Tanner Farmer, Wrestling
A senior from Highland, Ill., Farmer won the 285-pound title at last week’s Dave Edmonds Open while going 5-0 with a pair of pins. Farmer’s day included two victories over NCAA Division I opponents. He moved his season record to 17-0.
Female: Allie Brooks, Track & Field
A senior from Seward, Brooks broke her own school record at the Concordia Classic while becoming the first Concordia female pole vaulter to clear 13 feet. Also the school outdoor pole vault record holder, Brooks now ranks atop the NAIA national leaderboard.
2019-20 BAAM Athletes of the Week
Jan. 28 – Tanner Shuck (basketball) / Adrianna Shaw (track & field)
Jan. 21 – Tanner Farmer (wrestling) / Rachel Battershell (track & field)
Jan. 14 – Tanner Shuck (basketball) / Riley Sibbel (basketball)
Dec. 17 – Gavin DeHaai (track & field) / Kennedy Mogul (track & field)
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:
Cheer and dance teams host own invite: A large-in-scale cheer and dance invite unfolded on Feb. 1 inside Walz Arena, where 10 dance and six cheer teams competed. The Bulldogs placed sixth in dance and fourth in cheer (Midland won both competitions) while also honoring their senior class. The event marked the third invitational that Concordia has taken part in this season. Both the cheer and dance teams will be back in action in duals at Doane on Wednesday before the GPAC Championships take place in Crete on Saturday.
Shooting sports resumes 2019-20 season at ACUI Super Shoot: The shooting sports program resumed its 2019-20 season this past week at the ACUI Super Shoot held in Kerville, Texas, and San Antonio, Texas. The Bulldogs competed at the event Jan. 30 through Feb. 2. More details about the shoot will be included in a recap later this week via our website: https://www.cune.edu/athletics/teams/trap-skeet.
Opening day arrives Saturday for baseball: The opening day of the 2020 baseball season is coming up Saturday when the Bulldogs are scheduled to be at McPherson College (Kan.) for a 12 p.m. CT doubleheader. The two sides are also slated to play a noon doubleheader at McPherson on Sunday. Head coach Ryan Dupic’s squad enters the new season as the preseason GPAC favorite after having won the regular-season title last season.
Tennis picks back up on Saturday inside Fieldhouse: Head coach David DeSimone’s men’s and women’s tennis teams will pick things back up on Saturday by hosting Grand View University (Iowa) at 3 p.m. CT inside the Fieldhouse. Both Bulldog squads began their seasons back in the fall, but the bulk of their schedule, including all GPAC matches, takes place during the spring months. The women’s team is 1-0 while the men are 0-1. In the preseason polls, Concordia checked in at No. 2 on the women’s side and at No. 4 on the men’s side.
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
· For the second-straight week, and for the third time this indoor season, the Bulldogs hosted their own meet. The Concordia Classic unfolded Jan. 30-31 inside the Fieldhouse, where athletes from 10 different schools showcased their talents. Concordia athletes emerged from the meet with 10 event titles, 11 performances that met the automatic national qualifying standard (four new ‘A’ marks) and two school record achievements. This marked the fourth main meet this season for head coach Matt Beisel’s squads. For more on Bulldog track and field, click HERE.
· Last week the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released its first NAIA national rankings of the 2020 indoor season. Impressively, both the Concordia men and women checked in at No. 2 in the national ratings that are compiled based on the NAIA leaders in each event category. Nationally in 2019, the Concordia men placed ninth in indoor and 31st in outdoor while the women placed ninth in indoor and fifth in outdoor. The Bulldog women are the defending indoor/outdoor GPAC champions. The program is no stranger to lofty national rankings having won team national titles in 2015 (men’s outdoor) and 2016 (women’s outdoor).
· The team national rankings are a result of a star-studded group of individuals such as the likes of Rachel Battershell and Adrianna Shaw, both of whom were named NAIA National Athletes of the Week on Jan. 29. Battershell remains the NAIA national leader in the 400 meters while also teaming up with a 4x400 meter relay that rates No. 2 in the nation. In addition, Battershell owns the school record in the 60 meter hurdles, an event in which she ranks eighth nationally. The native of Wheatland, Wyo., took this past weekend off.
· Meanwhile, Shaw is consistently throwing at an elite level. She broke her own school record in the weight throw last week with a winning toss of 62’ 9 ¼” at the Concordia Classic. She won the event by nearly six feet in another dominant outing. A two-time discus national champion, the Bassett, Neb., native ranks No. 2 nationally in the weight throw and also No. 3 in the shot put with a mark of 46’ 6 ¼.” Shaw is currently No. 4 on the school’s all-time indoor shot put list.
· Through three weekends of indoor competition, Concordia athletes have combined for 18 automatic national qualifying marks, 17 ‘B’ standards and four NAIA top 16 multi-event point totals (see full list below). Rachel Battershell and Adrianna Shaw highlight the list with two auto marks in individual events.
o A, Men’s 4x400m relay (3:20.47)
o A, Women’s 4x400m relay (3:58.20)
o A, Women’s Distance Medley Relay (12:26.04)
o Andy Amos – B, weight throw (54’ 10 ¼”)
o Rachel Battershell – A, 400 meters (56.40); A, 60 meter hurdles (8.96)
o Taylor Beck – B, triple jump (B, 46’ 3 ½”)
o Chase Berry – A, pole vault (15’ 7”)
o Jamey Broman – B, long jump (18’ 1”)
o Allie Brooks – A, pole vault (13’ ¼”)
o Jacob Cornelio – A, weight throw (65’ 9”)
o Morgan De Jong – A, weight throw (54’ 8”)
o Gavin DeHaai – A, pole vault (16’ 4 ¾”)
o McKenzie Gravo – B, pole vault (11’ 2 ½”)
o Liam Hennessy – A, weight throw (56’ 7 ½”)
o Kylahn Heritage – B, mile (5:13.84)
o Samuel Joseph – B, triple jump (46’ 4”)
o Sarah Lewis – B, 400 meters (59.32); B 60 meter hurdles (9.13)
o Wyatt Loga – B, high jump (6’ 7”)
o Emily Loy – No. 8 in NAIA with 3,109 points in pentathlon
o Erin Mapson – B, pole vault (11’ 2 ¼”)
o Colton Meyer – A, 60 meter hurdles (8.21)
o Kennedy Mogul – B, 60 meter hurdles (9.14); No. 2 in NAIA with 3,341 points in pentathlon
o Jerod Peters – B, shot put (51’ 5 ¾”)
o Jacee Pfeifer – B, pole vault (11’ 2 ½”)
o Tucker Platt – B, pole vault (15’ 3”)
o Ben Pratt – B, high jump (6’ 7 ½”)
o Josie Puelz – A, pole vault (12’ 6 ¼”)
o Sarah Ragland – A, weight throw (54’ 1 ¾”)
o Jeremiah Reeser – No. 16 in NAIA with 4,252 points in heptathlon
o Xavier Ross – A, 400 meters (49.03)
o Adrianna Shaw – A, shot put (46’ 6 ¼”); A, weight throw (62’ 9 ¼”)
o Sam Sisco – B, pole vault (15’ 3”)
o Cody Williams – A, pole vault (15’ 7”); B, high jump (6’ 7 ½”); No. 2 in NAIA with 5,195 points in heptathlon
· Fifth-year senior Allie Brooks has also rewritten her own record after becoming the first female pole vaulter in school history to clear 13 feet. She did so at the Concordia Classic while proving that her confidence has fully returned. The Seward High School product’s previous school record of 12’ 10 ¾” came three years ago. Brooks won the 2019 GPAC indoor pole vault title (second of career) and qualified for nationals. She then fell short of reaching the outdoor national meet in 2019. Brooks is currently the NAIA leader in the pole vault.
· The fresh automatic national qualifying marks last week were turned in by the men’s 4x400 meter relay, the women’s distance medley relay, Colton Meyer (60 meter hurdles) and Sarah Ragland (weight throw). The Bulldogs did not have any competition in the DMR, but still galloped to a time of 12:26.04 thanks to the legs of Rebekah Hinrichs, Sarah Lewis, Alyssa Fye and Kylahn Heritage. Meyer was part of the 4x400 meter relay that included sophomore Xavier Ross, freshman Camden Miller and junior Christian Van Cleave.
· Fresh ‘B’ marks were turned in last week by Jamey Broman (long jump), Sarah Lewis (60 meter hurdles) and Jacee Pfeifer (pole vault). Others not previously mentioned who repeated automatic national qualifying performances were Jacob Cornelio (weight throw), Morgan De Jong (weight throw), Gavin DeHaai (pole vault) and Josie Puelz (pole vault). Cornelio continues to lead the nation in the weight throw while DeHaai and Puelz sit third in their respective crafts.
· Most Bulldog athletes will be at Doane for the Fred Beile Invite this Friday and Saturday and Crete. Select Concordia performers will also make their way to the Sevigne Husker Invite hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on Friday. The final meet before the GPAC Championships will be the Concordia Invite on Feb. 14.
Wrestling
· It was a successful week for the 20th-ranked Bulldogs, who captured a pair of dual wins and also combined for 23 victories at the Sioux City Dave Edmonds Open (Feb. 1) over the weekend. Concordia wrapped up an outright GPAC regular-season title on Jan. 30 by pummeling Dakota Wesleyan, 48-4. On that same day, the Bulldogs also defeated York College, 30-16. Second-year head coach Levi Calhoun’s squad is now 12-2 overall and 8-0 in GPAC duals. Six tournaments are also in the books. For more information on Concordia wrestling, click HERE.
· Without question, the Bulldogs have been the dominant wrestling program in the GPAC over the past six seasons. During that stretch, Concordia has won 41 of 45 conference duals on its way to five GPAC regular-season titles. It also won GPAC/regional postseason championships in 2015, 2016 and 2017. In addition, the Bulldogs have posted unbeaten GPAC dual records four times. Finally, the program produced four-straight GPAC Wrestlers of the Year: Ceron Francisco (2017), Andrew Schulte (2016), Enrique Barajas (2015) and Emilio Rivera (2014).
· Concordia’s eventual win over Dakota Wesleyan (0-6 GPAC) was a foregone conclusion with the Tigers bringing only four wrestlers to Seward. The Bulldogs won three of those four contested matchups, including the 125-pound tussle that saw Giancarlo Facio notch a first-period pin over Taten Bahm. In addition, Gabe Crawford won by decision at 157 pounds and Jason Watkins edged out his opponent with the help of riding time at 197. In the eight GPAC duals this season, Concordia won 58 of 80 individual matches.
· In the matchup with York, the Bulldogs found themselves in a 13-0 hole after the first three matches. No. 17 Mario Ybarra was surprisingly upset by Harley Williamson at 125 to begin the dual. Eventually, senior Cameron Devers got Concordia back on track. The 149-pounder from Holly Springs, N.C., went on the attack and earned a pin in just one minute. The tide turned as Crawford (decision at 157), Issiah Burks (pin at 165), Blake Castillo (decision at 174) and Darrin Miller (pin at 184) followed with consecutive victories. To close the night, heavyweight Demitrius Miller pinned Cooper Wilkins in 1:09 for the exclamation mark.
· The Bulldogs then had three place finishers at the Edmonds Open hosted by Morningside: Tanner Farmer (first at 285), Deandre Chery (second at 174) and Devers (third at 149). All three grapplers reached the semifinals in their respective brackets and combined for 12 victories, including five via pin. It was a nice bounce back for Chery, a two-time GPAC champion who had lost twice at the GPAC Duals on Jan. 25. Chery went 3-1 while Devers went 4-1 in Sioux City. Both of their losses came against NCAA Division I opponents.
· Farmer continues to grab headlines while attracting media attention from Lincoln and Omaha. The former Nebraska Cornhusker offensive lineman remains undefeated this season (17-0) after he notched five wins at the Edmonds Open. Farmer also owns tournament titles at the Hastings Open and the Missouri Valley Invite. He figures to soar in the NAIA national rankings set to be released on Thursday. Farmer was ranked as the NAIA’s 13th heavyweight in the ratings that were unveiled on Jan. 16.
· Four other Bulldogs claimed exactly two wins at the Edmonds Open: Crawford (157), Burks (165), Castillo (174) and Michael Stann (285). All three heavyweights (including Demitrius Miller) entered the fray and posted a collective eight wins. Ten of the 12 Concordia competitors in Sioux City earned at least one win. Brandon Gonzalez (149) Miller (285) and Watkins (184) secured one win each.
· The regular season is starting to wind down. The only event left on the calendar prior to the GPAC Championships (Feb. 21-22) is Thursday’s home dual versus Bethany College (Kan.). The action is set to get underway at 7 p.m. CT from Walz Arena. Concordia is 5-0 this season in home duals.
Women’s Basketball
· With how good Hastings has been this season, the Bulldogs have had no margin for error in their pursuit of another GPAC regular-season title. Third-ranked Concordia kept pace last week by winning at home, 91-76, over No. 17 Northwestern and then by rallying for a 69-67 victory at 12th-ranked Dakota Wesleyan. Meanwhile, the Broncos (16-0 GPAC) defeated both No. 7 Morningside and Northwestern. Fourteenth-year head coach Drew Olson’s squad is now 22-2 overall and 15-1 in league play. For more information on Bulldog women’s basketball, click HERE.
· The victories over ranked opponents are piling up for Concordia, which has played the most challenging schedule of any NAIA women’s basketball team, according to Massey Ratings. Based upon rankings at the time games were contested, the Bulldogs own 10 wins over top 25 foes: No. 2 Southeastern University (Fla.), No. 6 Dordt, No. 7 Morningside (twice), No. 9 University of St. Francis (Ill.), No. 12/13 Dakota Wesleyan (twice), No. 12 Sterling College (Kan.) and No. 12/17 Northwestern (twice). Concordia’s only two losses have come on the road against the teams currently ranked Nos. 1 and 2: Southeastern and Hastings.
· It’s hard to imagine that the Bulldogs would have had a record of 57-5 over the last two seasons without the addition of point guard Grace Barry. After struggling offensively for a large portion of last week’s game at the Corn Palace, Barry came alive in the final few minutes. She tallied the team’s final nine points of the game, including two on a pair of free throws with 2.2 seconds left that broke a 67-67 tie. Barry paced Concordia during the week with a combined 35 points while also dishing out 13 assists and swiping eight steals.
· Senior MacKenzie Helman may have had the best week of her career, at least from a statistical standpoint. In the win over Northwestern, Helman emerged with a career high 17 points while draining five 3-point field goals to go along with three rebounds and two steals. Then in the victory at Dakota Wesleyan, Helman added 12 points, five assists and three steals. She nailed two treys during the fourth quarter rally. In 114 games as a Bulldog, Helman has compiled 460 points, 282 assists, 174 rebounds and 155 steals. Helman was also a key reserve for last season’s national championship team.
· The game against Northwestern was unique in that a Concordia opponent actually enjoyed some success from beyond the arc. Sammy Blum went 7-for-8 from 3-point range and the Red Raiders were 14-for-28 as a team from long range. Still, the Bulldogs found a way to win with the help of a plus-nine turnover margin and 50.7 percent shooting of their own. On the season, Concordia foes are a combined 141-for-513 (.275) from long distance. Northwestern was the first opponent this season to crack double figures in made 3-point field goals.
· It’s worth noting the career numbers of Philly Lammers, who continues to trend upward on the program’s all-time list. Entering this week, the Millard West High School product owns school career rankings of second in points (1,873), third in rebounds (967) and fifth in steals (334). Lammers is the only player in program history to rank in the top five in each of those categories. The three-time All-American is 182 points away from breaking the school record of 2,054 career points by Bailey Morris.
· Lammers has managed to stay in the lineup after missing the win at Briar Cliff on Jan. 18 (first game missed during college career). Unfortunately, injuries have hit the team in recent weeks with Taylor Farrell going down during CIT and Elsie Aslesen and Riley Sibbel both getting nicked up in the Northwestern win. Aslesen did not play at Dakota Wesleyan while Sibbel, wearing a mask over her face, started but played only 14 minutes. Olson still went deep into the bench, playing 12 Bulldogs at DWU.
· Senior Colby Duvel will be remembered as a key role player for elite teams during the entirety of her career. Duvel notched a career high 19 points in the CIT championship game and continues to be a player who contributes in all areas. She’s currently averaging a career high 7.4 points in her first season as a starter. In 133 games, Duvel has collected 696 points, 587 rebounds and 148 steals.
· Life on the road continues this week with trips to Doane (2-19, 1-15 GPAC) on Wednesday (6 p.m. CT) and to No. 9 Dordt (20-4, 12-4 GPAC) on Saturday (2 p.m.). Concordia has defeated both teams at home this season. The Defenders are 10-1 at home with the lone loss being delivered by Morningside. There are just six games remaining in the regular season.
Men’s Basketball
· A hot Bulldog team returned to conference play last week fresh off winning the CIT title. Concordia had won 10 of 11 after it held on to defeat Northwestern, 86-82, on Jan. 29. The Bulldogs stroked 18 3-point field goals in that triumph. Three days later, Concordia cooled off considerably and fell flat at the Corn Palace in a 71-50 loss at the hands of No. 10 Dakota Wesleyan. Those results leave head coach Ben Limback’s squad at 17-7 overall and at 8-6 in league play (tied for fifth place). For more information on Bulldog men’s basketball, click HERE.
· It would be foolish to let the one rough performance cloud what has been a great run for a squad that once sat at 7-5 halfway through its stay in Honolulu, Hawaii. The team’s only two losses during that stretch were both against top 10 opponents: No. 1 Morningside and No. 10 Dakota Wesleyan. As part of the run of winning 10 of 11, Concordia nailed at least 10 3-point field goals in 10-straight games. Despite last weekend’s loss, the Bulldogs remain in the thick of things near the top of the league standings – currently aa half-game out of third place and two games out of second.
· Perhaps tired legs coming back from CIT were part of the reason Concordia nearly relinquished a 24-point lead in last week’s win over Northwestern. The advantage was whittled all the way down to two in the final minute. The Bulldogs likely could have avoided the last minute drama had they been more efficient than 9-for-18 from the free throw line. Fortunately, their sizzling 18-for-37 performance from 3-point range helped save the day. The Red Raiders were 14-for-34 from long range on the other end.
· Fresh off winning the CIT MVP award, Tanner Shuck topped all players with 23 points while going 5-for-8 from 3-point range versus Northwestern. Four of the five starters reached double figures with Sloup adding 19 points (and eight assists), Justin Wiersema 15 points and Carter Kent 14 points. Chuol Biel finished with five points, 11 rebounds and seven blocked shots as an enforcer in the paint. Northwestern went only 16-for-42 on shots inside the arc, in part due to Biel’s defensive work.
· The seven blocked shots represented a career high for Biel, who ranks 10th nationally with 43 blocks this season. The Grand Island, Neb., native ranks first in the GPAC with an average of 1.87 blocks per game. He has totaled 83 swats in his 51 career games as a Bulldog. Biel has also increased his rebounding average from 5.8 last season to 7.5 this season.
· In terms of sheer scoring, Shuck has put himself among elite company. He now ranks ninth in program history with 1,425 career points. Last week he surpassed Scott Beck (1,406) and Scott Ernstmeyer (1,417) to move into the top 10 all-time. Another Grand Island native, Shuck has averaged in double figures in each of his four seasons at Concordia. He has piled up points by nailing 275 career 3-point field goals. He’s also a career 79.7 percent free throw shooter.
· In the frustrating loss at Dakota Wesleyan, the Bulldogs made only 13 field goals the entire game. Concordia likely felt fortunate to be trailing by only a four-point margin (41-37) just past the 15-minute mark of the second half. That’s when the wheels came off. The Bulldogs endured a stretch of more than six minutes without making a basket. This didn’t look like the same Bulldog team that had won 10 of its previous 11 games. Brevin Sloup (3-for-5) and AJ Watson (3-for-6) did combine for some success from 3-point range, but there wasn’t much other offense to speak of.
· With six games left in the regular season, it seems fair to discuss what it might take for a berth in the national tournament. The loss at Dakota Wesleyan likely did not leave a whole lot of margin for error in a league that seems likely to put three or four teams into the national tournament. The 2016-17 Bulldogs went 21-9 during the regular season and finished at 21-10 overall but did not earn a trip to nationals. It would take five more victories for the current team to surpass the achievement of the ’16-17 squad.
· Two road games are on tap this week – at Doane (6-18, 1-13 GPAC) on Wednesday (8 p.m. CT) and at Dordt (18-7, 9-6 GPAC) on Saturday (4 p.m.). Concordia defeated both foes at home and how sets its sights on regular-season sweeps. The lone GPAC victory for the Tigers came over Briar Cliff. As for the Defenders, they are in a similar position as the Bulldogs in needing as many wins as possible down the stretch in order to make a national tournament push.