Bulldog Weekly Report (Feb. 7)

By Jacob Knabel on Feb. 7, 2017 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week

Female: Allie Brooks, Track & Field

Brooks, a Seward native, broke two school records (including one she already held) during last week’s action at the Beile Classic. Her efforts included a NAIA leading pole vault clearance of 12’ 10 ¾” and a record-breaking mark of 5’ 7” in the high jump. Brooks qualified for nationals last year in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault.

Male: Lucas Wiechman, Track & Field

Wiechman, who hails from Pilger, Neb., took over the NAIA national lead in the heptathlon by totaling 5,073 points last week at the Beile Classic. Wiechman is now qualified for the national championships in the heptathlon, pole vault and 60 meter hurdles. He is a six-time All-American.

Dani’s story: Not a day goes by without Dani Andersen thinking of her mother Lisa. Even while draining 3-pointers, Dani thinks of mom. Check out our story of a mother’s love, heartache and the faith that gives Dani the strength to persevere. Dani’s story can be found HERE.

Cheer/dance hosts Doane on Wednesday, competes at GPAC invite on Saturday: At halftime of Wednesday’s home women’s basketball game, the Concordia dance team will compete against Doane. Upon the conclusion of the women’s basketball contest, the Bulldog cheer team will challenge Doane inside the PE Center Gym. Then on Saturday, both teams will head to Hastings for the annual GPAC Cheer and Dance Invitational. More information on the GPAC invite can be found HERE. First-year head coach Mandi Maser’s dance squad held its first competition on Jan. 25 when it lost to Hastings, 75.7 – 74. On that same date, Maser’s cheer team defeated the Broncos, 74.4 – 71.85. Follow Bulldog dance and cheer on social media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter.

Softball opens up 2017 season this weekend in Texas: The Cowtown Classic (Feb. 10-11) will mark the beginning of the 2017 season for head coach Todd LaVelle’s softball team. Last season the Bulldogs went 30-18 overall and tied for fifth in the GPAC. Concordia brings back many of the heavy hitters that helped it score nearly 6.5 runs per game in 2016. For a complete season preview on Bulldog softball, click HERE.

National Signing Day coverage: An initial class of 22 recruits was announced by the Concordia football program last week on National Signing Day (Feb. 1). The current group set to join Bulldog football this fall includes 13 Nebraska natives, four athletes from The Lone Star State, three high school seniors from Kansas and one apiece from Arizona and Colorado. For additional details, click HERE.

How to purchase Cultivating Men of Faith and Character: The book, Cultivating Men of Faith and Character: The History of Concordia Nebraska Football, remains available for purchase online HERE. For more than 90 years, the Concordia football program has cultivated men of faith and character. This journey through the program’s entire history takes a narrative, coach-by-coach approach in bringing back to life the memorable plays, players and moments in Bulldog football history. Win or lose, Christian character has guided a storied football tradition in Seward, home to the “college in the cornfield.”

Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 6 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is in its second year of existence. The show airs live for a half hour every Thursday beginning at 6 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 TuneIn Radio app and searching “Max Country.” Throughout the 2016-17 season, Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball contests will be aired live on Max Country.

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

  • Concordia has reached the stretch run of its season following the fourth week of indoor action. Last weekend, the nationally-ranked Bulldog teams combined for 61 personal bests, five event championships and eight event runner-up finishes. Most of Concordia’s men’s and women’s squads competed exclusively at the Fred Beile Classic (Feb. 4) hosted by Doane. A select few athletes also went up against NCAA Division I competition at the Sevigne Husker Invite (Feb. 3-4) hosted by the University of Nebraska. For more on information on Concordia track and field, click HERE.
  • Allie Brooks has been stellar in her sophomore season. While competing at the Beile Classic, she broke her own indoor school record in the pole vault and then bested a high jump program standard that had stood for more than 30 years. Her clearance of 12’ 10 ¾” in the pole vault was a personal best by four inches and now leads the nation in the event by just over an inch. (The 2016 NAIA women’s national champion vaulted 12’ 8 ¼” at nationals). Meanwhile, Brooks ranks in a tie for third on the national list in the high jump (5’ 7”). Bonnie Jelinek had owned the school record in the high jump with a mark of 5’ 6” achieved on March 1, 1986.
  • On the men’s side, senior Lucas Wiechman is stating his case as one of the top athletes in the nation. In his first heptathlon of the season, Wiechman won the event at the Beile Classic by amassing 5,073 points, a figure that took over the NAIA national lead. At last year’s indoor national championships, Wiechman placed runner up in the heptathlon with 5,176 points. The native of Pilger, Neb., is also qualified for nationals in the pole vault (16’ 2 ¾”) and the 60 meter hurdles (8.25).
  • The program’s third and final current national leader is Cody Boellstorff, who continues to top all competitors in the weight throw. Last week he finished second in the weight throw amongst the field of 30 throwers (many NCAA Division I) at the Sevigne Husker Invite. The defending weight throw national champion came up just short of a season best with his toss of 65’ 10 ¼.” Boellstorff’s top mark of 2017 (66’ 9 ¾”) tops the NAIA by more than two feet.
  • At the Beile Classic, Concordia’s nationally-respected throwing program dominated the women’s weight throw, earning the top five place finishes: Sydney Meyer (54’ 5 ¼”), Kali Robb (54’ 3 ¼”), Samantha Liermann (50’ 7 ½”), Tricia Svoboda (50’) and Adrianna Shaw (49’ 11 ¼”). Both Robb and Meyer are qualified for nationals in the event, ranking sixth and seventh, respectively, on the NAIA leaderboard.
  • The Bulldog track and field programs own a total of 10 marks that rank inside the top five nationally: Boellstorff (first – weight throw), Brooks (first – pole vault; third – high jump), Wiechman (first – heptathlon; third – pole vault), Shaw (second – shot put), CJ Muller (third – 600 meters), Robb (fourth – shot put), men’s 4x400 meter relay (fifth) and Zach Lurz (fifth – shot put).
  • In addition to event titles claimed at the Beile Classic by Brooks, Meyer and Wiechman, Concordia also won both one-mile races. On the men’s side, Thomas Taylor took first in 4:36.89 despite losing one of his shoes on the first lap. On the women’s side, Rebekah Hinrichs won with a time of 5:38.01.
  • Below is the list of 17 automatic national qualifying marks and the seven ‘B’ standard qualifying marks recorded by Concordia athletes through the first four weeks of the 2017 indoor season. Of the 17 auto marks, nine have been produced by throwers. Another five have come in additional field events. In addition to Wiechman’s national best total in the heptathlon, two Bulldogs appear on the national list in the pentathlon: Jessica Deterding (19th, 2,900) and Anna Beune (21st, 2,879).
    • Men’s 4x400m relay (A, 3:20.59)
    • Cody Boellstorff: weight throw (A, 66’ 9 ¾”); shot put (B, 50’ 5 ½”)
    • Allie Brooks: high jump (A, 5’ 7”); pole vault (A, 12’ 10 ¾”)
    • Jacy Embray: shot put (B, 43’ 5 ¼”)
    • Ben Hulett: 60 meter hurdles (B, 8.41)
    • Scott Johnson: long jump (A, 23’ 5 ½”)
    • Philip Kruetzer: weight throw (A, 56’ 10”); shot put (B, 49’ 9”)
    • Samantha Liermann: shot put (A, 44’ 8”)
    • Zach Lurz: shot put (A, 54’ 10 ¼”); weight throw (A, 60’ 1 ¼”)
    • Sydney Meyer: weight throw (A, 55’ 9”)
    • CJ Muller: 600 meters (A, 1:20.07); 800 meters (B, 1:56.55); 400 meters (B, 49.84)
    • Johanna Ragland: shot put (B, 42’ 5 ¼”)
    • Tyrell Reichert: pole vault (A, 15’ 5”)
    • Kali Robb: shot put (A, 46’ 2 ¾”); weight throw (A, 56’ ½”)
    • Adrianna Shaw: shot put (A, 46’ 5 ½”)
    • Lucas Wiechman: 60 meter hurdles (A, 8.25); pole vault (A, 16’ 2 ¾”); heptathlon (5,073)
  • Concordia’s eighth-ranked men and 10th-ranked women (according to the USTFCCCA’s NAIA national ratings) will return to action on Friday. The Bulldogs will host the annual Concordia Indoor Invitational inside the Fieldhouse. The meet is set to get started at 2 p.m. CT.

Wrestling

  • Eleventh-ranked Concordia is knocking at the door of its third-straight outright GPAC dual championship. In last week’s action, the Bulldogs remained unbeaten in the conference by earning a 23-10 home win over Briar Cliff on Feb. 2. First-year head coach Andrew Nicola’s squad has moved to 10-4 overall and to 6-0 in GPAC duals. Two days later, 15 grapplers represented Concordia at the Dave Edmonds Open in Sioux City, Iowa, and totaled 18 wins. For more information on the Bulldog wrestling program, click HERE.
  • The GPAC dual win streak has grown to 20 thanks to the victory over Briar Cliff. Concordia has now clinched at least a share of the conference championship. Hastings (5-1) and Morningside (5-1) can still claim a piece of the title. Under previous coach Dana Vote, the Bulldogs steadily climbed the conference ladder before unbeaten 7-0 runs through the GPAC dual seasons in both 2014-15 and 2015-16. The program’s most recent conference dual loss occurred on Feb. 13, 2014.
  • Senior Ken Burkhardt Jr. reached another benchmark last week when he majored Briar Cliff’s Jacob Spencer, 17-0. It marked Burkhardt Jr.’s 30th win of the season, giving him 30 or more wins for a third-straight year. As the all-time winningest wrestler in program history, the Milford native owns a career record of 116-55. This March he will aim to earn All-America status for the third year in a row. He is currently ranked No. 2 nationally at 197 pounds.
  • Palomar College transfer Kirk Kaliszewski has been on a tear at 165 pounds. The native of Ramona, Calif., has strung together four-consecutive wins – all against GPAC opponents in dual meets. During that run, Kaliszewski has collected two pins and also won two matches by decision. He has pushed his records to 15-13 overall and to 9-5 in duals. He upset No. 16 Zach Davis of Briar Cliff, 3-2.
  • In addition to the victories claimed by Burkhardt Jr. and Kaliszewski, Concordia got wins versus Briar Cliff from Dmitri Smith (125), Cameron Devers (149), Walker Fisher (174), Josh Nelsen (184) and Ceron Francisco (285). Only two bouts all night were decided by bonus points. The Bulldogs picked up two triumphs by a single point and dropped one match by two points.
  • At the Edmonds Open, both Deandre Chery (174) and Gabe Crawford (157) made advancements to the semifinals of their respective brackets. Chery pinned each of his first three opponents before a semifinal loss to Grand View University’s (Iowa) Dylan Blackford. Crawford went 2-2 on the day with his only losses coming against NCAA Division I opponents. Eleven of the 15 grapplers sporting Bulldog singlets recorded at least one win on the day. Six of those 11 posted multiple wins, including Chery (3-2), Crawford (2-2), Kyle Carey (2-2), Darrin Miller (2-2), Demitrius Miller (2-2) and Alexander Reimers (2-2).
  • Seventeen Bulldogs have piled up at least 10 wins this season (see list below). Concordia is topped by the 30 from Burkhardt Jr. Francisco (18-2) boasts the team’s top winning percentage. Burkhardt Jr. has placed at all five tournaments that he has competed in. He took first at both the Doane and Grand View Opens, third at the Missouri Valley Invite, fourth at the Dakota Wesleyan Open and sixth at the UNK Open. Francisco (two), Burkhardt Jr. (two) and Nate Bennett (one) have each won at least one tournament title.
    • Ken Burkhardt Jr. (197): 30-7
    • Ceron Francisco (285): 18-2
    • Kodie Cole (133): 17-9
    • Alexander Reimers (197): 17-13
    • Kolton Larsen (157): 16-12
    • Josh Nelsen (184): 16-15
    • Kirk Kaliszewski (165): 15-13
    • Dmitri Smith (125): 14-7
    • DJ McIntyre (285): 14-8
    • Jon Lado (157): 13-9
    • Gabe Crawford (157): 12-10
    • Deandre Chery (174): 12-12
    • Darrin Miller (174): 12-12
    • Walker Fisher (174): 12-14
    • Cooper Bailey (133): 11-10
    • Foster Bunce (149): 10-8
    • Kyle Carey (141): 10-13
  • The Bulldogs will have the GPAC dual title all to themselves if they can handle Hastings. The two sides will square off inside Walz Arena at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday. In last season’s meeting, Concordia tamed the Broncos by a 39-10 final. After Thursday’s action, the Bulldogs will shift focus to the NAIA North Group Qualifier hosted by Doane on Feb. 18.

Women’s Basketball

  • The second-ranked Bulldogs had a week off from action after claiming their 27th CIT championship in program history. A run of four-straight home games came to an end when Concordia trekked to Yankton, S.D., and defeated Mount Marty, 84-62, on Feb. 4. The Bulldogs saw an 18-point lead cut to nine in the third quarter, but put the game away with another dominant fourth quarter effort. Eleventh-year head coach Drew Olson’s squad has improved to 24-1 overall and to a sparkling 15-0 in conference play. Concordia owns a four-game lead in the loss column in the GPAC standings. For more information on Bulldog women’s basketball, click HERE.
  • Concordia has won 24-straight games since its season-opening loss to then No. 1-ranked Marian University (Ind.). The active win streak is the longest for the program during Olson’s tenure that began with the 2006-07 campaign. The previous best had been the 23-game win streak produced by the 2014-15 national runner-up squad. The 2011-12 national semifinal edition put together a spurt of 21 victories in a row. The school record win streak remains 33. The 2002-03 squad raced out to a 33-0 record before finally suffering its first defeat.
  • Philly Lammers has been a reliable force throughout her freshman campaign – but she’s elevated her game even higher in recent weeks. Winner of back-to-back GPAC player of the week awards, Lammers produced her third double-double in four games by going for 17 points and 10 rebounds in the victory at Mount Marty. Over the last seven contests, the product of Millard West High School is averaging 17.0 points and 9.4 rebounds, bringing her season averages up to 13.6 and 7.0. She remains the team leader in scoring, rebounding, blocks (1.12) and field goal percentage (.617).
  • Sophomore Quinn Wragge is in the midst of a statistically impressive stretch of her own. Named the MVP at CIT for a second year in a row, Wragge filled the stat sheet with 11 points, seven rebounds and three steals while playing near her hometown of Crofton, Neb., last weekend. On a squad with a dizzying array of offensive options, Wragge ranks third in scoring with a scoring average of 11.1. During CIT, Wragge totaled 36 points and 12 rebounds.
  • Concordia’s relentless press has produced impressive results. Opponents have averaged 27.6 turnovers per game. On the GPAC leaderboard, four Bulldogs rank among the top seven in terms of steals per game: Mary Janovich (2.58), Wragge (2.12), Shelby Quinn (2.08) and Lammers (2.04). Dani Andersen is also 18th on that list with an average of 1.44 steals per contest.
  • The Bulldogs are closing in on unchartered territory for the program. The 2002-03 squad finished GPAC regular-season play with a perfect 16-0 record, but no team in school history has ever sported a 17-0 or better mark in conference play. During Olson’s tenure, the longest unbeaten run to begin conference play occurred in 2012-13 when the Bulldogs got off to an 8-0 start and were ranked No. 1 nationally. The best conference marks produced by Olson-coached teams were identical 18-2 records in 2011-12 and 2014-15.
  • The contest at Mount Marty marked the 19th time this season that Concordia has won by a margin of 20 points or greater. Just two of the team’s 24 wins have been decided by single digits. Nationally, the Bulldogs rank third in scoring margin (plus-27.6). That margin is the best ever for an Olson team. The 2014-15 squad had a margin of plus-21.4.
  • Concordia and the University of St. Francis (Ill.) continue to be neck-and-neck in the battle for the nation’s longest win streak. The Fighting Saints are one of only two unbeaten teams in NAIA Division II (Southeastern University-Fla. Is the other). No. 1 St. Francis stands at 24-0 overall and at 17-0 in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play.
  • This week will be a hectic one for Olson’s bunch. After hosting Doane (13-13, 7-9 GPAC) at 6 p.m. CT on Wednesday, the Bulldogs will play on the road twice this weekend. They will be at Briar Cliff (14-12, 8-8 GPAC) for a 2 p.m. matchup on Saturday. Then they look forward to a Sunday showdown (2 p.m.) at No. 8 Dakota Wesleyan (21-4, 12-4 GPAC). Two more wins will clinch an outright GPAC title for Concordia.

Men’s Basketball

  • Head coach Ben Limback’s squad appears to be hitting its stride at the right time. Last week the Bulldogs extended their winning streak to five by claiming a home victory over Grace University, 107-70, and then a road triumph over Mount Marty, 82-61. Concordia now stands at 17-8 overall and at 6-7 in the GPAC (seventh place). For more information on Bulldog men’s basketball, click HERE.
  • Concordia has been dominant during its active win streak, triumphing by more than 20 points in four of the five victories. The Bulldogs held off Hastings, 78-76, on Jan. 25, and then proceeded to win handily over Concordia-Chicago, Concordia-Ann Arbor, Grace and Mount Marty. Limback’s squad is 10-2 over its last 12 games with the only losses coming at home to No. 19 Midland and Morningside.
  • It was a big week for the inside combination of 6-foot-8 senior Chandler Folkerts and 6-foot-7 freshman Clay Reimers. In last week’s pair of wins, Folkerts totaled 43 points and went 16-for-22 from the floor. Meanwhile, Reimers posted back-to-back 15 points games and 12-of-16 attempts from the field. He has achieved his career best of 15 points on three occasions this season. Reimers is averaging 5.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in his rookie season.
  • Folkerts recently became just the second player in program history to reach 800 career rebounds. With his career winding down, the Milford native has a shot to move up another rung on the all-time scoring list. His current all-time school ranks are: second in rebounds (816), fourth in scoring (1,857) and fourth in blocked shots (133). Folkerts has consistently ranked among the most efficient scorers in the nation. His career field goal percentage is 64.9. He’s also a career 77.7 percent free throw shooter who has attempted more than 100 free throws each season.
  • Last week Eli Ziegler moved ahead of former teammate Joel Haywood (1,091) on the program’s all-time scoring list. Ziegler now ranks 27th with 1,095 career points. He is averaging a career best 16.6 points as a senior. His scoring totals have increased every year, going from 103 to 269 to 309 to 414 so far this season. He currently ranks 18th nationally in made 3-point field goals per game (3.1). His 78 3-point field goals rank as the ninth highest single-season total in school history.
  • With one more win, Concordia will equal a high water mark for victories in a season since Limback became head coach prior to the 2013-14 season. The Bulldogs’ win totals have trended upward from eight to 16 to 18 over the previous three years. Not since the 2008-09 campaign has the program reached the 20-win plateau.
  • Concordia shot a combined 56.8 percent from the floor over last week’s action. Offensive efficiency has been a theme all year long. The Bulldogs improved their national rankings to second in both field goal percentage (.523) and 3-point field goal percentage (.414). They also rank 11th among all NAIA Division II teams in free throw percentage (.760). Concordia has shot 50 percent or better from the field in 14 of its 25 games.
  • The Bulldogs have also played well defensively over their last 60 minutes of action. After struggling on that end in the first half against Grace, Concordia held the Royals to 27.3 percent shooting in the second half. In their next outing, the Bulldogs held Mount Marty to 33.9 percent shooting, a season low for opponents this season. In a league known for offense, Concordia ranks fifth in the GPAC in field goal percentage defense (.456).
  • A stretch of three games in five days awaits for the Bulldogs. First up is a visit from Doane (12-14, 3-11 GPAC) for an 8 p.m. CT tipoff on Wednesday. Concordia will close the week with road trips to No. 25 Briar Cliff (20-6, 10-4 GPAC) on Saturday and then to No. 9 Dakota Wesleyan (21-6, 12-3 GPAC) on Sunday. Both weekend tipoff times are set for 4 p.m. CT. The Bulldogs will aim for a regular-season split with Doane and sweeps of Briar Cliff and Dakota Wesleyan.

Tennis

  • The spring seasons got started over the weekend for third-year head coach Joel Reckewey’s squads. Both teams were defeated by Baker University (Kan.) in matches that took place inside the Abbott Sports Complex in Lincoln. The men fell, 6-3, while the women were blanked, 9-0. It was the season opener for the men. The women are now 0-2 having also lost to Fort Hays State University (Kan.) back in September. For more on the Concordia tennis programs: MEN | WOMEN.
  • The Bulldogs are coming off of 2016 seasons in which they went 7-12 overall on the men’s side and 8-15 on the women’s side. The Concordia women came on strong at the end of last year, winning five of six against GPAC opponents at one point. That late run allowed them to jump to third in the final conference standings. They then reached the semifinals of the GPAC tournament. Under Reckewey’s direction, the women have gone a combined 9-6 in conference regular-season play over the past two years.
  • The men’s victories versus Baker all came in singles action. The wins were produced by sophomore Thomas Greeff at No. 2 (6-3, 7-6), sophomore Gabe Poling at No. 4 (7-5, 6-2) and freshman Josh Miller at No. 6 (5-5, retired). The rest of Concordia’s singles lineup included senior Patricio Esquivel at No. 1, freshman Lucas Zoller at No. 3 and sophomore Tommy McNish at No. 5. In doubles play, Esquivel teamed with Poling at No. 1, Greeff paired with Zoller at No. 2 and McNish combined with Alex Kaldahl at No. 3.
  • An honorable mention all-conference performer last season, sophomore Kayla Smock made the closest run at a victory. She was on the short end of a 9-7 decision at the No. 6 singles position. The top five spots in Concordia’s singles lineup went to junior Alison Ebel (No. 1), junior Annie Horn (No. 2), sophomore Katelinn Wurm (No. 3), junior Katie Hertz (No. 4) and freshman Kirsten Wagner (No. 5). In doubles competition, Horn and Wagner teamed up at No. 1, Smock and Wurm partnered at No. 2 and Angela Bell and Anna Kenney collaborated at No. 3.
  • The Concordia men will be in action twice this week. They will host NCAA Division II William Jewell College (Mo.) inside the Fieldhouse at 5 p.m. CT on Friday. They will then join the Bulldog women for Saturday’s road trip to Grand View University. First serve from Des Moines, Iowa, is set for 10:30 a.m. CT.