Bulldog Athletics Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
Male: Cole Price, Wrestling
A senior from La Vista, Neb., Cole Price enjoyed a 6-0 week as the Bulldogs returned to action and claimed dual wins over No. 17 Friends and Midland. Price won the 165-pound title at the Hastings Open and improved his season record to 19-3 (6-0 in duals) with seven pins. Price is a Business Administration major.
Female: Ayla Roth, Basketball
A freshman from Milford, Neb., Ayla Roth has sizzled during ninth-ranked Concordia’s four-game winning streak. Over this past week’s wins over Morningside and No. 13 Briar Cliff, Roth posted a combined 36 points while making 7-of-13 attempts from 3-point range. Named GPAC Offensive Player of the Week, Roth is studying Pre-Occupational Therapy.
2025-26 BAAM Athletes of the Month
November – Ava Greene (volleyball) / Brooks Kissinger (basketball)
October – Kierstynn Garner (soccer) / Adam Van Cleave (football)
September – Carson Fehlhafer (football) / Katie Welker (shooting sports)
2025-26 BAAM Athletes of the Week
Dec. 16 – Jonny Jurchen (track & field); Adysen McCarter (track & field)
Dec. 9 – Ashley Keck (volleyball); Brooks Kissinger (basketball)
Dec. 2 – Brooks Kissinger (basketball); Kristin Vieselmeyer (basketball)
Nov. 18 – Oliver Benson (soccer); Braxtyn Koch (football); Kristin Vieselmeyer (basketball)
Nov. 11 – Ava Greene (volleyball); Brooks Kissinger (basketball)
Nov. 4 – Kierstynn Garner (soccer); Hugo Garrote (soccer)
Oct. 28 – Keeli Green (cross country); Vaughn Hendrickson (cross country)
Oct. 21 – Addie Kirkegaard (volleyball) / Taylor Slaymaker (soccer); Adam Van Cleave (football)
Oct. 14 – Oliver Benson (soccer); Kierstynn Garner (soccer)
Oct. 7 – Carlos Collazo (football); Katie Welker (shooting sports)
Sept. 30 – Hugo Fuentes & Nick Velders (tennis) / Peyton Atwood (football); Sadie Mares (soccer)
Sept. 23 – Oliver Balazs (soccer); Katie Welker (shooting sports)
Sept. 16 – Carson Fehlhafer (football); Ella Waters (volleyball)
Sept. 9 – Sam Blevins (shooting sports); Molli Martin (volleyball)
Sept. 2 – Emery Custer (golf); Slade Leicht (soccer)
Aug. 26 – Kierstynn Garner (soccer); Ashley Keck (volleyball); Sean Stratman (soccer)
News and notes:
BAAM luncheons are held every Tuesday (when classes are in session) at 12 p.m. CT inside the Dog House Grill, located in the Janzow Campus Center. The luncheons feature reports from head coaches who are in season at the time. For information on how to join BAAM, click HERE. It is not a requirement to be a BAAM member in order to attend the weekly luncheons.
Fall sports season recap: The fall of 2025 saw both the Bulldog men’s soccer and volleyball teams advance farther than ever before at their respective NAIA National Championship tournaments. Additionally, there were incredible fall seasons turned in individually by the likes of Carson Fehlhafer, Kierstynn Garner, Keeli Green, Ashley Keck, Katie Welker and others. At the close of the fall sports season, Concordia University, Nebraska Athletics has positioned itself once again to compete for the GPAC All-Sports Standings Championship. For a complete recap of the fall sports season, click HERE.
Headlines of 2025: The year 2025 in Concordia University, Nebraska Athletics will go down as one headlined by record breaking individual achievements and hot pursuits of conference championships and competitive greatness. Along the way, Bulldog teams of 2025 exhibited strong Christian character while earning high marks in the classroom. Check out our selection of top@cunebulldogs headlines that hit the web during the calendar year 2025 by clicking HERE.
Competitive dance / cheer seasons kick off later this month: Head coaches Mandi Maser and Emilie Ashenbach are preparing their dance and cheer teams for the opening of competition season later this month. The first official competition will be a dance dual versus College of Saint Mary on Jan. 21. Both teams will then compete at the Dordt Invitational on Jan. 24. For season previews, click the links below.
--Cheer season preview
--Dance season preview
The legendary career of KG: Kierstynn Garner put together a four-year run that places amongst the legendary players in the history of Concordia Women’s Soccer. As Garner stated, “It was a dream that I could come into a college program and be able to play as much as I have and do as much as I have. Playing college soccer was always a dream of mine, but I never expected it to this extent. I’m super grateful.” For a closer look at the scope of Garner’s career, check out our feature on the Kearney, Neb., native linked HERE. In other recent women’s soccer news, Garner was named a First Team Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators on Dec. 17 and Head Coach Nick Smith resigned to take on the head coaching role at the University of Indianapolis, as announced on Dec. 18.
Weightlifting, powerlifting squads conclude fall semester competition: Ten Bulldogs made their way to Daytona Beach, Fla., for the 2025 Virus Weightlifting Finals, an event that showcased hundreds of lifters from a wide range of age groups. In action that unfolded from Dec. 4-7, Kaiden Mima emerged as a national champion and was one of four Concordia University, Nebraska Weightlifting athletes to earn top three place finishes within the under 20 division. In another major highlight, the Bulldog men placed fifth as a team in open division competition. The other top-three place finishers for Concordia (in the junior division) were Enzo Mancini (second at 94 kg), Abigail Nelson (third at 53 kg) and Marcus Sweet (third at 79 kg). A full recap from the event can be found HERE. Head Coach Freddie Myles’ weightlifting and powerlifting programs will resume their seasons in this second semester. Both teams competed twice during the fall semester.
Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show has returned for an 11th year. 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 2025-26 season, Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball contests will be aired live on Max Country. Parker Cyza serves as the host of the coaches’ show as well as the play-by-play voice for football, basketball and volleyball. In addition, Eric Allgood will call select volleyball matches in place of Cyza.
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 with the 2023-24 academic year, Concordia Athletics began a partnership with Hudl for live video streaming. Live webcast links for away contests are publicized in sport specific releases that preview action for that particular week. Scrimmages, exhibitions and junior varsity events are not broadcasted via the Hudl account. For select JV streams, check out that specific sport’s Facebook page.
Wrestling
· Current dual record: 5-1, 4-1 GPAC; receiving votes in official NAIA ratings.
· Last week:
o Won vs. No. 17 Friends, 37-13, on Jan. 8.
o Won vs. Midland, 46-3, on Jan. 8.
o Competed at the Hastings Open on Jan. 10.
· Links: 2025-26 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA National Rankings
· Notable: With the second semester underway, Head Coach Josh Watts’ squad is beginning to round into form. Reinforcements have joined the fray with 2025 149-pound national runner up Hagen Heistand (season debut) and 133-pound NCAA Division II transfer Paul Ruff (Bulldog debut) taking to the mats last week. Both Ruff and Cole Price (165) emerged from this past weekend’s Hastings Open as tournament champions. After more than a month between competitions, Concordia knocked off the rust on Jan. 8 by hosting a triangular inside Friedrich Arena. The Bulldogs dominated their two duals, winning by scores of 37-13 over 17th-ranked Friends University (Kan.) and 46-3 over GPAC rival Midland. A major highlight of the night was Barret Brandt earning two wins over NAIA ranked foes at 184 pounds: No. 22 Jason Bowers of Friends and No. 16 Nate McDonald of Midland. In another noteworthy victory, Concordia’s No. 19 Torrance Keehn defeated No. 18 Logan Davidson of Friends, 11-7. Meanwhile, Heistand triumphed by major decision in his season debut. At the Hastings Open, the Bulldogs’ nine place finishers were Ruff (first at 133), Cole Price (first at 165), Weimer (second at 174), Brandt (second at 184), Stevie Barnes (third at 141), Heistand (third at 149), Ramon Arredondo (third at 184), Keehn (third at 197) and Blane Boehmer (fourth at 184). Cole Price is an impressive 19-3 this season and is undefeated against NAIA opponents. From a team perspective, Concordia has moved to 5-1 overall (4-1 GPAC) in duals. The team’s final three duals of the season will come on Feb. 7 at GPAC Day of Duals No. 2. Next up on the slate will be the Missouri Valley Invite the weekend of Jan. 23-24. The tournament serves as somewhat of a preview of the NAIA national tournament.
· For additional news and notes on the wrestling program, click HERE.
· Up next:
o Friday-Saturday, Jan. 23-24 at the Missouri Valley Invite in Marshall, Mo.
Women’s Basketball
· Current record: 14-3, 9-2 GPAC; ranked No. 9 in NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Last week:
o Won at Morningside, 72-49, on Jan. 7.
o Won vs. No. 13 Briar Cliff, 89-70, on Jan. 10.
· Links: 2025-26 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: It’s been a strong start to 2026 for Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad. Since league play resumed on Jan. 3, the ninth-ranked Bulldogs have gone 3-0 with wins over Northwestern, 69-67, Morningside, 72-49, and No. 13 Briar Cliff, 89-70. When freshman point guard Ayla Roth is going well, so too does Concordia. Over the past four outings, Roth has posted respective point totals of 25, 14, 16 and 20. In this past week’s win at Morningside, the Bulldogs forced 26 turnovers and the Mustangs shot just 32.7 percent from the field on their home floor. While Roth had a game-high 16 points, Makynna Robbins (13) and JJ Jones (11) came off the bench to reach double figures in scoring. In the win over Briar Cliff, the starters did the lion’s share of the scoring as all five hit double figures: Roth (20), Raelyn Kelty (19), Sammy Leu (17), Bree Bunting (13) and Kristin Vieselmeyer (11). The Holyoke, Colo., native Vieselmeyer also snagged 11 rebounds for a double-double. Concordia overcame 28 points from the Chargers’ Mallie McNair. Briar Cliff turned it over 23 times as the Bulldogs continue to rank among the national leaders in turnovers forced per game. The current four-game win streak has pushed Olson’s career record to 498-158. Olson could hit the 500-win mark as early this Sunday. The slate this week includes Wednesday’s home game versus Hastings and Sunday’s trip to the Corn Palace for a clash with No. 10 Dakota Wesleyan.
· For additional news and notes on the women’s basketball program, click HERE.
· This week:
o Wednesday, Jan. 14 vs. Hastings (12-5, 8-3 GPAC), 6 p.m.
o Sunday, Jan. 18 at No. 10 Dakota Wesleyan (13-4, 9-2 GPAC), 2 p.m.
Men’s Basketball
· Current record: 13-5, 7-3 GPAC.
· Last week:
o Lost at Morningside, 91-87, on Jan. 7.
o Won vs. Briar Cliff, 72-64, on Jan. 10.
· Links: 2025-26 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: Two very different games unfolded last week as the Bulldogs engaged in a shootout and a defensive slugfest. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad fell at Morningside, 91-87, in a battle between the top two teams in the GPAC standings. Three days later, Concordia used a staunch defensive effort to pull out a 72-64 home win over Briar Cliff. The Bulldogs slipped two games behind Morningside (9-1 GPAC) in the league standings despite shooting 55.0 percent from the floor. However, the Mustangs countered by shooting 56.5 percent and by making 12 treys. In the defeat, Brooks Kissinger racked up 29 points and Jaxon Stueve added 18. Concordia got back on track by limiting the Chargers to 39.0 percent shooting. The leading scorers for the Bulldogs were Kissinger (19), Jacob Duitsman (13), Zac Kulus (11), Stueve (11) and Dane Jacobsen (10). A remarkable junior season continues for Kissinger, who is averaging 20.9 points per game (third best among GPAC players). Looking back just before New Year’s, Concordia traveled to the Chicago area and claimed come-from-behind wins over the University of St. Francis and Governors State University. Then on Jan. 3, the Bulldogs earned a regular season sweep of Northwestern by taking a nailbiter, 85-82, inside Friedrich Arena. Concordia is 7-0 at home this season. One individual worth highlighting is the freshman Duitsman, who scored 16 at St. Francis, 11 versus Northwestern and 13 versus Briar Cliff while also excelling on the defensive end. The docket this week features a home matchup with Hastings and a trip to the Corn Palace for a clash with Dakota Wesleyan.
· For additional news and notes on the men’s basketball program, click HERE.
· This week:
o Wednesday, Jan. 14 vs. Hastings (4-14, 3-7 GPAC), 7:45 p.m.
o Sunday, Jan. 18 at Dakota Wesleyan (9-9, 4-6 GPAC), 3:45 p.m.
Indoor Track & Field
· Number of 2025-26 Meets: 1.
· Most recent:
o Hosted the Bulldog Early Bird Meet on Dec. 12-13.
· Links: 2025-26 Schedule | Roster | TFRRS Performance Lists
· Notable: The 2025-26 indoor season officially kicked off just before the end of the first semester. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s programs hosted the seventh annual Bulldog Early Bird Meet on Dec. 12-13. When the dust settled, Concordia athletes had combined for six event championships, four NAIA automatic national qualifying standards, four NAIA B standards and two school records. The new program standards were set by sophomore Adysen McCarter in the triple jump (39’ 1”) and senior Adrianna Rodencal in the 60-meter hurdles (8.43). Both of their marks automatically qualified them for the national meet. Others who locked up spots at the NAIA indoor meet were sophomore Jonny Jurchen and freshman Jack Habegger, both in the 3,000-meter racewalk. Jurchen set a new personal best while finishing in 12:30.61, less than three seconds off last year’s NAIA national champion. Meanwhile, B standards came from the women’s 4x400-meter relay, Josiah Edwards (weight throw), Luke Hammang (racewalk) and Sam Olson (racewalk). The 4x4 (converted time of 3:54.26) was made up of McCarter, Rodencal, Tayden Kirchner and Kayla Kirchner. The Bulldog Early Bird event champions included the men’s 4x8, women’s 4x8, Edwards (weight throw), Evan Hill (pole vault), Trenton Kumm (800 meters) and McCarter (triple jump). The meet featured athletes from 15 different institutions. The indoor season resumes this week along with the start of the second semester at Concordia. Next up will be the UNL Graduate Classic (Jan. 16-17) and the Scott Nisely Memorial Classic (Jan. 17). For a closer look at the track & field teams, check out our season preview linked HERE.
· For additional news and notes on the track & field programs, click HERE.
· This week:
o Friday, Jan. 16 / Saturday, Jan. 17 – UNL Graduate Classic.
o Saturday, Jan. 17 – Nisely Memorial Classic (hosted by Doane).