Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
Male: Garrett Seagren, Basketball
A senior from Oakland, Neb., and a transfer from Chaminade University, Seagren notched a career high 18 points in last week’s matchup at No. 14 Jamestown. The starting guard is averaging 4.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
Female: Kylahn Freiberg, Track & Field
Freiberg, a senior from Nampa, Idaho, led the way for a distance medley relay team that won the event at the Graduate Classic with an automatic national qualifying time of 12:20.68. Freiberg ran the 1,600 meter leg in a split of 5:12. During the fall, she helped lead women’s cross country to a national championships appearance.
Previous BAAM Athletes of the Week
Jan. 10 – Sadie Powell (basketball) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
Dec. 13 – Chase Berry (track & field) / Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Taysha Rushton (basketball)
Dec. 6 – Gabi Nordaker (volleyball) / Gage Smith (basketball)
Nov. 29 – Rylee Ladd (powerlifting) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
Nov. 15 – Rebecca Gebhardt (volleyball) / Federico Simonetti (Soccer)
Nov. 8 – Kylahn Freiberg (cross country) / Kaden Peters (football)
Nov. 1 – Breyer Meeks (shooting sports) / Carlos Orquiz (soccer) / Morgan Nibbe (volleyball)
Oct. 25 – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball) / Isaiah Shaddick (soccer)
Oct. 18 – Korrell Koehlmoos (football) / Carly Rodaway (volleyball)
Oct. 11 – Rylee Haecker (cross country) / DJ McGarvie (football)
Oct. 4 – Rebecca Gebhardt (volleyball) / Korrell Koehlmoos (football)
Sept. 27 – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball) / Ryan Wokutch (soccer)
Sept. 20 – Tanner Muff (shooting sports) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball) / Katie Welker (shooting sports)
Sept. 13 – Kierstynn Garner (soccer) / Jack Nelson (shooting sports)
Sept. 6 – Camryn Opfer (volleyball) / Camden Sesna (cross country)
Aug. 30 – Federico Simonetti (soccer) / Carly Rodaway (volleyball)
Aug. 23 – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball)
2022-23 BAAM Athletes of the Month
December – Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Gage Smith (basketball)
November – Rebecca Gebhardt (volleyball); Noah Schutte (basketball)
October – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball); Korrell Koehlmoos (football); Carly Rodaway (volleyball)
September – Gabi Nordaker (volleyball); Camryn Opfer (volleyball); Camden Sesna (cross country)
News and notes:
BAAM luncheons are held every Tuesday 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.
Concordia Invitational Tournament tickets on sale: Concordia University Nebraska is gearing up to host the 70th Concordia Invitational Tournament, which is set for Jan. 27-28. The event will include the usual women’s and men’s basketball tournaments as well as cheer and dance competitions. Tickets are on sale to the public and can be purchased by visiting the CUNE HomeTown ticketing link HERE. CIT will make its return after being canceled in 2021 and 2022 due to COVID-19. CUNE will be joined at CIT by the Concordias of Ann Arbor, Chicago and Wisconsin. Our CIT tournament page can be found HERE.
Competitive dance season underway, cheer to debut Wednesday: The competition season is underway for Concordia’s competitive dance team. The Bulldogs opened the 2023 campaign with a splash while posting a school record score of 80.55 in a dual victory over College of Saint Mary on Jan. 11. Head Coach Mandi Maser will lead both the cheer and dance squads into competition this Wednesday versus Morningside, in conjunction with basketball that evening. For detailed season previews covering cheer and dance, click on the links below.
--2023 Cheer Season Preview
--2023 Dance Season Preview
Weightlifting to resume season on Saturday: Both the powerlifting and weightlifting teams coached by Freddie Myles have been idle since the first semester ended. The weightlifters are looking forward to resuming action this Saturday with the Heartland Open in Omaha. Meanwhile, powerlifting will be back in action on Jan. 28 for the Nebraska State Championships hosted by Midland. During the first semester, the Concordia weightlifting and powerlifting teams competed in two competitions apiece. To recap what occurred at those events, check out the Concordia Lifting Sports home page HERE.
Most recent features: During the break in the semester, we continued to provide online content. Click the links below for items recently featured on the web.
--Concordia Athletics chronicles: “Diamond Jim” Affeldt
--Concordia Athletics: top 10 plays of 2022
--Smith Brothers built (different) on family, fitness and chicken and rice
Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its eighth 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 2022-23 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 and basketball. Frank Greene is in his eighth 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 partnered with PrestoSports for live video and statistical 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.
Track & Field
· It’s back to work after taking a break for Christmas and the end of the first semester. The Bulldogs resumed action this past weekend with the Graduate Classic (Jan. 13-14) hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Scott Nisely Memorial Classic (Jan. 14) hosted by Doane. Highlights included two new automatic national qualifying times in women’s relays, a pair of fresh ‘B’ standards and two event titles at the Nisely Classic. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads have competed in two weekends of action so far this 2022-23 indoor season. For more information on Concordia Track & Field, click HERE. To recap this past weekend’s action, click HERE.
· Below is a complete listing of Concordia athletes who possess marks meeting either the ‘A’ or ‘B’ national reporting standard. The tally after two weekends of indoor competition includes eight ‘A’ standards and 11 ‘B’ standards.
o Women’s 4x400m Relay, A (3:55.92)
o Women’s 4x800m Relay, B (9:39.96)
o Women’s Distance Medley Relay, A (12:20.68)
o Rachel Battershell – 400 Meters, B (58.04)
o Zach Bennetts – Pole Vault, B (15’ 3”)
o Chase Berry – Pole Vault, A (15’ 7”)
o Jenna Esch – 600 Meters, B (1:37.19)
o Abby Gerber – Weight Throw, B (52’ 1”)
o Rylee Haecker – 1,000 Meters, B (3:00.01)
o Hannah Newton – High Jump, B (5’ 4 ½”)
o Alli Owings – Weight Throw, B (52’ 6”)
o Josie Puelz – Pole Vault, A (12’ 9 ½”)
o Amy Richert – Pentathlon, A (3,487)
o Maddie Robinson – Shot Put, A (44’ 9”); Weight Throw, B (53’ 11 ¼”)
o Adrianna Rodencal – 60 Hurdles, A (8.97)
o Myles Sadd – High Jump, B (6’ 7”)
o Abi Wohlgemuth – Weight Throw, B (53’ 2 ¼”)
o Chris Wren – Weight Throw, A (61’ 10 ½”)
· It was a thrilling Saturday at the Graduate Classic, which saw the Bulldog women’s distance medley relay and 4x400 meter relay achieve automatic national qualifying times. The DMR won the race while clocking in at 12:20.68. The group included Rylee Haecker, Kayla Kirchner, Rhaya Kaschinske and Kylahn Freiberg. That crew became the first DMR in the entire NAIA to post an ‘A’ standard this indoor season. Meanwhile, the 4x4 placed seventh (out of 16) with a time of 3:55.92. The relay was made up of Jenna Esch, Jordan Koepke, Trinity Tuls and Rachel Battershell. On the program’s all-time lists, the DMR time ranks seventh and the 4x4 time ranks 11th.
· Currently the NAIA national leader in the pentathlon (3,487 points), Amy Richert came out with a win in the long jump (17’ 8 ¼”) at the Nisely Classic. Meanwhile, freshman Josi Noble took first place in the triple jump (35’ 8 ½”). At the same meet, Kimberly Schropfer placed second in the high jump (5’ 2 ½”) and Wyatt Loga and Myles Sadd shared sixth place on the men’s side of the high jump (6’ 5”). In the triple jump, Aaron Spivey placed third (45’ 8”) at the Nisely Classic and wasn’t far off the ‘B’ standard. In action in Lincoln, Joel Rathe landed at 21’ 2” in the long jump.
· Josie Puelz went toe-to-toe with the competition at the Graduate Classic in the pole vault. She came up just short in her attempts to clear 13’ 1 ½” but did vault over 12’ 9 ½” and placed second in the competition. The four-time national champion currently sits second on the NAIA national list. On the men’s side of the pole vault, Zach Bennett achieved a fresh ‘B’ standard of 15’ 3” at the Devaney Center. Chase Berry is qualified for nationals thanks to his mark of 15’ 7” at the Bulldog Early Bird meet in December.
· Throwers currently have combined for two automatic national qualifying marks and four ‘B’ standards. Three-time All-American Chris Wren has eclipsed the ‘A’ mark at both his two meets this season with a season best of 61’ 10 ½,” a mark that ranks No. 4 in the NAIA. A former All-American at Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.), Maddie Robinson has qualified for nationals in the shot put with a season best of 44’ 9.” All four of the ‘B’ standards from throwers have come out of the women’s weight throw.
· The indoor season will continue this Saturday as the Bulldogs host the Concordia Polar Dog Invite. The meet is slated to get underway at 10 a.m. CT when multi-events will get started. The meet schedule can be found HERE. The Polar Dog will mark the second of five home meets this indoor season. Also on the upcoming home schedule: the Concordia Classic (Feb. 3), the Concordia Invite (Feb. 10) and the GPAC Championships (Feb. 17-18).
Women’s Basketball
· The GPAC win streak reached six before it was interrupted last week by Jamestown. As part of the week’s action, the Bulldogs earned a 74-54 home win over College of Saint Mary on Jan. 11 before enduring a 79-72 loss at Jamestown on Jan. 14. The win in the middle of the week had put Concordia in the top four of the GPAC standings at the time. Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad currently resides in fifth place with an 8-5 league mark (10-7 overall). The top four in the GPAC are Dordt (11-1), Northwestern (8-2), Briar Cliff (9-3) and Jamestown (8-4). For more information on Concordia Women’s Basketball, click HERE.
· The strength of the schedule played by the Bulldogs is evident when studying the NAIA coaches’ poll released on Jan. 11. The Bulldogs have played five teams currently in the top 25: No. 3 Dordt, No. 15 Northwestern, No. 17 Texas Wesleyan University, No. 19 University of Science & Arts (Okla.) and No. 21 Briar Cliff. They have also played “receiving votes” teams in Dakota State University (S.D.) and Jamestown (twice). In addition, Concordia has defeated two teams that were ranked at the time the games were played: then No. 21 Dakota Wesleyan and then No. 25 Morningside. According to Massey Ratings, Concordia has played the fifth toughest schedule in the NAIA.
· Since the Bulldogs began playing at Friedrich Arena (inside the Walz Human Performance Complex) with the start of the 2009-10 season, they own a 178-30 home record. That mark was bolstered by undefeated home records in 2016-17 (17-0), 2017-18 (15-0) and 2019-20 (16-0). The senior class that graduated in 2020, featuring All-American Philly Lammers, went an otherworldly 63-1 at home over four seasons. Under Olson’s direction, Concordia has posted an above .500 home record in every season of the current arena’s existence. The 2022-23 squad ran its home record to 7-2 with last week’s win over College of Saint Mary.
· The Bulldogs have had their way with the Flames (5-13, 2-10 GPAC) in winning each of the past 21 series meetings, a string that dates prior to College of Saint Mary joining the GPAC. Concordia started a bit slow last week in a contest that was tied, 17-17, late in the first quarter. The Bulldogs then got rolling in the second quarter, took a 41-25 lead to halftime and never looked back. Concordia overcame 6-for-28 (.214) shooting from 3-point range by forcing 21 turnovers and with a balanced scoring attack. Off the bench, Hailey Kleinschmit produced 12 points and nine rebounds. Four other Bulldogs notched at least eight points: Kendal Brigham (10), Sadie Powell (10), Taysha Rushton (nine) and Abby Krieser (eight). Rushton also dished out five assists. The bench accounted for 41 of the team’s 74 points.
· A hot start came in the form of 4-for-5 shooting from long range to begin the game at Jamestown (13-5, 8-4 GPAC). Concordia built a 14-7 lead before cooling off. A key stretch came late in the first half when an 11-3 Jimmie run made it a 40-31 halftime spread. Jamestown built the advantage to 13 (72-59) with less than two minutes remaining. That deficit was slashed to five with an 8-0 run initiated by Krieser’s three-point play. The Jimmies eventually put the game away by making each of their final seven free throws. Jamestown star Hannah DeMars piled up 25 points and 17 rebounds as the Jimmies owned the boards, 49-30. The Bulldogs hung in there with the help of 20 turnovers forced and double-digit scoring from Rushton (15), Krieser (14) and Megan Belt (12).
· Krieser came on strong last week in totaling a combined 22 points. Her emergence as a sophomore is one of the reasons why Concordia has unleashed the press this season after using it situationally in 2021-22. The 5-foot-8 guard out of Lincoln North Star High School is averaging 7.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.3 assists per game in her first season as a starter. Her work in the backcourt has helped the Bulldogs force an average of 20.9 turnovers per game, a figure that ranks No. 1 in the GPAC and 30th nationally.
· The slate is arranged similarly this week (with a shorter weekend road trip). Concordia will host Morningside (12-6, 7-5 GPAC) at 6 p.m. on Wednesday before tipping off at 2 p.m. on Saturday at No. 15 Northwestern (14-3, 8-2 GPAC). The Bulldogs will be aiming for a season sweep of the Mustangs and for a split with the Red Raiders. In earlier matchups, Concordia defeated Morningside, 71-64, and fell to Northwestern, 72-56.
Men’s Basketball
· Last week provided an opportunity for a bit of rest as the Bulldogs were off in the middle of the week. They then traveled to Jamestown, N.D., where they dropped a 69-64 decision at the hands of the 14th-ranked Jimmies on Jan. 14. Concordia showed its mettle by rallying back from what had been a 19-point deficit at Jamestown. At one time 5-2 in GPAC play, the Bulldogs now own a 7-5 league mark (11-7 overall). Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad currently sits in fifth place in the standings with eight GPAC games remaining on the slate. For more information on Concordia Men’s Basketball, click HERE.
· A mixed bag of late resulted in the Bulldogs receiving no votes in the NAIA coaches’ poll released on Jan. 11. Concordia had ascended as high as No. 19 with the unveiling of the Nov. 30 poll. In the most recent GPAC ratings, the Bulldogs were slotted into a tie at No. 4 with Northwestern. The top three teams are Jamestown, Morningside and Dordt. To date, Concordia’s most impressive win was the 87-72 triumph it took at Dordt back on Nov. 19. The Bulldogs have gone 3-5 over their past eight games as they continue to adjust to different lineups and life without two starters. Tristan Smith has been sidelined since the injury he suffered at the University of Science & Arts (Okla.) on Dec. 30 and will not return this season.
· In back-to-back games, Limback has started a lineup that has included guards Brad Bennett, Payson Gillespie and Garrett Seagren and post players Noah Schutte and Gage Smith. That group played a major role in lifting Concordia to the 78-69 win over Dakota Wesleyan on Jan. 7. This past Saturday, the Bulldogs dug themselves too big of a hole to climb out of. They trailed by as many as 19 points (41-22) in the first half at Jamestown and still faced a deficit of 12 with less than 3:30 remaining in the game. That’s when Garrett Seagren got going with seven points during a 10-1 run that made it a three-point contest (67-64) with less than a minute remaining. However, Concordia failed to score again and suffered a regular season sweep to the Jimmies (15-3, 7-3 GPAC). Gage Smith led the way with 19 points and eight rebounds before fouling out. Seagren finished with a career high 18 points and Bennett added nine points, seven rebounds and four assists.
· A native of Oakland, Neb., and a Chaminade University transfer, Seagren is in his second season as a Bulldog. He routinely draws praise from Limback for his work on the defensive end of the floor. Now he has something he can build upon from an offensive perspective. Prior to last week, his career high scoring total had been 12 in this season’s win over Ottawa University (Kan.). He’s now averaging 4.8 points per game after his outburst at Jamestown. Seagren spent three seasons at Chaminade and appeared in 12 games as a redshirt sophomore. The 6-foot-2 guard graduated from Oakland-Craig High School and is an NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
· Schutte and Gage Smith are shouldering a major load in the frontcourt in the absence of Tristan Smith. Gage has done his part with a combined 44 points and 18 rebounds over the past two GPAC outings. The fifth-year senior from Elizabeth, Colo., has pushed his career totals to 1,198 points and 803 rebounds in 122 games. On the program’s all-time rebound list, he ranks behind only Matt List (928) and Chandler Folkerts (868). In this past week’s action, Gage moved up one spot on the school’s all-time scoring list, passing Eli Ziegler (1,194) for 23rd. At some point this season, Schutte could join Gage in the 1,000-point club. Schutte has totaled 850 points in 70 career collegiate games.
· Strong defensive play will continue to be a key if Concordia is to challenge for another GPAC championship. Despite the hiccup at Mount Marty on Jan. 5, the Bulldogs rate as one of the league’s best defensive teams. Among GPAC squads, Concordia ranks first in scoring defense (68.7), first in defensive efficiency (.948), second in field goal percentage defense (.421) and second in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.295). It also ranks second in the conference in rebound margin (plus-5.4). Without Tristan Smith, three Bulldogs are averaging in double figures in scoring: Schutte (17.6), Gage Smith (12.9) and Bennett (10.2).
· A challenging week lies ahead as Concordia will host No. 20 Morningside (14-3, 8-2 GPAC) at 6 p.m. on Wednesday before traveling to play Northwestern (14-4, 7-3 GPAC) at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday. The Bulldogs will seek a regular season split with the Mustangs and a sweep of the Red Raiders. In earlier action this season, Concordia fell at Morningside, 69-62, and defeated Northwestern, 81-55. The Bulldogs are 27-1 over their last 28 home games.
Wrestling
· In its one outing of last week, Concordia learned why Doane is ranked No. 4 in the NAIA. The Bulldogs were blanked by the Tigers, 44-0, in a dual that took place inside Friedrich Arena on Jan. 13. Eight of Doane’s wins came with bonus points. Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad stands at 8-2 overall (3-2 GPAC) in duals. Concordia had strung together five dual wins in a row prior to last week’s result. For more information on Concordia Wrestling, click HERE.
· The dual last week was not indicative of the steps the Bulldogs have taken as a program this season. The improvement was evident in the GPAC ratings released in late December. Concordia landed at No. 4 behind Doane, Morningside and Briar Cliff. New conference ratings are scheduled to be released today (Jan. 17). As of the December ratings, the Bulldogs boasted six individuals who appeared at the conference level: Bryce Karlin (fifth at 125), Grant Wells (sixth at 125), Creighton Baughman (second at 141), Issiah Burks (fifth at 165), Stephen Duffy (fifth at 184) and Logan Davidson (second at 197). Nationally, Baughman is ranked 17th while Davidson is ranked 25th.
· The season to date has included 10 duals and five tournaments. At 8-2 in duals, the Bulldogs have already surpassed their win total from 2021-22 when they went 6-6 (3-5 GPAC). The two losses this season have come at the hands of the two highest rated teams in the GPAC. To this point, 24 Bulldogs have wrestled in at least one match. The following Concordia competitors own at least five wins on the season: Creighton Baughman (13-5), Tommy Wentz (12-7), Grant Wells (10-9), Bryce Karlin (8-5), Stephen Duffy (8-6), Jeaven Scdoris (8-8), Garret Moser (8-9), Issiah Burks (7-9), Thomas Ivey (7-9), Jose Sanchez (7-11), Kobe Lyons (6-2), Torrance Keehn (6-8) and Cy Renney (6-11). The team pins leaders are Karlin, Renney and Wentz with four apiece.
· The Bulldogs remain a perfect 5-0 versus nonconference opponents with wins coming over Bethany College (Kan.), 36-9, Central Methodist University (Mo.), 23-19, Texas Wesleyan University, 33-15, Benedictine College (Kan.), 32-13, and Oklahoma Wesleyan University, 37-12. There are five more duals left on the schedule, including three versus GPAC foes. Last week, the GPAC announced the times for the conference duals that will take place in Sioux City, Iowa, on Jan. 28. On that date, Concordia will wrestle Northwestern at 11 a.m., Briar Cliff at 12:30 p.m. and Jamestown at 2 p.m.
· In the dual versus Doane, the Bulldogs had a shot at taking an early lead when Karlin picked up four near fall points and owned a 6-0 lead. Karlin later got pinned in the second period by 20th-ranked Hunter Bennett. The next best chance for a Bulldog win came at 197 as Davidson led 2-0 after one period and briefly tied the match, 4-4, with a reversal of the Tigers’ Cael Jordan in the third period. A quick reversal the other way provided the final margin as Jordan eked out a 6-4 decision over Davidson. In the 149-pound bout, Scdoris put up a fight in notching a pair of takedowns before succumbing, 14-8, to No. 10 Tristan Zamilpa. The audience got a look at the seemingly unstoppable Baagii Boldmaa at 141 pounds. The three-time national champion earned a 20-5 technical fall over Baughman in perhaps the evening’s most anticipated match. The rest of the Concordia lineup featured Wells (133), Wentz (157), Burks (165), Sanchez (174), Moser (184) and Renney (285). The dual came to a conclusion with a pin for Doane heavyweight Brandon Antesberger.
It’s back to tournament action this weekend as the Bulldogs will take part in the Missouri Valley Invite this Friday and Saturday in Marshall, Mo. The event annually serves as a showcase tournament for NAIA wrestling. Concordia last competed at the Missouri Valley Invite in 2020 when it placed 16th out of 48 teams. Tanner Farmer emerged from the ’20 tournament as the heavyweight champion.