Bulldog Weekly Report (Jan. 22)

By Jacob Knabel on Jan. 22, 2019 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week

Male: Michael Stann, Wrestling

Stann, a redshirt freshman from Temecula, Calif., gave a strong showing at last week’s Missouri Valley Invite, where he went 4-3 with two pins and placed sixth in the heavyweight bracket. Stann’s three losses came by decision against the NAIA’s Nos. 1, 3 and 5 ranked competitors at 285. Stann is 29-11 overall this season.

Female: Addie Shaw, Track & Field

Shaw, who hails from Bassett, Neb., set a new personal best at the Polar Dog Invite in the weight throw (60’ 6 ¾”) while taking over the national lead in the event. She also turned in a season best in the shot put (46’ ¾”) and is ranked No. 5 in the NAIA in the event. Shaw is the returning discus national champion.

Previous Athletes of the Week
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:

Buy passes for the 68th annual Concordia Invitational Tournament: The 68th Concordia Invitational Tournament is set to get underway just one week from this Friday (Jan. 25-26). This year’s host will be Concordia University, Ann Arbor. Advanced tournament passes can be bought for $15 via THIS LINK. On the opening day of the event, the Bulldog basketball teams will play at 12 and 2 p.m. CST (1 and 3 p.m. EST). Both squads will go against Concordia University, Wisconsin.

Cheer and dance teams open up 2019 competition season: The competition season got underway this past week for head coach Mandi Maser’s cheer and dance programs. Both participated in the Doane Invite on Jan. 19. The Bulldog dance team placed third out of four teams with a score of 61.25. Meanwhile, the Concordia cheer squad placed third out of three teams with a score of 62.80. GPAC opponents in Doane and Hastings were also present at the invite. Maser’s squads will compete again this week versus Doane on Wednesday and at the Concordia Invitational Tournament (Jan. 25-26) in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Shooting sports to return to action: The majority of the shooting sports season takes place in the fall, but head coach Scott Moniot’s program is now getting set for the ACUI Super Shoot (Jan. 23-27) in Tucson, Ariz.). Moniot is in his first season as Bulldog shooting sports head coach after previously serving in the same role at Simpson College (Iowa). Concordia is also slated to compete at the Midland Ice Out (March 9-10) and the ACUI National Championships (March 23-31).

Meza born with a baseball in hand: Says senior Christian Meza, “Ever since I was born my dad put a baseball in my hand. That’s pretty much it. He didn’t really give me another option. All I really knew was baseball ever since I was born.” The game has helped lead Meza to Concordia, where he has become a first team All-GPAC second baseman and the heartbeat of the lineup. For more on Meza’s story, click HERE.

Lammers, Shuck named Concordia’s December Athletes of the Month: As voted upon at the Jan. 15 Bulldog Athletic Association Member luncheon, junior Philly Lammers of the women’s basketball program and junior Tanner Shuck of the men’s basketball program were named the Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Month of December 2018. Nominees for the monthly award are comprised of the Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week throughout that month. Recipients of the monthly awards will receive plaques from the athletic department. For more on Lammers and Shuck, click HERE.

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

  • For the first time in 2019, the Bulldogs hosted their own meet inside the Fieldhouse. The Polar Dog Invite took place on Jan. 19 and featured visitors from MidAmerican Nazarene University (Kan.), Nebraska Wesleyan University and Sterling College (Kan.). The second weekend of the 2019 indoor season for head coach Matt Beisel’s squads resulted in seven new automatic national qualifying marks and 14 event titles. For more on Concordia track and field, click HERE.
  • Through the first two weeks of the season, Bulldog athletes have now combined for 14 automatic national qualifying marks and eight ‘B’ standard qualifying marks. Samantha Liermann and Addie Shaw lead the way having locked up spots at nationals in both the shot put and the weight throw. The women’s pole vault has shown off its depth by turning in four ‘A’ marks and one ‘B’ mark. The standout on the men’s side has been junior Jacob Cornelio, who ranks among the NAIA’s top five in the weight throw.
    • Men’s 4x400m relay (B, 3:23.34)
    • Women’s 4x400m relay (A, 3:58.50)
    • Rachel Battershell – 400 meters (B, 59.15)
    • Allie Brooks – pole vault (A, 11’ 6 ½”)
    • Jacob Cornelio – weight throw (A, 63’ 7 ¾”)
    • Gavin DeHaai – pole vault (A, 15’ 5”)
    • Jessica Deterding – triple jump (B, 36’ 7 ¾”)
    • McKenzie Gravo – pole vault (A, 11’ 6 ½”)
    • Leah Larson – triple jump (A, 38’ 1 ¼”)
    • Samantha Liermann – shot put (A, 45’ 10”); weight throw (A, 53’ 9 ¾”)
    • Erin Mapson – pole vault (A, 11’ 6 ½”)
    • Nathan Matters – 600 meters (A, 1:21.89)
    • Tristen Mosier – pole vault (B, 11’ 2 ½”)
    • Jacee Pfeifer – pole vault (A, 11’ 6 ½”); 400 meters (B, 59.22)
    • Ben Pratt – high jump (B, 6’ 6 ¼”)
    • Johanna Ragland – weight throw (A, 55’ 9 ¾”)
    • Addie Shaw – shot put (A, 46’ ¾”); weight throw (A, 60’ 6 ¾”)
    • Adrianna Sims – triple jump (B, 37’ ¼”)
    • Cody Williams – 60 meter hurdles (B, 8.38)
  • Speaking of the women’s pole vault, the quartet of Allie Brooks, McKenzie Gravo, Erin Mapson and Jacee Pfeifer all rank in a tie for sixth on the national list (11’ 6 ½”). Brooks, Gravo and Mapson recorded fresh ‘A’ marks at the Polar Dog Invite. Meanwhile, Tristen Mosier cleared 11’ 2 ½” for a ‘B’ mark that ranks in the top 10 of the NAIA. Brooks (2017 indoor) and Gravo (2017 outdoor, 2016 outdoor, 2016 indoor) have combined for three career All-America awards.
  • There may be a women’s pole vaulter who emerges as a national title contender. In the throws, Liermann and Shaw are already established national championship athletes. Liermann is a two-time shot put national titlist while Shaw took the 2018 NAIA discus championship. Shaw moved herself into the NAIA national lead in the weight throw with her personal best of 60’ 6 ¾” at the Polar Dog Invite. That figure ranks fourth on the school’s all-time list. Liermann already owns the school record in the shot put with an indoor PR of 49’ 5.”
  • Concordia also appears to be improved on the track. In the opening weekend, senior Josiah McAllister posted three GPAC leading times and was subsequently named the conference’s track athlete of the week. McAllister is a key figure on Concordia’s relay teams. As it stands entering this week, the Bulldogs lead the GPAC in the men’s and women’s 4x400 meter relays, are No. 1 in the men’s 4x800 meter relay and No. 2 in the women’s 4x8. The Bulldog women’s 4x4 is the only GPAC relay team to own an ‘A’ standard qualifying time at this point in the season.
  • Nathan Matters appears to be in for a big senior season. A week after churning out a ‘B’ time in the 600 meters, he cut his time down to 1:21.89 for an ‘A’ standard that ranks No. 1 in the GPAC and fifth nationally. He also collaborated on the 4x400 meter relay effort that produced a conference best time of 3:23.34. The Overland Park, Kan., native competed at the 2017 indoor national championships in the 600. Matters and McAllister are capable of winning GPAC titles – so too is Taylor Grove on the women’s side. Grove currently tops the conference in the 3,000 and 5,000 meter races.
  • This could go down as the best women’s triple jump group in school history. Leah Larson (38’ 1 ¼”) already broke the program record in the triple jump. Meanwhile, Adrianna Sims and Jessica Deterding also rank in the top six of the GPAC in the event. Sims and Deterding put up new ‘B’ marks at the Polar Dog Invite. Sims won the event while Larson and Deterding placed second and third, respectively.
  • Cornelio could one day find himself in the thick of a race for a national title. A star in the weight throw and hammer throw, Cornelio moved up to No. 3 on the national list with his PR of 63’ 7 ¾” at the Polar Dog Invite. He won the competition by nearly 13 feet. Cornelio earned All-America honors for indoor and outdoor as just a sophomore last year.
  • The Bulldogs will remain at home this week and host the Concordia Classic this Thursday and Friday. Thursday’s action will feature multi events only before things heat up on Friday. As part of a loaded indoor home schedule, the Bulldogs will also host the Concordia Invite on Feb. 8 and the GPAC championships the following weekend (Feb. 15-16). For a tentative Concordia Classic schedule, click HERE.

Women’s Basketball

  • Although the first game of last week was not exactly easy, the Bulldogs came away with two more wins by double digit margins. Third quarter explosions were a theme as Concordia defeated Midland, 84-74, on Jan. 16 and then blew away Jamestown in North Dakota, 98-67, on Jan. 19. The Bulldogs also got some help from No. 21 Hastings, which stunned No. 1 Dakota Wesleyan. That means 13th-year head coach Drew Olson’s squad (19-2 overall) shares the conference lead with Northwestern. Both teams are 13-2 in conference play. For more information on Concordia women’s basketball, click HERE.
  • The Bulldogs are on the verge of reaching the 20-win plateau for the 11th time in Olson’s 13-year tenure. It’s almost taken for granted anymore that Concordia will reach at least that number each season. What should be appreciated is that the Bulldogs are in the process of putting together a three-year stretch that could end up being the best in program history. Since the start of the 2016-17 season, Concordia is now a combined 89-7 overall. As of now, the school record for most wins in a three-year period was 95 by the 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05 teams.
  • With Dakota Wesleyan falling twice last week (on the road at Northwestern and at Hastings), the Bulldogs are likely to move back into the top spot in the NAIA Division II coaches’ poll. Concordia garnered the No. 1 ranking in the preseason and held that position until dropping to No. 3 with the release of the Dec. 11 poll. The program has appeared at No. 1 in a total of 17 separate polls all-time. Olson’s teams have finished inside the top 25 in nine of his first 12 seasons. The highest final national ranking was a No. 2 placement in both 2015 and 2018. Both the 2011-12 and 2016-17 squads were ranked third at the close of their seasons.
  • The freedom given to players within Olson’s system is something sophomore guard Taylor Cockerill has taken advantage of while improving her scoring average from 9.0 as a freshman to 15.9 as a sophomore. The shooting percentages from her first to second year are nearly identical, but she’s shooting more in an increased role. In last week’s action, Cockerill went 3-for-14 from the field versus Midland but made up for it by going 12-for-14 from the foul line. The Waverly, Neb., native heated up and sank 5-of-6 shots from long range in a 22-point outing at Jamestown.
  • All-American Quinn Wragge has been encouraged to shoot more from 3-point range with the returns being solid. Wragge is now 17-for-44 (.386) from beyond the arc this season. She’s already set career highs for 3-point makes and 3-point attempts in a season. She enters the week having netted at least one 3-point field goal in six-straight games. Plus Wragge is no stranger to success during CIT week. She was the CIT MVP in 2016 and 2017.
  • Fellow All-American Philly Lammers has moved into the top 15 of the program’s all-time list in career scoring (1,312). She recently went past two former Olson players in Katie Rich (1,293) and Tracy Peitz (1,277), who now rank 17th and 18th, respectively on the list. Of the top 15 scorers in school history, Olson has coached the players currently ranked first, fourth, seventh, eighth, 11th, and 15th. Twelve players have hit the 1,000-point mark during Olson’s tenure.
  • The scary thing for opponents is that Concordia seems to have hit its stride in terms of perimeter shooting. After failing to shoot above 40 percent from 3-point range in any of this season’s first 11 games, the Bulldogs have now accomplished that feat five times over the past 10 outings. As far as percentage, Concordia’s 13-for-29 shooting from beyond the arc at Jamestown was its best yet. The team leaders in 3-point percentage (with at least 15 makes) are Delani Fahey (.463), Wragge (.386), Cockerill (.384), Taryn Schuette (.348) and Mackenzie Koepke (.344).
  • Later this week, the Bulldogs hope to continue their CIT dominance. They lead the event all-time with 28 titles. CUNE has been particularly dominant in recent seasons. Since falling in the CIT championship game in 2013, the Bulldogs have won 10 CIT games in a row. In that five-year stretch, CUNE has won the championship games by margins of 20, 52, 22, 27 and 46, respectively.
  • This week’s three-games-in-four-days stretch begins on Wednesday with a visit from Doane (4-18, 1-14 GPAC) for a 6 p.m. CST game. The first meeting in Crete was won by the Bulldogs, 93-53. CIT in Ann Arbor, Mich., will then unfold on Friday and Saturday. On day one, CUNE will go up against CU-Wisconsin at 12 p.m. CST. The Bulldogs will then play at either 11:30 a.m. or 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, pending Friday’s results.

Wrestling

  • A break in the schedule of nearly two weeks ended at the NAIA’s premier regular-season tournament, the Missouri Valley Invite. The event took place over two days (Jan. 18-19) in Marshall, Mo., where the Bulldogs racked up 39 team points and placed 18th out of the 41 teams present. Concordia entered 10 competitors into a field of nearly 400 wrestlers. Twelve nationally-ranked teams participated. It was the sixth major tournament of the season for first-year head coach Levi Calhoun’s squad. For more information on Bulldog wrestling, click HERE.
  • Concordia’s 10 grapplers at the Missouri Valley Invite combined for 19 wins with the leader being heavyweight Michael Stann. The redshirt freshman from Temecula, Calif., went 4-3 at the tournament and took sixth place in his bracket. The three losses came by decision against the NAIA heavyweights ranked Nos. 1, 3 and 5, respectively. Stann has now recorded four tournament place finishes this season: second at the Dan Harris Open, sixth at the Dakota Wesleyan Open, fourth at the University of Nebraska-Kearney Open and sixth at the Missouri Valley Invite.
  • Stann continues to be a pinning machine. He added two more at the Missouri Valley Invite to run his season total to 15. Based on available records, that number ranks as the third highest in a single season in program history behind Alex Stepanek (21 in 2011-12) and Austin Fehlhafer (20 in 2013-14). More than half of Stann’s wins (27 this season) have ended with a pin. Stann has teammate Deandre Chery (174) right on his heels. Chery has 13 pins this season.
  • Nothing yet has been decided in terms of GPAC championships, but the Bulldogs were able to compete favorably as compared to their conference rivals at the Missouri Valley Invite. In the team standings, Briar Cliff placed 13th, Morningside 14th, Concordia 18th, Midland 20th, Northwestern 24th, Jamestown 26th and Hastings 30th. In the most recent official GPAC rankings released by the NAIA, the Bulldogs were second behind Midland, the defending conference tournament champion.
  • While Stann paced Concordia with 16 team points at the Missouri Valley Invite, freshman Mario Ybarra (125) emerged from the tournament with 5.5 points thanks to a pair of pins on his day. Next in line in terms of team scoring were Chery (4.0) at 174, Josh Nelsen (4.0) at 184 and Kyle Carey (3.5) at 141. Tyler Jorgensen’s (197) three wins ranked second best on the team. Exactly five Bulldogs collected two wins apiece at the Missouri Valley Invite.
  • Entering the week, seven Concordia grapplers boast at least 10 victories this season: Chery (27-8), Stann (27-9), Ybarra (19-9), Nelsen (16-13), Jorgensen (13-13), Darin Miller (11-13) and Cam Devers (10-10). The Missouri Valley Invite marked the first tournament this season in which Chery failed to earn a place finish. He began his junior campaign by winning the Dan Harris Open hosted by Baker.
  • This week’s focus is solely on the upcoming GPAC Duals. At this juncture, the conference dual championship is wide open with Morningside (4-0), Northwestern (3-0) and Concordia (2-0) the only GPAC programs without a conference defeat. The Bulldogs have their sights set on taking the title as they did during the 2014-15 through the 2016-17 seasons. During that time, the program won all 21 of its conference duals. Last season Concordia slipped to fifth place with a 5-3 GPAC record.
  • Gabe Crawford (165) and Dylan Clarke (197) represented the Bulldogs at the Roger Denker Open hosted by the University of Central Missouri on Jan. 20. Clarke was credited with a fifth-place finish and Crawford a sixth-place claim in their respective brackets. Both grapplers made their season debuts over the weekend. Crawford also took part in the Missouri Valley Invite.
  • Concordia will host one section of the GPAC Duals inside Walz Arena on Saturday. The Bulldogs will take on Hastings at 9 a.m., Jamestown at 10:30 a.m., Doane at 1:30 p.m. and Briar Cliff at 3 p.m. Walz will have action going on two mats throughout the event. The Chargers are the defending GPAC dual champs. They went 7-1 in conference action in 2017-18. There was a three-way tie for second between Midland, Morningside and Northwestern.

Men’s Basketball

  • The GPAC win streak moved to three last week before running into No. 21 Jamestown over the weekend. A dominant second half helped Concordia to a 66-51 win over Midland on Jan. 16. The Jimmies then shot 59.3 percent from the field and handed the Bulldogs a 95-68 blowout loss in North Dakota on Jan. 19. With six games left in conference play, sixth-year head coach Ben Limback’s squad remains in a battle for a top-eight finished required to qualify for the GPAC tournament. Concordia is 11-11 overall and 4-10 in the GPAC (ninth place). For more information on Bulldog men’s basketball, click HERE.
  • After trailing 36-34 at halftime while hosting Midland, Concordia put together one of its best halves of the season. Over the game’s final 20 minutes, the Warriors went just 6-for-25 (.240) from the field and managed only 15 points. On the flip side, the Bulldogs nailed 13-of-22 (.591) shot attempts in the second half and totaled 32 points. The result allowed Concordia to avenge a 78-72 loss at Midland in the GPAC opener on Nov. 6.
  • Named the GPAC Player of the Week on Jan. 15, junior Brevin Sloup has certainly been the team’s most consistent offensive force. He’s failed to hit double figures in scoring only once this season (five points at Dakota Wesleyan) while averaging 16.4 points per game. Among GPAC players, Sloup ranks second in free throw percentage (.868), seventh in assists per game (3.32), eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (.415) and 11th in scoring. His career high of 33 points came in the win over No. 7 Briar Cliff.
  • The three-game win streak featured some of the Bulldogs’ best offensive performances all season. During the run, Concordia registered shooting percentages of 47.2, 58.2 and 57.1, respectively, in victories over Hastings, Briar Cliff and Midland. That version of this Bulldog team is much more dangerous than the one that still sports conference rankings of ninth in scoring offense (73.8) and 10th in field goal percentage offense (.452). Prior to the win streak, Concordia had endured seven games in a row shooting below 45 percent.
  • The numbers across the board continue to be impressive for freshman Justin Wiersema, who has started three-straight games and four of the past five. In last week’s action, the Loveland, Colo., native notched 23 points while going 10-for-18 from the floor, including 3-for-7 from 3-point range. Over the last four games, Wiersema is averaging 12.3 points per game, raising his season average to 5.6. He has drained 17-of-35 3-point tries on the year.
  • The loss at Jamestown marked Concordia’s seventh conference loss that has come by a double digit margin. The shooting numbers tell the story of the latest defeat. While the Jimmies shot 59.3 percent from the floor, the Bulldogs slipped to 42.9 percent and went only 5-for-17 from beyond the arc. Tanner Shuck completed a fairly quiet week by going 2-for-10 at Jamestown. The only one of Concordia’s last seven GPAC games that was not decided by 10 points or more was the 87-84 win at Hastings.
  • Sammy Adjei enjoyed one of his better statistical games by totaling nine points and seven rebounds on 4-for-5 shooting at Jamestown. Adjei has played in all eight games since making his Bulldog debut on Dec. 28. In that stretch, Adjei has started four and has come off the bench in the other four. The Ghana native is averaging 6.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
  • Free throw shooting has been one of this team’s biggest strengths. Among all NAIA Division II teams, Concordia ranks 25th (.750) in free throw percentage. That percentage has been helped by the fact that the team’s three best free throw shooters also get to the line most frequently. Sloup (.868), Shuck (.814) and Carter Kent (.766) have each shot between 64 and 70 free throws.
  • It’s now Concordia Invitational Tournament week for the Bulldogs, who first must focus on Wednesday’s home clash with Doane (6-16, 3-11 GPAC). Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CST. The Tigers won the first meeting in Crete, 65-52. Concordia will then fly out of Nebraska early Thursday morning destined for Ann Arbor, Mich., this year’s CIT host site. The Bulldogs will take on CU-Wisconsin at 2 p.m. CST on Friday and then play at either 1:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, pending day one results. CUNE has 27 all-time CIT titles.