Bulldog Weekly Report (Jan. 23)

By Jacob Knabel on Jan. 23, 2018 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week

Male: Jacob Cornelio, Track & Field

Cornelio, a sophomore from Elk Grove, Calif., qualified for the indoor national championships for the first time in his career thanks to a first-place weight throw of 56’ 6 ½” at last week’s Polar Dog Invite. A 2017 outdoor national qualifier in the hammer throw and discus, Cornelio currently ranks 12th nationally in the weight throw.

Female: Dani Hoppes, Basketball

Hoppes, a Lincoln native, totaled 26 points, nine steals and four assists collectively in wins last week over College of Saint Mary and Dordt. On Jan. 20, Hoppes eclipsed 1,000 career points, becoming the third member of the top-ranked Bulldogs to accomplish that feat this season. Hoppes is averaging 10.7 points per game.

Previous athletes of the week
Jan. 16 – Josiah McAllister (track & field) / Brenleigh Daum (basketball)
Jan. 9 – Jared Woods (wrestling) / Philly Lammers (basketball)
December Athletes of the Month: Cordell Gillingham (basketball) / Philly Lammers (basketball)
Dec. 12 – Cordell Gillingham (basketball) / Taylor Cockerill (basketball)
Dec. 5 – Brevin Sloup (basketball) / Sydney Feller (basketball)
November Athletes of the Month: Tarence Roby (football) / Quinn Wragge (basketball)
Nov. 28 – Jake Hornick (basketball) / Quinn Wragge (basketball)
Nov. 14 – Cameron Devers (wrestling) / Jeannelle Condame (soccer)
Nov. 7 – Tarence Roby (football) / Emily Deschaine (cross country)
October Athletes of the Month: Ryan Durdon (football) / Lindsey Carley (soccer)
Oct. 31 – Ryan Durdon (football) / Kaitlyn Radebaugh (soccer)
Oct. 24 – Marcelo Hernandez (soccer) / Lindsey Carley (soccer)
Oct. 17 – Carlos Ferrer (soccer) and Grady Koch (football) / Sami Birmingham (soccer)
Oct. 10 – Micah Lehenbauer (soccer) / Kaitlyn Radebaugh (soccer)
Oct. 3 – Micah Lehenbauer (soccer) / Maria Deeter (soccer)
September Athletes of the Month: Tarence Roby (football) / Lindsey Carley (soccer)
Sept. 26 – Kordell Glause (football) / Emily Deschaine (cross country)
Sept. 19 – Lewis Rathbone (soccer) / Victoria Cera (soccer)
Sept. 12 – Tarence Roby (football) / Murphy Sears (golf)
Sept. 5 – Jack Bennett (soccer) / Lindsey Carley (soccer)

News and notes:

67th annual Concordia Invitational Tournament coming up Friday and Saturday: Concordia University, Wisconsin will serve as the host for the 67th annual Concordia Invitational Tournament (Jan. 26-27). Tournament details and ticket information can be found HERE. Advance tickets can be purchased until 12 p.m. on Jan. 24. At last year’s event, the Bulldogs won titles for both men and women while hosting CIT inside Walz Arena. CUNE is the all-time leader with 27 CIT titles on the men’s and women’s sides.

Introducing the newest member of the Concordia softball program: Sophomore Kenna Heath has returned to her hometown. The Seward High School product enrolled at Concordia at the start of this semester and is now a member of head coach Todd LaVelle’s Bulldog softball program. A star athlete for the Bluejays, Heath also put together a fine freshman season at the University of Sioux Falls before making the decision to transfer. For more on the softball team’s newest student-athlete, click HERE.

Dance and cheer squads open up competition season: Now in her second season at Concordia, head coach Mandi Maser led her dance and cheer programs into season-opening competition over the weekend. After a loss to Doane (78-75.5), the Bulldog dance squad regrouped to claim a 74.5-57 win over Dordt. The dual with Doane took place in the PE Gym while the battle with Dordt was held in the arena at halftime of the women’s basketball game on Jan. 20. Earlier that day, the cheer team hosted a quadrangular with conference foes Doane, Hastings and Northwestern. Concordia placed second with a score of 73.75. The teams are captained by Kennedy Garner (cheer), Kathy Nguyen (cheer) and Neleigh Lehr (dance).

Preseason polls announced for baseball/softball: According to league coaches, Concordia’s baseball and softball teams are expected to compete for conference championships. In preseason coaches’ polls released last week, head coach Ryan Dupic’s baseball squad was picked to repeat as GPAC champions. Meanwhile, head coach Todd LaVelle’s softball team landed at No. 2 in the GPAC poll after tying for second in 2017. Both programs will officially open up their seasons next month.

Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its third 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 2017-18 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 again calling volleyball action.

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.

Men’s Basketball

  • The midseason lull has ended for the Bulldogs, who busted out of a slump in a big way last week. Concordia responded to a three-game skid by pummeling Haskell Indian Nations University, 91-65, in Lawrence, Kan., on Jan. 17. Three days later, Concordia stifled Dordt’s offensive attack in a 74-59 win inside Walz Arena. The 2-0 week pushed fifth-year head coach Ben Limback’s squad to 14-6 overall and to 6-5 in conference play (fifth place). For more information on Bulldog men’s basketball, click HERE.
  • Concordia was simply looking to return to the level it played at for the first 15 games of this season when it raced out to a 12-3 start. Based on the numbers, it looks like the Bulldogs are back. Concordia shot 56.4 percent from the floor at Haskell and then 62.8 percent versus Dordt during a week that helped brush aside a disappointing loss at Mount Marty. Prior to last week’s action, the Bulldogs went four-straight games without shooting any better than 43.3 percent from the floor. That stretch also saw an 11-game home win streak come to an end.
  • No one player presents a more difficult matchup for the opposition than the 6-foot-8 Clay Reimers, who was nearly perfect from the floor last week. Reimers went 8-for-10 at Haskell and then 7-for-8 versus Dordt as part of a big offensive week. Just a sophomore, the Lincoln East High School product has quickly established himself as one of the top frontcourt players in the GPAC. He continues to lead the conference in rebounding (8.7) and is one of the most efficient scorers in the nation. He ranks seventh among all NAIA Division II players in field goal percentage (.632).
  • It may only be a matter of time before sophomore Jake Hornick eventually records his first career triple-double. He came close again last week in the win over Dordt, posting a line of 10 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. He also just missed a triple-double on Nov. 15 when he came through with one of the best performances of his career to date. He posted 20 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in a home win over Midland. Hornick ranks in the top 20 of the GPAC in scoring, rebounding and assists.
  • When Concordia’s offense is humming at peak efficiency, Tanner Shuck is knocking down shots. He ended a shooting funk with a breakout game at Haskell. The Grand Island native went off for 26 points while going 6-for-9 from 3-point range. A starter since arriving in Seward last season, Shuck is on a fast track to 1,000 career points. He is averaging 14.1 points this season after averaging 10.2 as a freshman in 2016-17. Shuck currently ranks 17th nationally in 3-point field goals per game (3.1).
  • The 2-0 week wasn’t just about breaking out of an offensive slump. It was also made possible by a stellar defensive effort. Concordia has held each of its last three opponents to 37.5 percent shooting or worse. Over the last four outings, the opposition has failed to score more than 65 points in any instance. Haskell shot only 36.2 percent and then Dordt shot just 33.8 percent. The Bulldogs have bumped their national rankings up to 11th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.318) and to 28th in overall field goal percentage defense (.429).
  • Concordia remains in the hunt for a top-four conference finish that has eluded the program since the 2009-10 team tied for fourth by going 12-6 in league play under then head coach Grant Schmidt. A spot in the top four would give the Bulldogs a chance to host a conference tournament game for the first time since February 2011. The race remains wide open with Concordia (6-5) sitting behind Briar Cliff (9-2), Morningside (9-2), Northwestern (7-4) and Dakota Wesleyan (7-5). The program’s best record in conference play under Limback was 10-8 last season.
  • A transfer from NCAA Division II Chaminade University, Chris Johnstone returned to the court last week versus Dordt after missing the previous two games. Johnstone had been dealing with complications in his right eye. It didn’t seem to bother him in the victory over Defenders. The native of Sydney, Australia, totaled 12 points, three rebounds and two steals while going 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Johnstone has settled into a reserve role this season after serving as a starter for most of the 2016-17 campaign. Over 46 career games as a Bulldog, Johnstone has racked up 367 points.
  • Concordia will be away from home for all three games this week. It will be at Hastings (15-7, 5-5 GPAC) for an 8 p.m. CT tipoff on Wednesday. The Bulldogs will then leave early on Thursday morning in order to arrive on time in Mequon, Wis., for the 67th annual Concordia Invitational Tournament. On Friday, the Bulldogs will take on Concordia University,-Ann Arbor (7-14) at 3 p.m. CT. Limback’s squad will then play either Concordia University-Chicago or Concordia University-Wisconsin on Saturday.

Women’s Basketball

  • The undefeated season continues for the top-ranked Bulldogs, who just completed a run of four-straight blowout wins over unranked opponents. In last week’s action, Concordia went on the road and trounced College of Saint Mary, 86-57, before throttling Dordt at home, 107-68. Lopsided wins are nothing new for the Bulldogs, who have played only five games this season that were decided by single-digit margins. Twelfth-year head coach Drew Olson’s squad stands at 21-0 overall and at 13-0 in conference play. For more information on Concordia women’s basketball, click HERE.
  • The home win streak has now hit 30 for a program that has gone nearly two full years since its most recent loss inside Walz Arena (Jan. 27, 2016). The Bulldogs went a perfect 17-0 at home during the 2016-17 campaign and has started this season 9-0 at Walz. Wins for road teams have been extremely rare since the start of the 2011-12 season. During that time, Concordia is 96-9 at home. The worst single-season home record during that stretch was a 15-3 mark in 2012-13.
  • It’s been a season of 1,000-point celebrations for the Bulldogs. With a late 3-pointer in the win over Dordt, senior Dani Hoppes eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in a career that began at Midland. In two seasons as a Warrior, Hoppes totaled 436 points over 61 games. Since joining Concordia, Hoppes has tallied 565 points in 58 games. This season, Hoppes is averaging a career high 10.7 points while shooting 37.8 percent from 3-point range. In that Dordt game, Hoppes totaled 20 points, six steals, four assists and four rebounds.
  • Hoppes became the third Bulldog this season to reach 1,000 career points. Junior Quinn Wragge accomplished the feat in the win over College of Saint Mary on Nov. 29. In the win over Briar Cliff on Jan. 10, Mary Janovich also joined the club. Wragge currently ranks 19th in school history with 1,175 career points. Meanwhile, Janovich sits 25th on the list with 1,026 points. With another full season left, Wragge stands a strong chance of becoming the 10th player in school history to pile up at least 1,500 career points.
  • As a freshman reserve, Taylor Cockerill sometimes flies underneath the radar. It won’t be long before the Waverly High School native is recognized as the next big thing for a program that has had numerous All-Americans in recent years. She simply continued to perform at a high level last week, recording nine points and seven rebounds at College of Saint Mary and then 14 points and five rebounds versus Dordt. She’s adapted quickly to the college game and is averaging 10.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals over 20 games.
  • Two blowouts meant minutes were somewhat limited for several of Concordia’s most high profile veterans. However, Wragge still managed to total 27 points, going for 14 at College of Saint Mary and then 13 versus Dordt. The native of Crofton, Neb., continues to pace the team in scoring with an average of 13.8 points per game. Wragge is one of the nation’s most efficient scorers. Among all NAIA Division II players, she ranks fourth in field goal percentage (.626) and 27th in free throw percentage (.833).
  • You’re forgiven if you feel like you’ve been watching the same game over and over again. During the run of four-consecutive contests versus unranked foes, the Bulldogs have won each time by at least 22 points while forcing an average of 28.5 turnovers per game. Concordia ranks fifth nationally in turnover margin (+8.7) and has feasted on giveaways by the opposition. On average, the Bulldogs shoot 13.0 more shots per game than their opponents.
  • With last week’s victory at College of Saint Mary, Concordia secured the 10th 20-win season during Olson’s 12-year head coaching tenure that began in 2006-07. Olson has been behind the controls for nearly half of the program’s 23 seasons all-time with 20 or more wins. Four coaches before Olson also guided the Bulldogs to 20-win seasons: Carl Everts (six), Mark Lemke (three), Micah Parker (one) and Todd Voss (three). In the GPAC’s existence (18 seasons), Concordia has failed to reach the 20-win mark only four times.
  • A three-game week awaits the Bulldogs, who stare down one of their biggest challenges left on the schedule: Wednesday’s trip to 11th-ranked Hastings (18-3, 9-3 GPAC) for a 6 p.m. CT tipoff. Following Wednesday’s action, Olson’s squad will look forward to the 67th annual Concordia Invitational Tournament in Mequon, Wis. CUNE and Concordia University-Ann Arbor (15-7) will square off at 1 p.m. CT on Friday. The Bulldogs will then play either Concordia University-Chicago or Concordia University-Wisconsin on Saturday.

Track & Field

  • For the first time in 2018, the Bulldogs played the role of meet host when they put on the Polar Dog Invite on Jan. 19. The competition featured Concordia and fellow NAIA members Friends University, MidAmerica Nazarene University and Sterling College (all institutions from the state of Kansas). By the time the meet concluded, the Bulldogs had doubled their season total of national qualifying marks and claimed 11 event titles. It was the second meet of the indoor season for head coach Matt Beisel’s squads. For more information on Concordia track and field, click HERE.
  • In the early going, it appears that the strongest event group on the team is in the women’s shot put where three Bulldogs appear in the top 10 on the national leaderboard. Junior Samantha Liermann actually improved what had been the top shot put mark in the NAIA, pushing it to 46’ 10 ¼” at the Polar Dog Invite. She was bumped to No. 2 on the national list by Olivet Nazarene University’s Kylie Davis (48’). Other Bulldogs in the top 10 of the women’s shot put are sophomore Adriana Shaw (46’ 4 ¾”) and junior Johanna Ragland (44’ 3 ½”). Ragland eclipsed the automatic national qualifying mark last week.
  • Five of Concordia’s six national qualifying marks have come in the throws. Jacob Cornelio joined Ragland last week with a new national mark. Last season as a freshman, Cornelio came up short of qualifying for the indoor national championships in the weight throw. He responded by qualifying for the outdoor national meet in the hammer throw. Thanks to his mark of 56’ 6 ½” for a first-place finish at the Polar Dog Invite, Cornelio ranks 12th nationally in the event. In the women’s weight throw, Liermann (54’ 4 ½”) checks in at No. 10 nationally.
  • Sophomore McKenzie Gravo (junior academically) put the Bulldogs on the board in the pole vault. She cleared 11’ 6 ½” at the Polar Dog Invite, placing second in the meet. Her mark places her in a tie for fifth on the national leaderboard. At the Polar Dog, Gravo finished behind only Allie Brooks (11’ 6 ½”), who competed unattached in order to preserve future eligibility for a fifth year at Concordia. Meanwhile, teammate Tristen Mosier (10’ 10 ¾”) stands a good chance to eventually qualify for the national championships.
  • A total of three ‘B’ standard qualifying marks were also turned in by Bulldogs at the Polar Dog Invite. They were claimed by junior Jazzy Eickhoff (shot put), junior Leah Larson (triple jump) and Adrianna Shaw (weight throw). Additionally, freshman Cody Williams is listed 18th nationally for his ‘B’ mark high jump achieved at the Nisely Classic. Concordia is still looking to crack the national leaderboards on the track.
  • As mentioned, the Bulldogs combined to notch first-place finishes at the Polar Dog Invite, including Tori Beran (600 meters), Cornelio (weight throw), Jacob Dack (shot put), Gravo (long jump), Taylor Grove (5,000 meters), Ben Hulett (60 meter hurdles), Liermann (shot put; weight throw), Josiah McAllister (one mile), Kara Stark (high jump) and Thomas Taylor (800 meters). McAllister has been one of the program’s top performers on the track so far this indoor season.
  • At the Polar Dog Invite last week, two familiar faces were back on campus. Alums Jonathon Becker and Kim Wood serve as assistant coaches on the MidAmerica Nazarene staff. Becker helped 4x400 meter relays earn All-America honors at indoor national championships in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Wood, a 2016 graduate, left Concordia as one of the school’s all-time greats on the track. During her distinguished career, she won 12 individual GPAC titles and collected seven All-America awards. Additionally, former national champion Zach Lurz is in his first season as the throws coach at Dakota Wesleyan.
  • Elsewhere, Emily Deschaine made her first appearance of the 2018 indoor season and placed seventh in the 5,000 meter race. In that same event, Grove made her return to competition after sitting out cross country season. Grove’s winning time clocked in at 19:20.89. Meanwhile, Seward High School product Mika Brees ran both the 60 (8.07) and 200 meter dashes (26.75), turning in place finishes of fifth and third, respectively.
  • For the second week in a row, the Bulldogs will stay home. They are getting set to host the Concordia Classic inside the Fieldhouse this Friday and Saturday. Multi events will take place on Friday with the bulk of the meet to play out on Saturday. Before the indoor season concludes, the Bulldogs will also host the Concordia Indoor Invitational on Feb. 10.

Wrestling

  • A group of seven Bulldogs made their way to the Missouri Valley Invite for last week’s event that served as a preview of what could happen at the national championships in March. Many of the top NAIA programs were present, making for a loaded field of competitors. Assistant coach Levi Calhoun traveled with the team, overseeing a squad that went 11-14 collectively over the two-day (Jan. 19-20) event. Concordia had the week off from dual action, meaning second-year head coach Andrew Nicola’s squad remains at 4-6 overall and at 1-1 in GPAC matchups. For more information on Bulldog wrestling, click HERE.
  • Four of the seven Concordia grapplers in the field in Marshall, Mo., advanced past Friday while attempting to make noise on the back side of their respective brackets. Each of those four went 2-2 on the weekend: Cam Devers (141), Chris Kimball (141), Walker Fisher (174) and Josh Nelsen (184). The other three Bulldogs all went 1-2 and were eliminated on day one: Jerry Stepps III (125), Jared Woods (157) and Darrin Miller (184).
  • In terms of team scoring, the Bulldogs placed 28th out of 35 teams with a total of 23.5 points. Other GPAC representation at the invite included Northwestern (12th), Midland (14th), Hastings (15th) and Briar Cliff (16th). Based on the most recent official GPAC ratings (released on Jan. 15), the only top-five GPAC team missing from the Missouri Valley Invite was No. 1 Morningside. At No. 16 in the NAIA coaches’ poll, Midland is the conference’s highest rated team in the national rankings.
  • While Kimball may not have come away with a place finish, he acquitted himself well against some of the NAIA’s best 141-pound combatants. After pinning Reinhardt University’s (Ga.) Curtis Doctor, Kimball upset third-ranked Sonny Gulesian of Briar Cliff by an 8-1 score. Gulesian is also rated second in the GPAC at 141 pounds. Kimball followed with losses to No. 15 Grayson Brenna of Grand View University (Iowa) and to No. 5 Gaige Torres of Indiana Tech. Kimball gave Torres a good battle in what ended with a 6-4 decision.
  • Fisher turned in another of the team’s most impressive wins of the weekend when he pinned 19th-ranked 174-pounder Nathan Garcia of Briar Cliff. Fisher entered the weekend ranked one spot behind Garcia at No. 20. Unfortunately, Fisher had his personal seven-match win streak snapped by 11th-ranked Scott Sopko of Indiana Tech in his first match of the tournament. Fisher now stands at 19-7 overall this season.
  • With a record of 20-5, Devers continues to rank just ahead of Fisher (19-7), Nelsen (18-11) and Miller (18-12) for the team wins lead. A total of 11 Bulldogs have racked up double digit victories this season. Following Devers, Fisher, Miller and Nelsen are Deandre Chery (17-10), Cody Lambert (16-16), Woods (14-12), Kimball (12-11), Blake Castillo (11-9), Stepps III (11-15) and Jon Lado (10-5). Chery leads the pack with 10 pins.
  • For the first time this season, Concordia dropped out of the top 20 national rankings when the new poll was announced on Jan. 17. Previously, the Bulldogs checked in at 16th in the preseason, 20th on Nov. 15, 17th on Dec. 6 and 19th on Dec. 29. Currently, Concordia is positioned fourth among “others receiving votes.” The Bulldogs also slid back to No. 4 in the official conference ratings.
  • Four Bulldogs also competed at the Roger Denker Open in Warrensburg, Mo., on Jan. 21. Freshman Tyler Jorgensen put together a nice run after a setback against a wrestler from the University of Missouri. Jorgensen went on to win his next three matches, including two by pin. Jorgensen took first in the consolation bracket of the 174-pound weight class.
  • Nicola hopes his squad can get back closer to full strength for a crucial upcoming Saturday when Concordia will be at Briar Cliff in Sioux City, Iowa, for a series of GPAC duals. The Bulldogs will challenge Briar Cliff (2-1, 2-1 GPAC), Doane (4-4, 1-3 GPAC), Hastings (2-2, 0-2 GPAC) and Jamestown (0-2, 0-2 GPAC) all on the same day. The race for the conference dual title still appears to be wide open with only Morningside (3-0) and Northwestern (3-0) still unbeaten in GPAC action.