Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
Male: Carter Kent, Basketball
A season to remember continues for Crete, Neb., native Carter Kent, who nailed the game-winning shot to lift the Bulldogs over Doane, 67-65, in the GPAC semifinals. As part of last week’s action, Kent totaled 27 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds over two GPAC tournament wins.
Female: Shelby Timmerman, Cheer
Timmerman, who hails from Clatonia, Neb., made history over the past week as she became the first ever All-GPAC award winner in Concordia Competitive Cheer history. Timmerman played a major role in the Bulldogs achieving the program’s best ever score in 2022 and placing fourth at the GPAC Championship.
Previous BAAM Athletes of the Week
Feb. 22 – Gage Smith (basketball) / Josie Puelz (track & field)
Feb. 15 – Calvin Rodhe (track & field) / Kendal Brigham (basketball)
Feb. 8 – Taysha Rushton (basketball) / AJ Watson (basketball)
Feb. 1 – Calvin Rohde (track & field)
Jan. 25 – Calvin Rohde (track & field) / Gage Smith (basketball) / Rylee Haecker (track & field)
Jan. 18 – Carter Kent (basketball) / Rylee Haecker (track & field)
Jan. 11 – Carter Kent (basketball) / Mackenzie Toomey (basketball)
Dec. 14 – Carter Kent (basketball) / Sarah Lewis (track & field)
Dec. 7 – Carter Kent (basketball) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)
Nov. 30 – Noah Schutte (basketball) / Taysha Rushton (basketball)
Nov. 16 – Korrell Koehlmoos (football) / Bree Burtwistle (volleyball)
Nov. 9 – Camden Sesna (cross country) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)
Nov. 2 – Carter Kent (basketball) / Camryn Opfer (volleyball)
Oct. 26 – Peyton Mitchell (football) / Lexie Kreizel (volleyball)
Oct. 19 – Lane Napier (football) / Kalie Ward (soccer)
Oct. 12 – Caydren Cox (football) / Kalee Wiltfong (volleyball)
Oct. 5 – DJ McGarvie (football) / Sarah Schwacher (shooting sports)
Sept. 28 – Wyatt Hambly (shooting sports) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)
Sept. 21 – Camden Sesna (cross country) / Lina Kirst (soccer) / Grace Reiman (cross country) / Carly Rodaway (volleyball)
Sept. 14 – Caydren Cox (football) / Mikeila Martinez (soccer)
Sept. 7 – Drew D’Ercole (golf) / Ivan Yabut (golf) / Erica Heinzerling (volleyball)
Aug. 31 – Martin Herrera (soccer) / Camryn Opfer (volleyball)
BAAM Athletes of the Month
January – Carter Kent (basketball) / Rylee Haecker (track & field)
December – Carter Kent (basketball) / Sarah Lewis (track & field)
November – Noah Schutte (basketball) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)
October – Lane Napier (football) / Camryn Opfer (volleyball)
September – Caydren Cox (football) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)
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.
Game/event days on campus: Concordia Athletics continues to welcome fans to its venues for sporting events. Currently, there are no attendance limits. Before visiting road venues involving Bulldog teams, fans should be sure to check the spectator policies on those particular campuses. Other locations may require the use of face coverings. Once again, fans attending varsity sporting events at Concordia are able to purchase advance tickets online via HomeTown Ticketing. Tickets will also be sold on site on the day of events. Should any policies or protocols for fans change, updated information will be available on the athletics fan information page HERE.
Cheer/Dance teams finish seasons at GPAC Championship/NAIA Northwest Qualifier: The 2022 competition seasons have concluded for the Concordia Cheer and Dance teams. As part of the GPAC Dance Championship/NAIA Qualifier on Feb. 25, the Bulldogs placed seventh out of 10 teams with a total score of 67.99. Concordia finished sixth among GPAC teams at the event, which also included Viterbo University (Wis.). Katie Anderson was recognized as an Honorable Mention All-GPAC performer. Then on Feb. 26, the cheer team placed fourth out of eight teams in the GPAC Cheer Championship hosted by Doane. Concordia posted a total score of 72.04. Clatonia, Neb., native Shelby Timmerman led the way while earning all-conference honors. She became the first athlete in Bulldog Cheer program history to collect an all-conference award. As part of a record-breaking season for cheer, Concordia set a new program standard when it achieved a score of 76.65 at the Bethel College Invite. Check out the links below for recaps of last week’s championship competitions.
-Cheer Recap | Dance Recap
Shooting Sports resumes competition, places fifth at Lindenwood Open in first shoot since Moniot’s passing: In the first time out since Head Coach Scott Moniot's passing back in November, the Concordia Shooting Sports team placed fifth out of 11 squads at the Lindenwood Spring Open held at Gateway Gun Club in Bridgeton, Mo., Feb. 26-27. The first shoot of the spring semester saw the Bulldogs crack a total of 1,414 targets while competing in the disciplines of sporting clays, skeet and trap. Concordia may have placed fifth (out of 11 teams), but it wasn’t far behind the top four teams who descended upon the St. Louis area: William Penn (1,422), Hillsdale (1,421), Midland (1,416) and Iowa Western (1,415). The Bulldogs did manage to outgun its competition in sporting clays with a total of 462. Meanwhile, Concordia tied for fifth in trap (479) and placed sixth in skeet (473). Individually, Colten Uitermarkt tied for first atop the sporting clays leaderboard. Additional details on the event can be found HERE. For more on Concordia Shooting Sports, click HERE.
Winter sport all-conference honors rolling out: All-GPAC awards for winter sports started rolling out last week as the conference officially announced its honors for the sports of wrestling and indoor track and field. Cheer and dance honors were then unveiled on Tuesday. Check out the links below for additional details. Among the highlights, Matt Beisel was named the GPAC Women’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year and Josie Puelz was rewarded with the GPAC Women’s Field Performance of the Meet for her record-breaking performance in the pole vault. A total of 46 Bulldogs from the track and field program earned all-conference honors. Basketball All-GPAC awards will be released on Wednesday.
-Track & Field All-GPAC
-Wrestling All-GPAC
-Cheer All-GPAC
-Dance All-GPAC
Nationals week for track and wrestling: NAIA National Championships in the sports of indoor track and field and wrestling will be held this weekend. Meanwhile, the NAIA will announce official national qualifiers for men’s and women’s basketball on Thursday. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s track and field team will travel 34 athletes to Brookings, S.D., for the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships this Thursday through Saturday. As for wrestling, Mario Ybarra and Jacob Telles will represent the Bulldogs on the national stage on Friday and Saturday in Park City, Kan. More details about the national championships can be found via the sport specific pages of the Concordia Athletics website.
Men’s Golf opens spring season next Monday-Tuesday: The first men’s golf action of the spring will tee off next week at the Winona State Warrior Invitational (March 7-8) at Stallion Mountain Golf Course in Las Vegas, Nev. Meanwhile, Head Coach Brett Muller’s women’s golf program will wait until later in March to resume action. As of the end of the fall, Concordia’s GPAC standing is sixth on the men’s side and seventh on the women’s side. For additional details on the Bulldog Golf programs, click here: MEN | WOMEN.
Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its seventh 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 2021-22 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 seventh 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. For more details on this change, click HERE. Check team schedules/results pages for webcast dates. Scrimmages, exhibitions and junior varsity events are not broadcasted.
Men’s Basketball
· It’s been a magical, unforgettable ride throughout the 2021-22 season. More thrills came last week as the 23rd-ranked Bulldogs defeated Morningside in the GPAC quarterfinals, 83-70, on Feb. 23 and then snuck past Doane, 67-65, in the GPAC semifinals on Feb. 26. The latter victory came with plenty of late game drama and resulted in another rushing of the court by the Concordia student section. Now 24-6 overall, Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad is gearing up to host the GPAC tournament title game. It will put a spotless 15-0 home record on the line. For more information on Concordia Men’s Basketball, click HERE.
· The atmospheres for each of the past three home games inside Friedrich Arena have been electric. The energy went up another notch this past weekend with Doane in town. A late 8-0 run by the Tigers made it a nail-biter in the final minute. Doane’s Anthony Laravie tied the game, 65-65, with less than 30 seconds remaining via an offensive rebound and layup. On the ensuing possession, Carter Kent let the clock dip below five seconds before pulling the trigger on a 15-foot fadeaway with a defender in his face. The shot went down with 3.3 seconds left. Doane had one last chance, but the in-bounds pass was dropped and picked up by Kent, who finished with 10 points and seven assists. Gage Smith produced 14 points, Justin Wiersema added 10 points and Tristan Smith posted nine points and six rebounds off the bench.
· The quarterfinals did not have nearly the same drama. The Bulldogs led by as many as 22 points before Morningside made a late run with the game already in hand. Kent filled the stat sheet with 17 points, six assists and six rebounds while Gage Smith totaled 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Off the bench, Garrett Seagren drained three treys and notched 11 points, Tristan Smith collected eight points and eight rebounds and Ryan Holt supplied eight points. Concordia made the Mustang zone defense pay by netting 15-of-33 attempts from 3-point range. Morningside ended its campaign early after having won the GPAC regular season title each of the previous four seasons.
· Since the GPAC first formed in 2000, the Bulldogs have now reached the GPAC tournament title game five times. Past appearances came in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2020. After falling at Northwestern, 91-83, in the 2001 championship game, Concordia captured titles in 2003 over Dordt (home), 90-82, in 2005 over Sioux Falls (home), 62-58, and in 2020 over Dakota Wesleyan (away), 68-66. In other words, the program has not hosted the GPAC tournament final since 2005 when its home games were played in the PE Center Gym. Tonight will mark the first-ever GPAC men’s basketball tournament title game played inside Friedrich Arena.
· In the win over Doane, Kent moved up to No. 6 on the program’s all-time scoring list while passing Rick Dietze (1,625 career points). At 1,634 career points entering the week, Kent is 25 away from tying Director of Athletics Devin Smith (1,659) for fifth place. Kent is the only player in the history of the program to record at least 1,600 points, 400 rebounds, 300 assists and 100 steals. He went past the 300-assist mark in the victory over Morningside. The Crete native’s name should appear on the All-GPAC first team list. He’s averaging 16.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the floor this season.
· With last week’s two triumphs, Concordia has now equaled a high watermark for wins in a season during Limback’s nine-year tenure as head coach. At 24-6 overall, the Bulldogs are even with the 2019-20 GPAC tournament championship team (24-10) for the program’s most victories in a season since the 2004-05 squad went 32-6 and reached the national championship game. For players like Kent and Justin Wiersema who have been around for the past four seasons, they have contributed to a combined 80 wins. Over nine seasons, Limback’s overall record stands at 160-112.
· Concordia is 15-0 at home and owns a 19-game home winning streak dating back to last season. With one more win, the Bulldogs would become the first team in GPAC era program history to go undefeated at home. Last season’s team was close to accomplishing that feat while going 11-1 at home. Going back to the 2019-20 campaign, Concordia is 32-1 over its past 33 home games. Of course there have been a few close calls this season. The Bulldogs got past Peru State College, 91-90, on Holts 3-pointer at the buzzer. They used a full-court alley-oop pass from Kent to Tristan Smith to edge Briar Cliff, 74-73, and last week narrowly held off Doane in the GPAC semifinals.
· Tonight (March 1)’s GPAC championship game will tip off at 7 p.m. CT as Concordia and Jamestown go head-to-head for the third time this season. The Jimmies’ GPAC tournament run has included wins over Dordt, 83-59, in the quarterfinals and Dakota Wesleyan, 81-56, in the semifinals. Ranked in the NAIA top 10 earlier this season, Jamestown may be hitting its stride at the right time. In this season’s regular season matchups, the Bulldogs defeated Jamestown, 92-76, in Seward and, 82-79, in North Dakota. Then on Thursday, Concordia will learn of its draw for the opening round of the national tournament.
Women’s Basketball
· A bid to reach the GPAC tournament championship game for a sixth-straight season was thwarted last week in the conference quarterfinals as the Bulldogs fell at Dakota Wesleyan, 68-52, on Feb. 23. Concordia actually played at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D., twice in a five-day span (lost the regular season finale, 71-67). Since being eliminated from the GPAC tournament, Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad has continued practice as it expects to have its name called when the national tournament selection show airs on Thursday. The Bulldogs are 16-13 overall. For more information on Concordia Women’s Basketball, click HERE.
· The overall record won’t jump off the page, but a rigorous schedule partly explains why the Bulldogs sit three games above .500. Based on the most recent official NAIA metrics, Concordia has played the fourth most challenging slate in the nation. A boost to the profile for the Bulldogs are their quality wins. They defeated then third-ranked Wayland Baptist University (Texas) on the road and picked up home victories over expected national qualifiers in Dakota State University (S.D.), Dakota Wesleyan and Northwestern. When at its peak, Concordia has looked like a top 25 team. Take for example, the 90-58 home throttling of Dakota Wesleyan, which is 24-7 overall. In addition, the closest thing the Bulldogs had to a ‘bad loss’ was the 68-60 home defeat at the hands of Hastings.
· The hot DWU team is getting ready to play in the GPAC Championship game after also winning at No. 21 Dordt, 69-59, in the conference semifinals. Concordia got within seven (58-51) of the Tigers midway through the fourth quarter of the quarterfinal clash when Abby Krieser’s trey went down. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs ran dry and did not score a basket the rest of the contest. Concordia wound up shooting 29.0 percent (18-for-62) at the Corn Palace and was outrebounded in a big way, 41-21. Taysha Rushton and Sadie Powell led the way with 13 points apiece while Mackenzie Toomey added 11 points off the bench. DWU will play at Morningside in the championship game.
· Fans should expect to again see Rushton on the All-GPAC first team when all-conference honors are announced this week. Heading into a likely national tournament bid, the Midland, Texas, native is averaging 17.9 points per game while shooting 38.7 percent from the floor and 33.8 percent from 3-point range. Rushton poured in at least 18 points in each of the final eight games of the regular season. It may take a bit of a run at the national tournament, but it’s possible Rushton could reach 1,000 career points before the season ends. She currently sits at 947 points. With 145 career 3-point field goals, Rushton is nearing Taylor Cockerill (150) for the 11th most in program history.
· The Bulldogs fell in the quarterfinals of the GPAC tournament for the first time since 2016 when they were defeated at Briar Cliff, 76-69, in the same round. Over the next five seasons, the Bulldogs reached the GPAC championship game each year while accumulating four postseason titles. Concordia was the runner up to Morningside in 2021. From 2017 through 2021, the program won 14 GPAC tournament games in a row. Concordia still has yet to lose a GPAC tournament home game since 2013 (in the semifinals to Northwestern). The Bulldogs will carry an active GPAC tournament home win streak of 17 into next year.
· Omaha native Rylee Pauli has cracked the program’s top all-time for career rebounds with 525. Over four seasons at Concordia, Pauli has compiled 608 points, 525 rebounds, 168 steals and 124 assists. She knows what it’s like to be part of elite teams, like the 2018-19 national championship squad and the 2019-20 team that was ranked No. 1 when the national tournament was shut down. Pauli also played a key role in helping the 2020-21 edition advance to the national quarterfinals. She posted 17 points in the win over No. 4 Marian University (Ind.). Pauli has appeared in six career national tournament games.
· Assuming the Bulldogs do get a bid to nationals, they will appear on the national stage for the 11th season in a row and for the 14th time in the past 15 seasons. All of those campaigns have been presided over by Olson, who is in his 16th year as head coach. No coach in any sport in the history of Concordia Athletics has won more games at a national tournament than Olson, who has 26 career national tournament victories. He has guided the program to a national title, two national runner-up claims, five national semifinal advancements and 13 total national tournament appearances. Olson owns a career head coaching record of 423-120.
Track & Field
· The 2022 GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championships are in the books. At meet’s conclusion, the Concordia women were circling the track at Doane in celebration of another GPAC title. The Bulldogs took first place while piling up 194.5 points, outdistancing second-place Hastings (163). On the men’s side, Concordia placed fourth with 67 points. The top three GPAC men’s teams were Doane (198), Dordt (177) and Mount Marty (87). Bulldog athletes combined for six GPAC event championships. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads have been gearing up for nationals since the conference meet. For more information on Concordia Track & Field, click HERE.
· Make that six GPAC championship meet titles in a row for the Bulldog women’s program. The streak began with the 2019 conference indoor meet. If not for the cancellation of the 2020 outdoor season (due to COVID-19), the streak may have hit seven by now. During the run of four-straight GPAC indoor titles, Concordia has recorded respective team point totals of 173.5, 193, 217 and 194.5. The dominance of the women’s program has been impressive after the 2018 Bulldogs turned in GPAC place finishes of fourth for indoor and third for outdoor. Prior to the current streak, the Concordia women’s program had won three conference titles in the GPAC era (2000-present).
· The individual 2022 GPAC champions were Zach Bennetts (pole vault), Morgan De Jong (weight throw), Rylee Haecker (mile and 1,000 meters), Jordan Koepke (600 meters) and Josie Puelz (pole vault). De Jong and Puelz were repeat GPAC champions while Bennetts, Haecker and Koepke each collected their first career GPAC titles. Puelz came through with a starring performance that saw her break the GPAC meet record and her own school record by clearing 13’ 5.” That vault pushed her to No. 1 on the current NAIA leaderboard.
· Below is a list of the Bulldogs who achieved marks over the seven weekends of indoor meets that were reported to the national leaderboard. It should be noted that several times were converted for the national performance list. The overall program tally on the season includes 22 automatic national qualifying standards, 20 ‘B’ standards and two pentathlon point totals that rank in the top 15 of the NAIA. Last week, the program announced a group of 34 official national qualifiers. That list can be found HERE.
o Men’s 4x400m relay – B (3:19.18)
o Men’s distance medley relay – A (9:29.48)
o Women’s 4x400m relay – A (3:52.96)
o Women’s 4x800m relay – A (9:29.48)
o Women’s distance medley relay – B (12:28.44)
o Andy Amos – A, weight throw (57’ 10 ½”)
o Jordyn Anderson – A, shot put (44’ 3 ¼”); B, weight throw (51’ 10”)
o Elena Batenhorst – No. 15 in NAIA in pentathlon (3,177)
o Rachel Battershell – A, 400 meters (56.77)
o Keri Bauer – B, 600 meters (1:36.51)
o Zach Bennetts – B, pole vault (15’ 3”)
o Chase Berry – B, pole vault (15’ 3”)
o Dagne’ Buck – B, weight throw (53’ 8 ¼”)
o Olivia Buschow – B, weight throw (52’ 10 ¾”)
o Amira Cummings – A, pole vault (11’ 6 ½”)
o Morgan De Jong – A, weight throw (56’ 7 ½”)
o Abigail Gerber – A, weight throw (55’ 9 ¾”); B, shot put (44’)
o Rylee Haecker – A, 1,000 meters (2:56:11); A, 800 meters (2:16.34); B, mile (5:10.18)
o Kylahn Heritage – B, mile (5:10.44)
o Brady Klute – B, weight throw (55’ 4 ¾”)
o Jordan Koepke – A, 600 meters (1:34.86)
o Sarah Lewis – A, 400 meters (57.34); A, 60 hurdles (8.87)
o Wyatt Loga – A, high jump (6’ 8 ¼”)
o Erin Mapson – A, pole vault (12’ 9 ½”)
o Ben Moll – B, weight throw (53’ 3 ¾”)
o Hannah Newton – B, high jump (5’ 5”)
o Jacee Pfeifer – B, 600 meters (1:36.94)
o Josie Puelz – A, pole vault (13’ 5”)
o Sarah Ragland – A, weight throw (57’)
o Amy Richert – No. 2 in NAIA in pentathlon (3,500); A, long jump (18’ 5 ¾”); B, high jump (5’ 5”); B, 60 hurdles (9.14)
o Calvin Rohde – A, mile (4:15.18); A, 1,000 meters (2:29.00); B, 3,000 meters (8:38.77)
o Trinity Tuls – B, 400 meters (58.62)
o Abi Wohlgemuth – B, weight throw (52’ 10 ¼”)
o Chris Wren – A, weight throw (64’ 1 ¾”)
· Two new ‘A’ standards came out of the GPAC Championships. Two-time 400 meter national champion Rachel Battershell broke out with an automatic time of 57.52 (converted to 56.77) on the national list. Battershell placed second in the event behind Northwestern’s Kennedy Kramer. In the women’s shot put, Jordyn Anderson hit the ‘A’ standard with a mark of 44’ 3 ¼.” Teammate Abigail Gerber (44’) was just a few inches shy of that distance and ranks 14th in the NAIA (meaning her mark could become an ‘A’ standard).
· Rylee Haecker has enjoyed a beast of an indoor season. The Davenport, Neb., native was also an All-GPAC honoree and NAIA national qualifier during cross country season. She rose to the occasion last week with two GPAC titles with personal bests in both the mile (5:13.25) and the 1,000 meters (2:58.03). After conversion, Haecker sprang up to No. 4 on the NAIA national list in the 1,000 meters (2:56.11). She was an All-American in that event a year ago. Teammate Kylahn Heritage finished second in the mile. Heritage was the 2021 GPAC indoor 1,000 meter champ.
· On the first day of the GPAC meet, Amy Richert also broke a school record while finishing with 3,479 points in the pentathlon. That total surpassed the previous program standard of 3,410 points by Jessica Deterding in 2019. An all-around fine athlete, Richert (Gresham, Neb.) totaled 20 team points herself while also placing fourth in the high jump, fifth in the long jump and sixth in the 60 hurdles.
· Many other noteworthy performances were turned in at the GPAC Championships. Read a detailed recap of the meet HERE. For those who qualify, the indoor season will continue with the 2022 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships to be staged at the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex in Brookings, S.D., March 3-5. The event was also held there in 2019 and 2020 before shifting to Yankton, S.D., in 2021. At the 2021 NAIA indoor championships, the Bulldogs placed third on the women’s side and 12th on the men’s side. For a preview of the meet, click HERE.
Wrestling
· The season is nearing the end following the completion of the 2022 GPAC Wrestling Championships. The event was hosted Feb. 18-19 in Mitchell, S.D., by Dakota Wesleyan and saw the Bulldogs place sixth as a team with 63 points. Seven of the 12 Concordia competitors contributed points to that total with six of them earning place finishes within their respective weight classes. The sixth place GPAC tournament finish followed a tie for sixth in the GPAC regular season dual standings. For more information on Concordia Wrestling, click HERE.
· The Bulldogs will send Mario Ybarra (133) and Jacob Telles (285) to the national tournament at the end of this week. Ybarra earned an automatic bid thanks to his GPAC runner up finish at 133. Meanwhile, Telles placed third in the conference at heavyweight spot and was selected by league coaches as a wild card to the national tournament. Both competitors also appeared at the 2021 national tournament (Ybarra will make his third appearance at nationals). Other place finishes were claimed by Issiah Burks (fourth at 165), TJ Huber (fourth at 174), Jose Sanchez (fifth at 165) and Isaac Agabin (sixth at 125). Based on the NAIA national rankings, the GPAC was allocated 20 automatic berths that were handed out after each bracket was finished this past weekend.
· Ybarra, Burks (165), TJ Huber (174) and Telles (285) each began the second day of the GPAC tournament in the semifinals after collecting wins on day one. Ybarra was the only one of the four to advance to the GPAC finals. The Scottsbluff, Neb., native made his way to the title bout by taking decisions over Northwestern’s Manuel Jaramillo and Morningside’s Logan Stumpf. Unfortunately, Ybarra was unable to avenge one of his two losses during the regular season. He lost in the tiebreaker, 6-1, to Taylor Vasquez of Morningside. Both Ybarra and Vasquez receive auto bids to the national tournament.
· The 2021 GPAC heavyweight champion, Telles gave it a good run on day two. He lost a 4-3 GPAC semifinal decision in a near upset of Doane’s Odgerel Batkhishig, ranked as the NAIA’s No. 2 heavyweight. Telles finished the tournament with three victories, including two on Saturday, which came over Jamestown’s Ramiro Varas Macias and Ian Howell. A native of Albuquerque, N.M., Telles leads the team with 20 wins. Through two seasons in the Bulldog singlet, Telles has already racked up 53 career wins.
· Seven of the 12 Bulldogs at the conference tournament registered at least one win. Sanchez notched three victories, including one on day two over Midland’s Kody Hahn, 5-3. After beginning the tournament in the quarterfinals, it took only one win on the weekend for Isaac Agabin to be able to place sixth at 125 pounds. At 174, Hunter Weimer won two matches by decision before being eliminated. The other five wrestlers to represent Concordia in Mitchell were Conner Burrus (141), Jeaven Scdoris (149), Anthony Perez (157), Tavoris Smith (157) and Jovon Howe (184).
· On the season, the following Concordia wrestlers have claimed at least 10 wins: Jacob Telles (20-7), TJ Huber (15-11), Thomas Ivey (14-4), Tavoris Smith (14-18), Mario Ybarra (13-3), Mason Garcia (13-5), Issiah Burks (12-11), Isaac Agabin (12-15) and Conner Burrus (10-9). Collectively, Bulldog grapplers have combined for 28 tournament place finishes. Both Burrus (141) and Garcia (197) claimed titles at the York Open. Meanwhile, Ivey (125) and Anthony Perez (165) both placed second at the York Open and Ybarra took second at the open hosted by the University of Nebraska-Kearney.
· The season continues for Ybarra and Telles, who will be headed to Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan., for the 2022 NAIA Wrestling National Championships on Friday and Saturday. Ybarra will be looking to improve upon his seventh-place national finish at 133 pounds last year. Meanwhile, Telles will attempt to earn his first ever wins on the national stage. The national field includes a total of 280 individual qualifiers. The preliminary brackets for the national tournament can be viewed HERE.
Tennis
· Both teams were in action twice against the same two opponents last week. The men narrowly missed out on a 2-0 week that saw them edged at Grand View University (Iowa), 4-3, on Feb. 23 before they bounced back with a 7-0 win over Bethany College (Kan.) on Feb. 26. On the women’s side, the Bulldogs fell at Grand View, 7-0, and then responded with a 7-0 win over Bethany. The matches versus Bethany took place at a neutral site in Grand Island, Neb. Overall this season, Head Coach Cam Long’s squads own records of 2-3 on the women’s side and 1-4 on the men’s side. For more information on Concordia Tennis, click here: MEN | WOMEN.
· The men may have started 0-4 (counting two matches back in the fall), but part of that is due to a challenging schedule – and coming up just short in tight matches. In the team loss to Grand View, the Bulldogs were on the wrong end of tiebreakers at Nos. 1 and 4 singles and No. 1 doubles. Had the result gone the other way in any of those three battles, Concordia would have won the team score. On the plus side, the Bulldogs picked up wins via Eduardo Rojas at No. 2 singles, Jack Kitson at No. 4 singles, Joe Bindl at No. 6 singles and from the doubles pair of Kitson and Rojas at No. 2.
· In the win over Bethany, Concordia got over the hump in the close ones and swept through singles while taking two of three doubles matches. This time, the Bulldogs won tiebreakers at Nos. 3 and 5 singles. Victorious Concordia players in singles were Isaac Howes at No. 1, Rojas at No. 2, Kitson at No. 3, Shawn Springer at No. 4, Bindl at No. 5 and Manuel Rodriguez at No. 6. In doubles, wins were recorded by Eduardo Luzzi and Juan Rabellino at No. 1 and by Jeremiah Berryman and Luke Johnson at No. 3. Between singles and doubles, Long used 10 different players in the lineup.
· The women’s team had lost three matches in a row by scores of 7-0, so the win over Bethany should serve as a confidence booster. In that win, Concordia won all four contested singles matches and both contested doubles clashes (the Swedes defaulted at the Nos. 5 and 6 singles and No. 3 doubles positions). Sofia Morales did not lose a single game in her breezy 6-0, 6-0, victory at No. 1 singles. Additional singles wins were earned by Tara Ferrel at No. 2, Tessa Blough at No. 3 and Brooke Hosick at No. 4. The victorious doubles tandems were Morales and Ferrel at No. 1 and Megan Hakes and Julia Phillips at No. 2.
· On the season to date, Kitson has been the most successful singles player in terms of overall record. He’s now 4-1 while having played four different spots in the lineup. Also on the men’s side, Bindl (2-3) and Rojas (2-3) have collected two singles wins apiece. The Concordia men have used seven different sets of doubles partners, including three that have two wins apiece. Collectively this season, the Bulldogs are 11-19 in singles and 7-8 in doubles matches.
· On the women’s side, three Concordia players are tied for the team high with two singles wins each: Blough (2-3), Ferrel (2-3) and Morales (2-3). Long has mixed things up a lot in doubles with nine unique doubles pairs having been put out on the court so far in 2021-22. Ferrel and Morales have played together the most frequently and are 1-3 at No. 1 doubles.
· This will be a fairly light week of competition as both squads look forward to Saturday’s trip to Liberty, Mo., for a 1 p.m. CT matchup with William Jewell College. It will be a rematch from the fall when the Cardinals won 7-0 in both the men’s and women’s contests. The schedule will pick up in intensity as spring break week rolls around.
Softball
· As part of a late change to the schedule, the Bulldogs traveled north to Aberdeen, S.D., over the weekend for a four-game series at the Presentation College Dome. Concordia found ways to win all four games over Mayville State University (N.D.), triumphing by scores of 3-2, 12-2 (five innings), 8-4 and 3-2. Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad has won five games in a row to move to 6-2 overall. Originally, the Bulldogs had been scheduled to host Mayville State. For more information on Concordia Softball, click HERE.
· In both 3-2 victories in Aberdeen, the Bulldogs emerged with clutch hits and stellar pitching. In the 3-2 win on Feb. 26, Concordia erased a 2-0 deficit with a run in the fifth and two in the sixth. As part of the sixth-inning rally, Taylor Glause singled in the tying run and Lex Campos drove in the go-ahead run with a base hit. The comeback made a winner out of Jerzi Rowe, who fired all seven innings in the circle. In the final game of the series, Julia Van Wey’s RBI single in the fourth inning proved to be the game winner. Camry Moore then shut down the Comets over the final three innings to complete the four-game sweep.
· Throughout the four-game series, six Bulldogs produced at least four hits: Van Wey (5-for-7), Aubrey Bruning (5-for-10), Campos (6-for-12), Moore (6-for-14), Hanna Bowers (5-for-10) and Glause (4-for-12). In the doubleheader on Sunday, Van Wey went a combined 4-for-6 with two doubles, a home run and three RBIs. For the weekend, Moore paced the team with six RBIs. Bruning and Campos both notched four stolen bases. As a team, Concordia hit .377 with a .417 on-base percentage and .509 slugging percentage over the four-game set.
· The pitching staff was also a strength over the weekend. Four pitchers combined to limit Mayville State to a total of 10 runs on 18 hits and four walks over 26 innings. In her complete game performance, Rowe conceded two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out six. Over two weekend starts, Moore fired 11 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk. She notched 10 strikeouts. In relief, Megan Eurich fired 5.1 scoreless innings with just one hit allowed. She picked up her first career win.
· Moore has also been the team’s leading hitter to this point with a .483 batting average (14-for-29). The Crete High School product has a team high 10 RBIs. In the circle, Moore is 3-1 with a 2.33 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 24 innings. Five other Bulldogs are batting better than .300: Bruning (.462), Kylie Shottenkirk (.400), Campos (.400), Bowers (.400) and Zoie Isom (.375). On the season, Concordia is hitting .320 with a .388 on-base percentage and .414 slugging percentage. The pitching staff owns a team ERA of 2.58.
· Before heading to Tucson, Ariz., the Bulldogs will be at the Friends University Invitational this Friday and Saturday. As part of the four-game run in Wichita, Kan., Concordia will take on Graceland University (Iowa) at 2 p.m. on Friday, Benedictine College (Kan.) at 4 p.m. on Friday, Mount Mercy University (Iowa) at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Peru State College at 12 p.m. on Saturday. The Bulldogs will begin their run at the Tucson Invitational next Monday (March 7).
Baseball
· After having a scheduled four-game series at College of the Ozarks wiped out by cold conditions, the 18th-ranked Bulldogs picked up a doubleheader at Tabor College this past Sunday. The results from Hillsboro, Kan., were an 11-5 loss in game one and a 5-5 tie in game two (called due to darkness). Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad now owns a record of 5-2-1 on the season. So far, all games have been played either in the states of Kansas or Missouri. For more information on Concordia Baseball, click HERE.
· The Bulldogs got out to a rocky start in game one at Tabor when they allowed two runs in the first, five in the second, one in the third and three in the fourth. Finally, Cale Mathison helped settle things down by throwing two innings of relief without surrendering an earned run. Concordia first got on the board in the fourth thanks to Keaton Candor’s two-run homer. Jaidan Quinn followed with a solo blast. The Bulldogs got two more runs in the seventh when Ty Nekoliczak and Jayden Adams both drew walks with the bases loaded.
· Concordia had its chances to win game two before darkness fell upon Hillsboro. A four-run top of the sixth gave the Bulldogs a 5-3 lead. The Bluejays then tied it with two runs in the bottom half and forced extra innings in what was a scheduled seven-inning contest. Catcher Tanner Tompkins led the offensive attack with a 2-for-3, three-RBI performance. Jakob Faulk and Nekoliczak also drove in a run apiece. Highlighting the pitching staff, Jacob Lycan (1.2 IP) and Shane Whittaker (1.0) put forth scoreless outings in relief.
· Five regulars in the lineup are hitting above .300 in the early going: Nekoliczak (.471), Quinn (.450), Adams (.448), Candor (.393) and Tompkins (.333). Adams once again serves as the catalyst atop the lineup. He’s now 13-for-29 with four doubles, a home run and nine RBIs at the plate. Tompkins has taken over the team lead with 10 RBIs. The home runs figure to increase as the weather gets warmer. To this point, four Bulldogs have exactly one homer apiece: Adams, Candor, Joey Grabanski and Quinn.
· Alex Johnson did not appear over the weekend and continues to sport a 0.00 ERA over eight innings (two starts). Three relievers with at least two appearances have yet to allow a run: Andrew Bohrer, Christian Gutierrez and Whittaker. The team strikeout leader is Caden Johnson with 13 in nine innings. After two strong outings, Caden Bugarske conceded eight runs (seven earned) in 2.2 innings at Tabor. Through eight games, Concordia sports a team ERA of 3.79 in 57 innings. The Bulldogs remain a high strikeout rate staff with 71 K’s.
The season will continue on Saturday with a doubleheader in Auburndale, Fla., versus Cornerstone University (Mich.). The Bulldogs are slated to play 10 games in Florida between March 5 and 12. The run includes a matchup with Bellevue University, a program Concordia met in last year’s opening round of the national tournament.