Bulldog Athletics Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
Female: Raelyn Kelty, Basketball
A junior from Kiowa, Colo., Raelyn Kelty enjoyed a strong GPAC tournament as she posted a combined 33 points in postseason matchups with Briar Cliff and No. 1 Dordt. Kelty poured in a career-high 23 points on the strength of 7-for-9 shooting from 3-point range. The Business Administration major is averaging 8.6 points this season.
Male: Brooks Kissinger, Basketball
A junior from Ashland, Neb., Brooks Kissinger has led the Bulldogs to the GPAC Championship Game while tallying a combined 56 points over the quarterfinal/semifinal rounds. Kissinger notched 33 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the semifinal win at top-seeded Morningside. Kissinger is studying Business Administration.
2025-26 BAAM Athletes of the Month
January – Hayden Kluthe (track & field) / Adrianna Rodencal (track & field)
December – Brooks Kissinger (basketball) / Adysen McCarter (track & field)
November – Ava Greene (volleyball) / Brooks Kissinger (basketball)
October – Kierstynn Garner (soccer) / Adam Van Cleave (football)
September – Carson Fehlhafer (football) / Katie Welker (shooting sports)
2025-26 BAAM Athletes of the Week
Feb. 24 – Adysen McCarter (track & field); Cal Price (wrestling)
Feb. 17 – Mary Beth Hart (softball); Jonny Jurchen (track & field)
Feb. 10 – Gabe Lujan (wrestling); Adrianna Rodencal (track & field)
Feb. 3 – JJ Jones (basketball); Hayden Kluthe (track & field)
Jan. 27 – Zac Kulus (basketball); Adrianna Rodencal (track & field)
Jan. 20 – Hayden Kluthe (track & field); Adrianna Rodencal (track & field)
Jan. 13 – Cole Price (wrestling); Ayla Roth (women’s basketball)
Dec. 16 – Jonny Jurchen (track & field); Adysen McCarter (track & field)
Dec. 9 – Ashley Keck (volleyball); Brooks Kissinger (basketball)
Dec. 2 – Brooks Kissinger (basketball); Kristin Vieselmeyer (basketball)
Nov. 18 – Oliver Benson (soccer); Braxtyn Koch (football); Kristin Vieselmeyer (basketball)
Nov. 11 – Ava Greene (volleyball); Brooks Kissinger (basketball)
Nov. 4 – Kierstynn Garner (soccer); Hugo Garrote (soccer)
Oct. 28 – Keeli Green (cross country); Vaughn Hendrickson (cross country)
Oct. 21 – Addie Kirkegaard (volleyball) / Taylor Slaymaker (soccer); Adam Van Cleave (football)
Oct. 14 – Oliver Benson (soccer); Kierstynn Garner (soccer)
Oct. 7 – Carlos Collazo (football); Katie Welker (shooting sports)
Sept. 30 – Hugo Fuentes & Nick Velders (tennis) / Peyton Atwood (football); Sadie Mares (soccer)
Sept. 23 – Oliver Balazs (soccer); Katie Welker (shooting sports)
Sept. 16 – Carson Fehlhafer (football); Ella Waters (volleyball)
Sept. 9 – Sam Blevins (shooting sports); Molli Martin (volleyball)
Sept. 2 – Emery Custer (golf); Slade Leicht (soccer)
Aug. 26 – Kierstynn Garner (soccer); Ashley Keck (volleyball); Sean Stratman (soccer)
News and notes:
NOTE: The Bulldog Weekly Report will return on March 17 following spring break at Concordia.
BAAM luncheons are held every Tuesday (when classes are in session) at 12 p.m. CT inside the Dog House Grill, located in the Janzow Campus Center. The luncheons feature reports from head coaches who are in season at the time. For information on how to join BAAM, click HERE. It is not a requirement to be a BAAM member in order to attend the weekly luncheons.
Forty-three Bulldogs named 2025-26 NAIA Scholar-Athletes from winter sports: As announced by the NAIA on Feb. 24, 43 Concordia student-athletes were honored as NAIA Scholar-Athletes from winter sports, which included competitive cheer and dance, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and wrestling. For listings of individual award winners, please visit sport specific pages on the Concordia Athletics website.
Weightlifting hosts CUNE Open, honors senior class: History was made on Feb. 28 as Concordia Weightlifting hosted its first ever official home competition. Twenty-three athletes competed at the CUNE Weightlifting Open, which saw Best Lifter awards earned by Taylor Hedke on the women’s side and Enzo Mancini on the men’s side. The five seniors honored were Harley Jane Carter, Evan Fukuhara, Adrian Hernandez, Leighton Limback and Jacob Wagoner. Head Coach Freddie Myles’ weightlifting squad has competed at three events throughout the 2025-26 season. Both the weightlifting and powerlifting programs are gearing up for National Championship events scheduled for April 9-12. The locations will be Kenner, La., for powerlifting and Salt Lake City, Utah, for weightlifting. For a recap of the CUNE Weightlifting Open, click HERE.
Golf resumes 2025-26 season with spring break trip on men’s side: The 2025-26 season will resume on March 9-10 for Concordia Men’s Golf. Head Coach Brett Muller’s Bulldogs will be headed to the Desert Classic at Palm Valley Golf Club in Goodyear, Ariz. The event will be hosted by NCAA Division II Minnesota State University. Meanwhile, the women’s team is scheduled to return to action at the Bethel Invite on March 28-29. For updates on the golf programs, check out the following links: Men’s Golf | Women’s Golf.
Profiling standout Concordia student-athletes: Concordia Athletic Communications frequently highlights student-athletes and their unique stories. In recent feature releases, the journeys of seniors Ashley Keck, Taylor Larsen and Mariana Molano have been detailed. Last week, a feature on the successful season for women’s basketball was released. Links to recent feature stories can be found below.
--WBB: ‘Press’
--Ashley Keck
--Taylor Larsen
--Mariana Molano
--Men’s Tennis Seniors
Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show has returned for an 11th year. The show airs live for a half hour every Thursday beginning at 5:30 p.m. CT on KTMX-FM 104.9 Max Country. The weekly feature can also be heard live via 104.9 Max Country’s website or by downloading the Max Country app. Throughout the 2025-26 season, Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball contests will be aired live on Max Country. Parker Cyza serves as the host of the coaches’ show as well as the play-by-play voice for football, basketball and volleyball. In addition, Eric Allgood will call select volleyball matches in place of Cyza.
Concordia Sports Network: Live webcasts for most home varsity contests can be accessed by visiting https://www.cune.edu/athletics/watch-bulldogs at game time. Beginning with the 2023-24 academic year, Concordia Athletics began a partnership with Hudl for live video streaming. Live webcast links for away contests are publicized in sport specific releases that preview action for that particular week. Scrimmages, exhibitions and junior varsity events are not broadcasted via the Hudl account. For select JV streams, check out that specific sport’s Facebook page.
Men’s Basketball
· Current record: 19-11, 11-9 GPAC (T-4th in final standings).
· Last week:
o GPAC Quarterfinals – Won vs. Dordt, 66-60, on Feb. 25.
o GPAC Semifinals – Won at No. 21 Morningside, 92-87, on Feb. 28.
· Links: 2025-26 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: The season lives on as the Bulldogs prepare to play in the GPAC Championship Game tonight (March 3) at Northwestern. In last week’s GPAC tournament action, Concordia defeated Dordt, 66-60, at home in the quarterfinals and then went on the road and upset No. 21 Morningside, 92-87, in Sioux City, Iowa, in the semifinals. In the victory over Dordt, the Bulldogs overcame two separate 13-point deficits while winning in a grinder that saw both teams score well below their season averages. As part of a monster week, Brooks Kissinger posted 23 points versus Dordt. Backcourt mate Dane Jacobsen added 12 points (8-for-8 from the foul line) in the quarterfinal victory. Three days later, Concordia finally figured out a way to defeat arch nemesis Morningside. Kissinger went off for 33 points (11-for-19 from the field), eight rebounds and five assists. Jacobsen (23 points, seven rebounds and three steals) and Zac Kulus (19 points) also turned in fine performances. Kissinger became the 39th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. The result means that Head Coach Ben Limback’s program is headed to the GPAC final for a second year in a row and for the fourth time in a seven-year stretch. A major challenge awaits in the title game as the Bulldogs take on 20th-ranked Northwestern in the title game. Concordia won both regular season meetings. The Red Raiders will ride a 12-game winning streak into the matchup. Coming up Thursday, the NAIA will reveal the 64-team national tournament bracket.
· For additional news and notes on the men’s basketball program, click HERE.
· This week:
o GPAC Championship – Tuesday, March 3 at No. 20 Northwestern (25-5, 15-5 GPAC), 7 p.m.
o NAIA National Championship Selection Show – 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 5 | Watch via the NAIA YouTube channel.
Women’s Basketball
· Current record: 23-7, 17-5 GPAC (T-3rd in final standings); ranked No. 13 in NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Last week:
o GPAC Quarterfinals – Won vs. Briar Cliff, 111-70, on Feb. 25.
o GPAC Semifinals – Lost at No. 1 Dordt, 71-65, on Feb. 28.
· Links: 2025-26 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: The 13th-ranked Bulldogs made it a wire-to-wire affair with top-ranked Dordt in the GPAC semifinals before being clipped, 71-65, by the two-time defending national champions. Three days earlier, Concordia played perhaps its best game all season when it steamrolled Briar Cliff, 111-70, in the GPAC quarterfinals. In the rout, the Bulldogs went 19-for-32 (.594) from 3-point range and got a career-high 23 points from Raelyn Kelty (7-for-9 from beyond the arc). Other double-figure scorers were Ayla Roth (16), Sammy Leu (12), Kristin Vieselmeyer (11) and JJ Jones (10). In the close defeat at Dordt, Concordia was led in the scoring column by Roth (14), Leu (11) and Kelty (10). The Defenders (29-1 overall) improved to 14-0 at home this season behind a triple-double from star point guard Macy Sievers. Vieselmeyer now has 968 career points as she pushes for 1,000. Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad has this week off from game action and will await the release of the 64-team national tournament bracket on Thursday. The first/second rounds of the national tournament will take place March 13-14 on campus sites that are to be announced. The Bulldogs were ranked fifth in the Midwest region in the most recent ARC ratings and figure to be in the mix for a high seed.
· For additional news and notes on the women’s basketball program, click HERE.
· This week:
o NAIA National Championship Selection Show – 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 5 | Watch via the NAIA YouTube channel.
Wrestling
· Current dual record: 8-1, 7-1 GPAC; No. 16 in NAIA ratings.
· Most recent:
o Placed 2nd/9 at the 2026 GPAC Championships.
· Links: 2025-26 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA National Rankings
· Notable: Since placing second at the 2026 GPAC Championships on Feb. 20-21, the Bulldogs have been focused on sharpening up for the upcoming NAIA National Championships in the Wichita area. Last week, it was officially announced that Concordia had qualified nine wrestlers for the national tournament. The group includes eight auto qualifiers (based on the GPAC tournament) and an at-large selection in Stevie Barnes. In addition to Barnes, Head Coach Josh Watts’ squad has qualified the following individuals for nationals: Barret Brandt (184), Hagen Heistand (157), Gabe Kant (285), Torrance Keehn (197), Cal Price (149), Cole Price (165), Paul Ruff (133) and Hunter Weimer (174). Both Heistand and Cal Price won GPAC championships. In other news released last week, Watts was named the GPAC Coach of the Year and eight Bulldogs garnered GPAC All-Conference recognition, including first teamers in Heistand, Cal Price and Paull Ruff. With the attention now focused on this weekend’s NAIA Championships, Concordia hopes to improve upon last season’s national team finish of 17th. Heistand (national runner up at 149) and Creighton Baughman (141) were All-Americans in 2025. Follow the link below to the wrestling homepage for a complete national tournament preview.
· For additional news and notes on the wrestling program, click HERE.
· This week:
o Thursday-Saturday, March 5-7 at 2026 NAIA Wrestling National Championships in Wichita, Kan.
Indoor Track & Field
· Weekends of 2025-26 Meets: 7.
· Most recent:
o Placed third for both men and women at the 2026 GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championships on Feb. 20-21.
· Links: 2025-26 Schedule | Roster | TFRRS Performance Lists
· Notable: Following the GPAC Championships, last week offered a break from competition. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s men’s and women’s squads finished third at the conference meet with the help of 41 all-conference athletes. As revealed on Feb. 25, the Bulldogs will take 21 athletes to the NAIA Indoor National Championships in Gainesville, Fla. The qualifying roster includes NAIA 60-meter hurdles national leader Adrianna Rodencal. The latest recognition for Rodencal came in the form of an NAIA Midwest Region Women’s Track Athlete of the Year award from the USTFCCCA (Feb. 26). Some of the program’s other highest rated individuals on the national list are Jonny Jurchen in the racewalk (third) and Adysen McCarter in the triple jump (fourth). For complete details on the NAIA Indoor Championships, follow the link below to the track & field homepage.
· For additional news and notes on the track & field programs, click HERE.
· This week:
o March 5-7 – 2026 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Gainesville, Fla. | meet info.
Cheer / Dance
· Cheer Season Scoring Average: 67.27
· Dance Season Scoring Average: 87.57
· Most recent:
o Cheer:
§ Placed 3rd/5 (77.28) at the Midland Invite on Feb. 21.
o Dance:
§ Placed 2nd/7 (87.79) at the Midland Invite on Feb. 21.
· Cheer Links: 2026 Schedule | Roster
· Dance Links: 2026 Schedule | Roster
· Notable: In the final outing prior to the GPAC Championships, Concordia earned Midland Invite place finishes of second (out of seven) in dance and third (out of five) in cheer on Feb. 21. Dance achieved a score in line with its season average, posting an 87.79 at the Midland Invite. Meanwhile, Bulldog Cheer produced a season best of 77.28. Concordia Dance placed behind only Midland while defeating other conference rivals such as Briar Cliff (fourth), College of Saint Mary (fifth) and Hastings (seventh). Cheer placed above Hastings and York University. Prior to the Midland Invite, Head Coach Mandi Maser’s dance team currently ranks 12th nationally in terms of average scoring. Dance has placed third or higher at six of seven invites this season. Both teams had last week off from competition while preparing for the GPAC Championships slated for Friday (March 6) for cheer and Saturday (March 7) for dance. The Bulldogs placed fourth in the GPAC for cheer/dance in 2025 when they hosted the championship event.
· For additional news and notes on cheer and dance programs, click the following links: Cheer | Dance.
· This week:
o 2026 GPAC Championships: March 6 for cheer and March 7 for dance (hosted by Northwestern).
Tennis
· Current records: men – 8-1 | women – 7-3.
· Last week:
o W – Lost vs. McPherson, 5-2, on Feb. 27 (Fremont YMCA).
o W – Lost at Bethel (Kan.), 5-2, on Feb. 28.
o M – Won vs. McPherson, 4-3, on Feb. 27 (Fremont YMCA).
o M – Lost at Bethel (Kan.), 4-3, on Feb. 28.
· Men’s Links: 2025-26 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Women’s Links: 2025-26 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Notable: The competition ramped up last week as Head Coach Lisa Hart’s squads took on Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference foes in McPherson College and Bethel College (both opponents are receiving votes nationally for men and women). The unbeaten ride for the men reached 8-0 before the Bulldogs suffered a 4-3 loss at Bethel over the weekend. The day before, Concordia eked past McPherson, 4-3, clinching the victory when Leo Lopez triumphed at No. 5 singles. Other Bulldog winners in that match were Nick Velders at No. 2 and Daniel Caballeros at No. 3. Concordia also took the doubles point thanks to the work of Velders and Ben Chisholm at No. 2 and Caballeros and Santiago Abadia at No. 3. Against Bethel, the Bulldogs lost at 1-2 doubles before splitting the six singles matches. On the women’s side, Concordia lost twice by 5-2 scores versus the Bulldogs/Threshers. In the McPherson match, the Bulldogs got their team points from singles wins by Alexa Richert at No. 5 and Nina Milic at No. 6. Richert also won the next day at Bethel. The team’s other winner was Ishane Derman at No. 4 singles. Both teams will attempt to get back into the win column this weekend as they host Grand View University (Iowa) on Friday before playing at Missouri Baptist University on Saturday.
· For additional news and notes on the tennis programs, click the following links: Men | Women.
· This week:
o M/W – Friday, March 6 vs. Grand View (Iowa), 11 a.m. (CUNE outdoor courts).
o M/W – Saturday, March 7 at Missouri Baptist (M-14; W-RV), 3 p.m.
Softball
· Current record: 8-6.
· Last week:
o Won at Kansas Wesleyan, 4-3, on Feb. 24.
o Lost at Kansas Wesleyan, 4-3, on Feb. 24.
o Won vs. Mount Mercy, 7-2, on Feb. 28 (in Shawnee, Kan.).
o Won vs. Clarke, 6-1, on Feb. 28 (in Shawnee, Kan.).
· Links: 2026 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Polls
· Notable: The Bulldogs picked up a mid-week doubleheader and then played twice at the NAIA Top Gun Invite over the past week. Concordia went 3-1 as it split a doubleheader at Kansas Wesleyan University and then earned a win over both Mount Mercy University (Iowa) and Clarke University (Iowa). Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad now stands at 8-6 overall with four games on this week’s docket. Three hitters in particular enjoyed fine weeks: Taryn Ganstrom (6-for-11; .545), Tobi Topp (6-for-12; .500) and Mary Beth Hart (7-for-16; .438). Ganstrom belted a three-run homer as part of the win over Mount Mercy. In the pitching circle, Kaylie Denison and Kierstynn Linn both made two starts on the week. Denison went 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA in 14 innings. A major defensive highlight of last week came in the fourth inning of game two at Kansas Wesleyan when Concordia turned a triple play that went 4-3-6-2 in the scorebook. Through 14 games, Hart leads the team in hitting with a .440 batting average (22-for-50) while holding down the top spot in the lineup. In addition, Topp has sizzled in going 14-for-39 (.359) with five extra-base hits. The Bulldogs are scheduled to continue their season at the Friends Invite this Friday and Saturday.
· For additional news and notes on the softball program, click HERE.
· This week (Friends Invite):
o Friday, March 6 vs. Friends (Kan.), 11 a.m.
o Friday, March 6 vs. Sterling (Kan.), 3:30 p.m.
o Saturday, March 7 vs. Bethany (Kan.), 12:15 p.m.
o Saturday, March 7 vs. York, 2:30 p.m.
Baseball
· Current record: 11-3; ranked No. 16 in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Last week:
o Won vs. Graceland, 15-5, on Feb. 27 (Fort Scott, Kan.).
o Won vs. Graceland, 15-1, on Feb. 27 (Fort Scott, Kan.).
o Won vs. Graceland, 13-8, on Feb. 28 (Fort Scott, Kan.).
o Won vs. Graceland, 11-1, on Feb. 28 (Fort Scott, Kan.).
· Links: 2026 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Polls
· Notable: The 16th-ranked Bulldogs pummeled Graceland University (Iowa) in a four-game series played at LaRoche Baseball Complex in Fort Scott, Kan. Concordia outscored the Yellowjackets by a combined total of 54-15. Five Bulldog regulars batted .400 or better for the weekend: Jake Watson (8-for-14; .571), Jaeden Jordahl (7-for-14; .500), Carson Burnett (7-for-14; .500), Luke Wilson (6-for-14; .429) and Andrew Fetty (6-for-15; .400). Eight different Concordia players hit at least one home run – two were delivered by Bronx Lewis. A sophomore out of Lincoln Christian High School, Watson has been red hot. His weekend included two doubles, a home run, eight RBIs and two runners caught stealing as a catcher. From a pitching perspective, the top outings in the Graceland series were turned in by Caden Bugarske (5.2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K), Devin Gonor (5 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 3 K) and Sam Bespoyasny (5 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K). On the base paths, the Bulldogs stole 11 bases versus Graceland. Head Coach Ryan Dupic and company expect a much bigger challenge this week as they play a four-game series at St. Thomas University (Fla.). During the stay in Florida, Concordia will also play a doubleheader with Mayville State University (N.D.).
· For additional news and notes on the baseball program, click HERE.
· This week (spring break trip):
o Thursday, March 5 at St. Thomas, 5:30 p.m. CT / 6:30 p.m. ET (1).
o Friday, March 6 at St. Thomas, 2 p.m. CT / 3 p.m. ET (DH).
o Saturday, March 7 at St. Thomas, 12 p.m. CT / 1 p.m. ET (1).
o Monday, March 9 vs. Mayville State, 12:30 p.m. CT / 1:30 p.m. ET (DH); location is Winter Haven, Fla.
Shooting Sports
· Last week:
o Placed 7th/13 at Concordia Sporting Invitational on Feb. 27-28.
· Links: 2025-26 Schedule | Roster
· Notable: The 2025-26 season resumed this past weekend as Head Coach Dylan Owens’ program hosted the 10th annual Concordia Bulldog Sporting Invitational. The field included 178 athletes from 13 institutions. The Bulldogs wound up placing seventh overall as a team in an event that tested shooters with 200 sporting and 100 super sporting clay targets. Notably, senior Katie Welker placed fourth high overall among women’s competitors. Concordia’s top five at the Concordia Invite, from an HOA perspective, were Devin Harris (266), Welker (262), Clayton Gellerman (250), Sam Blevins (248) and Kaylee Hinton (242). The top three team place finishers at the Concordia Invite were Midland University (1,390), William Penn University (1,376) and Fort Hays State University (1,357). The outing marked the seventh of the season (six in the fall) for the Bulldogs. They will continue action with the Iowa Western Community College Invite this Saturday and Sunday.
· This week:
o Iowa Western CC Invite in Lincoln, Neb. (Lincoln Trap & Skeet), March 7-8.