Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
Female: Morgan Nibbe, Volleyball
Nibbe, who hails from Red Cloud, Neb., helped the fifth-ranked Bulldogs to wins last week over Mount Marty and Hastings while totaling 17 kills and five blocks to go along with a .469 hitting percentage. Nibbe is in her fifth season with the program.
Male: Breyer Meeks, Shooting Sports / Carlos Orquiz, Soccer
Meeks, a native of Filer, Idaho, led the Bulldogs last week at the Greater Midwest Super Shoot by cracking 98 out of 125 targets in international skeet. Meeks was the top shooter in the event, which took place Grand Island, Neb.
A native of Chihuahua, Mexico, Orquiz assisted the game tying goal in last week’s 2-1 win over Doane. That assist allowed Orquiz to break the program record for most career assists (19) and tie the school record assists in a season (10). Orquiz has also scored 16 goals in 86 career games.
Previous BAAM Athletes of the Week
Oct. 25 – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball) / Isaiah Shaddick (soccer)
Oct. 18 – Korrell Koehlmoos (football) / Carly Rodaway (volleyball)
Oct. 11 – Rylee Haecker (cross country) / DJ McGarvie (football)
Oct. 4 – Rebecca Gebhardt (volleyball) / Korrell Koehlmoos (football)
Sept. 27 – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball) / Ryan Wokutch (soccer)
Sept. 20 – Tanner Muff (shooting sports) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball) / Katie Welker (shooting sports)
Sept. 13 – Kierstynn Garner (soccer) / Jack Nelson (shooting sports)
Sept. 6 – Camryn Opfer (volleyball) / Camden Sesna (cross country)
Aug. 30 – Federico Simonetti (soccer) / Carly Rodaway (volleyball)
Aug. 23 – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball)
2022-23 BAAM Athletes of the Month
September – Gabi Nordaker (volleyball); Camryn Opfer (volleyball); Camden Sesna (cross country)
News and notes:
BAAM luncheons are held every Tuesday at 12 p.m. CT inside the Dog House Grill, located in the Janzow Campus Center. The luncheons feature reports from head coaches who are in season at the time. For information on how to join BAAM, click HERE. It is not a requirement to be a BAAM member in order to attend the weekly luncheons.
23rd annual Cattle Classic to unfold Friday-Saturday: The Bulldog basketball teams are only a few days away from officially tipping off the 2022-23 seasons. The GPAC unveiled the 2022-23 conference preseason coaches’ poll on Oct. 13. The coaches pegged the Concordia men fourth and the women fifth. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad is coming off a storybook season that included GPAC regular season and tournament titles and a trip to the NAIA national quarterfinals. The Bulldogs bring back three starters from that team. Meanwhile, Head Coach Drew Olson’s bunch comes off the program’s 11th-straight national tournament appearance and welcomes back two-time First Team All-GPAC guard Taysha Rushton. Both teams will begin their seasons at the 23rd annual Cattle Classic on Friday and Saturday. Click the links below for season previews for both teams. For the Cattle Classic game schedule, click HERE.
--Season previews: Men’s Basketball | Women’s Basketball
Wrestling to open season Nov. 1 with dual at Midland: The official start to the Concordia Wrestling season is tonight (Nov. 1). The Bulldogs are getting set to dual Midland at 7 p.m. CT in Fremont, Neb. The dual will mark the Concordia debut for Chase Clasen, who was named the program’s head coach back in April. Clasen inherits a program that is coming off back-to-back sixth place GPAC tournament finishes. Entering the season, the team’s highest rated wrestler is Creighton Baughman, who landed at No. 12 in the NAIA at 141 pounds. For a season preview, click HERE.
Softball program begins to take shape under Culler’s leadership: Bright and early this fall, the Concordia University Softball program began to take a new shape under the direction of Head Coach Brock Culler, who spent 10 seasons leading the Grand Island Central Catholic High School softball team. In other words, the adjustment phase is well underway as the Bulldogs work towards forming what their identity will be in the spring of 2023. Said Culler, “When I stepped on campus for the first time, I was sold on it. I love the people here. I tell my wife, I get to go to work every day surrounded by people who are working their dream jobs. The energy level here is great. I feed off that and I love it. I love that high energy, wanting to win and that goal-oriented environment. I love the atmosphere here at Concordia.” For a fall update on the softball program, click HERE.
Shooting Sports sends nine athletes to Greater Midwest Super Shoot: In the only competition of the week for Concordia University Shooting Sports, nine Bulldogs represented the program at the 2022 Collegiate Greater Midwest Super Shoot hosted by the ACUI/SCTP on Oct. 27. Concordia competed in international events only and was led by Breyer Meeks in international skeet and by Jack Nelson in international trap during action at Heartland Public Shooting Park in Grand Island, Neb. The event featured 125 targets for those who competed in international trap and international skeet. A native of Filer, Idaho, Meeks cracked 98 of 125 targets in international skeet. The Kimberly, Idaho, native Nelson busted 95 targets in international trap. Five of the six Bulldogs who competed in international trap shot 82 or better while Wyatt Hambly (91) joined Meeks with a score in the 90s in international skeet. The entire team will be back to action this Saturday and Sunday for the NCSSAA North Central Qualifier in Wichita, Kan. For more on the Concordia Shooting Sports program, click HERE.
Powerlifting engages in first-ever competition: More history was made for Concordia University Lifting Sports as the program competed in a powerlifting competition for the first time in its existence. Eleven Bulldogs represented the program at the Warrior Collegiate Open hosted by Midland in Fremont, Neb., on Oct. 8. The competition was made up primarily of Concordia and Midland athletes with select competitors from Minot State University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln sprinkled in. The competition included 10 different weight classes for women and eight for men. Athletes earned place finishes based upon the cumulative weight of their best lifts in squat, bench and deadlift. In the 56kg women’s competition, Concordia’s Rylee Ladd beat out Midland’s Ashley Lopez (305 – 260 kg) as one of the meet’s highlights. In the men’s 75kg class, Hunter Powers (522.5) outlifted two of his teammates and placed second out of five athletes. Next up on the powerlifting side of things will be the Midwest Regionals hosted by William Jewell University in Liberty, Mo., on Nov. 19-20. Weightlifters will be in action on Saturday (Nov. 5) for their Midwest Regionals at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. For more details on the program, click HERE.
Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its eighth year of existence. The show airs live for a half hour every Thursday beginning at 5:30 p.m. CT on KTMX-FM 104.9 Max Country. The weekly feature can also be heard live via 104.9 Max Country’s website or by downloading the Max Country app. Throughout the 2022-23 season, Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball contests will be aired live on Max Country. Parker Cyza serves as the host of the coaches’ show as well as the play-by-play voice for football and basketball. Frank Greene is in his eighth season calling Concordia volleyball.
Concordia Sports Network: Live webcasts for most home varsity contests can be accessed by visiting https://www.cune.edu/athletics/watch-bulldogs at game time. Beginning in 2019-20, Concordia Athletics partnered with PrestoSports for live video and statistical streaming. Live webcast links for away contests are publicized in sport specific releases that preview action for that particular week. Scrimmages, exhibitions and junior varsity events are not broadcasted.
Volleyball
· The fifth-ranked Bulldogs are back on a roll as they pushed the win streak to five during last week’s action. Concordia protected the home court with a 25-16, 25-16, 25-14, win over Mount Marty on Oct. 26 and then went on the road to defeat Hastings, 25-11, 25-17, 25-21, on Oct. 29. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad stands at 21-3 overall (12-3 GPAC) with one match left in the regular season. The Bulldogs reside in third place in the GPAC behind Jamestown (14-1) and Midland (13-2). The Jimmies have clinched at least a share of the regular season title. For more information on Concordia Volleyball, click HERE.
· The 2022 Bulldogs can now claim to have earned the highest ranking in program history. Concordia moved from sixth to fifth in the NAIA coaches’ poll released on Oct. 26. In the six NAIA coaches’ polls released so far in 2022, Concordia has landed respective rankings of 11th, 10th, eighth, sixth, sixth and fifth. Under Boldt, the Bulldogs garnered final postseason national rankings of 14th in 2019, eighth in 2020 and sixth in 2021. Five of the current nine teams in the national rankings are from the GPAC: No. 2 Jamestown, No. 4 Midland, No. 5 Concordia, No. 6 Northwestern and No. 9 Dakota Wesleyan.
· The Bulldogs were not seriously challenged in any of the three sets versus Mount Marty (6-19, 1-14 GPAC). Concordia hammered out 49 kills for the match and posted respective set-by-set hitting percentages of .359, .250 and .333. Meanwhile, the Lancers hit .095. Three Bulldogs notched double figures in kills: Camryn Opfer (12), Gabi Nordaker (11) and Morgan Nibbe (10). Other category leaders were Bree Burtwistle in assists (34), Rebecca Gebhardt in digs (16) and Nordaker in blocks (five). Concordia twice defeated Mount Marty in straight sets this season.
· Hastings had already beaten two teams currently ranked in the top 10 while at home this season: No. 4 Midland and No. 9 Dakota Wesleyan. The Bulldogs were up to the task and dominated the match as they outhit the Broncos, .331 to .060, and out-blocked them, 13-4. our Concordia individuals registered at least three blocks on Saturday: Nordaker (six), Nibbe (five), Carly Rodaway (four) and Opfer (three). On the attack, Ashley Keck (11), Opfer (10) and Nordaker (10) each supplied at least 10 kills, all while hitting better than .340. The reigning NAIA National Setter of the Week Burtwistle tallied 37 assists, nine digs and two aces. In the back row, Rebecca Gebhardt cleaned up with 21 digs while Opfer chipped in with 13 digs.
· Two matches with hitting percentages north of .300 has put the Bulldogs back on top of the national leaderboard in hitting percentage at .280. The rest of the top five features Marian (.269), Jamestown (.265), Missouri Baptist (.256) and Park-Gilbert (.256). Concordia has hit for a high efficiency while led by Burtwistle and her average of 11.24 assists per set. Burtwistle has helped four teammates rack up more than 200 kills this season: Nordaker (257), Opfer (236), Rodaway (220) and Keck (212). Defensively, the Bulldogs have limited their opponents to .161 hitting behind 79 blocks from Nordaker and 383 digs from Gebhardt.
· The regular season will conclude with one of the more highly anticipated home matches of 2022. The Bulldogs will host No. 4 Midland (23-3, 13-2 GPAC) at 7:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday in a battle of top-five ranked rivals. The Warriors won this season’s first meeting in Fremont in five sets (16-14 score in the fifth set). After all matches are finished on Tuesday night, the GPAC will announce pairings for the GPAC tournament. No matter the result versus Midland, Concordia will be at home for the GPAC quarterfinals with first serve set for 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday.
Football
· Hoping to defeat a nationally ranked opponent for the first time since 2017, the Bulldogs built a 10-0 lead at No. 14 Midland before eventually fall, 41-31, on Oct. 29. The contest marked the first time Concordia traveled to Fremont since 2015 when it came away with a 41-38 overtime win over the Warriors. The Bulldogs were attempting to duplicate last season’s result when they defeated Midland, 21-7, in Seward with the help of six interceptions. Head Coach Patrick Daberkow’s squad is now 3-5 (3-5 GPAC) with two games remaining in the season. For more information on Concordia Football, click HERE.
· The Bulldogs lost at Midland despite piling up 501 total yards behind a 296-yard passing day from quarterback DJ McGarvie. The sophomore signal caller out of Lincoln North Star High School fired two touchdown passes – both to tight end Luke Lang (18 and 30 yards). Lang also caught a six-yard “jump pass” touchdown from Austin Jablonski. The team’s other touchdown on the day came on McGarvie’s one-yard rush in the first quarter. Jablonski engineered a 10-play, 99-yard fourth quarter drive that included separate rushes of 20 and 32 yards by Jablonski. He finished the game with a team high 78 rushing yards.
· Midland (8-1, 7-1 GPAC) was simply more efficient in converting its opportunities into points. The Warriors were 5-for-5 in the red zone with four touchdowns and a field goal. The Warriors are not apt to throw the ball, so they relied on a running game that got 91 yards and two touchdowns from Levi Markey, 69 yards from Gunner Todorovich and 61 yards from Trevor Jones (all on one play). Midland milked the clock on its final possession, which ended on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Desmond Prusia to Markey (with nine seconds remaining). The Bulldogs squandered a major opportunity in the second quarter after Kyle Sterup forced a Warrior fumble that was recovered by Lukas Coe at the Midland 24. Concordia proceeded to miss a field goal in an empty red zone trip. The Bulldogs also had a punt blocked while trailing 31-24 late in the third quarter.
· Only prolific Morningside passer Joe Dolincheck ranks above McGarvie, among GPAC quarterbacks, in terms of passing yardage per game. McGarvie has thrown for 1,961 yards in seven games for an average of 280.1 per outing. The Valparaiso, Neb., native has completed 172-of-296 passes (.581) and owns an impressive touchdown-to-interception ratio of 13-to-4. McGarvie is on the verge of becoming only the second Concordia quarterback to ever eclipse 2,000 passing yards in a season. He’s within range of breaking the school record of 2,178 passing yards by Jarrod Pimentel in 2001. McGarvie was named the GPAC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 24 after breaking a school single game record for passing yards (458).
· On the topic of school records, receiver Korrell Koehlmoos has claimed the school record for most receptions in a single season with 74. He entered last week tied for that mark with Eric Pralle (62 catches in 1990). On the season, Koehlmoos has hauled in 74 receptions for 826 yards and nine touchdowns. The program record for receiving yards in a season is 951 by Clarence Woods in 1988. Koehlmoos continues to pad the school career records he owns for receptions (200) and receiving yards (2,696). He snagged 12 catches for 96 yards last week at Midland, marking the fourth time this season Koehlmoos has reached double figures in receptions.
· An injury has prevented tight end Garrett Schardt from competing in a fifth season of college football. While his absence has been unfortunate, Luke Lang has taken advantage of the opportunity and could push for First Team All-GPAC accolades at tight end. Lang reeled in three touchdown catches at Midland as part of a day that included five receptions for 77 yards. Lang has now scored a touchdown in three straight games and has bumped his season totals to 29 catches for 440 yards and five touchdowns. Lang ranks second to Koehlmoos on the team in each of those categories. As a comparison, Schardt caught 32 passes for 504 yards and five touchdowns last season when he was named first team all-conference.
· It was a big outing for Kyle Sterup at defensive end in last week’s clash with Midland. He collected 12 tackles, one stop for loss and a forced fumble. Meanwhile, Kam Baker made 11 stops (two for loss), Michael Grindey added 10 tackles and Lukas Coe came up with a sack and a fumble recovery. Concordia will try to shore up its run defense after it allowed 259 rushing yards to the Warriors. Grindey tops the team this season with 79 tackles. Three other Bulldogs have at least 50 tackles: Gabe Knisley (60), Baker (58) and Sterup (51).
· The final road game of the 2022 season will take place this Saturday as Concordia makes a visit to Memorial Field in Sioux City, Iowa, home to Briar Cliff (1-8, 1-7 GPAC). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CT. The Bulldogs have won three straight series meetings and are 16-3 all-time versus the Chargers. In this past Saturday’s action, Briar Cliff was blown out at No. 4 Northwestern, 56-7. The Chargers’ lone win this season came by a 31-25 score at home over Jamestown.
Men’s Soccer
· It was a regular season to remember for the Bulldogs, who polished it off in the middle of last week with a 2-1 victory over Doane. That win locked up the No. 2 seed for the GPAC tournament that gets started with the quarterfinal round on Thursday. Head Coach Jason Weides’ squad enjoyed a bye this past weekend while resting for the postseason. Concordia stands at 13-2-2 overall and with an 8-1-2 conference record. Hastings earned the GPAC regular season title with a league record of 10-0-1. For more information on Concordia Men’s Soccer, click HERE.
· By any measure, this has been one of the best seasons in the history of the program. The 13 overall wins rank second in school history behind only the 2017 team that went 16-3-1 overall. Additionally, the current squad is now the program record holder for most conference victories in a season. The previous standard had been seven set by the 2017 and 2020 editions. Other accomplishments for the ’22 Bulldogs include an active nine-game unbeaten streak (7-0-2) and an unblemished home record (7-0-1). That one home tie came against Hastings.
· The records don’t seem to matter when Concordia and Doane get together. The Tigers entered last week’s meeting with an overall mark of 2-12-2 but still managed to make the Bulldogs sweat it out for all 90 minutes. Doane struck first when Cesar Gonzalez found the back of the net in the 15th minute. The Bulldogs quicky responded with a goal from Max Bisinger (off the corner from Carlos Orquiz) in the 18th minute. Concordia then finally found its first lead in the 60th minute when Isaiah Shaddick’s through ball set up Dominic Abdel-Ahad for the game deciding goal. In his 15 years as head coach, Weides owns a record of 7-4-5 versus Doane. The Bulldogs have not suffered a defeat at the hands of the Tigers since 2012. Of the 11 meetings during Weides’ tenure that did not end in ties, nine ended in one-goal margins.
· Orquiz’s placement of the ball, on set pieces in particular, has been a significant factor in Concordia’s offensive success. Orquiz racked up four assists in the 9-0 win at Presentation on Oct. 22 and added one versus Doane. Those two games doubled his season assist total to 10. That number has tied Marcelo Hernandez (2017) for the most assists in a single season in school history. In addition, Orquiz now owns the program career assist record with 19, surpassing the previous standard of 18 by Carlos Ferrer (2016-19). A fifth-year member of the program, Orquiz (Chihuahua, Mexico) has also totaled 16 goals in 86 career games at Concordia.
· Abdel-Ahad has pushed his team high season goal count to 11, representing the most in a season for a Bulldog since Micah Lehenbauer and Lewis Rathbone both scored 12 goals in 2017. The school record for goals in a season is 17 by Ken VanDerripe in 1982. During the GPAC era (2000-present), the most goals scored by a Concordia individual was 15 from Arturo Vega in 2007. The program’s all-time career goals leader remains Nathan Douglas, who put away 43 goals from 2010 through 2013. As a team this season, Concordia has outscored its opponents, 46-16, and has outshot them, 235-126.
· It’s playoff time. As the No. 2 seed in the GPAC, the Bulldogs will host seventh-seeded Briar Cliff (5-7-6, 3-3-5 GPAC) in the quarterfinals at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday. The winner will advance to play on Nov. 8 in the semifinals versus the winner between third-seeded Dordt (8-3-6, 6-1-4 GPAC) and sixth-seeded Morningside (4-7-7, 3-2-6 GPAC). The championship game will be hosted by the highest remaining seed on Nov. 11. Concordia hopes to go on a run like it did from 2015 through 2017 when it reached the GPAC championship game each season.
Women’s Soccer
· After a loss to Briar Cliff on Oct. 19, the Bulldogs knew they had to find results over the final two games of the regular season. With its postseason life at stake, Concordia proceeded to win at Presentation, 1-0, on Oct. 22 and then defeated Doane, 2-0, on Oct. 26. The victories kept the season alive and will give the Bulldogs an opportunity to play in the GPAC tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday. Head Coach Thomas Goines’ squad finished the regular season at 10-5-2 overall (5-5-2 GPAC). The 17 conference points put Concordia in seventh place. For more information on Concordia Women’s Soccer, click HERE.
· This marks the 14th straight season that the program has advanced to the postseason. The Bulldogs have made a habit of winning in the GPAC tournament having captured postseason championships in 2014, 2016 and 2020. Concordia also reached the conference final in 2015, 2017 and 2018 – making for five-straight GPAC tournament title game appearances. Goines was at the controls for the run in 2020, which actually occurred in the spring of 2021 due to the schedule being affected by COVID-19. There are five players on the current roster who started the 2020 GPAC tournament final: Aliyah Aldama, Allee Downing, Ellie Eason, Lina Kirst and Grace Soenksen.
· Concordia has taken ownership of the rivalry with Doane. The Bulldogs have won all 10 meetings since 2013, allowing the program to even the all-time series, 16-16. In the latest matchup, Concordia relieved some of the pressure it may have felt – with its season on the line – when freshman Kierstynn Garner found the back of the net in the seventh minute (assisted by Aldama). Breathing room came in the 54th minute when Savannah Andrews notched her fourth goal this season with the help of Garner’s pass. There were chances to score again, but the Bulldogs won somewhat comfortably, 2-0, while owning a 15-7 advantage in shots. Keeper Kalie Ward made four saves in the process of earning a shutout.
· Getting Garner going on the attack could be a key to Concordia’s ability to make a run in the postseason. The Kearney High School product leads the team with eight goals this season. She came close to a second goal in the win over Doane when one of her shots hit the right post. Garner had not scored a goal since putting away two goals in the win over Mount Marty on Sept. 17. She has also paced the team with four game-winners. Three of her teammates have scored four goals apiece this season: Andrews, Eason and Kirst.
· As a team, the Bulldogs have outscored their foes, 32-15, and have outshot them, 138-81, in 2022. The team’s season high for goals was six in the 6-0 win over Mount Marty on Sept. 17. Last week’s shutout of Doane marked the ninth of the season for Concordia, which has gotten solid goalkeeper play from Ward (8-5-2 record this season). Among conference teams, the Bulldogs rank sixth in goals scored and fourth in goals against average (0.83). Within conference play, Concordia outscored its foes, 18-11.
· As the No. 7 seed in the GPAC tournament, the Bulldogs will face the difficult task of playing at No. 2 seed Briar Cliff (12-1-4, 10-0-2 GPAC) in the quarterfinal round. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. CT in Sioux City, Iowa, on Wednesday. The winner will move on to the semifinals and play either third-seeded Hastings (12-2-3, 7-2-3 GPAC) or sixth-seeded Morningside (8-6-3, 5-4-3 GPAC) on Saturday. The highest remaining seed will earn the right to host the championship game on Thursday, Nov. 10.
Cross Country
· A meet on Oct. 22 provided one more chance for the Bulldogs to test themselves competitively prior to the GPAC Championships. Concordia made its way to Yankton, S.D., for the Mount Marty Invite on that date and wound up with team place finishes of third out of 12 on the men’s side and fourth out of 11 on the women’s side. Both races featured six GPAC squads, including conference favorite Dordt. In the national rankings, the Bulldog women are currently listed at No. 24 while the men are receiving votes. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads participated in five meets this regular season. For more information on Concordia Cross Country, click HERE.
· Through five meets this season, the Concordia women have recorded place finishes of ninth out of 28 at the Augustana Twilight, third out of 19 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite, first out of five at the Dean White Invite, second out of 14 at the Dordt Classic and fourth out of 11 at the Mount Marty Invite. Meanwhile, the Bulldog men have turned in place finishes of 12th out of 32 at the Augustana Twilight, sixth out of 21 at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite, second out of two at the Dean White Invite, third out of 14 at the Dordt Classic and third out of 12 at the Mount Marty Invite. The women had not been defeated by any NAIA opponents until placing as the runner up to Dordt on Oct. 8. They then placed behind Dordt and Northwestern last week.
· With 86 points, the Bulldog men placed behind Dordt (28) and the University of Sioux Falls (38) at the Mount Marty Invite. At the top of the pack, Reed City, Mich., native Calvin Rohde led Concordia by finishing the 8k race in 25:30.40, putting him in eighth place out of 145 competitors. Camden Sesna, the team’s top runner at each of the season’s first four meets, placed 13th in a time of 25:46.67 while battling through some aches and pains. Dordt was the lone GPAC opponent to beat out the Bulldogs, who placed in front of Mount Marty (seventh), Northwestern (eighth), Morningside (10th) and Briar Cliff (11th).
· The Bulldog top five at Mount Marty looked similar to recent meets as Jack Ellis (26:55.86), Jimmy Nguyen (26:57.10) and Aaron Jendro (27:13.11) rounded it out while each placing in the top 35 individually. The rest of the team’s top 10 in Yankton included Nathan Pennekamp (27:57.50), Logan Walgate (28:11.21), Charlie Hayden (28:11.30), Trevor Kuncl (28:21.86) and Thomas Gorline (28:26.17). Beisel made special mention of the breakthrough performance for Walgate, native of St. Charles, Mo. Seventeen Bulldogs completed the race.
· The Concordia women came in at 98 points as they placed behind Sioux Falls (34), Dordt (44) and Northwestern (81) in Yankton. The Bulldogs were missing a key piece as past GPAC runner up Kylahn Freiberg missed the meet to attend a wedding in her home state of Idaho. Beisel liked the way the rest of the team helped pick up the slack. For the second meet in a row, Rylee Haecker emerged as the top runner for the Bulldogs. She crossed the finish line with a 5k time of 18:48.75. Nationally ranked Concordia defeated other GPAC rivals in Morningside (fifth), Mount Marty (ninth) and Briar Cliff (10th).
· Haecker was followed in the top five of the lineup by Julie McIntyre (19:35.08), Rhaya Kaschinske (19:41.34), Hannah Beintema (19:52.33) and Martin (19:56.92). A transfer from Trinity Christian College, McIntyre has been a regular in the team’s top five this fall. So too have been the likes of Kaschinske and Beintema. The latter has been Concordia’s top freshman. The team’s six through 10 spots at the Mount Marty Invite were earned by Keegan Beisel (20:40.87), Jaiden Tweton (20:58.58), Sammi Vojslavek (21:42.02), Bella Marchisio (21:50.09) and Kyra Becker (21:56.18). There were 19 Bulldogs who completed the 5k race.
· Beisel will take 10 men and 10 women (plus an alternate on both sides) to the 2022 GPAC Cross Country Championships on Saturday in Jamestown, N.D. The meet is slated to get started at 10:45 a.m. CT. While it will be difficult for any teams to outrun Dordt, Concordia is hoping for top-two placements that just might be rewarded with team bids to the national championships. The most recent GPAC titles for the Bulldogs were 2019 for the women and 2012 for the men. If they can place third or better, it would mark the best placement for the men’s program since Beisel took the reins of his alma mater in 2016.