Bulldog Weekly Report (Nov. 30)

By Jacob Knabel on Nov. 30, 2021 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week

Male: Noah Schutte, Basketball

Schutte, a native of Laurel, Neb., scored 27 points on 9-for-19 shooting in last week's 92-76 win over No. 10 Jamestown. Schutte has earned a starting role and is averaging 12.9 points and 4.6 rebounds on the season.

Female: Taysha Rushton, Basketball

Rushton, who hails from Midland, Texas, helped No. 21 Concordia to wins last week over Jamestown and No. 3 Wayland Baptist. For the week, Rushton totaled 35 points and emerged with the game winner at the buzzer to beat Jamestown.

Previous BAAM Athletes of the Week
Nov. 16 – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball) / Korrell Koehlmoos (football)
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
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.

Concordia Athletics celebrates the life of Scott Moniot: Concordia Head Shooting Sports Coach Scott Moniot was called to be with the Lord on November 20, 2021. He is survived by his wife Donna, three children and grandchildren. Enthusiastic, passionate and faith-filled, Moniot will be greatly missed within the Concordia community. His impact went well beyond the accolades that were attained on the range. Said Moniot when first hired at Concordia, “I count it a privilege to partner with Concordia and to invest in the lives of young people as they pursue their faith, educational and personal goals.” Visitation and memorial services were held this past Sunday and Monday in Seward. For more on Moniot, click HERE.

Concordia announces launch of men’s and women’s powerlifting programs: Concordia Athletics will soon expand its sport offerings. The Athletic Department announced the launch of men’s and women’s powerlifting on Nov. 9. The two programs will begin competition during the 2022-23 academic year. The target date to name a head coach is January 1, 2022. Like all other intercollegiate sports at Concordia, the powerlifting programs will offer athletic scholarships to student-athletes. For more on this development, click HERE.

All-GPAC award winners announced for fall sports: All-conference awards have been handed out for each of the fall sports. Click the links below to find out who landed on the All-GPAC teams. In total, 25 Bulldogs were honored with some form of all-conference recognition. The highest honors went to All-American linebacker Lane Napier, who was named the GPAC Defensive Player of the Year.
-Cross Country
-Football
-Men’s Soccer
-Women’s Soccer
-Volleyball

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 was a satisfying pre-Thanksgiving appetizer for the Bulldogs, who went on a 22-6 run to pull away from No. 10 Jamestown and win, 92-76, on Nov. 23. Concordia shot 50.8 percent (32-for-63) from the floor while overcoming a 43-27 disadvantage on the boards. Then on Nov. 27, the Bulldogs dropped an exhibition game, 87-70, at NCAA Division II Rockhurst University (Mo.). Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad stands at 8-1 overall and at 3-1 in conference play. The Bulldogs have won three in row since the season’s only official loss. For more information on Concordia Men’s Basketball, click HERE.

·        In the most recent NAIA coaches’ poll (Nov. 17), the Bulldogs were essentially tied for 32nd (listed among others receiving votes). The victory over Jamestown might be enough for Concordia to crack the top 25 poll for the first time since appearing at No. 20 during the 2010-11 season (new poll to be unveiled on Wednesday). Massey Ratings currently shows the Bulldogs as the No. 16 team in the NAIA. The win over Jamestown marked the program’s first over a top 10 team since the 66-65 triumph over then ninth-ranked Benedictine College (Kan.) on Nov. 2, 2019. On the season, Concordia has also beaten Benedictine, ranked 18th at the time.

·        A rough shooting night (18-for-49) doomed the Bulldogs in their 65-48 loss at Briar Cliff on Nov. 13. In the three GPAC outings since then, Concordia has shot better than 50 percent each time – 54.0 percent versus Midland, 50.7 percent at Dordt and 50.8 percent versus Jamestown. In addition, the Bulldogs have made at least 10 3-point field goals in each of those victories. From the foul line, Concordia went a perfect 17-for-17 against Jamestown, improving the team’s season free throw percentage to 73.0. Through eight games, the Bulldogs have owned a decided shooting advantage – 48.7 percent compared to 43.7 percent to their opponents. Concordia is averaging 81.7 points while allowing 70.0 points per game.

·        The emergence of Noah Schutte has been a major early season storyline. The native of Laurel, Neb., stole the show against the Jimmies, going off for a career high 27 points on 9-for-19 shooting from the floor. That performance came on the heels of a 21-point, eight-rebound effort in the win at Dordt. Schutte has started each of the past three games and has run with the opportunity. On the season, he is averaging 12.9 points and 4.6 rebounds while playing 21.4 minutes per game. In 2020-21, Schutte averaged 2.9 points and 1.4 rebounds in a complimentary role.

·        Three others reached double figures in the win over Jamestown: Gage Smith (16), Carter Kent (15) and Justin Wiersema (12). The latter recently became the 33rd player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. Wiersema also grabbed eight rebounds versus Jamestown while Smith notched seven rebounds five assists and four steals. Wiersema was a bright spot in the exhibition loss at Rockhurst, racking up 30 points. Kansas City, Kan., native AJ Watson had the chance to play in his backyard and totaled 21 points and four assists. The Bulldogs outscored the Hawks, 41-33, in the second half following a rough first half.

·        Concordia has really made life difficult on visitors to Friedrich Arena. The Bulldogs are 21-1 over their past 22 games played at home and currently own an eight-game home win streak. Many of the games played at Friedrich Arena during the aforementioned 22-game stretch have not been competitive. Of the 16 home victories occurring since the start of the 2020-21 season, 14 have come by double-digit margins. The only team to win inside Friedrich Arena since late January of 2020 has been Morningside.

·        At 8-1, Concordia has equaled the best nine-game start to a season during Limback’s tenure. Last season’s team also stood at 8-1 thanks to an eight-game winning streak that followed a season opening loss to Tabor College (Kan.). The program hasn’t started out 9-1 in the first 10 games since the 2008-09 campaign. That particular team got to 10-1 before suffering its second defeat (finished at 20-12 overall). In terms of talent, the current edition may be as good as any Bulldog squad since the 2004-05 squad that reached the NAIA Division II national championship game.

·        This will be a challenging week as Concordia prepares to play at No. 22 Morningside (5-1, 3-0 GPAC) at 7:45 p.m. CT on Wednesday before hosting Northwestern (8-2, 1-1 GPAC) at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday. The Mustangs were the preseason conference favorite while the Red Raiders were pegged fourth in the GPAC coaches’ poll. Both foes qualified for the national tournament last season. The Bulldogs are looking to win at Morningside for the first time since February 2016. Meanwhile, Concordia has won five-straight matchups over Northwestern.

Women’s Basketball

·        Both outings last week provided unique thrills for the 21st-ranked Bulldogs, who won back-to-back games for the first time in the early going of the 2021-22 season. A buzzer beater from Taysha Rushton pushed Concordia to a 69-67 home win over Jamestown on Nov. 23. Four days later, the Bulldogs jumped out to a hot start and upset third-ranked Wayland Baptist University (Texas), 76-66, on the road. Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad picked up its first road win of the season and has moved to 5-3 overall (2-2 GPAC). For more information on Concordia Women’s Basketball, click HERE.

·        According to Massey Ratings, the Bulldogs have played the 13th most challenging schedule in the NAIA to date. It will likely only improve considering Concordia still has nonconference matchups with No. 2 Campbellsville University (Ky.) and No. 4 Thomas More University (Ky.) coming up later this month. Olson believes his team has the confidence and toughness to go up against anyone – and the results bare that out. This marks the 11th season in a row that the Bulldogs have beaten at least one opponent carrying a top-five national ranking. Concordia also owns a win this season over Dakota State University (S.D.), ranked 19th in the most recent NAIA poll.

·        The victory over Jamestown felt a bit like pulling teeth. The Bulldogs shot just 26.3 percent from the floor in the first half and trailed by as many as 11 points. Even when Concordia seemingly gained control in the fourth quarter, the Jimmies didn’t give in. A trey from Hannah DeMars with 9.5 seconds left tied the game, 67-67. During the ensuing timeout, the Bulldogs set up a play that was designed to get Mackenzie Toomey a chance for a layup, but Jamestown defended it tightly. When the ball finally wound up in Rushton’s hands at the top the circle, she took one dribble with her right hand and threw up a runner from just outside the free throw line, banking it in for the win. Rushton finished with a game high 20 points.

·        The trip to Texas was a homecoming for Rushton, a native of Midland, Texas. She scored nine points during a 13-0 Concordia run to open the game at Wayland Baptist. Rushton finished with 15 points and five assists in 35 minutes of action. Off the bench, Taylor Farrell came through with 17 points while making her first four tries from 3-point range. In addition, Abby Heemstra added nine points and seven rebounds, Rylee Pauli collected eight points and nine rebounds and Bailey Conrad produced six points, six assists and four rebounds. That victory ended a 50-game home win streak for the Queens and should ensure the Bulldogs remain in the top 25 poll that will be released on Wednesday.

·        When the shots are falling, Concordia can beat just about anybody. The hot first half this past weekend allowed the Bulldogs to build a lead as large as 18 points at Wayland Baptist. It was a contrast to the previous two outings that saw Concordia shoot 31.4 percent at Dordt and 32.9 percent versus Jamestown. That inconsistency helps explain why the Bulldogs had alternated a win with a loss through each of the first seven games. Midland had the misfortune of playing Concordia on its best shooting day so far this season. The Bulldogs made 13-of-26 3-point attempts in the 93-52 demolition of the Warriors on Nov. 17.

·        Over the past couple of seasons, Concordia has relied more on mixtures of man-to-man and zone defense in the half court, as opposed to the signature press that some of the most successful teams in program history used to near perfection. Naturally, the Bulldogs are forcing fewer turnovers (17.5 per game) compared to previous years. However, turnover margin continues to be part of the winning formula. Concordia owns a plus-5.0 turnover margin per game and has gotten 15 steals apiece from Pauli and Rushton.

·        According to the NAIA record books, Olson (current career record of 412-110) owns the 15th most wins among active NAIA women’s basketball coaches. Of the 25 coaches to appear on the NAIA’s list, Olson has coached the fewest seasons (15). By winning percentage, Olson (.792 entering the season) ranks No. 5 among active NAIA women’s basketball coaches. Over his first 15 seasons, Olson averaged 27.1 wins per season. He’s led the program to more than 30 victories six separate times.

·        This week will go a long way towards deciding whether the Bulldogs have the ability to compete for another GPAC championship. Concordia will be in Sioux City, Iowa, on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. CT tipoff at No. 12 Morningside (5-2, 3-0 GPAC). The Bulldogs will then host Northwestern (7-0, 3-0 GPAC) at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Red Raiders are the lone team in the GPAC without a loss this season. Concordia dropped all four meetings (two by two points) to Morningside last season and beat Northwestern in all three matchups in 2020-21.

Volleyball

·        For a third season in a row, the postseason journey has carried on into the final site of the NAIA National Championships. While hosting Ave Maria University (Fla.) on Nov. 20, Concordia followed the hot hands of its right side hitters on the way to a straight-sets win in the NAIA Opening Round. The contest marked the second time in program history (first since 2015) that Concordia hosted a national tournament match. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad (17-11 overall) will is getting set to resume action today (Nov. 30). For more information on Concordia Volleyball, click HERE.

·        In terms of national prominence, this is the glory age of the program. The Bulldogs have now won at least one national tournament match for a third season in a row. The program has boosted its all-time national tournament record to 6-4. The 2020 run included national tournament wins over Xavier University of New Orleans in the opening round and then Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.) and No. 7 Marian University (Ind.) in pool play. Those victories pushed Concordia into the national quarterfinals for the first time ever.

·        The Bulldogs blitzed Ave Maria in the first set on the way to winning, 25-12, 25-23, 25-19. Concordia outhit the Gyrenes, .308 to .111, and outnumbered them in kills, 48-33. Ave Maria struggled mightily to limit the right side duo of Arleigh Costello and Carly Rodaway. Costello notched 11 kills and hit .625 and Rodaway posted 11 kills and hit .360. The setter combo of Tara Callahan (27 assists) and Bree Burtwistle (17 assists) combined for 44 assists. In addition, Camryn Opfer chipped in with nine kills and 12 digs and Gabi Nordaker contributed eight kills and four blocks.

·        The GPAC cleaned up in the opening round of the national tournament. Each of the seven national qualifiers from the GPAC protected their home courts with six of them triumphing in three sets. Based on last season’s results, all seven could be serious threats in pool play. The 2020 national quarterfinals showcased five GPAC squads, including the Bulldogs. The conference will be aiming for its first NAIA volleyball national championship since Hastings seized the red banner in 2016. The Broncos were the first GPAC team to ever win the volleyball national title.

·        Concordia’s statistical leaders this season are Camryn Opfer in kills (344) and digs (333), Tara Callahan in assists (1,043), Gabi Nordaker in hitting percentage (.362) and blocks (103) and Kennedy VanScoy in aces (28). Callahan has pushed her career assist total to 4,702. Meanwhile, Opfer’s 898 career kills rank as the most among active Bulldogs (and are the 13th most in school history). Four other Concordia hitters have at least 100 kills in 2021: Nordaker (312), Erica Heinzerling (240), Carly Rodaway (160), Kalee Wiltfong (131) and Arleigh Costello (102).

·        Callahan has already been honored with two significant awards since the regular season concluded. The native of Brady, Neb., was chosen as a Second Team All-GPAC honoree and was named an Academic All-District selection by CoSIDA. Four of her teammates were also tabbed all-conference: Nordaker (first team), Opfer (first team), Heinzerling (honorable mention) and Rodaway (honorable mention). Callahan has garnered five career All-GPAC awards, including two first team mentions.

·        The national tournament took a break during the holiday week and is now set to resume at the final site – the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa – for pool play on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. On Nov. 21, the Bulldogs learned they had been placed in Pool B alongside No. 2 Viterbo (Wis.) and No. 25 Oregon Tech. Concordia will play Oregon Tech at 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday and then challenge Viterbo at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Only one team from each of the eight pools will advance to bracket play, which gets started on Thursday. For a preview of pool play, click HERE.

Wrestling

·        The most significant tournament so far this season, in terms of number of competitors, took place on Nov. 20 as the Bulldogs descended upon the Younes Hospitality Open hosted by the University of Nebraska-Kearney (they had Thanksgiving week off from competition). Concordia came away with three place finishes amongst its 18 wrestlers at the event. Head Coach Myron Bradbury’s squad has also competed in the York College Open (Oct. 30), Dan Harris Open (Nov. 7) and Dakota Wesleyan Open (Nov. 13). In the lone dual to this point, the Bulldogs fell at the hands of Hastings, 29-17. For more information on Concordia Wrestling, click HERE.

·        The Younes Hospitality Open featured wrestlers from 47 different institutions from various levels of collegiate competition. The 18 Bulldog competitors combined for 30 wins, including nine via fall. The place finishers were Mario Ybarra (second in 133-pound elite bracket), Thomas Ivey (third in 125-pound amateur bracket) and Mason Garcia (sixth in 197-pound amateur bracket). Fifteen Concordia grapplers turned in at least one win on the day. The competition included several GPAC schools, and also opponents from NCAA Division I and II.

·        The tournament marked the season debut for Ybarra, a returning All-American and the 2020 GPAC champion at 125. Ybarra came up just short, 3-1 in sudden victory, at the hands of Air Force’s Nick Krug in the 133-pound championship match. The native of Scottsbluff, Neb., made his way to the title bout with close victories over Fort Hays State’s Gunnar Smith, Morningside’s Taylor Vasquez and Colorado Mesa’s Collin Metzgar. The latter opponent is currently ranked 14th in NCAA Division II at 133 pounds while Vasquez is rated 14th in the NAIA at 133. Ybarra was subsequently named the GPAC Wrestler of the Week.

·        In the amateur bracket at 125, Ivey (York, Neb.) advanced to the semifinals before finally suffering a defeat. Ivey claimed five wins on the day, including one over an opponent from Colorado State. He eventually dropped to the consolation bracket and defeated a foe from host Nebraska-Kearney and claimed third place. It’s been a strong start to the season for Ivey, who also took second place at the York Open. Ivey sports a 10-2 record on the year.

·        Garcia, who hails from Arroyo Grande, Calif., has been on a tear early this season. He placed sixth in the 197-pound amateur bracket in Kearney while going 5-1 with two more pins. He has run his season record to 11-1 with seven pins and a tech fall. Garcia was not able to fully place out at the Younes Hospitality Open after reaching the maximum number of matches wrestled for the day. Garcia was the 197-pound champion at the York Open.

·        The Younes Hospitality Open also marked the first tournament outing of the season for heavyweight and returning national qualifier Jacob Telles, who notched four wins (two pins) on Nov. 20. His two defeats came at the hands of NCAA Division II opponents. Meanwhile, two wins apiece were turned in by Adam Roberts (125) and Tavoris Smith (157).

After being idle during Thanksgiving week, Concordia looks forward to a pair of GPAC duals at The Arena in Sioux City, Iowa, on Wednesday. The day will feature matchups with Dakota Wesleyan at 5:30 p.m. CT and with Morningside at 7 p.m. The dual schedule will heat up during the month of December, which also includes a home battle with Midland on Dec. 9 and the Concordia Bulldog Duals on Dec. 18.