Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
Male: DJ McGarvie, Football
McGarvie, who hails from Valparaiso, Neb., completed 28-of-41 pass attempts for 393 yards and one touchdown while running for another score as part of last week’s 30-15 win over Jamestown. McGarvie’s passing total was the second most in a single game for a Concordia quarterback.
Female: Rylee Haecker, Cross Country
A native of Davenport, Neb., Haecker led the 22nd-ranked Bulldogs at the Dordt Classic with a 5k time of 18:30.35. She placed eighth individually (out of 153 runners) while helping Concordia place second out of 14 teams at the meet. Haecker was a 2021 NAIA cross country national qualifier.
Previous BAAM Athletes of the Week
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.
Football loving Koehlmoos rises to top of program’s all-time receptions list: You get the feeling that Korrell Koehlmoos would play college football for the rest of his life, if only that was allowed. Koehlmoos’ return in 2022 is more about his fervent passion for the game than it is about any statistics or records. Said Koehlmoos, “Football has been my life forever. One more year of free eligibility – I’ll take it. My greatest memories are from playing football. I thought I’d make a couple more, I guess.” Memories were made last week as Koehlmoos broke the football program record for most career receptions. For more on the native of Pilger, Neb., 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 Nov. 5 for their Midwest Regionals at Iowa State University. For more details on the program, click HERE.
Tennis teams complete fall seasons: Head Coach Cam Long’s tennis squads have finished the fall portion of their 2022-23 slates. They concluded action for the fall on Oct. 8 by hosting NCAA Division II William Jewell College (Mo.) for both men’s and women’s action. The Cardinals emerged with victories by scores of 5-2 on the men’s side and 6-0 on the women’s side. Team points were contributed for the men via singles wins for Juan Rabellino at No. 5 and Manuel Rodriguez at No. 6. While the women were shut out, the No. 3 doubles combo of Ella Dean and Gabrielle Heiser picked up a win. Both the Bulldog men and women went 1-2 in duals this fall while also competing at two tournaments: the GPAC Individual Tournament and the Central-West ITA Regional Championship. One of the major highlights of the fall was freshman Mariana Molano’s run to the semifinals in the singles bracket at the ITA Regional Championship. The season will resume in the spring of 2023. For more information on the Bulldog tennis teams, including recaps from fall action, click here: MEN | WOMEN.
Shooting Sports takes break after hosting own invitational: Head Coach Dylan Owens’ squad had this past week off after having hosted the seventh annual Concordia Bulldog Sporting Invitational on Oct. 1-2. More than 150 competitors were on hand Oak Creek Sporting Club in Brainard, Neb. By event’s end, the Bulldogs found themselves in fourth place out of the 11 teams that made their way to Oak Creek. Concordia’s top five shooters combined to bust 1,338 targets towards the high overall standings. The format featured 200 sporting and 100 super sporting clay targets for each athlete who navigated the course in Brainard. The Concordia Invite marked the fourth outing this fall for Owens’ Bulldogs. Twenty-five Concordia athletes were in action over the two-day event. Once the final rounds were fired, freshman Tanner Muff of Lincoln, Neb, emerged as Concordia’s top shooter with a total of 277/300. The team’s top five also included Jack Nelson (270), Breyer Meeks (269), Joe Blevins (264) and Katie Welker (258). The Bulldogs will remain idle until the NCSSAA Central Regional Qualifier hosted by Simpson College in Waukee, Iowa, Oct. 21-23. For more on the Concordia Shooting Sports 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.
Football
· The arrow is pointing upward thanks to back-to-back victories for the Bulldogs, who mounted a 23-0 lead and won, 30-15, last week over Jamestown. The offense enjoyed its best performance of the season to date in piling up 552 total yards. Concordia improved to 4-1 all-time against the Jimmies, who were coming off a 41-17 thumping of Doane. Head Coach Patrick Daberkow’s squad moved to 2-3 with the other win being a 20-12 triumph at Dakota Wesleyan on Oct. 1. For more information on Concordia Football, click HERE.
· The offense is starting to hum and there’s optimism that the Bulldogs can go a run like they did last season when they finished at 7-3 (after opening up at 1-3). Over the past six quarters, Concordia has amassed 50 points and 855 total yards. That production immediately followed a scoreless second half at No. 4 Northwestern on Sept. 24 and a scoreless first half at Dakota Wesleyan. It may simply be that it took time for the Bulldogs to adjust to DJ McGarvie moving back into the starting quarterback role and Austin Jablonski shifting to receiver. Concordia has shot up to No. 41 nationally in terms of total offense (357.6 yards per game).
· Korrell Koehlmoos can now stake his claim as the leading pass catcher in the history of Bulldog Football. The Lutheran High School Northeast alum snagged 12 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown in last week’s win and pushed his career reception total to 172. The previous school receptions standard was 168 by former All-America tight end Ross Wurdeman. Koehlmoos is also gaining ground on the school’s all-time receiving yards record of 2,495 by Jared Garcia. Koehlmoos has run his yardage total to 2,398. In addition, Koehlmoos has topped 4,000 career all-purpose yards with 4,001.
· McGarvie can sling it. He scorched the Jamestown secondary while completing 28-of-41 passes for a career high 393 yards and one touchdown. McGarvie also found the end zone himself with a three-yard rush. His passing yardage total was the second highest for a single game in school history behind only the 455 by Andrew Perea in the 2018 matchup with Northwestern. In his career, McGarvie has completed 220-of-392 passes (.561) for 2,456 yards and 23 touchdowns to go against nine interceptions. He fired 19 touchdown passes a freshman in 2021. His record as a starter now stands at 8-3.
· Defensively, Concordia was challenged with facing a pass-happy Jamestown offense. Of their 70 plays, the Jimmies threw the ball 45 times. A budding star on the defensive line, Devon Polley came through with 2.5 sacks and helped thwart all four Jamestown fourth down tries. The Bulldogs stopped one fourth down at the one-yard-line (and the offense proceeded to go 99 yards for a touchdown on 14 plays). In the secondary, Jayzen Armstrong broke up three passes. Lukas Coe paced the defense with 10 tackles while also picking off a pass. Jamestown quarterback Cade Torgerson finished 25-of-45 for 261 yards, two touchdowns and one pick.
· The offense enjoyed a big day all the while piecing together an offensive line that was down three starters (due to injury). Gavin Mull, Johnny Robinson III and Christian Schlepp all were out. In their absences, the likes of Jackson Anderson, Carson Fehlhafer and Nathan Miller saw action up front. They helped Concordia rush for 159 yards (4.2 per carry). Devin Zeigler ran for 73 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries and Mark Arp added 40 rushing yards on eight attempts. In addition to Koehlmoos’ big day catching passes, Carsen Arline reeled in six catches for 78 yards and Jablonski made five receptions for 79 yards. Jablonski also scored a touchdown on a 14-yard rush.
· The homestand continues this week as the Bulldogs will welcome Mount Marty (2-4, 1-4 GPAC) to Seward for another 1 p.m. CT kickoff. The Lancers went 0-10 in their inaugural season of football in 2021, but they were more competitive than the record would indicate. In last season’s first-ever Concordia-Mount Marty gridiron matchup, the Bulldogs won, 38-7, in Yankton. The Lancers’ two wins this season have come over Presentation and Briar Cliff.
Cross Country
· Meet No. 4 of the 2022 season took place this past Saturday as the Bulldogs entered a field at the Holiday Inn Express Classic (hosted by Dordt) that numbered more than 300 athletes and featured 14 teams for both men and women. Concordia emerged with team place finishes of second on the women’s side and third on the men’s side. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads beat out all GPAC competition other than the host team. For more information on Concordia Cross Country, click HERE.
· High placements at meets are important in terms of securing loftier spots in the NAIA national polls. The most recent NAIA cross country coaches’ polls were unveiled on Oct. 6. The women landed at No. 22, which was five spots lower than where they appeared on Sept. 22. On the men’s side, the Bulldogs lost a bit of ground but remained listed in the receiving votes category. The Concordia men were ranked behind Doane after being beaten by the Tigers at the Dean White Invitational. However, the Bulldogs rebounded and outran Doane at the Dordt Classic.
· Through the first four meets, 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 and second out of 14 at the Dordt Classic. 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 and third out of 14 at the Dordt Classic. The women had not been defeated by any NAIA opponents until placing as the runner up to Dordt last week.
· A national qualifier last season, Rylee Haecker returned to the trails after missing the Dean White Invite. Haecker emerged as the fifth highest place finisher among GPAC runners while clocking a 5k time of 18:30.35 at the Dordt Classic. This was the first time this season that Kylahn Freiberg did not lead the way for the Bulldogs. She finished in 18:41.07. Next in the team’s top five were Julie McIntyre (19:19.26), Rhaya Kaschinske (19:20.12) and Hannah Beintema (19:32.45). Concordia’s six through 10 runners at the meet were Keegan Beisel (20:22.26), Amie Martin (20:25.24), Courtney Wright (20:27.75), Faith Williamson (20:51.94) and Jaiden Tweton (21:01.59). Twenty-one competitors represented the Bulldogs. Concordia’s point total came in at 80 while Dordt finished with 49.
· The men placed behind Dordt and Grand View University (Iowa) at last week’s meet. Incredibly consistent, the Kearney, Neb., native Sesna has been the top Dawg at all four meets in 2022. He was coming off an individual title at the Dean White Invite. Right behind him once again was Calvin Rohde, a fellow 2022 national qualifier. Rohde just missed a top 10 overall placement of his own. Next in line for Concordia were the likes of Jimmy Nguyen (26:12.12), Jack Ellis (26:38.51) and Aaron Jendro (26:52.31). Nguyen and Jendro are both freshmen who have made an immediate impact. The six through 10 spots in the Bulldog lineup were held down in Sioux Center by Nathan Pennekamp (26:52.75), Thomas Gorline (27:04.88), Charlie Hayden (27:12.87), Jackson Smith (27:46.26) and Ryan Garvey (27:48.57). There were 15 Concordia competitors that finished the race.
· The Bulldogs will take this week off from competition while gearing up for the final meet of the regular season – the Mount Marty Invite on Saturday, Oct. 22. That meet will get started at 10:30 a.m. CT from Fox Run Golf Course in Yankton, S.D. The GPAC Cross Country Championships are coming up on Saturday, Nov. 5 in Jamestown, N.D.
Men’s Soccer
· A 1-0-1 week within conference play has the Bulldogs continuing to reside near the top of the GPAC standings. Concordia let a 2-0 lead slip away while settling for a 2-2 draw at Morningside on Oct. 5. The Bulldogs then busted loose for six goals in their 6-0 home win over Jamestown on Oct. 8. At 5-1-1 in GPAC play (10-2-1 overall), Concordia has totaled 16 points in the conference standings. It sits in second place behind Hastings (7-0; 21 points). For more information on Concordia Men’s Soccer, click HERE.
· In terms of attempting to earn national respect, there won’t be much margin for error. However, the Bulldogs have moved onto the national radar to some degree. In last week’s NAIA coaches’ poll, Concordia picked up three points and was listed as receiving votes. In addition, the Bulldogs slotted in at No. 27 in the NAIA Men’s Soccer Modified Ratings Percentage Index released on Sept. 28. Under 15th-year Head Coach Jason Weides, Concordia has twice finished seasons as a “receiving votes” team nationally – in 2015 and 2017. The ’15 squad won the GPAC tournament title and qualified for nationals while the ’17 team remains the school record holder for wins in a season with 16.
· The Bulldogs left Sioux City, Iowa, last week feeling like they let two GPAC points get away. Concordia took a 2-0 lead to halftime with the help of a goal apiece from Dominic Abdel-Ahad and Daniel Campbell. The Mustangs then got the better of play in the second half and forced the draw thanks to two goals from Robin Thomala (including one on a penalty kick). Morningside finished with a slight edge in shots, 13-10, while having a large advantage in corners, 12-1. The Bulldogs had hoped to avenge last season’s GPAC quarterfinal loss at the hands of the Mustangs.
· The frustrations of the second half at Morningside were relieved this past weekend as Concordia took it out on Jamestown. Less than 16 minutes into action, the Bulldogs had already built a 3-0 lead over the Jimmies. The goals came from Abdel-Ahad (9’ and 16’), Matt Schultz (15’), Max Bisinger (42’), Adrian Wambua (53’) and Miguel Navarro (69’). In set pieces, Carlos Orquiz made a big impact in placing the ball in dangerous spots. He was credited with two assists. Concordia ruled the shot count, 21-10, and the goalkeeper combination of Federico Simonetti and Nolan Fuelberth earned the clean sheet.
· It’s been a goal scoring binge of late for Abdel-Ahad, the transfer from NCAA Division II Northwest Nazarene University (Idaho). The native of Duesseldorf, Germany, has totaled six goals over the past three games. That stretch included a hat trick in the 6-1 win over Dakota Wesleyan on Oct. 1. He’s now pushed his team high season goal count to nine. Among GPAC players, Abdel-Ahad ranks tied for second in goals and second in points (21). He’s added three assists to his season stat line. Abdel-Ahad owns a college degree having graduated from Northwest Nazarene, where he studied Marketing and Global Business.
· With just four games remaining in the regular season, the Bulldogs will have a bit of a breather with no matches in the middle of this week. They look forward to Saturday’s 8 p.m. CT clash with first-place Hastings (9-1, 7-0 GPAC) in what promises to be an intense battle. Concordia will attempt to knock off the Broncos for the first time since the 2015 GPAC tournament championship game.
Volleyball
· The weekend road trip to the Dakotas proved unkind for the sixth-ranked Bulldogs, who endured losses in four sets at No. 2 Jamestown and in three sets at No. 15 Dakota Wesleyan. The defeat at the hands of the Jimmies marked Concordia’s first loss in exactly a month. The results last week complicated the Bulldogs’ path to a potential GPAC regular season title. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad now stands at 16-3 overall and at 7-3 in the GPAC. Concordia is tied for third place along with Dakota Wesleyan and Northwestern. For more information on Concordia Volleyball, click HERE.
· The Dakotas were the site of high level GPAC volleyball over the weekend. Dakota Wesleyan emerged with two massive wins in beating both No. 3 Midland and No. 6 Concordia. Meanwhile, Jamestown finally suffered a conference loss as it was defeated in five sets by Midland on Oct. 8. The Jimmies had their 26-match GPAC regular season win streak snapped by the Warriors. Jamestown (7-1) and Midland (8-2) hold down the top two spots in the current GPAC standings. A lot of possibilities remain for a league with seven teams ranked in the top 18 of the NAIA. Objectively, Hastings should have also been ranked in the most recent top 25.
· The Bulldogs entered the match at Jamestown having won 18 consecutive sets. That streak was halted with the Jimmies dominating the opening set, 25-11, last week in North Dakota. To Concordia’s credit, it bounced back and won the second set, 26-24, with the final point coming on Cassidy Knust’s ace. Jamestown then won a close third set, 27-25, before controlling the fourth, 25-16. The Bulldogs were cooled off and hit .066 for the match. The Jimmies got a match high 18 kills from Kalli Hegerle and hit .249 as a team. The bright spot for Concordia was Carly Rodaway, who notched 14 kills and hit .367 from the right side.
· The match at Dakota Wesleyan turned in the first set when the Bulldogs were unable to close it out. They had led 22-17 before the Tigers went on an 8-1 run punctuated by kills from star middle Ady Dwight for point Nos. 23, 24 and 25. The home team went on to win a close second set, 25-23, before dominating the third, 25-12. Dwight had a field day in racking up 21 kills on the strength of a .486 hitting percentage. DWU outhit Concordia, .385 to .195. Three Bulldogs reached double figures in kills: Camryn Opfer (11), Gabi Nordaker (10) and Rodaway (10). Bree Burtwistle accumulated 30 assists and three aces.
· Prior to the road trip, the Concordia had led the nation in hitting percentage at .296. The Bulldogs now rank second with a .273 hitting percentage (Marian University of Indiana is No. 1 at .287). Meanwhile, Concordia opponents are hitting .173. Five Bulldogs have piled up more than 120 kills this season: Nordaker (206), Opfer (180), Rodaway (175), Ashley Keck (155) and Kalee Wiltfong (124). At setter, Burtwistle is averaging 11.11 assists per set, a figure that ranks No. 4 nationally. As for Nordaker, her .362 hitting percentage places at No. 9 in the NAIA.
· The Bulldogs have a week of practice to regroup and ready themselves to take on No. 7 Northwestern (17-4, 7-3 GPAC) at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday. Concordia owns a spotless 6-0 home record this season and has won nine home matches in a row dating back to last season. In last season’s matchup in Orange City, Iowa, the Bulldogs edged the Red Raiders in five sets. Northwestern enters this week carrying a six-match win streak.
Women’s Soccer
· In terms of results, the Bulldogs came up empty last week while facing off with two perennially strong programs. Concordia was unable to hold a 1-0 lead at Morningside and dropped a 2-1 decision on Oct. 5. Three days later, the Bulldogs fought valiantly in a 1-0 home loss to Jamestown, a team that remains undefeated in conference play. Those defeats leave Head Coach Thomas Goines’ squad at 7-3-2 overall and at 2-3-2 in GPAC play with five games remaining in the regular season. For more information on Concordia Women’s Soccer, click HERE.
· Following the 6-0 start to this season (which featured a win at then 25th-ranked Benedictine College), the Bulldogs have experienced a run of tough luck while still playing a “good brand of soccer,” as Goines termed it after the loss to Jamestown. The last six games have included draws with Dordt and Northwestern, a 3-1 loss at Midland that saw Concordia control much of the action and then last week’s tight defeats. The one victory over that timeframe came by a 5-0 score over Dakota Wesleyan. With eight points in the GPAC standings, the Bulldogs are currently in eighth place as they try to secure a spot in the GPAC tournament.
· It’s never been easy to win at Morningside, a program that typically finishes somewhere near the top of the conference standings. In last week’s meeting in Sioux City, Iowa, Concordia took a 1-0 lead when freshman Savannah Andrews scored on an impressive strike at the 57-minute mark. Unfortunately, the Mustangs (6-5-1, 3-3-1 GPAC) responded by a goal apiece from Sina Freeser and Mia Stoffel for the comeback win. Morningside finished with a slight edge in shots, 13-11, while corners were even, 2-2. In goal, Kalie Ward made six saves while Mustang keeper Megan Messersmith also collected six saves.
· The Bulldogs were unable to find the back of the net versus Jamestown (8-4-1, 7-0 GPAC), but they made a good run at an opponent that has not dropped a GPAC regular season game since 2020. The Jimmies got a header goal from Aubree Gessel in the 14th minute and then played in the lead the rest of the evening. Offensive opportunities were limited for Concordia, which registered five shots. Defensively, the Bulldogs did an admirable job in limiting Jamestown to 12 shots (four on goal). Earlier this month, the Jimmies defeated Northwestern, 5-1, and Presentation, 7-0.
· Through 12 games, Concordia has outscored its opponents by a combined total of 28-11. In conference play, the Bulldogs have outscored their foes, 14-7. The goal scoring has been a bit inconsistent within GPAC play, but Concordia has improved significantly when compared to last season from an attacking perspective. The 2021 Bulldogs totaled 23 goals over an 18-game season. It should be only a matter of time before leading goal scorer Kierstynn Garner (team high seven goals) finds the back of the net again.
· A challenging week ahead includes a road game at College of Saint Mary (7-4-1, 4-2 GPAC) on Wednesday and then a home tussle with Hastings (8-2-2, 3-2-2 GPAC) on Saturday. Kickoff times are set for 3 p.m. on Wednesday and 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. The program will celebrate the senior class as part of Saturday’s home affair. The senior class was instrumental in the 2020 GPAC tournament championship run.