Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
Female: Kalie Ward, Women’s Soccer
A native of Cheyenne, Wyo., Kalie Ward made a combined nine saves last week while allowing just one goal in 180 minutes at goalkeeper. “Rocket” earned credit for a shutout in the 1-0 win over College of Saint Mary on Oct. 13. Ward has started 13 of 14 games this season at keeper.
Male: Lane Napier, Football
Lane Napier, who hails from David City, Neb., collected 20 tackles, one stop for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in last week’s 38-7 win at Mount Marty. The All-American linebacker is the current NAIA national leader with 94 tackles. He needs five more to reach 500 tackles for his career.
Previous BAAM Athletes of the Week
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
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.
Cox and Nordaker named BAAM Athletes of the Month for September: As voted upon by Bulldog Athletic Association Members (BAAM), standouts Caydren Cox of the football program and Gabi Nordaker of the volleyball program were named the BAAM September Athletes of the Month. A vote was conducted at Tuesday (Oct. 12)’s BAAM luncheon held in the Dog House Grill on campus. BAAM Athletes of the Month have returned for 2021-22 after going on hiatus during 2020-21 due to the absence of the regular Tuesday luncheons. For more on Cox and Nordaker, click HERE.
Basketball seasons nearing: The Concordia basketball seasons are coming up quickly. The men will open the 2021-22 campaign at the Hastings Classic (Oct. 29-30) against the likes of Friends University (Kan.) and Presentation College (S.D.) while the women will tip off the season by hosting Bellevue University on Nov. 1. In terms of preseason polls, conference (Oct. 25) and NAIA national (Oct. 27) ratings are slated to be released next week. For a detailed look at the 2021-22 Bulldog Basketball teams, click the previews linked below.
-Men’s Basketball Season Preview
-Women’s Basketball Season Preview
Shooting Sports idle since winning Bronco Invitational: An impressive fall was put on hold last week for Concordia Shooting Sports, which won the Hastings Bronco Invitational (Oct. 9-10) by cracking a total of 1,845 targets in its most recent outing. The shoot took place at Heartland Shooting Park in Grand Island, Neb. On the way to the top of the Hastings Invite leaderboard, the Bulldogs won the events of trap, skeet doubles and sporting clays. Individually, Concordia’s Colten Uitermarkt seized the high overall men’s individual title and Sarah Schwacher did the same on the women’s side. In winning team performances, the Bulldogs shot 464 in trap, 242 in skeet doubles and 419 in sporting clays. Concordia finished two targets shy of first in super sporting and four away from the lead in skeet. In terms of total targets hit at the Hastings Invite. A week earlier, the Bulldogs took first at their own sporting invitational. For a recap of the Hastings Invite, click HERE.
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.
Volleyball
· After a recent tough run of results, the Bulldogs returned to their winning ways this past weekend while sweeping their way through Sioux City, Iowa. As part of the road trip, Concordia defeated both Briar Cliff and Morningside in straight sets. Entering the week, Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad sits in a tie for fifth place in the GPAC standings while sporting a conference mark of 6-6 (11-9 overall). The Bulldogs still have work to do to ensure a spot in the GPAC tournament with nine teams in the running for eight postseason seeds. Concordia would need to win consistently down the stretch and then get a lot of help in order to jump into the top four of the conference, which comes with a home match in the GPAC tournament quarterfinals. For more information on Concordia Volleyball, click HERE.
· Heading into last weekend, the Bulldogs had played the most challenging schedule of any team in the NAIA, according to Massey Ratings. The team’s strength of scheduled dropped two spots after playing Briar Cliff and Morningside. Undeniably, the schedule has been a bear. Based on last week’s NAIA poll, the Bulldogs have played 11 matches against NAIA top 25 foes. Incredibly, the GPAC currently boasts seven top 25 teams and another two squads that are receiving votes. Concordia fell into the receiving votes category, ending a run of 15-straight top 25 poll appearances.
· The weekend was about taking care of business. The Bulldogs did that at Briar Cliff by winning, 25-16, 25-19, 25-20, while outhitting the Chargers, .352 to .125. Erica Heinzerling led the way with 13 kills (.323 hitting percentage) while Carly Rodaway notched 10 kills and Gabi Nordaker contributed nine kills. Four Concordia players tallied at least eight digs: Camryn Opfer (16), Tara Callahan (11), Cassidy Knust (eight) and Kennedy VanScoy (eight). Callahan racked up 42 assists. Following the match at Briar Cliff, Concordia wanted to improve its serving (two aces, 12 errors at Briar Cliff).
· Boldt came away feeling like his team did indeed play a cleaner match at Morningside. The Bulldogs won, 25-14, 25-22, 25-19, while posting 10 aces to seven service errors. Concordia also outhit the Mustangs, .256 to .076. Once again, Heinzerling paced the team with 13 kills (.333) while Nordaker totaled 10 kills and four blocks. Opfer filled the stat sheet with nine kills, 11 digs, four aces and three blocks. Callahan recorded 34 assists and an ace and Rebecca Gebhardt chipped in with 14 digs and two aces.
· Callahan has pushed her career assist total to 4,460. That figure puts her on the cusp of surpassing Alayna Kavanaugh (4,485) for the second highest assist total in program history. No. 1 on that list is Stacy Stuckenschmidt (4,949) who played from 1992-95, prior to the current rally scoring format (with sets one through four played until one side reaches 25 points). Regardless of statistical rankings, Callahan is most certainly one of the top setters ever at Concordia. Prior to 2021, she posted respective assist totals, by year, of 889, 566, 1,299 and 905. Callahan has produced 801 assists this season and ranks 16th nationally in assists per set (10.54).
· A native of Ankeny, Iowa, Heinzerling has risen to the occasion in her fourth season in the program. She feasted in Sioux City this past weekend while collecting a combined 26 kills on 58 swings (seven errors). Heinzerling has registered 13 or more kills in each of the past five matches while taking advantage of her opportunity. Coming into this season, Heinzerling had put up a grand total of 38 career kills. From the outside, she’s piled up 177 kills (third on the team) this season.
· The level of difficulty will ramp up this weekend as the Bulldogs welcome No. 1 Jamestown (23-0, 12-0 GPAC) to Seward for a 7:30 p.m. CT matchup on Friday and then host No. 15 Dakota Wesleyan (20-5, 9-3 GPAC) at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Concordia has not seen either foe yet this season. The Jimmies swept GPAC regular season and postseason titles last season while the Tigers have made a big splash this season after finishing 2020 at 12-9 overall (8-8 GPAC). Only four games remain in the regular season for the Bulldogs.
Football
· The Bulldogs have gotten on a roll during the month of October. It began with wins over Dakota Wesleyan, 34-0, and Jamestown, 24-17, and continued last week with a 38-7 blowout at Mount Marty. Concordia managed to spoil the homecoming festivities for both Jamestown and Mount Marty. The three-game win streak has pushed Head Coach Patrick Daberkow’s squad to 4-3 overall (also 4-3 in the GPAC) and to fifth place in the GPAC standings. It marks the first time the program has won three in a row since starting 4-0 in 2020. For more information on Concordia Football, click HERE.
· The Bulldogs were able to spread the love last week, at least in terms of the scoring. Quarterback DJ McGarvie threw two touchdown passes to receiver Cayden Beran and another to tight end Garrett Schardt. In addition, Martin Solano ran for a score and linebacker Caydren Cox picked off a pass and returned in eight yards for a touchdown. Three additional points came on Daniel Cantu’s 24-yard field goal. Concordia finished the game on a 24-0 run after the Lancers had gotten within 10-7 late in the first half.
· Daberkow has found the quarterback of the present and future in the freshman McGarvie. The Lincoln North Star High School alum has thrown for three touchdown passes in each of the past three games (in addition to two rushing touchdowns in the win over Dakota Wesleyan). McGarvie’s 16 touchdown passes in 2021 are the most ever for a Bulldog freshman quarterback. The school record for most touchdown tosses in a single season is 21 by Von Thomas (current assistant coach) in 2014. On the year, McGarvie has completed 80-of-146 (.548) passes for 984 yards.
· Speaking of records, All-American linebacker Lane Napier continues to pad his school and GPAC record tackle total. Napier made 20 stops last week at Mount Marty while also notching a tackle for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The performance marked the fifth time that Napier has posted 20 tackles in his collegiate career. The David City, Neb., native leads the NAIA this season with 94 tackles and needs just five more stops to reach 500 for his career. Entering this season, no other player in GPAC history had ever made 400 career tackles.
· Cox and Napier have been standouts for a defense that has rounded into form. Last week at Mount Marty, the Bulldogs held the Lancers to 232 total yards, forced three turnovers and collected three sacks. In the four wins, Concordia has held its opponents to total yardage figures of 154, 138, 306 and 232, respectively. Those performances have vaulted the Bulldogs to No. 24 nationally in total defense (325.6). They rank 39th in scoring defense (23.7). Concordia has now scored two touchdowns on defense, courtesy of Cox and Shayne Campbell.
· In the victory at Mount Marty, Beran caught five passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns as McGarvie’s top target. Schardt hauled in three passes for 64 yards and a score and Korrell Koehlmoos made three grabs for 19 yards. Koehlmoos had a touchdown reception called back on a penalty. McGarvie completed 12-of-19 passes for 151 yards and three touchdowns. In addition, Koehlmoos put together a fine day punting the ball. He punted four times for an average of 43.4 yards per punt. Four of his punts were downed inside the 20.
· The in-state GPAC rivals will make up the final three games of the regular season. Concordia will host Midland (4-3, 4-2 GPAC) at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday. The Warriors are fresh off a bye week and are currently situated where they finished last season – in fourth place in the GPAC. The two sides did not play each other last season due to a COVID-19 no contest. Midland has won the past two meetings in decisive fashion – 35-7 and 27-7. The Bulldogs routed the Warriors, 44-14, in 2017.
Men’s Soccer
· Following the 3-0 win at Jamestown on Oct. 9, the Bulldogs enjoyed a mid-week bye while preparing for an always anticipated matchup with Hastings. Concordia had its chances to come away with a victory in Hastings but settled for a 3-3 double overtime draw with the Broncos on Oct. 16. Head Coach Jason Weides’ squad has put up 13 points towards the GPAC standings in resides in fifth place at 4-3-1 in the GPAC (6-6-2 overall). For more information on Concordia Men’s Soccer, click HERE.
· The Bulldogs controlled portions of the match in Hastings and finished with an advantage of 22-19 in shots (12-9 in shots on goal). Both teams had a bevy of set piece opportunities in a contest that included a combined 27 fouls, 11 cards issued and 18 corner kicks. Not unusual for Bulldog-Bronco get-togethers, the play on the field got physical and feisty. The frequency of postseason matchups between the two programs in recent years has only fueled the fire. Concordia and Hastings played each other in the GPAC tournament in every season from 2014 through 2019. The meetings in 2015 through 2017 came in the GPAC final with the Bulldogs earning an upset win in 2016.
· The contest last week was a back-and-forth affair. Neither team lead by more than one goal throughout the 110 minutes. For Concordia, the goals were produced by Yessine Bessaïes (17’), Ryan Wokutch (41’) and Martin Herrera (80’). The goal by Wokutch gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead at the time. The Broncos responded with two second half goals to edge in front, 3-2. Herrera then tied it on an impressive free kick that went upper 90 inside the far post. Bessaïes and Herrera were also credited with one assist apiece.
· Concordia has put behind the attacking frustrations that plagued it during most of September when it scored six goals over eight games (went 2-5-1). Since the calendar flipped to October, the Bulldogs have piled up 13 goals over a four-game stretch while going 2-1-1 with wins over Dakota Wesleyan and Jamestown. The three goals allowed at Hastings equaled a season high for opponents. Overall this season, Concordia has outscored its opponents by a combined total of 27-18.
· It remains a tight race for the title of top goal scorer on the team. Three players are tied for the lead: Bessaïes, Garrett Perry and Isaiah Shaddick – with four apiece. Not far behind are Herrera, David Moreno and Wokutch with three apiece. Meanwhile, Max Bisinger has contributed two goals. Bessaïes paces the team with five assists while Eli Rhodes has notched four assists. Shaddick led the team last season with six goals.
· The close of the regular season is fast approaching. The Bulldogs will be back to a two-game week as they look forward to playing at Briar Cliff (9-5, 7-1 GPAC) at 3:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday before hosting Presentation (2-9, 1-7 GPAC) at 8 p.m. on Saturday. Concordia will honor its senior class prior to kickoff on Saturday. The final game of the regular season will be at Doane (2-9-1, 2-4-1 GPAC) on Oct. 27.
Women’s Soccer
· It’s become predictable at this point. No matter the opponent, it seems that every game must be a nail-biter. In last week’s action, the Bulldogs earned a 1-0 home win over College of Saint Mary on Oct. 13 before falling by the same score at Hastings on Oct. 16. Based on the current GPAC standings, Concordia could still finish anywhere from third to ninth place. Head Coach Thomas Goines’ squad stands at 7-5-1 overall (4-3-2 GPAC). For more information on Concordia Women’s Soccer, click HERE.
· The only real surprise last week was that neither game went to overtime. The Bulldogs have played eight consecutive games that have either been decided by a one-goal margin or in a double overtime draw. In addition, five of the last six outings have ended with 1-0 final scores. Concordia’s only GPAC game that wasn’t either a tie or a one-goal game was the 7-0 blowout of Mount Marty on Sept. 18. That outburst was far and away a season high for goals – it was the only instance this season in which the Bulldogs tallied more than two goals.
· The lone goal last week for Concordia came via Mikeila Martinez, who got loose in the 51st minute of the victory over CSM. Martinez was aided by the through ball from Madeline Haugen. It marked Martinez’s third goal this season and 12th of her career (five career game-winners). A week earlier, it was Haugen who emerged with the golden goal in a 2-1 overtime win over Morningside. The Bulldogs had the better of possession overall versus CSM and enjoyed a shot advantage of 14-7 (11-4 in shots on goal).
· It appeared that the matchup at Hastings was destined for overtime. The contest was a 0-0 stalemate until Dekota Schubert’s header in the 88th minute proved to be the game winner. Concordia struggled most of the night from an attacking perspective, managing just a single shot (Cheyenne Smith in the seventh minute) and none on goal. For Hastings (9-4-1, 5-3-1 GPAC), that type of stinginess defensively was a continuation of recent outings. The Broncos have not allowed a goal in regulation over their past four games. The rivalry with Hastings blossomed when the two sides met in the 2017 and 2018 GPAC tournament championship games.
· It’s clear that the Bulldogs do not have the most explosive offensive attack, but they have remained ultra-competitive due to their consistently gritty defensive efforts. Concordia also dealt with some adversity last week in having starting center back Callie McNary sidelined by injury. The Bulldogs have not conceded more than a single goal in a game since the 2-2 draw at Northwestern on Sept. 25. During the month of October, Concordia has surrendered four goals over five games. Last week, keeper Kalie Ward made a combined nine saves and earned a shutout in the win over College of Saint Mary.
· Only three games are left on the regular season slate. The Bulldogs will be at defending GPAC regular season champion Briar Cliff (11-1, 9-0 GPAC) for a 1 p.m. CT kickoff on Wednesday. They will return home to host Presentation (2-8-1, 1-7 GPAC) at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. The regular season will conclude with a game at Doane (3-9-1, 1-6-1 GPAC) on Oct. 27.
Cross Country
· So far so good for Concordia Cross Country, which has made clear improvement since the fall ended a year ago. In the third outing of the season, the Bulldogs turned in place finishes of second (out of 12) on the men’s side and fourth (out of 11) on the women’s side at the Briar Cliff Invitational (Oct. 1) held at Adams Nature Preserve in North Sioux City, S.D. Both of Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads managed to beat out all GPAC and NAIA competition at the meet. The Bulldogs have been idle since Oct. 1. For more information on Concordia Cross Country, click HERE.
· The Bulldog women, ranked No. 11 in the NAIA (most recent poll released on Oct. 14), have not yet been defeated by a GPAC or NAIA foe in any of the three meets this season. Concordia previously placed eighth out of 27 teams at the Augustana Twilight (Sept. 3) and first out of five teams at the Morningside Invitational (Sept. 17). The Bulldogs made a big splash at the Augustana Twilight by outracing Dordt, which was ranked sixth in the NAIA at the time. Meanwhile, the men placed 12th out of 31 teams at the Augustana Twilight and first out of seven teams at the Morningside Invite. The national ranking of 11th marks the highest for the women’s program since September 2012.
· The Briar Cliff Invite featured a total of 133 runners in the men’s 8k race. This marked the third-straight meet to open this season that Camden Sesna (two-time GPAC Runner of the Week) has emerged as the top Dawg. His time of 26:03.30 last week was just a bit behind his personal best from two weeks earlier. Sesna outpaced all GPAC and NAIA foes while also outkicking many NCAA Division I competitors. Once again, Calvin Rohde (26:12.11) was next in line behind Sesna. The team’s top five was rounded out by three rookies in Sam Plante (27:39.29), Charlie Hayden (27:40.75) and Jack Ellis (27:53.38). See the team’s complete top 10 below.
· Concordia men’s top 10 place finishers (8k):
9. Camden Sesna – 26:03.30
14. Calvin Rohde – 26:31.43
35. Sam Plante – 27:39.29
37. Charlie Hayden – 27:40.75
41. Jack Ellis – 27:53.38
46. Nathan Pennekamp – 27:58.18
48. Thomas Gorline – 27:58.81
55. Wyatt Lehr – 28:41.80
59. Ethan Pankow – 28:54.47
63. Owen Dawson – 28:59.16
· The Briar Cliff Invite featured a total of 130 runners in the women’s 5k race (one turn adjustment was made to the course compared to two weeks earlier at the Morningside Invite). Rylee Haecker rose to the head of the pack for the Bulldogs by clocking in at 18:54.31, more than 30 seconds faster than her mark two weeks earlier. The team’s top runner at the first two meets, Grace Reiman, checked in next in line by running 19:06.22. A freshman from Perryville, Mo., Courtney Wright made a big jump forward in placing third on the team while shaving nearly a minute off her previous appearance at Adams Nature Preserve. Wright was one of five rookies in Concordia’s top 10 on Oct. 1 (see full top 10 below).
· Concordia women’s top 10 place finishers (5k):
20. Rylee Haecker – 18:54.31
26. Grace Reiman – 19:06.22
33. Courtney Wright – 19:22.12
35. Amie Martin – 19:30.94
37. Keri Bauer – 19:36.08
39. Rhaya Kaschinske – 19:37.89
45. Kaia Richmond – 19:59.54
74. Abi DeLoach – 21:12.50
80. Faith Williamson – 21:28.43
86. Lauren Dawson – 21:43.08
· At the Briar Cliff Invite, the Concordia women finished behind only the likes of two NCAA Division I teams, University of South Dakota (first) and South Dakota State University (third), and one NCAA Division II foe, University of Nebraska-Kearney (second). Once again, the Bulldogs handled their GPAC competition, outrunning Morningside (fifth), Northwestern (sixth) and Mount Marty (10th). The Bulldog men placed as the Briar Cliff Invite runner up behind only NCAA Division I University of South Dakota. Notably, the Bulldogs (93 points) placed above NCAA Division II University of Nebraska-Kearney (fifth) as well as GPAC foes Morningside (seventh), Mount Marty (ninth) and host Briar Cliff (11th).
Concordia Cross Country will return to action this Saturday with the Mount Marty Invite at Fox Run Golf Course in Yankton, S.D. The meet will serve as the final outing prior to the GPAC Championships (Nov. 6). At last season’s Mount Marty Invite, the Bulldog women placed third out of 14 teams while the men finished fifth out of 13 squads.