Bulldog Weekly Report (Sept. 24)

By Concordia University, Nebraska on Sep. 24, 2019 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week

Female: Kendra Placke, Golf

Placke, a Seward native, claimed the first tournament title of her college career after shooting a 79 at the Nebraska Wesleyan Fall Classic. Her efforts helped lift the Bulldogs to a team championship at the same meet. Placke placed fifth in the GPAC last season as a freshman and earned all-conference honors.

Male: Derek Tachovsky, Football

Tachovsky, who hails from Wilber, Neb., served as a key figure in last week’s dominant 44-0 win at Hastings. Tachovsky put up a stat line that included seven tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup. Hastings had just 186 yards of total offense.

Previous BAAM Athletes of the Week
Sept. 17 – Moises Jacobo (soccer) / Kara Stark (volleyball)
Sept. 10 – Carlos Orquiz (soccer) / Amie Martin (cross country)
Sept. 3 – Eduardo Alba (soccer) / Emmie Noyd (volleyball)

News and notes:

Homecoming weekend (Sept. 27-29): Homecoming 2019 on the Concordia campus has arrived. As part of the festivities that will take place Sept. 27-29, five individuals and one team will officially join the Concordia Athletic Hall of fame. The 2019 inductees will include Ron Bork ’70, Gentri (Brown) Tollefson ’07, Erik DeHaven ’01, JaMaine Lewis ’08, Michael Saalfeld ’09 and the 2005 Bulldog softball team. The Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held this Friday (Sept. 27). A number of other events will highlight the weekend. A detailed homecoming schedule can be viewed HERE.

Fritz & Friends brings Duchenne awareness to campus: Husband and wife Bryant and Sarah Krieger (both Concordia alums) were on campus last week to help raise awareness for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Their son Fritz, now three years old, was diagnosed with Duchenne in February 2017. In response, the Kriegers founded the Fritz and Friends organization. Fritz served as an honorary team captain for the Bulldog women’s soccer team over the weekend. An event was held after the game at Bottle Rocket Brewing Co. For more on the Krieger’s story, click HERE.

Tennis concludes fall portion of 2019-20 slate: The fall tennis season for head coach David DeSimone’s squads concluded this past weekend with the Bulldogs taking part in the ITA Central Regional Championships held in Wichita, Kan. As part of homecoming, Concordia is also hosting an alumni meet this Saturday at 10 a.m. CT. The action will take place on top of the Bulldog Tennis Courts. For further details on recent and upcoming matches, click the following links: men’s tennis | women’s tennis.

Shooting sports competes at Midland Ice Out, now getting set for Prairie Circuit Championship: The second official competition of the 2019-20 shooting sports season unfolded this past weekend (Sept. 21-22) at Lincoln Trap & Skeet, site of the Midland Ice Out. A full recap will be available later this week via the Concordia shooting sports web page. Additionally, alum Erin Lokke competed last week at part one of the U.S. Shotgun Olympic Trials and placed eighth out of all women who were present in Kerrville, Texas. Up next is the Prairie Circuit Classic Fall Championship this Saturday and Sunday in North Platte, Neb. The event serves as a conference championship meet (the GPAC does not sponsor shooting sports). First shots will be fired at 9 a.m. CT on both days of the competition.

Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its fourth 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 2018-19 season, Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball contests will be aired live on Max Country. Tyler Cavalli 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 fourth 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 is partnering 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.

Football

  • After two missed opportunities to begin the 2019 season, the Bulldogs took their frustrations out on Hastings last week. Never before had a meeting between the two rivals ended in a more lopsided final score. Concordia more than doubled the Broncos in total yards and walloped them, 44-0, at Lloyd Wilson Field on Sept. 21. The victory was the first for the program in Hastings since the 2005 season when Patrick Daberkow was a player on the team. Daberkow’s squad is now 1-2 overall and 1-1 in league play. For more on Bulldog football, click HERE.
  • Concordia and Hastings actually had not met on the gridiron until 1966. The two sides have now gone head-to-head 52 times (the Broncos own a 36-15-1 series advantage). There had never been a drubbing exactly like this one in the history of the rivalry. The closest thing to it was the 41-0 blowout Hastings put on the Bulldogs in 1996. That pummeling came a year after the 1995 Concordia team stunned a nationally ranked Broncos squad with a 28-27 upset win. Not only was last week’s contest the most decisive in series history, it was also Daberkow’s first coaching victory over Hastings.
  • You’re excused if you didn’t know a whole lot about sophomore receiver Cayden Beran coming into this season. The Hutto, Texas, native had zero collegiate catches to his name prior to this fall, but he just might be the breakout performer of 2019. Last week Beran burned the Broncos with 10 catches for 193 yards and two touchdowns. The yardage is even larger than the highest single game total for the program’s all-time receiving yards leader in Jared Garcia (2,495 career receiving yards). Beran currently leads Concordia with 21 catches for 322 yards on the season.
  • The passing game was almost nonexistent in the early portions of last season, but quarterback Jake Kemp and the receivers have made huge strides. Kemp appears to have settled the quarterback debate. His line last week was stellar: 21-of-33 from 309 yards and two touchdowns. The passing game is suddenly more explosive than it’s been in a long time. Art Anderson, Beran and Korrell Koehlmoos have each caught at least one pass of 38 yards or longer. So far this season, Kemp is completing 66.2 percent (49-of-74) of his pass attempts.
  • Across the board, the statistics painted a picture of dominance last week. The Bulldogs ran 77 offensive plays and averaged 5.8 yards per play while the Broncos ran 65 plays and averaged 2.9 yards per play. Concordia turned the ball over once on an interception, but made up for it by forcing three Hastings turnovers. This one might be the most shocking – the Bulldogs were 5-for-5 in the red zone (four touchdowns, one field goal) while the Broncos failed to reach the red zone. Not even once.
  • Led by the linebackers, the defense smothered Hastings. Coordinator Corby Osten and company tightened the screws on what had been a leaky pass defense a week earlier (385 passing yards allowed to Buena Vista). Bronco passers accomplished almost nothing, completing 6-of-30 attempts for 81 yards with two of the tosses being picked off by Bulldog backers. In the run game, Hastings netted 3.0 yards per carry. The Broncos mustered a grand total of 10 first downs (only two on passes).
  • The linebackers have brought it every single week this season. Derek Tachovsky put together an especially impressive stat line at Hastings. He collected seven tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup. In addition, Zac Walter got loose for another lengthy interception return – this one covering 59 yards. Walter’s pick set up a six-yard Ryan Durdon touchdown run on the very next play. Finally, All-American Lane Napier topped the team with eight tackles.
  • It was a welcome sight for Concordia to see some running lanes open up for Durdon. He had his most productive day yet this season. He ran for 87 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries against the Hastings defense. If the Bulldogs can continue to make progress up front, Durdon will still have a shot at reaching 3,000 career rushing yards. He’s currently sixth on the program’s all-time list with 2,235 rushing yards. He’s also racked up 19 career touchdowns.
  • Now Concordia hopes to make it a happy homecoming this week with Briar Cliff (3-1, 2-0 GPAC) set to visit town on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CT. The Charger program has improved immensely under head coach Dennis Wagner. Briar Cliff will bring a three-game win streak to Bulldog Stadium and owns conference victories over Dakota Wesleyan and Doane. The Bulldogs are 13-3 all-time versus Briar Cliff.

Golf

  • It’s an intense stretch of action for Bulldog golf. The women’s program is still buzzing from a tournament title and season best performance last week at the Nebraska Wesleyan Fall Classic (Sept. 17). Meanwhile, the men returned to action on Monday and placed six out of nine conference teams that competed in the GPAC Fall Preview. Head coach Brett Muller hopes his teams can put together their best golf of the fall during upcoming conference championship rounds. For more information on Concordia golf, click here: Men | Women.
  • Through four events, the women have brought home two team trophies. The first came via a second-place claim at the Midland Fall Invite on Sept. 9. Concordia finished just one stroke behind tournament champion Mount Marty. At the Nebraska Wesleyan Fall Classic, the Bulldogs bested a field of seven teams with a season low round of 337 (five strokes shy of the school record for a single round). While navigating Pioneers Golf Course, Concordia scorched the front nine and had four individuals shoot below a 90. It marked the program’s first tournament title since claiming first at the College of Saint Mary Spring Invite in April 2016.
  • It really seemed to be only a matter of time before sophomore Kendra Placke won a college tournament. That time came at the NWU Fall Classic. Placke shot an eight-over-par 79 and tied for first with two individuals from College of Saint Mary. Placke proceeded to birdie the playoff hole and claim the title. Placke became the first Concordia women’s golfer to win an event since teammate Murphy Sears took first at the CSM/Midland Invite on April 5, 2018.
  • Placke is working on a quite résumé with a long ways to go in her collegiate career. The Seward High School product has placed in the top five in eight of her first 11 events as a Bulldog. She also owns an impressive career scoring average of 81.72 (18 rounds) with her a career low round of 75. Placke placed fifth in the GPAC as a freshman and appears to be a threat to win the conference this season and throughout the rest of her career. Placke’s career average isn’t far off of the school record of 80.82 by Amy Ahlers ’17. Ahlers won the GPAC individual title her senior year and qualified for the national championships.
  • Of course the Placke needed help from her teammates in order for Concordia to rise to the top of the leaderboard. When the Bulldogs made the turn, Placke stood at 38, Sears at 39, sophomore Britney Jepsen at 40, junior Andrea Peterson at 44 and freshman Lauren Havlat at 45. By day’s end, Concordia carded a team score of 337, a full 16 strokes better than its previous season low. Sears finished with an 82 and tied for fourth place. The rest of the top five showed Jepsen with a career low of 87 (T-12th), Peterson with an 89 (T-14th) and Havlat with a 95 (T-25th).
  • Muller’s men’s team concluded Monday’s action at Indian Creek Golf Course in Omaha with a team score of 323-325–648. Concordia will have to take what it learned and cut down on the strokes in order to have a shot at moving into the top half of the 2019-20 GPAC standings. Indian Creek will also be the site of the fall GPAC championships. As a reference, the Bulldogs’ team total of 309-300-326-320–1,255 last season put them in ninth place in the conference.
  • Senior Tylar Samek enjoyed the best day on Monday for the Bulldogs. He carded a two-round total of 81-78–159 and placed in a tie for 22nd out of 63 golfers in action in Omaha. The David City, Neb., native entered the day with a scoring average of 75.0. He was followed closely at the GPAC Fall Preview by freshman Jay Gunaseelan (79-81–160) and sophomore Jack Williams (80-80–160). They shared 24th place. The team’s top five also included freshman Drew D’Ercole (83-87–170; T-45th) and sophomore Landon Walkenhorst (85-86–171; T-47th).
  • Over the next seven days, both Concordia squads will have completed the fall portion of the 2019-20 GPAC championships. First, the women will be in Sioux City, Iowa, on Wednesday for a match play event. That will precede the GPAC fall women’s championships next Monday and Tuesday (Sept. 30-Oct. 1) at The Bluffs in Vermillion, S.D. Meanwhile, the men will be at Indian Creek this Friday and Saturday for 36 holes of conference play.

Men’s Soccer

  • The good times roll on for a Bulldog squad that enters late September still unbeaten. Last week brought a pair of 3-1 victories – one over Bellevue University in a game played in Omaha (Sept. 17) and another at home over Northwestern (Sept. 21). Concordia is the lone team in the GPAC without a loss or tie this season. Head coach Jason Weides’ squad now stands at 7-0 overall and at 2-0 in league play. For more information on Bulldog men’s soccer, click HERE.
  • Now in his 12th season as head coach, Weides has risen to the top of the program’s all-time wins list. Last week Weides earned wins Nos. 113 and 114 of his career, moving him past longtime head coach Dr. Jack Kinworthy (113 victories) for most in program history. Kinworthy served as head coach from 1974 through 1993 (with the exception of the 1992 season when he took a sabbatical). Several others have guided the program for short stints, but none have reached the heights that Weides has in recent years.
  • Speaking of great heights, the 2019 team is in rare company. Weides had not previously guided a squad that won each of its first seven games to begin a season. The 2017 Bulldogs were close (6-0-1 after seven games) and remain the program standard bearer for wins in a single season with 16. That ’17 squad did not lose until game No. 12 of that campaign (started 10-0-1). It was also the closest Weides has gotten to leading Concordia to a conference regular season title. The 2017 Concordia edition hosted Hastings in the regular season finale with a chance to win the league championship (lost 2-1).
  • Based on their remarkable consistency alone, the Bulldogs seem to be deserving of some love this week in the NAIA national poll. Concordia has not yet received any votes this season despite continuing to stack wins. Part of the issue is strength of schedule – the Bulldogs rank No. 92 (according to Massey Ratings) in that area at the moment. Concordia had beefed up its nonconference schedule with perennially strong programs such as Bellevue, Kansas Wesleyan University, MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.) and Oklahoma City University. Some of those squads have not been quite as strong as past years. However, Massey Ratings has the Bulldogs ranked No. 14 nationally.
  • The depth of talent has been one of the biggest marvels in regards to the first seven games. At various times this season, Concordia has been without one or more starters. Just after scoring a pair of goals in last week’s win at Bellevue, senior Carlos Ferrer was forced out of the lineup over the weekend due to injury. On the flip side, senior center back Evan Hayden returned versus Northwestern after he had sat out the previous three games. No matter the circumstances, the Bulldogs have made up for misfortune with their depth.
  • That depth has also been reflected in the goal scoring statistics. Eleven Concordia players have combined to score the team’s 25 goals. Named GPAC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 17, freshman Moises Jacobo has forced his way into the starting lineup because of his prowess on the attack. He has a team high five goals after adding another versus Northwestern. Others with multiple goals include Ferrer (four), Roger de la Villa (three), Ryan LeTourneau (three), Isaiah Shaddick (three) and Renzo Bozzo (two).
  • Across the NAIA national landscape, 13 teams remain without a loss, including eight with perfect 1.000 winning percentages. Only two squads in the nation have more wins than the Bulldogs: Georgetown (Ky.) and Houston-Victoria (Texas). Inside the GPAC, seventh-ranked Hastings (5-0-1) also has yet to taste defeat. Somewhat shockingly, the Broncos needed double overtime last week to eke out a 1-0 win at Mount Marty.
  • The final nonconference matchup of the regular season is coming up Wednesday when Concordia will host Kansas Wesleyan (0-5) at 7 p.m. CT. The Coyotes have had a tough run of it so far this season, but qualified for the national tournament a year ago. Then on Saturday, the Bulldogs will be at Dordt (3-3-2, 1-1-1 GPAC) for a 3:15 p.m. kickoff.

Volleyball

  • Things have settled in with most weeks now featuring both a mid-week match and a Saturday clash. In their most recent action, the Bulldogs fell in four sets at Morningside on Sept. 17 and then rebounded for a straight sets victory at Peru State College on Sept. 21. Those results leave second-year head coach Ben Boldt’s squad at 13-2 overall (2-2 GPAC) with the meat of the conference schedule yet to come. For more on Concordia volleyball, click HERE.
  • The Bulldogs have not played a whole lot of ranked foes outside of conference play in recent years, but the run of success in those matches is still quite impressive. Dating back to the 2017 campaign, the program has now taken care of 24-conseuctive matches against nonconference opponents. In terms of rankings, the most significant of those victories was the straight sets triumph over then 19th-ranked Corban University (Ore.) on Aug. 24 of this season. The active run will continue for a while with Concordia now finished with nonconference regular-season matches for 2019.
  • The Morningside combo of middle blockers Emma Gerber and Brittni Olson proved too much for the visitors last week. Gerber is one of the nation’s most productive blockers. She went for 10 kills and a match high seven blocks while hitting .429. Olson was similarly effective with her match best 12 kills (.321) and two blocks. The Bulldogs did a commendable job limiting the pins as Morningside’s team hitting percentage of .148 would attest. The Mustangs (10-4, 2-3 GPAC) proceeded to outlast Hastings in five sets this past weekend.
  • Concordia had actually fallen in its previous meeting with Peru State. The result of their 2016 get together was a straight sets win for the Bobcats inside Walz Arena. This time around, the Bulldogs went to Peru, Neb., as a heavy favorite. However, Concordia did get pushed in the opening set at Peru State. One of Claire Cudney’s seven kills knotted the opening set, 20-20. That’s when things got good for the Bulldogs. Tara Callahan found Emmie Noyd for a kill to initiate a 3-0 mini run. Noyd eventually ended the set with another kill. Concordia took over from there while jumping out to leads of 13-3 in the second set and 21-8 in the third.
  • Sophomore right side Arleigh Costello was one of the team’s most effective attackers last week. She notched a team high eight kills at Morningside and then added 10 more kills and hit .563 at Peru State. The lefty from Gothenburg, Neb., is another Bulldog who is continuing to grow. She popped in a big way on Aug. 31 when she smashed a career high 18 kills in a four-set win over Mayville State University (N.D.). On the season, Costello is hitting .225 with 91 kills (1.8/set).
  • Noyd is certainly worthy of a weekly update in this space. Her match at Morningside has not been typical for her from a statistical standpoint. She posted a line that included seven kills (four errors), two blocks and a .094 hitting percentage. The Shelby, Neb., native then returned to form and hit .632 with a team high 12 kills at Peru State. Noyd’s season numbers continue to read like that of an All-American. She has accumulated 191 kills (3.8/set), 50 blocks and is hitting .366 (eighth best among all NAIA players).
  • In many ways, Concordia still has to prove it within conference play – but there has been plenty of proof of the program’s improvement as compared to a year ago. Consider the results through 15 matches (just over half the regular season slate). The Bulldogs have won 42 of 51 sets played and have outnumbered their opponents by totals of 721-495 in kills, 98-36 in aces and 100.5 to 70 in blocks. They are also outhitting the opposition, .263 to .128. That efficiency is one reason why Concordia has a No. 15 national ranking in Massey Ratings.
  • Two in-state GPAC foes are on the docket this week. The Bulldogs will be at Doane (11-6, 2-2 GPAC) for a 7:30 p.m. CT first serve on Wednesday. Three days later, Concordia will join the homecoming festivities on campus and host No. 25 College of Saint Mary (15-7, 1-4 GPAC) at 4:30 p.m. The Bulldogs already own a road win over the Flames. Concordia will try to duplicate its road win over Doane from 2018.

Women’s Soccer

  • Confidence is growing in conjunction with the start of conference play. The Bulldogs regrouped after going winless in non-league play. Following the 3-0 victory at Presentation on Sept. 14, Concordia had a mid-week bye before welcoming Northwestern to town this past weekend. The result was a 1-0 win for the Bulldogs on a day they partnered with Fritz & Friends to raise awareness for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Head coach Chris Luther’s squad now stands at 2-6 overall and at 2-0 in GPAC play. For more information on Concordia women’s soccer, click HERE.
  • Fritz & Friends is an organization that was started by Concordia alums Bryant and Sarah (Hoffmann) Krieger. They founded the non-profit in an effort to raise awareness of Duchenne and to raise money for research. Fritz Krieger, now three years old, was diagnosed with Duchenne in February of 2017. Many family members made their way to Seward via Arizona and spent much of last week in Nebraska. For the game this past Saturday, Fritz served as the team’s honorary captain. More information on Fritz & Friends can be found HERE.
  • Originally from Mesa, Ariz., Sarah (Hoffmann) Krieger was a three-time All-GPAC honoree (once named to the second team and twice honorable mention) during her playing career as a Bulldog. From the 2007 through 2010 seasons, Krieger played in 54 games and accumulated five goals and 15 assists as a midfielder/defender. She played in only one game her senior season due to injury.
  • Junior goalkeeper Lindsey Carley commented that she and her teammates were playing for a “little something extra” with Fritz on the sideline for the Northwestern game. The presence of Fritz coupled with the frustrating run through nonconference made this a particularly emotional win. It showed in the 89th minute when Carley made a spectacular save diving to her right. Even with time still on the clock, center back Cheyenne Smith rushed in to hug Carley, who finished with three saves in the shutout win.
  • Concordia is still searching for a consistent goal scoring presence, but it’s encouraging that it has at least found a way to get on the board in three-straight games. The streak followed up the program’s drought of six games in a row without a goal. In the latest win, freshman Jaiden Beecher produced her first career goal, scoring off a deflection in the 55th minute. To this point, only four players on the roster have found the back of the net.
  • The team’s leading goal scorer is actually sophomore Katie Miles, who has played in only one game. Miles made the most of the opportunity when she put away two goals in the 3-0 win at Presentation. Sophomore Madeline Haugen also found the back of the net in that contest. In the 2-1 loss to Bellevue, the Bulldogs briefly held a 1-0 lead on the strength of freshman Allee Downing’s first career goal.
  • What the past few games seem to be indicating is that things really weren’t as bad as what it may have felt through the early part of the season. Concordia still has a core of players that have experienced what it’s like to compete for conference championships. Over Concordia’s last 29 conference regular-season games, it has gone a combined 24-1-4. It has also reached the GPAC tournament championship game five years running. The Bulldogs won three GPAC titles (two tournament, one regular season) under previous head coach Greg Henson. In the preseason poll, the Bulldogs were picked to finish third. If things come together, Concordia still may be in that mix in the top three or four of the league standings.
  • Just like last week, the Bulldogs will have a bye in the middle of the week. Their next challenge will come Saturday with a 1 p.m. CT kickoff at Dordt (6-3, 3-0 GPAC). The Defenders own conference wins over Presentation, Dakota Wesleyan and Doane. In last season’s meeting in Seward, Concordia edged Dordt, 3-2.

Cross Country

  • The Bulldogs were in action back-to-back weekends (Sept. 6 and 14) to begin the 2019 season. After solid showings at the Augustana Twilight on Sept. 6, the Concordia men and women proved to be among the top squads at the Bronco Stampede hosted by Hastings on Sept. 14. The Bulldog women made a push for a title and settled for second place among 11 teams. Meanwhile, the men placed third out of 10 squads present at Lake Hastings Park. Head coach Matt Beisel brought 24 women and 17 men to the race. For more on Concordia cross country, click HERE.
  • The Bulldog women are now situated just outside of the NAIA top 25 poll (tied for 27th) released on Sept. 19. Through two meets, Concordia has yet to be beaten out by a fellow NAIA squad. Most notably, the Bulldogs outpaced No. 22 Northwestern at the Augustana Twilight. At the Hastings meet, Concordia finished behind only NCAA Division II Fort Hays State University (Kan.) while placing above NAIA members in Friends University (Kan.), College of Saint Mary, Tabor College, Bellevue University, host Hastings and Peru State College.
  • The freshmen have certainly made the Bulldog women stronger and have lessened the blow of losing NAIA national qualifier Taylor Grove to graduation. Following her first college meet, freshman Amie Martin was named the GPAC Runner of the Week on the women’s side. She out-galloped all NAIA competitors at the Augustana Twilight. In the most recent outing, a different freshman emerged as the top Concordia female runner. Rookie Kylahn Heritage clocked in at 19:41.82 (third place out of 118 runners) in the 5k race and was just six seconds behind meet champion Aileen Gurrola of Friends University (Kan.).
  • Martin crossed the finish line in 20:15.44 at Hastings, putting her third among Bulldogs and in ninth place overall. Sandwiched in between the aforementioned freshmen was returning all-conference performer in senior Rebekah Hinrichs (19:54.94). A week earlier, each of Concordia’s top seven runners completed the faster 5k course in Sioux Falls, S.D., in under 20 minutes. The team’s four through seven competitors on Sept. 14 were junior Lydia Cook (20:22.63; 12th), junior Sydney Clark (20:36.36; 17th), senior Miranda Rathjen (20:59.30; 27th) and sophomore Abi DeLoach (21:02.34; 28th). The top 10 Bulldog runners all placed in the top 34 of the overall leaderboard.
  • Fort Hays State was quite dominant on the men’s side, but Concordia did manage to place two of the top 25 out of the 94 runners that trekked along the 8k course. Fast rising junior Jordan Lorenz took the lead among Bulldogs by finishing in 28:20.09, 20th place overall. Only three NAIA competitors outran Lorenz. He was followed in the Concordia pack by freshman Camden Sesna (28:32.32; 25th), freshman Antonio Blaine (28:53.79; 31st), freshman Owen Dawson (29:07.63; 35th), sophomore Wyatt Lehr (29:35.01; 43rd), junior Patrick Schneeberger (29:42.68; 45th) and sophomore Ethan Pankow (29:43.34; 46th).
  • A top 25 rating for either program would be evidence of the progress made by the Bulldog cross country squads. On the women’s side, Concordia last cracked the NAIA top 25 in October 2015. Similarly, the men last appeared in the national ranking in December 2014. Under Beisel, the Bulldogs have been climbing back up the GPAC ladder. One of the stated goals for the program is to get back to winning GPAC championships. The most recent conference titles were in 2012 for the men and 2005 for the women.
  • Concordia looks forward to the Dean White Invitational hosted by Doane this Saturday. At last year’s Dean White Invite, the Bulldogs placed fifth out of 14 teams on the women’s side and third out of 11 teams on the men’s side. Only two other meets remain on the schedule prior to the GPAC Championships (Nov. 9) – the Briar Cliff Invite (Oct. 5) and the Mount Marty Invite (Oct. 26).