SEWARD, Neb. – For their performances throughout the calendar month, standouts Jessie Ciezki of the shooting sports program and Zach Zohner of the track and field program have been recognized as the Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Month for March 2024. The winners emerged from a vote conducted on Tuesday (April 9) by attendees at the BAAM luncheon. Both Ciezki and Zohner have earned this distinction for the first time in their careers.
A senior from Waterford, Wis., Ciezki made her mark at the 2024 ACUI National Championships in San Antonio, Texas (March 19-23). Ciezki emerged as the national champion in the category of women’s open skeet as she shot with a 98/100. Ciezki also placed as the women’s open double skeet national runner up with a 95/100. From an overall perspective, Ciezki cracked 536 out of 600 targets at the national championships and was the No. 5 HOA Concordia place finisher. Ciezki has been a four-year contributor to a shooting sports program led by Head Coach Dylan Owens. At the 2023 NCSSAA National Championships, Ciezki shot 98/100 in trap and helped the Bulldogs place third overall in the Division IV breakdown of the event.
Zohner began the month of March in thrilling fashion. On March 2, Zohner lived out a dream in winning the NAIA pole vault national title while clearing a personal best of 17’ 2 ¾,” fourth best in program history. As part of the national competition, he also went over 16’ ¾” and 16’ 6 ¾.” The runner up wound up clearing 16’ 4 ¾.” Zohner became the men’s program’s first pole vault national champion since Lucas Wiechman accomplished that feat at the 2017 outdoor national meet. The senior from Battle Creek, Neb., has earned three career All-America awards while appearing at five national meets. Zohner has also won two GPAC pole vault championships. He finished the month of March by qualifying for outdoor nationals in the pole vault and currently ranks No. 1 on the NAIA outdoor national list.
BAAM Athletes of the Month are rewarded out of the pool of student-athletes that garner BAAM Athlete of the Week recognition throughout the month.
2023-24 BAAM Athletes of the Month
March – Jessie Ciezki (shooting sports) / Zach Zohner (track & field)
February – Jaidan Quinn (baseball) / Mackenzie Toomey (basketball)
January – Kendal Brigham (basketball) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
December – Evan Fukuhara (weightlifting) / Hayley Miles (track & field)
November – Creighton Baughman (wrestling) / Abby Krieser (basketball)
October – Rebecca Gebhardt (volleyball) / DJ McGarvie (football)
September – Austin Jablonski (football) / Ashley Keck (volleyball)
2022-23 BAAM Athletes of the Month
April – Jenna Esch (track & field) / Jaidan Quinn (baseball)
March – Wyatt Hambly (shooting sports) / Claire Kee (shooting sports) / Josie Puelz (track & field)
February – Noah Schutte (basketball) / Adrianna Rodencal (track & field)
January – Rylee Haecker (track & field) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
December – Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Gage Smith (basketball)
November – Rebecca Gebhardt (volleyball) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
October – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball) / Korrell Koehlmoos (football) / Carly Rodaway (volleyball)
September – Gabi Nordaker (volleyball) / Camryn Opfer (volleyball) / Camden Sesna (cross country)