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Concordia Athletics fall 2021 rewind

By Jacob Knabel on Dec. 9, 2021 in Athletic Announcements

The fall of 2021 in Concordia Athletics yielded both thrilling and heartbreaking moments. Bulldogs reached the national stage in cross country and volleyball while Lane Napier and Ivan Yabut accomplished feats never before attained by any individuals in school history. The Shooting Sports program was especially impressive in placing third or better at every fall event. Much more significant than any result, Concordia said goodbye to shooting sports Head Coach Scott Moniot.

TOP MOMENT – fall 2021

Celebrating the life of Scott Moniot
A heartbreaking occurrence turned into a heartwarming moment as family, friends and members of the Concordia Shooting Sports team provided testimony regarding the unwavering faith in Jesus displayed by Scott Moniot. Named Head Coach of the shooting sports program in June 2018, Moniot was called to be with the Lord on Nov. 20, 2021. Nine days later, a memorial service was held in Seward to celebrate the life of Moniot, who is survived by his wife Donna, three adult children and grandchildren. As Donna relayed, the job at Concordia was Scott’s favorite he had ever had. At the memorial service, many stories were shared that gave witness to Moniot’s passion and dedication to Christ, family and his student-athletes.

Wrote former Bulldog Shooting Sports standout Erin Lokke, “Coach Moniot displayed positivity in everything that he did. He was a dedicated coach, mentor, husband, father and grandfather. Many of his current and former students would agree when I say that Coach Moniot always saw potential in someone, even when they couldn’t see it within themselves. Coach Moniot was passionate about the mission at Concordia. He taught the shooting sports team many lessons that each person will cherish forever. As Coach Moniot would say, ‘everyone has a job to do.’ The team has a lot to focus on with nationals coming up in March and I believe the shooting team will grow together and work hard for everything he did for each and every one of them. I will always be thankful for the late night and tireless training sessions that coach Moniot pushed me through.”

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Volleyball upsets No. 2 Viterbo, makes way to NAIA quarterfinals
From a national perspective, no Concordia group made bigger waves this fall than the volleyball team, which advanced to the NAIA national quarterfinals for the second season in a row. The Bulldogs overcame a series of close calls early in the campaign while navigating one of the nation’s most challenging schedules. The highlight of the season occurred on Dec. 1 when Concordia outlasted No. 2 Viterbo in five sets, clinching a spot in the national quarterfinals. Camryn Opfer put away match point with her 21st kill of the contest. Opfer was later named to the NAIA National Championship All-Tournament Team. Also in the victory over Viterbo, Gabi Nordaker posted 13 blocks. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad finished the season at 19-12 overall while earning a final NAIA top 25 ranking.

Football completes sweep of Nebraska GPAC rivals
The 2021 Concordia Football team accomplished something the program had not done since 1970 – defeat Doane, Hastings and Midland all in the same season. The Bulldogs completed the trifecta on Nov. 13 when they defeated Hastings, 17-7, in the season finale. That victory also pushed the win streak to six and capped the campaign with a 7-3 record. In the other in-state rivalry matchups, Concordia defeated Midland, 21-7, and Doane, 20-13. The seven wins overall were a high-water mark under Patrick Daberkow, who completed his fifth season as head coach. The defense led the way for the Bulldogs, who allowed an average of just 8.5 points per game during the win streak to close the season.

Napier surpasses 500 career tackles
An all-time great in the history of Concordia Football, Lane Napier has no equal when it comes to piling up tackles. The David City Aquinas Catholic alum returned to Concordia for a fifth season – and made it count. In the win over Midland on Oct. 23, Napier moved past 500 career tackles. Napier shattered school and GPAC records for career tackles last season and ended his five-year run (45 career games) with 535 tackles. According to NCAA record books entering this season, only six players in NCAA football history have reached that lofty tackle total. Napier was named to at least one All-America list in 2018, 2019 and 2020. The American Football Coaches Association chose him as a second team All-American in 2020. He also landed on the All-GPAC First Team in each of his five seasons.

Hambly wins individual conference title; Bulldogs claim two team championships
There were plenty of thrilling moments for Concordia Shooting Sports prior to the passing of Head Coach Scott Moniot. For the second year in a row, the program boasted the individual Prairie Circuit Conference champion. Wyatt Hambly rose above all competitors by cracking 375/400 targets at the conference shoot held Sept. 24-26 in North Platte, Neb. As a team, the Bulldogs placed second in the conference, just three targets behind first-place Fort Hays State University (Kan.). During the fall, Concordia claimed two team titles, winning the Concordia Bulldog Sporting Invitational and the Hastings College Bronco Invitational. Over five fall meets, the Bulldogs placed no lower than third place.

Three Bulldogs earn trips to NAIA cross country nationals
Individual leaders during a strong season for Concordia Cross Country, Rylee Haecker, Calvin Rohde and Camden Sesna each earned berths to the 2021 NAIA National Championships. Their national berths came courtesy of top 10 place finishes at the GPAC Championships held on Nov. 6. Sesna enjoyed an especially impressive season that saw him pace the Bulldogs at every meet while also earning two GPAC Runner of the Week awards. Below are the results each individual turned in at the national meet in Vancouver, Wash., on Nov. 19.

Rylee Haecker – 120th (19:45.8 5k time)
Calvin Rohde – 209th (27:40.4 8k time)
Camden Sesna – 116th (26:54.7 8k time)

Yabut breaks school record for lowest round
It was a memorable day on Sept. 13 for Omaha native Ivan Yabut, who broke the Concordia University Men’s Golf program record for lowest single round score. Yabut carded a seven-under-par 65 while navigating The Ridge Golf Club in Sioux Center, Iowa, on the first of two days at the Siouxland Invite. Prior to Yabut’s performance, the best 18-hole score ever by a Bulldog was four-under-par, achieved by four different individuals: Nolan Zikas, Shawn Rodehorst, Reid Wiebe and Mike Kulzer. Most recently, Zikas shot a 68 (-4) on Sept. 20, 2017, at the Blue River Classic. Yabut went lower while turning in an eagle, six birdies and 10 pars in the round.

Placke claims fourth career tournament title
Seward’s own Kendra Placke continues to state her case as one of the best to ever tee it up for Concordia Women’s Golf. Back on Sept. 21, Placke earned first place at the Matthew Goette Classic with a 12-over-par 84 round at Tiburon Golf Course in Omaha. It marked the fourth career tournament win for Placke, who has been the top performer for a fourth-straight season with the Bulldogs. During 11 fall rounds, Placke posted a scoring average of 79.1 and placed in the top 10 of all six events. She also finished second at the Prairie Wolves Invite and resides in fifth place on the GPAC leaderboard.

Twito breaks program record for games played
No one has seen more action in the history of Concordia Women’s Soccer than Ames, Iowa, native Michaela Twito. The five-year starter became the program’s all-time leader for career games played when she started at midfield in the 7-0 Bulldog win over Mount Marty on Sept. 18. By season’s end, Twito had played in 97 career collegiate games. Twito was named an All-GPAC honoree four times (second team in 2019) and is a two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete. Twito totaled eight goals and four assists in her career. She played for two separate teams that won GPAC championships (2017 regular season and 2020 postseason).

CROSS COUNTRY

2021 GPAC Finishes: Men 4th; Women 5th
Head Coach: Matt Beisel, 6th season
All-GPAC: Rylee Haecker; Calvin Rohde; Camden Sesna.
Season Summary: A strong season concluded with both the men’s and women's teams earning representation at the NAIA Cross Country National Championships in Vancouver, Wash. As part of the journey, the Bulldogs claimed a sweep of men’s and women’s team titles at the Morningside Invite. Stellar showings in the season’s first three meets pushed Head Coach Matt Beisel’s women’s team as high as No. 11 in the NAIA coaches’ poll. Concordia garnered national rankings in four separate polls. The Bulldogs turned in GPAC place finishes of fourth on the men’s side and fifth on the women’s side. Individually, Rylee Haecker (seventh), Camden Sesna (seventh) and Calvin Rohde (10th) each placed in the top 10 at the GPAC Championship meet. As a result, they qualified for the national meet in Washington, where they competed on Nov. 19. All three Bulldogs garnered all-conference honors based on their GPAC finishes. Sesna was the top men’s runner at every meet and collected two GPAC Runner of the Week awards in 2021. Haecker became the No. 1 women’s runner after Grace Reiman had led the way at the first two meets of 2021.

FOOTBALL

2021 Record: 7-3 overall, 7-3 GPAC (T-3rd)
Head Coach: Patrick Daberkow, 5th season
All-GPAC: Lane Napier (GPAC Defensive Player of the Year; First team); Johnny Robinson III (First Team); Garrett Schardt (First Team); Caydren Cox (Second Team); Peyton Mitchell (Second Team); Jorge Ochoa (Honorable Mention); Payton Stevens (Honorable Mention).
Season Summary: After starting out 1-3, Head Coach Patrick Daberkow’s squad embarked upon a six-game winning streak that featured a sweep of Concordia’s Nebraska GPAC rivals. The program claimed wins over Doane, Hastings and Midland in the same season for the first time since 1970. Those victories highlighted a campaign that concluded with a 7-3 overall mark and a share of third place in the final GPAC standings. The Bulldogs followed the lead of a defense that ranked 22nd nationally in scoring (19.3) and 27th in total yardage allowed (311.7). During the six-game win streak, Concordia held each of its opponents to 17 points or less. That defense was spearheaded by a linebacker unit starring fifth-year member of the program Lane Napier. The David City Aquinas High School alum led the conference with 134 tackles in 2021 and was named the GPAC Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, linebacker Caydren Cox led Concordia in tackles for loss (13) and sacks (8.5) as a Second Team All-GPAC selection. Offensively, center Johnny Robinson III and tight end Garrett Schardt garnered first team all-conference recognition. Schardt, Cayden Beran and Korrell Koehlmoos were dependable receivers for quarterback DJ McGarvie, who earned a starting role as a true freshman. At running back, Jonah Weyand topped the Bulldogs in rushing for a second year in a row.

GOLF

2021 GPAC Fall Results: Men – 6th (298-308–606); Women – 7th (351-353–704)
Head Coach: Brett Muller, 11th season
Season Summary: In part one of the season, Head Coach Brett Muller’s men’s squad made vast improvement as compared to the 2020-21 campaign. At the close of the fall, Concordia stood in sixth place in the GPAC standings with a two-round score of 298-308–606. The Bulldogs turned in six rounds of sub-300 team scores across five events (10 total rounds). Individually, Ivan Yabut and Drew D’Ercole stood out. Yabut broke a school record for lowest single-round score by carding a 65 in round one of the Siouxland Invite. He is currently in sixth place in the conference. Meanwhile, D’Ercole claimed top 10 finishes at the season’s first two tournaments. On the women’s side, Seward High School alum Kendra Placke continues to shine. She sported a fall season scoring average of 79.1 and was the winner of the Matthew Goette Fall Classic. Placke placed in the top 10 of every tournament this fall and will enter the spring sitting in fifth place in the conference standings. As a team, Concordia recorded place finishes of third at the Goette Classic and second at the Prairie Wolves Fall Invite. Lauren Havlat has competed as the team’s No. 2 golfer. The team low during the fall was a 334 at the Frommelt Fall Classic.
Spring GPAC Championships:
Men – April 22-23, 2022 (The Bluffs – Vermillion, S.D.)
Women – April 25-26, 2022 (Norfolk CC – Norfolk, Neb.)
NAIA Championships:
Men – May 17-20, 2022 (TPC Deere Run – Silvis, Ill.)
Women – May 24-27, 2022 (Rose Creek – Oklahoma City, Okla.)

SHOOTING SPORTS

Conference Finish: 2nd (Prairie Circuit Classic)
Head Coach: Scott Moniot, 4th season
All-Conference: Sam Blevins; Nicole Breese; Wyatt Hambly; Russell Malterud; Emily Rasmussen; Sarah Schwacher; Colten Uitermarkt; Emily Uitermarkt.
Season Summary: The program again took steps forward during the fall as the Bulldogs placed third or better at each of the five fall shoots: third at the Fort Hays State Shoot, second at the Midland Warrior Open, second at the Prairie Circuit Conference Championships, first at the Concordia Bulldog Invitational and first at the Hastings Bronco Invitational. Head Coach Scott Moniot’s squad benefited from stellar work contributed by the likes of Wyatt Hambly, Sarah Schwacher and Colten Uitermarkt. Hambly captured the high overall individual conference title. As a team, Concordia finished three targets shy of Fort Hays State for the conference title. The following individuals earned some form of all-conference recognition: Sam Blevins, Nicole Breese, Hambly, Russell Malterud, Emily Rasmussen, Schwacher, Colten Uitermarkt and Emily Uitermarkt. Breese placed as the overall female runner up. Also at the conference shoot, the Bulldogs took first place in trap, trap doubles and skeet doubles. The sixth annual Concordia Invitational saw Schwacher win the overall women’s competition. The season will resume in February 2022 without Moniot, who passed away on November 20, 2021. Moniot was in the midst of his fourth season leading the Bulldogs. He had guided the program to a Prairie Circuit Conference title in 2020 and coached program standard setter Erin Lokke in previous seasons. Said Director of Athletics Devin Smith, “He openly conveyed a love and zeal for our God, his family and the members of our Bulldog Shooting Sports team. Every time Coach spoke, you could easily tell his heart was full of joy. Scott ‘stayed awake’ in our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus and we will have peace, comfort and strength knowing he was ready for this time in his journey (Mark 13:35-37).”
ACUI National Championships: March 19-26, 2022 (San Antonio, Texas)

MEN’S SOCCER

2021 Record: 7-8-3, 5-4-2 GPAC (5th)
Head Coach: Jason Weides, 14th season
All-GPAC: Yessine Bessaïes (Second Team); Iker Casanova (Second Team); David Moreno (Second Team); Decker Mattimoe (Honorable Mention); Garrett Perry (Honorable Mention).
Season Summary: It was a season of many near misses that ended with a 2-1 GPAC tournament quarterfinal loss at Morningside in early November. Head Coach Jason Weides’ squad completed the 2021 season at 7-8-3 overall with seven of the eight defeats coming by one-goal margins. The Bulldogs placed fifth in the GPAC standings while competing closely with each of the top four seeds. Over 18 games, Concordia outscored its opponents by a combined total of 35-22. Yessine Bessaïes wound up leading the Bulldogs in both goals (six) and assists (five). Four of his teammates notched exactly four goals on the season: Martin Herrera, Garrett Perry, Isaiah Shaddick and Ryan Wokutch. GPAC all-conference accolades were awarded to Bessaïes (second team), Iker Casanova (second team), David Moreno (second team), Decker Mattimoe (honorable mention) and Garrett Perry (honorable mention). Casanova was chosen as a second team honoree for the second year in a row.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

2021 Record: 9-7-2 overall, 6-4-2 GPAC (6th)
Head Coach: Thomas Goines, 2nd season
All-GPAC: Grace Soenksen (First Team); Madeline Haugen (Second Team); Allee Downing (Honorable Mention); Mikeila Martinez (Honorable Mention); Kalie Ward (Honorable Mention).
Season Summary: While Concordia proved it could compete with the top teams in the GPAC, it ultimately had its season draw to a conclusion with a 1-0 loss at Hastings in the GPAC quarterfinals. Head Coach Thomas Goines’ squad posted an overall mark of 9-7-2 and placed sixth in the GPAC. A couple of highlights included overtime wins over Bellevue and Morningside. The formula for winning games was a similar one the program used in the spring of 2021 when it captured the GPAC tournament title. The identity this fall was one of defensive grit – seven of the final 10 games ended in 1-0 final scores. The Bulldogs slightly outscored their opponents, 23-20. Madeline Haugen led the team with four goals. GPAC all-conference awards were earned by Grace Soenksen (first team), Haugen (second team), Allee Downing (honorable mention), Mikeila Martinez (honorable mention) and Kalie Ward (honorable mention). Martinez and Michaela Twito were recognized by College Sports Information Directors of America as Academic All-District honorees.

VOLLEYBALL

2021 Record: 19-12 overall, 9-7 GPAC (T-5th); GPAC tournament runner up
All-GPAC: Gabi Nordaker (First Team); Camryn Opfer (First Team); Tara Callahan (Second Team); Erica Heinzerling (Honorable Mention); Carly Rodaway (Honorable Mention).
Head Coach: Ben Boldt, 4th season
Season Summary: A frustrating run of five-set losses eventually gave way to one of the more rewarding seasons in program history. After sitting at 4-6 in the GPAC (9-9 overall) in mid-October, the Bulldogs went on a roll while going 10-3 with six wins over NAIA top 25 foes the remainder of the season. Concordia reached the NAIA quarterfinals for the second year in a row by toppling No. 2 Viterbo University (Wis.) in pool play. Camryn Opfer starred in that match with 21 kills and 16 digs while Gabi Nordaker added 13 blocks. As part of the journey, the Bulldogs also reached the GPAC tournament championship match. According to Massey Ratings, Concordia played the most challenging schedule of any team in the nation. Under Head Coach Ben Boldt’s direction, the Bulldogs have reached bracket play at the national tournament in each of the past three seasons (one of only four programs in the NAIA to accomplish that feat). Opfer was named First Team All-GPAC and was honored as an NAIA National Championship All-Tournament Team choice. In addition, Nordaker garnered first team all-conference accolades while Tara Callahan was placed on the GPAC’s second team. Callahan concluded her career with 4,816 assists, a number that ranks second in program history behind only Stacy Stuckenschmidt (4,949), who played in an era with different scoring rules. The program has finished ranked inside the NAIA top 15 in three-straight seasons.