By the spring’s end, Concordia Athletics placed top two in the GPAC All-Sports Standings for the seventh straight year and for the 10th time in 11 years. Bulldog spring sports added to a successful year with waves being made on the national level by the baseball, powerlifting, weightlifting and track & field programs. At the GPAC level, second-place finishes were earned by baseball, men’s tennis and women’s tennis. As individuals, Kaylee Hinton, Kaiden Mima, Adrianna Rodencal and Katie Welker celebrated national championships. Academically, 95 Bulldogs from spring sports teams earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete distinction.
Below is a rundown of the great moments and highlights from the spring semester of 2026. For the purpose of this release, shooting sports, powerlifting and weightlifting were included as spring sports.
TOP MOMENTS
Adrianna Rodencal caps legendary career as a national champion
She will go down as a Concordia Track & Field legend. In capping her storied career, Adrianna Rodencal collected three more All-America medals. At the 2026 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, Rodencal won the 100-meter hurdles national title (13.57), claimed runner-up status in the 400-meter hurdles (57.98) and placed sixth as part of the 4x400-meter relay (3:47.36). During her impeccable outdoor campaign, Rodencal pulled in three NAIA national athlete of the week awards and reset her own GPAC meet records in both hurdles events. The career accomplishments for Rodencal include two national titles, eight All-America medals, five GPAC Athlete of the Year awards, 14 GPAC titles and school records in the indoor 60-meter hurdles (8.25), outdoor 100-meter hurdles (13.04), outdoor 400-meter hurdles (57.98), outdoor 4x100-meter relay (46.80) and outdoor 4x400-meter relay (3:47.14). Rodencal’s exploits paved the way for the Bulldogs to place seventh as a team at the outdoor national meet.
Mima goes back-to-back; Hedke achieves rare feat
It’s been two seasons at Concordia and two national championships for Colorado Springs, Colo., native Kaiden Mima. At 60 kilograms in weight, Mima packs a punch. At the 2026 National University Weightlifting Championships, Mima reset the American University record book (across all categories) in the 60 kg class as he made lifts of 107 kg in snatch and 137 kg in clean & jerk for a total of 244 kg. He far outlifted the runner up (198 kg) in the competition. In another eye-popping performance, Concordia’s Taylor Hedke earned All-America honors on back-to-back days in different sports in different regions of the country. On April 9, Hedke placed second in her weight class at the powerlifting national championships in New Orleans. The next day, Hedke seized a fourth-place medal at the weightlifting national championships in Salt Lake City, Utah. The efforts of Hedke and Mima helped lead to lofty team national placements.
Alex Johnson breaks program K’s record, earns back-to-back GPAC Pitcher of the Year awards
He’ll go down as one of the best pitchers in the history of Concordia Baseball. In year six inside the program, Alex Johnson became the program’s all-time strikeout leader. The Olathe, Kan., native rose to the top of the list on April 11 when he fanned 15 Northwestern Red Raiders in a signature performance. Johnson wound up winning all seven of his starts in GPAC regular season play and finished the season with an 8-2 record, 3.88 ERA and 109 strikeouts (tied for a school single season record) in 67.1 innings. Johnson was tabbed the GPAC Pitcher of the Year for the second year in a row. His final strikeout total sits at 320 K’s in 237 innings (51 starts).
Velders achieves perfection
During the spring semester, senior Nick Velders went wire to wire (Feb. 7 to April 25) without losing even one singles match. The native of Gelderland, The Netherlands, went a spotless 19-0 while playing mostly at the No. 2 singles spot in the Concordia lineup. As the wins piled up, Velders climbed as high as No. 13 in the NAIA singles rankings compiled by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Velders’ road to perfection is detailed at length HERE. Named a 2025 NAIA Second Team All-American, Velders posted a sparkling 38-2 singles record (29-11 in doubles) over his two seasons as a Bulldog.
Women’s Golf rewrites program record book
Head Coach Brett Muller’s women’s golf team put together one of the top seasons in program history. The 2025-26 squad now boasts school records for lowest 18-hole team score (320), lowest 36-hole tournament team score (336-322–658) and lowest single season average (335.9). The 18-hole and 36-hole standards were set back in the fall in action at the Mount Marty Invite (320 18-hole score) and Lila Frommelt Fall Classic (658 36-hole score). The main contributors to the school records were seniors Emery Custer and Maddie Lewis, sophomore Savannah McFalls and freshmen Olivia James and Amelia Ptacnik. Custer was the winner of the Siouxland Invite and led the team with an 80.9 season scoring average. While those records occurred in the fall, the Bulldogs also finished solidly by placing fourth in the GPAC.
Tennis teams march to GPAC title matches for second straight year
The rise of Concordia Tennis has been rapid under the direction of Head Coach Lisa Hart, who just completed her third season leading the men’s and women’s programs. Both teams reached the GPAC Championship Match in 2025 and did so again this spring. As No. 2 seeds in their respective brackets, the Concordia men and women both defeated Doane in the semifinals before falling at the hands of Morningside with a bid to the national tournament on the line. The men’s team broke a school record for wins in a single season (17) while the women were just shy of the standard set by the ’25 GPAC postseason championship team. The women made waves with a win over NAIA No. 19 William Woods.
Farritor, Hart make mark as young stars; Ganstrom hits for cycle
The offensive outburst for Concordia Softball was sparked, at least in part, by the emergence of young stars in sophomore DP Keira Farritor and freshman left fielder Mary Beth Hart. Farritor became the team’s most feared slugger as she hammered six home runs and led the team with a .609 slugging percentage. Meanwhile, Hart batted .401 and gave the team a consistent force at the top of the lineup. Plenty of others contributed to a team batting average of .339 (second best among GPAC teams). Farritor belted three home runs in a single game (at Mount Marty) and was the program’s first player to accomplish that feat since 2010. As for Hart, she was the program’s first freshman GPAC All-Conference first team selection since 2018. In her final collegiate season, Taryn Ganstrom earned Second Team All-GPAC honors (for a second year in a row). Ganstrom achieved a rare feat on April 22 when she hit for the cycle. She did so in reverse order: home run, triple, double and single.
Lifting teams post top 10 national placements across the board
In every single category for both powerlifting and weightlifting, the Bulldogs placed top 10 nationally on the team leaderboards. With the two national championships taking place simultaneously (April 9-12) in separate cities, Head Coach Freddie Myles traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, with weightlifting as powerlifting was staged in the New Orleans area. In the final powerlifting team standings, Concordia placed fifth on the women’s side (26 points) and sixth on the men’s side (29 points). In weightlifting, the Bulldogs placed third in the co-ed breakdown (168 points), fifth for men (135 points) and eighth for women (71 points). Myles’ programs came away with four All-America awards in both powerlifting and weightlifting.
Welker, Hinton cap senior seasons with national titles
In year four as a Bulldog, Katie Welker shined brightly. The Hamill, S.D., native starred at the 2026 ACUI National Championships in San Antonio, Texas, claiming national titles in women’s HOA doubles trap and women’s open doubles trap. She also placed third in women’s open doubles skeet and was named an All-American. Fellow senior Kaylee Hinton (Hiawatha, Kan.) captured the national title in women’s open skeet. Their efforts headlined the performances of 19 Bulldogs at the national championships, which saw Head Coach Dylan Owens’ squad place seventh.
Baseball makes seventh straight trip to NAIA Opening Round
Despite significant personnel departures after the 2025 season, Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s program continued its string of national tournament appearances. The 2026 Bulldogs finished at 38-18 overall and reached the NAIA Opening Round for the seventh straight year. Feel-good stories came about in the form of breakout seasons for the likes of First Team All-GPAC honorees Bronx Lewis and Jake Watson. Meanwhile, Alex Johnson earned GPAC Pitcher of the Year accolades for the second year in a row. Johnson and the pitching staff led the NAIA in strikeouts per nine innings (11.96). Concordia competed closely for GPAC titles while finishing second in the regular season and postseason. Dupic eclipsed 400 wins (403-209-1) during postseason play. Each of the past six Bulldog teams have won at least 38 games.
Six Bulldogs complete track season by earning All-America honors
Six Bulldogs emerged from the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships with All-America awards. The honorees included Emry Gutz (fifth in javelin), Jonny Jurchen (sixth in race walk), Kayla Kirchner (sixth in 4x4 relay), Tayden Kirchner (sixth in 4x4 relay), Adysen McCarter (fifth in triple jump; sixth in 4x4 relay) and Adrianna Rodencal (first in 100 hurdles; second in 400 hurdles; sixth in 4x4 relay). Kayla and Tayden had the honor of garnering All-America awards as sisters on the same 4x4 relay. Notably, Jurchen took home All-America medals in the indoor and outdoor race walk in 2026.
SEASON SUMMARIES
Baseball
2026 record: 38-18 overall, 22-6 GPAC (2nd); GPAC tournament runner up
Top performer: Five different Bulldogs earned GPAC All-Conference awards. Grad student Alex Johnson starred as the GPAC Pitcher of the Year for the second straight season. He went 8-2 with a 3.88 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 67.1 innings. Offensively, Bronx Lewis led the way with 25 home runs (second most in the NAIA) while slashing .342 BA / .496 OBP / .826 SLG in a breakout campaign. He recorded five outfield assists as a center fielder and right fielder.
Season highlights: The beat goes on for Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s program, which absorbed significant personnel departures from the 2025 roster (including position player stars Brad Hallock, Ty Nekoliczak, Jaidan Quinn and Matt Rhoades). In their absence, new standouts such as Bronx Lewis, Jake Watson and Luke Wilson emerged, and Jaeden Jordahl remained rock solid while making the shift to second base. Meanwhile, the pitching staff was headlined by the likes of Alex Johnson, Micah Sweeton, Caden Bugarske, Warren Rose and Trent Schlim. The pitching staff paced the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (11.96) and broke the school record for strikeouts in a season (561). Johnson became the program’s all-time strikeout king (320 career K’s). Arguably owner of the best pitching staff in the GPAC, the Bulldogs displayed balance and were boosted by an offense that averaged 7.38 runs per game. For the seventh straight season, Concordia reached the national tournament. The best stretch of play came in the middle of conference play when the Bulldogs won 12 of 13 GPAC games. At the NAIA Opening Round in Salina, Kan., Concordia went 1-2 with a win over Our Lady of the Lake University (Texas) and two one-run defeats at the hands of site host and ninth-ranked Kansas Wesleyan University. Over the past six seasons, Dupic’s squads have averaged 40.5 wins per game. The Bulldogs have graduated a strong senior class, but they have come to expect to play at the national tournament each season.
GPAC All-Conference: Alex Johnson (Pitcher of the Year; First Team); Bronx Lewis (First Team); Warren Rose (First Team); Jake Watson (First Team); Luke Wilson (First Team); Caden Bugarske (Second Team); Sam Bespoyasny (Honorable Mention); Carson Burnett (Honorable Mention); Jaeden Jordahl (Honorable Mention); Trent Schlim (Honorable Mention).
NAIA All-American: Bronx Lewis (Third Team).
Golf
2025-26 men’s GPAC finish: 11th (325-324-322–971 | +107)
2025-26 women’s GPAC finish: 4th (353-344-335–1,032 | +156)
Top performers: The highest accolades went to senior Emery Custer, who earned First Team All-GPAC recognition for the second year in a row. The Broken Bow, Neb., native won the Siouxland Invite back in the fall and placed sixth or better at six tournaments throughout the 2025-26 season. Her scoring average of 80.9 paced the team. On the men’s side, senior Jake Richmond produced the team’s best scoring average (77.0) while freshman Calvin Zabloudil led the team at the GPAC Championships (tied for 25th).
Season highlights:
Men
The conclusion – an 11th place finish at the GPAC Championships – did not go as hoped, but there were bright spots along the way in 2025-26. The Bulldogs etched their names into the school record book at the Doane Spring Invite with a school record for lowest 18-hole team score. Concordia shot 278 (-2) on day two of the event on March 18. The top individual contributors to that total wereseniors Jake Richmond (-3; 67) and Brock Rogers (-2; 68) and freshman Calvin Zabloudil (-1; 69). By season’s end, Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad posted an average score of 314.6. Zabloudil and freshmen such as Tyler Weismann and Logan Krabbenhoft made an immediate impact, providing optimism heading into 2026-27.
Women
Based on scoring average, the 2025-26 Bulldogs were the best in school history. They wound up breaking school records for lowest 18-hole team score (320), lowest 36-hole tournament team score (336-322–658) and lowest single season average (335.9). Four Concordia players turned in season averages below 87: seniors Emery Custer (80.9) and Maddie Lewis (83.7), sophomore Savannah McFalls (84.4) and freshman Olivia James (86.9). During the fall season, the Bulldogs placed second in each of their first four tournaments. Custer shot 77-78–155 to win the Siouxland Invite back in September. At the GPAC Championships, Concordia placed fourth, marking the program’s highest conference finish since it landed third in 2021. Custer plans to serve as the graduate assistant on Muller’s staff in 2026-27 while Lewis has an option to use a final season of eligibility.
GPAC All-Conference:Emery Custer (First Team); Maddie Lewis (Honorable Mention); Savannah McFalls (Honorable Mention).
Shooting Sports
2025-26 conference finish:4th (Prairie Circuit Conference Championships)
2025-26 ACUI national finish: 7th (out of 12 in Division 2)
Top performers: Katie Welker put together a sparkling senior season that was capped with her winning national titles for women’s HOA doubles trap and women’s open doubles trap in San Antonio, Texas. Welker was named an All-American for her efforts. Devin Harris produced the team’s top overall score (555/600) at the national championships and also garnered All-America honors.
Season highlights: Seventeen Bulldogs represented the program at the 2026 ACUI National Championships held in San Antonio, Texas, May 17-21. Senior Katie Welker captured national titles in women’s HOA doubles trap and women’s open doubles trap and placed third in women’s open doubles skeet. Another senior took home a national title as Kaylee Hinton rose to the top of the leaderboard in women’s open skeet. Both Welker and Devin Harris earned All-America status. The stellar senior year for Welker included overall titles at the Midland Invite and Southeast Community College Invite. Welker was the women’s HOA conference runner up and was chosen to the Prairie Circuit All-Conference team back in the fall. In addition to collecting an All-America honor, Harris won the HOA individual title at the Southeast CC Invite on the men’s side. Head Coach Dylan Owens’ Bulldogs wound up with place finishes of fourth at the Prairie Circuit Conference Championships and seventh (Division 2) at the National Championships. Concordia’s top HOA shooters at the national competition were Harris (555), Welker (544), Jerry Kaibel (515), Hinton (509), Delayna Rife (502) and Sam Blevins (501). Blevins continued to compete while serving as a graduate assistant. As part of their home shoot, the Bulldogs honored three seniors: Hinton, Welker and Paige Roiger. Welker plans to return in 2026-27 as a master’s student.
National Qualifiers: Samuel Blevins; Cody Carlson; Ella Cowan; Hannah Dean; Colby Gaines; Clayton Gellerman; Devin Harris; Brianna Helsene; Kaylee Hinton; Jerry Kaibel; Jaggar Luetje; Mackenzie Owens; Delayna Rife; Faith Ritchie; Lane Schoff; Cael Washburn; Katie Welker.
Softball
2025 record: 23-20-1 overall, 11-10 GPAC (6th)
Top performer: Two underclassmen earned First Team All-GPAC awards: sophomore Keira Farritor and freshman Mary Beth Hart. The two standouts were mainstays in the lineup. Farritor led the team in home runs (six), slugging percentage (.609) and RBIs (32). Meanwhile, Hart batted an impressive .401 and tallied 65 hits, 38 runs and 22 stolen bases in her first collegiate season.
Season highlights: From a results standpoint, the season was a bit of a rollercoaster. Concordia never won more than four games in a row and never dropped more than three in succession. Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad seemed to be at its best at the end of the season as it posted three straight run-rule victories in the final week of the regular season and then played tight with national qualifiers Dordt and Morningside in the GPAC tournament. Offensively, the Bulldogs made major gains from the previous season and averaged 5.43 runs per game while hitting .339 (second best in the GPAC). Concordia also ranked second in the league in fielding percentage (.961). In memorable individual achievements, Keira Farritor slugged three home runs in the game two win at Mount Marty on April 8 and Taryn Ganstrom hit for the cycle in the game two win over Doane on April 22. The team also turned a triple play early in the season at Kansas Wesleyan. Ganstrom and Aubriana Krieser eclipsed 100 career hits during the campaign. Breakout seasons were also enjoyed by the likes of Kaylei Denison, Laycee Josoff and Tobi Topp. Denison took over the role of staff ace and logged 155.1 innings. Concordia graduated seven seniors, but the roster appears set for a strong 2027 season.
GPAC All-Conference:Keira Farritor (First Team); Mary Beth Hart (First Team); Kaylei Denison (Second Team); Taryn Ganstrom (Second Team); Tobi Topp (Second Team); Laycee Josoff (Honorable Mention); Aubriana Krieser (Honorable Mention); Grace Maguire (Honorable Mention); Avery O’Boyle (Honorable Mention); Grace Zaugg (Honorable Mention).
Tennis
2025-26 men’s record: 17-4 overall, 4-1 GPAC (2nd); GPAC tournament runner up
2025-26 women’s record: 16-6 overall, 6-1 GPAC (2nd); GPAC tournament runner up
Top performers: From an honors and awards perspective, seniors Mariana Molano and Nick Velders were the most decorated players on the 2025-26 rosters. Molano broke a school record for career singles wins (50) and garnered GPAC All-Conference honors for the fourth straight season. On the men’s side, Velders went a spotless 19-0 in singles play and rose as high as No. 13 in the ITA’s NAIA singles rankings. Both stars graduated in May.
Season highlights:
Men
The Bulldogs rattled off eight straight wins to begin the season on their way to breaking the school record for victories with 17. Head Coach Lisa Hart’s squad placed second in both the regular season and postseason. In making a bid for a GPAC tournament title and national tournament berth, Concordia defeated Doane, 4-0, in the conference semifinals before falling at the hands of No. 14 Morningside, 4-0, in the title match. The All-American Nick Velders tied his own program record for singles wins in a single season while Santiago Abadia equaled a school record for career doubles wins (44). In addition to Velders going 19-0 in singles, Daniel Caballeros and Leo Lopez both went 16-3 while Hugo Fuentes again held down the No. 1 spot in the lineup. The Bulldogs broke new ground by earning votes in the NAIA coaches’ poll early in the season. Concordia will be tasked with replacing Abadia, Fuentes and Velders heading into next season.
Women
A year after winning the GPAC tournament title, the Concordia women returned to the championship match and lost to arch nemesis and 16th-ranked Morningside, 4-1. The Bulldog built off their success from 2024-25 and won 16 matches (one shy of the school record) thanks to a deep lineup. At No. 1, senior Mariana Molano broke the career singles wins record, pushing her total to 50 by season’s end. All six of Concordia’s lineup regulars won at least 12 singles matches, led by 15 from Nina Milic (who typically played at No. 6). Hart’s team moved up to second in the GPAC regular season standings while going 6-1 in league play. A significant moment for the program occurred on March 21 when the Bulldogs took down NAIA No. 19 William Woods University (Mo.), 4-2. Next year’s team will have to replace senior stalwarts such as Molano and Alana Lopez Pagan.
GPAC All-Conference:
-MEN – Daniel Caballeros (Singles / Doubles); Ben Chisholm (Singles / HM Doubles); Hugo Fuentes (Singles / Doubles); Ongjen Gajic (Singles / HM Doubles); Leo Lopez (Singles / Doubles); Nick Velders (Singles / Doubles).
-WOMEN – Chakira Derman (Singles / Doubles); Ishane Derman (Singles / HM Doubles); Alana Lopez Pagan (HM Singles / Doubles); Nina Milic (Singles); Mariana Molano (Singles / HM Doubles); Alexa Richert (Singles).
NAIA All-American: Nick Velders (Third Team).
Outdoor Track and Field
2026 women’s finishes: 3rd in GPAC, T-7th in NAIA
2026 men’s finishes: 5th in GPAC, T-37th in NAIA
Top performers:Senior Adrianna Rodencal grabbed the spotlight with her consistent excellence throughout the outdoor season. She capped her career by winning the 100-meter hurdles national title and by placing as the NAIA’s runner up in the 400-meter hurdles. She was named an NAIA National Athlete of the Week three times this spring. On the men’s side, Emry Gutz and Jonny Jurchen won GPAC titles and went on to reach the All-America podium.
Season highlights:
Women
Led by Adrianna Rodencal, the Concordia women produced place finishes of third in the GPAC and seventh at the NAIA National Championships (highest among GPAC teams). While Rodencal deservedly grabbed many headlines, the Bulldogs excelled in many event areas. Twenty-five Concordia athletes collected all-conference medals and Rodencal was joined with All-America accolades by Kayla Kirchner, Tayden Kirchner and Adysen McCarter. This outdoor season, school records were broken by Rodencal (100 hurdles, 13.04, and 400 hurdles, 57.98), McCarter (triple jump, 39’ 6 ½”), Makenna Starkey (high jump, 5’ 7”), the 4x1 relay (46.72) and the 4x4 relay (3:47.14). Rodencal made sure to go out in style by winning the 100-meter hurdles title and by taking second in the 400-meter hurdles. Nine Bulldog women’s athletes competed at the national meet. Like the men’s team, the women’s squad was affected by a tragedy that occurred during spring break (more on that below).
Men
Depth was a strength as 24 men’s athletes earned all-conference awards, yielding a fifth-place conference finish. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s Bulldogs went on to place in a tie for 37th at the NAIA Outdoor Championships behind All-Americans Emry Gutz (javelin) and Jonny Jurchen (race walk). Gutz and Jurchen were also GPAC champions, along with Trey Roberston in the steeplechase. As just a freshman, Avery Eaves equaled the school record in the 100-meter dash (10.60). At the conference meet, Jurchen broke his own meet record in the 5,000-meter race walk (21:34.19). The team’s national qualifying field included 10 athletes. In additional highlights in Asheville, N.C. (site of the national meet), the men’s 4x8 relay ran a season best time and Nathan Baldwin just missed All-America honors in both the hammer and discus (ninth in both). In a feel-good moment, Hayden Kluthe returned to action after having been a passenger in the car accident (over spring break) that resulted in the loss of teammate Matthew Wing and the hospitalization of another teammate (Noah Ramirez) with serious injuries. Kluthe and his fellow Bulldogs rallied together to help each other cope with the tragedy.
GPAC All-Conference:View complete list HERE.
NAIA All-Americans:Emry Gutz (javelin); Jonny Jurchen (race walk); Kayla Kirchner (4x400m relay); Tayden Kirchner (4x400m relay); Adysen McCarter (triple jump; 4x400m relay); Adrianna Rodencal (100m hurdles-1st; 400m hurdles-2nd; 4x400m relay).
Powerlifting / Weightlifting
2026 Powerlifting nationals finishes: 5th-women; 6th-men
2026 Weightlifting nationals finishes: 3rd-co-ed; 5th-men; 8th-women
Top performers: Based on performances at the national championships, Concordia’s top lifters were national champion Kaiden Mima in weightlifting and national runners up Taylor Hedke and Will Peterson in powerlifting. Mima reset the American University record book (across all categories) in the 60 kg class with lifts of 107 kg in snatch and 137 kg in clean & jerk for a total of 244 kg. Impressively, Hedke earned All-America honors in powerlifting and weightlifting in competitions that took place on back-to-back days.
Season Highlights:
Powerlifting
Head Coach Freddie Myles’ programs keep ascending to greater heights. From a team perspective, Bulldog Powerlifting earned national place finishes of fifth (26 points) on the women’s side and sixth (29 points) on the men’s side after action that took place in the New Orleans area. The All-Americans were Taylor Hedke (second), Will Peterson (second), Teya Badger (third) and Wyatt Hosick (fourth) – Dax Davis was also a fourth place finisher. The women brought home a team banner for the second year in a row. In total, there were 19 Bulldogs who competed in New Orleans. Among other highlights of the season, Leo Guiza broke the school DOTs points record, Peterson one a junior division title at the Nebraska State Meet and the program hosted its own meet in early October. Four total competitions took place throughout the 2025-26 academic year, the fourth year of competition for Concordia Lifting Sports.
Weightlifting
In addition to Kaiden Mima winning the 60 kg national title, All-America honors were claimed by Evan Fukuhara (second), Taylor Hedke (fourth) and Enzo Mancini (fourth). Their efforts paved the way for the Bulldogs to achieve team placements of third in the co-ed breakdown (168 points), fifth for men (135 points) and eighth for women (71 points). Thirteen Concordia lifters made the trip to the national meet in Salt Lake City, Utah. As part of a stellar season, Mima also won a championship at the Virus Weightlifting Finals. At the home competition hosted by the Bulldogs in February, Hedke and Mancini emerged with Best Lifter awards. Back in October, Myles was honored as the 2025 Iowa-Nebraska Weightlifting State Organization Coach of the Year. The team competed in four meets during the 2025-26 year and now looks ahead to year five of the program’s existence.
2026 National Qualifiers:
Powerlifting: Luis Alarcon; Teya Badger; Rylee Bentz; Talisa Buhr; Evyn Carpenter; Dax Davis; Taylor Gniot; Leo Guiza; Taylor Hedke; Wyatt Hosick; Nolan Hyde; Abigail Lockingen; Quentin Nelson; Givanna Nuyen; Nevaeh Osterbauer; Will Peterson; Hunter Powers; Garrett Reimche; Katie Wilson.
Weightlifting: Davontai Bell; Harley Jane Carter; Michael Davidge; Evan Fukuhara; Chloe Gaspar; Nolan Graupmann; Taylor Hedke; Adrian Hernandez; Gracy Johnson; Enzo Mancini; Kaiden Mima; Abby Nelson; Marcus Sweet.