The fall of 2022 for Concordia Athletics included a GPAC men's soccer tournament title, the highest ranking in volleyball program history and a women's cross country nationals appearance, among other highlights.
TOP MOMENT – fall 2022
Men’s Soccer rallies to win GPAC tournament championship
They didn’t make it easy on themselves – or on their fans. In the GPAC tournament championship game at Hastings on Nov. 11, the Bulldogs fell behind by a 2-0 score at halftime. Concordia had already secured an automatic bid to the national tournament, but it wasn’t satisfied with finishing in second place. Head Coach Jason Weides’ squad managed to tie the game, 2-2, thanks to a 52nd-minute goal from Adrian Wambua and a penalty kick goal from Carlos Orquiz in the 84th minute. Still tied after 110 minutes of action, the outcome came down to PK’s. Successful PK’s were delivered by Victor Meneses, Joao Pedro Verissimo, Carlos Orquiz and Matt Schultz. Keeper Federico Simonetti made the game clinching PK save on Hastings’ fourth attempt, setting off a wild celebration near the Concordia fan section. The result marked Concordia’s first GPAC tournament championship since 2015.
“We talked at halftime that our gameplan was working, right, we’re down 2-0 – it’s exactly what we wanted,” Weides joked afterwards. “No, of course it was not the position we wanted. Hastings is a good team and they’re going to challenge you. Our guys were ready for the challenge, we just weren’t great in a couple moments where they scored. When we talked it halftime, we said it was only us in this room that believe we can come back – and our supporters too. You could see it in the faces of every single guy on the team. We had the opportunity if we just believed in it, and we did. I’m just so proud of these guys. Not everybody can come back from a 2-0 deficit at halftime and win.” The ’22 team finished at 15-3-3 overall as arguably the greatest side in program history. Along the way, Concordia dropped only one conference game, went undefeated at home (9-0-1) and put together a 12-game unbeaten streak (9-0-3) before the NAIA National Championship first round loss to ninth-ranked Keiser University (Fla.).
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Volleyball ascends to No. 4 national ranking
Entering the 2022 season, Concordia Volleyball had been ranked as high as No. 6 in the history of the program. The ’22 team was able to set a new standard this fall by leaping to No. 4 with the release of the NAIA coaches’ poll on Nov. 9. Throughout another of the greatest seasons in school history, the Bulldogs lived inside the top 10 of the poll. The national respect was a continuation of the program’s rise to elite status during the coaching tenures of Ben and Angie Boldt. The achievements this season included a 25-6 overall record, an appearance in the GPAC tournament championship match and a fourth-straight trip to the final site of the national tournament. Leading the way, Camryn Opfer and Gabi Nordaker were named First Team All-GPAC.
Said Ben Boldt immediately following the elimination loss to No. 13 Park University (Mo.), “One of our first team mottos was ‘champions behave like champions before they become champions.’ This team – they’re champions. That was our message after the match. They’ve become who we want this program to be. At the end of the day, there’s one champion that’s going to be crowned, but it’s about who you are along the way. We love our team. It’s tough not to get your goals, but I think we can look back and say that we played for each other, put the work in and have no regrets.”
Women’s Cross Country earns bid to national meet
There were some anxious moments in relation to whether the Bulldogs would get a bid, but they received confirmation on Nov. 8. The Concordia women earned one of the very last at-large invitations to the 2022 NAIA Cross Country National Championships. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squad had jumped up to as high as No. 17 in the national poll earlier in the fall while following the lead of the likes of Kylahn Freiberg, Rylee Haecker and Julie McIntyre. Those three runners garnered all-conference honors along with Camden Sesna and Calvin Rohde on the men’s side. Both teams placed inside the top three of the conference. The women’s team went on to place 27th at the NAIA national meet as Freiberg paced her side with a 69th-place individual claim. Sesna also qualified for nationals individually in a strong finish to his collegiate cross country career.
Women’s Soccer upsets No. 25 Benedictine as part of 6-0 start
Spearheaded by First Team All-GPAC center back Grace Soenksen, Concordia Women’s Soccer made a splash in September with a 6-0 start. The most thrilling part of the run occurred on Sept. 10 when the Bulldogs accomplished something no other squad had in program history – they beat perennial national qualifier Benedictine College (Kan.). The Ravens were ranked 25th in the NAIA at the time and had not been used to being defeated at home. Concordia managed to upset Benedictine with the help of freshman Kierstynn Garner’s goal in the 58th minute. The Bulldogs owned a record of 6-0-2 after eight games, marking the longest unbeaten run to begin a season since the program inaugurated in 1996.
Koehlmoos, McGarvie rewrite Concordia Football record books
Head Coach Patrick Daberkow and his staff made a tweak at halftime of game No. 4 that completely flipped the fortunes of the team’s offense. The Bulldogs put an emphasis on accentuating their strengths, which meant a whole lot of quarterback DJ McGarvie throwing the football to receiver Korrell Koehlmoos. In his second year as a starting quarterback, McGarvie broke a 21-year-old school record for passing yards in a single season formerly held by Jarrod Pimentel (2,178). In 10 games, the Lincoln North Star High School product piled up 2,553 passing yards while also breaking season standards for completions (229) and attempts (388). With two years to go, McGarvie already owns school career rankings of fourth in passing touchdowns and fifth in passing yards (4,037). A native of Pilger, Neb., and a First Team All-GPAC honoree, Koehlmoos put together the best statistical season ever by a Concordia receiver. He eclipsed program single season standards in every major category: receptions (95), receiving yards (1,024) and receiving touchdowns (12). He also rose to the top of the charts in career receptions (221) and career receiving yards (2,894). The career records Koehlmoos broke were previously held by Ross Wurdeman in receptions (168) and Jared Garcia in receiving yards (2,495). Koehlmoos became the first player in school history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a season.
Lifting Sports rings in inaugural season
Competition is officially underway for Concordia Lifting Sports under the direction of Head Coach Freddie Myles. The program is broken into two categories – powerlifting and weightlifting. The weightlifting athletes made history with the program’s first-ever competition when it competed at the Kansas Open hosted by MidAmerica Nazarene University on Sept. 10. Powerlifting then got started with the Midland Warrior Open on Oct. 8. Check out the links below for recaps on each of the first four outings for the Bulldogs. A major highlight of the most recent event, the Midwest Regionals hosted by William Jewell University, was a first-place claim by Rylee Ladd in the 52 kg weight class.
--Kansas Open | WL (Sept. 10)
--Midland Warrior Open | PL (Oct. 8)
--Midwest Regionals | WL (Nov. 5)
--Midwest Regionals | PL (Nov. 19)
Orquiz sets new standards in fifth season as a Bulldog
There’s no doubt in Carlos Orquiz’s mind that he made the right decision in returning for a fifth season with the Concordia Men’s Soccer program. The awards have been plentiful this postseason for Orquiz, who has been named First Team All-GPAC, NAIA All-Central Region (United Soccer Coaches), Academic All-District (College Sports Communicators) and an NAIA Scholar-Athlete. This fall, Orquiz enjoyed his best season yet in racking up six goals and 12 assists (24 points) while starting all 21 games in the midfield. Orquiz broke the program’s single season record for assists and also set new career standards for assists (21) and games played (89).
Men’s Golf breaks school records at UC Ferguson Classic
Two men’s golf program records fell during the weekend of Aug. 29-30 when the Bulldogs competed at the UC Ferguson Classic in Oklahoma City, Okla. The Bulldogs reset school standards for lowest single-round score (283) and lowest two-round tournament score (283-284–567) while playing Lincoln Park West Golf Course in Oklahoma City. The previous school standard for a two-round tournament score had been 583 accomplished by the 2017-18 and 2021-22 teams. That record was shattered as both Drew D’Ercole (68 on day two) and freshman Jake Richmond (69 on day one) cracked the 60s in one of their two rounds. The most veteran golfer on the roster, D’Ercole led the way overall by shooting a two-round total of 71-68–139 for a three-under-par. He placed in a tie for 23rd out of 102 golfers in the UC Ferguson field. Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad averaged a team score of 293.8 during the fall, a figure that would also be a school record if it holds up through the spring of 2023.
Muff, Welker shoot perfect trap scores in paving way for school record
In year one as a collegiate head coach, Dylan Owens led his squad to a record-breaking performance as part of the Midland Warrior Open, held Sept. 17-18 at Lincoln Trap & Skeet. Freshmen Tanner Muff and Katie Welker popped all 100 targets in trap as part of the event and Concordia shot a trap team score of 497. While Muff and Welker were perfect, three Bulldogs shot 99 in trap: Ames Andelt, Sam Blevins and Wayne Moore. The previous trap school record had been 491 set during the 2021-22 season. Owens has helped the Concordia Shooting Sports program transition smoothly after the passing of former head coach Scott Moniot in November 2021. The fall slate included seven events for the Bulldogs, who placed third in the conference (Prairie Circuit Conference Championships).
CROSS COUNTRY
2022 GPAC Finishes: Men 2nd; Women 3rd
2022 NAIA National Championship Finish: 27th (women)
Head Coach: Matt Beisel, 7th season
All-GPAC: Kylahn Freiberg; Rylee Haecker; Julie McIntyre; Calvin Rohde; Camden Sesna.
Season Summary: Things came together for the cross country teams to enjoy strong seasons on the men’s and women’s sides. Head Coach Matt Beisel led the Bulldogs to GPAC finishes of second for the men and third for the women. While ranked in the NAIA top 25 for most of the fall, the women’s team earned an at-large bid to the national meet in Tallahassee, Fla., where Concordia placed 27th. The journey throughout the fall included five regular season meets prior to the GPAC Championships. The women won the Dean White Invite and placed within the top four at five meets in 2022. Meanwhile, the men placed in the top three of four meets. GPAC all-conference honors were earned by Kylahn Freiberg (eighth place), Rylee Haecker (15th place), Julie McIntyre (14th place), Calvin Rohde (14th place) and Camden Sesna (fifth place). Freiberg then paced the Bulldogs at the NAIA National Championships by completing the 5k race in 18:34.7. Throughout the season, both Freiberg and Sesna were twice honored with GPAC Runner of the Week awards. Sesna wrapped up his cross country career with an individual berth to the national meet.
FOOTBALL
2022 Record: 4-6 overall, 4-6 GPAC (T-6th)
Head Coach: Patrick Daberkow, 6th season
All-GPAC: Michael Grindey (First Team); Korrell Koehlmoos (First Team); Kaden Peters (Second Team); Devon Polley (Second Team); Kam Baker (Honorable Mention); Isiaha Conner (Honorable Mention); Luke Lang (Honorable Mention); DJ McGarvie (Honorable Mention).
Season Summary: An in-season offensive overhaul gave the Bulldogs a boost after an 0-3 start to the 2022 season. Concordia went on to claim wins over Dakota Wesleyan, Jamestown, Mount Marty and Briar Cliff and finish the campaign at 4-6 overall (tied for sixth in the GPAC). Head Coach Patrick Daberkow’s squad became one of the more exciting offensive outfits in the conference as quarterback DJ McGarvie and receiver Korrell Koehlmoos regularly teamed up for big plays. With McGarvie’s emergence, the Bulldogs broke program single season records for average total offense per game (407.5) and passing yards per game (281.7). McGarvie threw for 458 yards versus Dordt in a school record performance for a single game. Appropriately, Koehlmoos was named First Team All-GPAC after he set new school single season standards for receptions (95), receiving yards (1,024) and receiving touchdowns (12). First team accolades also went to leading tackler Michael Grindey. Meanwhile, offensive lineman Kaden Peters and defensive lineman Devon Polley landed on the second team and Kam Baker, Isiaha Conner, Luke Lang and McGarvie collected honorable mention awards. McGarvie broke school season passing records for yards (2,553), completions (229) and attempts (388).
GOLF
GPAC Standing: Conference championships held in spring 2023
Head Coach: Brett Muller, 12th season
Season Summary: Both the men’s and women’s teams competed in five official varsity tournaments during the fall portion of the 2022-23 season. On the men’s side, Head Coach Brett Muller has never had such depth of talent throughout the lineup. Led by the likes of Drew D’Ercole and Ivan Yabut, the Bulldogs averaged a team score of 293.8 during 10 fall rounds. That number would shatter the current school record of 305.1 set by the 2021-22 team. Some individual highlights from the fall included place finishes of second by Jake Hagerbaumer at the Nebraska Intercollegiate, fifth by D’Ercole at the Nebraska Intercollegiate and fifth at the Blue River Classic by Jacob Woodmancy. On the women’s side, Concordia has averaged a team score of 352.8 through nine rounds as the returners have improved across the board in helping pick up the slack after the graduation of four-time all-conference star Kendra Placke. Lauren Havlat has stepped into the No. 1 spot in the lineup and earned two top 10 tournament finishes during the fall. Havlat, Emery Custer and Mya Nurse have each averaged scores in the 80s. The team placed third at both the Nebraska Wesleyan Fall Invite and the Nebraska Intercollegiate. Play will resume in the spring of 2023 for both the men and women.
GPAC Championships:
Men – April 24-25, 2023 (Beatrice CC – Beatrice, Neb.)
Women – May 1-2, 2003 (The Bluffs GC – Vermillion, S.D.)
NAIA Championships:
Men – May 16-19, 2023 (Las Sendas Golf Club – Mesa, Ariz.)
Women – May 23-26, 2023 (TPC Deere Run – Silvis, Ill.)
LIFTING SPORTS
2022 Fall Competitions: Kansas Open (WL – Sept. 10); Midland Warrior Open (PL – Oct. 8); Midwest Regionals (WL – Nov. 5); Midwest Regionals (PL – Nov. 19).
Head Coach: Freddie Myles, 1st season
Season Summary: The inaugural season for Concordia Lifting Sports is underway as Head Coach Freddie Myles led the Bulldogs into four combined competitions during the fall semester. The program is separated into two different areas of focus: weightlifting and powerlifting. The weightlifting team got things started on Sept. 10 at the Kansas Open Championships in Olathe, Kan., where all seven Bulldogs earned medals. Mary Berris, Emily Guter, Kayleigh Maloney and Mitch Meyers all placed first in their respective weight classes. At the Midwest Regional competition on Nov. 5, four Concordia athletes qualified for nationals and Berris claimed another championship. Weightlifting competitions feature snatch and clean and jerk lifts. Powerlifting took to competition on Oct. 8 at the Warrior Collegiate Open hosted by Midland. Among the highlights of that first outing, Rylee Ladd beat out Midland’s Ashley Lopez (305 – 260 kg) in the 56 kg women’s class. In the men’s 75kg class, Hunter Powers (522.5) outlifted two of his teammates and placed second out of five athletes. The team’s number of national qualifiers grew to five after the Midwest Regionals in Liberty, Mo., on Nov. 19. Medals were collected by Ladd (first), Pryce Ostermeier (second), Rylee Kara (third) and Hunter Powers (third). Powerlifting competitions include bench, squad and dead lifts. Both teams will pick up action again during the second semester.
SHOOTING SPORTS
Conference Finish: 3rd (Prairie Circuit Classic)
Head Coach: Dylan Owens, 1st season
All-Conference: Claire Kee; Breyer Meeks; Kaylee Hinton (freshman); Tanner Muff (freshman); Angeline Wolfert (freshman); Katie Welker (freshman).
Season Summary: Dylan Owens is in the midst of his debut season as head coach of the Bulldogs, who competed in seven events during the fall of 2022. Most notably, the team placed second at both the Midland Warrior Open and Fort Hays State Intercollegiate Shoot. In early October, the program hosted its seventh annual Concordia Sporting Invitational and placed fourth at the event. As part of the Warrior Open, Concordia shot 497 (out of 500) in trap and broke the previous school record of 491. Tanner Muff and Katie Welker both shot perfect 100s in trap. Back in late September, the Bulldogs placed third at the Prairie Circuit Conference Championships as Concordia shot a team score of 1,846. Six Bulldogs emerged from the conference championships with all-conference awards: Kaylee Hinton (all-conference freshman), Claire Kee (all-conference female), Breyer Meeks (all-conference male), Tanner Muff (all-conference freshman), Katie Welker (all-conference freshman) and Angeline Wolfert (HOA freshman female/all-conference freshman). Finally, at the NCSSAA North Central Qualifier, Concordia placed fifth out of 18 teams. By the close of the fall, 18 Bulldogs were fully qualified for the national championships. Owens’ Bulldogs will have the Doane Invitational this coming March as a pre-cursor to the NCSSAA National Championships in mid-March.
NCSSAA National Championships: March 13-19 (Las Vegas, Nev.)
MEN’S SOCCER
2022 Record: 15-3-3, 8-1-2 GPAC (2nd); GPAC tournament champions
Head Coach: Jason Weides, 15th season
All-GPAC: Dominic Abdel-Ahad (First Team); Max Bisinger (First Team); Carlos Orquiz (First Team); Martin Herrera (Second Team); Matt Schultz (Second Team); Isaiah Shaddick (Second Team); Ryan Wokutch (Second Team); Gabriel Mendoza (Honorable Mention).
All-American: Max Bisinger (Honorable Mention).
Season Summary: It was literally a banner season for the Bulldogs, who celebrated an unforgettable night on Nov. 11 by winning the GPAC tournament championship at No. 23 Hastings. By any measure, the 2022 season was one of the best in program history as Head Coach Jason Weides guided the team to an overall record of 15-3-3 and a second-place conference finish during the regular season. From late September through mid-November, Concordia went on a 12-game unbeaten streak (9-0-3) and finished the campaign with a 9-0-1 home record. As part of the conference tournament, the Bulldogs also defeated Briar Cliff and Dordt at home. Over the season’s 21 games, Concordia outscored its opponents, 51-21. Ultimately, the season ended with a 3-0 loss to defending national champion Keiser (Fla.) in the first round of the NAIA national tournament. Eight Bulldogs were rewarded with all-conference accolades, including first team selections Dominic Abdel-Ahad, Max Bisinger and Carlos Orquiz. Second team honors were pulled in by Martin Herrera, Matt Schultz, Isaiah Shaddick and Ryan Wokutch while Gabriel Mendoza garnered honorable mention status. Abdel-Ahad paced the team with 12 goals. Additionally, Orquiz notched six goals and a school record 12 assists. Orquiz also broke the program record for career assists (21).
WOMEN’S SOCCER
2022 Record: 10-6-2 overall, 5-5-2 GPAC (7th)
Head Coach: Thomas Goines, 3rd season
All-GPAC: Grace Soenksen (First Team); Kierstynn Garner (Second Team); Ellie Eason (Honorable Mention).
Season Summary: The 11th season in program history with at least 10 wins unfolded in 2022 as Head Coach Thomas Goines combined a unique blend of seniors and freshmen in his starting 11. The Bulldogs blazed to a 6-0 start that featured a 1-0 win at No. 25 Benedictine (Kan.) before navigating some bumps in the road in the middle of the season. Concordia locked up a spot in the GPAC tournament with victories over Presentation and Doane to close the regular season before pushing the GPAC’s No. 2 seed, Briar Cliff, to overtime in what amounted to a 3-1 conference quarterfinal defeat. The overall season record was 10-6-2. Three Bulldogs were named to the All-GPAC team: Grace Soenksen (first team), Kierstynn Garner (second team) and Ellie Eason (honorable mention). The Lincoln Lutheran alum Soenksen garnered first team all-conference honors three times in her impressive career at center back. As for Garner, she paced the team with eight goals as a freshman. The freshman class accounted for 18 of the team’s 33 goals on the season. The opposition was limited to 18 goals over the course of the 18-game schedule. The program will have a new head coach in 2023 after Goines moved on to another role outside of college coaching.
VOLLEYBALL
2022 Record: 25-6 overall, 12-4 GPAC (3rd); GPAC tournament runner up
Head Coach: Ben Boldt, 5th season
All-GPAC: Gabi Nordaker (First Team); Camryn Opfer (First Team); Bree Burtwistle (Second Team); Carly Rodaway (Second Team); Rebecca Gebhardt (Honorable Mention); Ashley Keck (Honorable Mention; Freshman of the Year).
Season Summary: The 2022 season represented another of the greatest in the program’s history. Coaches Ben and Angie Boldt guided the Bulldogs to an overall record of 25-6 and a fourth-straight trip to the final site of the NAIA National Championship. Additional accomplishments included the program’s highest ever national ranking of No. 4, 13 wins over teams that qualified for the national tournament and an appearance in the GPAC tournament championship match. The route to the finals of the GPAC tournament featured wins over No. 12 College of Saint Mary and over archrival and third-ranked Midland. Concordia then defeated Florida College and Hastings in national tournament play before being eliminated by 13th-ranked Park University (Mo.). The Bulldogs succeeded in 2022 while using a balanced roster led by First Team All-GPAC honorees in Camryn Opfer and Gabi Nordaker. The Seward native Opfer completed four collegiate seasons with career totals of 1,268 kills and 1,340 digs, figures that both rank No. 5 in program history. Nordaker starred in the middle and ranked in the top 10 nationally for hitting percentage (.353). Other All-GPAC award winners were Bree Burtwistle (second team), Carly Rodaway (second team), Rebecca Gebhardt (honorable mention) and Ashley Keck (honorable mention). Keck was also named the GPAC Freshman of the Year. Meanwhile, Angie Boldt was recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association as the NAIA West Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year. The GPAC semifinal win at Midland marked the 100th for Ben and Angie Boldt at Concordia.