The 2021-22 athletic year officially concluded on May 27 as the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships came to a close. Consistent with recent years, the Bulldogs grabbed a national spotlight again this spring. Throughout 2021-22, Concordia qualified teams/athletes for national championships in the sports of baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, cross country, men’s indoor and outdoor track & field, women’s indoor and outdoor track & field, volleyball, wrestling and shooting sports. This spring, women’s track & field earned another top-five national finish while the baseball program came up one win short of a second-straight NAIA World Series Appearance.
A strong overall athletic year was capped off with a GPAC All-Sports Trophy Championship, an award that became official on May 13. That particular achievement is our ‘top moment’ for the spring of 2022, which featured not only team success, but a series of record-breaking individual performances. The following texts breaks down those triumphant moments and accomplishments.
TOP MOMENT
Concordia Athletics earns fourth all-time GPAC All-Sports Trophy title
The Concordia Athletic Department appeared well on its way to winning the 2019-20 GPAC All-Sports Trophy Championship – until COVID-19 wiped out the final couple months of spring competition. A couple years later, the Bulldogs are back on top of the Great Plains Athletic Conference. As announced on May 13, Concordia is the winner of the 2021-22 GPAC All-Sports Trophy title. While placing second in the conference men’s and women’s standings, the Bulldogs were able to hold off Morningside for first place in the overall GPAC standings. In 2021-22, nine Concordia teams placed fourth or higher in the GPAC standings in helping make the all-sports award possible. More details on the achievements of Concordia Athletics can be found HERE.
Said Director of Athletics Devin Smith, “We are so blessed to be part of a campus and community where we can align our Christian principles with our professional and personal lives. We share with our coaches that if we are conference contenders, we will be nationally relevant because of the strength of the Great Plains Athletic Conference. Here in the Bulldog Nation, we share a pursuit to be uniquely and boldly different in recruiting, relationship building and performance. We work each day being persistent in the moment and patient over time to create an athletic department this campus, community and alumni base can be proud of.”
----------------------
Baseball wins nine-straight elimination games, comes within one victory of NAIA World Series
After qualifying for the NAIA World Series in 2021, Concordia Baseball saw its season on the brink on May 7 as it faced elimination. The Bulldogs did not do it the easy way this 2022 postseason. As the No. 2 seed in the GPAC, Concordia lost its opening game of the conference tournament, 5-4, on its home field to Northwestern. A magical run then saw Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad rattle off five-straight victories, including a 7-6, 10-inning decision over Jamestown in the GPAC tournament final. A Jay Adams’ walk-off RBI single in that victory set off a GPAC tournament championship celebration at Plum Creek Park for the second-straight year.
Similarly, the Bulldogs began the NAIA National Championship Opening Round with a loss – 5-1 at the hands of Judson University (Ill.). Concordia proceeded to defeat No. 11 Central Methodist University (Mo.), 10-3, Judson, 8-1, Tabor College (Kan.), 7-5, and No. 6 Bellevue University, 16-2, to set up a winner-take-all game in the Bellevue Bracket. The host Bruins managed to hold off the Bulldogs, 5-2. Said Dupic afterwards, “My heart breaks to see it end, but my heart’s also at peace because there’s no way to be angry or disappointed. I can only feel grateful for just how much these guys have given.”
Women’s Track extends run of consecutive GPAC titles to seven
The women’s track & field program has become so consistent that one could almost take its success for granted. Head Coach Matt Beisel led the Bulldogs to a seventh-straight GPAC team title as they hoisted the trophy at the 2022 conference outdoor meet hosted by Doane. Concordia compiled 216 points and held off second-place Hastings (172 points). Individual conference titles were turned in by Keri Bauer (800 meters), Rylee Haecker (1,500 meters), Jordan Koepke (400 hurdles), Josie Puelz (pole vault) and Sarah Ragland (hammer). Just a freshman, Koepke enjoyed a stellar rookie season that saw her break the GPAC meet record in the 400 hurdles with a time of 59.50. Thirty-four Bulldogs garnered all-conference honors in one or more events in contributing to the point total. Head Coach Matt Beisel was named the 2022 Jim McMahon GPAC Women’s Outdoor Coach of the Year.
Shooting Sports honors Moniot with strong spring run
It was a decidedly unique season for Concordia Shooting Sports, which moved on this spring without Head Coach Scott Moniot, who was called to be with the Lord on November 20, 2021. In Moniot’s absence, the Bulldogs went on to place fifth at the 2022 ACUI National Championships. At the national championships, Sarah Schwacher placed third high overall on the women’s side and Wyatt Hambly placed fifth high overall on the men’s side. It was a fine senior season for Hambly, who was the HOA conference champion. Four other Bulldogs were honored as all-conference performers: Sam Blevins, Nicole Breese, Russell Malterud and Emily Rasmussen. Outside of official collegiate competition, nine Bulldogs past and present competed at the 2022 Shotgun Selections event hosted by USA Shooting in Tucson, Ariz., in January. No other college in the nation had greater representation at the Shotgun Selections than Concordia. The program has a new head coach in Dylan Owens, who was named to his post on April 18.
Puelz claims fourth career pole vault national title
The repeated excellence of Josie Puelz has been astounding. On May 25, Puelz became a four-time NAIA pole vault national champion when she cleared 13’ 1 ½” in the competition that took place in Gulf Shores, Ala. It was a close competition with Aquinas College (Mich.)’s Victoria Faber, who also cleared that same height. Puelz emerged in first place based on her sequence of successful attempts. Puelz waited until the bar was raised to 12’ 5 ½” before entering the competition. Puelz is one of only two female athletes in program history to win at least four national titles. Carol Bailey (eight national titles) is the only Bulldog to claim more titles. Said the five-time All-American, “I think something that really helped was that I’ve competed here before, which is just a blessing. The weather turned out really nice for us and I got to come back with incredible teammates – Erin (Mapson) and Amira (Cummings) … It always seems kind of surreal, which is fun. I’m just thankful for every chance that I get.”
Placke completes historic golf career with two spring tournament championships
Kendra Placke will go down as one of the all-time greats. Even while student teaching limited her practice time this spring, Placke never missed a beat. She won the Concordia Bulldog Invite and the Hastings Spring Invite and was named the GPAC Golfer of the Week in back-to-back weeks. Placke then locked in all-conference honors while placing third in the GPAC in 2021-22 with a four-round total of 80-74-84-79–317. That score broke former GPAC champion Amy Ahler’s previous school record for lowest four-round total at the GPAC Championships. Placke also graduated with program records for lowest career scoring average (80.7) and lowest single season scoring average (79.8 in 2021-22). As a senior in 2021-22, Placke earned the fourth, fifth and sixth tournament wins of her collegiate career.
Candor reaches 200 career hits, leaves as program record holder for homers, RBIs
A native of Merrill, Iowa, Keaton Candor made the most of his five seasons as a member of the Concordia Baseball program. Candor played for three separate teams that won GPAC titles and advanced to the national tournament. He departed from the program with school career records for games played (223), at bats (733), runs scored (170), home runs (47), RBIs (188) and bases on balls (108). Following the final game of his collegiate baseball career, Candor tweeted, “CUNE is in great hands. During my time I had the privilege to see this program grow. Thank you to all my teammates I’ve had over the many years I’ve been here. Big thank you to Ryan Dupic, Caleb Lang, Bryce Berg and Conner Watson for shaping me not only as a player but as a person.”
Experienced senior group finishes strong four-year run with men’s tennis
It was a fine four-year (or five-year) run for the class of men’s tennis seniors that finished up action this spring with an advancement to the GPAC semifinals. Seniors Jeremiah Berryman, Joe Bindl, Isaac Howes and Jack Kitson were instrumental in leading the program to a GPAC tournament championship match appearance in 2021. Among the 2022 all-conference honorees, Howes led the way with 35 career singles wins followed by Berryman with 31 and Bindl with 24. Berryman also compiled 44 career doubles wins, a total that broke the previous school record of 40 by Jeremy Jank from 2009-12. Meanwhile, Bindl collected 26 career doubles wins and Howes notched 17. Berryman raked in all-conference honors in four separate seasons while Howes did so in three seasons and Bindl in two. The seniors were a rock as the program transitioned to first-year Head Coach Cam Long in 2022.
Moore goes on a tear
Crete High School alum Camry Moore enjoyed a stellar final season as a Bulldog while being named a Second Team All-GPAC selection in 2022. Moore was especially dominant in the circle from March 29 through April 8 when she fired five-straight seven-inning complete games (35 total innings) and allowed a combined grand total of one earned run. Moore even flirted with the program’s all-time lowest career earned run average (finished second). Moore concluded her career with program all-time offensive rankings of second in RBIs (127), fifth in runs scored (122), sixth in batting average (.386), seventh in home runs (15), eighth in hits (172) and 10th in doubles (32). As a pitcher, Moore’s program career rankings are second in ERA (2.06), third in wins (52), sixth in strikeouts (341) and sixth in innings pitched (489).
Behind Yabut, men’s golf breaks program record
Ivan Yabut burst onto the scene as a sophomore in 2021-22 and even broke the school record for lowest single round (seven-under-par 65) back in the fall. He completed the season this spring by placing fifth in the GPAC and claiming the highest GPAC individual placement ever by a Bulldog. Led by Yabut’s team best season average of 74.9, Head Coach Brett Muller’s ’21-22 squad broke the school record for lowest single-season scoring average at 305.1. The previous program standard of 306.9 was held by the 2017-18 squad led by Nolan Zikas. Both Yabut and Drew D’Ercole garnered all-conference honors this season.
Track teams break four school records in 2022 outdoor season
In some of the most notable individual efforts this 2022 outdoor season, Concordia Track & Field individuals broke the following school records:
· Men’s 4x400 Meter Relay – 3:12.59 on May 26 at the NAIA Outdoor T&F National Championships (Jacob Jennings, Cade Kleckner, Colton Meyer, Xavier Ross).
· Women’s 4x400 Meter Relay – 3:47.26 on May 26 at the NAIA Outdoor T&F National Championships (Rachel Battershell, Jenna Esch, Sarah Lewis, Jacee Pfeifer).
· Cade Kleckner – 21.16 in the 200 meters on May 8 at the GPAC Outdoor Championships.
· Jordan Koepke – 59.50 in the 400 hurdles on May 8 at the GPAC Outdoor Championships.
Koepke’s time in the 400 hurdles also represented a GPAC conference meet record. Kleckner twice broke the 200 meter record, which had stood since 1997 (21.34 by Frank Wilson).
SEASON SUMMARIES
Baseball
2022 record: 40-17-1 overall, 20-8 GPAC (2nd)
Top performer: There were five Bulldogs who earned first team all-conference accolades, but Jay Adams took it to another level this spring. The second baseman from Waverly, Neb., batted .371 with 18 home runs and 65 RBIs – out of the leadoff spot. Adams should be a strong candidate for All-America honors.
Season highlights: A remarkable postseason run culminated with Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s Bulldogs coming up one win shy of a return trip to the NAIA World Series. On the strength of the most powerful offensive group in program history, the 2022 team won nine-straight elimination games while capturing the GPAC tournament title and nearly winning the Bellevue Bracket as part of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round. Concordia finished the season at 40-17-1 overall for the second most victories in a single season in school history. The Bulldogs placed second during the GPAC regular season with a 20-8 league mark. Star second baseman Jay Adams provided two of the season’s biggest thrills when he delivered walk-off RBI singles in back-to-back games, including the GPAC tournament final. Adams and the potent lineup broke program standards for runs scored (516) and home runs (113) in a season. Adams wound up breaking his own school records for hits (86) and runs scored (67) in a campaign. Jaidan Quinn rose to the top of the program single-season list for home runs (19) while being followed closely behind by Adams, Keaton Candor and Joey Grabanski with 18 apiece. Candor departed from the roster with school career records for home runs (47) and RBIs (188), among other categories. First team all-conference honors went to position players in Adams, Grabanski and Quinn and to pitchers Alex Johnson and Caden Johnson. Eleven of the team’s 12 All-GPAC award winners are expected back for 2023.
GPAC All-Conference: Jay Adams (First Team); Joey Grabanski (First Team); Jaidan Quinn (First Team); Jaidan Quinn (First Team); Alex Johnson (First Team); Caden Johnson (First Team); Alec Blakestad (Second Team); Keaton Candor (Second Team); Ben Berg (Honorable Mention); Jesse Garcia (Honorable Mention); Christian Gutierrez (Honorable Mention); Ty Nekoliczak (Honorable Mention); Tanner Tompkins (Honorable Mention).
Golf
2021-22 men’s GPAC finish: 6th (298-308-313–919)
2021-22 women’s GPAC finish: 5th (351-353-365-343–1,412)
Top performers: Kendra Placke paced the women’s team while Ivan Yabut did the same for the men. Now a Concordia graduate, Placke posted a team low season scoring average of 79.8 and won three separate tournaments throughout 2021-22. She leaves an impressive legacy. As for Yabut, he broke a school record for lowest single-round score back in the fall and placed fifth in the GPAC.
Season highlights: This was the swan song for one of the program’s all-time bests in Kendra Placke as she went out with a third-place GPAC Championship placement. Placke helped lead the women’s team to a fifth-place GPAC tournament finish. Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad completed the conference championships with a four-round total of 351-353-365-343–1,412. Throughout the 2021-22 season, Placke won three tournaments and the Bulldogs nearly won the team title at the Hastings Spring Invite (lost on a tiebreaker). Placke finished her career with program records for single season (79.8) and career (80.7) scoring average and earned her fourth All-GPAC award. Lauren Havlat was named Honorable Mention All-GPAC. On the men’s side, Concordia placed sixth in the GPAC with a three-round total of 298-308-313–919 (round four was wiped out due to high winds). Ivan Yabut raised his game in a big way in 2021-22 and finished fifth in the GPAC (71-74-74–219), marking the best ever placement for a Bulldog men’s golfer during the GPAC era. Back in the fall, Yabut broke a program record for lowest scoring average in a single round by a shooting a seven-under-par 65. Yabut garnered all-conference recognition while teammate Drew D’Ercole was tabbed Honorable Mention All-GPAC. The men’s team broke a school record for lowest season scoring average (305.1).
GPAC All-Conference: Kendra Placke; Ivan Yabut; Drew D’Ercole (Honorable Mention); Lauren Havlat (Honorable Mention).
Shooting Sports
201-22 conference finish: 2nd (Prairie Circuit Conference Championships)
2021-22 national finish: 5th (out of 17 in Division 2)
Top performers: Depending upon the discipline, this status could be handed out to a number of individuals. However, Wyatt Hambly stands out for his Prairie Circuit Conference title and for leading the team in targets hit (565) at the ACUI National Championships. Sarah Schwacher was the team’s highest female finisher overall at the national shoot.
Season highlights: The season picked up in the spring semester as the Bulldogs moved on without former Head Coach Scott Moniot, who passed away in November 2021. The campaign culminated in late March when Concordia placed fifth in the Division 2 breakdown at the 2022 ACUI National Championships held in San Antonio, Texas. Impressively, the Bulldogs placed either first or second at five events throughout the season, including first-place claims at the Concordia Bulldog Sporting Invitational and the Hastings Bronco Invitational. At the national championships, Sarah Schwacher placed third high overall on the women’s side and Wyatt Hambly placed fifth high overall on the men’s side. It was a fine senior season for Hambly, who was the HOA conference champion. Four other Bulldogs were honored as all-conference performers: Sam Blevins, Nicole Breese, Russell Malterud and Emily Rasmussen. The program has boasted the conference individual champion in back-to-back years. The new Head Coach of Bulldog Shooting Sports is Dylan Owens, who officially started on the job in April.
Conference Champion: Wyatt Hambly.
Softball
2022 record: 23-24 overall, 10-12 GPAC (T-6th)
Top performer: This distinction goes to Camry Moore for her work as both a hitter and pitcher. Moore concluded her Concordia career by garnering Second Team All-GPAC honors. This past season, she batted .425 and sported a 1.94 ERA as a pitcher.
Season highlights: Head Coach Tatum Edwards, former Big Ten Pitcher of the Year at Nebraska, took over a youthful roster this spring. The up-and-down 2022 season culminated with a 23-24 overall record after the Bulldogs went 1-2 at the GPAC Tournament. Among the highlights, Concordia ventured to Tucson, Ariz., for spring break, earned GPAC doubleheader sweeps of Doane and Briar Cliff and edged College of Saint Mary, 6-5, for a GPAC Tournament win. Edwards’ squad wound up placing in a tie for sixth place in the conference regular season standings (10-12 GPAC) and received the No. 7 seed in the conference tournament. Star senior Camry Moore threw a no-hitter on March 4 and enjoyed a stellar final collegiate season. Moore led the team in batting average (.425) and became the third pitcher in program history to reach 50 career wins. Notably, freshman Kylie Shottenkirk went 8-for-8 at the plate during the conference tournament. Moore landed on the All-GPAC second team. Meanwhile, outfielder Caitlyn McGarvie garnered first team all-conference accolades after she batted .390 and led the team with 16 stolen bases. Honorable mention accolades went to Kylee Nixon and Zoie Isom. Moore and Nixon were the two lone senior players on the roster.
GPAC All-Conference: Caitlyn McGarvie (First Team); Camry Moore (Second Team); Zoie Isom (Honorable Mention); Kylee Nixon (Honorable Mention).
Tennis
2022 men’s record: 9-9 overall, 4-2 GPAC (3rd)
2022 women’s record: 6-11 overall, 3-4 GPAC (5th)
Top performers: In terms of the lineup, the No. 1 players for Concordia were Sofia Morales for the women and Eduardo Luzzi for the men. A native of Morelia, Mexico, Morales has established herself as one of the GPAC’s top players during her two seasons as a Bulldog. She went 6-1 in GPAC singles matches in 2022. Meanwhile, Luzzi was put at the top of the lineup in his first collegiate season. He went a combined 5-2 in GPAC singles/doubles matches.
Season highlights: It was the end of an era of sorts for the men’s tennis program in 2022 as senior stalwarts Jeremiah Berryman, Joe Bindl, Isaac Howes and Jack Kitson completed their collegiate careers. It was another solid overall campaign while under the direction of first-year Head Coach Cam Long. The Bulldogs went 9-8 overall and placed third in the GPAC (4-2 conference mark). Concordia’s GPAC tournament run included a 4-1 quarterfinal win over Northwestern before the season concluded with a 4-1 semifinal loss at the hands of Doane. Five Bulldogs wound up earning some form of All-GPAC recognition: Berryman, Bindl, Howes, Eduardo Luzzi and Juan Rabellino. Berryman emerged with a program record for most career doubles wins (44). On the women’s side, Concordia graduated several key figures from the 2021 squad that shared the GPAC regular season title. At the top of the lineup, Sofia Morales led the way and went 6-1 in GPAC singles matches. The Bulldogs finished the 2022 season at 6-11 overall (3-4 GPAC) and were eliminated from the conference tournament with a 4-0 quarterfinal loss to College of Saint Mary. During conference regular season action, Concordia claimed wins over Mount Marty, Northwestern and Hastings. Morales took home all-conference accolades at No. 1 singles and doubles while freshman Tessa Blough was also named All-GPAC. The lone senior on the roster was Megan Hakes.
GPAC all-conference:
-MEN – Jeremiah Berryman (HM Doubles); Joe Bindl (HM Singles/Doubles); Isaac Howes (Singles); Eduardo Luzzi (Singles / HM Doubles); Juan Rabellino (HM Doubles).
-WOMEN – Tessa Blough (Doubles / HM Singles); Sofia Morales (Singles/Doubles).
Outdoor Track and Field
2022 women’s finishes: 1st in GPAC, 4th in NAIA
2022 men’s finishes: 3rd in GPAC, T-47th in NAIA
Top performers:There were plenty of major contributors on both sides. Most notably, Josie Puelz won GPAC and NAIA national championships while continuing to cement herself as one of the greatest athletes in program history. There’s more to come for Puelz, who will be back in 2023 to attempt to defend her titles. On the men’s side, Cade Kleckner starred on the track as a 4x400 meter All-American and a school record holder in the 4x4 and 200 meters. Chris Wren garnered All-America recognition in the hammer.
Season highlights:
Women:
Conference championships have become the norm for the women’s track program, which earned a sweep of 2022 indoor and outdoor GPAC titles. Beisel has led the Bulldogs to seven-straight conference championships. Concordia also succeeded on the national stage while placing third in the NAIA for indoor and fourth for outdoor. Lincoln Lutheran alum Josie Puelz took home the third and fourth pole vault national titles of her career over the winter and spring. Puelz also won both indoor/outdoor GPAC pole vault titles. Other conference champions in either indoor or outdoor in 2022 were Keri Bauer (800 meters), Morgan De Jong (weight throw), Rylee Haecker (mile, 1,000 meters, 1,500 meters), Jordan Koepke (600 meters, 400 hurdles) and Sarah Ragland (hammer). Koepke is the new school record holder in the 400 hurdles with a GPAC meet record time of 59.50. The 4x400 meter relay group of Rachel Battershell, Koepke, Sarah Lewis and Jacee Pfeifer went on to break the school record at the outdoor national meet with a time of 3:47.26. Battershell claimed the 10th All-America award of her career. Beisel was named the GPAC Women’s Coach of the Year for indoor and outdoor while Ed McLaughlin was recognized as the NAIA Midwest Region Women’s Outdoor Assistant Coach of the Year.
Men:
It was a solid winter and spring for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads which turned in GPAC placements of fourth for indoor and third for indoor. The men’s program sent 14 individuals to the indoor national meet and another 12 qualifiers to the outdoor national meet in 2022. Most notably, the team’s 4x400 meter relay shined while earning All-America status for indoor and outdoor. Jacob Jennings, Cade Kleckner and Colton Meyer were part of both of those performances. They were joined by Xavier Ross on a school record-breaking 4x4 time of 3:12.59 at the outdoor national meet. In the throws, Chris Wren headlined the crew by collecting All-America awards in the weight and hammer throws. Meanwhile, Wyatt Loga was an indoor All-American in the high jump. At the conference level, Zach Bennetts achieved a sweep of GPAC pole vault titles and Camden Sesna won the conference championship in the 5,000 meters. Also at the outdoor conference meet, Kleckner broke the school record in the 200 meters in a time of 21.16.
GPAC all-conference: View complete list HERE.
NAIA All-Americans:Rachel Battershell; Keri Bauer; Jenna Esch; Rylee Haecker; Kylahn Heritage; Jacob Jennings; Cade Kleckner; Jordan Koepke; Sarah Lewis; Colton Meyer; Alli Owings; Erin Painter; Jacee Pfeifer; Josie Puelz; Sarah Ragland; Xavier Ross; Chris Wren.