Just 28 miles separate the two like-minded schools. For many years, the relationship between Concordia University, Nebraska and Lincoln Lutheran High School has been mutually beneficial. A path continues to get worn out from 1100 North 56th Street in Lincoln to 800 North Columbia Avenue in Seward – and back. When it comes to Warriors-turned-Bulldogs, it’s not just about quantity, it’s been about quality.
Some of the similarities between the two schools are quite obvious, making for a rather smooth transition for Warriors who decide to become Bulldogs. Once at Concordia, there’s an opportunity for further growth in all areas of one’s life.
A former state champion, Lincoln Lutheran alum Josie Puelz has quickly risen to the status of national champion in her young collegiate career. Said Puelz, “What drew me to Concordia was the education rooted in Christian faith and the small school feel that fosters a tight-knit community. These factors were also key to my positive experience at Lincoln Lutheran, which is why Concordia felt like home the second I stepped on campus. I knew that Concordia, like Lincoln Lutheran, would build me up academically, athletically, socially and spiritually.”
Puelz has a way of cutting right to the essence of what it means to be a Bulldog and a Warrior. The faith aspect of the whole experience characterizes both schools. The mission of CUNE is to equip “men and women for lives of learning, service and leadership in the church and world.” Meanwhile, Lincoln Lutheran equips young people “to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.”
In the process of preparing people for the next level, Lincoln Lutheran has just so happened to produce a large number of stellar athletes. Currently, there are dozens of Lincoln Lutheran alums who walk the campus at Concordia. For further insight on the connections between the two schools, the likes of Puelz, Mackenzie Koepke, Logan Kreizel, Colton Meyer and Grace Soenksen supplied their thoughts.
It was clear that Puelz was a big-time athlete coming out of high school. Named the 2019 Girls State Track & Field Athlete of the Year by the Lincoln Journal Star, Puelz led the Warriors to a state championship. She’s the daughter of Concordia Athletic Hall of Famer John Puelz and was coached in high school by Sue Ziegler, the mother of another Concordia Hall of Famer in Jon Ziegler.
Something of a Lincoln Lutheran legend, Josie has remained grateful for the community that supports her. Said Puelz, “I cannot say enough good things about how grateful I am for the teachers and coaches at Lincoln Lutheran who pushed me to become a better individual each and every day. This helped me build a foundation of faith, knowledge, positive habits and goals that set me up for success at the next level both academically and athletically.”
While Puelz swept NAIA indoor/outdoor pole vault national titles in 2021, Koepke experienced the thrill of winning a team national championship with the women’s basketball program in her freshman season. Koepke has also been an All-American in track & field. The accomplishments are nice, but Koepke says that the memories associated with her time at Lincoln Lutheran and Concordia have more to do with the people she’s met. They helped make the college transition “very easy.”
“Seeing them succeed in what they love is the best part,” Koepke said of her fellow classmates. “We all support each other. After we won a national title in basketball my freshmen year I had so many classmates, old teachers and parents of classmates reach out to me and congratulate me … I have known a lot of these people since elementary school and to able to grow with them and watch them grow is a blessing that I know many people don’t get to experience.”
A former star pass catcher at Lincoln Lutheran, Kreizel is one of two Lincoln Lutheran alums on the Concordia Football roster (along with Cole Schaedel). When Kreizel appeared on campus for the first time, Bulldog coaches already knew Logan and his parents by name. There’s a personal connection that typifies the schools Kreizel has attended throughout his formative years. Kreizel entered Concordia along with Lincoln Lutheran classmates Kayla Ernstmeyer and Koepke, as well as first cousin Jonah Weyand (Crete High School), the Bulldog running back. Logan has also been joined by his younger sister Lexie at CUNE.
A weight room-aholic, Logan says that Concordia was the “dream school” for Lexie. It’s turned out to be a great place for Logan too. “I see that handful of people (from Lincoln Lutheran) all the time which is awesome, so that’s my social dynamic that I’m still able to pull away from Lincoln Lutheran … A large amount of my teachers back at Lincoln Lutheran were very willing to sit down with you as a student and discuss anything you were having issues with understanding or couldn’t quite grasp as quickly, and that same thing goes towards CUNE as well. The smaller class sizes really allow you to develop a student-to-professor relationship.”
The best seems to still be yet to come for Meyer, another standout in a long line of fine Warrior athletes. He’s been a GPAC champion and an All-American as a track & field athlete. Like the others already mentioned, Meyer also excels in the classroom. While his twin brother Jacob attends the U.S. Naval Academy, Colton was won over by all that Concordia had to offer in the recruiting process.
Said Meyer, “Seeing so many people from my high school move on to have a ton of success at Concordia definitely had a huge impact on me and my decision. As with all big decisions, there were a lot of factors other than that, however, that played into my decision to come here. During my overnight visit was when I knew this was the place, after I got to feel the atmosphere of the campus and the competitiveness of the program. Since then it's been two years after that decision and I couldn't be happier with how it's turned out so far.”
The women’s soccer program has received a considerable boost from Lincoln Lutheran alums. Grace Soenksen became the sixth of her siblings to play soccer at Concordia when she made her college debut in 2019. She followed in the footsteps of other recent Lincoln Lutheran alums such as her sister Esther in addition to Maria Deeter, Hannah Sain and Leah Shohat. At one point in her recruiting process, Grace told family and friends she was not going to choose Concordia. However, Grace came to realize that the atmosphere she enjoyed at Lincoln Lutheran was also available to her in Seward.
“Concordia beat out all the other schools I looked at as far as facilities for my two interests (soccer and science), while having a solid program for my major, and also promoting a Christ-centered education,” Soenksen said. “I was raised and homeschooled in a Lutheran house and then attended Lincoln Lutheran in high school, so having my faith involved in my education has always been important to me. A key point that the teachers at Lincoln Lutheran strive for is to not only prepare you for college through your core classes, but to also prepare you in your faith to go out into the world. I think the high standard that was set at Lincoln Lutheran made the transition into college classes fairly smooth, especially since I went from one faith-based education to another.”
In turn, a number of Concordia alums have given back to Lincoln Lutheran by serving as staff members. Kayla Ernstmeyer’s father Scott (former Bulldog basketball player) is the school’s Executive Director, Maria Deeter’s father Chris teaches science and math, recent Concordia Baseball shortstop Logan Ryan teaches business – and the list goes on. In addition, former Bulldog Jason Glines served as head boy's basketball coach at Lincoln Lutheran for nine years. Earlier this spring, CUNE alum and current Lincoln Lutheran teacher Katie Bockelman was bestowed The Master Educator Award from Concordia.
All of this further cements the close relationship between the Bulldogs and Warriors. Concordia is more than happy to continue to be the home for talented Lincoln Lutheran graduates. Says Meyer, “I feel an immense amount of pride to be a Warrior and a Bulldog.”