All-Time All-Americans (PDFs): Men’s Basketball | Women’s Basketball
As part of the home basketball doubleheader scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 7, the Concordia Basketball programs will celebrate their all-time All-America award winners. The program record books include a total of 24 women’s basketball All-Americans and 23 men’s basketball All-Americans. The text below lists each of those All-Americans and features accompanying notes about their Bulldog careers.
Concordia Men’s Basketball All-Americans
Scott Beck
• 2005 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: A native of Scribner, Neb., Beck helped lead the 2004-05 Bulldogs to an NAIA Division II national runner up claim. A do-it-all guard at 6-1, Beck owns program all-time rankings of third in assists (446), fourth in steals (207), fifth in rebounds (781) and 14th in scoring (1,406).
--FEATURED: The junkyard dogs of 2004-05
Porter Birtell
• 2012 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: The Madison, Neb., native ranks in the top 15 in program history in both scoring (1,390) and rebounding (712). His best performance as a Bulldog came in January 2012 when he piled up 37 points (12-for-12 from the floor) in a 94-75 road upset of 14th-ranked Northwestern.
Tyler Byrd
• 2011 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: Out of Bennington, Neb., Byrd became a First Team All-GPAC player and averaged 13.0 points per game while shooting 40.6 percent from 3-point range during the 2010-11 season. Byrd scored 1,113 points in his Concordia career.
Josh Dahlke
• 1999 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: A Seward native, Dahlke starred for three straight national tournament teams during the 1990s and accumulated 1,221 points as a 3-point sharpshooter (231 career treys). His most memorable 3-point field goal came in the 1999 CIT championship game. His overtime buzzer beater lifted the Bulldogs, 83-81, over Concordia Wisconsin.
--FEATURED: CIT buzzer beater
Rick Dietze
• 2003 – Honorable Mention; 2004 – Second Team
• Notable: Named the 2003-04 GPAC Player of the Year, Dietze was inducted into the Concordia Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023. The Lincoln native concluded his run as a Bulldog with career totals of 1,625 points and 496 rebounds. Dietze spurred the 2002-03 team to a GPAC tournament title.
--FEATURED: Dietze ‘old man’ game
Darin Engelbart
• 1995 – Second Team; 1996 – Second Team
• Notable: Engelbart began his college career at University of Nebraska Omaha before starring as the most prolific passer in program history. Engelbart remains the school’s all-time assists leader with 657 over his career from 1992-96. He also scored 1,335 points and led the Bulldogs to NIAC championship seasons in 1994-95 and 1995-96. Engelbart was the NIAC Player of the Year and is a Concordia Athletics Hall of Famer.
--FEATURED: Forever 22: the Engelbarts
Chandler Folkerts
• 2016 – Honorable Mention; 2017 – Second Team
• Notable: Folkerts (Milford, Neb.) earned one of the great nicknames in school history, ‘The Chanimal,’ while starring as an All-American post player. Folkerts received induction into the Concordia Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023. On the school’s all-time charts, Folkerts ranks fourth in scoring (1,963), fourth in rebounds (868) and fourth in blocked shots (142).
--FEATURED: Forever The Chanimal
Jason Glines
• 1993 – Honorable Mention; 1994 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: Glines, a Grand Island, Neb., native, averaged 13.8 points per game as a senior when he was named Team MVP and served as team captain. Glines finished his career just shy of 1,000 points (978). The ’93-94 team won 19 games and averaged 88.6 points per game.
Jason Jisa
• 2005 – Third Team
• Notable: Another of the heroes of the 2005 national runner up run, the Seward native Jisa earned the Hustle Award and was named to the NAIA All-Tournament team. Jisa actually experienced the 2002 Rose Bowl as a Nebraska Cornhusker Football player before transferring to Concordia. Jisa ranks top 10 in school history for steals and blocks and is a Concordia Athletics Hall of Famer.
--FEATURED: Jisa’s journey
Carter Kent
• 2022 – Second Team
• Notable: Kent (Crete, Neb.) ranked finished his career as one of the program’s top five all-time scorers (now No. 6). Kent was a straight A student in Biology and made routinely made clutch plays for the 2021-22 squad that won GPAC regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the NAIA national quarterfinals.
--FEATURED: He’s that guy
Ben Limback
• 1998 – Honorable Mention; 1999 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: The program’s head coach beginning with the 2013-14 season, Limback (Cedar Falls, Iowa) hinted at his future career as one of the smartest players Grant Schmidt coached. Limback remains the school’s all-time steals leader (229) and was a key figure on three national tournament qualifying teams (two NIAC tournament titles).
--FEATURED: Get to know you Q&A with Ben Limback
Drew Olson
• 2003 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: A transfer from Hastings, Olson (Omaha, Neb.) won’t ever forget the 2003 GPAC tournament title game won by the Bulldogs over Dordt, 90-82, amidst a Seward blizzard. Olson scored 1,123 points over three Concordia seasons and has gone on to lead the women’s basketball program to incredible heights, including a 2019 NAIA Division II national championship.
--FEATURED: Behind the success: the Olson story
John Puelz
• 1992 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: John Puelz (Lincoln, Neb.) hoisted 3-pointers before it was in style. His 353 career 3-point field goals remain a program record. Puelz helped Coach Schmidt’s early teams break through and reach the national tournament for the first time ever. John has had three children attend Concordia (Josie, Josh and Jonny).
--FEATURED: The Puelz legacy of excellence
Scott Schmidt
• 1997 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: Schmidt (Lincoln, Neb.) averaged 11.1 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 54 percent from the field during the 1996-97 season. After going 3-9 in conference play, the Bulldogs won the NIAC tournament and qualified for the national tournament.
Tim Schroeder
• 2000 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: Now Professor of Mathematics at Concordia, Schroeder (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) sank 226 3-point field goals and scored 1,346 points in his collegiate career. He was named the team’s Offensive Player of the Year for the 2000-01 season.
Noah Schutte
• 2023 – Honorable Mention; 2024 Third Team
• Notable: After tallying more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds as a prep, Schutte (Laurel, Neb.) nearly accomplished the same feat at the college level. He owns school records for points (2,340) and rebounds (948). Schutte spent five seasons at Concordia while taking advantage of the COVID exemption.
--FEATURED: Noah’s top five most memorable performances
Brevin Sloup
• 2020 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: A Seward mainstay, Sloup was often referred to as “The Mayor” during his time as a Bulldog. Sloup racked up 1,246 career points and was instrumental in the 2019-20 team’s GPAC tournament title run that featured a memorable win at Dakota Wesleyan in the championship game.
FEATURED: The Mayor
Devin Smith
• 1992 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: From the mean streets of Merna, Neb., Smith played with a chip on his shoulder while helping elevate the profile of the program in the early 1990s. Smith posted 1,659 points, 729 rebounds and 164 steals in his career. Since June 2010, Smith has served as Director of Athletics at his alma mater. He was named 2024-25 NACDA Athletics Director of the Year.
FEATURED: The team that changed the game
Tristan Smith
• 2025 – First Team
• Notable: Perhaps the most athletic player in program history, high-flying Tristan Smith became the first NAIA First Team All-American for Bulldog Men’s Basketball. Smith garnered GPAC Player of the Year and GPAC Defensive Player of the Year accolades in 2024-25. His buzzer beating layup (via a full-court alley-oop pass from Carter Kent) to beat Briar Cliff in 2022 has forever reserved a spot in Bulldog lore.
FEATURED: I believe I can fly
Glen Snodgrass
• 1997 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: A highly successful high school football coach, Snodgrass (Scotia, Neb.) held the school record for career blocked shots (188) upon his graduation in 1998. He also snared 607 career rebounds. After finishing with basketball, Snodgrass played a year of football for Coach Courtney Meyer.
FEATURED: Q&A with Glen Snodgrass (2020)
Bret Walter
• 1996 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: Walter (Jerome, Idaho) could fill it up from the perimeter. His 284 3-point field goals rank No. 3 on the school’s all-time list. He tallied 1,248 career points and was part of the 1994-95 squad that stands out as one of the best in program history.
Travis Wischmeier
• 2002 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: One of the top point guards in school history, Wischmeier (Burchard, Neb.) dished out 340 career assists and was part of the 2000-01 squad that reached the national round of 16. Wischmeier finished with 1,335 career points. His daughter Ashlyn played volleyball in recent years for the Bulldogs.
Jon Ziegler
• 2007 – Third Team
• Notable: Until the 2024-25 season, Ziegler (Lincoln, Neb.) held program records for career scoring and single game scoring. Ziegler is one of three Bulldogs all-time to surpass 2,000 career points. Ziegler teamed up with the likes of Beck and Jisa on the celebrated 2004-05 squad. Ziegler ranks top 10 on the school’s all-time scoring, rebounding, assists and steals lists.
--FEATURED: Ziegler’s Hall of Fame journey
NOTE: Ryan Kness was a major snub from the 1994-95 NAIA All-America list. That season, he averaged 19.7 points and 8.0 rebounds for a team that went 30-4 overall and was ranked as high as No. 2 in the NAIA Division II coaches’ poll.
Concordia Women’s Basketball All-Americans
NOTE: For the purposes of this article, maiden names were used for each All-American.
Grace Barry
• 2020 – Second Team
• Notable: Amazing Grace (Lincoln, Neb.) made her two seasons as a Bulldog count. As the team’s point guard, Barry sparked the 2018-19 squad to an NAIA Division II national title. The 2019-20 team was ranked No. 1 when COVID-19 wiped out the national tournament. She was named the MVP of the 2019 NAIA National Championship.
--FEATURED: Amazing Grace
Lynda Beck
• 1992 – First Team
• Notable: A 1992 graduate, Beck holds school rebound records for a career (1,250) and a season (421). She averaged 16.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game during her First Team All-America senior campaign. Beck led the Bulldogs to the national tournament for the first time ever (1992) in what was Carl Everts’ final season as head coach.
Taylor Cockerill
• 2019 – Honorable Mention; 2021 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: A Waverly High School product, ‘TC’ led the 2018-19 national championship team in scoring with an average of 15.4 points per game. She collected 1,374 points in only three seasons as a Bulldog (one missed due to injury). Her signature performances included a 40-point game at Indiana Wesleyan and a 19-point fourth quarter in the national tournament win over Cardinal Stritch in 2019.
--FEATURED: Cockerill returns to stardom after knee surgery
Kristen Conahan
• 2012 – Second Team; 2013 – First Team
• Notable: Often called “Connie” during her playing career, Conahan drained a school record 323 3-point field goals while playing for elite squads coached by Drew Olson. Her 104 treys in 2011-12 are the most by a Bulldog in a single season. Her career totals (including 1,656 points) would be higher if not for an injury she endured as a senior.
--FEATURED: 2013-14 season preview interview
Sarah Harrison
• 2003 – First Team; 2005 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: Harrison (Stratton, Neb.) held the program scoring record for a decade and was an obvious choice for selection into the Concordia Athletics Hall of Fame. She remains the school’s all-time blocks leader (203) while ranking fourth in scoring (1,800) and fifth in rebounds (945). She starred for two teams that reached the national semifinals.
--FEATURED: Hall of Fame feature
Mary Janovich
• 2017 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: Janovich (Gretna, Neb.) earned an immediate starting role and was the GPAC Freshman of the Year for the 2014-15 squad that finished as NAIA Division II national runner up. A well-rounded guard, Janovich totaled 1,159 points, 281 assists and 244 steals. She was a perfect fit for Coach Olson’s full-court press.
FEATURED: Janovich, Concordia’s 2017-18 Senior Female Athlete of the Year
Trish Kindle
• 1993 – Honorable Mention; 1994 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: Kindle still holds the program’s single season record for assists (230) while ranking second all-time (577) in that category. She collected 1,426 points while playing for coaches Carl Everts and Mark Lemke. The skilled point guard helped the 1991-92 win the district championship and qualify for nationals. She was inducted into the Concordia Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.
Amber Kistler
• 2012 – First Team
• Notable: In her second and final year as a Bulldog, Kistler (Minatare, Neb.) starred in a 2011-12 season that included GPAC regular season and tournament titles and a run to the national semifinals. Kistler averaged 14.2 points and shot 39.5 percent from 3-point range during that magical campaign.
Hayle Kobza
• 2000 – Honorable Mention; 2001 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: A 6-foot post player, Kobza (Bruning, Neb.) accumulated 1,302 points and 645 rebounds (top 20 on the school’s all-time lists) while playing for Coach Micah Parker. Her younger sister Keyna (1,110 points) is also a member of the program’s 1,000-point club.
Philly Lammers
• 2017 – Second Team; 2018 – First Team; 2019 – First Team; 2020 – First Team
• Notable: Out of Millard West High School, Lammers became the first (and still the only) four-time NAIA All-American in program history. She combined superior strength, athleticism and basketball savvy on her way to compiling 2,033 points, 1,026 rebounds, 357 steals and 181 blocked shots. She’s the only player in school history to rank in the top four all-time in each of those categories. Lammers helped the Bulldogs raise the national championship banner in March 2019.
FEATURED: Profiling the career of Philly
Bailey Morris
• 2014 – First Team; 2015 – First Team; 2014-15 NAIA Division II National Player of the Year
• Notable: Morris (Clay Center, Neb.) captivated Bulldog fans with her flair and playmaking abilities on her way to earning 2014-15 NAIA Division II National Player of the Year accolades. That season, Morris averaged 18.5 points, 5.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 3.8 steals per game. She remains the program’s all-time leading scorer (2,054 points). She currently serves on the coaching staff at the University of South Dakota.
--FEATURED: Morris characterized by competitive spirit, love for the game
Teresa Noffke
• 1989 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: A star post player, Noffke averaged 16.3 points and 10.9 rebounds per game her senior season as Concordia won the 1989 NLCAA (National Lutheran College Athletic Association) championship and finished at 25-7 overall. Noffke piled up 1,207 points and 912 rebounds in her college career and was inducted into the Concordia Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.
Allison Nyland
• 1996 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: Nyland ran the show for the 1996-97 national quarterfinal team, which climbed as high as No. 14 in the national poll (highest in program history at the time). Nyland finished her career with 1,323 points, 365 assists and 231 steals. She married a fellow All-American in Glen Snodgrass.
Tracy Peitz
• 2014 – Third Team; 2015 – Second Team
• Notable: Peitz (Hartington, Neb.) played a key role all four years and was a key piece for two squads that reached at least the national semifinals. Peitz filled the stat sheet as a Bulldog with 1,277 points, 594 rebounds, 306 steals and 281 assists. She played alongside Morris for all four seasons.
--FEATURED: A star-studded senior class
Shelly Poppe
• 1987 – Third Team
• Notable: The program’s first All-American on record, Poppe could score with the best of them. Her 21.4 points per game average in 1986-87 is the highest in a single season in school history. Poppe was the program’s all-time leading scorer (1,630 points) at the time of her graduation. She led the ’86-87 team to a 23-8 overall record.
Elizabeth Rhoden
• 2003 – Second Team
• Notable: ‘RoRo’ helped Concordia to a combined four-year record of 111-26 and was a three-time All-GPAC honoree. She helped lead the 2002-03 team to the national semifinals and school record 36 wins. Rhoden ranks top five all-time in assists (492) in school history and tallied 1,337 career points.
--FEATURED: Confident RoRo left mark on Concordia
Katie Rich
• 2011 – Honorable Mention; 2013 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: A leader who brought toughness to the Bulldogs, Rich garnered back-to-back GPAC Defensive Player of the Year awards and was a key figure in the 2011-12 team’s journey to the national semifinals. Rich totaled 1,293 points, 653 rebounds, 265 steals and 233 assists in her career.
Taysha Rushton
• 2022 – Honorable Mention; 2023 – Honorable Mention; 2024 – Second Team
• Notable: The career of Rushton (Midland, Texas) is ongoing as she plays out her final collegiate season at NCAA Division I Northern Kentucky University. Rushton ranks third in program history for career scoring (1,924). She’s eclipsed 2,500 points overall in her college career. She was part of the 2020-21 national quarterfinal team.
--FEATURED: Playmaking Texan
Kari Saving
• 2005 – Second Team
• Notable: Saving (Lenexa, Kan.) joined Harrison in one of the greatest four-year classes in Concordia history. Saving’s teams went a combined 123-21 with advanced to at least the national quarterfinals all four seasons. At the time of graduation, Saving ranked second behind only Harrison on the school career scoring list with 1,773 points. Saving was inducted into the Concordia Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.
--FEATURED: Building a monster
Stacy Scheer
• 2010 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: As a senior in 2009-10, Scheer (Madison, Neb.) led the national qualifying Bulldogs in scoring at 12.1 points per game. The ’09-10 squad finished at 21-11 overall. Scheer also contributed to the national quarterfinal teams of 2007-08 and 2008-09.
Whitney Stichka
• 2007 – Honorable Mention; 2008 – Second Team; 2009 – First Team
• Notable: A rare three-time All-American, Stichka (Ruskin, Neb.) enjoyed a signature moment when she scored at the buzzer to beat Cornerstone (Mich.) in the 2009 national round of 16. The 2016 Concordia Athletics Hall of Fame inductee enjoyed a sterling senior season that saw her average 18.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
--FEATURED: 2009 national tournament hero
Melissa Tinkham
• 2008 – Honorable Mention; 2009 – Honorable Mention
• Notable: The sharpshooting Tinkham (Kearney, Neb.) netted 266 career 3-point field goals, third most in program history and played alongside Stichka. Tinkham produced 1,452 points and 230 steals in her career while excelling on some of Coach Olson’s early teams.
Rachel Witzel
• 1997 – Third Team
• Notable: Witzel paced the 1996-97 national quarterfinal team in scoring (524 total points) and finished her career with more than 1,000 points. In addition to being an All-American, Witzel was an NAIA Scholar-Athlete and NIAC All-Conference award winner.
Quinn Wragge
• 2017 – Honorable Mention; 2018 – Third Team
• Notable: In her final college basketball game, Wragge (Crofton, Neb.) celebrated a national championship as the Bulldogs defeated Southeastern (Fla.), 67-59. A consistent player throughout her career, Wragge ranks top 10 in school history in scoring (1,776), rebounds (833) and steals (251). She was named first or second team All-GPAC all four years.
--FEATURED: Wragge’s last hurrah