Concordia Powerlifting
Head Coach: Freddie Myles (4th season)
2025 National Qualifiers (12 returning):
Men: Dax Davis; Nolan Graupmann; Jack Hedke; Wyatt Hosick; Pablo Martinez; Quentin Nelson; Pryce Ostermeier; Hunter Powers.
Women: Teya Badger; Chloe Gaspar; Taylor Hedke; Kenzie Houser; Rylee Ladd; Abigail Lockingen; Nevaeh Osterbauer; Rayle Ostermeier; Abigail Velten.
2025 Team National Place Finishes: women – 5th; men – T-14th.
2025 All-Americans: Rylee Ladd (1st); Taylor Hedke (3rd); Teya Badger (4th); Wyatt Hosick (4th).
2026 National Championships: April 9-12 in Kenner, La.
Outlook
The expectations have soared for Concordia University, Nebraska Powerlifting as the program has transitioned out of its infancy. The 2024-25 season concluded with the Bulldogs placing within the top 15 nationally for both women and men with the women bringing home a fifth-place national championships banner. Four individuals came away with All-America medals, a remarkable accomplishment in year three of the program’s existence.
The early returns in the gym this fall semester have Head Coach Freddie Myles and company dreaming big in 2025-26. The year-by-year progress is expected to carry over into year four of Concordia Powerlifting. For those not aware, the sport tests athletes in the bench press, squat and deadlift.
“I’d like to obviously have a higher team placement,” Myles said of his outlook for this season. “I’d like to have more people medal and be on the podium. We had four athletes last year that made the podium. It was two the year before that, so that was a big improvement. We focus on the individuals first with it being an individual sport that gets scored out team-wise. I’m focused on each kid doing the best they can possibly do. The end result will hopefully be a higher team score.”
While national champion and American bench press record holder (within her weight class) Rylee Ladd has departed, the Bulldogs have continued to build depth within the program. The current roster features 19 athletes with collegiate nationals experience, including returning 2025 All-Americans in junior Teya Badger (100kg), senior Taylor Hedke (60kg) and sophomore Wyatt Hosick (60kg). Junior Will Peterson (140kg), who sat out last season due to injury, earned All-America status as a freshman in 2024.
Plenty of other Bulldogs have progressed incrementally in hopes of tasting that same level of success on the national stage. Additional returning national qualifiers from last season are Dax Davis, Nolan Graupmann, Quentin Nelson, Pryce Ostermeier and Hunter Powers on the men’s side and Chloe Gaspar, Abigail Lockingen, Naveah Osterbauer and Rayle Ostermeier on the women’s side. Others such as Rylee Bentz, Talisa Buhr, Leo Guiza, Garrett Reimche and Katie Wilson competed at the 2024 national championships.
A Cozad, Neb., native, Hosick surprised even himself as a freshman when he placed fourth in the 60kg weight class with a total of 525kg at the national meet in Oklahoma City. Hosick gushes about the atmosphere within the team. Said Hosick, “When I walked in it was the third year (of the program). I knew there were going to be some kinks, but once we started rolling everything just fell into place. The team’s great. I love the coaches. It just made sense for everything that happened. Last year was phenomenal. I want someone to see how it went. It was incredible.”
The roster has grown to roughly 30 student-athletes as the competitive level simultaneously increases. Four freshmen have been added to that mix. A Kearney, Neb., native, Bentz arrived at Concordia in the second year of the program’s existence. As a high school athlete, Bentz never had the opportunity to compete on a national scale, but she’s skyrocketed to new heights as a Bulldog. She has not only improved her strength tremendously, but she’s also enhanced her mental game.
Says Bentz of the environment within the gym, “My teammates are really great. They are some of my best friends that I’ve met through this program. We all really encourage each other to do better. There’s a lot of friendly competition. Some of us are in the same weight classes, so that’s always fun to see.”
A native of Marysville, Kan., and former member of the track team, Taylor Hedke is one of several Bulldogs who dual in powerlifting and weightlifting. Hedke has the ability to put herself on the podium in both sports. Last season, Hedke placed third in the 60kg weight class at powerlifting nationals as she posted lifts of 170kg in squat, 82.5kg in bench and 170kg in deadlift. Also noteworthy from last season’s national championships, Dax Davis placed 13th at 60kg and Abigail Lockingen took 14th at 90kg.
All-Americans like Hedke, Badger and Hosick have their sights set on ascending up the podium come spring. Said Myles of their progress, “They both had really good summers and have gotten even stronger than they were last year. Both of them are going to do really big things. We also have someone who was maybe off the radar last year because he was injured, Will Peterson, who was a medalist as a freshman. He had an injury that required surgery. He’s in really good shape right now – had a really good summer and a really good recovery period after his surgery. I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people with how strong he is.”
As the program grows, the Bulldogs continue to look for ways to elevate their profile. For the third season in a row, Concordia will host a powerlifting competition. The CUNE Collegiate Powerlifting Meet on Oct. 4 will kick off the new campaign. The competition slate will also feature the Central Collegiate Cup Series (Nov. 22-23), the Nebraska State Powerlifting Meet (Jan. 31-Feb. 1) and the 2026 Collegiate Powerlifting National Championships (April 9-12) in Kenner, La.
The results in April 2026 will show how much of a step the program is able to make from year three to year four. Myles’ program will storm into Louisiana with more eyeballs on it from opposing competition. Said Myles of the breakthrough for Concordia Powerlifting in 2025, “It was a big deal. It was definitely recognized by other coaches. I know they’re capable of placing higher this year. We were really close. The difference between fifth and third place was one point. Fourth place and third place were one point ahead of us and second place was three points. It was very close. I think that motivated them to try to get a little higher.”
Bentz and Hosick provided their own thoughts on what the expectations should be entering this season. Said Bentz, “We want to at least get that top five at nationals again, if not better, and get our men’s team up there in the placings. Personally, I’m looking for that podium finish this year. We just want to continue to grow the team as always. I think last year was the first time we put this team on the map, which is crazy after only three years. We’re looking to expand on that.”
Added Hosick, “At nationals, obviously the goal is to win. The senior who won last year (in my weight class) graduated. It puts me in a position of top three if you think of it that way. The goal is to chase down second and third, especially. Another thing on top of it is pushing numbers. For example, my deadlift is 33 kg away from the American record. That’s another one I’m really pushing towards … I think there’s going to be a lot more development with this team this year and a lot more of us going to nationals.”
The complete 2025-26 Concordia Powerlifting schedule can be found HERE.