Concordia Powerlifting
Head Coach: Freddie Myles (5th season)
2026 National Qualifiers (14 returners):
Men: Luis Alarcon; Dax Davis; Leo Guiza; Wyatt Hosick; Nolan Hyde; Quentin Nelson; Will Peterson; Hunter Powers; Garrett Reimche.
Women: Teya Badger; Talisa Buhr; Rylee Bentz; Evyn Carpenter; Givanna Dalton; Taylor Gniot; Taylor Hedke; Abigail Lockingen; Nevaeh Osterbauer; Katie Wilson.
2026 Team National Place Finishes: women – 5th; men – 6th.
2026 All-Americans: Taylor Hedke (second); Will Peterson (second); Teya Badger (third); Wyatt Hosick (third).
2027 National Championships: April 9-11 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Outlook
The ascent of Concordia University, Nebraska Powerlifting continues as the program enters year five of its existence. The “Freddie Effect” – as coined by Bulldog athletes – has taken hold in obvious ways. Tangibly, Concordia has rocketed up the national standings, securing back-to-back top five national finishes on the women’s side and a sixth-place collegiate nationals claim on the men’s side in 2026.
Those achievements are nice, but Head Coach Freddie Myles senses an appetite for bigger and better come the spring of 2027. As the Bulldogs continue to fill more weight classes and expand the roster, expectations will simultaneously increase.
“They did well, but I do think there’s a little bit of, ‘It was the same placing as last year’ (on the women’s side),” Myles said. “I think they’re not satisfied with that. They’re hungry to place higher instead of doing the same. The goal for the program and the kids is to do better and finish higher. For the men, finishing just outside of the banner has them really hungry to match or exceed what the women were able to do. So, I think they’re both hungry for more, but I’m also proud of what they have accomplished.”
The program is coming closer and closer to realizing the vision Myles had when he was announced as the Bulldogs’ first ever lifting coach in December 2021. While Myles and the athletes said goodbye to Assistant Coach Chevy Stout this offseason, they have welcomed in Desmond Cooney as the new right-hand man. There’s plenty on board for Myles and his staff to work with – including four returning All-Americans: Teya Badger (100 kg), Taylor Hedke (60 kg), Wyatt Hosick (60 kg) and Will Peterson (140 kg). Plenty of others are capable of joining them on the podium next April.
In total, there are 14 returners who experienced the 2026 USA Powerlifting Collegiate National Championships in the New Orleans area. Badger, Hosick and Peterson are each two-time All-Americans with their sights set on moving up the podium. Meanwhile, Hedke accomplished a unique feat as she collected 2026 All-America medals in powerlifting and weightlifting in a roughly 24-hour stretch in competitions that took place in different regions of the country.
It’s athletes like these who set the tone for what is attainable inside the Concordia gym. Says Myles, “I think the success of some of those All-American athletes motivates the kids who are just outside of that. We have a lot more who are really close to that level. It’s pretty difficult in both sports to be recognized as an All-American, and I think that should be highlighted. In powerlifting, it’s only the top three places at nationals. That’s a rigid standard and probably tougher than most sports that I’m aware of.”
A junior from Hastings, Neb., and a former junior college baseball player, Nolan Hyde can attest to the types of transformations that occur within the program. He’s one of several athletes primed to take that next step on the national level.
Explains Hyde, “It's just the system that we've built. Everyone on the team knows we call it the ‘Freddie Effect,’ where people will come onto the team—either they have no idea what they're doing or they've been lifting their entire lives—and they will progress more than they think they will … I attribute a lot of that to our team and the environment that we've created, as well as the programming that Freddie has set up.”
Hyde and the aforementioned All-Americans are joined on the team’s list of returning national qualifiers by Luis Alarcon (90 kg), Leo Guiza (110 kg) and Quentin Nelson (100 kg) on the men’s side and Rylee Bentz (65 kg), Evyn Carpenter (90 kg), Givanna Dalton (44 kg), Taylor Gniot (100 kg), Abigail Lockingen (90 kg) and Nevaeh Osterbauer (70 kg) on the women’s side. Notably, Guiza placed seventh at nationals in a competitive weight class with a total of 780 kg.
Many of those national qualifiers hold school records within their respective weight classes for squat, bench, deadlift and total. Last season, Guiza and Hedke both reset program standards for highest DOTS score (a calculation that compares lifters across weight classes) in 2026.
The programming fine-tuned by Myles has helped several athletes make successful transitions from other sports to competitive lifting. Hedke began her collegiate career as a track athlete, Badger started her Bulldog career playing tennis while Carpenter arrived at Concordia as part of the women’s basketball program (and continues to serve as a team manager). The Manvel, Texas, native Carpenter got her first taste of the Collegiate National Championships last season as a junior.
Says Carpenter of what’s transpired behind the scenes this fall semester, “When you look at practice, you can see how everyone is making everything so intentional. Every person is trying to hit those numbers and push themselves but also keep their bodies in the right place by eating the right things and getting the right sleep. It definitely is showing in practice right now. Our athletes are doing great, we’re hitting really good numbers. We’re just trying to do the little things right so we can make the big things great.”
Carpenter is one of nine seniors (not counting Hedke, a grad student) on the roster looking to make the most of one final opportunity. The roster also features five juniors, two sophomores and seven freshmen. Myles continues to explore creative ways to expand the roster for future years and expects a large freshman class for the fall of 2027.
But for now, the program is preparing the current group to be at its best for both the Central Collegiate Cup Series in late November and the Collegiate National Championships next spring.
Says Myles, “I think some of the freshmen have a chance to step into positions that those seniors who graduated left and contribute in a meaningful way on the point-scoring end. I think that will happen. For the returning athletes, it’s a chance for them to move into higher positions, and I think we have several who are going to do so. They worked really hard over the summer and are continuing to work hard, and I think they will place higher this year and be more impactful on the team. Hopefully, we’ll see more of them rise to the All-American level.”
From a results standpoint, Myles places a higher premium on progressive improvement rather than national place finishes. When the process is followed, the “Freddie Effect” yields undeniable results. Myles can point to people like Taylor Hedke as an example. She’ll be attempting to track down her school records (175 kg squat, 92.5 kg bench, 175 kg deadlift and 440 kg total) and a perch atop the podium.
The exciting realization for Concordia Powerlifting is that the program has not yet maxed out. The current athletes have the opportunity to etch their names into history.
Says Carpenter, “Obviously, when we get to that regional stage and when we get to that national stage, it’s my desire that everybody hits the numbers they have set for themselves. But at the end of the day, it’s not about the numbers. It’s about how this team comes together and how we help each other perform at the best level.”
As for Hyde, he’ll remind himself of the disappointment he felt leaving New Orleans last spring without a men’s team national banner. Hyde called his first experience at the national championships the “most insane sporting experience” of his life.
Added Hyde, “Immediately after, we were leaving to go to the airport, and it felt like my brain switched. I was like, ‘I am so mad that we didn't get a banner.’ We need to do that. So, at least for myself and my expectations for the team, this is the year that I think we go and get a banner at nationals.”
According to athletes like Carpenter and Hyde, a togetherness within the program has helped carry it to current levels. There’s an emphasis on physical progress, yes, but also on faith and collectively supporting each other. Carpenter referenced Badger and Hedke as influential teammates in her own growth.
Says Myles, “I still think we have several steps to get to the winning portion (in terms of team national championships), but I think we’re getting closer. We’re moving in the right direction.”
The Bulldogs will open their 2026-27 season by hosting the CUNE Collegiate Powerlifting Meet on Saturday, Oct. 3. All roads eventually lead to Sioux Falls, S.D., site of the 2027 USA Powerlifting Collegiate National Championships, April 8-11. The full schedule can be found HERE.