Concordia University, Nebraska Athletics has announced its 2025-26 Concordia Senior Athletes of the Year. As voted upon by members of the athletic department, Alex Johnson (baseball) has been selected as the 2025-26 Concordia Male Senior Athlete of the Year while Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) has been recognized as the 2025-26 Concordia Female Senior Athlete of the Year. As senior athletes of the year, these standout Bulldogs will automatically be nominated for future consideration as members of the Concordia Athletics Hall of Fame.
As this year’s award winners, Johnson and Rodencal are invited to attend the 2026 Concordia Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony slated for the night of Sept. 18. The ceremony represents one of the highlights of homecoming weekend on the Concordia University, Nebraska campus.
Said Director of Athletics Devin Smith, “We are pleased to recognize Alex and Adrianna for their outstanding careers as student-athletes. They have earned this distinction not only for what they achieved athletically, but also because they represent the best in Bulldog Athletics as exemplified by their Christian faith and pursuit of excellence in all areas of life. The leadership and incredible achievements of both athletes were influential in their respective programs winning GPAC championships while attaining national relevancy. Congratulations to Alex and Adrianna!”
Adrianna Rodencal, Track & Field
The remarkable career of Adrianna Rodencal was capped off with two national championships in the final semester of her collegiate career. A Lincoln native and Lincoln Lutheran High School alum, Rodencal left her mark with two national titles, eight career NAIA All-America awards, 14 GPAC event championships, five GPAC Athlete of the Year awards, five GPAC Most Outstanding Athlete of the Meet honors and 41 GPAC All-Conference medals. Throughout the journey, Rodencal excelled in all aspects of life while serving as a witness to Christ. She graduated with the school indoor record for the 60-meter hurdles (8.25) and with program outdoor standards in the 100-meter hurdles (13.04), 400-meter hurdles (57.98), 4x100-meter relay (46.80) and 4x400-meter relay (3:47.14). She also broke GPAC meet records across all hurdles events. Rodencal captured eight hurdles GPAC titles during her standout career, which including appearances at eight NAIA National Championship meets.
Rodencal became a national champion for the first time as a senior when she clocked in at 8.25 in the finals of the 60 hurdles in Gainesville, Fla. During her final season, Rodencal also won the NAIA outdoor national title in the 100 hurdles and was the runner up in the 400 hurdles. During indoor season, Rodencal took first place in the 60 hurdles at every meet she competed in. As a display of her dominance, Rodencal was honored five times in 2026 as the NAIA National Track Athlete of the Week by either the USTFCCCA or NAIA. Additionally, she was named the NAIA Midwest Region Women’s Track Athlete of the Year three times by the USTFCCCA and was honored by College Sports Communicators as a 2025 NAIA Second Team Academic All-American and a three-time Academic All-District honoree. A three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete, Rodencal achieved high marks in the classroom while studying Biochemistry. From a team perspective, Rodencal helped lead the Bulldogs to four GPAC championships and to four NAIA top 10 placements, including a third-place claim at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Championships. Rodencal worked closely with event coach Mark Samuels and positively impacted her teammates over the duration of her four-year career.
Said Head Track & Field and Cross Country Coach Matt Beisel, “Adrianna is and has been a true blessing to the program. Obviously, her athletic accomplishments have been significant, but who she is as a teammate and leader have been just as important. We are grateful that God led her to Concordia and are so proud of all she has accomplished. A stellar student, a legendary athlete, and a phenomenal teammate: she is truly exceptional.”
Alex Johnson, Baseball
An Olathe, Kan., native and product of Spring Hill High School, Alex Johnson put together a career that ranks him amongst the top pitchers in the history of the baseball program. Johnson spent six seasons with the Bulldogs while persevering through the Tommy John surgery he underwent in December 2023. Johnson returned to the diamond in 2025 and proceeded to earn back-to-back GPAC Pitcher of the Year awards. Johnson rose to the top of the school’s all-time lists for career strikeouts (320) and games started (51) while ranking third in wins (26), fourth in innings pitched (237), seventh in earned run average (3.49) and 10th in pitching appearances (51). Johnson equaled a program single season record for strikeouts with 109 in 2026. This past season, Johnson won all seven of his GPAC league starts and produced a 3.88 ERA with a .230 opponent batting average in 67.1 innings.
In June, Johnson received lofty distinction in being named by College Sports Communicators as the 2026 Academic All-America Team Member of the Year for NAIA baseball. The award recognizes superior achievement academically and athletically. The honor came a year after he was chosen as an NAIA Second Team Academic All-American by CSC. In addition to being tabbed a two-time GPAC Pitcher of the Year, Johnson is a three-time First Team All-GPAC, two-time CSC Academic All-District and five-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete honoree. As a freshman in 2021, Johnson helped the Bulldogs reach the NAIA World Series and post a school record 42 wins. The fireballer pitched in national tournaments in each of his four healthy seasons and was a member of four separate squads that won GPAC championships. Johnson earned his degree in Psychology from Concordia and plans to complete his MBA in the fall of 2026. Johnson served as a leader and an inspiration to his teammates throughout his Bulldog career.
Said Head Baseball Coach Ryan Dupic, “Alex is an excellent recipient of this award. He represents everything the award stands for: strong Christian faith and a love of Jesus, character and integrity, academic excellence and high-level athletic achievement. Alex set a standard for service, the sharing of the gospel, and competitive excellence on the field and classroom that makes him one of the best players and people to have ever played baseball at Concordia.”