Dylan Owens
Athletics, Bookstore
Hometown: Moscow, Tenn.
Alma Mater: Bethel University (Tenn.)
Dylan Owens was officially introduced as Concordia University Head Shooting Sports Coach in April 2022. He became the third head coach in the program's history. Said Owens, "As a former collegiate athlete in the shooting sports, having the opportunity to raise up more athletes in this sport and represent a fantastic university really excites me. I endeavor to help the shooting sports athletes achieve their personal goals while giving all glory to our amazing Creator and Savior."
Through four seasons leading the Bulldogs (2022 through 2026), Owens has guided the program to national place finishes of third (NCSSAA National Championships) in 2023, seventh (ACUI National Championships) in 2024, 2025 and 2026. Each of those squads also placed in the top four of the Prairie Circuit Conference. Individually, Wyatt Hambly won the 2023 HOA individual national title. Additionally, national championships in specific disciplines have been won by Sam Blevins (skeet), Jessie Ciezki (skeet), Hambly (sporting clays) and Claire Kee (doubles skeet in 2023 and super sporting in 2024), Kaylee Hinton (women’s open skeet in 2026) and Katie Welker (women’s HOA doubles trap and women’s open doubles trap in 2026). The third-place team national finish in 2023 marked the highest placement in program history at a national championship event.
Since graduating from NAIA member institution Bethel University (Tenn.) in 2019, Owens has immersed himself within the world of shooting sports. Owens has devoted his time to shotgun shooting clinics for athletes of a variety of ages, has coached multiple winning athletes at the state and national level and has traveled to events across the country while networking and bolstering his craft. Owens has worked closely with athletes through personal training sessions in three main disciplines: trap, skeet and sporting clays. At Holly Fork Shooting Complex in Tennessee, Owens served as the manager and club professional.
Owens’ coaching career followed his distinguished career as a member of Bethel Shooting Sports. As a collegiate competitor, Owens rose to great heights in earning recognition as the 2019 ACUI Nationals Super Sporting Class A National Champion and the 2018 ACUI Nationals Class A International Skeet Champion. Post-graduation, Owens claimed the 2020 NSCA Class A FITASC National Championship. He was named Bethel’s 2017-18 Club Male Athlete of the Year.
Professionally, Owens is certified as an SSSF Certified Coach Trainer, an NRA Level 1 Shotgun Instructor, a 4-H Level 1 Shotgun Coach and FITASC Certified Referee National Level. He has also previously worked for the Tennessee Wildlife Federation and duPont/Kreighoff Rifles and Shotguns.
Owens earned his Bachelor of Business Administration and Management from Bethel University.
Hometown: Hamill, S.D.
Alma Mater: Concordia University, Nebraska
Following four successful years as a Bulldog student-athlete, Katie Welker has taken on the role of graduate assistant coach for Concordia University, Nebraska Shooting Sports. Welker will also continue to compete for Head Coach Dylan Owens’ team.
The Hamill, S.D., native Welker concluded her four-year career as an All-American at the 2026 ACUI National Championships. She won 2026 national titles as the women’s HOA doubles trap and women’s open doubles trap champion while also placing third in doubles skeet. In previous national championship shoots, Welker placed second in women’s doubles trap (2023) and third in women’s trap (2025). At the conference level, Welker was the 2026 Prairie Circuit Conference HOA runner up and the 2025 women’s doubles trap champion. She was twice named all-conference. Welker holds school records for women’s career targets broken (11,077) and for women’s trap average in a season (96.67 percent). Welker helped the 2022-23 team place third at the national championships (best in school history). Welker emerged as the 2026 HOA champion at three events: Midland Invite, SCC Invite and Iowa Western Invite.
Katie earned her degree from Concordia in Biology. She is pursuing her Master's of Science in Athletic Coaching. Welker is the daughter of Dewayne and Laura Welker. Katie has three older siblings: Chris, Nolan and Logan.