Concordia Weightlifting Head Coach: Freddie Myles (3rd season) 2023 National Qualifiers: Michael Davidge, Evan Fukuhara, Nolan Graupmann, Adrian Hernandez, Gracy Johnson, Cody Monsevais. 2025 National Championships: Feb. 27 – March 2 in Columbus, Ohio.
Outlook
The Concordia logo has made its way to the biggest stages of collegiate national competition and will also be visible on the international stage in the months to come. Sacramento, Calif., native Evan Fukuhara has quickly put Concordia University, Nebraska Weightlifting on the map with his incredible abilities in the disciplines of snatch and clean and jerk. The 2024 National University Championships winner at 67 kg, Fukuhara headlines a roster of 17 athletes prepared to take on the 2024-25 season.
Head Coach Freddie Myles built both the powerlifting and weightlifting programs from the ground up and is entering his third season at the helm of the Bulldogs. In terms of both quality and quantity, the weightlifting roster has been constructed to a point where Concordia can reach a higher competitive level from a team standpoint.
“We’re having lots of improvements,” Myles said in discussing the opening month of the semester. “In the first month of the semester, we’re seeing lots of new personal records in the gym. I’ve been pleased with the work ethic and the way they support each other, which helps from the overall team improvement. We’re definitely ahead of where we were last year a significant margin.”
Fukuhara was joined at the 2024 National University Championships in Columbus, Ohio, by teammates in Michael Davidge, Nolan Graupmann, Adrian Hernandez, Gracy Johnson and Cody Monsevais. Five of the six national qualifiers return to this year’s roster. The team also welcomes Taylor Hedke, a 2024 powerlifting national qualifier, who will now compete in both weightlifting and powerlifting. The goal moving forward is for the program to ramp up its team success.
It starts with Fukuhara, now a junior. At the 2024 national championships, Fukuhara totaled 243 kg and defeated the national runner up by 15 kg. Fukuhara also won the 67 kg title at the North American Open Finals with a personal best total of 256 kg. He has qualified to compete at the 2024 Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia, while attempting to stake his claim as one of the top lifters in the world in his weight class.
“He’s definitely set the bar pretty high,” Myles said. “Since he’s come here, he’s won a national championship, won an American Open and qualified for an international team. All of those were firsts for him coming here. He’s had a tremendous improvement. After this international meet, he’s looking to move up a weight class. He can win in that heavier weight class. I think we’ll see his numbers climb pretty rapidly as he increases his weight.”
A sophomore from Coon Rapids, Iowa, Johnson will be looking to reach new heights after she placed eighth nationally last season in the 71 kg class. Johnson set new personal records for snatch, clean and jerk and for total (170 kg). As Myles said of Johnson, “I think she can climb the ladder even higher and possibly be on the podium. She’s had a great training block over the summer and has made great improvements.” On the women’s side, another addition to the team is Kenzie Houser, a two-time national qualifier for the Bulldogs in powerlifting.
A former Concordia track athlete, Taylor Hedke has hopes of reaching the podium in both weightlifting and powerlifting in 2025. Hedke experienced powerlifting nationals as a sophomore. Says the junior from Marysville, Kan., “I’m really excited just to get back out and compete. Obviously we want to place as a team in both powerlifting and weightlifting. Freddie has high hopes for us placing as a co-ed team at weightlifting nationals this year. For myself personally, I’d say (the goal) is to place at both powerlifting and weightlifting nationals.”
Graupmann placed 12th nationally at 102 kg in 2024 while totaling 213 kg. Like Taylor Hedke, Graupmann will be competing in weightlifting and powerlifting. He plans to represent Concordia at both national championships while continuing the upward trajectory of the programs.
Said Graupmann, “I think it’s been a constant upward momentum. We brought in a lot of new talent this year, and I’m excited to see where they go. I know that everyone returning is in a really good spot. Strength-wise, everyone is getting bigger and stronger. I’m excited to see where we go in the next couple of years.”
Overall, the Concordia Weightlifting team will be a youthful one. There are nine freshmen on the roster that have been recruited from the states of California, Colorado, Florida and Nebraska. They have been quickly acclimated to the program’s strenuous training regimen.
“Everyone meshed together really well and we’ve built a good team atmosphere that way,” Graupmann said. “The freshmen coming in this year have acclimated and have caught on to our values and the way we do things. We have a really great atmosphere in the weight room. Everyone has been hyping each other up. We have a lot of things coming up with team bonding and team events to really solidify that atmosphere.”
Added Taylor Hedke, “We got the top 10 finish (in powerlifting) we wanted on the women’s side. Building on that, we have a great group of girls coming in. Everyone’s ready to compete. There’s a split in the weight classes that’s happening this year that’s going to help our women’s team a lot.”
The weightlifting season is slated to officially get underway on Oct. 19 with the Nebraska State Weightlifting Championships in Omaha. The program is hoping to qualify Fukuhara and others for the prestigious American Open Finals in December. The University Weightlifting National Championships will again be held in Columbus (Feb. 27 – March 2). The complete schedule can be found HERE.
Bulldogs win team title as Hedke stars at Nebraska/Iowa State Championships
Oct. 21, 2024
OMAHA, Neb. – Among eight teams present at the Nebraska/Iowa Weightlifting State Organization (WSO) Championships, the Concordia University, Nebraska Weightlifting team emerged victorious. The Bulldogs took home the team title while led by Best Female Lifter Taylor Hedke in action that took place at Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Neb., where the event was sponsored by Heartland Strength on Oct. 19. Hedke and seven other Concordia athletes placed first within their respective weight classes.
The meet in Omaha marked the beginning of year three for the weightlifting program under the direction of Head Coach Freddie Myles.
“I'm proud of the team for their strong performance and first place finish,” Myles said. “They worked hard, and it showed.” Added assistant coach Chevy Stout, “It’s always exciting to see the hard work these athletes put in during training and how it translates to their performance on the competition platform. Bringing home the team champion trophy was a significant achievement and a testament to their dedication and effort.”
Formerly a member of the Bulldog track team, Hedke starred in her ever first weightlifting meet. She executed all six of her lifts while posting bests of 67kg in snatch and 87kg in clean and jerk for a total of 154kg. Concordia’s additional meet champions were Davontai Bell (67kg), HarleyJane Carter (59kg), Evan Fukuhara (73kg), Kenzie Houser (55kg), Enzo Mancini (96kg), Nina Pollack (71kg) and Marcus Sweet (81kg). Meanwhile, Bulldog lifters also combined for five runner-up and one third-place claim. The second-place finishers were Michael Davidge (96kg), Jack Freeman (109+kg), Chloe Gaspar (64kg), Nolan Graupmann (109kg) and Kendrick Pardieu (73kg).
A summary of achievements from the 14 Concordia competitors at the competition is included below. Fukuhara, a junior from Sacramento, Calif., is the reigning 67kg National University Championships titlist. This was the most competitors the Bulldogs have ever entered for a weightlifting meet.
Performance summary:
· Davontai Bell, 67kg (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) – placed first in the junior category with a 14kg total improvement and qualified for University Nationals.
· HarleyJane Carter, 59kg (Pueblo West, Colo.) – placed first and qualified for University Nationals.
· Michael Davidge, 96kg (Grapevine, Texas) – placed second.
· Jack Freeman, 109+kg (Palm Coast, Fla.) – placed second in the open category and qualified for University Nationals.
· Evan Fukuhara, 73kg (Sacramento, Calif.) – placed first and qualified for University Nationals.
· Chloe Gaspar, 64kg (Grand Island, Neb.) – placed second in the junior category with an 11kg total improvement.
· Nolan Graupmann, 109kg (Goddard, Kan.) – placed second in the junior category with a 12kg total improvement.
· Taylor Hedke, 64kg (Marysville, Kan.) – placed first and was named Best Female Lifter (67kg in snatch and 87kg in clean and jerk).
· Adrian Hernandez, 109+kg (Grand Island, Neb.) – placed third in the junior category with a 9kg total improvement.
· Kenzie Houser, 55kg (Riverton, Kan.) – placed first and qualified for University Nationals.
· Enzo Mancini, 96kg (Roseville, Calif.) – placed first and qualified for University Nationals.
· Kendrick Pardieu, 73kg (Coconut Creek, Fla.) – placed second in the junior category with a 16kg total improvement and qualified for the American Open Finals and University Nationals.
· Nina Pollack, 71kg (Monument, Colo.) – placed first and qualified for University Nationals.
· Marcus Sweet, 81kg (Navarre, Fla.) – placed first in the junior category with a 10kg total improvement and qualified for University Nationals.
For those who qualify, the next competition on the schedule will be the American Open Finals in Tucson, Ariz., Dec. 5-8. The University Weightlifting National Championships are slated to take place in Columbus, Ohio, Feb. 27-March 2, 2025. In addition, the Bulldogs will host their own competition late in the spring semester (April 26, 2025).