SEWARD, Neb. – The 24th annual Cattle Classic is set to tip off next Friday (Nov. 3) afternoon inside Friedrich Arena. The basketball classic features a total of four men’s games and four women’s games over the course of the two-day extravaganza. The event, co-sponsored by Concordia and Cattle Bank & Trust, raises money and food for the Blue Valley Community Action's Food Pantry. Pac N Save of Seward will match all canned food donations.
Fans are encouraged to bring canned goods in exchange for admission. Ten canned items will get an adult a weekend pass. Complete admission information for the Cattle Classic can be found HERE. Tickets will not be sold online for this particular event.
Live webcasts: Concordia Sports Network | Live stats: PrestoStats
2023 CATTLE CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Friday, Nov. 3
- Women: Marian University (Ind.) vs. Dakota State University (S.D.), 1 p.m.
- Men: Hastings College vs. William Penn University (Iowa), 3 p.m.
- Women: Concordia vs. Sterling College (Kan.), 6 p.m.
- Men: Concordia vs. Mayville State University (N.D.), 8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 4
- Women: Dakota State University (S.D.) vs. Sterling College (Kan.), 10 a.m.
- Men: Hastings College vs. Mayville State University (N.D.), 12 p.m.
- Women: Concordia vs. Marian University (Ind.), 2 p.m.
- Men: Concordia vs. William Penn University (Iowa), 4 p.m.
The Women’s Field
No. 17 Concordia University Bulldogs
Head Coach: Drew Olson, 18th season
2022-23 Record: 20-12 (NAIA Round of 32)
Conference: Great Plains Athletic Conference
Location: Seward, Nebraska
Top Player: Taysha Rushton will attempt to land on the All-GPAC first team for a fourth straight year. The Midland, Texas, native has piled up 1,408 career points while draining 217 career treys. She’s been recognized as an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American in back-to-back years.
Overview: Concordia finished last season unranked but jumped to No. 17 in the 2023-24 NAIA preseason coaches’ poll thanks in large part to the return of its top eight scorers, including all five starters. This will be the most veteran team Drew Olson has presided over since the 2019-20 campaign (cut short with Concordia holding the NAIA Division II No. 1 ranking). The class of four-year players, in addition to Rushton, features guards Kendal Brigham and Mackenzie Toomey and forward Sadie Powell. The Bulldogs were pegged third in the GPAC preseason coaches’ poll. The team’s season preview can be found HERE.
No. 8 Dakota State University Trojans
Head Coach: David Moe, 7th season
2022-23 Record: 29-7 (NAIA National Semifinalist)
Conference: North Star Athletic Association
Location: Madison, South Dakota
Top Player: The Trojans bring back 6-foot senior forward Savannah Walsdorf, an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American last season. She averaged 12.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game while starting all 36 games in 2022-23.
Overview: Head Coach David Moe led Dakota State on a surprise run to the 2023 national semifinals. That storybook March included upsets of No. 12 Eastern Oregon, No. 11 Carroll (Mont.) and No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan before a loss to eventual national champion Clarke (Iowa). The powerhouse within the North Star Athletic Association, Dakota State again begins the season as the league’s preseason favorite. Last season’s national tourney success helped vault the Trojans to No. 8 in the 2023-24 NAIA preseason coaches’ poll. The Trojans will have to replace former Concordia Bulldog Elsie Aslesen but return three players who started in the national semifinals, including Walsdorf, Morgan Huber and Lilli Mackley.
No. 5 Marian University Knights
Head Coach: Steve Brooks, 3rd season
2022-23 Record: 29-6 (NAIA National Quarterfinalist)
Conference: Crossroads League
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Top Player: Senior guard Ella Collier enters this season as the reigning NAIA National Player of the Year. This past season, Collier averaged 18.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 55.6 percent from the floor, 43.5 percent from 3-point range and 93.6 percent from the foul line.
Overview: A national powerhouse, Marian won NAIA national titles in 2016 and 2017 and has consistently appeared inside the top 10 of the NAIA coaches’ poll. The Knights begin this season at No. 5 behind the dynamic Collier. A longtime NAIA women’s basketball coach, Head Coach Steve Brooks is preparing for his third year at Marian. He previously coached the University of Saint Francis (Ill.) (2017-21) and Indiana Wesleyan University (2000-16). The Knights were picked second in the conference preseason poll behind Indiana Wesleyan. Collier and Allison Bosse were both chosen as first team Crossroads All-League preseason selections.
Sterling College Warriors
Head Coach: K.C. Bassett, 10th season
2022-23 Record: 26-6 (NAIA Round of 32)
Conference: Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
Location: Sterling, Kansas
Top Player: Junior guard Korynn Clason appears likely to see increased scoring opportunities as the Warriors graduated three NAIA All-Americans from last season’s squad that reached the second round of the national tournament. In the 16 games Clason played in last season, she averaged 12.0 points per game while shooting 45.3 percent from the floor.
Overview: Coach K.C. Bassett runs a successful program that will be tasked with replacing three All-Americans: Taya Wilson (second team), Karsen Schultz (third team) and Bailey Albright (honorable mention). In two separate preseason polls released by the KCAC, Sterling appeared at No. 1 (media poll) and at No. 3 (coaches’ poll). The personnel departures resulted in the Warriors going without receiving votes in the NAIA preseason poll. The Warriors have qualified for the national tournament in each of the past five seasons. Sterling is the alma mater of current Concordia graduate assistant Emmiley Hendrixson.