Major individual school records were broken during a 2024-25 winter sports season that saw Concordia Athletics teams compete favorably with the very best in the GPAC. Men’s Basketball made a strong push for a conference championship and top-four conference placements were claimed by Wresting, Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track & Field and by the Cheer and Dance squads. Throughout the winter, two all-time greats in Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith thrilled the Friedrich Arena crowds. Other individuals who put themselves on the national radar included Hagen Heistand, Adrianna Rodencal and Abi Wohlgemuth.
The solid regular season placements position Concordia for another run at a GPAC All-Sports Championship. Back in the fall, the Bulldogs placed second in the GPAC in football, men’s soccer, women’s soccer and volleyball. In school history, Concordia has won five GPAC All-Sports Championship Trophies.
Below is a summary of the past winter sports season, including top team and individual moments. Lifting sports and shooting sports will be included with the 2025 spring wrap up article.
TOP MOMENT
Schutte, Smith break celebrated men’s basketball program records
It was an emotional moment at the national tournament when Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith embraced each other in the final game of their respective careers. Neither will ever be forgotten by those who follow Bulldog Basketball. Schutte and Smith took turns grabbing the spotlight throughout the 2024-25 season. Back on Jan. 8, Schutte became the program’s all-time leading scorer, eclipsing the record previously held by Jon Ziegler. Schutte also rose to the top of the all-time rebound list on March 14, this time surpassing Matt List. As for Smith, he developed into a whole lot more than just a highlight reel dunker. He etched his name into history on Feb. 26 while piling up 48 points, breaking another record formerly owned by Zigler (who scored 47 points in a win over Sioux Falls in 2007).
Deservedly so, Smith was named the GPAC Player of the Year and GPAC Defensive Player of the Year, making him just the second player in GPAC history to sweep those awards in the same season. In 112 career games, Smith totaled 1,577 points, 755 rebounds, 247 assists, 135 blocked shots and 109 steals. Schutte earned First Team All-GPAC status for the third-straight season and moved his program all-time records to 2,340 points and 948 rebounds.
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Rodencal breaks GPAC meet record, claims GPAC Athlete of the Year, All-America awards
A Lincoln Lutheran High School alum, junior Adrianna Rodencal keeps raising the bar and resetting her own school standard in the 60-meter hurdles. The crowning achievements for Rodencal during the 2025 indoor season included a GPAC meet record in the 60 hurdles (8.49), GPAC Athlete of the Year accolades and the first All-America award of her career. At the national meet in Gainesville, Rodencal ran 8.44 in the finals of the 60 hurdles and placed fifth. Rodencal has earned three career GPAC Athlete of the Year awards, including two her freshman year. Her exploits at the conference meet were covered in detail in a feature linked HERE.
Heistand blazes to NAIA wrestling national finals
Hagen Heistand did not make his Concordia Wrestling debut until Jan. 11, but it was worth the wait. The transfer from NCAA Division I Campbell University advanced to the GPAC finals at 149 pounds and then surprised many outsiders when he reached the NAIA national championship match at that same weight. As part of his run, 11th-seeded Heistand defeated opponents seeded third, sixth and 10th. He became the fourth wrestler in school history to reach the national finals, joining Andrew Schulte (2016), Ceron Francisco (2017) and Tanner Farmer (2020). Schulte remains the program’s lone national champion. As part of his first season as a Bulldog, Heistand posted a 20-4 overall record and earned First Team All-GPAC recognition.
Men’s Basketball wins 18 of 19 on way to GPAC Championship Game
Concordia Men’s Basketball started the 2024-25 season with a solid but unspectacular record of 7-4 through the season’s first 11 games. The rest of the way, the Bulldogs committed themselves to the defensive end and lost only one time (18-1) from Dec. 21 through early March. That run carried Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad to the GPAC tournament championship game and to an at-large bid to the national tournament. At its peak, Concordia appeared capable of playing with anyone in the country. Its most impressive performance came in a 99-72 whitewashing of eventual GPAC regular season champion Dordt on Jan. 4. The hot streak included a perfect month of January and a CIT championship.
Baughman opts in on final season, claims GPAC title, All-America honors
In May of 2024, Creighton Baughman celebrated his graduation from Concordia and had come to grips with the end of his college athletic career. However, when Josh Watts was hired as head wrestling coach in July, Baughman experienced a change of heart. The Papillion, Neb., native decided to use his final season of eligibility. The 141-pound Baughman took advantage and won his first GPAC title and earned his first All-America medal at the NAIA level. Not only that, Baughman set the example for how a standout Concordia student-athlete goes about his business. Between his time at Iowa Western Community College and Concordia, Baughman won 124 matches.
Wohlgemuth grabs national runner up placement, Bulldogs combine for seven GPAC track & field event titles
The streak of GPAC team championships for the women’s track & field program ended this season, but there were still a large number of highlights. At the 2025 GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championships, conference titles were won by Carson Fehlhafer (shot put), Abby Gerber (shot put), Jonny Jurchen (3,000-meter race walk), Mayson Ostermeyer (pole vault), Adrianna Rodencal (60-meter hurdles and 200 meters) and by the women’s 4x400-meter relay that featured Rodencal, Trinity Tuls, Isabelle Salters and Kayla Kirchner. Two weeks later at the NAIA National Championships in Gainesville, Fla., Wohlgemuth made a run at a national title before placing as the national runner up in the weight throw with a mark of 62’ 1 ¾.” She was joined with All-America honors by teammates in Gerber, Jurchen, Ostermeyer and Rodencal.
Brigham hits milestone in fifth season with women’s basketball program
It was a challenging season from a results perspective for the women’s basketball program, but there were light-hearted moments for a squad led by veterans such as Abby Krieser and Abby Heemstra. In a major development for Head Coach Drew Olson’s 2024-25 team, Kendal Brigham chose to use her ‘COVID exemption’ and returned for a fifth season. In a 92-41 stomping of Midland on Nov. 26, Brigham scored 19 points and eclipsed 1,000 for her career. She finished with totals of 1,233 points, 356 rebounds, 344 assists and 167 steals. Brigham brought joy to fans with her ability to dribble while seemingly sprinting at full speed.
Cheer/Dance lands seven athletes on All-GPAC honor roll
The improvement of the dance and cheer programs under coaches Mandi Maser and Emilie Ashenbach continued in 2025. Concordia Dance fell just shy of reaching the NAIA National Championships while ranking 11th nationally in terms of scoring average. Both teams placed fourth in the GPAC. As individual highlights, seven Bulldogs garnered All-GPAC recognition. The honorees in dance were first-teamers Hanna Bitner and Taylor Larsen and third-teamers Elise O'Neill, Kaylee Powell and Bianca Romshek. In cheer, both Riley Bennett and Bri Hoyle were named to the first team.
SEASON SUMMARIES
Men’s Basketball
2024-25 record: 26-7 overall; 16-4 GPAC (T-2nd); NAIA National Round of 32
Top performer: Tristan Smith rose to another level as a senior while developing into the top player in the GPAC. The Elizabeth, Colo., native is one of two players in league history to sweep GPAC Player of the Year and GPAC Defensive Player of the Year awards. Smith finished 2024-25 with averages of 20.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. Noah Schutte joined Smith with First Team All-GPAC honors and averaged 16.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per contest.
Season highlights: The accomplishments for Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad included the fourth most wins in a single season in program history (tied with two others), a school record for conference victories, a final NAIA ranking of No. 11, a spot in the national tournament round of 32 and a CIT championship. After opening the season at 7-4, the Bulldogs won 18 of their next 19 games while led by stars in Tristan Smith and Noah Schutte. Plenty of others contributed, including another senior in Brad Benett, junior Zac Kulus and a large sophomore class featuring the likes of Hayden Frank, Lukas Helms, Brooks Kissinger and Jaxon Stueve. Among freshmen, Elijah Gaeth made the biggest impact. His most thrilling moment was a game-winning trey to lift Concordia to a victory over Bethel College (Kan.) in the first round of the national tournament. In other memorable highlights, Schutte became the program’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder, and Smith continually entertained the crowd with thunderous dunks. His 48-point outing in the GPAC quarterfinals will long be remembered. The best atmosphere inside Friedrich Arena came when the Bulldogs hosted Morningside in the GPAC tournament final. The journey ended with a loss at 10th-ranked Baker University (Kan.) in the second round of the national tournament. Next year’s team will look different as Schutte and Smith move on. As players come and go, Limback’s program has been a consistent national qualifier with four-straight appearances and five nationals trips in the past six seasons.
GPAC All-Conference: Tristan Smith (GPAC POY; GPAC Defensive POY; First Team); Noah Schutte (First Team); Brad Bennett (Second Team); Jaxon Stueve (Honorable Mention).
NAIA All-American: Tristan Smith (First Team).
Women’s Basketball
2024-25 record: 14-15 overall; 9-13 GPAC (8th)
Top performer: Kendal Brigham returned for a fifth season and took the reins as the team’s starting point guard for all 29 games. The Wahoo, Neb., native led the team in key statistical categories such as scoring average (10.8), assists (3.4) and minutes (31.4). Brigham and junior Kristin Vieselmeyer were named second team all-conference selections.
Season highlights: It was a season of close calls and near misses, resulting in the program experiencing the rare feeling of missing out on the national tournament. Some of the best moments from an on-court perspective included an early season win at then sixth-ranked Dakota State, the CIT championship victory (behind MVP Makynna Robbins) at Concordia Ann Arbor and a triumph over Doane in the season’s home finale. As the No. 8 seed in the GPAC tournament, the Bulldogs’ postseason appearance was a brief one as it ended with an 80-66 loss at No. 1 Dordt in the quarterfinals. Two or three additional wins may have put Concordia in the national tournament. It lost twice in overtime to top-ranked Dordt, it fell by three points to No. 2 Southern Oregon, it suffered defeats in the last seconds of regulation to Hastings, Mount Marty and Northwestern, as well as a double overtime downer at Doane. Head Coach Drew Olson came away from the season appreciative for the time he had with Brigham and seniors Abby Heemstra and Abby Krieser. On a balanced roster, there were four players who averaged between 8.8 and 10.8 points per game. Four Bulldogs earned spots on the all-conference team. Next season, Vieselmeyer and Megan Belt will be the two main seniors for a squad that will feature a large junior class led by Raelyn Kelty.
GPAC All-Conference: Kendal Brigham (Second Team); Kristin Vieselmeyer (Second Team); Abby Krieser (Honorable Mention); Raelyn Kelty (Honorable Mention).
Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field
2025 women’s GPAC finish: 3rd
2025 women’s NAIA national finish: T-20th
2025 men’s GPAC finish: 4th
2025 men’s NAIA national finish: 56th
Top performers: When factoring in the GPAC meet and NAIA National Championships, junior Adrianna Rodencal made the largest impact. She won GPAC Athlete of the Meet and GPAC Athlete of the Year honors on the women’s side and was the GPAC champion in the 60-meter hurdles, 200 meters and as part of the 4x400-meter relay. The Lincoln Lutheran alum then earned her first career All-America award and broke her own school record in the 60 hurdles (8.44). In addition, Abi Wohlgemuth was the national runner up in the weight throw and pole vault All-American Mayson Ostermeyer consistently cleared 16 feet.
Season highlights: The exploits of Rodencal served as a highlight all indoor season as she repeatedly reset her own school record in the 60 hurdles. In addition, Ostermeyer starred while earning an NAIA National Athlete of the Week honor and Jonny Jurchen burst onto the scene while claiming All-America recognition in the race walk. Jurchen also won the GPAC title in the race walk. Other conference champions included Carson Fehlhafer (shot put), Abby Gerber (shot put), Ostermeyer (pole vault), Rodencal (60 hurdles / 200 meters) and the women’s 4x400-meter relay (Kayla Kirchner, Rodencal, Isabelle Salters and Trinity Tuls). From a team perspective, the Bulldogs posted GPAC place finishes of third on the women’s side and fourth on the men’s side. Five Concordia athletes went on to claim All-America awards (as listed below). Wohlgemuth made a run at a national title in the weight throw and placed second. The women settled in 20th place in the NAIA as a team. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads will be back at it in the spring for outdoor track.
GPAC All-Conference: See the full list HERE.
NAIA All-Americans: Abby Gerber (Shot Put); Jonny Jurchen (3,000m Race Walk); Mayson Ostermeyer (Pole Vault); Adrianna Rodencal (60m Hurdles); Abi Wohlgemuth (Weight Throw).
Wrestling
2024-25 record: 6-2 overall; 6-2 GPAC
GPAC finishes: T-2nd regular season; 3rd postseason
NAIA national finish: T-17th
Top performer: Creighton Baughman put together an impressive final collegiate season as he went 26-4 overall, won the 141-pound GPAC title and took home his first career All-America award at the NAIA level. A newcomer to the program, Hagen Heistand (149) took the NAIA by storm and became the fourth Bulldog in school history to reach the national finals.
Season highlights: Josh Watts’ first season as head coach was an unquestionable success. The Bulldogs cracked the NAIA top 25 rankings and sent their highest number of qualifiers (eight) to the national tournament since the 2019-20 season. Concordia wound up with a GPAC regular season place finish of tied for second and landed at 17th in the NAIA team standings. The return of Baughman made a major difference as he garnered GPAC champion and NAIA All-America status. A transfer from NCAA Division I Campbell University, Heistand’s run to the 149-pound national championship match included wins over opponents seeded sixth, third and 10th. At the conference championships, Baughman, Heistand, Cole Price (157) and Tommy Wentz (165) each advanced to GPAC finals in their respective weight classes. Seniors such Mason Garcia and Hunter Weimer concluded their college careers by competing at the national tournament. Another major highlight occurred in late January when the Bulldogs placed sixth out of 53 NAIA teams at the Missouri Valley Invite. Concordia will carry plenty of momentum into 2025-26 as Watts continues to put his stamp on the program. The roster this past season featured plenty of former Iowa Western Community College competitors.
GPAC All-Conference: Creighton Baughman (First Team); Hagen Heistand (First Team); Cole Price (Second Team); Tommy Wentz (Second Team); Steven Barnes (Honorable Mention); Hunter Weimer (Honorable Mention).
NAIA All-Americans: Creighton Baughman (141); Hagen Heistand (149).
Cheer/Dance
2025 Cheer GPAC finish: 4th of 8
2025 Dance GPAC finish: 4th of 8
2025 Scoring Averages: Cheer – 74.26 (39th in NAIA); Dance – 82.27 (11th in NAIA)
Summary: The 2025 campaign saw another step forward for the programs led by coaches Mandi Maser and Emilie Ashenbach. In dance, the Bulldogs made a strong push for a national championships bid while ranking 11th in the NAIA in scoring average (82.27). Both Concordia squads placed fourth at the GPAC Championships, which were held inside Friedrich Arena for the first time ever. In terms of scoring, both Bulldog teams saved their best for the conference championships. Dance broke a school record for a single routine with a score of 85.1 in the finals of the GPAC Championships. Cheer achieved the same feat in earning a score of 80.83 in the finals. As part of the season’s journey, dance earned team trophies for placing third at the York Crown Classic and second at the MidAmerica Nazarene Duals. A combined seven Bulldogs garnered all-conference recognition and junior Taylor Larsen was recognized as an NAIA All-American. The standing goal of reaching the national championships will remain in place as Concordia looks ahead to 2026.
Cheer GPAC All-Conference: Riley Bennett (First Team); Bri Hoyle (First Team).
Dance GPAC All-Conference: Hanna Bitner (First Team); Taylor Larsen (First Team); Elise O’Neill (Third Team); Kaylee Powell (Third Team); Bianca Romshek (Third Team).
NAIA All-Americans: Taylor Larsen (Second Team).