Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
Female: Jenna Esch, Track & Field
A sophomore from Hastings, Neb., Esch blazed to automatic national qualifying times in the 400 meters and as part of the 4x400 meter relay at the Dutcher Memorial Classic. Esch’s times clocked in at 56.74 in the 400 meters (personal best) and 3:53.60 in the 4x400 meter relay. She also ran the 200 in 26.24.
Male: Jaidan Quinn, Baseball
A junior from Bonner Springs, Kan., Jaidan Quinn crushed the school’s record for home runs in a single game by belting four long balls in game one of the four-game sweep of Midland. Over the past weekend, Quinn went 10-for-14 (.714) with a double, six home runs, 10 RBIs and 29 total bases. Quinn has hammered 22 home runs on the season.
Previous BAAM Athletes of the Week
April 18 – Mariana Molano (tennis) / Joel Rathe (track & field)
April 11 – Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Calvin Rohde (track & field) / Kylie Shottenkirk (softball)
April 4 – Matthew Boyer (track & field) / Lauren Dawson (track & field)
March 28 – Santiago Abadia (tennis) / Megan Eurich (softball)
March 21 – Wyatt Hambly (shooting sports) / Claire Kee (shooting sports)
March 14 – Caitlyn McGarvie (softball) / Josie Puelz (track & field) / Zach Zohner (track & field)
Feb. 28 – Katie Birtell (Dance) / Noah Schutte (Basketball)
Feb. 21 – Issiah Burks (wrestling) / Adrianna Rodencal (track & field)
Feb. 14 – Noah Schutte (basketball) / Taysha Rushton (basketball)
Feb. 7 – Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Calvin Rohde (track & field)
Jan. 31 – Noah Schutte (basketball) / Kristin Vieselmeyer (basketball)
Jan. 24 – Rylee Haecker (track & field) / Calvin Rohde (track & field)
Jan. 17 – Kylahn Freiberg (track & field) / Garrett Seagren (basketball)
Jan. 10 – Sadie Powell (basketball) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
Dec. 13 – Chase Berry (track & field) / Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Taysha Rushton (basketball)
Dec. 6 – Gabi Nordaker (volleyball) / Gage Smith (basketball)
Nov. 29 – Rylee Ladd (powerlifting) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
Nov. 15 – Rebecca Gebhardt (volleyball) / Federico Simonetti (Soccer)
Nov. 8 – Kylahn Freiberg (cross country) / Kaden Peters (football)
Nov. 1 – Breyer Meeks (shooting sports) / Carlos Orquiz (soccer) / Morgan Nibbe (volleyball)
Oct. 25 – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball) / Isaiah Shaddick (soccer)
Oct. 18 – Korrell Koehlmoos (football) / Carly Rodaway (volleyball)
Oct. 11 – Rylee Haecker (cross country) / DJ McGarvie (football)
Oct. 4 – Rebecca Gebhardt (volleyball) / Korrell Koehlmoos (football)
Sept. 27 – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball) / Ryan Wokutch (soccer)
Sept. 20 – Tanner Muff (shooting sports) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball) / Katie Welker (shooting sports)
Sept. 13 – Kierstynn Garner (soccer) / Jack Nelson (shooting sports)
Sept. 6 – Camryn Opfer (volleyball) / Camden Sesna (cross country)
Aug. 30 – Federico Simonetti (soccer) / Carly Rodaway (volleyball)
Aug. 23 – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball)
2022-23 BAAM Athletes of the Month
March – Wyatt Hambly (shooting sports) / Claire Kee (shooting sports) / Josie Puelz (track & field)
February – Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
January – Rylee Haecker (track & field) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
December – Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Gage Smith (basketball)
November – Rebecca Gebhardt (volleyball); Noah Schutte (basketball)
October – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball); Korrell Koehlmoos (football); Carly Rodaway (volleyball)
September – Gabi Nordaker (volleyball); Camryn Opfer (volleyball); Camden Sesna (cross country)
News and notes:
BAAM luncheons are held every Tuesday at 12 p.m. CT inside the Dog House Grill, located in the Janzow Campus Center. The luncheons feature reports from head coaches who are in season at the time. For information on how to join BAAM, click HERE. It is not a requirement to be a BAAM member in order to attend the weekly luncheons.
Luke Lang 2.0: There were times when Luke Lang stayed up too late playing video games, missed morning weights, ate unhealthily and fell behind academically – and on the depth chart at quarterback. He was frustrated and ready for something different. Lang says he never harbored hard feelings for Concordia, or the football program, during his times of struggle. Even so, he became convinced that life would be better somewhere else, perhaps closer to home. Lang had spent months searching for the right answers and for the path that would lead him to success and fulfillment. Through prayer, those answers became apparent. Lang realized he missed his Concordia teammates and coaches. With the right motivation and a new attitude, Lang became a breakthrough performer in the fall of 2022 when he caught 39 passes for 593 yards and five touchdowns. He’ll enter 2023 as one of the top tight ends in the entire NAIA. For more details on Lang’s journey, click HERE.
Bonded as ‘Wee’ little kids, Schultz and Shaddick opt for one more season as teammates: Some day they will no longer be teammates or collegiate soccer players, but that day can wait. Such dynamics have been a fact of life for Matt Schultz and Isaiah Shaddick, friends who grew up in the same Lincoln neighborhood and attended the same preschool, middle school and high school. They’ve shared in each other’s highs and lows and together helped the Concordia University Men’s Soccer program win the 2022 GPAC tournament title. Well here they are, back with their fellow Bulldogs for spring training sessions. As Head Coach Jason Weides said, “They fit our culture and are a piece of our culture. I think they’ve been influential in creating that over their time here. They have really fit that Concordia mold and are examples of how there are highs and lows in a career. It’s okay to have setbacks once in a while. They’ve been able to overcome those situations and have really developed.” To read more on Schultz and Shaddick, click HERE.
Homer happy Garcia’s journey one of maturation and all-around success: Once a teenager who turned heads by slugging homers out of the Miami Marlins ballpark, Jesse Garcia has grown and matured as a star student-athlete for Concordia Baseball. He's enjoyed it so much that a fifth year became an easy decision. Starting with the 2019 season, Garcia has been a consistent slugger in the middle of Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s lineup. He’s also earned high marks in the classroom. Says Dupic of Garcia, “He’s been an example of what it should be in terms of being successful in the classroom and on the field. Jesse is one of the best hitters in the history of the school when you look at the numbers and the consistency he’s had all the way through. I can’t say enough about him and the job he’s done in all facets.” For more on Garcia’s journey, click HERE.
USA Powerlifting Collegiate Nationals wrap up 2022-23 season: The inaugural season of Concordia Powerlifting officially concluded in mid-April as four Bulldogs represented the program at the 2023 USA Powerlifting Collegiate National Championships held in Arlington, Texas, April 13-14. A native of Chetek, Wis., Rylee Ladd placed 19th out of 49 lifters in the 56kg category. Her top lifts were 117.5kg in squat, 82.5kg in bench and 142.5kg in deadlift. Her total came in at 302.5kg. Meanwhile, Dax Davis placed 28th out of 55 individuals in the men’s 67.5kg class, Kenzie Houser placed 50th out of 70 athletes in the women’s 60kg class and Emma Singer placed 56th out of 70 competitors in the women’s 60kg class. More details on the national event can be found HERE. For more information on Concordia Powerlifting, check out the program’s homepage HERE.
Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its eighth year of existence. The show airs live for a half hour every Thursday beginning at 5:30 p.m. CT on KTMX-FM 104.9 Max Country. The weekly feature can also be heard live via 104.9 Max Country’s website or by downloading the Max Country app. Throughout the 2022-23 season, Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball contests will be aired live on Max Country. Parker Cyza serves as the host of the coaches’ show as well as the play-by-play voice for football and basketball. Frank Greene is in his eighth season calling Concordia volleyball.
Concordia Sports Network: Live webcasts for most home varsity contests can be accessed by visiting https://www.cune.edu/athletics/watch-bulldogs at game time. Beginning in 2019-20, Concordia Athletics partnered with PrestoSports for live video and statistical streaming. Live webcast links for away contests are publicized in sport specific releases that preview action for that particular week. Scrimmages, exhibitions and junior varsity events are not broadcasted.
Golf
· It’s in the home stretch now for Concordia Golf. As of early Tuesday (April 25) afternoon, the men’s team was in the midst of completing the 2023 GPAC Championships. The Bulldogs entered the third and final round in sixth place in the conference standings. Meanwhile, the women have been idle since placing fifth at the Bent Tree Intercollegiate Showcase (April 17-18). The women are looking forward to their conference tournament next week. It’s been an intense month of April for Head Coach Brett Muller’s squads, which have played in a combined eight events since April 1. For more on the Concordia Golf programs: Men | Women.
· The Bulldog men shot 296-307–603 over the first two rounds of the GPAC Championships being held at The Bluffs Golf Course in Vermillion, S.D. At +27, Concordia entered the final round in pursuit of Doane (+5), Morningside (+7), Northwestern (+8), Midland (+11) and Jamestown (+26). Ivan Yabut led the Bulldogs from an individual perspective on Monday. He shot 73-76–149 (+5) over the first two rounds and is tied for 16th among the 57 golfers in the GPAC championship field. Concordia’s veteran lineup at the conference tournament also features Drew D’Ercole (74-76–150; T-24th), Jacob Woodmancy (74-77–151; T-27th), Justin Webert (75-79–154; T-37th) and Jake Hagerbaumer (82-78–160; T-48th).
· Entering the week, the men’s team owned a season average of 300.4, a figure that would break the school record of 305.1 from the 2021-22 season. The five competitors that traveled to the GPAC tournament each entered the week with 18-hole averages of 77.3 or lower: D’Ercole (74.3), Yabut (75.4), Webert (76.4), Woodmancy (76.6) and Hagerbaumer (77.3). The top team score from the season was a 283 at the UC Ferguson Classic back in the fall. D’Ercole shot a 68 at that event. In addition, Woodmancy shot a 68 at the Blue River Classic.
· The women’s team struggled a bit last week as it competed at the Bent Tree Intercollegiate (April 17-18) in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Bulldogs shot a two-round team total of 386-368–772 and placed fifth out of six teams (beating out Hastings). The absence of freshman Emery Custer certainly affected the team score. West Des Moines, Iowa, native Mya Nurse was the lone Bulldog to shoot a score in the 80s in ether of the two rounds. She placed in a tie for 20th while shooting 89-93–182. She was followed in the team’s top three by Logan Eschliman (95-96–191; 25th) and Lauren Havlat (95-98–193; 26th).
· The 2022-23 season to date for Concordia Women’s Golf has included nine events and a total of 18 rounds. The Bulldogs have averaged an 18-hole team score of 357.6. The top individual scoring averages are owned by Custer (86.6), Havlat (87.2), Nurse (88.2) and Eschliman (92.3). The lowest single round was turned in by Havlat with a 77 at the Nebraska Wesleyan Fall Invitational. In terms of team placements, Concordia’s best finish was a runner-up claim at the College of Saint Mary Spring Classic this spring.
· Next up will be the 2023 GPAC Championships on the women’s side. The women’s conference tournament will run next Monday-Tuesday (May 1-2) at Spencer Golf and Country Club in Spencer, Iowa. The Concordia women placed fifth in the conference in 2022 after finishing third in both 2020 and 2021. NAIA National Championship tournaments are slated for May 16-19 (Mesa, Ariz.) on the men’s side and for May 23-26 (Silvis, Ill.) on the women’s side.
Baseball
· Since last week’s report, the 24th-ranked Bulldogs took care of business by sweeping a four-games series (April 22-23) from Midland. Concordia won by scores of 17-8 and 17-0 in Fremont and then by finals of 7-6 and 26-2 in Seward. Those results have pushed Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad to 33-13 overall (19-5 GPAC) with four games left in the regular season. The Bulldogs are tied with Doane atop the league standings while Morningside (16-6 GPAC) is one game behind in the loss column (entering the week). For more on the Concordia Baseball program, click HERE.
· A debate can be had about which team should be rated higher nationally between Concordia and Doane. The Bulldogs got the nod early last week (prior to the doubleheader played in Crete) in the official GPAC poll. That was enough to push Concordia back into the NAIA coaches’ poll at No. 24 in the rankings released on April 19. The program waited until the 2021 season to crack the NAIA top 25 for the first time ever. The ’21 squad landed at No. 12 in the postseason poll following a trip to the NAIA World Series. That ranking remains the highest in program history. The Bulldogs also climbed as high as No. 18 in 2022 and then were snubbed in the postseason ranking after coming within one win of a return trip to the World Series. The ’23 season marks the sixth year in a row that Dupic’s program has at least garnered votes in the NAIA national poll. Currently, Massey Ratings calculates Concordia as the NAIA’s 17th best team.
· The Bulldogs have several offensive players capable of putting together awe-inspiring stretches of eye-popping production. The latest Concordia player to grab the headlines has been third baseman Jaidan Quinn, who did the incredible in homering in each of his first four at bats in game one of the series with Midland. In doing so, Quinn became the first player in program history to launch four homers in a single game. Prior to Quinn’s four-homer outburst, there had been 10 instances in program history in which an individual belted exactly three home runs in a single game. Among current Bulldogs, Joey Grabanski (three), Jay Adams (two) and Joey Garcia (two) have each enjoyed multiple three-homer games in their careers.
· Quinn led the offensive attack to a combined 67 runs in the four-game walloping of Midland (19-24, 10-14 GPAC). Four the series, Concordia outscored the Warriors, 67-16, outhit them, 69-33, and outhomered them, 16-1. Quinn went 10-for-14 with 10 runs scored, a double, six home runs, 10 RBIs and 29 total bases (2.071 slugging) for the series. Six of his teammates also collected at least seven hits over the four games: Grabanski (8-for-15), Alec Blakestad (7-for-10), Ben Berg (7-for-13), Ty Nekoliczak (7-for-14), Garcia (7-for-15) and Adams (7-for-17). Adams, Blakestad and Grabanski each contributed two homers on the weekend. One homer apiece came from Berg, Jose Cevallos, Teyt Johnson and Nekoliczak.
· Continuing with the home run theme, the 16 homers over the past weekend pushed the Bulldogs over 100 for the second season in a row. The 2022 GPAC tournament championship team broke the school record by hitting 113 blasts. The count for 2023 stands at 103 entering the week. Five Concordia players have cracked double digits in homers: Grabanski (23), Quinn (22), Garcia (16), Blakestad (12) and Adams (11) – and Berg (eight) isn’t far off. Entering the week, the Bulldogs can claim the distinction of being the only college baseball program in the nation (including the NAIA, all levels of the NCAA and the NJCAA) to have two players with at least 20 home runs. Grabanski and Quinn enter the week ranked third and fourth in the NAIA, respectively, in home runs.
· Concordia continues to dominant the GPAC leaderboards from an offensive perspective. The Bulldogs pace the league in runs scored (488), hits (537), doubles (104), home runs (103), walks (209), stolen bases (83), batting average (.366), on-base percentage (.453) and slugging percentage (.651). Individual conference leaders include Nekoliczak in batting average (.428), Grabanski in hits (66), home runs (23), RBIs (67) and slugging percentage (.894) and Quinn in on-base percentage (.520). Grabanski has equaled his own program record for RBIs in a single season. He needs six more RBIs to reach 200 for his career. Garcia remains the program’s all-time RBI king with 207.
· Several pitchers also performed well in the series with Midland. In a relief role in game one, Ernie Snyder fired five shutout innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out four. In game two, Christian Gutierrez threw a seven-inning, six-hit shutout (six strikeouts) in which he needed only 74 pitches to complete. One of the five seniors honored this past Sunday, Dan Rivera had the good stuff working in a 2.1-inning save. Rivera fanned five hitters. The native of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., owns an impressive rate of 18.21 strikeouts per nine innings (29 strikeouts in 14.1 innings). Also noteworthy, Caden Johnson moved his season record to 7-3 to go along with a 3.80 ERA in 42.2 innings (10 starts). Three other Bulldogs have at least five wins: Gutierrez (5-1), Blake Benson (5-2) and Frankie Cresta (5-4).
· Concordia has been especially dominant at home, going 12-0 at Plum Creek Park. In those 12 contests, the Bulldogs have outscored their opponents, 178-47, and outhomered them, 36-12. Dating back to last season, Concordia has won 17-straight home games. That run includes five 2022 GPAC tournament victories. The Bulldogs claimed conference tournament titles at home in both 2021 and 2022. During the GPAC era (2000-present), Concordia has never gone undefeated at home (and likely hasn’t in the history of the program).
· The regular season will conclude this weekend as Concordia is set to welcome Morningside (30-12, 16-6 GPAC) to Plum Creek Park for a four-game series. Friday’s doubleheader is slated to get underway at 4 p.m. CT and Saturday’s twin bill is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch. At stake will be a chance to win (or at least share) the GPAC regular season championship. A top-two finish in the league standings would earn the Bulldogs the right to host one of the two GPAC tournament pods next week.
Softball
· The home portion of the 2023 schedule is in the books after the Bulldogs hosted Briar Cliff and Mount Marty this past weekend. All four games were in doubt until the final out was recorded. Concordia dropped to one-run games to the Chargers, 1-0 (eight innings) and 6-5, on April 21. The next day, the Bulldogs split with the Lancers, taking game one, 7-4, before falling in game two, 4-2. Those results leave Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad at 14-27 overall (3-15 GPAC). This will be the final week of the regular season for GPAC softball. For more on the Concordia Softball program, click HERE.
· When the dust settled on this past weekend, the Bulldogs were eliminated from GPAC tournament contention. The top eight in the final league standings (out of 12 teams total) earn the opportunity to compete in GPAC tournament pod play beginning on May 3. At the top of the league standings, Northwestern (15-1), Midland (12-2) and Morningside (11-3) remain in contention to win the GPAC regular season title. The Red Raiders moved up to No. 12 in last week’s NAIA coaches’ poll. As for Concordia, it will miss the GPAC tournament for the first time since 2013. The 2014 team then bounced back and qualified for the national tournament.
· In so many instances this season, the Bulldogs have seemingly been one big hit – or one more defensive play – away from winning. That was the case in the two losses that came against Briar Cliff. Sophomore ace pitcher Megan Eurich threw perhaps her best game of the season in the 1-0 (eight innings) defeat at the hands of the Chargers. Eurich did not surrender a single earned run in an eight-inning complete game that saw her surrender five hits and a walk to go along with five strikeouts. Briar Cliff (28-10, 10-4 GPAC) scored the game’s lone run on Kylee Lukes’ RBI single, which scored a runner that had reached on an error. In game two, Concordia relinquished a 5-2 lead while allowing three runs in the sixth and one in the seventh. Hanna Bowers, Jayden Fernau and Taylor Glause drove in one run apiece for the Bulldogs.
· Concordia celebrated senior day while hosting Mount Marty (16-17, 9-9 GPAC). Following a slow start in game one, Eurich settled in and wound up picking up a win thanks to stronger offensive support. Eurich pitched a seven-inning complete game and limited the damage to two earned runs in the 7-4 win. Offensively, Bowers and Aubrey Bruning notched three hits, a stolen base and two RBIs apiece. The Bulldogs recorded nine hits in what of their better offensive outings within GPAC play. In game two, Lancer pitcher McKenzie Gray allowed just one earned run in the 4-2 win for her side. Bruning produced two more hits in what was a five-hit day for her personally. She drove in a run in the bottom of the seventh to tighten the score, but Gray got a strikeout to close the game out.
· Bowers and Bruning certainly did their part while holding down the Nos. 1 and 2 spots in the lineup this past weekend. Both Bulldogs went 7-for-15 (.467) for the weekend. The lefty Bruning, a Lincoln Southeast High School graduate, also stole three bases and knocked in three runs over the weekend while raising her season batting average to .343 (No. 3 on the team). As for Bowers, she’s been the team’s most consistent offensive threat. The Surprise, Ariz., native even made the in-season switch from second base to shortstop and leads the team with a .364 batting average – to go along with a .426 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage. Bowers has started all 41 games in 2023 after starting 14 games as a freshman in 2022.
· The seniors who were recognized this past weekend were Caitlyn McGarvie (Valparaiso, Neb.), Jerzi Rowe (Gretna, Neb.), Sydney Schildt (Milford, Neb.) and Alexis Tachovsky (Wilber, Neb.). As part of the presentation, each senior detailed their post-graduation plans. McGarvie will attend UNMC of Pharmacy and pursue her doctorate degree. Rowe plans to attend veterinary school. Schildt plans to pursue a career in livestock production systems in the beef or dairy industry. Finally, Tachovsky plans to obtain a job in animal production systems within the ag industry related to reproduction, animal welfare or genetics. The senior class had a hand in helping the 2021 team qualify for the NAIA national tournament. McGarvie is a two-time First Team All-GPAC award winner.
· Lincoln North Star High School product Kylie Shottenkirk likely played her last games of the 2023 season during the South Dakota trip (April 14-15). The budding sophomore sat out this past weekend due to injury. The future is bright for Shottenkirk, who is hitting .360 with 12 doubles, three home runs, 21 RBIs, a .430 on-base percentage and .544 slugging percentage this season. She was named the GPAC Player of the Week back in early March. In her first two seasons as a Bulldog, Shottenkirk has played second base, shortstop and in the outfield. Culler has hinted that Shottenkirk could play outfield in 2024 as the lineup gets shuffled next spring with the help of what is shaping up to be a strong recruiting class.
· With a conference tournament berth off the table, Concordia will wrap up the 2023 season this week. The Bulldogs are preparing to play today (April 25) at College of Saint Mary (5-30, 2-14 GPAC) with a first pitch at 3 p.m. CT. Then on Saturday, the Bulldogs will hit the road for two games at Dordt (28-10, 9-5 GPAC) with first pitch set for 1 p.m. in Sioux Center, Iowa. A strong push in the final week could provide momentum going into the 2024 season.
Tennis
· The regular season has concluded for both Bulldog squads. The Concordia women won twice last week as they defeated College of Saint Mary, 5-2, on April 20 and then eked past Northwestern, 4-3, on April 22. Then on Monday, the men traveled to Orange City, Iowa, and won by a 6-1 score. Head Coach Cam Long’s squads own records of 12-8 (4-3 GPAC) on the women’s side and 11-8 (3-3 GPAC) on the men’s side. For more on the Concordia Tennis programs: Men | Women.
· In last week’s action, the women won five of six singles matches and one of three doubles matches at College of Saint Mary and three of six singles matches and two of three doubles matches versus Northwestern. Impressively, the Bulldogs won back-to-back GPAC matches despite top player Mariana Molano being sidelined. Freshman Ella Dean of Lincoln, Neb., stepped up and went 2-0 at both No. 3 singles and No. 2 doubles last week. She teamed up with Tara Ferrel in doubles. The battle with Northwestern came down to the wire and required Alana Lopez Pagan (No. 2 singles) and Gabrielle Heiser (No. 6 singles) to pull out three-set victories. On the other hand, Concordia had its way with CSM in singles – after having gone down in doubles.
· Entering the conference tournament, the women’s team has produced combined records of 64-53 in singles and 36-23 in doubles. Molano has gone 12-5 in singles (all at the No. 1 spot) while enjoying a fine freshman season. Molano recently defeated two regionally ranked opponents: No. 11 Melanie Ortega of Grand View and No. 13 Arianna Lumanog of Midland. Three other Bulldogs have notched at least seven singles wins: Dean (8-5), Lopez Pagan (8-8) and Brooke Hosick (7-10). In doubles, Dean and Ferrel have teamed up for an 8-4 record. Dean possesses a sparking 14-5 doubles mark (with three different partners). The 14 doubles wins have equaled a school record for a single season.
· The men’s match on Monday went Concordia’s way in rather decisive fashion. The Bulldogs dominated the Red Raiders while taking two of three doubles and five of six singles matches. The Bulldog combo of Hugo Fuentes and Juan Rabellino pulled out a 6-4 win at No. 1 while Northwestern had the edge at No. 2 by the same score (versus Shawn Springer and Thomas Van Haaren). In showing the depth of Concordia’s lineup, Santiago Abadia and Eduardo Rojas cruised to a 6-0 win at No. 3. The singles winners for Concordia included Fuentes at No. 1, 7-5, 6-4, Rojas at No. 3, 6-3, 6-2, Manuel Rodriguez at No. 4, 6-4, 6-0, Van Haaren at No. 5, 6-3, 6-2, and Rabellino at No. 6, 6-1, 6-0.
· Entering the GPAC tournament, the men’s team has produced combined records of 53-52 in singles and 27-26 in doubles. Near the back of the lineup, Rodriguez (13-4) continues to lead the team in singles victories. Three teammates have notched at least eight singles wins: Rabellino (8-6), Abadia (8-8) and Fuentes (7-10). In doubles, Abadia and Rojas have synched up nicely in going 8-4 as a combo. Abadia has won a total of 10 doubles matches (with four different partners). Also notable, with 11 overall wins, the men’s program has its most victories since the 2010 squad went 14-6.
· As of Tuesday (April 25) afternoon, the GPAC tournament pairings had not yet been officially announced. Both Concordia teams will be the No. 4 seeds in their respective brackets as conference postseason action gets underway on Friday. The GPAC tennis tournament will be played indoors. On Friday the women will play at Genesis in Omaha and the men at the Fremont YMCA. Saturday's championship matches will be at the Fremont YMCA. Schedules will be updated with postseason matchups when the pairings are made official.
Track & Field
· After the meet was adjusted with the bulk of it shifted to Sunday (April 23), the Jim Dutcher Memorial Classic provided an opportunity for Bulldog athletes to compete in mild spring conditions with light winds. Concordia came away from Crete, Neb., with six event titles and two fresh automatic national qualifying standards. The meet marked the fifth of the outdoor season for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s nationally ranked squads. For more on the Concordia Track & Field programs, click HERE.
· Through five weeks of action, Bulldog athletes have collectively produced nine ‘A’ standards and 12 ‘B’ standards. Five auto marks were put on the board at the Central Nebraska Challenge on April 1.
o Women’s 4x100m Relay – B (47.92)
o Women’s 4x400m Relay – A (3:53.60)
o Matthew Boyer – B, Javelin (182’ 4”)
o Lauren Dawson – B, 5,000m Racewalk (28:34.84)
o Jenna Esch – A, 400 Meters (56.74)
o Carson Fehlhafer – B, Discus (159’)
o Jordan Koepke – A, 400 Hurdles (1:02.71)
o Wyatt Loga – B, High Jump (6’ 8 ¾”)
o Erin Mapson – A, Pole Vault (11’ 11 ¾”)
o Ben Moll – B, Hammer Throw (178’)
o Hannah Newton – B, High Jump (5’ 5”)
o Erin Painter – B, Discus (139’ 7”)
o Kamryn Pokorney – B, Hammer Throw (164’ 6”)
o Josie Puelz – A, Pole Vault (12’ 7 ½”)
o Adrianna Rodencal – A, 100 Hurdles (14.15)
o Calvin Rohde – B, 1,500 Meters (3:54.98); B, 5,000 Meters (14:42.28)
o Darien Semedo – A, Hammer Throw (184’ 4”)
o Kayla Svoboda – B, Pole Vault (11’ 7 ¾”)
o Chris Wren – A, Hammer Throw (189’ 10”)
o Zach Zohner – A, Pole Vault (16’ 5 ¼”)
· The new ‘A’ marks put on the board at the Dutcher Memorial came courtesy of Jenna Esch in the 400 meters (56.74) and from the women’s 4x400 meter relay (3:53.60). Meanwhile, new ‘B’ standards were produced by the women’s 4x100 meter relay (47.92), Carson Fehlhafer in the discus (159’) and Wyatt Loga in the high jump (6’ 8 ¾”). Improvements were made on existing automatic national qualifying marks by Josie Puelz in the pole vault (12’ 7 ½”) and by Chris Wren in the hammer throw (189’ 10”). In the women’s heptathlon, four Bulldogs met the minimum national reporting standard: Amy Richert (4,106), Amanda Steinke (4,040), Faith Espinosa (3,997) and Josi Noble (3,974).
· Event champions at the Dutcher Memorial included the women’s 4x400 meter relay, the women’s 4x800 meter relay, Fehlhafer (discus), Kylahn Freiberg (5,000 meters), Puelz (pole vault) and Adrianna Rodencal (100 hurdles). The women’s 4x4 was made up of Esch, Kayla Kirchner, Trinity Tuls and Rachel Battershell. The 4x8 included Rylee Haecker, Rhaya Kaschinske, Keegan Beisel and Hanna Beintema. Rodencal ran 14.17 in the 100 hurdles, coming up just shy of her own school record (14.15). In the 5,000 meters, Freiberg finished in 18:04.47 and beat out a field of 27 runners.
· The likes of Freiberg, Haecker, Calvin Rohde and Camden Sesna continue to pace the distance crew. In the 1,500 meters, both Rohde (3:55.41) and Haecker (4:43.28) were within striking distance of the ‘B’ standard. They were pushed by teammates such as Keegan Beisel (4:46.10) on the women’s side and Sesna (3:56.46) on the men’s side. Haecker and Beisel teamed up with Rhaya Kaschinske and Hannah Beintema on a first-place 4x8 time of 9:50.09. Rohde owns ‘B’ standard times in both the 1,500- and 5,000-meter races.
· The Bulldogs will be represented this week at the Drake Relays (April 27-29) and at the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolf Invite (April 28-29). Those meets will be the precursor to the GPAC Championships (May 5-6) hosted by Dordt. Held annually in Des Moines, Iowa, by Drake University, the Drake Relays serve as a showcase event for athletes nationwide across all college divisions. More details about the Drake Relays can be found HERE.