Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
Male: Jonny Jurchen, Track & Field
A freshman from Seward, Neb., Jonny Jurchen shattered his own personal best last week in the 3,000-meter race walk as he clocked a time of 13:27.23 (converted to 13:17.95 on the national list) at the Concordia Invite. He ranks No. 7 nationally in the event.
Female: Abi Wohlgemuth, Track & Field
A senior from Lincoln, Neb., Abi Wohlgemuth produced a new personal best weight throw of 63’ 1 ½” at the Concordia Invite while winning the competition. That mark pushed Wohlgemuth to No. 2 in the NAIA and to No. 2 on the program’s all-time women’s weight throw list.
2024-25 BAAM Athletes of the Month
January – Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
December – Gabi Nordaker (volleyball) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
November – Austin Jablonski (football) / Kristin Vieselmeyer (basketball)
October – Carson Fehlhafer (football) / Kierstynn Garner (soccer)
September – Mark Arp (football) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)
2024-25 BAAM Athletes of the Week
Feb. 4 – Abby Krieser (basketball) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
Jan. 28 – Makynna Robbins (basketball) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
Jan. 21 – Megan Belt (basketball) / Tristan Smith (basketball) / Abi Wohlgemuth (track & field)
Jan. 14 – Raelyn Kelty (basketball) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
Dec. 17 – Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
Dec. 10 – Creighton Baughman (wrestling) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)
Dec. 3 – Vaughn Hendrickson (cross country) / Kristin Vieselmeyer (basketball)
Nov. 19 – Daylon Henson (football) / Addie Kirkegaard (volleyball)
Nov. 12 – Keegan Beisel (cross country) / Vaughn Hendrickson (cross country)
Nov. 5 – Angela Banks (soccer) / Austin Jablonski (football)
Oct. 29 – Kierstynn Garner (soccer) / Devin Harris (shooting sports)
Oct. 22 – Taylor Hedke (weightlifting) / Austin Jablonski (football)
Oct. 15 – Kierstynn Garner (soccer) / Hugo Garrote (soccer)
Oct. 8 – Carson Fehlhafer (football) / Kaylee Hinton (shooting sports)
Oct. 1 – Carter McKenna (shooting sports) / Kya Scott (volleyball)
Sept. 24 – Ishane Derman (tennis) / Daylon Henson (football)
Sept. 17 – Mark Arp (football) / Ella Waters (volleyball)
Sept. 10 – Hannah Beintema (cross country); Trey Robertson (cross country)
Sept. 3 – Nolan Fuelberth (soccer); Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)
Aug. 27 – Martin Herrera (soccer); Ashley Keck (volleyball)
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.
Casanova’s journey as a five-year Bulldog: The journey of Iker Casanova has included travels from Mexico City to Spain to Concordia Nebraska. Ultimately, year five at CUNE resulted in one of the highest honors (GPAC Defensive Player of the Year) ever earned by a Bulldog Men’s Soccer player and a rewarding season that went beyond the accolades. Said Casanova in reflection, “It’s crazy, yes.” For a closer look at Casanova’s journey, check out the feature linked HERE.
Velten highlights Friends Open powerlifting meet: The third powerlifting meet of the 2024-25 season unfolded on Feb. 1 as seven Bulldogs competed at the Friends University Open in Wichita, Kan. Senior Abigail Velten emerged as the Best Female Lifter as she totaled 327.5kg in the 75kg weight class. Velten and Pablo Martinez (670kg total at 140kg) both qualified for nationals thanks to their efforts in Wichita. For a complete recap of the meet, click HERE. The Bulldogs will now have nearly two months to train and prepare for the 2025 Collegiate Powerlifting National Championships slated to take place in Oklahoma City, April 3-6.
Profiling the Bulldog Council of Student-Athletes: The Bulldog Council of Student-Athletes (BCSA) was designed to develop Concordia student-athletes as champions for Christ on and off the competitive surfaces. During the 2024-25 academic year, BCSA has been made up of 25 student-athletes while being overseen by Tae’lor Purdy-Korell. For additional details on the organization, check out our profile linked HERE.
Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its 10th 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 2024-25 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 completed his 10th 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 with the 2023-24 academic year, Concordia Athletics began a partnership with Hudl for live video 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 on the Concordia Sports Network.
Wrestling
· Current dual record: 6-2, 6-2 GPAC (finished tied for second).
· Last week:
o Won vs. Northwestern, 29-16, on Feb. 8.
o Won vs. Briar Cliff, 41-6, on Feb. 8.
o Won vs. Waldorf, 38-6, on Feb. 8.
· Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA National Rankings
· Notable: The second semester surge continued this past weekend at GPAC Day of Duals No. 2 in Mitchell, S.D., where the 19th-ranked Bulldogs defeated Northwestern, 29-16, Briar Cliff, 41-6, and Waldorf, 38-6. The three wins wrapped up the 2024-25 GPAC dual slate and pushed Head Coach Josh Watts’ squad into a tie for second place in the final GPAC regular season standings. That placement is the best for the program since winning the GPAC regular season title in 2019-20. As part of GPAC Day of Duals No. 2, Concordia won 22 individual matches, including 19 via bonus points. It was an especially dominant day for sophomore Barret Brandt, who went 3-0 with two pins at 174 pounds. Meanwhile, Dominick Flynn, Cole Price and Tommy Wentz each went 2-0 in Mitchell. The Bulldogs won handily while mixing up the lineup and resting nationally ranked competitors Hagen Heistand and Stevie Barnes at 149 pounds. Entering the week, Concordia boasts eight wrestlers that are ranked at the national level. Heading into the postseason, the following Bulldogs have racked up at least 14 wins on the season: Creighton Baughman (18-2), Hunter Weimer (18-4), Brandt (17-6), Cole Price (17-8), Heistand (14-2) and Barnes (14-6). Concordia will have this week off from competition as it prepares for the 2025 GPAC Wrestling Championships set for Feb. 21-22 at Hastings.
· For additional news and notes on the wrestling program, click HERE.
· Up next:
o Friday-Saturday, Feb. 21-22 – GPAC Wrestling Championships at Hastings (2 p.m. on day one, 10 a.m. on day two).
Women’s Basketball
· Current record: 13-11, 8-10 GPAC.
· Last week:
o Lost at Northwestern, 82-73, on Feb. 8.
· Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: A break came in the middle of last week as the Bulldogs zeroed in on their Feb. 8 road trip to Northwestern. A slow start made life difficult as Concordia saw its five-game win streak end with an 82-73 defeat. The Bulldogs fell despite putting together a strong third quarter (24-12 scoring advantage) that gave them a three-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes. The Red Raiders put up 29 points in the fourth quarter and won while getting double figures from four players. Kendal Brigham paced Concordia with a season high 20 points on the strength of 4-for-6 shooting from 3-point range. Abby Krieser and Kristin Vieselmeyer added 12 points apiece. A major difference came in rebounding, a statistic owned by Northwestern, 46-24. The loss kept the Bulldogs in eighth place in the GPAC standings, one game behind Doane and Morningside (both tied for sixth). Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad now faces a challenging weekend that also comes with opportunity for quality wins as it heads to Hastings on Wednesday before hosting No. 16 Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday. Only four games remain in the 2024-25 regular season.
· For additional news and notes on the women’s basketball program, click HERE.
· This week:
o Wednesday, Feb. 12 at Hastings (18-6, 13-5 GPAC), 6 p.m.
o Saturday, Feb. 15 vs. No. 16 Dakota Wesleyan (19-5, 14-4 GPAC), 2 p.m.
Men’s Basketball
· Current record: 19-5, 12-4 GPAC; ranked No. 13 in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Last week:
o Lost at No. 16 Northwestern, 87-70, on Feb. 8.
· Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: The 13th-ranked Bulldogs slipped up for the first time in 50 days as they were defeated at Northwestern, 87-70, on Feb. 8. The Red Raiders were without All-American big man Alex Van Kalsbeek but were able to pick up the slack thanks to starring efforts from freshmen Jalen Langsy and Jesse Van Kalsbeek (22 points apiece). Concordia shot only 44.1 percent compared to 55.7 percent shooting by Northwestern. Three Bulldogs scored in double figures: Tristan Smith (22), Brooks Kissinger (15) and Noah Schutte (13). Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad was without a couple of key players in Hayden Frank and Lukas Helms. Smith reached 20-plus points for the 11th time this season and is a prime candidate for GPAC Player of the Year honors. Concordia’s chances at a GPAC regular season title got cloudier last week as Dordt (15-2 GPAC) has two fewer losses heading into the final two weeks of the regular season. The Bulldogs will look to get back into the win column this week as they head to Hastings on Wednesday before hosting Dakota Wesleyan. Concordia will attempt to earn season sweeps of both opponents.
· For additional news and notes on the men’s basketball program, click HERE.
· This week:
o Wednesday, Feb. 12 at Hastings (3-20, 2-14 GPAC), 7:45 p.m.
o Saturday, Feb. 15 vs. Dakota Wesleyan (18-6, 11-5 GPAC), 3:45 p.m.
Indoor Track & Field
· Full weekends of competition in 2024-25: 5.
· Last week:
o Hosted the Concordia Indoor Invite on Feb. 7; select Bulldog athletes competed at the Sevigne Husker Invite on Feb. 7-8.
· Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | TFRRS Performance Lists
· Notable: The final weekend of the regular season wrapped up with the Concordia Indoor Invite (Feb. 7) and Frank Sevigne Husker Invite (Feb. 7-8). The latest NAIA automatic national qualifying standard was delivered by the Bulldogs’ men’s distance medley relay that clocked a time of 10:13.66 at the Concordia Invite. The DMR was made up of Trey Robertson, Lucas Corwin, Justin Sherman and Vaughn Hendrickson. In addition, ‘A’ standards were improved upon with personal bests from Abby Gerber in the shot put (46’ 7 ¼”), Jonny Jurchen in the 3,000-meter race walk (13:27.23) and Abi Wolgemuth in the weight throw (63’ 1 ½”). Once again, NAIA pole vault national leader Mayson Ostermeyer cleared 16 feet. The event champions at the Concordia Invite included the men’s 4x400-meter relay, Easton Fries (60m hurdles), Jurchen (race walk), Josi Noble (600 meters), Ostermeyer (pole vault), Aaron Spivey (triple jump), Trinity Tuls (400 meters) and Wohlgemuth (weight throw). Combining the men’s and women’s teams, the Bulldogs have combined for eight NAIA A and 11 NAIA B national qualifying standards. In addition, Noble currently ranks 14th nationally in the pentathlon. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads are in the process of gearing up for this weekend’s GPAC Championships hosted by Dakota Wesleyan. During the 2024 track & field seasons, Concordia placed first on the women’s side (indoor and outdoor) and third on the men’s side (indoor and outdoor).
· For additional news and notes on the track & field programs, click HERE.
· This week:
o Friday-Saturday, Feb. 14-15 – GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championships | view meet schedule HERE.
Cheer / Dance
· Cheer Season Scoring Average: 74.32
· Dance Season Scoring Average: 83.39
· Last week:
o Cheer:
§ Placed 7th / 16 (69.97) at York Crown Classic on Feb. 7.
§ Won vs. Waldorf, 76.2 to 51.9, on Feb. 8.
§ Won vs. Mount Mercy, 76.8 to 68.85, on Feb. 8.
o Dance:
§ Placed 3rd / 17 (83.77) at York Crown Classic on Feb. 7.
§ Won vs. William Penn, 85.7 to 75.25, on Feb. 8.
§ Won vs. St. Ambrose JV, 85.55 to 78.0, on Feb. 8.
· Cheer Links: 2025 Schedule | Roster
· Dance Links: 2025 Schedule | Roster
· Notable: A significant weekend of competition is in the books as Coaches Mandi Maser and Emilie Ashenbach led their teams into action at the York University Crown Classic on Feb. 7 and the Concordia Day of Duals on Feb. 8. The results for dance were especially thrilling as the Bulldogs placed third out of 17 teams at the Crown Classic and then earned dual wins over William Penn University (Iowa) and St. Ambrose University (Iowa) JV. They scored better than 83 in all three routines. As for cheer, Concordia placed seventh out of 16 teams at the Crown Classic and then won duals versus Waldorf University (Iowa) and Mount Mercy University (Iowa). The top score of the weekend for cheer came in at 76.8. Following the Concordia Duals, the Bulldogs honored four seniors: Nathalie Fortenberry and Lexi Mack of cheer and Seanna Patterson and Katheryn Rice of dance. The Concordia Duals featured 16 dance and 12 cheer teams as one of the NAIA’s largest annual events. Action will continue this Saturday with the MidAmerica Nazarene University Duals in Olathe, Kan.
· For additional news and notes on cheer and dance programs, click the following links: Cheer | Dance.
· This week:
o Saturday, Feb. 15 – MidAmerica Nazarene University Duals, 9 a.m.
Baseball
· Current record: 3-0; ranked No. 20 in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Last week:
o Won at No. 23 Oklahoma City, 11-7, on Feb. 7.
o Won vs. No. 15 Bellevue, 2-1, on Feb. 7.
o Won at No. 23 Oklahoma City, 15-3, on Feb. 8.
· Links: 2025 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Polls
· Notable: The 2025 season got underway this past weekend in Oklahoma City, Okla., where the Bulldogs went 3-0 with three wins over ranked opponents. They twice defeated host and 23rd-ranked Oklahoma City University and won a 2-1 pitcher’s duel over No. 15 Bellevue University. A big storyline of the weekend was the work of Concordia’s starting pitchers: Braxton Greenburg, Alex Johnson and Christian Gutierrez. They combined to cover 14.1 innings with two runs allowed on seven hits and four walks to go with 23 strikeouts. Johnson made his first start in nearly two years and got credit for the win over Bellevue. He worked 4.1 innings and fanned nine Bruin hitters. At the plate, Concordia combined to hit .352 (32-for-91) with four doubles a triple and one home run for the weekend. The one homer came via the bat of sophomore outfielder Alex Draper. The top of the Bulldog lineup looked familiar with Ty Nekoliczak, Jaidan Quinn, Matt Rhoades and Brad Hallock in the top four spots. However, Concordia unveiled a revamped outfield that included the likes of Draper, Jaeden Jordahl, Bronx Lewis and Kade Spomer. Nekoliczak is now two hits away from 200 for his career. As of the beginning of this week, Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad is scheduled to play four games in Joplin, Mo., this weekend. Those games are unlikely to happen due to forecasted cold temperatures.
· For additional news and notes on the baseball program, click HERE.
· This week (all games in Joplin, Mo.):
o Saturday, Feb. 15 vs. Dakota State, 11 a.m.
o Saturday, Feb. 15 vs. Mission, 4 p.m.
o Sunday, Feb. 16 vs. Graceland, 11 a.m.
o Sunday, Feb. 16 vs. William Penn, 1:30 p.m.
Tennis
· Current records: 1-2 men | 1-1 women.
· Last week:
o M – Lost vs. Iowa Central CC, 4-2, on Feb. 7.
o W – DNP.
· Men’s Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Women’s Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Notable: Due to changes in the schedule, the lone match of last week was a men’s only contest against Iowa Central Community College. The Bulldogs fell by a 4-2 score in action that took place at the Fremont, Neb., YMCA. Concordia won the doubles point versus Iowa Central as Hugo Fuentes and Nick Velders at No. 1 (6-2) and Santiago Abadia and Ben Chisholm at No. 3 (6-3) emerged victorious. The lone Bulldog win in singles was a 6-0, 6-0, decision for Velders at No. 2. Meanwhile, Iowa Central won the singles matches at 1, 3, 4 and 5 (6 went unfinished) to take the team victory. Head Coach Lisa Hart’s squads had originally been scheduled to play Southwestern College (Kan.) on Feb. 8, but Southwestern was unable to play. Both teams now look forward to taking on Mount Marty in Yankton, S.D., on Thursday. The matches will count as nonconference results.
· For additional news and notes on the tennis programs, click the following links: Men | Women.
· This week:
o Thursday, Feb. 13 at Mount Marty, 12 p.m.
Softball
· Current record: 3-1.
· Last week:
o Doubleheaders scheduled at Ottawa University (Kan.) on Feb. 8 and Benedictine College (Kan.) on Feb. 9 were canceled due to cold temperatures.
· Links: 2025 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Notable: Unfortunately, Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad sat idle last week as weekend doubleheaders scheduled at Ottawa University (Kan.) and Benedictine College (Kan.) were canceled due to cold temperatures. The Bulldogs have not played since opening their season at the dome in Sioux Center, Iowa, the weekend of Feb. 1-2. Concordia earned wins that weekend over Mayville State University (N.D.) and Culver-Stockton College (Mo.) (doubleheader sweep). A major highlight of that weekend was the pitching of sophomore Kaylei Denison, who earned two wins and allowed only two runs on nine hits in 12 innings (10 strikeouts). In addition, senior Kylie Shottenkirk started hot with the bat as she doubled five times in Sioux Center and is 6-for-12 on the season. The Bulldogs were scheduled to play four games this weekend at the Avila University NAIA Invite in Kansas City, but those games were canceled due to cold and wintry weather in the forecast. Culler and the program are exploring potential nonconference replacement games.
· For additional news and notes on the softball program, click HERE.
· This week (Avila University NAIA Invite in Kansas City):
o CANCELED – Saturday, Feb. 15 vs. No. 24 Baker, 12 p.m.
o CANCELED – Saturday, Feb. 15 vs. Park, 4 p.m.
o CANCELED – Sunday, Feb. 16 vs. St. Mary of the Woods, 10 a.m.
o CANCELED – Sunday, Feb. 16 vs. No.18 Benedictine, 2 p.m.