Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
NOTE: There are no BAAM Athletes of the Week for Feb. 18 due to the cancellation of this week’s BAAM luncheon.
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. 11 – Jonny Jurchen (track & field) / Abi Wohlgemuth (track & field)
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.
Profiling Concordia student-athletes: A series of recent features have profiled standout Concordia Bulldogs student-athletes who have excelled at a high level in their careers. To read more about men’s soccer’s Iker Casanova, softball’s Megan Eurich and baseball’s Ty Nekoliczak, check the feature stories linked below.
--Feature profiles: Casanova | Eurich | Nekoliczak.
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 are continuing to prepare for the 2025 Collegiate Powerlifting National Championships slated to take place in Oklahoma City, April 3-6.
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.
Indoor Track & Field
· Full weekends of competition in 2024-25: 6.
· Last week:
o Competed at the 2025 GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championships on Feb. 14-15; Concordia women placed third and men placed fourth.
· Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | TFRRS Performance Lists
· Notable: The 2025 GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championships played out this past weekend on the campus of Dakota Wesleyan in Mitchell, S.D. When the dust settled, the Bulldogs placed third on the women’s side with 141.5 points and fourth on the men’s side with 91 points. Concordia athletes combined to win seven GPAC event championships. For her efforts, Rodencal was named the 2025 GPAC Women’s Indoor Championships Outstanding Athlete of the Meet. Rodencal won GPAC titles in the 60-meter hurdles (8.49) and 200 meters (25.32) and as part of the 4x400-meter relay (3:56.66). Rodencal also placed second in the 60-meter dash (7.66). The Lincoln Lutheran alum picked up her third career GPAC Outstanding Athlete of the Meet award. She was joined on the championship 4x4 by Trinity Tuls, Isabelle Salters and Kayla Kirchner. Other individual GPAC champions were Carson Fehlhafer in the shot put (52’ 7 ½”), Abby Gerber in the shot put (48’ 4”), Jonny Jurchen in the 3,000-meter race walk (14:15.64) and Mayson Ostermeyer in the pole vault (16’ 2 ¾”). Conference runner-up placements were also claimed by Abi Wohlgemuth in the weight throw (58’ 11 ¼”), Adysen McCarter in the triple jump (37’ 10 ½”) and Addie Reimer in the pentathlon (3,108 points). Rival Doane wound up winning GPAC team titles for both men and women. The results meant that the Concordia women’s program’s string of 11-straight GPAC titles ended. With the conference meet in the books, Head Coach Matt Beisel and his staff are working on finalizing their national qualifying roster for the upcoming 2025 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships to be held in Gainesville, Fla.
· For additional news and notes on the track & field programs, click HERE.
· Up next:
o Feb. 27 – March 1: 2025 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Gainesville, Fla.
Women’s Basketball
· Current record: 13-13, 8-12 GPAC.
· Last week:
o Lost at No. 24 Hastings, 84-49, on Feb. 12.
o Lost vs. No. 16 Dakota Wesleyan, 74-65, on Feb. 15.
· Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: Last week brought a pair of defeats at the hands of NAIA top 25 opponents. The Bulldogs were beaten in lopsided fashion, 84-49, at No. 24 Hastings on No. 24 before taking No. 16 Dakota Wesleyan to the wire at home in a loss, 74-65, on Feb. 15. The performance at Hastings was one Concordia was glad to quickly flush. The Bulldogs shot only 27 percent from the field and turned the ball over 23 times in that defeat. Three days later, Concordia gave a much better effort while hanging within three (66-63) in the final minute versus DWU. The Tigers were able to seal the win by making 20-of-22 shots from the foul line. The standout individuals on the Bulldogs’ side were Abby Krieser (21 points, four assists and three steals) and Bree Bunting (14 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the floor). At halftime of the men’s game this past Saturday, Head Coach Drew Olson’s program honored its two seniors: Krieser and Abby Heemstra. Named Second Team All-GPAC last season, Krieser has produced career totals of 908 points, 334 rebounds, 172 steals and 158 assists in 109 games. Meanwhile, Heemstra sports career tallies of 587 points, 412 rebounds, 58 steals and 55 assists in 120 games. The season has now reached the final week of the regular season. Concordia will host Doane on Wednesday before making a trip to Mount Marty on Saturday. Situated in eighth place in the GPAC standings, the best the Bulldogs can hope for at this point would be to finish in a three-way tie for sixth place with Doane and Morningside. Regardless of this week’s results, Concordia will be on the road for the GPAC tournament quarterfinals on Feb. 26.
· For additional news and notes on the women’s basketball program, click HERE.
· This week:
o Wednesday, Feb. 19 vs. Doane (15-11, 10-10 GPAC), 6 p.m.
o Saturday, Feb. 22 at Mount Marty (10-16, 4-16 GPAC), 2 p.m.
Men’s Basketball
· Current record: 21-5, 14-4 GPAC; ranked No. 12 in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Last week:
o Won at Hastings, 94-71, on Feb. 12.
o Won vs. Dakota Wesleyan, 91-76, on Feb. 15.
· Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: The Bulldogs rebounded from a rare defeat (87-70 at No. 16 Northwestern on Feb. 8) with two wins this past week by comfortable margins – 94-71 over Hastings and 91-76 over Dakota Wesleyan. The latter result added a quality victory to the postseason profile for a Concordia squad that is a lock to qualify for the national tournament. It was another monster week for Tristan Smith, who tallied 47 points, 17 rebounds, seven assists, four blocked shots and three steals over the two wins. On the season, Smith is averaging 20.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while continuing to state his case as a GPAC Player of the Year candidate. Meanwhile, fellow star Noah Schutte moved to No. 2 on the program’s all-time rebound list as he passed former teammate Gage Smith. Schutte has pushed his career totals to 2,247 points and 907 rebounds in 141 games. Schutte needs 22 more rebounds to break the program record of 928 by Matt List. Also noteworthy from last week, Elijah Gaeth posted 11 points and seven rebounds at Hastings and Brooks Kissinger tallied 15 points and six rebounds versus Dakota Wesleyan. A pair of wins this week could lock up a top two seed for the GPAC tournament. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad is set to host Doane on Wednesday and travel to Mount Marty on Saturday. Concordia is still mathematically alive for a piece of the GPAC regular season title, but it needs to win twice and have Dordt (16-2 GPAC) lose twice (versus Morningside and at Dakota Wesleyan). The program will celebrate its senior class prior to tipoff on Wednesday night.
· For additional news and notes on the men’s basketball program, click HERE.
· This week:
o Senior Day – Wednesday, Feb. 19 vs. Doane (9-17, 4-14 GPAC), 7:45 p.m.
o Saturday, Feb. 22 at Mount Marty (10-15, 7-12 GPAC), 3:45 p.m.
Wrestling
· Current dual record: 6-2, 6-2 GPAC (finished tied for second).
· Most recent:
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 at GPAC Day of Duals No. 2 (Feb. 8) in Mitchell, S.D., where the 18th-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 of the conference tournament, Concordia boasts six 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 had last week off while gearing up for the 2025 GPAC Wrestling Championships. Hastings will serve as the host of the tournament for the first time since 2018. The Bulldogs will attempt to improve upon their fifth-place finish at the 2024 GPAC Championships.
· For additional news and notes on the wrestling program, click HERE.
· This week:
o Friday-Saturday, Feb. 21-22 – GPAC Wrestling Championships at Hastings (2 p.m. on day one, 10 a.m. on day two).
Cheer / Dance
· Cheer Season Scoring Average: 75.12
· Dance Season Scoring Average: 82.62
· Last week:
o Cheer:
§ Placed 5th / 8 (152.62) overall at the MidAmerica Nazarene Duals on Feb. 15.
§ Lost vs. MidAmerica Nazarene with a team score of 75.47 on Feb. 15.
§ Won vs. Benedictine with a team score of 77.15 on Feb. 15.
o Dance:
§ Placed 2nd / 7 (162.95) overall at the MidAmerica Nazarene Duals on Feb. 15.
§ Won vs. Benedictine/Saint Mary with a team score of 82.2 on Feb. 15.
§ Won vs. Baker with a team score of 80.75 on Feb. 15.
· Cheer Links: 2025 Schedule | Roster
· Dance Links: 2025 Schedule | Roster
· Notable: Head Coaches Mandi Maser and Emilie Ashenbach took their squads to Olathe, Kan., this past weekend for the MidAmerica Nazarene University Duals. Dance came away with another team trophy as it placed second overall while winning a triangular over Benedictine College (Kan.) and University of Saint Mary (Kan.) and a dual over Baker University (Kan.). Concordia Dance posted respective scores of 82.2 and 80.75. Meanwhile, Bulldog Cheer lost its dual with host MidAmerica Nazarene and then defeated Benedictine. Cheer earned respective scores of 75.47 and 77.15 and placed fifth overall out of the eight teams in the field. Both Bulldog teams have now been judged on five routines this 2025 season. After the MNU Duals, Maser made special mention of freshman Bianca Romshek for her performance in Olathe. Concordia will return to action on Saturday for the Dordt Cheer & Dance Invitational in Sioux Center, Iowa. That invite will be the final outing prior to the GPAC Championships (March 7-8) that will be hosted by the Bulldogs.
· For additional news and notes on the cheer and dance programs, click the following links: Cheer | Dance.
· This week:
o Saturday, Feb. 22 – Dordt Invitational, 11 a.m.
Tennis
· Current records: 2-2 men | 2-1 women.
· Last week:
o M – Won at Mount Marty, 5-2, on Feb. 13.
o W – Won at Mount Marty, 7-0, on Feb. 13.
· Men’s Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Women’s Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Notable: Head Coach Lisa Hart’s squads both earned wins last week in matches at Mount Marty (which were tagged as nonconference contests). The Concordia women breezed to a 7-0 sweep of the Lancers while the men won a tough battle, 5-2, in action that took place indoors in Yankton, S.D. In women’s doubles play, Bulldog winners were Mariana Molano and Ishane Derman at No. 1 (6-2), Chakira Derman and Alana Lopez Pagan at No. 2 (6-3) and Tessa Blough and Alexa Richert at No. 3 (6-3). In singles, Concordia picked up victories from Molano at No. 1 (6-4, 1-0, injury default), Chakira Derman at No. 2 (6-1, 6-0), Lopez Pagan at No. 3 (6-4, 6-4), Ishane Derman at No. 4 (6-2, 6-0), Alexa Richert at No. 5 (6-2, 6-0) and Nina Milic at No. 6 (6-0, 6-1). Meanwhile, the men rallied after dropping the doubles point (although Hugo Fuentes and Nick Velders were winners at No. 1, 6-3). In singles, the following Bulldogs were victorious: Velders at No. 2 (6-7, 7-5, 10-3), Manuel Rodriguez at No. 3 (6-3, 6-3), Ben Chisholm at No. 4 (4-6, 6-4, 10-2), Grady Works at No. 5 (6-3, 1-6, 11-9) and Santiago Abadia at No. 6 (7-6, 6-4). Both Concordia squads have had recent alterations to their schedules, but both are set to play this week. The men and women will host Ottawa University (Kan.) on Thursday before the men head to Pella, Iowa, on Saturday to take on NCAA D2 Quincy University (Ill.) and NCAA D3 host Central College.
· For additional news and notes on the tennis programs, click the following links: Men | Women.
· This week:
o M / W – Thursday, Feb. 20 vs. Ottawa University (Kan.), 11 a.m.
o M – Saturday, Feb. 22 vs. Quincy University (Ill.), 12 p.m. (at Central College).
o M – Saturday, Feb. 22 vs. Central College (Iowa), 4 p.m. (at Central College).
Softball
· Current record: 5-3.
· Since last week (all games in Sioux Center, Iowa):
o Lost vs. Bellevue, 6-0, on Feb. 16.
o Won vs. No. 18 Benedictine, 4-3 (9 inn.), on Feb. 16.
o Won vs. Bellevue, 9-4, on Feb. 17.
o Lost vs. No. 18 Benedictine, 7-3, on Feb. 17.
· Links: 2025 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Notable: The schedule over the past two weeks has been shuffled due to cold and wintry weather throughout the Midwest. Head Coach Brock Culler’s program managed to find four games this past Sunday-Monday at the American State Bank Sports Complex in Sioux Center, Iowa. In action in Sioux Center, the Bulldogs won twice and lost twice (scores above) while up against two quality opponents in No. 18 Benedictine College (Kan.) and Bellevue University, which received votes in the NAIA preseason poll. In the 4-3 nine-inning win over Benedictine, sophomore Kaylei Denison threw every inning and allowed two earned runs on four hits and nine walks. She earned credit for the win after Aubrey Bruning walked it off with an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth. In Monday’s win over Bellevue, Concordia hammered out 15 hits with three coming from Hanna Bowers and two apiece from Taryn Ganstrom, Aubriana Krieser and Kylie Shottenkirk. Bowers and Delanie Voshell both knocked in two runs. Ganstrom came in as a relief pitcher and picked up the win after firing 3.2 innings. Ganstrom also led the team at the plate over the past four games with six hits (two doubles and two triples). Jennifer Katz reached 100 career hits on Monday (combining her totals from junior college and Concordia). As for Denison, she is 3-0 with a 1.73 ERA on the season. The Bulldogs are 5-3 with all eight of their games having been played at the dome. Concordia is slated to have the rest of this week off while looking ahead to the University of Saint Mary Top Gun NAIA Invite, Feb. 28 – March 2, in Shawnee, Mo.
· For additional news and notes on the softball program, click HERE.
· This week:
o Idle; up next will be the University of Saint Mary Top Gun NAIA Invite (Feb. 28 – March 2).
Baseball
· Current record: 3-0; ranked No. 20 in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Most recent:
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.
o Games scheduled in Joplin, Mo., Feb. 15-16 were canceled.
· Links: 2025 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Polls
· Notable: Due to cold and wintry weather, the four games Concordia was scheduled to play in Joplin, Mo., this past weekend (Feb. 15-16) were canceled. The previous weekend, the Bulldogs got the 2025 season underway in Oklahoma City, Okla., where 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 opening 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 4.2 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. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad is hoping to return to action this Saturday and Sunday with four games in Fort Scott, Kan., versus former GPAC rival Jamestown.
· For additional news and notes on the baseball program, click HERE.
· This week (all games in Fort Scott, Kan.):
o Saturday, Feb. 22 vs. Jamestown, 1 p.m. DH.
o Sunday, Feb. 23 vs. Jamestown, 12 p.m. DH.