Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
Female: Kylahn Freiberg, Track & Field
A fifth-year Bulldog from Nampa, Idaho, Freiberg starred at the Concordia Polar Dog Invite while posting automatic national qualifying standards in the 5,000 meters (17:48.25) and as part of the 4x800 meter relay (9:15.26). The time for the 4x8 ranks No. 1 nationally while the 5k time ranks as the third fastest in school history.
Male: Zach Zohner, Track & Field
A fourth-year Bulldog who hails from Battle Creek, Neb., Zohner set a new personal best in the pole vault by clearing 16’ 8 ¾” at the Polar Dog. That mark ranks No. 2 nationally and puts him at No. 5 on the program’s all-time indoor pole vault list. Zohner is a two-time All-American.
2023-24 BAAM Athletes of the Month
December – Evan Fukuhara (weightlifting) / Hayley Miles (track & field)
November – Creighton Baughman (wrestling) / Abby Krieser (basketball)
October – Becca Gebhardt (volleyball) / DJ McGarvie (football)
September – Austin Jablonski (football) / Ashley Keck (volleyball)
Previous BAAM Athletes of the Week
Jan. 16 – Kendal Brigham (basketball) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
Jan. 9 – Abby Heemstra (basketball) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
Dec. 12 – Evan Fukuhara (weightlifting) / Hayley Miles (track & field)
Dec. 5 – Noah Schutte (basketball) / Kristin Vieselmeyer (basketball)
Nov. 28 – Creighton Baughman (wrestling) / Kylahn Freiberg (cross country) / Abby Krieser (basketball)
Nov. 14 – Austin Jablonski (football) / Maddie Paulsen (volleyball)
Nov. 7 – Sara Huss (volleyball) / Kyle Sterup (football)
Oct. 31 – Kierstynn Garner (soccer) / Michael Owens (soccer)
Oct. 24 – Rebecca Gebhardt (volleyball) / Julie McIntyre (cross country) / Michael Owens (soccer)
Oct. 17 – Kierstynn Garner (soccer) / DJ McGarvie (football)
Oct. 10 – Rylee Ladd (powerlifting) / Jack Nelson (shooting sports) / Camryn Opfer (volleyball) / D’Andre Williams (soccer)
Oct. 3 – Austin Jablonski (football) / Grace Soenksen (soccer)
Sept. 26 – Ashley Keck (volleyball) / Mason Ward (shooting sports)
Sept. 19 – Savannah Andrews (soccer) / Carter Hinman (soccer)
Sept. 12 – Katie Welker (shooting sports) / Devin Zeigler (football)
Sept. 5 – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball) / Carter Hinman (soccer)
Aug. 29 – Isaiah Shaddick (soccer) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)
News and notes:
Concordia Invitational Tournament set for Jan. 26-27: The 71st Concordia Invitational Tournament will be held Jan. 26-27 on the campus of Concordia University Wisconsin. The event will once again include competitions in the sports of men’s and women’s basketball and cheer and dance. More specific details about CIT 2024 can be found via CUW’s website linked HERE.
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.
Cheer/Dance competition seasons underway: The competition seasons for Concordia’s competitive cheer and dance teams got underway this past Saturday as the Bulldogs hosted a triangular for dance and a dual for cheer. In dance, Concordia earned a score of 82.0 while outmatching GPAC rivals Hastings (59.0) and College of Saint Mary (57.0). In cheer, the Bulldogs scored an 83.30 and defeated Hastings (76.95). Both Concordia teams exceeded their scoring averages from the 2023 campaign. The Bulldogs are coached by Mandi Maser in dance and Emilie Ashenbach in cheer. All-GPAC returners include Shelby Timmerman in cheer and Ryleigh Flesner, Taylor Larsen and Avery Lewis in dance. Up next will be the Concordia Invitational Tournament competition in Mequon, Wis., on Saturday. The cheer competition is scheduled for 9 a.m. with dance to follow at 9:45 a.m. CUNE came away with 2023 CIT place finishes of first in dance and second in cheer. For season previews that were released earlier this month, check out the links below.
-Season Previews: Cheer | Dance.
Spring sports on the horizon: Concordia Athletic Communications released a series of season previews last week while setting the stage for upcoming spring sports. Check out the links below for specific season previews. The baseball, softball and tennis teams will each make their 2024 debuts during the month of February.
-Season Previews: Baseball | Softball | Men’s Tennis | Women’s Tennis.
Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its ninth 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 2023-24 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 ninth season calling Concordia volleyball. The Max Country broadcast schedule for the fall semester of 2023 can be found HERE.
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 this 2023-24 academic year, Concordia Athletics has partnered with Hudl/BlueFrame 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.
Women’s Basketball
· Current record: 14-2, 10-2 GPAC; ranked No. 8 in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Last week:
o Won at Hastings, 70-57, on Jan. 17.
o Won vs. No. 10 Briar Cliff, 68-58, on Jan. 20.
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: The winning streak has moved to seven for the eighth-ranked Bulldogs, who won twice by double digits last week within conference play. In the 70-57 victory at Hastings, fourth-year guard Kendal Brigham (named GPAC Player of the Week on Jan. 16) continued her destruction of in-state rivals as she totaled a game high 22 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the floor. Brigham’s offensive production helped Concordia rally from a deficit as large as eight points. The Bulldogs dominated the fourth quarter – by a score of 21-5 – and improved to 8-1 in their past nine meetings with the Broncos. Three days later, Concordia avenged its 74-66 road loss to Briar Cliff that occurred on Dec. 9. Following a sluggish first half (27-27 tie), the Bulldogs had their way in the third quarter and built the lead to 66-49 after back-to-back Taysha Rushton treys. Rushton led her side with 17 points while Sadie Powell posted 16 points and seven rebounds and Abby Heemstra supplied 11 points and six rebounds. Concordia has beaten two top 10 foes this season: No. 5 Marian (Ind.) and Briar Cliff. At 10-2 in league play, the Bulldogs are situated behind only No. 1 Dordt (11-0) in the GPAC standings. This will be a strenuous week as Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad will host Mount Marty on Wednesday before heading to Mequon, Wis., for the Concordia Invitational Tournament on Friday and Saturday. The Bulldogs have won eight-consecutive CIT championships.
· For additional statistics and details, check out the Concordia Women’s Basketball homepage HERE.
· This week:
o Wednesday, Jan. 24 vs. Mount Marty (5-12, 1-10 GPAC), 6 p.m.
o Friday, Jan. 26 vs. Concordia Ann Arbor (12-5), 1 p.m. (2024 CIT)
o Saturday, Jan. 27 vs. CUC/CUW, 12:30 or 5:30 p.m. (2024 CIT)
Men’s Basketball
· Current record: 12-5, 7-4 GPAC.
· Last week:
o Lost at Hastings, 79-78, on Jan. 17.
o Won vs. Briar Cliff, 87-82, on Jan. 20.
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Notable: The Bulldogs engaged in a pair of GPAC nail-biters last week. They dropped a 79-78 decision at Hastings before bouncing back to claim an 87-82 home win over Briar Cliff. In the defeat in Hastings, Concordia erased a 17-point deficit and evened the score, 78-78, in the final seconds. A free throw with 3.1 seconds remaining supplied the final tally. Six Bulldogs scored eight or more points, led by the 15 points from Tristan Smith. Noah Schutte also added 11 points and nine rebounds. Concordia lost despite shooting 51.7 percent from the floor. The Broncos (now 9-1 in the GPAC) shot 55.6 percent. The clash with the Chargers also came down to the final seconds. In the most critical sequence, Briar Cliff (trailing 83-82) missed a pair of free throws with less than 30 seconds left. Brad Bennett and Schutte then followed by going 2-for-2 from the line to salt the game away. Bennett paced the Bulldogs with 20 points and Schutte went for 15 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. In the process, Schutte became the 10th player in program history to reach 1,500 career points. Three others hit double figures in scoring: Smith (17), Zac Kulus (12) and Jaxon Stueve (11). Kulus knocked down 4-of-5 shots from 3-point range while enjoying his best performance of the season. Smith grabbed nine rebounds while coming up just shy of a double-double. Concordia has beaten Briar Cliff in five-straight meetings. A grueling four-day stretch awaits as the Bulldogs will host Mount Marty on Wednesday before heading to Mequon, Wis., for the 71st Concordia Invitational Tournament on Friday and Saturday. CUNE has won 29 CIT championships in program history.
· For additional statistics and details, check out the Concordia Men’s Basketball homepage HERE.
· This week:
o Wednesday, Jan. 24 vs. Mount Marty (5-11, 1-9 GPAC), 7:45 p.m.
o Friday, Jan. 26 vs. Concordia Ann Arbor (5-12), 3 p.m. (2024 CIT)
o Saturday, Jan. 27 vs. CUC/CUW, 2:30 or 7:30 p.m. (2024 CIT)
Track & Field
· Current rankings – not yet released by USTFCCCA (first rankings scheduled for Jan. 24).
· Last week:
o Hosted the Concordia Polar Dog Invite (Jan. 19).
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | TFRRS NAIA indoor qualifying list
· Notable: It was a long-awaited return to action as the Bulldogs went six weeks between meets. The layoff ended this past Friday as Head Coach Matt Beisel’s program welcomed athletes from 10 institutions to the Concordia Polar Dog Invite. Bulldog athletes combined for five meet records, five, six performances that met the automatic national qualifying standard and 14 event championships. Fifth-year competitor Kylahn Freiberg made a big splash while helping the 4x800 meter relay to a national qualifying time of 9:15.26. She later ran the third fastest 5,000 meters in school history, clocking in at 17:48.25 (NAIA ‘A’ standard). In the pole vault, Zach Zohner continues to lead the nation. He boosted his NAIA best mark to 16’ 8 ¾” at the Polar Dog. Zohner repeated an automatic national qualifying performance and so too did teammates Adrianna Rodencal (60 hurdles), Abi Wohlgemuth (weight throw) and Chris Wren (weight throw). Over two meets this indoor season, Concordia has tallied a combined 20 ‘A’ standards and eight ‘B’ standards. Also noteworthy, Jenna Esch continued a fine start to her season by winning Polar Dog titles in the 400 and 800 meters. In addition, she contributed to the 4x8 along with Freiberg, Julie McIntyre and Rylee Haecker. Another home meet is coming up this week as the Bulldogs will host the Concordia Classic. Roughly 10 teams are expected to be represented inside the Fieldhouse. The tentative meet schedule is linked below.
· Keep up with Concordia Track & Field throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons by visiting the team’s homepage HERE.
· This week:
o Friday/Saturday, Jan. 26/27 – Concordia Classic (view meet schedule).
Wrestling
· Current dual record: 6-4, 2-2 GPAC.
· Last week:
o Idle; most recent outing was the Hastings College Open on Jan. 6.
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Rankings
· Notable: Due to the postponement of the dual at No. 5 Doane scheduled for Jan. 12, the Bulldogs have had ample time off to prep for a pivotal upcoming Saturday of GPAC duals. The most recent outing for Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad was the Hastings College Open on Jan. 6. By tournament’s end, Concordia competitors combined for 28 wins, 11 pins and four place finishes. The individual place winners were Mason Garcia (second at 197), Creighton Baughman (third at 141), Barret Brandt (fourth at 165) and Garret Moser (fourth at 184). On the season, six Concordia wrestlers have notched at least 10 wins: Baughman (23-5), Brandt (23-8), Grant Wells (19-9), Hunter Weimer (13-9), Garcia (11-8) and Jeaven Scdoris (10-5). In new conference ratings released last week, seven Bulldogs appeared in the top six within their respective weight classes: Baughman (No. at 141), TJ Allen (No. 6 at 149), Scdoris (No. 5 at 157), Tommy Wentz (No. 3 at 165), Brandt (No. 4 at 165), Stephen Duffy (No. 6 at 174) and Garcia (No. 4 at 197). As a team, the Bulldogs stand at 6-4 (2-2 GPAC) in duals. As part of GPAC Day of Duals No. 2 in Sioux City, Iowa, on Saturday, Concordia will take on Northwestern, Briar Cliff and Jamestown. The final GPAC dual of the 2023-24 season is set for Feb. 3 when the Bulldogs will make up the postponed matchup with No. 5 Doane.
· For additional statistics and details, check out the Concordia Wrestling homepage HERE.
· This week – GPAC Day of Duals No. 2; Saturday, Jan. 27 (Long Lines Recreation Center in Sioux City, Iowa)
o 11 a.m. vs. Northwestern
o 12:30 p.m. vs. Briar Cliff
o 2 p.m. vs. Jamestown