Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
Male: Tristan Smith, Basketball
Smith, who hails from Elizabeth, Colo., posted three double-doubles last week as the Bulldogs went 3-0 with wins over Mount Marty, Concordia Ann Arbor and Concordia Wisconsin. Smith totaled 50 points and 40 rebounds for the week and was named the GPAC Player of the Week.
Female: Kendal Brigham, Basketball
Brigham, a native of Wahoo, Neb., led the eighth-ranked Bulldogs to a 3-0 mark last week as they defeated Mount Marty, Concordia Ann Arbor and Concordia Wisconsin. Brigham was tabbed the MVP of CIT after she scored 28 points, plucked six steals and dished out six assists over the two CIT games.
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. 23 – Kylahn Freiberg (track & field) / Zach Zohner (track & field)
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:
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.
History of success at CIT dates back to 1964 title: Before the Bulldogs of today hoisted the Concordia Invitational Tournament trophy, the men’s basketball team of 1963-64 made history. That squad, led by CIT MVP Gordon Bredow, captured the Bulldogs’ first ever CIT title, winning the tournament at home at home in March of 1964. Bredow recalled that moment and more in a recent interview with Concordia Athletic Communications. To read more on that occurrence, click HERE. Bredow was in attendance this past weekend in Mequon, Wis., as the CUNE men’s and women’s basketball teams won 2024 CIT championships.
Cheer/Dance place second/third, respectively, at 2024 CIT: For the fifth time in the history of the Concordia Invitational Tournament, the event included cheer and dance competitions. Head Coach Emilie Ashenbach’s cheer squad wound up placing second at CIT with a score of 60.52 while Head Coach Mandi Maser’s dance team placed third at CIT with a score of 55.2. Those scores will not count towards the Bulldogs’ official NAIA season scoring average as the CIT scoring rubric is structured differently. CUNE dance had hoped to repeat the CIT championship it celebrated at home in 2023. As for cheer, it has been the runner up in back-to-back years. The competition rosters for the Bulldogs featured 11 members for cheer and seven for dance. Both CUNE teams will be off from competition this week as they look forward to a major weekend Feb. 9-10. On Feb. 9, the Bulldogs will be at the York University Invitational before then host the Concordia Cheer & Dance Day of Duals on Feb. 10. For a detailed look at both Bulldog teams, check out the season previews linked below.
-Season Previews: Cheer | Dance.
Men’s Basketball to host 100-year celebration this weekend (Feb. 2-3): In celebration of 100 years of existence, the Concordia Men’s Basketball program will host a gathering of coaches, alums, past players and supporters in conjunction with Saturday’s home basketball game versus Northwestern. More details about the event can be found HERE.
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. One piece of news related to the baseball program came forth last week (Jan. 24) when reigning GPAC Player of the Year Joey Grabanski was named to the NAIA’s official preseason All-America team.
-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.
Men’s Basketball
· Current record: 15-5, 8-4 GPAC.
· Last week:
o Won vs. Mount Marty, 92-63, on Jan. 24.
o Won vs. CU Ann Arbor, 80-75, on Jan. 26 (2024 CIT).
o Won vs. CU Wisconsin, 75-69, on Jan. 27 (2024 CIT).
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Notable: The Bulldogs made it back to Nebraska following a weekend stay in the Milwaukee area for the 2024 Concordia Invitational Tournament. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad accomplished exactly what it had been hoping for last week while first pummeling Mount Marty, 92-63, on Jan. 24. On the way to a title at the 71st CIT, the Bulldogs defeated the Concordias from Ann Arbor, 80-75, and from Wisconsin, 75-69. The triumphs allowed the program to claim its 30th all-time CIT title and sixth during Limback’s tenure. For the second year in a row, Noah Schutte earned CIT MVP honors. Schutte posted 15 points, three rebounds and three assists versus CUAA and then tallied 22 points and 12 rebounds against host CUW. It was also a big week for Tristan Smith, who collected three double-doubles: 18 points and 12 rebounds versus Mount Marty, 16 points and 16 rebounds versus CUAA and 16 points and 12 rebounds versus CUW. He now has nine double-doubles for the season. Another noteworthy effort was delivered by Hayden Frank, who poured in 17 points in the win over CUAA. Due to the cancellations of CIT in 2021 and 2022, no player on the current roster had ever experienced a road CIT. At 8-4 in league play, the Bulldogs currently reside in fourth place in the GPAC standings. This week will be significant as Schutte and company will go against two NAIA top 20-ranked GPAC foes as they head to No. 20 Morningside on Wednesday before hosting No. 14 Northwestern on Saturday. While the Bulldogs are not receiving votes in the national poll, they are much more respected by the computers. CUNE boasts the nation’s No. 20 RPI and No. 29 strength of schedule.
· For additional statistics and details, check out the Concordia Men’s Basketball homepage HERE.
· This week:
o Wednesday, Jan. 31 at No. 20 Morningside (14-5, 9-3 GPAC), 7:45 p.m.
o Saturday, Feb. 3 vs. No. 14 Northwestern (17-4, 10-3 GPAC), 3:45 p.m.
Women’s Basketball
· Current record: 17-2, 11-2 GPAC; ranked No. 8 in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Last week:
o Won vs. Mount Marty, 75-53, on Jan. 24.
o Won vs. CU Ann Arbor, 73-64, on Jan. 26 (2024 CIT).
o Won vs. CU Wisconsin, 78-48, on Jan. 27 (2024 CIT).
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: The win streak has grown to 10 after three victories were claimed last week by the eighth-ranked Bulldogs. Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad opened the stretch of three games in four days by defeating Mount Marty, 75-53, on Jan. 24. CUNE then traveled to the Milwaukee area for the 71st Concordia Invitational Tournament and came away with a ninth-straight CIT championship. The Bulldogs rallied from 16 points down against Concordia Ann Arbor to win 73-64 before then routing host Concordia Wisconsin, 78-48. The program owns an event record 32 all-time CIT titles, including 13 during Olson’s tenure. The roadrunner-like Kendal Brigham was chosen as the CIT MVP while teammate Taysha Rushton joined her on the all-tournament team. In two days in Mequon, Brigham totaled 28 points, six assists and six steals and made 9-of-20 shots from the floor. Brigham notched 14 points in the CIT championship game and was joined by Sammy Leu (10) and Rushton (10) in double figures. Bree Bunting chipped in eight points off the bench. The Bulldogs have not lost since falling at Briar Cliff, 74-66, on Dec. 9. They’ll have a chance to go a perfect 9-0 in the month of January if they can earn the season sweep of Morningside in Sioux City on Wednesday. CUNE will then host Northwestern on Saturday. At 11-2 in league play, the Bulldogs remain in second place in the GPAC behind No. 1 Dordt (13-0). In the analytics released last week by the NAIA, CUNE appeared at No. 9 in the RPI with the 47th best strength of schedule.
· For additional statistics and details, check out the Concordia Women’s Basketball homepage HERE.
· This week:
o Wednesday, Jan. 31 at Morningside (11-8, 8-6 GPAC), 6 p.m.
o Saturday, Feb. 3 vs. Northwestern (12-8, 8-6 GPAC), 2 p.m.
Track & Field
· Current NAIA rankings (USTFCCCA) – No. 3 women | No. 7 men.
· Last week:
o Hosted the Concordia Classic (Jan. 26-27).
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | TFRRS NAIA indoor qualifying list
· Notable: The third-straight home meet to start the 2023-24 indoor season occurred last week and saw the Bulldogs post two new automatic national qualifying standards while winning 13 event championships at the annual Concordia Classic. Athletes from 10 institutions were represented at the meet. The program’s season tally (combining men and women) for NAIA ‘A’ standards is now 22 after a big weekend for Rylee Haecker. The eight-time All-American cruised to a national qualifying time of 2:56.82 in the 1,000 meters and now ranks second nationally in the event. She also ran a leg for Concordia’s distance medley relay that owns the third fastest time in the NAIA (12:19.70). Haecker was joined on the DMR by Isabelle Salters, Jenna Esch and Julie McIntyre. In another impressive performance, Battle Creek, Neb., native Zach Zohner cleared 17 feet in the pole vault (No. 4 on the program’s all-time indoor list) and retook the NAIA national lead. There were others who also repeated automatic national qualifying standards, such as the women’s 4x400 meter relay, Esch in the 400 meters, Abigail Gerber in the shot put, Adrianna Rodencal in the 60 hurdles and Abi Wohlgemuth in the weight throw. A couple of fresh ‘B’ standards were delivered by the men’s distance medley relay and Erin Boggs in the pole vault (11’ 4 ½”). The men’s DMR featured Trey Robertson, Colby Sugden, Trevor Kuncl and Calvin Rohde. Next up, the Bulldogs will compete outside of the Walz Fieldhouse for the first time this season. This weekend’s slate includes the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational and the Fred Beile Classic. Head Coach Matt Beisel and company will be back at home to host the Concordia Indoor Invite on Feb. 9. The first set of USTFCCCA NAIA national rankings were unveiled last week and displayed Concordia at No. 3 on the women’s side and at No. 7 on the men’s side.
· Keep up with Concordia Track & Field throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons by visiting the team’s homepage HERE.
· This week:
o Friday/Saturday, Feb. 2-3 – Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational hosted by Nebraska.
o Saturday, Feb. 3 – Fred Beile Classic hosted by Doane.
Wrestling
· Current dual record: 7-6, 3-4 GPAC.
· Last week (GPAC Day of Duals No. 2 – Sioux City, Iowa):
o Won vs. Northwestern, 33-11, on Jan. 27.
o Lost vs. Briar Cliff, 22-20, on Jan. 27.
o Lost vs. Jamestown, 29-21, on Jan. 27.
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Rankings
· Notable: After an unexpectedly lengthy break in the schedule, Head Coach Chase Clasen’s squad got back to action at GPAC Day of Duals No. 2 held in Sioux City, Iowa. The Bulldogs went 1-2 as they earned a 33-11 win over Northwestern and then fell at the hands of Briar Cliff, 22-20, and Jamestown, 29-21. Those results leave Concordia at 7-6 overall (3-4 GPAC) in duals. In those grapples, the Bulldogs won seven matches over Northwestern, five versus Briar Cliff and four versus Jamestown. Notably, freshman Barret Brandt (26-8) went 3-0 at 165 with a pair of pins on the day. His season pin count of 21 equals the program record for a single season set by Alex Stepanek in the 2011-12 season. The team’s most consistently reliable standout, Creighton Baughman (26-5) enjoyed a similarly productive day as he went 3-0 with two pins of his own. Baughman is ranked No. 8 in the NAIA at 141 pounds and is a perfect 13-0 in duals this season. It was also a 3-0 day for Stephen Duffy at 174. At 3-4 in GPAC duals, Concordia stands in sixth place with one conference dual remaining. At the top of the heap, Doane stands at 7-0 after having beaten Morningside (7-1) in Sioux City. The Bulldogs will polish off their 2023-24 dual slate this week by hosting Colby Community College on Friday and then by wrestling at No. 7 Doane on Saturday. Concordia will use the Friday night dual to celebrate its senior class.
· For additional statistics and details, check out the Concordia Wrestling homepage HERE.
· This week:
o Friday, Feb. 2 vs. Colby CC, 6 p.m. (Senior Night).
o Saturday, Feb. 3 at No. 7 Doane, 7 p.m.