Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
Male: Hagen Heistand, Wrestling
A junior from Dow City, Iowa, Hagen Heistand burst onto the scene at the national tournament the weekend of March 6-8 and advanced to the 149-pound title match. His path to the championship round included wins over opponents seeded sixth, third and 10th. Heistand became the fourth competitor in program history to reach the national finals.
Female: Jennifer Katz, Softball
A senior from Omaha, Neb., Jennifer Katz shined during the Tucson Invite as the Bulldogs went 7-1. Over those eight games, Katz batted .520 (13-for-25) with six doubles, two triples, 10 RBIs and six stolen bases. Katz leads the team this season in most major statistical categories, including batting average (.458), on-base percentage (.515) and slugging percentage (.898).
2024-25 BAAM Athletes of the Month
February – Abby Krieser (basketball) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
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
March 4 – Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
Feb. 25 – Creighton Baughman (wrestling) / Adrianna Rodencal (track & field)
Feb. 18 – BAAM luncheon canceled
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.
Devin Smith named Athletics Director of the Year by NACDA: For the second time in five years, Concordia University, Nebraska’s Devin Smith has been honored as an Athletics Director of the Year Award winner by the National Association of Directors of Athletics (NACDA). Smith was announced by NACDA as one of the 28 honorees for 2024-25 on Monday (March 17). The award spans seven divisions (NCAA FBS, FCS, Division I-AAA, II, III, NAIA/Other Four-Year Institutions and Junior College/Community Colleges). Winners will be recognized in conjunction with the 60th Annual NACDA & Affiliates Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla., on June 10. For more details on the award, click HERE.
Mima national championship highlights University Weightlifting Nationals: Kaiden Mima wasted little time making his presence known as a member of the Concordia University, Nebraska Weightlifting program. A second semester addition, Mima rose to the top of the podium at the 2025 University Weightlifting National Championships (Feb. 27 – March 2) sponsored by USA Weightlifting. From a team perspective, the Bulldogs earned national place finishes of fourth for men, sixth for women and fifth in the co-ed breakdown. Four Concordia athletes placed inside the top five of their respective weight classes, including runner up Evan Fukuhara. Thirteen total Bulldogs competed at the national championship event in Columbus, Ohio. For a complete recap, click HERE.
Thirty-nine Bulldogs named NAIA Scholar-Athletes for winter sports: A total of 39 Concordia student-athletes were recognized on Feb. 19 as 2024-25 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes. For complete lists of honorees by sport, click the links below.
--2024-25 NAIA Scholar-Athletes: Men’s Basketball | Women’s Basketball | Cheer | Dance | Wrestling.
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, baseball’s Ty Nekoliczak and track & field’s Adrianna Rodencal, check the feature stories linked below. The latest feature on Rodencal walks through her day at the 2025 GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championships.
--Feature profiles: Rodencal | Casanova | Eurich | Nekoliczak.
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
· Final dual record: 6-2, 6-2 GPAC (finished tied for second); placed third at the GPAC Championships and tied for 17th at the NAIA National Championships on March 6-8.
· Most recent:
o Placed T-17th at the 2025 NAIA Wrestling National Championships.
· Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA National Rankings
· Notable: A successful first season of Head Coach Josh Watts’ tenure concluded on March 8 at the 2025 NAIA National Championships in Park City, Kan. The Bulldogs emerged with two All-Americans as Hagen Heistand placed second at 149 pounds and Creighton Baughman placed eighth at 141 pounds. Their efforts helped Concordia place in a tie for 17th as a team, marking the program’s best nationals finish since 2020 (15th). The Dow City, Iowa, native Heistand reached the national championship match after being seeded 11th. His tournament run included wins over opponents seeded sixth, third and 10th. Heistand was then defeated by the No. 8 seed in the 149-pound title match. He became the fourth competitor in program history to reach the national finals. As for Baughman, he picked up his first career All-America award as a Bulldog (third All-America award including two at the JUCO level). Baughman was also the GPAC champion at 141. Two others contributed to the team scoring as Steven Barnes won one match at 149 and Mason Garcia claimed two victories at 285 on the national stage. Concordia qualified eight individuals for the national tournament. As part of the 2024-25 season, the Bulldogs also placed second in the GPAC during the regular season (third in the postseason) and cracked the NAIA top 25 rankings. Watts believes that success was only the start. The program now enters the offseason as it looks ahead to 2025-26.
· For additional news and notes on the wrestling program, click HERE.
Men’s Basketball
· Current record: 26-7, 16-4 GPAC; ranked No. 11 in the final NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Last week:
o NAIA First Round – Won vs. Bethel (Kan.), 79-76, on March 14.
o NAIA Second Round – Lost at No. 10 Baker, 80-65, on March 15.
· Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: The 2024-25 season concluded this past weekend in the second round of the NAIA National Championship tournament. As the No. 6 seed in the Liston Quadrant, the Bulldogs were assigned to Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan., for first/second round action. A clutch trey by freshman Elijah Gaeth helped lift Concordia to a first-round win over Bethel College (Kan.), 79-76. A day later, the Bulldogs struggled in the first half and saw their season end at the hands of third-seeded and NAIA 10th-ranked Baker, 80-65, in the second round. Not surprisingly, Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith led the way from a statistical perspective. Both Concordia stars turned in double-doubles in both national tournament games. Schutte posted a game-high 26 points in the loss to Baker while continuing his success on the national stage. Concordia made its 14th all-time national tournament appearance and fifth during Head Coach Ben Limback’s tenure. The accomplishments in 2024-25 included the fourth highest win total in program history (tied with two other squads), a school record for conference wins in a season, an NAIA final regular season ranking of No. 11 and a CIT championship. The loss to Baker marked the end of the careers of Schutte and Smith, two of the program’s all-time greats, and the rest of the senior class that includes Brad Bennett. Schutte moved his program all-time record totals to 2,340 points and 948 rebounds. Meanwhile, Smith finished with 1,577 points and 755 rebounds for his career. Schutte and Smith both appeared in each of the program’s past nine national tournament games. The program will move on while led by a large sophomore class (juniors-to-be) featuring the likes of Hayden Frank, Lukas Helms, Brooks Kissinger and Jaxon Stueve. Zac Kulus will be the senior with the most experience on the 2025-26 squad.
· For additional news and notes on the men’s basketball program throughout the offseason, check out the team’s homepage linked HERE.
Cheer / Dance
· Cheer Season Scoring Average: 74.26 (7 events)
· Dance Season Scoring Average: 82.27 (7 events)
· GPAC Championships:
o Cheer:
§ Placed 4th / 8 (80.59) at the 2025 GPAC Championships on March 8.
o Dance:
§ Placed 4th / 8 (85.1) at the 2025 GPAC Championships on March 7.
· Cheer Links: 2025 Schedule | Roster
· Dance Links: 2025 Schedule | Roster
· Notable: The 2025 competition season is now in the books for the competitive cheer and dance squads. The weekend of March 7-8, coaches Mandi Maser and Emilie Ashenbach led their sides into action at the GPAC Championships, which were hosted inside Friedrich Arena for the first time ever. On day one of the event, Concordia Dance placed fourth with a total score of 85.1. The next day, Bulldog Cheer placed fourth with a total score of 80.59. Individually, seven Bulldogs earned GPAC All-Conference awards. In dance, All-GPAC honors were collected by first-teamers Hanna Bitner and Taylor Larsen and third-teamers Elise O’Neill, Kaylee Powell and Bianca Romshek. In cheer, Riley Bennett and Bri Hoyle achieved All-GPAC status. The dance team was under consideration for an at-large bid to the national championships, but did not make the cut when selections were revealed on Monday (March 17). Both Concordia squads performed seven official NAIA routines during the 2025 season. The score of 86.0 achieved by Bulldog dance in the finals of the conference championships represented a program record.
· For additional news and notes on the cheer and dance programs, click the following links: Cheer | Dance.
Shooting Sports
· Most recent:
o Placed 4th/6 at the Iowa Western Community College Invite on March 8-9.
· Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster
· Notable: Head Coach Dylan Owens and a group of 18 Bulldogs have made their way to San Antonio for the 2025 ACUI Collegiate Clay Target National Championships. The event will run through Saturday at the National Shooting Complex. The event features 100 targets each in American Skeet, American Trap, Sporting Clays, Doubles American Skeet, Doubles American Trap and Super Sporting. Concordia prepared for the national championships with two prior spring semester events – the Concordia Sporting Invitational (Feb. 28-March 1) and the Iowa Western Community College Invite (March 8-9). At the Iowa Western Invite, the Bulldogs placed fourth HOA as Katie Welker claimed second place among all women’s athletes in doubles trap. From an overall perspective, the top Concordia performers at the Iowa Western Invite were Sam Blevins (364), Breyer Meeks (358), Welker (357), Devin Harris (354) and Buchannan Tietjen (354). The focus is now on performing at peak levels in San Antonio. A year ago, Owens’ program placed seventh out of 15 squads in the Division 2 breakdown. Hillsdale College emerged as the 2024 national champion in Division 2. Four separate divisions are created based on a team’s number of athletes competing at the national championships. The Bulldogs will also host the Concordia Bulldog International Tournament in Grand Island on April 12-13.
· This week:
o 2025 ACUI Collegiate Clay Target National Championships in San Antonio, Texas, March 18-22.
Tennis
· Current records: 6-5 men | 7-1 women.
· Spring break:
o W – Won at Friends, 5-2, on March 7.
o W – Won at Bethany, 6-1, on March 8.
o W – Won at Barton CC, 6-1, on March 9.
o M – Won at Friends, 6-1, on March 7.
o M – Won at Bethany, 7-0, on March 8.
o M – Lost at Barton CC, 6-1, on March 9.
· Men’s Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Women’s Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Notable: It was a hectic weekend (March 7-9) as spring break got underway with a trip to Kansas. The stretch included three matches for both the men’s and women’s teams. The women went 3-0 with victories over Friends University, 5-2, Bethany College, 6-1, and Barton Community College, 6-1. Meanwhile, the men went 2-1 with victories over Friends, 6-1, and Bethay, 7-0, before a loss at the hands of Barton, 6-1. At 7-1 overall, the women’s program has achieved its best eight-match start to a season since the 2009 squad also opened with that same mark. At the No. 2 singles spot, Chakira Derman went 3-0 and was named the GPAC Player of the Week on March 12. Chakira owns a 6-2 season singles record while teammates Ishane Derman (7-0) and Alana Lopez Pagan (6-1) have also been impressive on the singles court. On the men’s side, Nick Velders (10-1) finally endured a defeat in singles play. The top doubles combination on the men’s side has included Santiago Abadia and Ben Chisholm (7-2). After a break in the action, Head Coach Lisa Hart’s squads will play three times this week. They open GPAC play by hosting Mount Marty on Thursday before heading to Salina, Kan., for two Saturday nonconference contests.
· For additional news and notes on the tennis programs, click the following links: Men | Women.
· This week:
o M / W – Thursday, March 20 vs. Mount Marty, 1 p.m.
o M / W – Saturday, March 22 vs. Kansas Wesleyan/Avila, 11 a.m./2 p.m. (both matches in Salina, Kan.)
Softball
· Current record: 15-7.
· Spring break (Tucson Invite):
o Won vs. William Penn, 5-2, on March 9.
o Won vs. Franklin & Marshall, 9-7, on March 9.
o Won vs. Viterbo, 11-3 (5 inn.), on March 10.
o Won vs. Mayville State, 9-0 (5 inn.), on March 10.
o Lost vs. Westcliff, 14-5, on March 12.
o Won vs. Valley City State, 8-3, on March 12.
o Won vs. Salve Regina, 6-2, on March 13.
o Won vs. Simpson, 8-4, on March 13.
· Notable: It was a fruitful run at the Tucson Invite in Arizona, where the Bulldogs went 7-1 while led by the likes of red-hot hitters Hanna Bowers and Jennifer Katz and pitching ace Megan Eurich. During the trip, Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad outscored its opponents by a combined total of 61-35 while hitting .355 as a team. In Arizona, Bowers batted .542 (13-for-24) with five doubles, a triple, a homer and 10 RBIs. Meanwhile, Katz went 13-for-25 (.520) with six doubles, two triples and 10 RBIs. It was also a strong eight-game stretch for the likes of Aubrey Bruning (6-for-14), Aubriana Krieser (10-for-26) and Taryn Ganstrom (10-for-26). In the circle, Eurich went 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 28.2 innings during the trip. She also picked up two saves. The Gretna, Neb., native was named the GPAC Pitcher of the Week on March 11. Eurich reached a milestone by notching her 400th career strikeout. On the season, Katz is hitting an impressive .458 (27-for-59) with 23 runs scored, nine doubles, four triples, three home runs and 18 RBIs. She is slugging .898 (second best in the GPAC). Meanwhile, Bowers has pushed her average up to .359. Conference play will arrive this weekend as the Bulldogs head to Morningside on Friday and Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday.
· For additional news and notes on the softball program, click HERE.
· This week:
o Friday, March 21 at Morningside (13-9, 1-1 GPAC), 3 p.m. DH.
o Saturday, March 22 at Dakota Wesleyan (22-6, 2-0 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH.
Baseball
· Current record: 15-7, 3-1 GPAC; ranked No. 21 in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Spring break (in Florida) + four GPAC games:
o Lost at No. 3 Southeastern, 15-6, on March 7.
o Lost at No. 3 Southeastern, 4-1, on March 7.
o Won at No. 3 Southeastern, 20-13, on March 8.
o Lost at No. 3 Southeastern, 9-3, on March 8.
o Won vs. Lawrence Tech, 4-2, on March 9.
o Won vs. Judson, 15-0, on March 10.
o Won vs. Valley City State, 12-1 (8 inn.), on March 10.
o Won at Midland, 6-1, on March 14.
o Lost at Midland, 2-1, on March 14.
o Won at Northwestern, 15-7, on March 17.
o Won at Northwestern, 2-1, on March 17.
· Links: 2025 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Polls
· Notable: It’s been a hectic stretch when considering all that has occurred since the Bulldogs embarked upon their spring break trip to Florida. Concordia tested itself with a four-game series at No. 3 Southeastern University to open that stretch. The Bulldogs won game three of the series in a contest that featured two home runs and eight RBIs from Matt Rhoades. Concordia went on to win its final three games in Florida, triumphing over Lawrence Tech University (Mich.), Judson University (Ill.) and Valley City State University (N.D.). Just a few days later, Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad opened league play with a doubleheader split at Midland and then a Monday sweep of Northwestern. In those GPAC outings, the Bulldogs got strong pitching performances from Alex Johnson, Christian Gutierrez and Braxton Greenburg. Matt Rhoades collected four hits and Jaidan Quinn belted a three-run homer as part of the game one win at Northwestern. In recent action, Quinn eclipsed 80 homers for his career, becoming the third player in NAIA history to accomplish that feat. On the bases, Zack Day (63 career stolen bases) has climbed to No. 2 on the program’s all-time stolen base list. Concordia is scheduled to resume GPAC play this weekend with a four-game series at Doane. The Bulldogs and Tigers are responsible for winning every GPAC championship over the past four seasons.
· For additional news and notes on the baseball program, click HERE.
· This week:
o Saturday, March 22 at Doane (16-3, 3-1 GPAC), 12 p.m. DH.
o Sunday, March 23 at Doane (16-3, 3-1 GPAC), 12 p.m. DH.
Golf
· Last week:
o Men – 6th/11 after day one of the Doane Invite (March 17-18).
o Women – Placed 11th/12 at the Southwest Minnesota State Spring Invite in Litchfield Park, Ariz., March 10-11.
· Men’s Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Women’s Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Notable: The 2024-25 season picked back up for the women’s team over spring break as the Bulldogs ventured to Litchfield Park, Ariz., for the Southwest Minnesota State Spring Invite on March 10-11. Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad placed 11th in a field loaded with NCAA Division II teams. In a positive development, Concordia turned in season lows for a single round (334) and for a two-round event (334-348–682) while navigating Wigwam Resort Red Course. Individually, junior Emery Custer also set a new career low (76-82–158) and placed in a tie for 26th out of a field of 79 golfers. Custer was followed in the lineup by junior Maddie Lewis (86-84–170; 58th), freshman Savannah McFalls (84-89–173; T-59th) and senior Jennifer Gillotti (88-94–182; T-68th). Custer’s team best season scoring average now stands at 82.5. Meanwhile, the men opened their spring season on Monday with round one of the Doane Invite. Jake Richmond entered day two tied atop the individual leaderboard (even par 72). The Bulldog ‘A’ grouping shot 309 and stood in sixth place as round two got underway Tuesday morning. Both teams will be back in action March 27-28 at the Briar Cliff Match Play Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa.
· Up next:
o M – Day two of Doane Invite today (March 18) at Pioneers GC in Lincoln, Neb.
o M / W – Both teams will be in action at the Briar Cliff Match Play Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa, March 27-28.