Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
Female: Adrianna Rodencal, Track & Field
A junior from Lincoln, Neb., Adrianna Rodencal earned All-America accolades at the 2025 NAIA indoor national meet while breaking her own school record in the 60-meter hurdles. Rodencal crossed the finish line in 8.44 for fifth place. Rodencal also competed at nationals as part of the 4x400-meter relay.
Male: Tristan Smith, Basketball
A senior from Elizabeth, Colo., Tristan Smith totaled 68 points (27-for-36 from the floor) last week while leading the Bulldogs to two GPAC postseason wins. Smith notched double-doubles in both outings and was named GPAC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week.
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. 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.
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.
Shooting sports places fourth while hosting Concordia Bulldog Sporting Invitational: The ninth annual Concordia Bulldog Sporting Invitational took place this past weekend (Feb. 28-March 1) as the Bulldogs hosted a field of nine teams at Oak Creek Sporting Club in Brainard, Neb. When the bullets stopped flying, Concordia landed in fourth place with a team total of 1,292. Breyer Meeks paced the Bulldogs by cracking 268 targets out of a possible 300. All competitors in the field took aim at 200 sporting and 100 super sporting targets. As part of the event, Head Coach Dylan Owens’ squad also honored its group of seniors. A recap of the Concordia Invite can be found 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.
Indoor Track & Field
· GPAC Finishes: women – 3rd | men – 4th; NAIA finishes: women – 20th | men – 56th.
· Last week:
o 2025 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships: the Concordia women placed in a tie for 20th (13 points) and the men placed 56th (3.5 points).
· Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | TFRRS Performance Lists
· Notable: The 2025 indoor season concluded this past weekend as 24 Bulldogs represented the program in Gainesville, Fla. Five Concordia athletes earned All-America awards: Abby Gerber (eighth in the shot put), Jonny Jurchen (seventh in the 3,000-meter race walk), Mayson Ostermeyer (seventh in the pole vault), Adrianna Rodencal (fifth in the 60-meter hurdles) and Abi Wohlgemuth (runner up in the weight throw). Together they combined for 13 points on the women’s side (tied for 20th place) and 3.5 points on the men’s side (56th). Multiple time All-Americans are Gerber (three times), Ostermeyer (twice) and Wohlgemuth (twice) while Jurchen and Rodencal claimed All-America awards for the first time. A three-time GPAC Athlete of the Year, Rodencal broke her own school record in the 60 hurdles by clocking a time of 8.44 in the national finals. In another noteworthy performance, the men’s distance medley relay ran the fifth fastest time (10:06.53) in program history. The DMR included Trey Robertson, Liam Fagan, Justin Sherman and Vaughn Hendrickson. This past indoor season also featured GPAC place finishes of third on the women’s side and fourth on the men’s side. Seven GPAC event titles were posted by Concordia (three for Rodencal). The Bulldogs will take a break before opening the outdoor season on March 29 at the Central Nebraska Challenge, co-hosted by Hastings and the University of Nebraska-Kearney.
· For additional news and notes on the track & field programs, click HERE.
· Up next:
o The 2025 outdoor season will begin on March 29 with the Central Nebraska Challenge in Kearney, Neb.
Women’s Basketball
· Current record: 14-15, 9-13 GPAC.
· Last week:
o GPAC Quarterfinals – Lost at No. 1 Dordt, 80-66, on Feb. 26.
· Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: The 2024-25 season ended abruptly in the quarterfinals of the GPAC tournament. As the No. 8 seed, the Bulldogs were tasked with taking on top-ranked Dordt with their season on the line. Concordia trailed by only one at halftime (34-33) and clung to within four (54-50) late in the third quarter before the Defenders closed it out with a strong fourth quarter and won, 80-66. Omaha native Megan Belt finished her junior season by making 5-of-7 shots from 3-point range and notching a team-high 17 points. Sophomore Raelyn Kelty added 10 points while fighting back from an ankle injury. The contest marked the final collegiate game in the careers of Kendal Brigham, Abby Krieser and Abby Heemstra. Collectively, they helped the 2023-24 squad reach the national round of 16. In using the COVID exemption, Brigham returned for a fifth season and racked up 1,233 points as a Bulldog. Brigham led the ’24-25 team in scoring (10.9) and in assists (3.43). Kelty emerged as the team’s top rebounder with an average of 6.1 per game. While the record dipped below .500, Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad wasn’t far away from being an at-large national tournament qualifier. Concordia dropped seven games this season that were either decided in overtime or by margins of three points or fewer. The best win of the campaign was the 64-54 triumph at No. 6 Dakota State. The Bulldogs will begin to look ahead to a 2025-26 season that will feature a roster with seniors-to-be in Belt and Kristin Vieselmeyer, in addition to what will be a large junior class. As a freshman, CIT MVP Makynna Robbins displayed she has the potential to be a major contributor.
· To follow the women’s basketball program throughout the offseason, visit the team’s homepage HERE.
Men’s Basketball
· Current record: 23-5, 16-4 GPAC; ranked No. 11 in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Last week:
o GPAC Quarterfinals – Won vs. Midland, 101-81, on Feb. 26.
o GPAC Semifinals – Won vs. No. 13 Northwestern, 67-61, on March 1.
· Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: A thrilling season will carry on into tonight (March 4)’s GPAC Championship Game. The second-seeded Bulldogs reached the title game with wins over seventh-seeded Midland, 101-81, and third-seeded Northwestern, 67-61, in the first two rounds of the GPAC tournament. Senior Tristan Smith headlined the quarterfinals by rattling off a school record 48 points, eclipsing the previous standard of 47 set by Jon Ziegler during the 2006-07 season. Smith hit that mark while going 19-for-26 from the floor and 10-for-12 from the foul line. He also collected 10 rebounds and four assists. Three days later, the matchup with the 13th-ranked Red Raiders turned into a grind. Concordia managed to overcome its 17 turnovers and 42.6 percent shooting by limiting Northwestern to 32.8 percent shooting and by outrebounding the Red Raiders, 45-32. Northwestern flustered Smith into eight turnovers, but he still wound up with 20 points, 16 rebounds and two blocked shots. Hayden Frank (17) and Noah Schutte (16) also reached double figures in scoring and Brooks Kissinger (eight points and seven rebounds) produced solidly off the bench. Head Coach Ben Limback has guided the Bulldogs to the GPAC championship game for the third time in six seasons. In the prior two appearances under Limback, Concordia defeated Dakota Wesleyan, 68-66, at the Corn Palace in 2020 and topped Jamestown, 77-70, in Friedrich Arena in 2022. The Bulldogs now get another shot at Morningside, which won an overtime heart stopper, 109-106, at top-seeded Dordt in the semifinals. The Mustangs defeated the Bulldogs in their two regular season meetings.
· For additional news and notes on the men’s basketball program, click HERE.
· This week:
o GPAC Championship Game – Tuesday, March 4 vs. Morningside (23-7, 14-6 GPAC), 6 p.m.
o NAIA Selection Show – Thursday, March 6, 7 p.m. | Watch Live.
Wrestling
· Final dual record: 6-2, 6-2 GPAC (finished tied for second).
· Most recent:
o Placed third at the 2025 GPAC Wrestling Championships on Feb. 21-22.
· Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA National Rankings
· Notable: In another marker of the program’s upward trajectory, the Bulldogs emerged from the 2025 GPAC Wrestling Championships with eight automatic national qualifiers (most for the program since 2020). Head Coach Josh Watts’ squad placed third in the GPAC with 149.5 team points, which were racked up by 11 individuals who placed in the top five of their respective weight classes. Creighton Baughman won the 141-pound title, marking the 20th individual GPAC championship in program history. Baughman will be joined at the national tournament by teammates Steven Barnes (149), Hagen Heistand (149), Cole Price (157), Barret Brandt (184), Hunter Weimer (184), Torrance Keehn (197) and Mason Garcia (285). Baughman and Garcia will be repeat qualifiers while the others will make an appearance at NAIA nationals for the first time in their careers. Baughman’s title run was a dominant one as he pinned his first two opponents, then earned a technical fall over No. 25 Noah Parmelee in the semifinals before taking a 5-3 decision from 15th-ranked Devin Avedissian. Three other Concordia competitors also reached the finals in their weight classes: Heistand (149), Price (157) and Tommy Wentz (165). All three ended their tournaments with runner-up finishes. Wentz did not receive an auto bid due to the nature of the NAIA allocation system. The eight Bulldog qualifiers will attempt to achieve the program’s first NAIA All-America award since Mario Ybarra in 2021. The 2025 NAIA Wrestling National Championships will unfold Thursday through Saturday at Park City Arena in Park City, Kan.
· For additional news and notes on the wrestling program, click HERE.
· This week:
o 2025 NAIA Wrestling National Championships (March 6-8) in Park City, Kan.
Cheer / Dance
· Cheer Season Scoring Average: 73.17
· Dance Season Scoring Average: 81.34
· Most recent:
o Cheer:
§ Placed 8th / 10 (63.43) at the Dordt Invitational on Feb. 22.
o Dance:
§ Placed 5th / 10 (75.2) at the Dordt Invitational on Feb. 22.
· Cheer Links: 2025 Schedule | Roster
· Dance Links: 2025 Schedule | Roster
· Notable: The 2025 regular season concluded on Feb. 22 at the Dordt Invitational, which featured 10 cheer and 10 dance squads. The Bulldogs did not meet their expectations while posting scores below their season averages. In dance, Concordia placed fifth with a score of 75.2. In cheer, the Bulldogs placed eighth with a score of 63.43. On a positive note, dance beat out a couple of GPAC rivals, including Doane. Head Coach Mandi Maser’s dance team remains ranked in the top 10 nationally in terms of average competition score. Prior to the Dordt Invite, Concordia Dance had scored 80.75 or better in each official competition. It won trophies for placing second at the MidAmerica Nazarene Duals and third at the York Crown Classic. Since the Dordt Invite, Coaches Mandi Maser and Emilie Ashenbach have been preparing to host the 2025 GPAC Championships this Friday and Saturday. It will mark the first time the program has ever hosted the conference championships. At the 2024 GPAC Championships, the Bulldogs placed fifth in cheer and fifth in dance. Doane hosted the conference competition each of the previous four years.
· For additional news and notes on the cheer and dance programs, click the following links: Cheer | Dance.
· Up next:
o Friday-Saturday, March 7-8: 2025 GPAC Championships hosted by Concordia.
Softball
· Current record: 8-6.
· Last week (all games in Shawnee, Kan.)
o Lost vs. MidAmerica Nazarene, 7-6, on Feb. 28.
o Won vs. Peru State, 4-1, on Feb. 28.
o Lost vs. No. 18 Benedictine, 9-0 (5 inn.), on March 1.
o Lost vs. No. 24 Baker, 3-0, on March 1.
o Won vs. Graceland, 2-0, on March 2.
o Won vs. Park, 4-2, on March 2.
· Links: 2025 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Notable: It was a high-volume weekend for the Bulldogs, who played six games over three days at the Top Gun Midwest College Classic in Shawnee, Kan. Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad went 3-3 on the road trip with the wins coming over Peru State College, Graceland University (Iowa) and Park University (Mo.). Two of the three defeats came at the hands of NAIA top 25 opponents. It had been an up-and-down start to the 2025 season for Megan Eurich, but she was nearly unhittable versus Graceland as she tossed a one-hit shutout (two walks) with 11 strikeouts. Eurich also threw seven innings with only one run allowed in the win over Peru State. At the plate, Jennifer Katz starred by going 6-for-12 with two home runs and a double at the Top Gun event. Grace Maguire and Taryn Ganstrom also notched a home run apiece over the weekend. Ganstrom earned the pitching win versus Park while tossing all seven innings with one earned run allowed on five hits and one walk. On the season, Katz is hitting a robust .412 (14-for-34) with eight extra-base hits (three homers). Next up for the Bulldogs will be the Tucson Invitational over spring break. As part of the event, Concordia will play eight games. Those will be the final nonconference contests before GPAC play begins later in March.
· For additional news and notes on the softball program, click HERE.
· Upcoming week (Tucson Invite):
o Sunday, March 9 vs. William Penn, 11 a.m. MT / 12 p.m. CT.
o Sunday, March 9 vs. Franklin and Marshall, 3:30 p.m. MT / 4:30 p.m. CT.
o Monday, March 10 vs. Viterbo, 1:30 p.m. MT / 2:30 p.m. CT.
o Monday, March 10 vs. Mayville State, 3:30 p.m. MT / 4:30 p.m. CT.
o NOTE – Tucson Invite continues with games on March 12 and 13.
Baseball
· Current record: 8-3; ranked No. 20 in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Last week:
o Lost vs. William Penn, 13-8, on Feb. 28.
o Won vs. Dickinson State, 2-1, on Feb. 28.
o Won vs. Dickinson State, 14-0, on March 1.
o Won vs. William Penn, 14-0, on March 1.
· Links: 2025 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Polls
· Notable: Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad traveled to Kansas City, Kan., for four weekend games, two apiece against William Penn University (Iowa) and Dickinson State University (N.D.). After falling to William Penn, 13-8, in the first game in KC, the 20th-ranked Bulldogs rebounded to twice defeat Dickinson State, 2-1 and 14-0, and then avenge the defeat with a 14-0 thumping of William Penn. In the final three games of the trip, Concordia got impressive outings from each of its starting pitchers: Alex Johnson (W, 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K), Micah Sweeton (W, 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 K) and Braxton Greenburg (W, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K). Over the four games, the offense batted .345 with 38 runs scored and 16 extra-base hits (including 11 home runs). Brad Hallock enjoyed an especially fine weekend as he went 8-for-15 with six runs, two doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs. Others with homers in KC included Jaidan Quinn (two), Matt Rhoades (two), Alex Draper, Jaeden Jordahl, Bronx Lewis, Ty Nekoliczak and Tanner Tompkins. Quinn has pushed his career home run total to 77. The Bulldogs will take an 8-3 record into its spring break trip to Florida. The slate will begin with a four-game set at NAIA powerhouse Southeastern University, currently 16-0. After playing in Lakeland, Concordia will head to Winter Haven for three games at the RussMatt Invitational.
· For additional news and notes on the baseball program, click HERE.
· Spring break schedule:
o Thursday, March 6 at Southeastern, 5 p.m. CT / 6 p.m. ET (one game)
o Friday, March 7 at Southeastern, 1 p.m. CT / 2 p.m. ET (DH)
o Saturday, March 8 at Southeastern, 11 a.m. CT / 12 p.m. ET (one game)
o Sunday, March 9 vs. Lawrence Tech, 8:15 a.m. CT / 9:15 a.m. ET (one game)
o Monday, March 10 vs. Judson, 8 a.m. CT / 9 a.m. ET (one game)
o Monday, March 10 vs. Valley City State, 11:30 a.m. CT / 12:30 p.m. ET
Tennis
· Current records: 4-4 men | 4-1 women.
· Last week:
o W – Won vs. Baker, 7-0, on March 1.
o M – Won vs. Baker, 7-0, on March 1.
· Men’s Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Women’s Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Notable: A series of schedule changes have been part of the deal in the early going of the nonconference portion of the season for Head Coach Lisa Hart’s squads. Both Bulldog teams played once this past week as they hosted Heart of America Athletic Conference member Baker University (Kan.) on March 1. The results were 7-0 wins for the Concordia men and women. In the men’s match that started the day, the Bulldogs earned the doubles point as Hugo Fuentes and Nick Velders won at No. 1 (6-1) and Santiago Abadia and Ben Chisholm triumphed at No. 3 (6-2). Concordia proceeded to win every singles match: Fuentes (No. 1), Velders (No. 2), Manuel Rodriguez (No. 3), Chisholm (No. 4), Grady Works (No. 5) and Joey Melzer (No. 6). On the women’s side, the Bulldogs dominated a short-handed Wildcats opponent. Contested wins in doubles came from Chakira Derman and Alana Lopez Pagan at No. 1 (6-2) and from Tessa Blough and Alexa Richert at No. 2 (6-2). The singles winners were Mariana Molano (No. 1), Chakira Derman (No. 2), Ishane Derman (No. 3) and Lopez Pagan (No. 4). The women now stand at 4-1 overall. Ishane Derman (5-0) and Molano (4-1) hold the team’s top singles records. Meanwhile, the men are 4-4. Velders is a perfect 8-0 in singles with seven matches played at the No. 2 spot in the lineup. A hectic weekend is coming up with Concordia scheduled to play men’s and women’s matches each day Friday through Sunday.
· For additional news and notes on the tennis programs, click the following links: Men | Women.
· This week:
o M / W – Friday, March 7 at Friends, 2 p.m.
o M / W – Saturday, March 8 at Bethany, 4:30 p.m.
o M / W – Sunday, March 9 at Barton CC, 12 p.m.