NOTE: This will be the final Bulldog Weekly Report for the 2022-23 athletic year.
Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
Male: Joel Rathe, Track & Field
A junior from Sterling, Neb., Rathe placed in the top two of both of his events in last week’s Prairie Wolf Invite. Rathe won the long jump competition with a mark of 23’ 3 ½” and placed second in the 100 meters with a personal best of 10.74. Rathe was an NAIA indoor national qualifier.
Female: Jenna Esch, Track & Field
A sophomore from Hastings, Neb., Esch competed in three events last week at the prestigious Drake Relays. Esch helped both the 4x400 meter (3:50.29) and 4x800 meter (9:20.98) relays to automatic national qualifying times and also ran the open 400 meters in 57.65. The 4x4 placed fourth at the Drake Relays.
Previous BAAM Athletes of the Week
April 25 – Jenna Esch (track & field) / Jaidan Quinn (baseball)
April 18 – Mariana Molano (tennis) / Joel Rathe (track & field)
April 11 – Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Calvin Rohde (track & field) / Kylie Shottenkirk (softball)
April 4 – Matthew Boyer (track & field) / Lauren Dawson (track & field)
March 28 – Santiago Abadia (tennis) / Megan Eurich (softball)
March 21 – Wyatt Hambly (shooting sports) / Claire Kee (shooting sports)
March 14 – Caitlyn McGarvie (softball) / Josie Puelz (track & field) / Zach Zohner (track & field)
Feb. 28 – Katie Birtell (Dance) / Noah Schutte (Basketball)
Feb. 21 – Issiah Burks (wrestling) / Adrianna Rodencal (track & field)
Feb. 14 – Noah Schutte (basketball) / Taysha Rushton (basketball)
Feb. 7 – Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Calvin Rohde (track & field)
Jan. 31 – Noah Schutte (basketball) / Kristin Vieselmeyer (basketball)
Jan. 24 – Rylee Haecker (track & field) / Calvin Rohde (track & field)
Jan. 17 – Kylahn Freiberg (track & field) / Garrett Seagren (basketball)
Jan. 10 – Sadie Powell (basketball) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
Dec. 13 – Chase Berry (track & field) / Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Taysha Rushton (basketball)
Dec. 6 – Gabi Nordaker (volleyball) / Gage Smith (basketball)
Nov. 29 – Rylee Ladd (powerlifting) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
Nov. 15 – Rebecca Gebhardt (volleyball) / Federico Simonetti (Soccer)
Nov. 8 – Kylahn Freiberg (cross country) / Kaden Peters (football)
Nov. 1 – Breyer Meeks (shooting sports) / Carlos Orquiz (soccer) / Morgan Nibbe (volleyball)
Oct. 25 – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball) / Isaiah Shaddick (soccer)
Oct. 18 – Korrell Koehlmoos (football) / Carly Rodaway (volleyball)
Oct. 11 – Rylee Haecker (cross country) / DJ McGarvie (football)
Oct. 4 – Rebecca Gebhardt (volleyball) / Korrell Koehlmoos (football)
Sept. 27 – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball) / Ryan Wokutch (soccer)
Sept. 20 – Tanner Muff (shooting sports) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball) / Katie Welker (shooting sports)
Sept. 13 – Kierstynn Garner (soccer) / Jack Nelson (shooting sports)
Sept. 6 – Camryn Opfer (volleyball) / Camden Sesna (cross country)
Aug. 30 – Federico Simonetti (soccer) / Carly Rodaway (volleyball)
Aug. 23 – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball)
2022-23 BAAM Athletes of the Month
March – Wyatt Hambly (shooting sports) / Claire Kee (shooting sports) / Josie Puelz (track & field)
February – Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
January – Rylee Haecker (track & field) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
December – Adrianna Rodencal (track & field) / Gage Smith (basketball)
November – Rebecca Gebhardt (volleyball); Noah Schutte (basketball)
October – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball); Korrell Koehlmoos (football); Carly Rodaway (volleyball)
September – Gabi Nordaker (volleyball); Camryn Opfer (volleyball); Camden Sesna (cross country)
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.
Save the date for the 2023 Bulldog Golf Classic: The annual Bulldog Golf Classic is coming up on Friday, July 21. Once again, York Country Club will serve as the venue. Registration will open in the very near future. For more details on the 30th annual event, check out our Bulldog Golf Classic page here: https://www.cune.edu/athletics/bulldog-golf-classic.
Luke Lang 2.0: There were times when Luke Lang stayed up too late playing video games, missed morning weights, ate unhealthily and fell behind academically – and on the depth chart at quarterback. He was frustrated and ready for something different. Lang says he never harbored hard feelings for Concordia, or the football program, during his times of struggle. Even so, he became convinced that life would be better somewhere else, perhaps closer to home. Lang had spent months searching for the right answers and for the path that would lead him to success and fulfillment. Through prayer, those answers became apparent. Lang realized he missed his Concordia teammates and coaches. With the right motivation and a new attitude, Lang became a breakthrough performer in the fall of 2022 when he caught 39 passes for 593 yards and five touchdowns. He’ll enter 2023 as one of the top tight ends in the entire NAIA. For more details on Lang’s journey, click HERE.
Bonded as ‘Wee’ little kids, Schultz and Shaddick opt for one more season as teammates: Some day they will no longer be teammates or collegiate soccer players, but that day can wait. Such dynamics have been a fact of life for Matt Schultz and Isaiah Shaddick, friends who grew up in the same Lincoln neighborhood and attended the same preschool, middle school and high school. They’ve shared in each other’s highs and lows and together helped the Concordia University Men’s Soccer program win the 2022 GPAC tournament title. Well here they are, back with their fellow Bulldogs for spring training sessions. As Head Coach Jason Weides said, “They fit our culture and are a piece of our culture. I think they’ve been influential in creating that over their time here. They have really fit that Concordia mold and are examples of how there are highs and lows in a career. It’s okay to have setbacks once in a while. They’ve been able to overcome those situations and have really developed.” To read more on Schultz and Shaddick, click HERE.
Homer happy Garcia’s journey one of maturation and all-around success: Once a teenager who turned heads by slugging homers out of the Miami Marlins ballpark, Jesse Garcia has grown and matured as a star student-athlete for Concordia Baseball. He's enjoyed it so much that a fifth year became an easy decision. Starting with the 2019 season, Garcia has been a consistent slugger in the middle of Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s lineup. He’s also earned high marks in the classroom. Says Dupic of Garcia, “He’s been an example of what it should be in terms of being successful in the classroom and on the field. Jesse is one of the best hitters in the history of the school when you look at the numbers and the consistency he’s had all the way through. I can’t say enough about him and the job he’s done in all facets.” For more on Garcia’s journey, click HERE.
Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its eighth 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 2022-23 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 eighth 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 in 2019-20, Concordia Athletics partnered with PrestoSports for live video and statistical 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.
Softball
· The 2023 season is in the books. The Bulldogs wrapped things up last week with road trips to College of Saint Mary (April 25) and Dordt (April 29). Concordia emerged from Omaha with a split with CSM as the visitors bounced back from a 10-2 loss (five innings) in game one for a 4-2 victory in game two. The Bulldogs then fell twice in Sioux Center, Iowa, by scores of 2-1 and 13-5 (five innings). Concordia wound up tied for 10th place in the GPAC standings and missed out on qualifying for the conference tournament. Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad finished with an overall record of 15-30 (4-18 GPAC). For more on the Concordia Softball program, click HERE.
· It’s been a rarity for the program to miss out on the GPAC tournament (something that’s happened only twice since the GPAC’s first season in 2001). However, the current Bulldogs can take solace in knowing that the last time the program failed to qualify for the conference tournament (2013), the very next year they reached the national tournament (and went 32-16 overall in 2014). Culler’s standing goal is to bring a GPAC championship back to Seward. Most recently, the program celebrated a GPAC tournament title in 2015 and won the regular season championship in 2008. There have been a total of four GPAC championships (two regular season and two tournament titles) in the program’s history.
· One bad inning last week in Omaha prevented Concordia from a potential sweep at CSM. The Flames (6-35, 3-19 GPAC) caught fire and scored nine runs in the third inning of game one on their way to the run-rule victory. Surprisingly, CSM did that damage against ace pitcher Megan Eurich. The Bulldogs then bounced back in game two as pitchers Jerzi Rowe (4 IP) and Jessie Bestenlehner (3 IP) combined to allow only one earned run. Rowe got the win and Bestenlehner picked up the save. At the plate, Hanna Bowers went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs, Aubrey Bruning drove in a run and Zoie Isom collected two hits. Bruning notched three hits for the day.
· To close the regular season, the Bulldogs narrowly missed out on taking a game from Dordt (35-11, 16-6 GPAC), which wound up in a tie for second place in the final GPAC regular season standings. Game one was a battle between aces and Eurich and Abby Kraemer. They matched zeroes for the first three frames before both teams scored a run apiece in the fourth. Then in the bottom of the seventh, Aurora Tyson broke the 1-1 tie with a two-out, walk-off RBI single. The Defenders then ran away with game two despite a three-run homer from Concordia senior Alexis Tachovsky. Out of the leadoff spot, Bowers produced one hit in both games. Julia Van Wey knocked in the team’s lone run in game one with an RBI double.
· The pitching of Eurich was a clear bright spot this spring. The sophomore from Gretna, Neb., completed the season with a 3.76 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 136 innings (24 appearances with 21 starts). The strikeout total represented the 17th highest in a single season all-time for a Bulldog pitcher. Eurich took a massive leap forward after she pitched only 42.2 varsity innings in 2022. The pitching staff figures to make strides again in 2024 with Bestenlehner, Eurich and Brooke Townsend back in the fold. The program will say goodbye to Rowe, who logged 257.1 innings over her three seasons at Concordia.
· There’s no doubt the Bulldogs will have to find more offensive punch next spring. In 22 conference games this season, Concordia batted .216 with a .277 slugging percentage. Three sophomores emerged as the team’s most consistent offensive threats: Bowers, Bruning and Kylie Shottenkirk. Bruning (.363), Bowers (.361) and Shottenkirk (.360) finished the season with remarkably similar batting averages. Unfortunately, Shottenkirk missed the final eight games due to injury. The Lincoln North Star product has massive potential and could start in either the infield or outfield in 2024. Culler expects Bowers to move to her more natural second base while Bruning will be the likely left fielder.
· The three senior varsity Bulldogs who played their final collegiate games this past weekend were Caitlyn McGarvie, Jerzi Rowe and Alexis Tachovsky. Among them, McGarvie picked up the most accolades as a two-time First Team All-GPAC outfielder. A Lincoln North Star alum (like Shottenkirk), McGarvie batted .331 with 125 hits in 144 career games. Each of the seniors played a role in the 2021 team reaching the national tournament and finishing at 32-13 overall. The seniors on next year’s roster will include the likes of Taylor Glause, Creighton Taylor, Brooke Townsend and Julia Van Wey. A San Diego native, Van Wey will enter next season needing two hits to reach 100 for her career.
Tennis
· Both Bulldog squads made advancements to the GPAC semifinals this past weekend as the conference tournament was split between Omaha for the women and Fremont for the men. On the women’s side, fourth-seeded Concordia defeated fifth-seeded Northwestern, 4-1, in the quarterfinals before falling, 4-0, to top seed Midland in the semifinals. The results were similar on the men’s side, which saw the fourth-seeded Bulldogs edge fifth-seeded Northwestern, 4-3, in the quarterfinals before being handed a 4-0 defeat by top seed Midland in the semifinals. Head Coach Cam Long’s squads concluded 2022-23 with overall records of 13-9 on the women’s side and 12-9 on the men’s side. For more on the Concordia Tennis programs: Men | Women.
· The 2022-23 campaigns represented a nice step forward for both Bulldog teams. From year one to year two of Long’s tenure, the women jumped from a 6-11 overall mark to a 13-9 record. Meanwhile, the men leapt from 9-9 to 12-9. The women also managed to advance a round farther in the GPAC tournament while breaking in a youthful roster. The 13 wins for the women were the second most ever in a single season for the program (behind only the 2019 team that went 15-6). For the men, the 12 victories were the most for the program since the 2010 squad finished at 14-6. The men’s program has reached at least the GPAC semifinals in four-straight seasons.
· The women’s contest with the Red Raiders was a rematch from the regular season finale played six days earlier. The margin was just as tight this time, but the Bulldogs pulled through while first taking the doubles point. At the No. 2 doubles spot, freshman Ella Dean became the program’s new record holder for most doubles wins in a single season (15) while combining with Tara Ferrel on a 6-0 victory. Then at No. 3, Concordia got the win it had to have when Molano and Gabrielle Heiser teamed up for a 7-5 decision. The team win was clinched when the Bulldogs prevailed in singles at the Nos. 1, 3 and 5 spots. Molano took care of business at the top of the lineup, 7-6 (2), 6-4. The team victory was then sewed up with wins by Alana Lopez Pagan at No. 2, 6-2, 6-1, and Tara Ferrel at No. 5, 6-0, 4-6, 6-1. For a full recap from the day’s action, click HERE.
· Four days earlier, the Bulldog men took care of the Red Raiders decisively, 6-1, in the regular season finale. In the postseason matchup, Concordia got the doubles point after all three doubles matches were decided by 6-4 scores. The winning duos for the Bulldogs were Hugo Fuentes and Juan Rabellino at No. 1 and Santiago Abadia and Eduardo Rojas at No. 3. Shawn Springer and Thomas Van Haaren were narrowly defeated at No. 2. became a nail-biter in singles. Northwestern’s Brian VandenBerg outlasted Fuentes at No. 1, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, knotting up the team score at 3-3. That meant the outcome came down to No. 6 singles Rabellino sent the Bulldogs to the conference semifinals by taking a 6-4, 6-1, decision. Manuel Rodriguez also came through for Concordia with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-0, victory at No. 4 singles and Van Haaren produced a 6-1, 6-4, win at No. 5 singles. For a full recap of the day’s action, click HERE.
· Collectively, the women went 67-57 in singles and 38-26 in doubles over the 22 dual matches that were played in 2022-23. Bogotá, Colombia, native Mariana Molano led the way in singles with a 13-5 mark while playing every match at No. 1. Three of her teammates recorded at least seven singles wins: Alana Lopez Pagan (9-9), Ella Dean (8-5) and Brooke Hosick (7-10). In doubles, Dean went 15-6 and paced the team with her school record total (previous record of 14 doubles wins was shared by Allison Marshall and Kirsten Wagner). Often Dean’s partner, Ferrel went 11-10 in doubles action this season. When paired up, Molano and Gabrielle Heiser went 5-1.
· Collectively, the men went 56-58 in singles and 29-29 in doubles over the 21 dual matches that were played in 2022-23. Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, native Manuel Rodriguez cleaned up in the bottom half of the lineup with a team high 14 singles wins. Four teammates collected at least seven singles victories: Juan Rabellino (9-6), Santiago Abadia (8-10), Thomas Van Haaren (7-1) and Hugo Fuentes (7-12). Fuentes played most of the season at No. 1. In doubles, Abadia went 11-6 and Eduardo Rojas went 10-7. The school records for a single season are 16 singles wins (Jeremy Jank and Gabe Pohling) and 14 doubles wins (Tim Marshall and Glen Gutz).
· Long and the program will hope to continue the upward trajectory in 2023-24. The Bulldogs had just three seniors total within the program this season: Tara Ferrel, Juan Rabellino and Eduardo Rojas. Both programs have finished as conference tournament runners up in recent years and the women shared the GPAC regular season title in 2021.
Golf
· By the end of the day (May 2), the 2022-23 seasons will have concluded for both the men’s and women’s programs. As of Tuesday afternoon, the final round of the 2023 GPAC Women’s Golf Championship is winding down from Spencer, Iowa. On day one, the Concordia women shot 365-372–737 and are in 10th place. Meanwhile, the men’s team competed at the conference tournament in Vermillion, S.D., April 24-25 and placed fifth. When the dust settles, Head Coach Brett Muller’s squads will have competed in six events on the men’s side and five on the women’s side this spring. For more on the Concordia Golf programs: Men | Women.
· The men’s program managed to improve slightly upon its 2021-22 GPAC finish of sixth. In action last week in Vermillion, the Bulldogs carded a three-round total of 296-307-296–899 at The Bluffs Golf Course. The top four teams at the 2023 conference tournament were Doane (868), Northwestern (875), Midland (881) and Morningside (882). One of the best to ever play for the program, Ivan Yabut put a bow on his collegiate career, one year after he placed fifth in the GPAC. This time around, it was D’Ercole who topped the Bulldogs. He placed in a tie for 16th on the final 2023 GPAC leaderboard while shooting 74-76-72–222. Four of the five Bulldogs at the championship finished inside the top 20 (in a field of 57). Yabut, Justin Webert and Jacob Woodmancy each tied for 20th with identical cumulative totals of 226. Meanwhile, Jake Hagerbaumer placed 44th (82-78-79–239).
· The 2022-23 men’s golf team can claim the distinction of owning the program record for lowest 18-hole scoring average at 300.3. That figure broke the previous standard of 305.1 by the 2021-22 team. This past season showcased the deepest men’s golf roster in Concordia history. Nine Bulldogs finished with averages in the 70s. The top five were D’Ercole (74.2), Yabut (75.4), Webert (76.2), Woodmancy (76.5) and Jake Richmond (77.3). In terms of place finishes, the team’s best performance was a runner-up claim at the Doane Spring Invitational. Concordia also defeated eventual GPAC champion Doane at the annual Bulldog-Tiger Cup. The team’s lowest single round of the 2022-23 season was a 283 at the UC Ferguson Classic. For their careers, both D’Ercole and Yabut have claimed four top five and seven top 10 tournament finishes.
· Entering day two of the women’s conference tournament, the Bulldogs (+161) were hoping to catch some of the teams immediately in front of it, such as Hastings (+152), Morningside (+158) and Dordt (+160). The top three in the Bulldog lineup were closely bunched on Monday. Freshman Emery Custer of Broken Bow, Neb., sits just one stroke out of the 10 in a field of 54 golfers that completed rounds one and two. Custer shot 88-91–179 (tied for 12th place), a strong total given the blustery conditions. She was followed closely by teammates Logan Eschliman (90-91–181; T-18th) and Lauren Havlat (88-94–182; T-20th), two seniors on the verge of wrapping up their collegiate careers. Meanwhile, Mya Nurse shot 99-96–195 (T-43rd). In the No. 5 spot in the lineup, Ashley Gerczynski (102) and Sarah Wilson (111) both took a turn navigating the course.
· Entering the week, the Concordia women sported a team 18-hole scoring average of 357.6. This spring, Concordia has turned in tournament place finishes of ninth (of 10) at the Southwest Minnesota State Spring Invite (NCAA DII field), seventh (of 11) at the Concordia Spring Invitational, second (of seven) at the College of Saint Mary Spring Invite and fifth (of six) at the Bent Tree Intercollegiate hosted by Iowa Western Community College. The best team score carded this spring was a 344 in round two of the Concordia Invite. Prior to the start of GPAC tournament play, Custer paced the team with a season scoring average of 86.6. Custer is followed in that category by teammates in Havlat (87.2), Nurse (88.2), Eschliman (92.3), Ashley Gerczynski (102.7), Sarah Wilson (103.4) and Ericka Kroeker (110.6).
· The men’s program will be fortunate to return Drew D’Ercole in 2023-24 as a graduate student. He’ll again anchor a lineup that figures to remain competitive with the top teams in the GPAC. Webert (career average of 76.6) will serve as another key returner. On the women’s side, Concordia will graduate three seniors, including varsity lineup regulars in Lauren Havlat and Logan Eschliman. On the plus side, freshman Emery Custer likely has her best golf ahead of her and will be a rock for the next three seasons. Golf schedules for the fall 2023 semester will be made public this summer.
Track & Field
· In the sixth week of outdoor competition this 2023 season, Bulldog athletes represented the program at three different meets: the Drake Relays (April 27-29), the Prairie Wolf Invite (April 28-29) hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan and the Rock Chalk Classic (April 29) hosted by the University of Kansas. The major highlight was the work of the team’s women’s relays at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa. The 4x800 meter relay turned in a fresh automatic national qualifying time and a school record was broken by the 4x200 meter relay. This was a precursor to this week’s GPAC outdoor championships. For more on the Concordia Track & Field programs, click HERE.
· Through six weeks of action, Bulldog athletes have collectively produced 10 ‘A’ standards and 14 ‘B’ standards. Five auto marks were put on the board at the Central Nebraska Challenge on April 1. In addition, four Concordia heptathlon athletes met the minimum national reporting standard at the Dutcher Memorial Classic on April 21.
o Women’s 4x100m Relay – B (47.92)
o Women’s 4x400m Relay – A (3:50.29)
o Women’s 4x800m Relay – A (9:20.98)
o Matthew Boyer – B, Javelin (182’ 4”)
o Lauren Dawson – B, 5,000m Racewalk (28:34.84)
o Jenna Esch – A, 400 Meters (56.74)
o Carson Fehlhafer – B, Discus (159’)
o Jordan Koepke – A, 400 Hurdles (1:02.71)
o Wyatt Loga – B, High Jump (6’ 8 ¾”)
o Erin Mapson – A, Pole Vault (11’ 11 ¾”)
o Ben Moll – B, Hammer Throw (178’)
o Hannah Newton – B, High Jump (5’ 5 ¼”)
o Alli Owings – B, Hammer Throw (159’ 10”)
o Erin Painter – B, Discus (139’ 7”)
o Kamryn Pokorney – B, Hammer Throw (164’ 6”)
o Josie Puelz – A, Pole Vault (12’ 7 ½”)
o Adrianna Rodencal – A, 100 Hurdles (14.15)
o Calvin Rohde – B, 1,500 Meters (3:54.98); B, 5,000 Meters (14:42.28)
o Darien Semedo – A, Hammer Throw (184’ 4”); B, Shot Put (50’ 10 ¼”)
o Kayla Svoboda – B, Pole Vault (11’ 7 ¾”)
o Chris Wren – A, Hammer Throw (190’ 8”)
o Zach Zohner – A, Pole Vault (16’ 5 ¼”)
· Strong winds this past Saturday were a limiting factor for many competitors. However, there were several notable performances from a national perspective. The Bulldog women’s 4x800 meter relay clocked a fresh ‘A’ standard of 9:20.98. In addition, Chris Wren improved an existing ‘A’ mark in the hammer throw and new ‘B’ standards were turned in by Alli Owings in the hammer and by Darien Semedo in the shot put. Wren threw the hammer 190’ 8” at the Rock Chalk Classic and is currently ranked No. 9 in the NAIA in the event. The women’s 4x8 has crashed the top five of the country. At the Prairie Wolf Invite, event titles were claimed by Mark Cooke (100 meters), Josie Puelz (pole vault) and Joel Rathe (long jump).
· The program’s women’s relays stole the show over the weekend. The women’s 4x8 got the weekend started this past Thursday when it clocked in at 9:20.98 at the Drake Relays. That time ranks No. 5 nationally (No. 2 in the GPAC) and was achieved despite some late shuffling of the group. The quartet wound up featuring Jenna Esch, Kylahn Freiberg, Rhaya Kaschinske and Keegan Beisel. The reigning GPAC women’s track athlete of the week, Esch also ran the leadoff leg for the 4x4, which wound up placing fourth in the college division of the Drake Relays. She teamed up with Kayla Kirchner, Josi Noble and Rachel Battershell. They ran separate times of 3:50.29 and 3:50.43 (both national qualifying times). That crew is the top-ranked 4x4 in the GPAC. In Friday’s action at the Drake Relays, the women’s 4x2 broke the program standard that had stood since 1990 (which was led by NAIA Hall of Famer Carol Bailey-Moravec). The new record-holding 4x2 was made up of Battershell, Kirchner, Emily Loseke and Adrianna Rodencal. They clocked in at 1:44.26, eclipsing the previous standard of 1:44.92.
· The 2023 GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships are up next. Heading into the conference meet, the following Concordia athletes own marks/times seeded No. 1 in the GPAC: Rylee Haecker (1,500 meters), Jordan Koepke (400 hurdles), Hayley Miles (long jump), Hannah Newton (high jump), Josie Puelz (pole vault), Adrianna Rodencal (100 hurdles), Calvin Rohde (1,500 meters) and Zach Zohner (pole vault). Additionally, the women’s 4x4 paces the conference. Returning GPAC champions from the 2022 conference outdoor meet include Zach Bennetts in the pole vault, Haecker in the 1,500 meters, Koepke in the 400 hurdles, Puelz in the pole vault and Camden Sesna in the 5,000 meters.
· Dordt will serve as the host of the 2023 GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The meet will run Friday and Saturday from Open Space Park in Sioux Center, Iowa. The defending GPAC outdoor champions are the Concordia women and Doane men. The Bulldog women’s program will be attempting to extend its active streak of eight consecutive GPAC meet championships. The most recent GPAC men’s title came at the 2015 outdoor meet. The schedule of events for the 2023 GPAC outdoor meet can be found HERE.
Baseball
· The 2023 season has reached postseason play. The 24th-ranked Bulldogs put a bow on the regular season while hosting a four-game series with Morningside this past weekend (April 28-29). Concordia split the doubleheaders on both days. The Bulldogs won games one and three, 8-1 and 11-4, and dropped games two and four, 9-4 and 7-5. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad placed as the GPAC runner up in the regular season with a 21-7 league mark (35-15 overall) and will be the No. 2 seed in the upcoming GPAC tournament. For more on the Concordia Baseball program, click HERE.
· The program has placed either first or second in the GPAC in each of the past four completed regular seasons (COVID-19 wiped out most of the 2020 campaign). Since the start of 2017, Dupic has guided the Bulldogs to GPAC regular season finishes of first, tied for sixth, first, tied for first, second and second, respectively. During that same stretch, Concordia has hit the 30-win mark five times with a high (and school record) of 42 in 2021. With a run in the postseason, the Bulldogs could reach 40 victories for the third season in a row. Currently ranked No. 24 in the NAIA, Concordia has generated votes in the NAIA coaches’ polls in six years running (program high of No. 12 in 2021).
· In order to earn the right to host GPAC tournament pod play this week, the Bulldogs needed to at least split the series with Morningside (34-14, 20-8 GPAC). Concordia did enough to accomplish that aim despite a bout of shaky defensive play. Offensively, catcher Ben Berg gave the Bulldogs a lift by batting .643 (9-for-14) with three doubles, a home run, eight RBIs and a 1.071 slugging percentage in the series. Mustang pitchers managed to limit Concordia to two home runs, but the Bulldogs found a way to score a combined 28 runs on 37 hits and 10 walks. Joey Grabanski also delivered a homer in the first game of the series and Alec Blakestad recorded three doubles in game three.
· The top starting pitching performance of the past weekend was put forth by Caden Johnson, who covered six innings and allowed one run on four hits and one walk while striking out six. The junior from Papillon, Neb., has been the team’s most consistent starter having gone 8-3 with a 3.51 ERA over his 11 starts (48.2 innings). Others who logged at least three innings this past weekend were Blake Benson (4.2 IP), Frankie Cresta (3.2 IP), Christian Gutierrez (3.1 IP) and Qwin Zabokrtsky (3.1 IP). Benson and Cresta both pitched solidly out of the bullpen. Benson picked up the win in game three of the series. Of the 21 runs surrendered to Morningside, nine of them were unearned.
· The slugging left fielder Joey Grabanski broke one of his own records last week while notching his 68th and 69th RBIs of the 2023 season. Grabanski had set a program single season standard for RBIs with 67 in 2022. Currently, Grabanski also owns program home run records for a season (24) and career (59). First baseman Jesse Garcia keeps adding to his school career records for games played (231), hits (259), doubles (58), RBIs (211) and walks (114). His 54 home runs are second only to Grabanski on the all-time list. There are five players on the active roster with 150-plus career hits: Garcia (259), Jay Adams (249), Grabanski (219), Ben Berg (181) and Teyt Johnson (150).
· The season Berg has enjoyed at catcher has been nothing short of phenomenal. Starting with his defensive play, Berg has thrown out 32.1 percent of would-be base stealers (9-for-28) and has successfully handled all 313 chances (283 putouts, 30 assists) in the field. Offensively, Berg owns career highs across the board: batting average (.413), on-base percentage (.494), slugging percentage (.677), home runs (nine), RBIs (49) and total bases (105). One more homer would make him the sixth Bulldog this season to reach double digits, joining Grabanski (24), Jaidan Quinn (22), Garcia (16), Blakestad (12) and Adams (11). Berg has totaled 26 home runs and 147 RBIs in 178 career collegiate games.
· Heading into the postseason, Concordia leads the GPAC in essentially every single offensive category, including runs scored (516), hits (574), doubles (115), home runs (105), walks (219), stolen bases (.362), on-base percentage (.449) and slugging percentage (.637). Individual GPAC leaders for the Bulldogs include Ty Nekoliczak in batting average (.424) and hits (70), Joey Grabanski in runs (64), home runs (24), RBIs (69), slugging percentage (.862) and walks (34), Jay Adams in doubles (18), Jaidan Quinn in runs (64) and on-base percentage (.507) and Zackery Day in stolen bases (35). The team total for runs scored has equaled the program record set last season. A postseason run could also put the 2022 standard of 113 home runs in jeopardy.
· Discounting the 2020 COVID-19 shortened season, Concordia has reached the GPAC tournament championship game in four of the past five seasons (2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022) with postseason titles coming in 2021 and 2022. During Dupic’s tenure (2015 season to the present), Concordia has been the GPAC’s premier program. Consider that in that stretch, the Bulldogs lead all GPAC baseball programs in overall wins (277), GPAC regular season wins (138), overall winning percentage (.634), conference winning percentage (.663) and total GPAC championships (five). In addition to the 2020 and 2021 conference tournament titles, Concordia seized GPAC regular season crowns in 2017, 2019 and 2021. Prior to Dupic’s arrival, the program had not won a conference championship since 1986. In 2015, the program ended a drought without a winning overall record that had lasted since 1979.
· Conference tournament action will get underway on Thursday at the Concordia Bracket in Seward. In its first game of the tournament, second-seeded Concordia will take on seventh-seeded Northwestern (19-29, 12-16 GPAC) at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday. The Bulldogs will play again on Friday at either 12 p.m. or 3 p.m., pending Thursday’s results. The other teams that will be on hand in Seward are third-seeded Morningside (34-14, 20-8 GPAC) and sixth-seeded Midland (21-26, 12-16 GPAC). The full GPAC tournament bracket can be found HERE.