Bulldog Weekly Report (Oct. 29)

By Jacob Knabel on Oct. 29, 2024 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week

Female: Kierstynn Garner, Soccer

A junior from Kearney, Neb., Garner totaled three goals and seven assists last week as the Bulldogs defeated College of Saint Mary, 4-0, and Mount Marty, 6-0, and extended their conference winning streak to seven. Garner has produced 15 goals and 10 assists on the season.

Male: Devin Harris, Shooting Sports

A senior from Kansas City, Mo., Harris won the skeet title with a 99/100 at the SECC Bobcat Invitational. Harris also shot 91 in trap and 81 in sporting clays for a total of 271. Harris helped the Bulldogs place second as a team at the event.

2024-25 BAAM Athletes of the Month
September – Mark Arp (football) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)

2024-25 BAAM Athletes of the Week
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.

25th annual Cattle Classic set for Nov. 1-2: The 2024-25 Concordia Basketball seasons will tip off at the 25th annual Cattle Classic slated for Friday and Saturday (Nov. 1-2) inside Friedrich Arena. For game times and matchups, click HERE. The event, co-sponsored by Concordia and Cattle Bank & Trust, raises money and food for the Blue Valley Community Action's Food Pantry. Pac N Save of Seward will match all canned food donations. For a closer look at the Bulldog Basketball teams coached by Ben Limback and Drew Olson, check out season previews linked below. In the NAIA preseason coaches’ polls, Concordia landed at No. 5 on the women’s side and at No. 11 on the men’s side.
--MBB Season Preview
--WBB Season Preview

Bulldog Wrestling prepared to open 2024-25 season on Saturday: The 2024-25 Concordia Wrestling season will begin on Saturday with the Luther Hill Invite hosted by Simpson University in Indianola, Iowa. Head Coach Josh Watts’ program will be represented by more than two dozen Bulldogs in the season opening tournament. Concordia was placed at No. 3 in the recently released GPAC preseason ratings. The team will make its GPAC dual debut on Nov. 6 when it matches up with Midland in Fremont. For a closer look at the ’24-25 Bulldog Wrestling team, check out our season preview HERE.

Mr. Concordia Courtney Meyer’s legacy of loving Jesus, family and Bulldog Football: The Concordia Football program celebrated Coach Courtney Meyer this past Saturday when it hosted Mount Marty. Coach Meyer will retire from coaching football, effective at the conclusion of this 2024 season. Meyer spent 19 seasons as the head football coach before working on the staffs of Vance Winter and Patrick Daberkow. For a detailed look at Meyer’s journey and everlasting legacy, click HERE.

Weightlifting kicks off 2024-25 season at Nebraska State Championships: One week after Concordia Powerlifting opened the 2024-25 competition season, Bulldog Weightlifting did the same. Head Coach Freddie Myles’ squad emerged as the team champion from the Nebraska/Iowa Weightlifting State Organization (WSO) Championships in Omaha on Oct. 19. Most notably, junior Taylor Hedke earned the title of Best Female Lifter as she lifted 67kg in snatch and 87kg in clean and jerk for a total of 154kg. Hedke was one of eight Bulldogs to take first place in their weight classes. The others were Davontai Bell (67kg), HarleyJane Carter (59kg), Evan Fukuhara (73kg), Kenzie Houser (55kg), Enzo Mancini (96kg), Nina Pollack (71kg) and Marcus Sweet (81kg). The event included athletes from eight different institutions. Next up, select Concordia weightlifters will be in action at the American Open Finals in Tucson, Ariz., Dec. 5-8.
--Season Previews: Powerlifting | Weightlifting.

GPAC launches streaming network: Back in July, the Great Plains Athletic Conference announced a streaming network designed to bring webcasts from all league members together in one place. The GPAC Network can be accessed online via: https://www.gpacnetwork.com/. The network is also available via a mobile app and smart TVs. The GPAC partnered with Hudl for the creation of the network. In addition to the events that stream on the Concordia Sports Network, 104.9 Max Country will broadcast football and volleyball varsity games this fall. The broadcast schedule can be found HERE.

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 is in 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 this 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.


Women’s Soccer

·        Current record: 10-5-1, 7-3 GPAC.

·        Last week:

o   Won vs. College of Saint Mary, 4-0, on Oct. 23.

o   Won at Mount Marty, 6-0, on Oct. 26.

·        Links: 2024 Schedule | Roster | Statistics

·        Notable: The GPAC win streak has grown to a program record of seven for Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad. Concordia won twice in comfortable fashion last week as it protected the home turf versus College of Saint Mary, 4-0, and then routed Mount Marty, 6-0, on the road. It was a monster attacking week for junior Kierstynn Garner, who recorded three goals and seven assists. Others who found the back of the net last week were Savannah Andrews (two), Rosie Gyllenswan, Hannah Kile, Kyana Rios, Sierra Springer and Ashlee Trujillo. In goal, Angela Banks made a combined seven saves over the two shutouts (her third and fourth shutouts of the season). During the active seven-game win streak, the Bulldogs have outscored their opponents by a combined total of 26-3. The streak has vaulted Concordia into second place (21 points) in the league standings. The Bulldogs hope to lock that spot down for the GPAC tournament with a victory on Wednesday night over Midland. That contest will be the regular season finale. Through 16 games this season, Concordia has amassed 40 goals and has surrendered 22. Garner leads the team with 15 goals and 10 assists on the season. She has produced 42 career goals (fifth most in program history). Following Wednesday night’s game, the Bulldogs will look forward to hosting an opponent to be determined on Saturday night in the GPAC quarterfinals.

·        For additional news and notes, check out the program’s homepage HERE.

·        This week:

o   Wednesday, Oct. 30 vs. Midland (4-3-3, 4-3-3 GPAC), 5:30 p.m.

o   Saturday, Nov. 2 vs. TBA, 7 p.m. (GPAC Quarterfinals).


Men’s Soccer

·        Current record: 6-2-8, 5-0-4 GPAC.

·        Last week:

o   Won at Mount Marty, 4-0, on Oct. 26.

·        Links: 2024 Schedule | Roster | Statistics

·        Notable: In the lone outing of the week, Head Coach Jason Weides’ squad took care of business with a 4-0 win at Mount Marty. Four different Bulldogs registered a goal each in the victory: Oliver Benson (45’), Ryan Wokutch (64’), D’Andre Williams (72’) and Youssef Heggy (84’). One assist apiece was credited to Ferdi Hagen, Wokutch and Mattis Hollnagel. In goal, Nolan Fuelberth made one save and earned the shutout. Twenty-two Concordia players saw action and contributed to the shutout. With the victory, the Bulldogs moved to 5-0-4 in league play. They currently sit in a tie for fourth place in the league standings with one game left in the regular season. A win on Wednesday would guarantee a home game in the GPAC quarterfinals. Only one point out of first place, Concordia still has an outside shot at winning the regular season title but needs Morningside to lose or draw versus Dakota Wesleyan on Wednesday. Weides’ program now owns a 29-game GPAC regular season unbeaten streak (19-0-10) dating back to the 2022 season. Through 16 games this season, the Bulldogs have tallied 34 goals and have allowed only 10. Martin Herrera remains the team’s leading goal scorer with eight on the year. Concordia will finish the regular season on Wednesday with a home game versus Midland. GPAC tournament pairings will be announced once all regular season games are complete.

·        For a closer look at this week’s matchups, check out the game notes linked HERE.

·        This week:

o   Wednesday, Oct. 30 vs. Midland (8-5-4, 6-1-2 GPAC), 8 p.m.

o   Saturday, Nov. 2 – Off (GPAC tournament begins with the quarterfinals on Nov. 5).


Shooting Sports

·        Most recent:

o   Placed 2nd/6 at the Southeast CC Bobcat Invitational on Oct. 26-27.

·        Links: 2024-25 Schedule | Roster

·        Notable: In the final event of the fall semester, the Bulldogs placed second among the four-year institutions at the Southeast Community College Bobcat Invitational staged at Lincoln Trap & Skeet. Head Coach Dylan Owens’ squad busted 1,390 targets towards the overall team leaderboard, second to only Midland University (1,443) among four-year schools. Senior Devin Harris took home the men’s skeet title by shooting 99/100 before then emerging victorious in a shoot-off. From an HOA perspective, senior Buchannan Tietjen led the way with a score of 279/300, placing him seventh among four-year institution male competitors. Tietjen shot 98 in trap, 96 in skeet and 85 in sporting. Tietjen was followed in the team’s HOA top five by Stones (275), Burch (274), freshman Carter McKenna (273), Harris (271) and junior Mason Ward (271). Junior Kaylee Hinton led all Concordia female competitors with a 254. Concordia competed in six events throughout the fall. The Bulldogs were the champions of the Hastings Bronco Invite on Oct. 5-6. The season will resume in the spring semester when the ACUI Collegiate Clay Target National Championships (March 16-22, 2025) will be held in San Antonio, Texas. The program will also hold its own Concordia Bulldog Sporting Invitational on Feb. 28-March 1.

·        Up next:

o   The Bulldogs have completed each of their fall competitions and will resume action in the spring semester beginning with the Concordia Bulldog Sporting Invitational slated for Feb. 28-March 1, 2025.

Cross Country

·        Last week:

o   Men – placed 6th/27 at the Blazing Tiger Classic on Oct. 26.

o   Women – placed 12th/27 at the Blazing Tiger Classic on Oct. 26.

·        Links: 2024 Schedule | Roster

·        Notable: In the final race prior to the conference championships, the Bulldogs tested themselves against some of the top-rated teams in the NAIA. The Blazing Tiger Classic, co-hosted by College of Saint Mary and Doane, featured 11 combined men’s and women’s teams ranked in the NAIA top 25. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads are currently receiving votes. Concordia emerged from the meet with place finishes of sixth on the men’s side and 12th on the women’s side. The men’s team continues to get strong performances from freshman Vaughn Hendrickson and sophomore Trey Robertson. Both ran 8k personal bests and clocked in at under 25 minutes while placing 10th and 11th, respectively, in a field of more than 330 runners. On the women’s side, Keegan Beisel was the team’s top finisher for a second meet in a row. She ran the 6k in 23:30.31, good for 56th place in a field of more than 300 competitors. The results were solid but put the Bulldogs in a position of needing top-notch performances at the upcoming conference meet in order to have a shot at qualifying for the national meet. Concordia will have this week off from competition while gearing up for the 2024 GPAC Cross Country Championships set for Saturday, Nov. 9. At the 2023 conference meet in North Sioux City, S.D., the Bulldogs placed second on the women’s side and third on the men’s side. The women then qualified for nationals as a team.

·        For additional news and notes on the Concordia Cross Country teams, click HERE.

·        Up next:

o   Saturday, Nov. 9 at the 2024 GPAC Cross Country Championships staged at Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Neb. The race is scheduled to begin at 10:45 a.m.


Football

·        Current record: 6-2, 6-2 GPAC; receiving votes in the NAIA coaches’ poll.

·        Most recent:

o   Won vs. Mount Marty, 31-27, on Oct. 26.

·        Links: 2024 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll

·        Notable: It was a hair-raiser, but the Bulldogs pulled it out of the fire on Coach Courtney Meyer Day at Bulldog Stadium. The outcome came down to a fourth down stop with Mount Marty in the red zone in the final minute of the game. Concordia held on, 31-27, and improved to 6-2 for the first time since 2013 (only three Bulldog teams in the GPAC era have won at least six of their first eight games). In defeating the Lancers, Concordia managed to overcome two lost fumbles and a significant disadvantage in time of possession (37:24 to 22:36). On the plus side, the Bulldog offense enjoyed another productive day. Quarterback DJ McGarvie threw for 244 yards and three touchdowns – one apiece going to John Goodwin, Adam Van Cleave and Max Bartels. By day’s end, McGarvie had broken the program record for touchdown passes in a single season (22). In addition, Mark Arp ran for 183 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries. Arp surpassed 1,000 yards rushing (1,040 and counting) for the season, making him the seventh player in program history to accomplish that feat. Van Cleave led Concordia pass catchers with nine grabs for 82 yards. Defensively, Kyle Sterup made 10 tackles (four loss), Devon Polley registered eight tackles (two for loss) and both Daylon Henson and Grant Huss came away with an interception apiece. Both teams eclipsed 400 total yards on the day. Next up, the Bulldogs will host Hastings on Saturday. Prior to kickoff, Concordia will celebrate a large class of seniors.

·        For details on upcoming matchups, check out the game notes linked HERE.

·        This week:

o   Saturday, Nov. 2 vs. Hastings (2-7, 2-6 GPAC), 1 p.m. – Senior Day.


Volleyball

·        Current record: 20-2, 13-1 GPAC; ranked No. 3 in the NAIA coaches’ poll.

·        Last week:

o   Won vs. Mount Marty, 23-25, 25-17, 25-12, 25-19, on Oct. 23.

o   Won at Hastings, 25-19, 25-18, 25-17, on Oct. 26.

·        Links: 2024 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll

·        Notable: The perfect month of October (8-0 record) continued last week as the third-ranked Bulldogs defeated Mount Marty in four sets inside Friedrich Arena and then went on the road and toppled Hastings in straight sets. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad has moved to 13-1 in league play (20-2 overall) and remains one game behind No. 1 Northwestern (25-0, 14-0 GPAC) atop the GPAC standings. In last week’s action, Concordia outhit Mount Marty, .247 to .077, and Hastings, .263 to .107. The statistical leaders on the week were Ashley Keck in kills (25), Savannah Shelburne in assists (45) and aces (four), Becca Gebhardt in digs (42) and Gabi Nordaker in blocks (11). Bulldogs who rank among the top five of the GPAC in key statistical categories are Keck in kills per set (3.40), Nordaker in blocks per set (1.27) and hitting percentage (.354) and Shelburne in assists per set (6.20). Through 22 matches, Concordia is hitting .242 while limiting its opponents to a .127 hitting percentage. With 13 league wins, the Bulldogs are one shy of a program record for a single season (set by the 2023 team that went 14-2). After earning regular season sweeps of Mount Marty and Hastings, Concordia will attempt to do the same against the likes of Doane and Midland. Wednesday’s matchup with Doane will be the final home match of the regular season. The Bulldogs are also guaranteed to host a GPAC tournament quarterfinal match on Saturday, Nov. 9.

·        For additional news and notes on Concordia Volleyball, check out the team’s homepage HERE.

·        This week:

o   Wednesday, Oct. 30 vs. Doane (8-18, 3-10 GPAC), 7:30 p.m.

o   Saturday, Nov. 2 – Off (will close the regular season at Midland on Nov. 5).