In the fall of 2023, each one of Concordia’s teams established themselves as top four teams within the GPAC standings. Most notably, the volleyball program celebrated a share of the GPAC regular season title and men’s soccer, women’s soccer and women’s cross country put themselves in position to contend for league championships. Below is a summary of the entire fall and the moments that will be remembered years down the road.
TOP MOMENT – fall 2023
Volleyball celebrates program’s first conference championship since 2000
It had been a standing goal for coaches Ben and Angie Boldt since they arrived at Concordia prior to the 2018 season: win the Great Plains Athletic Conference championship. That dream became a reality on Oct. 31 when the Bulldogs defeated rival Midland in four sets and remained even with Northwestern and Jamestown atop the league standings (each went 14-2 in conference play). A kill by Sara Huss for match point set off an emotional celebration for a group that had worked for moments like this. There were hugs to go around between coaches and teammates as the regular season came to a close that day in Fremont, Neb. The accomplishments in 2023 included a No. 1 NAIA national ranking (in two separate polls) and a fifth-straight trip to the final site of the national tournament.
More than the championship or national rankings, fifth-year competitors Bree Burtwistle and Camryn Opfer returned in 2023 to experience these thrilling moments with their teammates. Said Opfer following the win at Midland, “I just love playing with this team. I think the fight and the will to win on this team is unmatched. I’m just so proud for the coaches especially because I’ve been with them for five years now and they’ve wanted this so bad. Obviously so have we, so I’m just happy to do it for my teammates and my coaches.”
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Every fall team places top four in the conference
Consider this a series of moments. Across the board, Concordia Athletic teams showed they were relevant in the conference races. Every Bulldog team placed within the top four of their respective conference standings. While volleyball shared the GPAC regular season title, women’s cross country, women’s soccer and men’s soccer were each in the running for championships.
Fall conference placements:
Volleyball – T-1st
Women’s Cross Country – 2nd
Women’s Soccer – 2nd
Men’s Cross Country – 3rd
Men’s Soccer – 3rd
Shooting Sports – 3rd (Prairie Circuit Conference)
Football – T-4th
Men’s Soccer completes first undefeated regular season in program history
All fall, Head Coach Jason Weides’ men’s soccer team looked like one that could compete favorably on the national stage. The 2023 Bulldogs accomplished something no other squad in program history had ever done before – go undefeated in the regular season. Concordia wrapped up the regular season on Oct. 25 with a 5-1 blowout win at Doane. That result put the Bulldogs at 13-0-4 heading into the postseason. Another first for the program occurred on Sept. 20 when Concordia cracked the top 25 of the NAIA coaches’ poll at No. 25. Weides’ bunch garnered a national ranking in each of the final eight polls of 2023 and rose as high as No. 18. The only downer for a squad that got a team high 10 goals from Carter Hinman was the way it ended – with a 3-0 loss to Dordt in the GPAC quarterfinals. The Bulldogs wound up on the outside looking in in regards to the national tournament.
Freiberg closes cross country career with All-America award
This was exactly the way Kylahn Freiberg would have hoped to conclude a collegiate cross country career that has included three all-conference awards and three appearances on the national stage. In her final go-round at nationals, Freiberg took advantage, finishing the 6k in 22:07.7 while placing 16th in a field of more than 300 runners in Vancouver, Wash. Her placement made Freiberg the program’s first All-American since Sarah Kortze (2011 and 2012). As part of a strong fifth season as a Bulldog, Freiberg placed seventh in the GPAC and led the Concordia women’s team to a national ranking as high as No. 6.
McGarvie rises to top of football passing charts
Another season of prolific passing resulted in DJ McGarvie rising to the top of the Concordia Football program’s all-time passing charts. As part of the 55-26 rout of Doane on Nov. 4, McGarvie broke career records for passing yards and passing touchdowns. At the close of McGarvie's junior season in 2023, his career totals now stand at 6,679 passing yards and 54 passing touchdowns. The previous standards were 49 touchdown passes by Jarrod Pimentel and Von Thomas and 6,435 passing yards by Pimentel. McGarvie also broke his own passing yardage record for a single season with 2,642 yards in 2023. His favorite target was Austin Jablonski, who caught 91 passes for 1,134 yards and eight touchdowns this past fall. McGarvie was named the GPAC Player of the Week after he threw for 364 yards and four touchdowns in the victory over Doane.
Women’s Cross Country earns bid to national meet
For the second year in a row, Head Coach Matt Beisel’s women’s cross country program earned an at-large bid to the NAIA national meet. The Bulldogs did so while rising as high as No. 6 in the NAIA coaches’ poll as part of another strong season. Concordia ultimately placed second in the GPAC and 18th nationally while led by All-American Kylahn Freiberg. The Nampa, Idaho, native Freiberg was joined with All-GPAC honors by teammates Hannah Beintema, Keeli Green and Julie McIntyre. Each of those Bulldogs placed in the top 15 at the conference meet held in North Sioux City, S.D. The women’s program has qualified for nationals three times in Beisel’s tenure.
Women’s Soccer makes giant leap forward
A team led by the likes of GPAC Defensive Player of the Year Grace Soenksen and a host of talented sophomores made a massive leap forward in 2023. Head Coach Nick Smith took the reins of the program back in March and immediately put his stamp on a Concordia Women’s Soccer program that has competed for GPAC championships in its recent past. Soenksen and company had a shot at winning a GPAC regular season title all the way down to the final game of the regular season. The Bulldogs finished in second place after having been picked fifth in the preseason coaches’ poll. Concordia vaulted up from seventh in the final 2022 conference standings. Impressively, five Bulldogs landed on the All-GPAC first team: Soenksen, Savannah Andrews, Kierstynn Garner, Hannah Kile and Niah Kirchner. The overall record came in at 13-4-3 for Smith’s ’23 squad.
Fukuhara, Ladd shine for Lifting Sports programs
Two Bulldogs in particular emerged as standouts this fall for the Concordia Lifting Sports programs. In powerlifting, sophomore Rylee Ladd burst onto the scene at the Husker Strong Meet and was recognized with the Female Best Lifter Award. Ladd won the 56kg class at the Husker Strong Meet and then took the 52kg championship at the Central Collegiate Regional Championships. Like Ladd, sophomore Evan Fukuhara has performed at a level that places him among the top lifters in the country. In weightlifting, Fukuhara raised eyebrows by posting a 270kg total at the Iowa Championships. That total ranked among the top eight of all college-aged lifters at the time. Fukuhara competed in the 73kg class. In closing the semester, Fukuhara won the 67kg class at the prestigious North American Open Finals in Wilmington, N.C. Both the powerlifting and weightlifting teams will resume their 2023-24 seasons in the second semester.
D’Ercole makes return for fifth year, finishes fall in style
The return of Drew D’Ercole for a fifth season of college golf was a major boost to Head Coach Brett Muller’s men’s program. Not surprisingly, the Papillion, Neb., native has been the team’s top performer in the fall with a season scoring average of 74.0. D’Ercole ended the fall on a high note by placing fourth out of 55 golfers at the Nebraska Intercollegiate back in October. As a result, D’Ercole was named the GPAC Golfer of the Week. D’Ercole leads a deep lineup that could challenge the school record scoring average. Among the highlights of the fall, Concordia Men’s Golf placed third out of 16 teams at the Blue River Classic it co-hosted with Doane.
Nelson wraps up the fall season with title at Waco Invite
Senior Jack Nelson put a cherry on top of the fall season when he won the individual title at the Waco Trap & Skeet Collegiate Invitational in Waco, Texas, Nov. 4-5. A leader within the shooting sports program, Nelson shot a 98 in skeet, trap and sporting clays for a high overall total of 294/300 at the event. The fall season for Nelson also included all-conference honors and a perfect skeet score at the Hastings Invite. Some highlights for Head Coach Dylan Owens’ squad were second-place finishes at the Concordia Sporting Invitational and the Mid-Plains Community College Fall Flurry and a third-place claim at the Prairie Circuit Conference Championships. The 2023-24 shooting sports season will pick back up in March of 2024.
CROSS COUNTRY
2023 GPAC Finishes: Women 2nd;Men 3rd
2023 NAIA National Championship Finish: 18th (women)
Head Coach: Matt Beisel, 8th season
2023 All-GPAC: Hannah Beintema; Kylahn Freiberg; Keeli Green; Julie McIntyre; Calvin Rohde.
2023 NAIA All-American: Kylahn Freiberg.
Season Summary: Strong seasons were enjoyed by the men’s and women’s programs as Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squads competed closely with their top rivals in the GPAC. At the conference championships held in North Sioux City, S.D., the Bulldogs turned in place finishes of second on the women’s side and third on the men’s side. Ranked as high as No. 6 in the NAIA coaches’ poll, the Concordia women earned an at-large berth to the NAIA National Championships. They wound up placing 18th in the NAIA in national competition in Vancouver, Wash. A highlight of the regular season for the women’s team came at the Blazing Tiger Classic where the Bulldogs defeated two NAIA top 10 squads. While wrapping up her cross country career, Kylahn Freiberg placed 16th nationally and became the program’s first All-American since Sarah Kortze in 2012. Freiberg was joined on the GPAC all-conference list by Hannah Beintema, Keeli Green, Julie McIntyre and Calvin Rohde. McIntyre placed as the GPAC runner up. On the men’s side, Rohde qualified for nationals individually and finished his cross country career at the NAIA meet.
FOOTBALL
2023 Record: 5-5 overall, 5-5 GPAC (T-4th)
Head Coach: Patrick Daberkow, 7th season
2023 All-GPAC: Austin Jablonski (First Team); Kyle Sterup (First Team); Michael Grindey (Second Tea); DJ McGarvie (Second Team); Tyler Walford (Second Team); Devin Zeigler (Second Team); Carson Fehlhafer (Honorable Mention); Devon Polley (Honorable Mentinon); Blake Schlegel (Honorable Mention).
2023 NAIA All-American: Austin Jablonski (First Team – AFCA).
Season Summary: A shootout with top-ranked Northwestern (48-35 loss) in the season opener showed Concordia was capable of competing with the best in the NAIA. Ultimately, the Bulldogs settled for a 5-5 overall record and a tie for fourth place in the final GPAC standings. Head Coach Patrick Daberkow’s crew finished strong by blowing out Doane, 55-26, on senior day before wrapping 2023 up with a 45-21 win at Mount Marty. A couple of heartbreaking setbacks at home (16-12 versus Dakota Wesleyan and 39-37 in overtime versus Midland) kept Concordia from celebrating a winning season. However, the team’s offensive firepower proved to be a positive as the Bulldogs posted their highest scoring average (30.3 points/game) since 1972. They also broke a school record with an average of 415.3 offensive yards per game. Quarterback DJ McGarvie finished his junior season as the program’s all-time record holder for career passing touchdowns (54) and passing yards (6,679). McGarvie connected often with receiver Austin Jablonski, who set a new school single season record with 1,174 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on an NAIA best 91 catches. All-GPAC selections included Jablonski (first team), Kyle Sterup (first team), Michael Grindey (second team), McGarvie (second team), Tyler Walford (second team), Devin Zeigler (second team), Carson Fehlhafer (honorable mention), Devon Polley (honorable mention) and Blake Schlegel (honorable mention).
GOLF
GPAC Standing: Conference championships held in spring 2024
Head Coach: Brett Muller, 13th season
Season Summary: For Concordia Men’s Golf, the fall slate was made up of five official varsity tournaments. The best place finish came at the Blue River Invite in Lincoln, where the Bulldogs placed third out of 16 squads. Over 13 fall rounds, Concordia averaged a team score of 301.6 while led by Drew D’Ercole (74.0). The Papillion, Neb., native finished the fall on a high note in placing in the top five of the Nebraska Intercollegiate and earning GPAC Golfer of the Week accolades. The next best individuals in the Bulldog lineup, according to season average, were Justin Webert (75.5) and Jake Richmond (76.2). Five varsity events also filled up the fall schedule for Concordia Women’s Golf. The fall portion of the 2023-24 season came to an end with the Bulldogs placing fifth at the Nebraska Intercollegiate. Named last season’s GPAC Newcomer of the Year, sophomore Emery Custer owns the team’s top scoring average at 84.6. Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad got a boost from the return of Logan Eschliman for a fifth year and the additions of two student-athletes who formerly competed in other sports at Concordia: Maddie Lewis (volleyball) and Jennifer Gillotti (softball). The season will resume for both the men and women in the spring of 2024.
GPAC Championships:
Women – April 22-23, 2024 (Spencer CC – Spencer, Iowa)
Men – April 29-30, 2024 (Beatrice CC – Beatrice, Neb.)
NAIA Championships:
Women – May 14-17, 2024 (TPC Deere Run – Silvis, Ill.)
Men – May 21-24, 2024 (Dalton Golf & CC – Dalton, Ga.)
LIFTING SPORTS
2023 Fall Competitions: Husker Strong Meet (WL – Sept. 16); Husker Strong Meet (PL – Oct. 7); Iowa Championships (WL – Nov. 4); Central Collegiate Regional Championships (PL – Nov. 18-19); North American Open Finals (WL – Dec. 7-10).
Head Coach: Freddie Myles, 2nd season
Season Summaries:
Powerlifting – Head Coach Freddie Myles has beefed up the program rosters as Concordia powerlifting and weightlifting are in the midst of their second seasons of existence. As for powerlifting, the Bulldogs competed in two events during the fall semester: the UNL Husker Strong Collegiate Meet and the Central Collegiate Regional Championships. Sophomore Rylee Ladd (Chetek, Wis.) made waves at the Husker Strong meet in being named the Best Female Lifter of the competition. She was one of six Bulldogs champions at the meet in Lincoln. Then in November, 15 Concordia athletes placed within the top three of their weight classes at the Central Regionals in Fremont. Championships were won by Ladd, Mackenzie Houser, Nic Kriech and Taylor Meyer. The national championships will take place in April 2024.
Weightlifting – In weightlifting, sophomore Evan Fukuhara of Sacramento, Calif., has starred. At the Iowa Championships in early November, Fukuhara posted a snatch and clean and jerk total that ranked eighth best in the nation for college-aged lifters at the time. Through the two meets, the Heartland Strength Omaha Classic and the Iowa Championships, Concordia has been represented by eight athletes. Seven Bulldogs qualified for nationals at the Omaha Classic. Before wrapping up the semester, Fukuhara traveled to Wilmington, N.C., and seized the 67kg title at the North American Open Finals. The University Weightlifting Nationals will take place in March 2024.
SHOOTING SPORTS
2023 Conference Finish: 3rd (Prairie Circuit Classic)
Head Coach: Dylan Owens, 2nd season
All-Conference: Claire Kee; Wayne Moore; Jack Nelson; Rayne Larrison (All-Conference Freshman).
Season Summary: The majority of fall weekends were spent on Nebraska shooting ranges as the Bulldogs competed in seven events from September through early November. Concordia placed in the three as a team in six of those outings with second-place claims coming at the Mid-Plains Community College Fall Flurry and the program’s own Concordia Sporting Invitational. The fall portion of the 2023-24 season wrapped up for Head Coach Dylan Owens’ squad with a trip to Waco, Texas, for the Waco Trap & Skeet Invitational. The result was a third-place team finish. The Bulldogs placed third at the Prairie Circuit Conference Championships. Senior Jack Nelson of Kimberly, Idaho, put a bow on the fall season by winning the overall individual title at the Waco Invitational. Throughout the fall, there were a number of individuals who notched perfect scores in specific disciplines. For example, Nelson ran 100 straight in skeet at the Hastings Invite and similar results were turned in by Sam Blevins in skeet at the Midland Open and by Blevins and Katie Welker at the Fort Hays State Shoot. At the conference shoot, Claire Kee won a sporting clays title and Kaylee Hinton won a championship in trap. The season will resume in the spring of 2024. The national championships are slated to be held in San Antonio, Texas, in March.
ACUI National Championships: March 19-23 (San Antonio, Texas).
MEN’S SOCCER
2023 Record: 13-1-4, 7-0-4 GPAC (3rd)
Head Coach: Jason Weides, 16th season
2023 All-GPAC: Ferdi Hagen (First Team); Carter Hinman (First Team); Matt Schultz (First Team); Nolan Fuelberth (Second Team); Jarrod Henson (Second Team); Isaiah Shaddick (Second Team); Braden Spath (Second Team); Gabriel Mendoza (Honorable Mention).
Season Summary: A season of high achievement ended with an untimely loss to Dordt in the GPAC quarterfinals. That defeat prevented the Bulldogs from earning one of the final at-large berths into the national tournament. However, Head Coach Jason Weides’ 2023 squad could take solace in knowing it was the first in the program’s history to both finish the regular season undefeated (13-0-4) and to crack the NAIA coaches’ poll top 25. Concordia peaked at No. 18 in the coaches’ poll and spent seven-straight weeks in the national rankings. The Bulldogs placed third in the GPAC during the regular season and wound up outscoring their opponents by a combined total of 43-13. A junior from Gretna, Neb., Carter Hinman enjoyed a breakthrough season that saw him lead the team with 10 goals. All-GPAC honors were awarded to Ferdi Hagen (first team), Hinman (first team), Matt Schultz (first team), Nolan Fuelberth (second team), Jarrod Henson (second team), Isaiah Shaddick (second team), Braden Spath (second team) and Gabriel Mendoza (honorable mention). Both Schultz and Shaddick played the fifth years of their Concordia careers in 2023.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
2023 Record: 13-4-3 overall, 8-1-3 GPAC (2nd)
Head Coach: Nick Smith, 1st season
2023 All-GPAC: Grace Soenksen (GPAC Player of the Year; First Team); Savannah Andrews (First Team); Kierstynn Garner (First Team); Hannah Kile (First Team); Niah Kirchner (First Team); Sierra Springer (Second Team); Bradi Ore (Honorable Mention); Taylor Slaymaker (Honorable Mention).
Season Summary: It was a bounce-back season for the Bulldogs, who vaulted from seventh place in the GPAC in 2022 to second place in 2023. Head Coach Nick Smith led Concordia to a record of 13-4-3 (8-1-3 GPAC) in his first season leading the program. After starting the campaign at 3-2, the Bulldogs went 10-1-3 over their next 14 games. The season concluded in the GPAC semifinals with a 2-0 loss to Midland. The results on the other side of the conference bracket prevented Concordia from earning the GPAC’s second automatic bid to nationals. Over 20 games in 2023, the Bulldogs outscored their foes by a combined total of 51-16. Forty-nine of the team’s 51 goals were scored by players expected back in 2024. In her fifth season at Concordia, Grace Soenksen added to her legacy in earning GPAC Defensive Player of the Year accolades. She collected four First Team All-GPAC honors in her career. She was joined on the first team all-conference list by teammates Savannah Andrews, Kierstynn Garner, Hannah Kile and Niah Kirchner. Meanwhile, Sierra Springer landed on the second team and Bradi Ore and Taylor Slaymaker were honorable mention selections. Garner led all GPAC players during the regular season with 19 goals.
VOLLEYBALL
2023 Record: 25-4 overall, 14-2 GPAC (T-1st); GPAC tournament runner up
Head Coach: Ben Boldt, 6th season
2023 All-GPAC: Bree Burtwistle (GPAC Setter of the Year; First Team); Gabi Nordaker (First Team); Camryn Opfer (First Team); Ashley Keck (Second Team); Carly Rodaway (Second Team); Rebecca Gebhardt (Honorable Mention); Cassidy Knust (Honorable Mention).
2023 NAIA All-Americans: Bree Burtwistle (First Team); Camryn Opfer (Second Team); Gabi Nordaker (Third Team).
Season Summary: In another season that goes down as one of the greatest in program history, the Bulldogs twice garnered the No. 1 ranking in the NAIA coaches’ poll. Additional accomplishments included a share of the GPAC regular season championship, a third-straight appearance in the GPAC tournament final, a fifth-consecutive trip to the final site of the national tournament and a 25-4 overall record. Head Coach Ben Boldt’s squad claimed a share of the conference title (program’s first since 2000) with a four-set win at Midland in the regular season finale. The 14 league victories for the 2023 Concordia squad represented a school record. All fall long, the Bulldogs led the nation in kills per set while ranking near the top in hitting percentage. A 17-0 start to the season included a four-set win over then 14th-ranked Jamestown in front of a particularly raucous Friedrich Arena crowd. A loss to Midland in pool play at the national tournament marked the end of the line for nine Bulldogs, including fifth-year competitors in Bree Burtwistle and Camryn Opfer. Both Burtwistle and Opfer were named First Team All-GPAC selections, along with Gabi Nordaker. Burtwistle was also recognized as the GPAC Setter of the Year and additional all-conference accolades went to second teamers Ashley Keck and Carly Rodaway and honorable mention status was placed upon Becca Gebhardt and Cassidy Knust. The Seward native Opfer concluded her storied career with all-time program rankings of third for both kills (1,561) and digs (1,671).