The winter sports season of 2021-22 saw Concordia teams again make waves while continuing to carry out the mission and vision of Bulldog Athletics. Most notable from a sheer results standpoint were the GPAC championships captured by the Men’s Basketball and Women’s Track & Field. Those two programs also experienced success on the national stage as Women’s Track came home with a third-place national trophy and Men’s Basketball made a run to the NAIA national quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Women’s Basketball qualified for the national tournament and Wrestling sent two athletes to the national tournament.
On an individual level, Josie Puelz seized her third career national title and Bulldog hoops stars Carter Kent, Gage Smith and Taysha Rushton were each named First Team All-GPAC honorees. Kent was also chosen as a Second Team All-American. Read on for a review of the highlights that occurred throughout the winter sports season.
TOP MOMENT
Men’s Basketball wins GPAC regular season/postseason titles, advances to NAIA quarterfinals
By any measure, the 2021-22 season was one of the greatest in the history of the Concordia Men’s Basketball program. By the conclusion of the season, the Bulldogs had won GPAC regular season and postseason titles, reached the quarterfinals of the national tournament and secured 28 overall wins (third most in program history). Along the way, there were multiple wild celebrations that took place on the court inside Friedrich Arena. A full-court alley-oop pass from Carter Kent to Tristan Smith for the game winner in a 74-73 victory over Briar Cliff made the rounds on a series of ESPN TV shows. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad later played in front of raucous home crowds while hosting all three rounds of the GPAC tournament, which was capped with a 77-70 conference title game win over Jamestown. At the national tournament, the Bulldogs earned wins over Indiana University Northwest, 96-78, Marian University (Ind.), 90-67, and Indiana University Kokomo, 75-65. The campaign ended with a 77-69 loss to eventual national runner up Talladega College (Ala.). The special nature of this team went beyond the results.
Said Limback after the final game, “I think everybody’s going to remember the SportsCenter moment and some of the trophies and the elite eight run. I think what they’re going to remember most is the brotherhood. That’s what the people saw when they watched them play. That’s what I saw when I got to coach them and enjoy it with them. God truly blessed this team with a lot of fun memories, but I think what they’re going to take away is the brotherhood and the love they share. That’s what made them special.”
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Women’s Track extends streak of GPAC titles, places third at nationals
An incredible run for Concordia Women’s Track & Field carried into 2022 as the Bulldogs celebrated winning a sixth straight GPAC title. At the 2022 GPAC indoor meet, Concordia totaled 194.5 team points while outperforming second-place Hastings (163). The string of conference titles for Head Coach Matt Beisel’s squad began with the 2019 indoor conference meet and has continued through the present. Individual conference championships were won this winter by Morgan De Jong (weight throw), Rylee Haecker (mile and 1,000 meters), Jordan Koepke (600 meters) and Josie Puelz (pole vault). The Lincoln Lutheran alum Puelz broke the GPAC meet record in the pole vault (13’ 5”) in another starring effort. A total of 30 Concordia women’s athletes earned all-conference honors in one or more events.
Then on the national stage, Puelz won her third career national title while leading the Bulldogs to a third-place trophy finish in Brookings, S.D. Concordia finished with 45 team points and placed in the top four of the NAIA indoor championships for the third year in a row. That point total was boosted by third-place event finishes from the women’s 4x800 meter relay, Rylee Haecker (1,000 meters), Jordan Koepke (600 meters) and Erin Mapson (pole vault). Twelve Bulldog women’s athletes collected All-America awards in at least one event.
Puelz breaks own school record in another national title performance
Yes, she did it again. Josie Puelz has now won each of the past three NAIA pole vault national titles, including her 2021 sweep of indoor and outdoor championships. The Lincoln native took the title this time around by clearing 13’ 5 ½” – a mark that broke her own program indoor record. The accomplishments keep piling up for Puelz, who was named the 2021 Lincoln Journal Star State College Female Athlete of the Year. Also this indoor season, Puelz was recognized with the GPAC Field Performance of the Meet for her conference meet record vault. Puelz is now a four-time All-American, a three-time national champion and three-time GPAC champion.
Women's basketball earns 11th straight national tournament bid
While navigating the most challenging scheduled played by any team in the NAIA, Concordia earned a No. 9 seed at the national tournament. The nationals bid marked the 11th in a row for the program, which has appeared on the national stage a total of 21 times in school history. Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad finished the 2021-22 season at 16-14 overall (13-9 GPAC) while showing it could compete right alongside many of the best teams in the nation. Leading the way as a do-it-all guard, Taysha Rushton earned First Team All-GPAC accolades for the second year in a row. Rushton averaged 17.7 points per game for the highest single season average by a Bulldog since 2014-15. Quality wins were collected over national tournament qualifiers in Briar Cliff, Dakota State (S.D.), Dakota Wesleyan, Northwestern and Wayland Baptist (Texas).
Kent pushes way to top five on program’s all-time scoring list
After three very good seasons as a Bulldog, Carter Kent rose to elite status in 2021-22 as part of a memorable Bulldog Basketball season. The Crete High School product finished his collegiate career with all-time program rankings of fifth in scoring (1,699), fifth in 3-point field goals (248) and seventh in assists (324). Kent moved into the top five all-time in scoring via his 19-point performance in the national round of 32 win over 12th-ranked Marian (Ind.) on March 12. Kent wound up averaging 15.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game this past season while being named First Team All-GPAC and Second Team All-America.
Cheer eclipses school record, Timmerman makes history
Head Coach Mandi Maser’s Concordia Cheer program is on the rise. As part of a season of significant improvement, the Bulldogs broke a school record for highest score in a single performance when they were rewarded with a 76.65 at the Bethel College Invite on Feb. 4. Led by the likes of Brenden Ingram and Shelby Timmerman, Concordia broke 75.0 three times in 2022. The Bulldogs wound up finishing in fourth place in the GPAC. Individually, Timmerman made history by becoming the first Concordia Cheer athlete in program history to garner all-conference accolades.
Ybarra goes out with national tournament appearance
There have been few wrestlers to come through the program to have earned as much respect from coaches and teammates as Mario Ybarra. The native of Scottsbluff, Neb., finished his career in 2022 with a third straight appearance at the national tournament. While Ybarra fell short of the All-America podium, he can look back on his career with pride. Ybarra did earn All-America honors in 2021 and was a 2020 GPAC champion at 125 pounds. His 76 career victories place him fourth on the program’s all-time wins list. In addition, Ybarra has been named a CoSIDA Academic All-District award winner and an NWCA Scholar All-American.
SEASON SUMMARIES
Men’s Basketball
2021-22 record: 28-7 overall; 15-5 GPAC (T-1st); GPAC regular season/postseason champions; NAIA national quarterfinalist.
Top performer: Carter Kent earned the highest honors of any individual while leading the team in scoring (15.8 ppg) in a season that culminated with him being selected as a Second Team All-American. During the campaign, Kent moved into the top five of the program’s all-time scoring list. Impressively, Kent played in all 136 games over the past four seasons. Noah Schutte also earned a major award in being tabbed an NAIA National Championship All-Tournament Team honoree.
Season highlights: There were many. The Bulldogs celebrated GPAC regular season and tournament titles, went 28-7 overall and posted a spotless 16-0 home record. As part of a run to the national quarterfinals, Concordia was honored with the Dr. James Naismith-Emil S. Liston Team Sportsmanship Award. That honor recognized something observers of the team saw all season – this was a team that acted like champions on and off the court. On the court, there may not have been a more thrilling singular moment than when Carter Kent’s full-court alley-oop resulted in a buzzer beating layup for Tristan Smith in a 74-73 instant classic win over Briar Cliff. The Bulldogs also had the opportunity to celebrate their GPAC tournament title at home and experienced Municipal Auditorium, location of the national tournament’s final site. Head Coach Ben Limback was at the controls in steering Concordia to one of the best seasons in program history.
GPAC All-Conference: Carter Kent (First Team); Gage Smith (First Team); Justin Wiersema (Second Team); Noah Schutte (Honorable Mention); AJ Watson (Honorable Mention).
NAIA All-American: Carter Kent (Second Team).
Women’s Basketball
2021-22 record: 16-14 overall; 13-9 GPAC (T-5th); national tournament qualifier.
Top performer: There was no doubt that Taysha Rushton was the team’s go-to scorer. She averaged 17.7 points per game (fifth most among GPAC players) and collected First Team All-GPAC honors for the second year in a row. Through two collegiate seasons, Rushton has already totaled 959 career points.
Season highlights: The Bulldogs defeated five opponents that eventually qualified for the national tournament and extended the program’s streak of consecutive national tournament appearances to 11. Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad likely put together its best performance of the season on Jan. 8 when it obliterated Dakota Wesleyan, 90-58, behind a career high 19 points from Mackenzie Toomey. While Concordia finished just above .500 overall, it played the NAIA’s most challenging schedule. Over Christmas break, the team ventured to Hawaii and went up against teams ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in the NAIA at the time. In her final season as a Bulldog, Rylee Pauli gave her usual relentless effort and averaged 7.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. In her second collegiate season, Sadie Powell emerged as the team’s second leading scorer (9.4 ppg).
GPAC All-Conference: Taysha Rushton (First Team); Rylee Pauli (Honorable Mention); Sadie Powell (Honorable Mention); Mackenzie Toomey (Honorable Mention).
Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field
2022 women’s GPAC finish: 1st
2022 women’s national finish: 3rd
2022 men’s GPAC finish: 4th
2022 men’s national finish: 36th
Top performers: Josie Puelz stands out as the top choice after she won both GPAC and NAIA national titles in the pole vault. She’s now a three-time national champion after breaking her own school record in the pole vault. There were many other standouts, including 17 additional Bulldogs who garnered All-America accolades. Rylee Haecker was an All-American in two events and won GPAC titles in the mile and 1,000 meters. On the men’s side, Zach Bennetts took home the GPAC pole vault championship.
Season highlights: The women’s program remains on an elite level. Behind the likes of Haecker and Puelz, Concordia won its sixth straight GPAC title and then proceeded to place third as a team at the NAIA indoor championships. The program’s 18 All-Americans (between men and women) are listed below. In addition to the conference titles won by Bennetts, Haecker and Puelz, two other Bulldogs reigned supreme within the conference: Morgan De Jong (weight throw) and Jordan Koepke (600 meters). While Puelz broke her own school record in the pole vault, Amy Richert became a new program standard bearer in the pentathlon with 3,479 points achieved at the conference meet. As one of the feel-good stories at the national meet, the men’s 4x400 meter relay of Jacob Jennings, Cade Kleckner, Maccoy Menke and Colton Meyer placed eighth and achieved All-America status despite entering the meet as the No. 16 seed. Head Coach Matt Beisel was named the GPAC Women’s Coach of the Year (seventh career GPAC Coach of the Year award). Forty-six athletes collected All-GPAC honors in one or more events and 34 Bulldogs qualified for the national meet.
GPAC All-Conference: See the full list HERE.
NAIA All-Americans: Rachel Battershell (4x400m relay); Keri Bauer (4x800m relay); Morgan De Jong (weight throw); Rylee Haecker (1,000m; 4x800m relay); Kylahn Heritage (4x800m relay); Jacob Jennings (4x400m relay); Cade Kleckner (4x400m relay); Jordan Koepke (600m; 4x400m relay); Sarah Lewis (4x400m relay); Wyatt Loga (high jump); Erin Mapson (pole vault); Maccoy Menke (4x400m relay); Colton Meyer (4x400m relay); Jacee Pfeifer (4x400m relay); Josie Puelz (pole vault – national champ); Grace Reiman (4x800m relay); Amy Richert (pentathlon); Chris Wren (weight throw).
Wrestling
2021-22 record: 6-6 overall; 3-5 GPAC
GPAC finishes: T-6th regular season; 6th postseason
NAIA national finish: 42nd
Top performer: The leadership and athletic excellence of Mario Ybarra will be missed. The Scottsbluff, Neb., native concluded his wrestling career this winter with a third straight trip to the national tournament. As a senior in 2021-22, Ybarra went 14-5 overall, placed second in the GPAC at 133 pounds and was named Second Team All-GPAC. Also a national qualifier, heavyweight Jacob Telles led the team with 21 wins.
Season highlights: The national qualifying efforts of Mario Ybarra and Jacob Telles were the highlights of a season that saw the Bulldogs place sixth in the GPAC. Concordia ended the season with six dual wins, including three within conference action. GPAC wins were recorded over Dakota Wesleyan, Midland and Jamestown. In the most thrilling home moment of the season, Concordia pummeled York College, 31-9, on senior night on Feb. 3. Throughout the season, Bulldog grapplers combined for 28 tournament place finishes. At the conference tournament, top four place finishes were turned in by Ybarra (second at 133), Telles (third at 285), Issiah Burks (fourth at 165) and TJ Huber (fourth at 174). Telles and Ybarra both went 1-2 at the national tournament while facing challenging draws.
GPAC All-Conference: Jacob Telles (Second Team); Mario Ybarra (Second Team); Issiah Burks (Honorable Mention).
Cheer/Dance
2022 Cheer GPAC finish: 4th of 8
2022 Dance GPAC finish: 6th of 9
2022 Dance regional finish: 7th of 10
Summary: Head Coach Mandi Maser’s squads continue to raise their competitive level while going up against an increasingly stacked GPAC. The Cheer team achieved at especially high levels and even broke a program record for highest performance score with a 76.65 at the Bethel College Invite. Cheer won two home triangulars to being the season and produced place finishes of second at the Midland Invite, third at the York Invite and fourth at the GPAC Championships. Meanwhile, Dance earned a dual win over College of Saint Mary and placed seventh out of 10 teams at the GPAC Championships/NAIA Qualifier. Shelby Timmerman became the first Bulldog Cheer athlete to ever be named all-conference. Based on its average of 73.43 for the season, Concordia Cheer ranked 24th nationally. Dance averaged a score of 66.05 and ranked 30th among all NAIA programs. The goal moving forward is to earn bids to the national championships.
GPAC All-Conference: Shelby Timmerman (Cheer); Katie Anderson (Dance – Honorable Mention).