2016 Bulldog Weekly Report (Feb. 2)

By Jacob Knabel on Feb. 2, 2016 in Baseball

Bulldog Booster Club Athletes of the Week

NOTE: Due to the closure of Concordia University (inclement weather) on Tuesday, the weekly Bulldog Booster Club gathering was canceled. In a Twitter poll conducted by @cunebulldogs, junior Chandler Folkerts (men’s basketball) received 77 percent of the vote for this week’s male athlete of the week. Quinn Wragge (women’s basketball) received 66 percent of the vote for female athlete of the week. Both Folkerts and Wragge were named MVPs at last week’s annual Concordia Invitational Tournament.

News and notes:

Bulldogs sweep CIT titles for 21st time: The 2016 Concordia Invitational Tournament marked the 21st time in the event’s history that the both Bulldog basketball teams claimed titles in the same year. The 65th annual CIT saw both CUNE squads topple Concordia University Wisconsin in the championship game. The Bulldogs have 52 combined all-time CIT titles (26 each for the men and women). For highlights from the 2016 championship games, click HERE.

Lurz named NAIA national field athlete of the week: For the third-straight week, a Concordia athlete received NAIA national weekly honors when junior Zach Lurz earned the distinction in the category of men’s field on Jan. 27. Previous week’s award winners were Kim Wood (Jan. 20) and Andrew Schulte (Jan. 13). For more on Lurz’s honor, click HERE.

National signing day on Wednesday: We’ll detail the latest on Concordia University football recruiting for the class of 2016 on Wednesday (Feb. 3), college football’s National Signing Day. Stay tuned to the web and follow @CUNEFootball on Twitter to familiarize yourself with incoming Bulldogs.

Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 4 p.m. CT: New this year is the Bulldog Coaches Show, which runs for a half hour every Thursday beginning at 4 p.m. CT on KAWL 1370-AM. The show can also be heard live via 104.9 Max Country’s website or by downloading the TuneIn Radio app and then searching “KAWL.” This week’s broadcast schedule for live radio coverage on Max Country will include women’s and men’s basketball at Nebraska Wesleyan on Wednesday (6/8 p.m.) and women’s and men’s basketball at Morningside on Saturday (2/4 p.m.).

Concordia Sports Network: Live webcasts for most home varsity contests can be accessed by visiting http://www.cune.edu/csn at game time. Check team schedules/results pages for webcast dates. Scrimmages, exhibitions and junior varsity events are not broadcasted.

Men’s Basketball

  • The Bulldogs enjoyed a perfect 3-0 week that included the 26th CIT title in program history. CUNE began a three-games-in-four-days stretch with an 89-81 home win over Doane on Jan. 27 prior to traveling to the 65th annual CIT. The event, hosted by Concordia University Chicago, featured Bulldog wins over Concordia University Ann Arbor, 85-65, and over Concordia University Wisconsin, 86-85, in back-to-back days (Jan. 29-30). Third-year head coach Ben Limback’s squad has now won four-straight games and has improved to 15-9 overall and 7-8 in league play. To read recent recaps, click HERE.
  • Geiseman Gymnasium proved kind to Bulldog shooters. CUNE posted field goal percentages of 55.6 (30-for-54) and 56.6 (30-for-53), respectively, in its two CIT games. The Bulldogs also made 37-of-41 (.902) free throws over their two victories. They were 20-for-20 from the foul line in the win over Concordia Ann Arbor. Sharpshooting guard Eli Ziegler drilled 6-of-11 treys. He made 4-of-5 in the championship game.
  • Junior post Chandler Folkerts earned CIT MVP honors by totaling a combined 45 points and 19 rebounds on the way to being named all-tournament for the second time in three years. In last week’s action, the Milford native went a stifling hot 21-for-26 (.808) from the floor and 18-for-20 (.900) from the free throw line. He also blocked eight shots as part of the 3-0 week. On the year, Folkerts is averaging 19.2 points and 8.2 rebounds and shooting 66.2 percent from the floor (second best among all NAIA Division II players).
  • Senior Robby Thomas, who joined Folkerts on the all-tournament team, became the Bulldogs’ all-time career blocks leader in the victory over CUAA. He swatted five shots at CIT to run his career count to 192, pushing him past previous record holder Glen Snodgrass (188 blocks). Thomas also owns the school record for blocks in a single season (71 in 2014-15). In addition, the Shawnee, Kan., native appears on school all-time lists for points (26th, 1,100), rebounds (8th, 615) and assists (13th, 214).
  • CUNE has outrebounded each of its last six opponents and 18 of its 24 foes overall this season. The Bulldogs dominated on the glass last week, totaling 109 combined rebounds compared to 82 by its opponents. CUNE owns a season rebound margin of plus-4.8 (38.9 – 34.1), a figure that ranks 29th nationally. Three individuals average 4.0 or more rebounds per game: Folkerts (8.2), Thomas (6.7) and Jamie Pearson (4.0).
  • Limback has now won four CIT titles as a head coach – two at CUNE and two at CUAA. The 1999 CUNE graduate led the Cardinals to their first two CIT championships (2006 and 2007) in program history. He’s faced his former team at CUAA in each of the last three CITs, going 2-1 in those contests. This year’s win over CUAA avenged the 2015 championship game loss at the buzzer. Under Limback, CUNE has reached the CIT championship all three years with an overall record of 5-1 in the three trips.
  • The Bulldogs put together a solid statistical week on the defensive end. Their three opponents went a combined 81-for-194 (.417) from the field. CUNE continues to lead the GPAC in field goal percentage defense with a season a figure of 42.6. However, opponents have shot 37.2 percent from beyond the arc (eighth in the GPAC).
  • During their active four-game win streak, the Bulldogs have scored between 85 and 89 points each time out and have shot at least 55 percent from the field in each instance. CUNE has been one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country with its season field goal percentage of 49.9 ranking sixth among all NAIA Division II programs. They also rank No. 12 nationally in free throw percentage (.747) and 19th in scoring (85.0 ppg).
  • The Bulldogs get back to conference play this week with road trips to Nebraska Wesleyan (8 p.m. on Wednesday) and Morningside (4 p.m. on Saturday). Concordia will attempt to avenge its buzzer-beating loss to the Prairie Wolves (14-6, 9-5 GPAC) back on Dec. 2 and then aim for a season sweep of the Mustangs (10-13, 6-8 GPAC), whom it beat 110-99 in overtime on Nov. 21.

Women’s Basketball

  • Following a stunning 91-55 home loss to Doane on Jan. 27, the seventh-ranked Bulldogs recovered by winning the Concordia Invitational Tournament (Jan. 29-30) held at Concordia University Chicago in River Forest, Ill. During its stay in the Windy City, CUNE defeated Concordia University Ann Arbor, 64-52, and Concordia University Wisconsin, 75-53, to claim its 26th all-time CIT title. Tenth-year head coach Drew Olson’s squad improved to 17-6 overall. To read recaps of recent action, click HERE.
  • The Bulldogs have dominated CIT since a women’s tournament was added to the event in 1973. CUNE has earned the traveling trophy in 24 of the last 30 CITs. The Bulldogs won every CIT from 1997 – 2006 for a run of 10 in a row. Under Olson, Concordia has won seven CIT championships in 10 seasons. Olson has tied Carl Everts for the most women’s CIT titles all-time as a head coach.
  • Freshman Quinn Wragge acclimated quickly to the energetic environment in her first taste of CIT. She earned MVP honors for her productive weekend in Chicago. She averaged 17.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 blocks at CIT. In the championship game, the Crofton, Neb., native went for 20 points and a career best four rejections. Over her last seven games, Wragge has averaged 16.4 points per game while settling into her role as the team’s top scoring option. She ranks 11th nationally among all NAIA Division II players in field goal percentage (.552).
  • Olson again shuffled up the starting lineup last week as Concordia has adjusted without 2014-15 GPAC freshman of the year Mary Janovich, who has been sidelined for the team’s past five games. Junior guard Devin Edwards made her first two starts of the season at CIT and senior Becky Mueller returned to the starting five. Eight different players have started at some point during this season. Wragge and Brenleigh Daum are the only two Bulldogs who have started all 23 games.
  • Daum has heated up from long range of late. Last week she found the bottom of the net on 9-of-17 (.529) shots from beyond the arc. The McCook, Neb., native has fired up more treys (150) than anyone else on the team. Her 55 made 3-point field goals ranks as the 33rd highest total among NAIA Division II players. The 5-foot-9 sophomore is averaging 9.7 points per game.
  • The 36-point margin of defeat versus Doane marked worst loss (in terms of point margin) in Olson’s 10 seasons as head coach. It also snapped a nine-game series win streak against the rival Tigers. Concordia had entered the contest with a record of 66-8 at home since the start of the 2011-12 season. The Bulldogs are now 9-2 when playing inside Walz Arena this season. They haven’t lost more than three home games in a single campaign since 2010-11.
  • Last week’s release of the top 25 rankings marked the 60th straight time that Concordia appeared in the national poll. That streak dates back to the 2011-12 preseason poll. During the run, the Bulldogs have been ranked No. 1 a total of four times and have made 56 top-10 appearances. Olson-coached teams have garnered a total of 74 top-10 rankings.
  • Mueller collected CIT all-tournament honors for the second time in her career as she joined Wragge on the five-member team. The senior from Elkhorn, Neb., averaged 17.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while going 11-for-24 from the field at CIT. She scored 10 of the Bulldogs’ first 11 fourth-quarter points to blow open a 20-point lead in the victory over Concordia Wisconsin. Mueller now sits at 971 career points, putting her 29 tallies away from becoming the 24th member of the program’s 1,000-point club.
  • Another three-game week begins on Wednesday with a trip to Nebraska Wesleyan (4-15, 3-13 GPAC) for a 6 p.m. start. The Bulldogs dip outside of the GPAC for a nonconference game when Grace University (7-18) visits Walz Arena for a 6 p.m. tipoff on Thursday (originally scheduled for Tuesday). Concordia will then travel to Sioux City, Iowa, for a battle with No. 2 Morningside (22-2, 14-2 GPAC) at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Three wins would lock up the eighth 20-win season for Olson.

Track and Field

  • The first home meet of 2016 ended with eight fresh automatic national qualifying marks for 24th-year head coach Kregg Einspahr’s top-five nationally-ranked Bulldog squads. Additionally, three Concordia athletes (Cody Boellstorff, Stephanie Coley and Kim Wood) broke the indoor school records they already held during the two-day Concordia Indoor Classic that took place inside the Walz Fieldhouse, Jan. 29-30. A total of 17 Bulldogs recorded at least one mark that met automatic national qualifying standards at the Concordia Classic. For more on Bulldog track and field, click HERE.
  • The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released its initial 2016 NAIA indoor track and field rankings last week. Concordia checked in at No. 4 on the women’s side (221.93 points) and No. 5 on the men’s side (177.10 points). The USTFCCCA compiles the rankings using the individual national performance lists. According to its formula, the GPAC currently rates as the NAIA’s best track conference for men and second best (behind Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference) for women. The men recorded national finishes of first (outdoor) and fifth (indoor) in 2015 while the women placed fifth (outdoor) and 11th (indoor) at last year’s national championships.
  • Senior Kim Wood has now qualified for the national championships in four different individual events after breaking her own indoor school record in the 800 meter run with a first-place time of 2:11.03. The Greeley, Neb., native owns four times that rank inside the top six among all NAIA competitors: 1,000 meters (first), one mile (first), 800 meters (second) and 600 meters (sixth). On Jan. 20 Wood was named the NAIA national track athlete of the week. She is a six-time GPAC champion.
  • While Wood again starred on the track, Bulldog throwers took things to another level. Junior Cody Boellstorff broke his own program record in the weight throw a mark of 65’ 11 ½” – a measurement that leads the NAIA by more than four-and-a-half feet. In the women’s shot put, senior Stephanie Coley also broke a record she previously held with her toss of 47’ 7 ¾”. Boellstorff and Coley led the way for a throwing group that eclipsed the automatic national qualifying marks 14 times at the Concordia Classic.
  • The shot put has been a dominant event for Bulldog men and women. Zach Lurz (59’ 6 ¼”) and Coley are the current national leaders for their respective genders. Also on the women’s shot put national leaderboard, Kali Robb ranks second (47’ 7 ¼”) and Samantha Liermann fourth (46’ 10”). On the men’s side, the fourth and fifth spots on the NAIA list are held down by Trey Barnes (54’ 3 ¾”) and Jose Rojas (53’ 11 ¾”). Five of the six aforementioned throwers improved their automatic marks in the shot put at the Concordia Classic.
  • Fresh automatic national qualifying marks were turned in at the Concordia Classic by Liz King (weight throw), Cynthia Mick (pole vault), CJ Muller (400 meters), Austin Schafer (pole vault) Emily Sievert (5,000 meters) and Wood (800 meters). In the multi events Alayna Daberkow (pentathlon) and Lucas Wiechman (heptathlon) put themselves in good positions to reach nationals with lofty point totals.
  • The Bulldogs lead the nation in a total of five events: women’s 1,000 meters (Wood), women’s one mile (Wood), men’s shot put (Lurz), women’s shot put (Coley) and the men’s weight throw (Boellstorff). They own a total of 25 marks that rank in the top 10 on the NAIA national lists.
  • Here’s a look at the 26 automatic national qualifying marks and six ‘B’ standard marks produced this season by Concordia athletes.
    • Women’s 4x400 – B, 4:03.91
    • Women’s 4x800 – B, 9:49.85
    • Trey Barnes – shot put (A, 54’ 3 ¾”)
    • Cody Boellstorff – weight throw (A, 65’ 11 ½”)
    • Kattie Cleveland – weight throw (A, 56’)
    • Stephanie Coley – shot put (A, 47’ 7 ¾”); weight throw (B, 55’ 10 ½”)
    • Alayna Daberkow – pentathlon (A, 3,000)
    • McKenzie Gravo – pole vault (A, 11’ 9”)
    • Liz King – weight throw (A, 53’ 8 ¼”)
    • Philip Kreutzer – weight throw (A, 55’ 8 ½”); shot put (B, 50’ 1 ¼”)
    • Samantha Liermann – shot put (A, 46’ 10”)
    • Zach Lurz – shot put (A, 60’ 1 ¼”); weight throw (A, 59’ 9 ½”)
    • Cynthia Mick – pole vault (A, 11’ 5”)
    • CJ Muller – 400 meter run (A, 49.04); 600 meter run (A, 1:20.71)
    • Kali Robb – shot put (A, 47’ 7 ¼”); weight throw (A, 60’ 1”)
    • Jose Rojas – shot put (A, 53’ 11 ¾”); weight throw (A, 56’ 11 ¼”)
    • Austin Schafer – pole vault (A, 15’ 5”)
    • Benjamin Schulteis – weight throw (B, 53’ 8 ½”)
    • Emily Sievert – 5,000 meter run (A, 18:07.90)
    • Lucas Wiechman – pole vault (A, 16’ ¾”); heptathlon (A, 4,918); 60 meter hurdles (B, 8.38)
    • Kim Wood – 600 meter run (A, 1:35.80); 800 meter run (A, 2:11.03); 1,000 meter run (A, 2:55.95); one mile run (A, 4:58.38)
  • Bulldog athletes will be headed to two different meets this weekend – the Sevigne Husker Invite (Feb. 5-6) at the Devaney Center in Lincoln and the Fred Beile Classic (Feb. 6) at Doane. Concordia will host once more this indoor season when the annual Concordia Indoor Invitational takes place on Friday, Feb. 12.

Wrestling

  • A run of three GPAC duals in a six-day stretch finished on Jan. 26 when eighth-ranked Concordia rolled past Briar Cliff, 33-6, in Sioux City, Iowa. The Bulldogs won eight individual bouts in the process of extending their GPAC dual win streak to 12. Fourth-year head coach Dana Vote’s squad stands at 10-4 overall and 5-0 in GPAC matches. To read recaps of recent action, click HERE.
  • With last week’s victory at Briar Cliff, the Bulldogs equaled the 1970-71 Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame team for the most dual wins in a single season in program history. This is the third-straight season that Vote has led the Bulldogs to at least nine dual victories. Over that stretch, Concordia is 17-2 in GPAC duals. Below is a summary of the winningest dual seasons in school history. Concordia fielded a program from 1961-78 and then went 31 years before resurrecting wrestling in 2009.
    • 2015-16: 10-4
    • 1970-71: 10-3
    • 2014-15: 9-4
    • 2013-14: 9-8
    • 1967-68: 8-2
  • Ranked No. 1 nationally at 141 pounds, junior Andrew Schulte continues to star as one of the NAIA’s hottest wrestlers. He has now won 15-straight matches since a defeat at the Battle of the Rockies Open on Dec. 5. In his latest outing, the Corona, Calif., native defeated 13th-ranked Sonny Gulesian of Briar Cliff, 6-2. Schulte, now 29-6 overall, is 13-1 in dual meets and a perfect 6-0 when going up against performers from GPAC institutions. In less than two full seasons in a Bulldog singlet, Schulte has compiled a combined record of 49-10 to go with a 2015 All-America plaque.
  • No Bulldog has been more dominant in GPAC dual action than 157-pounder Jr Lule, who last week ran his overall record to 27-7. Lule is 5-0 in conference duals with three wins coming by technical fall and two by major decision (see below). Last week Lule earned GPAC wrestler of the week honors, marking the third time this season a Bulldog has earned the distinction (Schulte twice).
    • Skyler Ingwerson (Dakota Wesleyan): W-TF 17-2
    • Chase Ridder (Midland): W-MD 17-7
    • Martin Phillips (Doane): W-TF 19-2
    • Carter Behler (Northwestern): W-TF 16-1
    • Leland Slawson (Briar Cliff): W-MD 9-0
  • Concordia remains perfect in GPAC duals since its defeat at Hastings on Feb. 13, 2014. A total of 718 days have passed since that loss. During the streak the Bulldogs have outscored opponents by a combined total of 411-106 while winning 91 of 120 of the individual matches.
  • Additional victories in last week’s win at Briar Cliff came courtesy of Dmitri Smith (125), Foster Bunce (149), Tommy Bailey (165), Travian Cooke (174), Ken Burkhardt Jr. (197) and Ceron Francisco (285). The seventh-ranked Francisco defeated 14th-ranked Dalton Presley, 6-4, to move to 5-0 in GPAC duals. Bunce owns an unblemished 3-0 record in conference duals.
  • Vote’s roster sports 10 individuals with 10 or more wins on the season. Five Bulldogs have eclipsed the 20-win mark. The latest to do so was Francisco, who joins Schulte, Lule, Bailey and Burkhardt Jr. on the list. Matt Atwood is next closest with 18 victories.
    • Andrew Schulte (141/149) – 29-6
    • Jr Lule (157) – 27-7
    • Tommy Bailey (165) – 24-18
    • Ken Burkhardt Jr. (197) – 23-11
    • Ceron Francisco (285) – 22-13
    • Matt Atwood (184) – 18-5
    • Travian Cooke (174) – 16-11
    • Daniel Melcher (149) – 13-8
    • Dmitri Smith (125) – 15-15
    • Alexander Reimers (197) – 10-9
  • Concordia will step outside of the conference to host Bethany College (1-7), a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. The Swedes’ lone nationally-ranked wrestler is No. 15 Trevor Whittaker at 184 pounds. Vote’s program will use the night to honor former 11-year Seward High School assistant wrestling coach Jeramie Schoepf, who died tragically in March of 2014. Jeramie’s brother Josh will join the Concordia coaching staff as an honorary coach for the dual. Three days later, the Bulldogs get back to GPAC competition with a dual at Hastings (2-9, 1-5 GPAC). The Saturday battle is set for 5 p.m. At least a share of the conference title can be clinched with a win Saturday.

Tennis

  • It was a light week for Bulldog tennis. The women have been idle since a 6-3 loss to Grand View University (Iowa) on Jan. 23. Meanwhile, the Concordia men traveled to NCAA Division I University of Nebraska Omaha on Jan. 29 and fell, 7-0. Head coach Joel Reckewey’s men own a record of 1-1. The women are 0-2. For more information on Bulldog tennis: men | women.
  • No. 1 singles player Willy Pardos, a freshman from Pamplona, Spain, has gotten off to an impressive start with a victory over Grand View’s Jordan Feige (6-0, 6-2) in the season opener and then a narrow loss to Omaha’s Matt Dunn (6-3, 4-6, 10-6) in last week’s action. Pardos has jumped immediately into the No. 1 position and fellow freshman Thomas Greeff, a native of Pretoria, South Africa, has slotted in behind at No. 2.
  • Reckewey has employed the exact same men’s singles and doubles lineups through two matches. After Pardos and Greeff, the final four singles spots have been manned by Javier Moreno (No. 3), Patricio Esquivel (No. 4), Gabe Poling (No. 5) and Philip Yox (No. 6). The doubles teams have been made up of Moreno and Pardos (No. 1), Greeff and Poling (No. 2) and Esquivel and Yox (No. 3).
  • Both Bulldog teams will be on the road this weekend. Concordia will be at NCAA Division II William Jewell College (Mo.) (1-2 men | 1-1 women) at 11 a.m. on Friday before returning to Nebraska to play Baker University (Kan.) (0-0 men | 0-0 women) in Lincoln at 12 p.m. on Saturday. The next home matches are scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 13 when both squads host Bethany College (first serve at 10 a.m.) inside the Walz Fieldhouse.