2016 Bulldog Weekly Report (Feb. 23)

By Jacob Knabel on Feb. 23, 2016 in Baseball

Bulldog Booster Club Athletes of the Week

Male: Matt Atwood, Wrestling / Cody Boellstorff, Track & Field

Atwood, a native of Smith Center, Kan., blossomed in his lone as a Bulldog. Last week we captured the NAIA North Qualifier 184-pound title while aiding in Concordia’s second-straight regional championship. Atwood, an automatic national qualifier, carries a record of 24-5 into the national championships.

Boellstorff, who hails from Waverly, Neb., pushed his own NAIA-leading and school record weight throw to 68’ 10 ½” to claim the weight throw title at last week’s GPAC indoor championship meet. Boellstorff also placed fifth in the shot put, netting him a total of 14 team points.

Female: Kim Wood, Track & Field

Wood, a senior from Greeley, Neb., put together a historic performance at last week’s GPAC indoor championships. She won four event titles while breaking three meet records on the track. For her efforts, Wood earned GPAC Female Athlete of the Meet honors. She’s now won a combined seven GPAC titles over the past two conference indoor championships.

News and notes:

Putting Kim Wood’s big day into perspective: Senior Kim Wood won four GPAC titles and broke three meet records on the track at last week’s conference indoor championships. Said head coach Kregg Einspahr, “The records she broke – you know the old cliché – she made it look easy. When I look at the records she broke and who held those, every one of those individuals were great runners and great competitors in the GPAC and she just blew those records away.” For more perspective on Wood’s big day, click HERE.

Concordia football announces 2016 slate: The 10-game 2016 schedule for the Concordia football program has been announced. The season will kick off on Sept. 3 when the Bulldogs host Saint Mary University (Kan.) as part of the GPAC/KCAC Football Challenge. To view the complete schedule, click HERE.

The process of making of a GPAC power: How has head coach Dana Vote built Bulldog wrestling into a GPAC powerhouse? According to star 141-pounder Andrew Schulte, “It’s all about the process.” For more insight into the program’s recent success, click HERE.

Softball breaks from action: Third-year head coach Todd LaVelle’s squad has been idle since winning three of five games at the Cowtown Classic (Feb. 12-13) in Fort Worth, Texas. The Bulldogs are slated to return to action March 6 when they begin a 10-game swing in Tucson, Ariz.

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 GPAC men’s basketball tournament action at Dakota Wesleyan on Wednesday (8 p.m.) and possible conference semifinal action on Saturday should the Concordia men/women advance past the quarterfinals.

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.

Wrestling

  • Seventh-ranked Concordia left no doubt as to which program rules the GPAC. While hosting the 2016 NAIA North National Qualifier on Feb. 20, the Bulldogs easily won the region for the second-straight year by racking up 169 team points to outpace runner-up Morningside (115.5 points). In the process, fourth-year head coach Dana Vote’s squad had eight individuals lock up automatic bids to the national championships. Four claimed NAIA North titles and two were second-place finishers. For more on Concordia wrestling, click HERE.
  • The Bulldogs won their first 13 matches of the day at the North Qualifier and finished 32-12 overall. Of the 12 Bulldogs in action, 11 won at least one match with each of the 11 recording at top-five placement in their respective weight class.
  • The four Concordia titlists at the North Qualifier were Andrew Schulte (141), Jr Lule (157), Matt Atwood (184) and Ceron Francisco (285). The quartet combined to go 14-0. Lule, ranked seventh nationally, was particularly dominant in winning all four of his matches by technical fall. Schulte also received little resistance as he recorded a pair of pins and then won his title bout by major decision. Francisco enjoyed similar success with two wins via fall and a major decision. Meanwhile, Atwood avenged a loss earlier this season to Northwestern’s Tyree Cox. Atwood edged Cox, 8-6, in the 184-pound championship match.
  • Other automatic national qualifiers for Concordia are Dmitri Smith (third place at 125), Kodie Cole (second place at 133), Foster Bunce (third place at 149) and Ken Burkhardt Jr. (second place at 197). Burkhardt Jr., Cole, Francisco and Schulte are all returning All-Americans. Under Vote, the program has gone from no national qualifiers in 2013 to five in 2014 to 10 in both 2015 and 2016. Tommy Bailey (165) and Travian Cooke (174) were announced as at-large national qualifiers by the NAIA on Monday.
  • Lule and Schulte have continued their impressive win streaks. Schulte has won 21-straight matches dating back to early December. Ranked No. 1 in the NAIA at 141 pounds, Schulte went 7-0 in GPAC duals and during his active win streak owns six wins by technical fall, four by major decision and two by pin. Lule has been every bit as dominant against conference foes. During GPAC dual action Lule outscored his opponents by a combined total of 112-10. Schulte and Lule combined to win five GPAC wrestler of the week awards. As a team, Concordia earned six of the season’s final seven conference weekly honors.
  • The list of accomplishments over the past two seasons continues to grow for Vote’s program. The Buena Vista University alum was again named the NAIA North’s coach of the year after guiding Concordia to a second-straight regional title. Concordia also owns an active streak of 14-straight GPAC dual wins and has possessed the conference’s last two wrestlers of the year – Emilio Rivera (2013-14) and Enrique Barajas (2014-15). The Bulldogs aspire to improve upon last year’s all-time program single-year bests for highest national finish (12th) and most All-Americans (four).
  • In another sign of how far the program has come in a few short years, Concordia has gone from the bottom of the region to second in 2013-14 before winning each of the last two North Qualifiers. In addition, after winning just a single conference dual in 2012-13, the Bulldogs have gone a combined 19-2 in GPAC duals over the last three years.
  • Vote’s roster sports 13 individuals with 10 or more wins on the season. Eight Bulldogs have eclipsed the 20-win mark. The latest to do so were Cooke and Smith. Austin Starkey cracked double-digit wins thanks to his fourth-place finish at the NAIA North Qualifier.
    • Andrew Schulte (141/149) – 35-6
    • Jr Lule (157) – 34-7
    • Tommy Bailey (165) – 26-18
    • Ceron Francisco (285) – 28-13
    • Ken Burkhardt Jr. (197) – 27-11
    • Matt Atwood (184) – 24-5
    • Travian Cooke (174) – 20-14
    • Dmitri Smith (125) – 20-17
    • Foster Bunce (141/149) – 14-9
    • Daniel Melcher (149) – 13-8
    • Kodie Cole (133) – 13-10
    • Alexander Reimers (197) – 11-11
    • Austin Starkey (157/164/174) – 11-15
  • The NAIA National Championships on March 4-5 are all that remain on the 2015-16 schedule. The grand event is set to be held at the Kansas Expocentre in Topeka, Kan., for the third-straight year. For more information on the national championships, click HERE.

Track and Field

  • The 2016 GPAC Indoor Track and Field Championships came to a conclusion on Feb. 20 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln, Neb. The two-day meet saw the Concordia women finish in second place with 140.833 points. The men placed third in the conference with 112.5 points. A total of 10 GPAC event titles were won by Bulldogs, including four by Kim Wood, who put together a historic performance. For more on head coach Kregg Einspahr’s track and field programs, click HERE.
  • Wood didn’t simply win four events on the track, she blazed to GPAC indoor meet records in three of her races: 600 meters, 1,000 meters and one mile. It was a performance unlike any other Einspahr has seen in his nearly four decades of involvement with the GPAC and the former Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. With her four individual wins and her work as part of Concordia’s 4x400 meter relay, Wood Earned GPAC female Outstanding Athlete of the Meet honors with a total of 41 points. Wood will enter the national championships with top-four NAIA marks in the 600 meter, 800 meter, 1,000 meter and one mile runs.
  • GPAC meet records were also broken by two Concordia throwers – Zach Lurz (shot put) and Kali Robb (weight throw). The defending indoor national champion in the shot put, Lurz has now won four GPAC titles in the shot put in his career. Meanwhile, Robb set a new personal best in the weight throw with her meet record toss of 62’ 1 ¾” – good for third best on the NAIA national list.  Her weight throw title was the first GPAC championship of her career.
  • Lurz and Robb were part of a dominant effort by Bulldog throwers at the conference meet. They combined for 18 of the 32 total all-conference awards (top-eight place finishers in each event) in the shot put and weight throw competitions. Concordia male throwers held down first, second, fifth, seventh and eighth place spots in the shot put and first, second, fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth place positions in the weight throw. Bulldog female throwers took up the first, third and fourth slots in the shot put and the first, third, fifth and sixth placements in the weight throw.
  • Both Cody Boellstorff (weight throw) and Stephanie Coley (shot put) extended their national leading and school record marks with GPAC titles of their own. Boellstorff tops the NAIA in the weight throw with his toss of 68’ 10 ½.” Coley leads the nation in the shot put, checking in at 48’ 1 ¾.” The only throwing event not led on the national level by Concordia is the women’s weight throw, where Bulldogs currently rank third, sixth and seventh.
  • Additional GPAC titles were captured by junior CJ Muller (600 meters) and freshman McKenzie Gravo (pole vault). Gravo’s win means that a Concordia female has taken first place in the pole vault in four-straight GPAC meets. Cassie Starks captured 2015 GPAC indoor and outdoor pole vault titles and Shelby Yelden won the 2014 conference outdoor pole vault championship. For Muller, it was his first career individual conference title. He was also part of the champion 4x400 meter relay in 2014.
  • Two fresh automatic marks were turned in at the GPAC meet. They came courtesy of Allison Brooks (runner-up in the pole vault) and the women’s 4x800 meter relay. Brooks tied for second place with her clearance of 11’ 5.” The 4x800 meter relay (Alayna Daberkow, Marti Vlasin, Kelsey Crymble and Talitha Elbert) placed third by clocking in at 9:39.05.
  • Here’s a look at the 34 automatic national qualifying marks and seven ‘B’ standard marks produced this season by Concordia athletes. Seven Bulldogs own automatic marks in more than one event: Coley, Lurz, Muller, Robb, Rojas, Wiechman and Wood.
    • Men’s 4x400 – A, 3:21.54
    • Women’s 4x400 – A, 3:59.99
    • Men’s 4x800 – B, 7:59.94
    • Women’s 4x800 – A, 9:40.45
    • Trey Barnes – shot put (A, 54’ 3 ¾”)
    • Cody Boellstorff – weight throw (A, 68’ 10 ½”); shot put (A, 51’ 7”)
    • Allison Brooks – pole vault (A, 11’ 5”)
    • Kattie Cleveland – weight throw (A, 57’ 6 ½”)
    • Stephanie Coley – shot put (A, 48’ 1 ¾”); weight throw (A, 57’ 11 ¾”)
    • Alayna Daberkow – pentathlon (A, 3,116)
    • McKenzie Gravo – pole vault (A, 12’ 2 ¾”)
    • Liz King – weight throw (A, 53’ 8 ¼”)
    • Philip Kreutzer – weight throw (A, 59’ 2”); shot put (B, 50’ 7 ½”)
    • Samantha Liermann – shot put (A, 46’ 10”)
    • Zach Lurz – shot put (A, 60’ 1 ¼”); weight throw (A, 63’ 4 ¾”)
    • Sydney Meyer – weight throw (B, 52’ 2”)
    • Cynthia Mick – pole vault (A, 11’ 5”)
    • CJ Muller – 400 meter run (A, 49.04); 600 meter run (A, 1:20.71)
    • Johanna Ragland – shot put (B, 42’ 1 ¼”)
    • Kali Robb – shot put (A, 47’ 7 ¼”); weight throw (A, 62’ 1 ¾”)
    • Jose Rojas – shot put (A, 55’ 1 ½”); weight throw (A, 59’ 9 ½”)
    • Austin Schafer – pole vault (A, 15’ 5”)
    • Benjamin Schulteis – weight throw (A, 56’ 8 ¾”)
    • Katelyn Shoup – triple jump (B, 36’ 7”)
    • Emily Sievert – 5,000 meter run (A, 18:07.90); 3,000 meter run (B, 10:30.35)
    • Josh Slechta – weight throw (A, 58’ 10 ¼”)
    • Lucas Wiechman – pole vault (A, 16’ ¾”); heptathlon (A, 4,922); 60 meter hurdles (B, 8.38)
    • Kim Wood – 600 meter run (A, 1:33.15); 800 meter run (A, 2:11.03); 1,000 meter run (A, 2:55.95); one mile run (A, 4:52.01)
  • The 2016 indoor season will conclude at the NAIA National Championships, set for March 3-5 at David E. Walker Track at Gentry Field in Johnson City, Tenn. The complete field of national qualifiers will be announced later this week. For more information on the championships, click HERE.

Women’s Basketball

  • The Walz mystique carried on last week as 13th-ranked Concordia moved to 70-9 in home games since the start of the 2011-12 season. The Bulldogs won for the seventh time in eight games when they flustered Deaundra Young and College of Saint Mary in a 74-62 win on Feb. 17. Three days later Concordia struggled to get out of its own way in a 75-55 loss at No. 10 Briar Cliff. Tenth-year head coach Drew Olson’s squad ended the regular season at 22-8 overall and 14-8 in conference play (tied for fourth). As the GPAC tournament’s No. 5 seed, the Bulldogs will have to go on the road in the quarterfinal round for the first time since 2011. To read recaps of recent action, click HERE.
  • In the absence of 2014-15 GPAC freshman of the year Mary Janovich, freshman Quinn Wragge has taken her game to another level. Over the 12 games that Janovich has missed due to an ACL tear, Wragge has averaged 17.9 points per game, pushing her season average to 14.3. In last week’s action she averaged 21.5 points, 16.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while making 17-of-24 (.708) shots from the floor. She snared a career high 18 rebounds (10 offensive) in the victory over College of Saint Mary.
  • This marks the fifth-straight season that Concordia has lost no more than three home games. Over that stretch, the Bulldogs have produced home records of 13-2 (2015-16), 15-1 (2014-15), 12-2 (2013-14), 15-3 (2012-13) and 15-1 (2011-12). This season’s only home losses came at the hands of No. 1 Morningside and Doane. Five ranked teams have left Walz with losses in 2015-16: No. 4 Briar Cliff, No. 6 Dakota Wesleyan, No. 6 University of Jamestown (N.D.), No. 10 Hastings and No. 24 Mayville State University (N.D.).
  • Over its recent run of three-straight GPAC home wins, Concordia held each of its opponents well south of 40 percent shooting: Midland (.353), Northwestern (.333) and College of Saint Mary (.343). The Bulldogs rank second among GPAC teams in field goal percentage defense (.395) and fifth in scoring defense (66.5). Concordia is 19-0 this season when it holds opponents to 70 points or less.
  • The outside shots have not been falling at as frequent a rate as they were earlier in the season for the Bulldogs. Over the past seven outings, Concordia has shot below 30 percent from beyond the arc in six of those games. Included in that stretch was a 4-for-26 effort at Morningside and a 4-for-20 performance versus Northwestern. Those struggles have sagged the Bulldogs’ season 3-point percentage down to 33.6 (30th best among NAIA Division II teams). Concordia still ranks seventh nationally in terms of 3-point field goals per game (9.7).
  • Barring upsets in the conference tournament, senior Becky Mueller made her final appearance at Walz Arena on Feb. 17. She tallied 17 points in the win over College of Saint Mary and now has 1,040 for her career. She is one of 24 members of the program’s 1,000-point club. With Mueller as a key figure over the past three seasons, the Bulldogs have a combined record of 82-19.
  • Despite the lopsided loss to end last week, Concordia appears to be in good shape for an at-large bid to the national tournament should it fall short of winning the GPAC tournament. A total of 32 teams (23 automatic, nine at-large) make up the national tournament field each season. At-large choices are based upon the final top 25 poll. In 2015 Robert Morris (Ill.) received the final at-large spot after being ranked 21st in the national poll. Five or six GPAC teams are expected to make the field this season.
  • In last week’s home win, Concordia held Deaundra Young to 16 points, roughly seven below her season average. Only three times this season has she scored 16 or fewer points in a game. It was a stark contrast to her career high 41 points on Jan. 13 when the Bulldogs won, 73-67, at College of Saint Mary.
  • GPAC tournament action opens up Wednesday as the Bulldogs are set to make a return trip to Briar Cliff (21-8, 14-8 GPAC) for a 6 p.m. tipoff. The two teams split the regular-season series. The winner will advance to play either eighth-seeded College of Saint Mary (16-13, 10-12 GPAC) or top-seeded Morningside (28-2, 20-2 GPAC) in the conference semifinals on Saturday.

Men’s Basketball

  • The 2015-16 regular season came to an end as Concordia played just a single contest last week. After a mid-week bye, the Bulldogs were toppled by GPAC regular-season champion and sixth-ranked Briar Cliff, 98-84, on Feb. 20. The Bulldogs were cooled off by a Charger squad that played a hand in their 27 turnovers. Third-year head coach Ben Limback’s squad will enter the postseason with records of 18-11 overall and 10-10 in conference action (sixth). To read recaps of recent action, click HERE.
  • Coming off a 110-point outburst in its senior day win on Feb. 13, Concordia slipped to 46.6 percent shooting at Briar Cliff. That figure marked the lowest shooting percentage for the Bulldogs since shooting 41.8 percent in a 70-65 loss at York College on Jan. 13. Behind a surging offense, Concordia had won seven of eight contests prior to the defeat in Sioux City. The team’s current season average of 85.9 ranks third highest in program history (see top five below).
    • 1993-94 – 88.6
    • 1990-91 – 86.4
    • 2015-16 – 85.9
    • 1995-96 – 85.1
    • 2000-01 – 84.0
  • In last week’s outing, junior Chandler Folkerts recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds to push his GPAC-leading double-double total to 13. Folkerts is knocking on the door of the program’s top-10 all-time scoring list. At 1,386 career points, the Milford, Neb., native needs five more to pass Porter Birtell (1,390) for the No. 10 spot. Folkerts stands 713 points off the Concordia career record held by Jon Ziegler (2,099 points from 2004-07). Folkerts has already cracked the top 10 in rebounding, ranking No. 9 with 612 career boards.
  • No matter the result of this week’s action, the 2015-16 season will mark the third straight in which the program’s wins total has increased. The Bulldogs went from six victories in 2012-13 to eight in 2013-14 to 16 in 2014-15 to 18 so far in 2015-16. The 18 wins are the most for the program since the 2009-10 team went 18-12 overall.
  • The loss at Briar Cliff marked the sixth time this season that Concordia has faced a team that carried a national ranking at the time of the game. The Bulldogs own a pair of wins versus top 25 nonconference opponents in No. 8 Bellevue University and No. 23 California State University-Maritime. The four losses have come against Briar Cliff (twice) and Dakota Wesleyan (twice). Midland was receiving votes in the national poll when it was beaten by Concordia, 91-85, on Feb. 10.
  • Folkerts (577 points) and senior guard Jamie Pearson (517 points) are Concordia’s first teammate duo with 500 points each since Ziegler and Scott Beck both eclipsed that figure in 2005-06. Ziegler is the last Bulldog to tally more than 600 points in a season. He put up 618 when he averaged 21.3 per game in 2006-07. Ziegler had three seasons of more than 550 points apiece.
  • Eight of Concordia’s GPAC regular-season series resulted in sweeps this season. The Bulldogs were 2-0 against the likes of Doane, Mount Marty, Morningside and Northwestern and 0-2 versus Briar Cliff, Dakota Wesleyan, Hastings and Nebraska Wesleyan. The only splits came against Dordt and Midland with the home team winning in all instances.
  • Concordia continues to rank among the top 20 NAIA Division II teams in several key statistical categories, including fifth in field goal percentage (.505), sixth in blocks per game (4.6), seventh in free throw percentage (.753) and 18th in scoring per game (85.9).
  • The GPAC tournament commences on Wednesday with a trip to 15th-ranked Dakota Wesleyan (21-9, 13-7 GPAC) for an 8 p.m. tipoff in Mitchell, S.D. The sixth-seeded Bulldogs hope to avoid having their season come to an end at Dakota Wesleyan as it did in 2015. The Tigers have won nine-straight meetings with Concordia.

Baseball

  • Concordia received a significant early-season test with a four-game series at 20th-ranked Sterling College (Kan.) over the weekend. The Warriors (10-0) outscored the Bulldogs by a combined total of 42-12 in the process of sweeping the four-game set. While two of the games got out of hand, Concordia lost the series opener, 5-4, in 14 innings and then relinquished a 4-3 lead in a 6-4 loss to end the weekend. Second-year head coach Ryan Dupic’s squad now sits at 2-6 overall after two four-game series versus Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference teams to open up 2016. To read recaps of recent action, click HERE.
  • One does not have to go back very far to find the most recent 14-inning affair played by a Concordia baseball team. In the 2015 season finale, the Bulldogs dropped a 4-3 decision in 14 frames at Midland. Last season Concordia went more than nine innings on just two occasions. The other was a 6-4, 12-inning victory over Grace University.
  • Senior right-hander Mark Harris has served as a quality innings eater out of the bullpen this season. Dupic stretched the Tucson, Ariz., native out for six innings during the marathon at Sterling. Harris answered the call in dominant fashion, holding the Warriors scoreless while surrendering just one hit and three walks to go along with his seven strikeouts. In two relief appearances Harris has given up only one earned run over 8.1 innings. He leads the pitching staff with 11 punch outs.
  • Junior catcher Ryan Fesmire enjoyed a solid week behind the plate. Despite the 9-1 loss in game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader, Fesmire gunned down three would-be base stealers. This season Fesmire has caught 7-of-12 (.583) runners who have attempted to steal on him. The native of Firestone, Colo., went 3-for-12 at the plate over the weekend and tops Concordia with a .350 batting average on the year.
  • Several of the Bulldogs’ biggest bats are off to slow starts in 2016. First team all-conference center fielder Alex Alstott went 0-for-11 to begin the campaign before singling in the third inning of the first game of the Feb. 20 twin bill. Others who have occupied top-four spots in the lineup such as third baseman Casey Berg (.125) and catcher/designated hitter Christian Montero (.160) are also batting below .200, albeit in small sample sizes. Alstott is a proven commodity after having led the GPAC in on-base percentage, slugging percentage and triples in 2015.
  • Dupic is still looking for greater consistency from the starting rotation. Sophomore right-handed hurler Cole Jackson lent a solid six innings of one-run ball as part of the 14-inning loss at Sterling. He limited the damage despite allowing six hits and four walks. Dupic has used the same four starting pitchers in both four-game sets this season. Jackson (3.60) has produced the best results in terms of ERA.
  • Fesmire is one of three Bulldog regulars hitting better than .300. The others are outfielders Taylor Dudley (.348) and Taylor Bigandt (.320). Dudley, who hails from Longmont, Colo., is in his third season as a starter. He’s a career .335 hitter closing in on 100 career hits (currently at 95). Dudley leads the team with six RBIs. Bigandt, Dudley and Fesmire each have eight hits this season to top the Bulldogs.
  • One issue thus far for the lineup has been a lack of juice. Through eight games, 49 of the team’s 55 hits have gone for just a single base. Jacob Adams (two doubles) is the only Bulldog with more than one extra-base hit. The team owns a slugging percentage of .251. They’ve made up for it in part by drawing 38 walks and being hit by 15 pitches.
  • Concordia will return to the state of Kansas for a third-straight weekend when it begins a four-game series at Ottawa University (3-8) at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday’s twin bill is slated for 12 p.m. The Braves have already played one GPAC opponent. They lost two of three to Briar Cliff (Feb. 13-14).

Tennis

  • Both of second-year head coach Joel Reckewey’s squads were in action once last week with a nonconference tilt versus Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member Southwestern College. The Concordia men won for the second time in three tries, taking a 5-4 decision over the Moundbuilders. That followed a 9-0 Bulldog loss in the women’s match. Both contests took place inside the Abbott Sports Complex in Lincoln. The men now stand at 3-4 overall while the women slipped to 1-6. For more on the Concordia tennis programs: MEN | WOMEN.
  • Both freshman Willy Pardos and junior Javier Moreno were perfect in leading the victory over Southwestern. Pardos defeated Jonahs Joudrey, 6-1, 6-2 at No. 1 singles while Moreno held off Blake Cherry, 7-6, 3-6, 12-10 at No. 3 singles. The teammates then combined for an 8-2 victory at No. 1 doubles. Pardos, a native of Pamplona, Spain, has been the team’s most consistent performer. He’s 5-2 while playing solely at the No. 1 singles spot. Moreno is now 3-4 having spent most of his time at No. 3 singles.
  • The men overcame a 2-1 deficit after doubles play by winning four singles matches. Additional singles wins were delivered by junior Patricio Esquivel (No. 4) and freshman Gabe Poling (No. 5). Reckewey has settled on a consistent men’s lineup with Pardos and Thomas Greeff at the top. Morelia, Mexico, natives Moreno and Esquivel have typically held down the next two slots.
  • Overall, the Concordia men are 18-24 in singles matches and 6-15 in doubles play. At 3-4, the combo of Moreno and Pardos has been effective. Greeff and Poling have collaborated on two wins at No. 2 doubles.
  • On the other hand, the Concordia women fell in their bid to win for the second-straight outing. Southwestern, currently receiving votes in the national poll, dropped only a single set throughout the afternoon. Bulldog freshman Katelinn Wurm forced a tiebreaker at No. 2 singles, but relinquished a 6-4, 6-7, 7-4 decision.
  • Overall, the Concordia women are 10-32 in singles matches and 4-17 in doubles play. Alison Ebel and Kayla Smock are the team leaders with two singles wins apiece.
  • The Bulldogs will be back in Lincoln on Saturday for a men’s and women’s doubleheader with Tabor College (M: 0-0 | W: 0-0), a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. First serve is set for 1 p.m. CT.