Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
Male: Jaidan Quinn, Baseball
Quinn, who hails from Bonner Springs, Kan., put up eye-popping numbers as Concordia went 6-0 last week. As part of that run, Quinn batted .722 (13-for-18) with 17 runs, four doubles, seven home runs and 15 RBIs. Quinn was also named the GPAC and NAIA National Player of the Week.
Female: Mackenzie Toomey, Basketball
A Lincoln native, Toomey put together one of the best weeks of her collegiate career as she totaled 34 points, 18 rebounds, six assists and four steals in home wins over Hastings and Midland. Toomey’s 21 points versus Hastings represented a career high. She is averaging 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds on the season.
2023-24 BAAM Athletes of the Month
January – Kendal Brigham (basketball) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
December – Evan Fukuhara (weightlifting) / Hayley Miles (track & field)
November – Creighton Baughman (wrestling) / Abby Krieser (basketball)
October – Becca Gebhardt (volleyball) / DJ McGarvie (football)
September – Austin Jablonski (football) / Ashley Keck (volleyball)
Previous BAAM Athletes of the Week
Feb. 20 – Jenna Esch (track & field) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
Feb. 13 – Brad Bennett (basketball) / Jenna Esch (track & field)
Feb. 6 – Barret Brandt (wrestling) / Kylahn Freiberg (track & field)
Jan. 30 – Kendal Brigham (basketball) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
Jan. 23 – Kylahn Freiberg (track & field) / Zach Zohner (track & field)
Jan. 16 – Kendal Brigham (basketball) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
Jan. 9 – Abby Heemstra (basketball) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
Dec. 12 – Evan Fukuhara (weightlifting) / Hayley Miles (track & field)
Dec. 5 – Noah Schutte (basketball) / Kristin Vieselmeyer (basketball)
Nov. 28 – Creighton Baughman (wrestling) / Kylahn Freiberg (cross country) / Abby Krieser (basketball)
Nov. 14 – Austin Jablonski (football) / Maddie Paulsen (volleyball)
Nov. 7 – Sara Huss (volleyball) / Kyle Sterup (football)
Oct. 31 – Kierstynn Garner (soccer) / Michael Owens (soccer)
Oct. 24 – Rebecca Gebhardt (volleyball) / Julie McIntyre (cross country) / Michael Owens (soccer)
Oct. 17 – Kierstynn Garner (soccer) / DJ McGarvie (football)
Oct. 10 – Rylee Ladd (powerlifting) / Jack Nelson (shooting sports) / Camryn Opfer (volleyball) / D’Andre Williams (soccer)
Oct. 3 – Austin Jablonski (football) / Grace Soenksen (soccer)
Sept. 26 – Ashley Keck (volleyball) / Mason Ward (shooting sports)
Sept. 19 – Savannah Andrews (soccer) / Carter Hinman (soccer)
Sept. 12 – Katie Welker (shooting sports) / Devin Zeigler (football)
Sept. 5 – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball) / Carter Hinman (soccer)
Aug. 29 – Isaiah Shaddick (soccer) / Gabi Nordaker (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.
Cheer claims first place, Dance places third at Dordt Invite: The competition season continued over the weekend for the Concordia Competitive Cheer & Dance teams as they traveled to Sioux Center, Iowa. Head Coach Emilie Ashenbach’s cheer squad celebrated a championship while claiming first place with a score of 80.9. The Bulldogs beat out a field of eight teams that included GPAC rivals Dordt, Morningside, Doane and Mount Marty. As for dance, Head Coach Mandi Maser’s squad placed third with a score of 81.4, finishing behind only Morningside and Viterbo (nine total teams). The Dordt Invite marked the fifth event of the 2024 competition season for both sides. Concordia will now fine-tune its routines while preparing for the GPAC Championships/NAIA Qualifier competitions coming up March 8-9 in Crete. Both Bulldog squads have hopes of making pushes for national championships berths.
Weightlifting Nationals to run Thursday through Sunday in Columbus, Ohio: A group of six Bulldogs is preparing to represent Concordia University Weightlifting at the 2024 National University Championships this Thursday through Sunday (Feb. 29 – March 3). The Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, will serve as the venue for the championship gathering. The six Bulldogs headed for the national stage are: Evan Fukuhara, Gracy Johnson, Michael Davidge, Cody Monsevais, Nolan Graupmann and Adrian Hernandez. Fukuhara has made waves this season while winning a championship at the North American Open Finals in Wilmington, N.C. More details on the National University Championships can be found HERE.
Brigham and a senior class that persevered: The senior class is one that has persevered while shaping the 2023-24 Concordia University Women’s Basketball team into an elite squad. Student-athletes like Kendal Brigham came to Concordia because it offered a close-knit, Christian community. As someone who felt her hometown of Wahoo wrap its arms around her during a time of hardship, Brigham knows something about community. These seniors found that environment and much more. For more on the senior class, click HERE.
Bulldog Men’s Basketball cracks NAIA top 25 with unique mix of veterans and newcomers: Keep winning and the outsiders will have no choice but to pay attention. Such is the case for the 2023-24 Concordia University Men’s Basketball team, which has had to earn its way onto the national radar. Thanks to an eight-game winning streak featuring two top 25 wins, the Bulldogs landed at No. 21 in the NAIA coaches’ poll released on Feb. 14. The win streak reached nine before it was snapped this past weekend at Dordt. We took a look at how Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad has put itself in position to compete for a GPAC regular season title in a feature piece that can be found HERE.
Haecker the ‘gamer’: Energetic and intensely competitive, Rylee Haecker has been described by coaches as "a gamer." Beyond athletics, Haecker is caring and outgoing, is a positive encourager of her teammates and is devout in her faith. The eight-time NAIA All-American is still writing her Concordia Bulldog story. In discussing her career, Haecker said, “I’m super, super thankful because a lot of people don’t get the same opportunity.” For more on Haecker’s journey, click HERE.
Meet Concordia’s colossus of clout, Joey Grabanski: The school’s all-time home run leader, Joey Grabanski has never stopped hitting since the day he arrived on campus. A native of Grand Forks, Neb., Grabanski is the type of player who makes people turn their heads to watch. He’s on the verge of becoming the NAIA’s sultan of swat. Read more about Joey and his journey HERE.
Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its ninth 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 2023-24 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 ninth season calling Concordia volleyball. The Max Country broadcast schedule for the fall semester of 2023 can be found HERE.
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 has partnered with Hudl/BlueFrame 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.
Men’s Basketball
· Current record: 22-6, 15-5 GPAC (T-1st); ranked No. 21 in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Last week:
o Won vs. Hastings, 69-67 (OT), on Feb. 21.
o Won vs. Midland, 90-84 (OT), on Feb. 24.
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: It was a wild ride in the final week of the GPAC regular season as the Bulldogs found a way to win two overtime games in front of the home fans at Friedrich Arena. The two victories allowed Concordia to share the 2023-24 GPAC regular season title with Hastings and Northwestern (all at 15-5 in league play). In the wacky win over Hastings, the Bulldogs rallied back from a 16-point deficit in the second half and won behind 19 points and 18 rebounds from Noah Schutte. Brooks Kissinger emerged with a key 14 points in the memorable win. Three days later, Schutte equaled a season high with 34 points in the nail-biting victory over Midland. On the week, Tristan Smith added 28 points and 19 rebounds. Head Coach Ben Limback has now led the program to GPAC regular season championships in two of the past three years. Prior to the ’21-22 campaign, Concordia had never won the GPAC during the regular season. On an individual note, Schutte moved to No. 5 on the program’s all-time scoring list and enters this week with 1,736 points. Schutte was one of five seniors celebrated this past Saturday. He was joined in that group by Joel Baker, Trey Scheef, Casey Stegeman and Bradyn Whittington. The Bulldogs will be the No. 3 seed in the GPAC tournament and will host sixth-seeded Dordt at 8 p.m. CT on Wednesday in the conference quarterfinals. The winner will move on to play either No. 2 seed Hastings or seventh-seeded Briar Cliff in the semifinals on Saturday afternoon.
· For additional statistics and details, check out the Concordia Men’s Basketball homepage HERE.
· This week:
o Wednesday, Feb. 28 vs. Dordt (19-9), 8 p.m. CT – GPAC Quarterfinals.
o Saturday, March 2 – GPAC Semifinals (with win on Wednesday).
Women’s Basketball
· Current record: 23-5, 17-5 GPAC; ranked No. 7 in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Last week:
o Won vs. Hastings, 82-55, on Feb. 21.
o Won vs. Midland, 80-50, on Feb. 24.
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: The regular season concluded this past week as the Bulldogs finished strong at home, earning blowout wins over in-state foes Hastings, 82-55, and Midland, 80-50. Those results helped Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad lock up the No. 2 seed for the upcoming conference tournament. Individually, Mackenzie Toomey put together an impressive week as she posted a career high 21 points and 13 rebounds versus Hastings. Toomey then added 13 points versus Midland and made 5-of-8 tries from 3-point range for the week. Among noteworthy milestones, Taysha Rushton moved to No. 3 on the program’s all-time scoring list with 1,822 points and Sadie Powell joined the 1,000-point club when she splashed in a trey in the fourth quarter of the victory over Midland. The senior class that was honored this past Saturday includes Powell, Rushton and Toomey as well as fellow varsity players in Kendal Brigham and Hannah Spearman in addition to Lydia Dose, Carolyn Esh, Maggie Hughes and Elayne Poppe. Last week saw Concordia continue its domination of in-state opponents. The Bulldogs earned season sweeps of College of Saint Mary, Doane, Hastings and Midland. Concordia will now take aim at winning a conference tournament title (something it has achieved six times during Olson’s tenure). As the No. 2 seed, the Bulldogs will host seventh-seeded Morningside on Wednesday night. The winner will advance to play in the semifinals on Saturday against either third-seeded Briar Cliff or sixth-seeded Jamestown.
· For additional statistics and details, check out the Concordia Women’s Basketball homepage HERE.
· This week:
o Wednesday, Feb. 28 vs. Morningside (15-12), 6 p.m. CT – GPAC Quarterfinals.
o Saturday, March 2 – GPAC Semifinals (with win on Wednesday).
Wrestling
· Final dual record: 8-7, 3-5 GPAC (6th); placed fifth in the GPAC tournament.
· Most recent outing:
o Placed fifth at the 2024 GPAC Wrestling Championships (Feb. 16-17).
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Rankings
· Notable: All that remains in the 2023-24 season is this weekend’s NAIA national tournament. Head Coach Chase Clasen’s program will be represented on the national stage by three Bulldogs who earned automatic bids to nationals: Creighton Baughman (141), Tommy Wentz (165) and Mason Garcia (197). All three placed within the top three of their respective weight classes at the GPAC Championships and all three were also named All-GPAC award winners last week. Baughman will return to the NAIA National Championships for the second year in a row while Wentz and Garcia will make their first career appearances at nationals. Baughman is seeded 10th in the NAIA at 141 pounds. The Papillion, Neb., native will be looking to improve upon his 2-2 showing at the 2023 national tournament. This year’s NAIA championships will take place Thursday through Saturday at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan. The top eight finishers in each weight class are considered All-Americans.
· For additional statistics and details, check out the Concordia Wrestling homepage HERE.
· This week:
o 2024 NAIA Wrestling Championships (Feb. 29 – March 2) in Park City, Kan. More details about the event can be found HERE.
Track & Field
· Current NAIA rankings (USTFCCCA) – No. 3 women | No. 9 men.
· Most recent meet:
o Competed at the 2024 GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championships on Feb. 16-17; women placed first and men placed third.
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | TFRRS NAIA indoor qualifying list
· Notable: On the heels of GPAC indoor place finishes of first on the women’s side and third on the men’s side, Head Coach Matt Beisel’s program announced a national qualifying roster of 32 student-athletes. Eleven of those Bulldogs have earned past All-America awards, including eight-time All-American Rylee Haecker. In the pole vault, Josie Puelz looks to add to her five career national titles. On the men’s side of things, Zach Zohner enters as the NAIA national leader in the pole vault. Based on the seedings entering the event, the Concordia women stand a solid chance of placing in the top four nationally and earning a team trophy. The 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships will be held at the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex in Brookings, S.D., Thursday through Saturday. The event will put a bow on the indoor season.
· Keep up with Concordia Track & Field throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons by visiting the team’s homepage HERE.
· This week:
o 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships (Feb. 29 – March 2) in Brookings, S.D. More details about the event can be found HERE.
Baseball
· Current record: 8-3; receiving votes in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Last week:
o Won at No. 16 Kansas Wesleyan, 14-5, on Feb. 20.
o Won at No. 16 Kansas Wesleyan, 5-2, on Feb. 20.
o Won vs. Culver-Stockon, 23-6, on Feb. 24 (Fort Scott, Kan.).
o Won vs. Culver-Stockton, 17-2, on Feb. 24 (Fort Scott, Kan.).
o Won vs. Culver-Stockton, 15-4, on Feb. 25 (Fort Scott, Kan.).
o Won vs. Culver-Stockton, 12-1, on Feb. 25 (Fort Scott, Kan.).
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad found a groove while going 6-0 over the past week. That stretch included a doubleheader sweep at No. 16 Kansas Wesleyan University and a four-game series sweep of Culver-Stockton College (Mo.). The offensive numbers were off the charts for the week as the Bulldogs outscored their opponents by a combined score of 86-20 while hitting .437 with 15 doubles, two triples and 23 home runs. Individually, Jaidan Quinn posted almost unfathomable six-game statistics as he went 13-for-18 (.722) with 17 runs, four doubles, seven home runs, 15 RBIs and 38 total bases. In addition, the freshman Matt Rhoades has been stinging the ball. Last week, he went 13-for-23 (.565) with 10 runs, three doubles, five home runs and 13 RBIs. As a team, Concordia currently leads the NAIA with a .391 batting average. Beyond Quinn and Rhoades, five other Bulldogs went deep last week, including Brad Hallock (three), Jay Adams (two), Alec Blakestad (two), Joey Grabanski (two) and Tanner Tompkins (two). From a pitching perspective, Qwin Zabokrtsky logged the most innings (seven) and collected two wins. Other winning pitchers were Blake Benson, Christian Gutierrez, Caden Johnson and Ernie Snyder. As part of spring break in Florida, Concordia is slated to play 11 games from March 1-9. That stretch will begin with a four-game series at Keiser University (Fla.) March 1-3.
· For additional statistics and details, check out the Concordia Baseball homepage HERE.
· This weekend:
o Friday, March 1 at Keiser, 12 p.m.
o Saturday, March 2 at Keiser, 11 a.m. DH.
o Sunday, March 3 at Keiser, 11 a.m.
o Check out the rest of the spring break schedule HERE.
Softball
· Current record: 2-8.
· Last week:
o Won at University of Saint Mary, 7-2, on Feb. 24.
o Lost at University of Saint Mary, 13-1 (5 inn.), on Feb. 24.
o Lost at Benedictine, 4-0, on Feb. 25.
o Lost at Benedictine, 6-3, on Feb. 25.
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Notable: The Bulldogs spent the weekend in Kansas while making stops in Leavenworth and Atchison. Concordia split the doubleheader at the University of Saint Mary before getting swept in the twin bill at Benedictine College (Kan.). A highlight of the weekend was the way Zoie Isom swung the bat. She went 6-for-12 with two doubles, a home run and three RBIs over the four road games. In addition, freshman shortstop Laycee Josoff connected for her first career home run. It was also a solid four-game run for outfielder Aubrey Bruning, who went 4-for-12 with a double and four RBIs. Workhorse pitcher Megan Eurich appeared in three of the four games and allowed five earned runs in 15.2 innings. Eurich fired a seven-inning complete game in the win at Saint Mary that opened the weekend. A high volume of games is on the way at the beginning of March. Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad will play four games at this weekend’s Friends Invite before making the trip to Tucson, Ariz., over spring break.
· For additional statistics and details, check out the Concordia Softball homepage HERE.
· This week – Friends Invitational at Two Rivers Youth Complex in Wichita, Kansas:
o Friday, March 1 vs. Missouri Valley, 1:20 p.m.
o Friday, March 1 vs. University of Saint Mary, 5:40 p.m.
o Saturday, March 2 vs. Park, 12:20 p.m.
o Saturday, March 2 vs. Sterling, 4:40 p.m.
Men’s and Women’s Tennis
· Current men’s record: 2-5
· Current women’s record: 3-3
· Last week – Men:
o Lost vs. Kansas Wesleyan, 7-0, on Feb. 22 (played in Grand Island, Neb.).
· Last week – Women:
o Won vs. Kansas Wesleyan, 5-2, on Feb. 22 (Grand Island, Neb.).
o Lost at Missouri Western State, 7-0, on Feb. 23.
· Links: Men’s 2024 Schedule | Men’s 2024 Roster | Women’s 2024 Schedule | Women’s 2024 Roster.
· Notable: Both teams were in action towards the latter part of last week. The women went 1-1 while picking up a 5-2 victory over Kansas Wesleyan University. Meanwhile, the men had just the one outing versus Kansas Wesleyan and fell by a 7-0 final score. As highlights from the women’s victory, the Bulldogs earned wins in four of six singles matches and in two of three doubles matches. Singles winners included Mariana Molano at No. 1, Chakira Derman at No. 2, Alana Lopez Pagan at No. 4 and Alexa Richert at No. 5. Blough and Derman teamed up for a win at No. 1 doubles and Lopez Pagan and Molano triumphed at No. 2 doubles. Molano stands at 4-1 in singles with the lone loss coming against her NCAA Division II counterpart from Missouri Western State University. On the men’s side, Michael Bedrosian leads the way with three singles wins on the season. Both sides will go up against the same three institutions this week. The slate includes a trip to Kansas City on Thursday for action against the University of Saint Mary. Concordia will then welcome Sterling College (Kan.) and Iowa Central Community College (Iowa) to the Walz Fieldhouse for weekend home matches.
· For additional statistics and details, check out the Concordia Tennis homepages here: MEN | WOMEN.
· This week – Men:
o Thursday, Feb. 29 vs. University of Saint Mary, 10 a.m. (Kansas City, Mo.).
o Saturday, March 2 vs. Sterling, 11 a.m. (Walz Fieldhouse).
o Sunday, March 3 vs. Iowa Central CC, 1 p.m. (Walz Fieldhouse).
· This week – Women:
o Thursday, Feb. 29 vs. University of Saint Mary, 10 a.m. (Kansas City, Mo.).
o Saturday, March 2 vs. Sterling, 11 a.m. (Walz Fieldhouse).
o Sunday, March 3 vs. Iowa Central CC, 1 p.m. (Walz Fieldhouse)