2023-24 Men's Golf

Placed 9th in the GPAC (303-314-314–931) | Season Stats

FALL
Date	Event	Location	Result
Aug. 28-29	UC Ferguson Classic	Lincoln Park GC West Course \| Oklahoma City, Okla.	Results
Aug. 29-30	Mount Marty Invite (JV)	Yankton, S.D. / Vermillion, S.D.	Results
Sept. 5-6	Blue River Invite	Highlands GC \| Lincoln, Neb.	3 of 16
Sept. 11-12	Siouxland Invite	The Ridge/Landsmeer \| Sioux Center/Orange City, Iowa	11 of 17
Sept. 25-26	Hastings Invite	Lochland CC \| Hastings, Neb.	5 of 11
Oct. 2	Doane JV Invite	Holmes GC \| Lincoln, Neb.	Results
Oct. 6-7	Nebraska Intercollegiate	Awarri Dunes GC \| Axtell, Neb.	7 of 11

SPRING
Date	Event	Location	Result
Mar. 4-5	Mankato Spring Invite	Goodyear, Ariz. \| Palm Valley Golf Club	9 of 11
Mar. 22	Graceland Invite	Maryville, Mo. \| Mozingo Lake Course	3 of 8
Mar. 22	Doane JV Invite	Lincoln, Neb. \| Pioneers Golf Course	Results
April 1	SCC-Beatrice Invite	Beatrice, Neb. \| Beatric Country Club	3 of 6
April 5	Hastings College JV Invite	Hastings, Neb. \| Lochland Country Club	Results
April 8-9	Kansas Wesleyan Midwest National Invite	Manhattan, Kan. \| Colbert Hills	12 of 15
April 14-15	Nebraska Wesleyan Invite	Lincoln, Neb. \| Hillcrest Country Club	5 of 8
April 25	Bulldog-Tiger Cup	Lincoln, Neb. \| Highlands Golf Course	W, 12-9
April 29-30	GPAC Golf Championships	Beatrice, Neb. \| Beatric Country Club	9 of 11

2023-24 Men's Golf Roster

Name	Year	Hometown	Previous School
Colin Aubuchon	Fr.	O'Fallon, Mo.	Saint Dominic HS
Bret Brenneis	Fr.	Tekamah, Neb.	Tekamah-Herman HS
Gavin Buttshaw	Jr.	Aurora, Colo.	Cherokee Trail HS
Drew D'Ercole	Sr.	Papillion, Neb.	Papillion LaVista South HS
Josh D'Ercole	Jr.	Papillion, Neb.	Papillion LaVista South HS
Jacob Dowd	Fr.	Gretna, Neb.	Gretna HS
Maxwell Fremarek	Fr.	Columbus, Neb.	Lakeview HS
Jaxson Fullerton	Jr.	Omaha, Neb.	Omaha Central HS
Jake Hagerbaumer	Jr.	Hooper, Neb.	Logan View HS
Taylor Johnson	Sr.	Council Bluffs, Iowa	Lewis Central HS
Gavin McWhorter	Sr.	Loveland, Colo.	Mountain View HS
Jacob Richmond	So.	Elkhorn, Neb.	Yutan HS
Brock Rogers	So.	Tekameh, Neb.	Tekamah-Herman HS
Justin Webert	Jr.	Lincoln, Neb.	Lincoln Southwest HS
Jacob Woodmancy	Sr.	Grant, Neb.	Perkins County HS

STAFF

Brett Muller, Head Coach (13th Year)

Drew D'Ercole, Graduate Assistant Coach

Season Preview: 2023-24 Concordia Men's Golf

August 23, 2023

Head Coach: Brett Muller (13th year)
2022-23 GPAC Finish: 5th (296-307-296–899)
Key Returners: Drew D’Ercole; Jake Hagerbaumer; Gavin McWhorter; Jake Richmond; Justin Webert; Jacob Woodmancy.
Key Loss: Ivan Yabut.
2022-23 GPAC All-Conference: Drew D’Ercole; Ivan Yabut.

Outlook

Eight of the nine Bulldogs who carded season averages in the 70s last season return to the 2023-24 Concordia University Men’s Golf team. Based on their competitiveness level from 2022-23, the Bulldogs believe they are not all that far off from making a run at a conference championship. Entering year 13 at the helm of both the men’s and women’s programs, Head Coach Brett Muller supplemented his roster with four freshmen.

Just like a year ago, preseason qualifying will be intense. The roster is 15 strong with many of those competitors capable of cracking the team’s top five. The headlining returner is Drew D’Ercole, who raked in a slew of postseason awards following his fourth season at Concordia.

“I think we will have great depth again,” Muller said. “We brought in four pretty solid golfers who all have the capability of playing in our top five. We bring back basically everyone except Ivan Yabut of the guys who had varsity experience last year. Those returners are all looking for a top five spot. It’s going to help the competitiveness of our practices to have that depth. Guys know they have to bring it every day in practice to travel in the top five.”

No doubt the loss of Yabut is significant, but the Bulldogs bring back four golfers who played more than 20 rounds throughout the 2022-23 season: D’Ercole (74.2), Justin Webert (76.2), Jacob Woodmancy (76.5) and Jake Hagerbaumer (77.6). As a freshman, Jake Richmond shot an average of 77.3 in 17 rounds. Collectively, they paved the way for a school record team season scoring average of 300.3, eclipsing the standard of 305.1 from the previous campaign.

In other words, this is a program that keeps improving year after year. Concordia ultimately finished in fifth place in the GPAC this past spring. The disappointment came from the feeling that the Bulldogs did not fully seize the opportunity at the conference tournament as they trailed Doane, Northwestern, Midland and Morningside in the team standings. In a show of its potential, Concordia defeated Doane, 10-8, in the annual Bulldog-Tiger Cup. Way back at the beginning of the spring, the Bulldogs outplayed both Doane and Midland at the Doane Spring Invite and placed second out of 15 groupings.

“We have to stay patient,” Webert said. “I think we know we’re good enough. We beat Doane last year when we played one-on-one, and they won the GPAC. I think we know it’s there – we just have to stay patient and not get frustrated when things aren’t going your way. Take it step by step.”

The Papillion, Neb., native Drew D’Ercole stands out as one of the top golfers in the history of the program. He made the decision to use his fifth (‘COVID year’) of eligibility and figures to pace the lineup at the top. He’s played in 67 career collegiate rounds with an 18-hole average of 76.3. With Yabut having moved on, the No. 2 spot could be held by a number of Bulldogs, such as Webert. The Lincoln Southwest High School alum immediately earned a spot in the lineup as a freshman and is heading into his third season with the Bulldogs. Both D’Ercole and Webert reached the round of 32 at the Nebraska Match Play Championship this past summer.

The depth of the roster is further bolstered by returners Gavin McWhorter, Josh D’Ercole and Taylor Johnson. Meanwhile, the freshman class includes Colin Aubuchon, Bret Brenneis, Jacob Dowd and Maxwell Fremarek.

In the opening week of the school year, the team has done its best to battle the heat while preparing for the season opening UC Ferguson Classic coming up next week (Aug. 28-29).

“With the start date getting pushed back this year, we were not able to bring in the team prior to the start of classes, so we’re doing everything we can this week to get as many holes in as we can,” Muller said. “We’re trying to get 54 holes in. The weather hasn’t exactly cooperated with the heat. We’re playing five different golf courses and trying to get the best sample size we can, and we’ll take our top seven from qualifying down to Oklahoma City. The guys who don’t make the top seven will play at Mount Marty (Aug. 29-30).”

The competition will continue beyond August as the Bulldogs will navigate a fall schedule including seven total events (including JV tournaments). The complete spring schedule is yet to be announced, but the team can look forward to traveling to the Phoenix area during spring break 2024. As Muller says of the schedule, “It’s always nice to play some local events, play GPAC competition and figure out how you stack up with them.”

The goal is for Concordia to be at its best when the GPAC championships arrive in the spring. Webert and his teammates are thinking big. Says Webert, “I think as a team, if we can be in the final group on the last day of GPAC and have a chance to win, I would say that would be successful. For individuals, if we can have three or four in the top 15 or 20 like we did last year that would be pretty good.”

The 2023-24 men’s golf schedule can be found HERE. The Bulldogs are slated to be at their home course, Highlands in Lincoln, for the Blue River Invite on Sept. 5-6.

Seven Bulldogs open 2023-24 season at UC Ferguson Classic

August 28, 2023

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The 2023-24 Concordia University Men’s Golf season is officially underway. Seven Bulldogs represented the program on Monday (Aug. 28) at the UC Ferguson Classic hosted by Oklahoma City University. Over the first 36 holes of the 54-hole event, Concordia shot a team score of 303-294–597 while navigating the par 71 Lincoln Park Golf Course.

Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad is looking to improve upon a 2022-23 campaign that saw the Bulldogs place fifth in the GPAC and break the school record for lowest single season scoring average (300.3).

Now in his fifth season competing at Concordia, Papillion, Neb., native Drew D’Ercole equaled a personal low for a single round by shooting a three-under-par 68 to begin his tournament. D’Ercole led the way on day one with a total score of 68-75–143. He was followed in the team’s top four at the event by Justin Webert (71-78–149), Jake Hagerbaumer (78-73–151), Jake Richmond (75-79–154). All Bulldog scores from Monday are listed below.

Rounds 1-2, UC Ferguson Classic:
TEAM: 303-294–597
Drew D’Ercole: 68-75–143
Justin Webert: 71-78–149
Jake Hagerbaumer: 78-73–151
Jake Richmond: 75-79–154
Gavin Buttshaw: 81-76–157
Brock Rogers: 79-78–157
Gavin McWhorter: 80-77–157

The final round of play at the UC Ferguson Classic will get underway at 8 a.m. CT from Lincoln Park Golf Course in Oklahoma City. The event is one of seven (counting junior varsity tournaments) on the fall 2023 slate. For coverage, follow @CUNEBulldogGolf on Twitter.

D’Ercole, Dawgs complete first tournament with three-round team total of 900

August 29, 2023

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The first official tournament of the 2023-24 season is in the books for Concordia University Men’s Golf. Led by Drew D’Ercole, the Bulldogs shot a three-round total of 303-294-303–900 at the UC Ferguson Classic hosted by Oklahoma City University on Monday and Tuesday (Aug. 28-29). Both days of action unfolded at Lincoln Park Golf Course in Oklahoma City, Okla.

The average 18-hole score for Concordia at the event was right in line with last season’s school record season average of 300.3. Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad was represented by seven Bulldogs in Oklahoma City.

“Overall it wasn’t too bad,” Muller said. “We’re disappointed with where we finished on the team side. We played some pretty solid golf but just had too many bogies that really affected our team score.

“Last week we played five different golf courses and were able to get 54 holes of qualifying in. It was very tight. We took our top seven based on their qualifying scores. The guys who did not make the trip to Oklahoma City are playing at the Mount Marty Invite.”

The Papillion, Neb., native D’Ercole figures to anchor the lineup all season. He wound up with a three-round total of 68-75-75–218 at the UC Ferguson Classic. His three-under-par 68 on the first day of the tournament equaled a career low for 18 holes. The rest of the team’s top five featured Justin Webert (71-78-75–224), Jake Richmond (75-79-74–228), Jake Hagerbaumer (78-73-79–230) and Gavin Buttshaw (78-73-79–230). Complete individual scores from the tournament are included below.

UC Ferguson Classic Results:
TEAM: 303-294-303–900
Drew D’Ercole: 68-75-75–218
Justin Webert: 71-78-75–224
Jake Richmond: 75-79-74–228
Jake Hagerbaumer: 78-73-79–230
Gavin Buttshaw: 81-76-77–234
Gavin McWhorter: 80-77-78–235
Brock Rogers: 79-78-82–239

Another grouping of Bulldogs began action at the Mount Marty Invite held at Fox Run Golf Course in Yankton, S.D., on Tuesday morning. That event will resume with another round on Wednesday. Once the Mount Marty Invite concludes, the focus for men’s golf will shift to the Blue River Invite that the program will co-host with Doane on Sept. 5-6. Action on both days will take place at Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln.

Josh D'Ercole paces Bulldogs at Mount Marty Invite

August 31, 2023

YANKTON / VERMILLION, S.D. – Eight Bulldogs represented the Concordia University Men’s Golf program at the Mount Marty Invite that played out Tuesday and Wednesday (Aug. 29-30). Junior Josh D’Ercole paced Concordia while shooting a two-round total of 80-73–153. The action took place at Fox Run Golf Course in Yankton, S.D., on day one before shifting to The Bluffs Golf Course in Vermillion, S.D., on day two. Both courses were par 72.

The other seven golfers on Head Coach Brett Muller’s roster competed at the UC Ferguson Classic (Aug. 28-29) as part of the first week of the 2023-24 season. The Concordia group at Mount Marty carded a team score of 319-310–629 and placed fourth out of 11 teams.

The younger brother of Drew, Josh D’Ercole shined on day two of the Mount Marty Invite and moved into the top 10 on the individual leaderboard. Two other Bulldogs placed inside the top 20: Jacob Woodmancy (79-78–157) and Jaxson Fullerton (76-81–157). Complete Concordia scores from the event are listed below. The tournament included competitors from five GPAC institutions.

Mount Marty Invite Results

9. Josh D’Ercole: 80-73–153
16. Jacob Woodmancy: 79-78–157
18. Jaxson Fullerton: 76-81–157
22. Colin Aubuchon: 79-80–159
23. Jacob Dowd: 81-79–160
29. Bret Brenneis: 82-82–164
41. Taylor Johnson: 83-88–171
49. Maxwell Fremarek: 86-96–182

Next up for Bulldog Men’s Golf will be the Blue River Invite (Sept. 5-6) that the program co-hosts with Doane. Both days of action will unfold at Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln, the home course for Concordia.

Concordia 'A' group lands in third place at conclusion of Blue River Classic's first day

September 5, 2023

LINCOLN, Neb. – The annual Blue River Classic got underway on Tuesday (Sept. 5) morning from Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln and saw the Concordia University Men’s Golf ‘A’ team shoot a pair of sub-300 rounds. The Bulldogs will enter day two in third place while attempting to chase Doane and Morningside atop the leaderboard at the 2023 event. The tournament includes 89 golfers from 11 different institutions in a 54-hole format.

Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad was led on Tuesday by two current top 10 players on the individual leaderboard. Drew D’Ercole will enter the second day one stroke off the tournament lead.

The five Bulldogs on the ‘A’ team combined for a two-round total of 296-297–593 on the home course at Highlands. Fifteen Concordia players are taking part in the tournament (complete scores listed below). While D’Ercole went low in Lincoln, senior Gavin McWhorter turned in a career low round of 69 (-3) to start the day. D’Ercole shot one under par in round one and finished his two rounds at 71-73–144. The next two in the Concordia lineup are Justin Webert in sixth (75-71–146) and Jake Richmond (75-73–148) in 11th. Doane’s Sam Arnold tops the field with his cumulative two-round total of 143.

McWhorter wound up carding a 36-hole score of 69-82–151 after hanging right with Arnold in round one. It was also a solid day for Drew D’Ercole’s younger brother Josh, who shot 76-76–152 and stands in 25th place. The respective team scores for the Bulldogs were 298-315–613 for the ‘B’ team and 308-318–626 for the ‘C’ team. The 297 shot in round two by the ‘A’ team was best in the field.

Blue River Classic Results – Day 1
--Par 72
T2. Drew D’Ercole: 71-73–144
T6. Justin Webert: 75-71–146
T11. Jake Richmond: 75-73–148
T19. Gavin McWhorter: 69-82–151
25. Josh D’Ercole: 76-76–152
T26. Maxwell Fremarek: 74-79–153
T30. Jacob Woodmancy: 77-77–154
T32. Jake Hagerbaumer: 75-80–155
T35. Taylor Johnson: 79-77–156
T35. Brock Rogers: 76-80–156
T40. Colin Aubuchon: 76-81–157
T58. Jacob Dowd: 79-81–160
T63. Gavin Buttshaw: 79-84–163
T69. Bret Brenneis: 81-86–167
T69. Jaxson Fullerton: 82-85–167

The third and final round of the tournament will get underway with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. CT on Wednesday from Highlands Golf Course. Live results can be followed by via Golf Genius while using the GGID of 2023BRC.

D'Ercole, Webert card top-five place finishes as Blue River Classic wraps up

September 6, 2023

LINCOLN, Neb. – A pair of top-five individual finishes highlighted three rounds of action for Concordia University Men’s Golf at the 2023 Blue River Classic co-hosted by Concordia and Doane. The Bulldog ‘A’ team wound up placing third out of 16 groupings in a field that navigated 54 holes at Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln. Concordia’s top group turned in a three-round total of 296-297-291–884.

Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad placed behind only Morningside (874) and Doane (879) atop the team leaderboard at the Blue River Classic. Drew D’Ercole and Justin Webert placed fourth and fifth, respectively, out of the 89 individual golfers in the tournament.

“The conditions were pretty tough with the way the wind blew yesterday,” Muller said. “The course kind of dried out a little bit. Round one, we got off to a slow start. Then in round two we had the lowest team score and today we had the second lowest team score. We just had too big of a hole after the first day. We got out to a great start today – we were minus-six at one point finished at plus-three.”

The Papillion, Neb., native D’Ercole hovered around par in every round while shooting 71-73-72–216. He entered the final round just one stroke off the tournament lead. D’Ercole ultimately landed in fourth place, just four strokes behind tournament co-leaders Sam Arnold of Doane and Gabe Escalera of Hastings (212 apiece). The Lincoln Southwest High School grad Webert creeped up on the heels of D’Ercole by shooting one-under-par in round two. Webert finished at 75-71-72–218 while claiming the fifth-place medal.

There were plenty of other standout efforts among the 15 Bulldogs who competed at the event. As part of the Concordia ‘B’ team, Josh D’Ercole vaulted into a tie for 13th overall by way of his one-under-par 71 in the final round. Both Josh D’Ercole and Gavin McWhorter (three-under-par 69 in round one) turned in career low 18-hole scores during the course of the tournament. Another pair of Bulldogs finished in the top 20 overall: Jake Richmond (T-16th) and Jake Hagerbaumer (T-20th). Complete Concordia scores are listed below. Richmond carded a 73 in round two and Hagerbaumer finished with a bang (one-under 71).

Said Muller, “We had a lot of solid individual performances across all three teams. I think it was the first time our ‘B’ team has broken 300 – and they did that in one of the rounds yesterday. That was great to see. That exemplifies the depth that we have. We have three-four guys who are pretty solid at the top and a lot of other guys that are all very close.”

The Bulldog ‘B’ team shot a score of 298-315-306–919 and placed eighth. Meanwhile, the ‘C’ squad came in a tie for 11th while shooting 308-318-318–944. Concordia’s ‘A’ grouping beat out GPAC rivals such as Hastings (fifth), Briar Cliff (sixth), Dordt (ninth) and Mount Marty (11th). The Mustangs seized the team championship by carding a 287 in the final round.

Blue River Classic Results – FINAL
--Par 72
4. Drew D’Ercole: 71-73-72–216
5. Justin Webert: 75-71-72–218
T13. Josh D’Ercole: 76-76-71–223
T16. Jake Richmond: 75-73-76–224
T20. Jake Hagerbaumer: 75-80-71–226
T26. Gavin McWhorter: 69-82-77–228
T33. Jacob Woodmancy: 77-77-79–233
T35. Brock Rogers: 76-80-79–235
T40. Maxwell Fremarek: 74-79-82–235
T40. Jacob Dowd: 79-81-75–235
T46. Colin Aubuchon: 76-81-79–236
T54. Taylor Johnson: 79-77-82–238
T59. Gavin Buttshaw: 79-84-77–240
T71. Jaxson Fullerton: 82-85-82–249
T71. Bret Brenneis: 81-86-82–249

Next up for the Bulldogs will be the Siouxland Invite on Sept. 11-12. The action will take place at The Ridge in Sioux Center, Iowa, on day one and then Landsmeer Golf Club in Orange City, Iowa, on day two.

Bulldogs tightly bunched on day one of Siouxland Invite

September 11, 2023

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – Eight Bulldogs stand within five strokes of each other following two rounds of action at the 2023 Siouxland Invite. As a result, the Concordia University Men’s Golf ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams carded remarkably similar scores on Monday (Sept. 11) as action took place at The Ridge Golf Club in Sioux Center, Iowa. The field includes 89 golfers from 10 different institutions (17 total groupings on the team leaderboard).

Head Coach Brett Muller’s ‘A’ team carded a total of 306-298–604 while the ‘B’ team shot 305-301–606. The Bulldog squads stand in 10th and 11th place, respectively.

Complete Concordia individual scores are listed below. The two lowest individual scores on Monday were turned in by Jacob Woodmancy (78-71–149) and Jake Richmond (74-75–149). They are tied for 28th. After a tough first round, top golfer Drew D’Ercole rebounded and shot 73 in round two. D’Ercole and Justin Webert are coming off top five finishes at last week’s Blue River Classic.

Siouxland Invite Day 1 Results
T28. Jacob Woodmancy: 78-71–149
T28. Jake Richmond: 74-75–149
T33. Colin Aubuchon: 75-75–150
T39. Drew D’Ercole: 78-73–151
T39. Justin Webert: 76-75–151
T39. Gavin McWhorter: 76-75–151
T49. Josh D’Ercole: 78-75–153
T54. Jake Hagerbaumer: 78-76–154
T61. Brock Rogers: 76-80–156
T76. Gavin Buttshaw: 80-86–166

The third and final round of the Siouxland Invite is scheduled to get underway at 9:30 a.m. from Landsmeer Golf Club in Orange City, Iowa, on Wednesday. Fans can follow live results via Golf Genius while using the Golf Genius ID of 23MSIOUXLAND.

Hagerbaumer, Webert shoot below par in final round; Bulldogs place 11th at Siouxland

September 12, 2023

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The third official varsity tournament of the fall is in the books for Concordia University Men’s Golf. On a couple of days that featured favorable conditions to shoot low scores, the Bulldogs were unable to capitalize in the way they hoped. The Bulldog ‘A’ grouping placed 11th out of 17 teams of five at the Siouxland Invite (Sept. 11-12) co-hosted by Dordt and Northwestern. The field included 87 golfers from 10 institutions (eight GPAC schools).

Ten Concordia golfers represented Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad at the event, which took place at both The Ridge Golf Club in Sioux Center, Iowa, and Landsmeer Golf Course in Orange City, Iowa. The two Bulldog groupings shot totals of 306-298-292–896 and 305-301-299–905, respectively.

“Our goal is to be more competitive with the top three or four teams in the GPAC,” Muller said. “We didn’t produce the last two days like we’re capable of. A common theme was that we struggled in our short game on and around the greens. We let way too many strokes get away.

“Jake (Hagerbaumer) and Justin (Webert) both played pretty well today. We just didn’t have the three and four scores to make a push from a team perspective.”

Hagerbaumer and Webert turned in identical one-under-par 70s in Tuesday’s round. The Lincoln native Webert climbed into 21st place on the final individual leaderboard and carded a three-round total of 76-75-70–221 while pacing Concordia. The group of five on the Bulldog ‘A’ team at the Siouxland Invite also included Jake Richmond (74-75-74–223), Hagerbaumer (78-76-70–224), Drew D’Ercole (78-73-78–229) and Josh D’Ercole (78-75-79–232). The second grouping was led by Gavin McWhorter, who placed in a tie for 31st overall (76-75-72–223).

The 292 team score in round three at the Siouxland Invite marked the second lowest 18-hole total so far this fall for the Bulldogs. They shot a 291 in round three of last week’s Blue River Classic. After three tournaments, Drew D’Ercole and Webert are neck and neck for the team low scoring average (currently tied at 73.7). Both D’Ercole and Webert claimed medals at the Blue River Classic.

Siouxland Invite Final Results (par 71)
‘A’ Team: 306-298-292–896 (11th place)
‘B’ Team: 305-301-299–905 (12th place)

T21. Justin Webert: 76-75-70–221
T31. Gavin McWhorter: 76-75-72–223
T31. Jake Richmond: 74-75-74–223
T37. Jake Hagerbaumer: 78-76-70–224
T42. Jacob Woodmancy: 78-71-76–225
T46. Colin Aubuchon: 75-75-77–227
T51. Drew D’Ercole: 78-73-78–229
T54. Brock Rogers: 76-80-74–230
T59. Josh D’Ercole: 78-75-79–232
T76. Gavin Buttshaw: 80-86-80–246

The Concordia Men’s Golf team will have the remainder of this week off from competition while looking ahead to the Hastings Invite on Sept. 25-26. The action will take place at Lochland Country Club in Hastings, Neb., on both days of the tournament.

McWhorter shoots under par in highlighting round one of Hastings Invite

September 25, 2023

HASTINGS, Neb. – Gavin McWhorter performed at a higher level than all but one competitor in the entire field in round one of the Hastings Bronco Fall Invite held at Lochland Country Club in Hastings, Neb., on Monday (Sept. 25). The efforts of McWhorter have helped the Concordia University Men’s Golf team stick within five strokes of the tournament lead halfway through the event. The Bulldogs ‘A’ team carded a total of 303 while the ‘B’ team shot 310 on Monday.

Head Coach Brett Muller’s program traveled 10 golfers to the tournament, which features competitors from eight institutions. There are 59 total individuals entered into the Hastings Invite.

At one-under-par 71 on Monday, the Loveland, Colo., native McWhorter resides behind only Eastern Wyoming College’s Ryker Dunkley (68) on the tournament leaderboard. The 71 is just off the career low 69 McWhorter shot at the Blue River Classic earlier this month. Right behind McWhorter is freshman teammate Colin Aubuchon, who turned in an even-par 72 and is tied for third individually. On the ‘A’ team of Bulldogs, McWhorter was followed by Justin Webert (76), Drew D’Ercole (78) and Jake Hagerbaumer (78). Also noteworthy, Jacob Woodmancy carded a 74 for the ‘B’ team in round one.

Complete Concordia scores from day one are listed below. Heading into round two, the Bulldogs will be chasing host Hastings (298), Eastern Wyoming (298) and Southeast Community College (301). Concordia entered the event with an average team score of 297.8.

Concordia day 1 scores (par 72):
2. Gavin McWhorter: 71
T3. Colin Aubuchon: 72
T8. Jacob Woodmancy: 74
T16. Justin Webert: 76
T23. Drew D’Ercole: 78
T23. Jake Hagerbaumer: 78
T30. Jake Richmond: 79
36. Josh D’Ercole: 80
T45. Jacob Dowd: 84
T53. Brock Rogers: 87

The second and final round of the Hastings Invite is scheduled to get underway at 10 a.m. CT on Tuesday from Lochland Country Club. Live results can be followed via Golf Genus while using the Golf Genius ID of BRONCOFALL2023.

Woodmancy, McWhorter place top 10 at Hastings Invite

September 26, 2023

HASTINGS, Neb. – Both Jacob Woodmancy and Gavin McWhorter emerged with top 10 individual finishes as the 2023 Hastings Bronco Fall Invite wrapped up on Tuesday (Sept. 26) from Lochland Country Club in Hastings, Neb. In the team standings, the Concordia University Men’s Golf ‘A’ team settled for fifth place while shooting 303-304–607 over the two-day event. The tournament included eight institutions with four out of the GPAC.

Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad was represented by 10 golfers in a field of 59 competitors. Woodmancy tied for fourth while shooting three over par (74-73–147) for the tournament.

A senior from Loveland, Colo., McWhorter led the Bulldog ‘A’ team in shooting 71-79–150 at the Hastings Invite. The 71 he shot on Monday was two strokes off a personal best for 18 holes. Two others cracked the top 20 of the individual leaderboard: Drew D’Ercole (78-73–151; T-16th) and Jake Richmond (79-73–152; T-18th). Jake Hagerbaumer (78-79–157; T-31st) and Justin Webert (76-81–157; T-31st) also made up the Concordia ‘A’ grouping. Complete Concordia scores are listed below.

A senior from Grant, Neb., Woodmancy put together an impressive tournament while leading the ‘B’ team, which carded a Hastings Invite total of 310-312–622 (seventh place). For Woodmancy, the performance marked his first top five tournament finish since he placed fifth at the 2022 Blue River Classic. Woodmancy finished six strokes behind Hastings Invite champion Ryker Dunkley of Eastern Wyoming College. Host Hastings took the team title with a score of 298-294–592.

Concordia Results (par 72):
TEAM: 303-304–607 (5th/11)
T4. Jacob Woodmancy: 74-73–147
T10. Gavin McWhorter: 71-79–150
T16. Drew D’Ercole: 78-73–151
T18. Jake Richmond: 79-73–152
T21. Colin Aubuchon: 72-81–153
T31. Josh D’Ercole: 80-77–157
T31. Jake Hagerbaumer: 78-79–157
T31. Justin Webert: 76-81–157
47. Jacob Dowd: 84-82–166
T48. Brock Rogers: 87-81–168

The fall portion of the 2023-24 schedule will conclude with the Nebraska Intercollegiate coming up on Oct. 6-7. The tournament will feature men’s and women’s collegiate squads from within the state of Nebraska and will be held at Awarii Dunes Golf Course in Axtell, Neb.

Bulldogs battle windy conditions, sit in fifth place after round one of Nebraska Intercollegiate

October 6, 2023

AXTELL, Neb. – Windy and cool conditions made for higher scores across the board as golfers from 11 different in-state institutions competed in round one of the annual Nebraska Intercollegiate on Friday (Oct. 6). The Concordia University Men’s Golf team will enter day two in fifth place after shooting a 318 at Awarri Dunes Golf Course in Axtell, Neb. Bellevue University leads the pack with a 302.

This will be the final event of the fall season for Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad. The varsity team had been idle since placing fifth at the Hastings Invite (Sept. 25-26).

Complete Bulldog scores from day one are listed below. Steady veteran Drew D’Ercole handled the difficult conditions and shot a two-over-par 74 on Friday. He sits four strokes off tournament leader Dylan Rogers (Bellevue), who shot two-under-par. There are 55 total individual golfers in the field at the Nebraska Intercollegiate.

Concordia day 1 results:
T4. Drew D’Ercole: 74
T14. Jake Richmond: 79
T28. Gavin McWhorter: 82
T30. Justin Webert: 83
T36. Jake Hagerbaumer: 84

Action from Axtell will resume at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday for round two of the Nebraska Intercollegiate. Live results can be followed via Golf Genius while using the Golf Genius ID of NEBINTR23.

D’Ercole places top five in highlighting Nebraska Intercollegiate

October 7, 2023

AXTELL, Neb. – State bragging rights were on the line this weekend as the annual Nebraska Intercollegiate (Oct. 6-7) welcomed competitors from 11 institutions to Awarri Dunes Golf Club in Ashland, Neb. The Concordia University Men’s Golf team placed seventh while led by fifth-year Bulldog Drew D’Ercole. The Papillion, Neb., native D’Ercole placed in a tie for fourth place (out of 55 individuals) and earned a medal for his two-round performance.

Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad wound up with a total of 318-316–634. Conditions were more favorable on Saturday after a cold and windy Friday. Bellevue University emerged as the champion while shooting 302-301–603.

D’Ercole shined through as the obvious bright spot on a weekend that fell short of what Concordia had hoped for in Ashland. D’Ercole shot two-over-par on both days (74-74–148) and was only four strokes off individual tournament titlist Dylan Rodgers of Bellevue. D’Ercole also placed fourth at the Blue River Classic in early September. He finishes the fall with the team’s lowest scoring average of 74.0 (13 rounds).

The Bulldogs’ grouping of five also included Justin Webert (83-79–162; T-29th), Jake Richmond (83-79–162; T-31st), Jake Hagerbaumer (84-79–163; T-31st) and Gavin McWhorter (82-84–166; 37th). The tight bunching of two through five in the lineup is consistent with what has transpired throughout the fall for Concordia. The roster includes eight players averaging 18-hole scores below 78. The team’s scoring average entering the spring sits at 301.6.

Concordia Nebraska Intercollegiate results:
TEAM: 318-316–634 (7th/11)
T4. Drew D’Ercole: 74-74–148
T29. Justin Webert: 83-79–162
T31. Jake Richmond: 79-84–163
T31. Jake Hagerbaumer: 84-79–163
37. Gavin McWhorter: 82-84–166

The 2023-24 season will resume in the spring. The complete spring 2024 slate is yet to be announced.

Bulldogs return to action with 313 score on day one of Maverick Classic

March 4, 2024

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – The Concordia University Men’s Golf program has returned to Arizona for the first time since the spring of 2020. As part of day one (March 4) action at the Maverick Desert Classic hosted by Minnesota State University, Mankato, the Bulldogs carded a team score of 313 while navigating Palm Valley Golf Club in Goodyear, Ariz. Concordia is being joined at the two-day tournament by 10 competing institutions, including sister school Concordia University St. Paul.

Head Coach Brett Muller has traveled seven Bulldogs to the Phoenix area for competition against a field loaded with NCAA Division II participants. Concordia sits in 11th place out of 14 total groups with 18 holes left to play.

The consistently reliable Drew D’Ercole set the pace for the Bulldogs through the first 18 holes. He carded a two-over-par 74 on Monday and is currently tied for 14th place out of 93 individuals. Now more than 80 rounds deep into his collegiate career, D’Ercole led Concordia during the fall portion of the 2023-24 season with a scoring average of 74.0.

Midway through the Maverick Desert Classic, the rest of the Bulldogs’ top five features Justin Webert (75; T-20th), Jacob Dowd (77; T-33rd), Josh D’Ercole (81; T-67th) and Jake Richmond (83; T-83rd). Next in line are Jake Hagerbaumer (86; T-87th) and Brock Rogers (86; T-87th).

Concordia’s day 1 results at Maverick Desert Classic:

T14. Drew D'Ercole: 74 (+2)
T20. Justin Webert: 75 (+3)
T33. Jacob Dowd: 77 (+5)
T67. Josh D'Ercole: 81 (+9)
T83. Jake Richmond: 83 (+11)
T87. Jake Hagerbaumer: 86 (+14)
T87. Brock Rogers: 86 (+14)

The second and final round of the Maverick Desert Classic is slated to get underway at 7 a.m. MT (8 a.m. CT) on Tuesday from Palm Valley Golf Club. Live results can be found via Golf Genius while using the GGID of MAVS24.

Webert climbs into top 10; Bulldogs place ninth at Maverick Desert Classic

March 5, 2024

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Justin Webert made waves on the second and final day of the Maverick Desert Classic hosted by NCAA Division II Minnesota State University, Mankato. The top-10 individual finish for Webert helped the Concordia University Men’s Golf team move into a tie for ninth place as the tournament concluded on Tuesday (March 5) from Palm Valley Golf Club in Goodyear, Ariz., where 93 golfers navigated the course.

This was the first outing of the spring portion of the 2023-24 season for Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad. As a team, the Bulldogs carded a score of 313-304–617 while putting themselves up against a field loaded with NCAA Division II competitors.

“Justin and Drew (D’Ercole) played well and continued to lead as they have all year,” Muller said. “The weather was great for scoring – we expected our team scores to be lower. We can’t be counting scores in the 80s if we expect to be competitive. Jacob Dowd took advantage of his opportunity and played great as an individual.”

A junior out of Lincoln Southwest High School, Webert carded a career low two-under-par 70 on day two in the desert. That effort allowed Webert (75-70–145) to climb 13 spots into a tie for seventh on the final leaderboard. In the process, Webert claimed his third career top-10 tournament placement.

It was a consistent two days for D’Ercole. The Papillion, Neb., native shot 74-73–147 (+3) and placed in a tie for 15th. He carded scores right in line with his season scoring average of 74.0. The rest of the team’s top five in Goodyear included Dowd (77-75–152; T-33rd), Josh D'Ercole (81-77–158; T-64th) and Brock Rogers (86-80–166; 87th). The Bulldogs were also represented by Jake Richmond (83-84–167; T-84th) and Jake Hagerbaumer (86-84–170; 88th).

During the fall season, Muller’s squad played in five official varsity events and averaged a team score of 301.6. The team low of 291 came at the home Blue River Classic.

Later on Tuesday, Muller and the team took in a Major League Baseball spring training game.

Concordia results at Maverick Desert Classic:

T7. Justin Webert: 75-70–145 (+1)
T15. Drew D'Ercole: 74-73–147 (+3)
T33. Jacob Dowd: 77-75–152 (+8)
T64. Josh D'Ercole: 81-77–158 (+14)
83. Brock Rogers: 86-80–166 (+22)
T84. Jake Richmond: 83-84–167 (+23)
88. Jake Hagerbaumer: 86-84–170 (+26)

The next event on the schedule is the Graceland Spring Invite set for March 22-23 at Mozingo Lake Course in Maryville, Mo. There are six total varsity events on the spring slate prior to the 2024 GPAC Championships scheduled for April 29-30 in Beatrice, Neb.

Bulldogs place third behind D’Ercole at blustery Graceland Invite

March 22, 2024

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Cold and blustery weather conditions greeted the field of competitors at the Graceland Invitational held Friday (March 22) at Mozingo Lake Golf Course in Maryville, Mo. The Concordia University Men’s Golf battled the elements and placed third out of the eight teams on hand in Missouri. Drew D’Ercole managed to crack the 70s and earn a top-five individual finish.

The event marked the second of the spring portion of the season for Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad. The Bulldogs also spent part of spring break in the Phoenix area in early March.

Five individuals represented Concordia at the Graceland Invite. D’Ercole shot a 79 as he claimed his third top-five tournament placement of the season. D’Ercole was joined at the event by teammates in Jacob Dowd (84), Brock Rogers (87), Justin Webert (90) and Josh D’Ercole (90). Scores across the board were inflated by the conditions. Drew D’Ercole finished three strokes off the tournament champion.

The Bulldogs’ team score came in at 340. CUNE defeated Concordia University System sister school Concordia University Wisconsin (376) while also outperforming three junior colleges.

Concordia results at Graceland Invitational
Drew D’Ercole – 79 (4th place)
Jacob Dowd – 84
Brock Rogers – 87
Justin Webert – 90
Josh D’Ercole – 90

Team Scores
1. Hawkeye – 334
2. Waldorf – 335
3. Concordia (Neb.) – 340
3. SWCC – 340
5. NIACC – 343
6. MCC – 363
7. Graceland – 373
8. Concordia (Wis.) – 376

The Graceland Invite was originally scheduled to take place both Friday and Saturday. Due to poor weather conditions in the forecast, Saturday’s round has been canceled. Up next for Concordia will be the SCC-Beatrice Invite on April 1.

Webert leads Bulldogs to third-place finish at SCC Spring Invite

April 1, 2024

BEATRICE, Neb. – Junior Justin Webert made a push for a tournament title while leading the Concordia University Men’s Golf team to a third-place claim at the Southeast Community College Spring Invite. A total of 36 golfers powered through misty and chilly conditions at Beatrice Country Club in Beatrice, Neb., on Monday (April 1). The field included six Bulldogs, all of whom shot 78 or lower.

The SCC Spring Invite marked the third official varsity event of the spring for Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad. The team score of 304 placed Concordia third behind Morningside (298) and Southeast CC (299). The Bulldogs beat out conference rivals Hastings (315) and Doane (319).

The Lincoln Southwest High School alum Webert bounced back from the Graceland Invitational by carding a one-over-par 73 on Monday. Webert placed in a tie for second place, just one stroke behind Morningside’s Edgar Eriksson. Webert entered the day with a season scoring average of 76.1.

The other Bulldogs who factored into the team score were Drew D’Ercole (78; T-8th), Gavin McWhorter (77; T-12th) and Jake Hagerbaumer (78; T-16th). In addition, Brock Rogers carded a 77 and Jacob Dowd turned in a 78.

Webert has earned two of the team’s six top-five individual tournament finishes this season. D’Ercole has landed inside the top five three times and Jacob Woodmancy earned on top-five claim back in the fall.

Bulldogs at SCC Spring Invite:
T2. Justin Webert: 73
T8. Drew D’Ercole: 76
T12. Brock Rogers: 77
T12. Gavin McWhorter: 77
T16. Jacob Dowd: 78
T16. Jake Hagerbaumer: 78

The Bulldogs will send a JV squad to the Hastings College JV Invite on Friday. Then on Saturday, Concordia will go head-to-head with Doane in the annual Bulldog-Tiger Cup. That event is scheduled to get started at 1 p.m. CT from York Country Club in York, Neb.

Concordia completes first two rounds of Midwest Spring National Invite in 11th

April 8, 2024

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Concordia University Men’s Golf team joined several of the top NAIA squads from the region on Monday (April 8) as the first two of three rounds of the Midwest Spring National Invite played out at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan, Kan. The Bulldogs hung in the top four of the team standings after round one before slipping back to 11th place by the day’s conclusion. The tournament, hosted by Kansas Wesleyan University, includes 15 NAIA teams (six from the GPAC).

Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad shot a two-round total of 301-312–613 on day one of the invite. Concordia will enter round three situated in front of GPAC rivals Midland (614), Hastings (622) and Dordt (649). Three NAIA top 25 teams are part of the field: No. 17 MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.), No. 20 Bellevue University and No. 21 Friends University (Kan.).

There are five Bulldogs in the field of 76 golfers in Manhattan. Fifth-year collegiate competitor Drew D’Ercole has paced Concordia with a two-round score of 72-74–146 (+2), placing him in a tie for 13th. He’s just two strokes out of the top 10 (the tournament co-leaders sit at 141). D’Ercole is followed in the Bulldog lineup by Justin Webert (73-78–151; T-24th), Jake Hagerbaumer (81-75–156; T-45th), Jacob Dowd (76-85–161; 61st) and Gavin McWhorter (80-85–165; T-66th).

The Bulldogs entered the tournament with a season scoring average of 304.8 They have shot below 300 in six rounds during the 2023-24 campaign.

Concordia Results – Midwest Spring National Invite
TEAM: 301-312–613 (11th out of 15)
T13. Drew D’Ercole: 72-74–146
T24. Justin Webert: 73-78–151
T45. Jake Hagerbaumer: 81-75–156
61. Jacob Dowd: 76-85–161
T66. Gavin McWhorter: 80-85–165

The third and final round of the tournament is slated to get underway at 8 a.m. CT in Manhattan. Once the Midwest Spring National Invite is in the books, the Bulldogs will shift their focus to the Nebraska Wesleyan Invite coming up Sunday-Monday (April 14-15).

Bulldogs finish 12th at loaded Midwest Spring National Invite while led by D'Ercole

April 9, 2024

MANHATTAN, Kan. – In the third and final round of the Midwest Spring National Invite held on Tuesday (April 9), Concordia University Men’s Golf slipped one spot in the team standings. The Bulldogs wound up in 12th place out of 15 squads in a loaded field featuring several of the top teams in the region. Individually, Drew D’Ercole led the way while finishing one stroke outside the 10 of the player leaderboard.

Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad shot a three-round score of 301-312-315–928 at the two-day event hosted by Kansas Wesleyan University. All three rounds were played at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan, Kan., where the weather cooperated with mostly light winds.

“We got off to a great start in round one and we were actually leading the tournament through the first six holes,” Muller said. “After the first 18, we were tied for fourth place. We just didn’t play as well in the second round. We had way too many big numbers. Justin (Webert) and Drew continue to lead us and perform very solid at the Nos. 1 and 2 spots. We need to eliminate some big scores and have some guys step up in those 3, 4 and 5 spots.”

A fifth-year collegiate competitor out of Papillion, Neb., D’Ercole continues to hold down the No. 1 spot in the Concordia lineup. He shot a consistent 72-74-74–220 (+4) in Manhattan and placed in a tie for 11th, narrowly missing out on a fifth top-10 tournament claim this 2023-24 season. D’Ercole has placed in the top 20 in seven of nine events on the campaign. Fresh off a tie for second place at the Southeast Community College Invite, junior Justin Webert landed at 28th on the Midwest Spring National Invite leaderboard after carding a score of 73-78-76–227.

Three other Bulldogs represented the program in Manhattan: junior Jake Hagerbaumer (81-75-84–240; T-56th), freshman Jacob Dowd (76-85-83–244; T-63rd) and senior Gavin McWhorter (80-85-82–247; T-68th). Each of those three competitors own one top-10 tournament placement this season.

The Midwest Spring National Invite included three NAIA top 25 teams: No. 17 MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.), No. 20 Bellevue University and No. 21 Friends University (Kan.). There were also six GPAC squads amongst the 15 NAIA squads in the field. Concordia placed above GPAC rivals Midland (935) and Dordt (963).

Said Muller, “It was the strongest field we’ve played in. There were six teams inside the top 50 nationally. Our goal was to finish atop the GPAC. Even after the disappointing round two, we were still in position to make a push. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the job done today.”

Concordia Results – Midwest Spring National Invite
TEAM: 301-312-315–928 (12th out of 15)
T11. Drew D’Ercole: 72-74-74–220
T28. Justin Webert: 73-78-76–227
T56. Jake Hagerbaumer: 81-75-84–240
T63. Jacob Dowd: 76-85-83–244
T68. Gavin McWhorter: 80-85-82–247

As a precursor to the 2024 GPAC Championships later this month, the Bulldogs will compete this coming Sunday-Monday (April 14-15) at the Nebraska Wesleyan Invite. The tournament will be staged at Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln, Neb.

Four Bulldogs shoot scores in 70s on first day of Howl at the Hill

April 14, 2024

LINCOLN, Neb. – Four Bulldogs shot 79 or lower on Sunday (April 14) as 10 competitors represented Concordia University Men’s Golf on day one of the Howl at the Hill hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan University. Junior Justin Webert paced the squad with a 77 on a warm spring day that saw temperatures soar into the mid-80s. The two-day tournament is being held at Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln, Neb., where golfers from five institutions have convened.

Head Coach Brett Muller’s two groupings carded respective team scores of 315 and 326 on Sunday. Host Nebraska Wesleyan leads the field with a 298.

A second-place finisher at this spring’s SCC Invite, Webert stands five strokes behind the Howl at the Hill tournament leader with 18 holes to be played on Monday. The rest of the team’s top five on Sunday included Jake Hagerbaumer (78), Drew D’Ercole (79), Colin Aubuchon (79) and Jacob Dowd (81). Complete scores from round one are listed below.

On day two, the Bulldogs will be chasing the likes of Nebraska Wesleyan, Iowa Western Community College, Concordia College (Moorehead, Minn.) and Northeast Community College.

Bulldogs at Howl at the Hill

TEAM: 315 (A) / 326 (B)
T18. Justin Webert: 77
23. Jake Hagerbaumer: 78
T24. Drew D’Ercole: 79
T24. Colin Aubuchon: 79
T36. Jacob Dowd: 81
T39. Jake Richmond: 82
T39. Brock Rogers: 82
T39. Josh D’Ercole: 82
T42. Taylor Johnson: 83
45. Gavin McWhorter: 85

Round two of the Howl at the Hill is slated to get underway at 8:30 a.m. on Monday from Hillcrest Country Club. Live scoring can found via GolfStat HERE.

Dawgs conclude Howl at the Hill in fifth place

April 15, 2024

LINCOLN, Neb. – A pair of warm and sunny spring days characterized the Howl at Hill (April 14-15) tournament hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan University. Ten Bulldogs represented Concordia University Men’s Golf over the two rounds that took place at Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln, Neb. The Bulldog ‘A’ grouping settled for fifth place out of eight squads of five. Five different institutions took part in the tournament.

Head Coach Brett Muller’s ‘A’ grouping shot 315-316–631 while led by the consistently reliable Drew D’Ercole at the top of the lineup. Meanwhile, Colin Aubuchon was the top performer for the ‘B’ squad that shot 326-330–656.

“The golf course played much tougher with the wind, especially with as firm and as fast as the greens were,” Muller said. “Our guys fought a lot harder today than they did yesterday. Our team score didn’t change much, but the conditions were definitely tougher today than they were yesterday.”

Scores were up slightly across the board on day two as stronger winds became a factor. While shooting a 76 on day two, the fifth-year collegiate competitor D’Ercole (79-76–155) climbed up 11 spots on the individual leaderboard and tied for 13th place out of 46 golfers in the field. The Papillion, Neb., native has placed inside the top 20 in eight of 10 events throughout the 2023-24 campaign. The rest of the ‘A’ grouping included Justin Webert (77-79–156; T-16th), Jake Hagerbaumer (78-79–157; 19th), Jacob Dowd (81-82–163; T-34th) and Brock Rogers (82-84–166; 44th).

The O’Fallon, Mo., native Aubuchon carded a total of 79-84–163 (T-34th) while tying for fourth best on the team overall. Next in line on the ‘B’ group were Jake Richmond (82-82–164; T-38th), Josh D’Ercole (82-82–164; T-38th), Taylor Johnson (83-82–165; 43rd) and Gavin McWhorter (85-91–176; 46th).

Iowa Western Community College groupings placed first and second, respectively, at the Howl at the Hill. Tournament host Nebraska Wesleyan placed third and Concordia College (Moorehead, Minn.) placed fourth. The other institution represented at the tournament was Northeast Community College (seventh).

Bulldogs at Howl at the Hill

TEAM:
A: 315-316–631
B: 326-330–656
T13. Drew D’Ercole: 79-76–155
T16. Justin Webert: 77-79–156
19. Jake Hagerbaumer: 78-79–157
T34. Jacob Dowd: 81-82–163
T34. Colin Aubuchon: 79-84–163
T38. Jake Richmond: 82-82–164
T38. Josh D’Ercole: 82-82–164
43. Taylor Johnson: 83-82–165
44. Brock Rogers: 82-84–166
46. Gavin McWhorter: 85-91–176

The only event remaining prior to the 2024 GPAC Men’s Golf Championships will be the Bulldog-Tiger Cup that has been rescheduled for April 25 at Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln. The annual Concordia-Doane matchup is slated to get underway at 2:30 p.m. CT on that date.

Bulldogs retain cup in battle with the Tigers

April 26, 2024

LINCOLN, Neb. – Concordia University Men’s Golf will keep the rivalry cup in Seward. Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad prevailed in the annual Bulldog-Tiger Cup while winning by a count of 12-9 over Doane. The unique match-play format featured doubles best ball matches and singles matches in what was the 10th all-time Bulldog-Tiger Cup. This year’s event took place at Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb., on Thursday (April 25).

Muller’s program has claimed the cup in back-to-back years. Concordia won the 2023 cup played at York Country Club by a score of 10-8.

Full results from the 2024 Bulldog-Tiger Cup are listed below. The Bulldog winners in the best ball matches were Jake Richmond/Brock Rogers, Gavin McWhorter/Josh D’Ercole and Taylor Johnson/Colin Aubuchon. In singles play, the victorious Concordia competitors were Jacob Dowd, Jake Richmond, Brock Rogers, Justin Webert, Jake Hagerbaumer, Jaxson Fullerton and Colin Aubuchon.

Best Ball Matches

· Ryan Weiss & Sam Arnold (Doane) def. Drew D’Ercole & Jacob Dowd (Concordia), 2up

· Jake Richmond & Brock Rogers (Concordia) def. Julius Rauter & Josh Wassmer (Doane), 2&1

· Justin Webert & Jake Hagerbaumer (Concordia) halved with Jack Millard & Brock Huesinkvelt (Doane)

· Gavin McWhorter & Josh D’Ercole (Concordia) def. Blake Skournal & Julius Kroell (Doane), 1up

· Karsten Kern & Garret Dalton (Doane) def. Jaxson Fullerton & Gavin Buttshaw (Concordia), 2&1

· Noah Miller & Cam Binder (Doane) def. Bret Brenneis & Maxwell Fremarek (Concordia, 2up

· Taylor Johnson & Colin Aubuchon (Concordia) def. Thomas Benninghoff & Cauy Walters, 1up

Singles Matches

· Drew D’Ercole (Concordia) halved with Ryan Weiss (Doane)

· Jacob Dowd (Concordia) def. Sam Arnold (Doane)

· Jake Richmond (Concordia) def. Julius Rauter (Doane)

· Brock Rogers (Concordia) def. Josh Wassmer (Doane)

· Justin Webert (Concordia) def. Jack Millard (Doane)

· Jake Hagerbaumer (Concordia) def. Brock Heusinkvelt (Doane)

· Gavin McWhorter (Concordia) halved with Blake Skoumal (Doane)

· Julius Kroell (Doane) def. Josh D’Ercole (Concordia)

· Jaxson Fullerton (Concordia) def. Karsten Kern (Doane)

· Garrett Dalton (Doane) def. Gavin Buttshaw (Concordia)

· Noah Miller (Doane) def. Bret Benneis (Concordia)

· Cam Binder (Doane) def. Maxwell Fremarek (Concordia)

· Taylor Johnson (Concordia) halved with Thomas Benninghoff (Doane)

· Colin Aubuchon (Concordia) def. Cauy Walters (Doane)

Up next for the Bulldogs will be the 2024 GPAC Championships. The conference tournament is scheduled to run April 29-30 at Beatrice Country Club in Beatrice, Neb. A preview for the GPAC Championships can be found HERE.

D'Ercole cards first round 69 while starring on GPAC Championships day one

April 29, 2024

BEATRICE, Neb. – In his last hurrah in a conference tournament, Drew D’Ercole found himself tied atop the individual leaderboard through the first round. D’Ercole’s three-under-par 69 emerged as the highlight of Monday (April 29) action for Concordia University Men’s Golf at on the opening day of the 2024 GPAC Men’s Golf Championships. D’Ercole will enter the tournament’s final round five strokes out of the lead in a field of more than 50 conference competitors that have gathered at Beatrice Country Club in Beatrice, Neb.

Collectively, Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad shot 303-314–617 on Monday and sits in 10th place with 36 of 54 GPAC tournament holes complete. When play resumes on Tuesday, the Bulldogs will attempt to hunt down the likes of Dakota Wesleyan (sixth), Hastings (t-seventh), Briar Cliff (t-seventh) and Mount Marty (ninth). Concordia placed fifth in the GPAC last season with a total of 296-307-296–899.

The Papillion, Neb., native D’Ercole is looking to improve upon his GPAC placement of 16th a year ago. His 69 represented the lowest conference round turned in during Muller’s tenure that began with the 2011-12 season. D’Ercole then shot a 77 in round two and resides in a tie for fourth place on the GPAC leaderboard. Among recent Concordia Golf standouts, Nolan Zikas shot a 70 in the GPAC’s fourth round of the 2015-16 season and in the first round during the 2017-18 season. Going back farther, Shawn Rodehorst carded a 70 in conference round No. 4 of the 2012-13 campaign. D’Ercole also shot a 70 in the spring of 2021 at the GPAC tournament.

The next lowest score for a Bulldog on Monday in Beatrice was supplied by freshman Jacob Dowd, who shot 75 in round two. He landed in a tie for 24th (79-75–154) by the time the dust settled on Monday. Dowd was followed in the lineup by juniors Jake Hagerbaumer (76-79–155; T-31st) and Justin Webert (79-83–162; 48th) and sophomore Brock Rogers (79-88–167; 50th). Hagerbaumer and Webert are returners to the conference lineup along with D’Ercole.

Bulldog scores through two rounds of GPAC Golf:

TEAM: 303-314–617 (10th)
T4. Drew D’Ercole: 69-77–146
T24. Jacob Dowd: 79-75–154
T31. Jake Hagerbaumer: 76-79–155
48. Justin Webert: 79-83–162
50. Brock Rogers: 79-88–167

The third and final round of the 2024 GPAC Championships is set to get underway at 9 a.m. CT on Tuesday from Beatrice Country Club. Live results will continue to populate in the Golf Genius app (Golf Genius ID of 24MGPAC).

D'Ercole claims program’s highest ever individual GPAC finish; Bulldogs place ninth

April 30, 2024

BEATRICE, Neb. – In polishing off a five-year collegiate run, Drew D’Ercole earned the highest GPAC individual tournament place finish Concordia University Men’s Golf history. D’Ercole shot a three-under-par 69 in round one of the 2024 GPAC Men’s Golf Championships in the process of placing in a tie for fourth. The two-day, three-round championship tournament concluded on Tuesday (April 30) at Beatrice Country Club in Beatrice, Neb., where the Bulldogs placed ninth.

Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad moved up one spot on Tuesday while leapfrogging Mount Marty. Concordia shot 303-314-314–931 for the tournament. The Bulldogs placed fifth in the GPAC in 2023.

“It was kind of the same thing we’ve seen this spring semester with inconsistent play in our lineup,” Muller said. “We had too many big numbers. Scoping it out a little, we were tied for fifth best in round one and tied for fifth best in round three, but round two really hurt us. We had the highest scoring in round two and that took us down the leaderboard and made it challenging going into today.”

The previous best conference placement for a Bulldog individual was fifth by Ivan Yabut (71-74-74–219) in 2022. D’Ercole eclipsed his former teammate while shooting 69-77-75–221 for the tournament. The Papillion, Neb., native was tied for first place at the conclusion of round one. D’Ercole finished five strokes off the tournament champion, Northwestern’s Jackson Laven, who shot even par for the event.

A staple in the lineup since his freshman season of 2019-20, D’Ercole has played in 92 career rounds as a Bulldog with a career scoring average of 75.8. His finish at the 2024 GPAC tournament marked his fourth top-five claim of the 2023-24 campaign. His 69 on Monday represented the best score for a Concordia golfer in a GPAC round during Muller’s tenure (began in 2011-12).

Said Muller of D’Ercole, “Drew had a great career. We thought he had a legitimate shot to push for the individual title. Today we shuffled our lineup around a little bit and played him at the No. 5 spot so he’d be the first one on the course before it got too windy. He put up a good score early. His ball striking was probably as good as it’s been all year, but unfortunately, not too many putts went in. That’s what led to his score. Drew to date is one of the best golfers in school history. He’s in the same conversation as Nolan Zikas and Shawn Rodehorst.”

Three other Bulldogs competed in all three rounds over the past two days. Junior Jake Hagerbaumer put together a solid tournament in shooting 80 or better each round (76-79-80–235). The Hooper, Neb., native placed in a tie for 28th overall. Next in line were freshman Jacob Dowd (79-75-84 – 238; T-36th) and junior Justin Webert (79-83-79–241; 44th). In Monday’s action, sophomore Brock Rogers shot scores of 79 and 88. Then on Tuesday, senior Gavin McWhorter jumped into the lineup and carded an 80. Like D’Ercole, McWhorter has wrapped up his college career.

Bulldog scores through two rounds of GPAC Golf:

TEAM: 303-314-314–931 (9th)
T4. Drew D’Ercole: 69-77-75–221
T28. Jake Hagerbaumer: 76-79-80–235
T36. Jacob Dowd: 79-75-84–238
44. Justin Webert: 79-83-79–241
Brock Rogers: 79-88-NA
Gavin McWhorter: NA-NA-80

The 2023-24 season featured a total of 11 varsity tournaments. The Bulldogs shot a season low of 291 in round three of the Blue River Classic (where they placed third out of 16 teams) back in the fall. One of the season’s thrills came in the form of a 12-9 win over Doane in last week’s Bulldog-Tiger Cup. Concordia finished the campaign with a season average score of 306.9.

D'Ercole concludes collegiate golf career with All-GPAC honors

May 8, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – One of the most accomplished student-athletes in Concordia University Men’s Golf program history, Drew D’Ercole pulled in another accolade on Wednesday (May 8). The league office announced D’Ercole as a 2023-24 GPAC All-Conference First Team selection. The Papillion, Neb., native has earned his fourth career all-conference award. The selections are voted upon by league coaches.

D’Ercole finished his college career in strong fashion as he placed in a tie for fourth at the 2024 GPAC Championships. The fifth-year Bulldog shot a three-round conference total of 69-77-75–221. The 2023-24 season for D’Ercole included four top-five tournament finishes, five top-10 placements and an 18-hole scoring average of 74.4 (25 rounds). His season low of 68 came in the opening round of the season at the UC Ferguson Classic. In major highlights, D’Ercole placed fourth at the Blue River Classic, fourth at the Nebraska Intercollegiate, fourth at the Graceland Invite and fourth at the conference tournament.

In his five seasons at Concordia, D’Ercole played 92 rounds and averaged a score of 75.8. D’Ercole played in 42 events as a Bulldog and finished in the top 10 a total of 13 times and placed inside the top five a total of eight times. The accolades for D’Ercole have included NAIA Scholar-Athlete, Academic All-District and All-America (CSC), NAIA PING Central All-Region and GCAA All-America Scholar status. D’Ercole has also served as a graduate assistant under Head Coach Brett Muller.

Five Bulldogs land on men's golf Scholar-Athlete list

May 20, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Men’s Golf program landed five Bulldogs on the 2024 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete honor roll, released on Monday (May 20) by the NAIA. The list of Bulldog Scholar-Athletes is made up exclusively of repeat award winners: Gavin Buttshaw, Drew D’Ercole, Jake Hagerbaumer, Justin Webert and Jacob Woodmancy.

The 2023-24 list of men’s golf honorees features 380 total student-athletes. In order to be nominated by an institution’s head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, must appear on the eligibility certificate for the sport and have attended one full year at said institution.

Winner of the 2023-24 GPAC All-Sports Championship Trophy, Concordia University ranks as the NAIA’s all-time leader in number of Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes with 2,322 entering the 2023-24 academic year. The school record for number of Scholar-Athletes in one academic year is 226 achieved in 2019-20. Concordia has been a regular national leader for both Scholar-Athletes and Scholar-Teams.

2024 Men’s Golf NAIA Scholar-Athletes

· Gavin Buttshaw (Aurora, Colo.)

· Drew D’Ercole (Papillion, Neb.)

· Jake Hagerbaumer (Hooper, Neb.)

· Justin Webert (Lincoln, Neb.)

· Jacob Woodmancy (Grant, Neb.)

GCAA recognizes D’Ercole with 2024 NAIA PING Central All-Region Team honors

May 21, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – On the heels of placing fourth at the 2024 GPAC Golf Championships, Concordia University graduate student Drew D’Ercole has pulled in another honor. On Tuesday (May 21), the Golf Coaches Association of America announced D’Ercole as one of 15 selections to the 2024 NAIA PING Central All-Region Team. D’Ercole has garnered this award for the second-straight year.

A native of Papillion, Neb., D’Ercole has been recognized throughout his collegiate career for his efforts both in the classroom and on the golf course. D’Ercole’s 2023-24 accolades have included First Team All-GPAC, NAIA Scholar-Athlete and NAIA All-Region distinction with the possibility of additional postseason awards to come.

D’Ercole career awards

· Four-time GPAC All-Conference

· Two-time GCAA NAIA PING Central All-Region

· 2022-23 CSC Academic All-District / All-America

· 2023 GCAA All-America Scholar

· Four-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete

Following the GPAC tournament, Concordia Head Golf Coach Brett Muller said the following about D’Ercole, “Drew had a great career. We thought he had a legitimate shot to push for the individual GPAC title. Drew to date is one of the best golfers in school history. He’s in the same conversation as Nolan Zikas and Shawn Rodehorst.”

2024 NAIA PING Central All-Region Team

Braden Bernaldo, Morningside

Qwenton Caldwell, Northwestern (IA)

Guillermo Cervantes, Park (MO)

Dylan Comstock, Park (MO)

Gavin Dines, Baker

Drew D’Ercole, Concordia (NE)

Gabe Escalera, Hastings

Joshua Killingsworth, MidAmerica Nazarene

Jackson Laven, Northwestern (IA)

Patrick Neal, MidAmerica Nazarene

Cholnan Nunya, Park (MO)

Maxwell Templeman, MidAmerica Nazarene

Colby Unruh, MidAmerica Nazarene

Santiago Valdes, Park (MO)

Junn Yong, Mount Mercy

Three Bulldogs represent men's golf with Academic All-District awards

June 25, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – A trio of Bulldogs from the Concordia University Men’s Golf program landed on the list of 2023-24 Academic All-District® At-Large selections released on Tuesday (June 25) by College Sports Communicators (CSC). The organization lauded Drew D’Ercole, Jake Hagerbaumer and Justin Webert with all-district accolades. The accomplished D’Ercole has earned this recognition in back-to-back years while Hagerbaumer and Webert are first time honorees.

The 2023-24 Academic All-District® At-Large Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Student-athletes must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in order to be nominated for this award. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA — for each gender.

The three award winners from Head Coach Brett Muller’s program were each regulars in the varsity lineup. Having completed five years as a Bulldog, D’Ercole (Papillion, Neb.) has put together an impressive resume that includes four GPAC All-Conference awards. He wrapped up his collegiate playing career by placing fourth at the conference tournament. In addition, D’Ercole has twice been named an NAIA PING Central All-Region award winner and has been recognized as an Academic All-American by CSC and an All-America Scholar by the Golf Coaches Association of America. He is a four-time NAIA Scholar Athlete. D’Ercole’s golf career included eight top-five and 13 top-10 tournament finishes. He majored in Recreation and Sport Studies and Business Administration.

A Lincoln, Neb., native, Webert served as the team’s No. 2 golfer this past season with an 18-hole average of 76.6. Webert has also been honored as a GCAA Scholar All-American and a two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete as an Accounting major. Meanwhile, the Hooper, Neb., native Hagerbaumer has earned similar academic awards as a GCAA Scholar All-American and NAIA Scholar-Athlete. The Business Administration major averaged a score of 78.2 this past season.

At-Large Academic All-America® honorees will be announced by CSC on July 16-17. The women’s honorees will be revealed on July 16 with men’s award winners to be unveiled the following day.

D'Ercole, Webert named Cobalt Golf All-America Scholars

July 25, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – As announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA), Concordia University Men’s Golf student-athletes Drew D’Ercole and Justin Webert have been recognized as 2023-24 NAIA Cobalt Golf All-America Scholars. The award honors student-athletes for performance athletically and academically. To receive All-America Scholar distinction, an individual must be a sophomore, junior or senior academically, participate in 50 percent of the team’s rounds and have a stroke average below 78.0.

Having completed five years as a Bulldog, D’Ercole (Papillion, Neb.) put together an impressive resume that includes four GPAC All-Conference awards. He wrapped up his collegiate playing career by placing fourth at the conference tournament. In addition, D’Ercole has twice been named an NAIA PING Central All-Region award winner and has been recognized as an Academic All-American by CSC and an All-America Scholar (twice) by the Golf Coaches Association of America. He is a four-time NAIA Scholar Athlete. D’Ercole’s golf career included eight top-five and 13 top-10 tournament finishes. He majored in Recreation and Sport Studies and Business Administration.

A Lincoln, Neb., native, Webert served as the team’s No. 2 golfer this past season with an 18-hole average of 76.6. Webert has also been honored as a GCAA Scholar All-American twice and a two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete as an Accounting major. Webert joined D’Ercole with Academic All-District accolades from CSC in 2024.

Men's golf program recognized with GCAA Outstanding Team Academic Award

July 30, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – Recognition came the way of the Concordia University Men’s Golf program on Tuesday (July 30) via the Golf Coaches Association of America. The GCAA announced the Bulldogs as a 2023-24 Outstanding Team Academic Award recipient. Head Coach Brett Muller’s program was one of eight in the entire NAIA to achieve Presidents Special Recognition, which requires a team grade-point average of at least 3.5. There were 240 schools across six divisions that earned Outstanding Team Academic awards.

The 2023-24 Concordia Men’s Golf Team also placed five individuals on the list of NAIA Scholar-Athletes. Two of those Bulldogs were also recently lauded as Cobalt Golf All-America Scholars by the GCAA: Drew D’Ercole and Justin Webert. Other Scholar-Athletes were Gavin Buttshaw, Jake Hagerbaumer and Jacob Woodmancy.

For more information on the men’s golf, check out the program’s homepage HERE.