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RESULTS: Concordia Only | Lifting Cast Full Results | Team Standings
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – History was made for Concordia University, Nebraska Powerlifting at the 2025 Collegiate Powerlifting National Championships hosted by USA Powerlifting in Oklahoma City, Okla., April 3-6. Junior Rylee Ladd became the program’s first individual national champion while leading the Bulldog women to a banner finish of fifth place. Meanwhile, Concordia tied for 14th place on the men’s side. The individual medalists included Ladd, Taylor Hedke (third place), Teya Badger (fourth place) and Wyatt Hosick (fourth place). For their top three placements, Ladd and Hedke earned All-America awards.
Head Coach Freddie Myles’ programs improved their national team place finishes from a year ago when they landed at ninth for women and 19th for men. In the 2025 team standings, the Bulldogs compiled 29 points on the women’s side and 12 points on the men’s side.
“I'm proud of how hard everyone worked this year in preparation for Nationals,” Myles said. “Their dedication paid off with strong performances and significant increases in their totals. The women’s team in particular exceeded expectations. They weren’t seeded to place near the podium, but their determination and standout performances pushed them all the way to a fifth-place finish. Only one point behind third and fourth with them having the tiebreaker.”
A native of Chetek, Wis., Ladd had her sights set on claiming the 52kg national title after placing as the runner up in 2024. In a mountaintop moment on day one of the national championships, Ladd reset the collegiate American women’s bench press record for her weight class by lifting 97.5kg. Ladd also squatted 130kg and deadlifted 150kg for a total of 385kg. Ladd defeated the runner up from Miami University (Ohio) by a total of 20kg and earned her second career All-America award.
Also on day one of the event held at the Oklahoma City Convention Center, Taylor Hedke made a push for a national title at 60kg. Hedke totaled 422.5kg while posting lifts of 170kg in squat, 82.5kg in bench and 170kg in deadlift. The former track athlete vaulted up the ladder after placing 26th at nationals in 2024. Meanwhile, Badger helped conclude the championships in style by improving from her ninth-place finish last season. In the 100kg class, Badger totaled 467.5kg. The highest place finisher on the men’s side, Hosick posted a total of 525kg in the 60kg weight class.
Two others also placed in the top 10 of their respective weight classes: Jack Hedke (eighth at 125kg) and Kenzie Houser (10th at 56kg). Hedke totaled 782.5kg and Houser amassed 352.5kg. Both Bulldogs were repeat national qualifiers and both made significant jumps in placement as compared to the 2024 national championships.
As noted by Myles, six school records were broken based on their totals achieved on the national stage. The new program standards came from Badger, Jack Hedke, Taylor Hedke, Hosick, Ladd and Abigail Lockingen. A complete summary of each of the Concordia performances at the national championships is included below. Myles and assistant coach Chevy Stout were accompanied in Oklahoma City by 17 national qualifying Bulldogs.
Performance Summary
MEN – T-14th place (12 team points)
· Dax Davis, 60kg (Grand Island, Neb.) – Placed 13th with a total of 487.5kg (squat: 190kg | bench: 115kg | deadlift: 182.5kg).
· Nolan Graupmann, 110kg (Goddard, Kan.) – Placed 51st with a total of 632.5kg (squat: 245kg | bench: 137.5kg | deadlift: 250kg).
· Jack Hedke, 125kg (Marysville, Kan.) – Placed eighth with a total of 782.5kg (squat: 320kg | bench: 175kg | deadlift: 287.5kg).
· Wyatt Hosick, 60kg (Cozad, Neb.) – Placed fourth with a total of 525kg (squat: 190kg | bench: 115kg | deadlift: 220kg).
· Pablo Martinez, 140kg (Wichita, Kan.) – Placed 13th with a total of 667.5kg (squat: 275kg | bench: 160kg | deadlift: 232.5kg).
· Quentin Nelson, 100kg (Omaha, Neb.) – Placed 44th with a total of 667.5kg (squat: 260kg | bench: 137.5kg | deadlift: 270kg).
· Pryce Ostermeier, 82.5kg (Grand Island, Neb.) – Total of 582.5 kg (squat: 210kg | bench: 127.5kg | deadlift: 245kg).
· Hunter Powers, 75kg (Grand Island, Neb.) – Placed 41st with a total of 575kg (squat: 225kg | bench: 115kg | deadlift: 235kg).
WOMEN – 5th place (29 team points)
· Teya Badger, 100kg (Brandon, S.D.) – Placed fourth with a total of 467.5kg (squat: 190kg | bench: 92.5kg | deadlift: 185kg).
· Chloe Gaspar, 60kg (Grand Island, Neb.) – Placed 46th with a total of 287.5kg (squat: 112.5kg | bench: 60kg | deadlift: 115kg).
· Taylor Hedke, 60kg (Marysville, Kan.) – Placed third with a total of 422.5kg (squat: 170kg | bench: 82.5kg | deadlift: 170kg).
· Kenzie Houser, 56kg (Riverton, Kan.) – Placed 10th with a total of 352.5kg (squat: 137.5kg | bench: 67.5kg | deadlift: 147.5kg).
· Rylee Ladd, 52kg (Chetek, Wis.) – Won the national title with a total of 385kg (squat: 130kg | bench: 97.5kg | deadlift: 150kg).
· Abigail Lockingen, 90kg (West Jordan, Utah) – Placed 14th with a total of 382.5kg (squat: 152.5kg | bench: 77.5kg | deadlift: 152.5kg).
· Nevaeh Osterbauer, 70kg (Osceola, Wis.) – Placed 41st with a total of 345kg (squat: 110kg | bench: 62.5kg | deadlift: 172.5kg).
· Rayle Ostermeier, 65kg (Grand Island, Neb.) – Placed 46th with a total of 305kg (squat: 117.5kg | bench: 57.5kg | deadlift: 130kg).
· Abigail Velten, 75kg (Whitesboro, Texas) – Placed 43rd with a total of 332.5kg (squat: 115kg | bench: 80kg | deadlift: 137.5kg).
One more event remains on the 2024-25 schedule for Concordia Powerlifting. The program will host a meet in the PE Center Gym on Saturday (April 12). It will mark the second time in history that the Bulldogs have held a home powerlifting competition.