Season Stats
SEASON PREVIEW: 2015-16 men's and women's golf
MEN
Head Coach: Brett Muller (5th year)
2014-15 GPAC Finish: 6th (300-312-337-306–1,255)
Key Returners: Brock Colclasure (Sr.); Payton DeVencenty (So.); Tyelr Ehresman (So.); Jared Knoepfel (Jr.); Russell Otten (So.); Sam Simonson (Sr.); Garrett Suchanek (Sr.)
Key Newcomers: Nolan Zikas
Key Losses: Shawn Rodehorst
2015 GPAC All-Conference: Shawn Rodehorst (T-18th – 73-79-86-75–313); Reid Wiebe (T-16th – 75-82-82-73–312)
WOMEN
Head Coach: Brett Muller (5th year)
2014-15 GPAC Finish: 5th (343-367-353-361–1,424)
Key Returners: Amy Ahlers (Jr.); Brenna Gnuse (So.); Emma Jacoby (So.); Kayla Krueger (Jr.); Ashlen Pospisil (So.)
2015 GPAC All-Conference: Amy Ahlers (T-2nd – 78-84-83-85–330); Emma Jacoby (T-7th – 82-81-89-88–340); Kayla Krueger (T-14th – 83-91-88-94–356)
Outlook
Both Concordia golf programs continued their ascent in the league standings in 2014-15. Now in his fifth season, head coach Brett Muller expects his squads to produce even better results throughout the 2015-16 campaign. The Bulldog men say goodbye to three-time all-conference performer Shawn Rodehorst (now the program’s graduate assistant coach), but most of the top players are back on both sides of the coin.
Despite Rodehorst’s graduation, Concordia has high expectations thanks in part to the return of junior Reid Wiebe and sophomore Russell Otten. With their emergence last season, the Bulldogs broke the program record for lowest single-season average (317.1) and equaled the school single-round record by shooting a 300 at back-to-back meets during the fall season.
Muller will have plenty of additional options to fill his five-player varsity men’s lineup at this season’s biggest tournaments. Says Wiebe, “We’re definitely on the rise. I think we have a lot of good guys and a lot of pieces to fill in this year. We’ll see where things go. The sky’s the limit for us. It depends on how hard we work.”
Wiebe, a transfer from NCAA Division I University of Nebraska Omaha, powers the ball off the tee better than anyone in the GPAC. He averaged a 77.7 over 15 rounds last season with a season low of 72. He placed inside the top 10 in three tournaments and provided Muller with another legitimate top-of-the-lineup stalwart.
Otten will give Wiebe a run for the No. 1 slot. Otten finished 11th in the GPAC as a freshman. He turned in scores of 77 or lower in three of the four conference qualifiers. Otten and Wiebe were the only two Bulldogs to navigate all 15 rounds last season.
“Both Reid and Russell are very solid players,” Muller said. “This year I look for those two guys to compete for the No. 1 spot. They’re very close on and off the course and very similar to the relationship that Amy (Ahlers) and Emma (Jacoby) had last year. I think it will really drive them in practice.”
Beyond Wiebe and Otten, another five returning Bulldogs competed in seven or more varsity rounds last season and will figure into the mix this fall and spring. Sophomore Tyler Ehresman (82.5) played in nine of 10 tournaments as a freshman and often competed at the No. 4 spot. The lineup may also include a combination of the likes of junior Court Croghan, sophomore Payton DeVencenty, junior Jared Knoepfel and seniors such as Matt Otten, Sam Simonson and Garrett Suchanek.
Among newcomers, Muller has been most impressed with La Vista, Neb., native Nolan Zikas, a third-place finisher at this past state tournament at the Nebraska Class A level.
The wealth of options gives Wiebe reason to be confident. Says the Sutton, Neb., native, “Our expectations are to win every tournament and it starts with the first one. If you don’t win the first one you can’t win them all.”
On the women’s side, few returning players in the GPAC can match the accomplishments of Concordia junior Amy Ahlers who has placed in the top five of the conference standings in each of her first two seasons and has five tournament victories to her credit. She’s the leader of a rock-solid top three Bulldog grouping that includes fellow junior Kayla Krueger and sophomore Emma Jacoby.
Krueger and Jacoby joined Ahlers on the 2015 GPAC all-conference team. Muller will count on his dynamic trio again in 2015-16. Says Muller, “Our top three will be very similar to (defending conference champion) Dakota Wesleyan’s top three. We just need to get some consistency from everybody.”
Ahlers, who has always placed high expectations upon herself, felt unsatisfied with her performance at last year’s final GPAC qualifier when she missed a chance at winning the individual conference title. Ahlers says she mostly needs to improve her mental game, which could lead to an even lower average than her school record-tying figure of 82.0 as a sophomore.
“Sometimes I get to tournaments and I’m not confident,” Ahlers said. “If you don’t have confidence in golf it shows. The last GPAC round I played with (Dakota Wesleyan’s) Lauren Fitts and she’s a great player. She’s won the conference two years. I was scared. I was like, ‘she’s the defending conference champion, you know.’ You can’t have that mindset going into it. Moving forward I want to strengthen up that mental game and know that I can hold my own ground. I can do it.”
A sharp mental game for Concordia’s star from Albion, Neb., will go a long way towards reaching the team goal of a top-two conference finish that would land a berth into the 2016 national tournament. The Bulldogs remained in the hunt for such a lofty finish last season before a disappointing GPAC No. 4. With its entire five-person lineup back, expectations are at their highest since Muller took over the women’s program.
Not only is Concordia climbing the GPAC standings (from 11th to sixth to fifth over the last three years), it is also one of the nation’s hardest working squads in the classroom. The 2014-15 Bulldogs ranked fifth nationally among all women’s golf programs in terms of team GPA.
“They mean everything,” Ahlers said of the team accomplishments. “That’s one thing about being a student-athlete, you’re a student, too. Classes are important and they always have been to me. To be surrounded by a group of girls that care about their grades as much as I do, it’s great. It’s so fun to be in that atmosphere and be around them. I’m so proud of them.”
Concordia’s success will also depend upon the improvement of sophomores Brenna Gnuse and Ashlen Pospisil, both regulars in last year’s lineup. Pospisil carded a season low 88 at the Briar Cliff Fall Classic and Gnuse turned in a low of 91 at the same tournament. More performances like that will help push the Bulldogs up another peg in the league race.
“I think on the women’s side we definitely grew as a team,” Muller said. “It was a great experience for us. We were right in the mix going into the final GPAC qualifier. Obviously it didn’t go as well as we would have liked it to go but I think we’re going to gain from that experience moving forward.”
Driven on and off the course, Muller’s squads appear poised to build upon record-breaking seasons a year ago. With four combined all-conference players (and another near miss) back in the fold, Concordia golf finds optimism easy to come by heading into 2015-16.
Season-opening events
--WOMEN: Monday, Aug. 31 at Midland Invite (Fremont GC)
--MEN: Thursday/Friday, Sept. 3-4 at Mount Marty Invite (Fox Run GC/Hillcrest CC)
Ahlers wins Fremont Invite; Bulldogs place second as a team
FREMONT, Neb. – Amy Ahlers began her junior season by shooting the lowest round of her collegiate career while propelling the Concordia women’s golf team to a second-place finish at the season-opening Midland Fall Invite held at Fremont Golf Club on Monday. Collectively, the Bulldogs turned in a team score of 354 in finishing behind only defending conference champion Dakota Wesleyan among the field of eight teams.
The 354 is in the range of last year’s school single-season record average of 352.5. Head coach Brett Muller went with the familiar group of five in a lineup that was rolled out at nearly every tournament in 2014-15.
“We played pretty well,” Muller said. “We would have liked our score to be a little lower, but for the first time out it’s a good spot to be in. Dakota Wesleyan was the only GPAC school to beat us. The biggest positive we take away is knowing we didn’t play our best but were still within nine shots of Dakota Wesleyan. Coming out next time we definitely need to work on our short game from 70 to 100 yards in.”
Ahlers ended her day with a flurry of three-straight birdies to leave the field of 60 individuals in the dust. Her two-over-par 75 placed her five shots in front of the runner up, Dakota Wesleyan’s Lauren Fitts, the two-time defending conference champion. Ahlers, who hails from Albion, Neb., now has six career tournament victories.
“To be able to beat her playing heads up is going to be huge for Amy’s confidence,” Muller said. “Amy had an incredible finish birdying her last three holes.”
Sophomore Emma Jacoby came in next in line with a 13-over-par 86 that slotted her in a tie for fifth. The rest of the five-person lineup included junior Kayla Kruger (91, T-11th) and sophomores Ashlen Pospisil (102, T-31st) and Brenna Gnuse (116, T-53rd).
Ahlers’ four birdies were two more than any other player. Jacoby recorded two birdies.
The three additional players on Muller’s roster competed as individuals on Monday: freshman Mallarie Fila (110, T-42nd), sophomore Lauren Sperry (114, T-49th) and freshman Madison Pitsch (119, T-57th).
As a team, Concordia bested GPAC rivals Midland (377), College of Saint Mary (382), Midland B (395), Hastings (405) and Doane (407).
Ahlers and company return to action Sept. 8-9 when they compete at the College of Saint Mary Classic at Miracle Hill Golf Course in Omaha, Neb.
Women's golf nears program single-round record at CSM Classic
OMAHA, Neb. – Four different Bulldogs carded scores in the 80s to allow the Concordia University women’s golf team to come within one stroke of a program record for lowest single round on day one of two at the College of Saint Mary Classic on Tuesday. Junior Amy Ahlers led the way with an eight-over-par 80 to as part of a day that saw the Bulldogs card a team total of 339. Concordia sits in second place (out of 10 teams), seven shots behind first-place Morningside heading into the final round.
The school record for lowest round was set by last season’s team when it shot a 338 on day one of the Briar Cliff Fall Classic on Sept. 25, 2014.
“To have four in the 80s made the difference today in having a low score and a chance to win the tournament,” said fifth-year head coach Brett Muller. “It was great to have Ashlen (Pospisil) play well in the No. 4 spot and tie her personal best. Then the top three played about their average, not spectacular but solid.”
Ahlers’ 80 leaves her in a tied for third, just one stroke behind a pair of day one leaders tied at the top among the field of 80 golfers. The rest of the Bulldog lineup included returning all-conference performers Emma Jacoby (85, T-10th) and Kayla Krueger (86, T-12th) as well as Ashlen Pospisil (88, T-20th) and Brenna Gnuse (100, T-57th). Three other Bulldogs golfed as individuals: Mallarie Fila (99), Madison Pitsch (108) and Lauren Sperry (111).
Day two continues from the same Omaha course, Miracle Hill Golf Center, at 10 a.m. CT. Concordia is aiming to win the tournament after placing second last week at the season-opening Midland Fall Invite.
Women's golf breaks school record, finishes second
OMAHA, Neb. – The Concordia University women’s golf team set a new school record for team score while finishing second at the College of Saint Mary’s Fall Classic Wednesday, Sept. 9. Amy Ahlers finished second individually and Emma Jacoby tied for fifth over the two day event.
The new school record of 335 came from Ahlers (79), Jacoby (81), Kayla Krueger (82), Ashlen Pospisil (93) and Brenna Gnuse (94) during the second day of competition at the CSM Fall Classic. The previous record of 338 was shot on day one of the Briar Cliff Fall Classic on Sept. 25, 2014.
The 339-335—674 team score was good to finish second overall behind GPAC foe Morningside. Ahlers finished second individually with a two day score of 80-79—159 which is under her average from last season. Jacoby tied for fifth with an 85-81—166 finish also below her 2014-15 season average and just shy of tying a career low score of 80.
Also competing in Omaha was Mallarie Fila (93), Madison Pitsch (103) and Lauren Sperry (108).
The Lady Bulldogs will be back in action Friday, Sept. 18 and Saturday, Sept. 19 for the Briar Cliff Lila Fromant Invite. The two day event will take place at North Sioux City, S.D. on day one and will finish in Sioux City, Iowa on the second day.
Ahlers breaks school record, Concordia tied for first
NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. – Junior Amy Ahlers broke the school record for a single round Friday, Sept. 18 at the Briar Cliff Lila Fromant Invite. Ahlers carded a 71 which is one under par for the course. The score put the Albion native in first place by seven strokes and helped the Bulldogs finish day one of the invite tied for first place. The team shot a 337, two strokes away from the current team score record, to match Morningside.
Said graduate assistant coach Shawn Rodehorst on Ahlers, “That was probably the smartest round of golf I’ve ever seen. She was just in control all day and put it in the right spots. She snuck in a few long putts on top of that and there we have a 71.”
Two other Bulldogs finished in the top 20 after the first day of action at Two River Golf Course. Kayla Krueger is currently tied for seventh place after scoring an 84 while Emma Jacoby is tied for ninth with a score of 86.
Other Bulldogs competing were Ashlen Pospisil and Mallarie Fila who both shot a 96 and are tied for 49th out of 81 golfers.
Not only did Ahlers lead the pack in score, but also in birdies (four) and pars (11). Jacoby was also on the leader board for pars with eight (tied for seventh place) while Krueger knocked in two birdies (tied for second place).
The Concordia Bulldogs will compete in day two of the Briar Cliff Lila Fromant Invite Saturday, Sept. 19 in Sioux City, Iowa at the Green Valley Golf Course.
Ahlers wins playoff for first, Bulldogs finish third
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Concordia women’s golf team competed in day two of the Lila Frommelt Fall Classic. Amy Ahlers took first place after a playoff with Dakota Wesleyan’s Lauren Fitts, carding a 71-80—151. The Bulldogs finished third as a team with a 337-345—682 score over two days.
On day two of play, graduate assistant Shawn Rodehorst said, “I thought the girls did pretty solid throughout the weekend. Obviously we would have like to have come away with the win but other than a few holes here and there, we played okay, just have to limit the blowup holes.”
After a record breaking day during day one of the invite, Ahlers shot an 80 during the second day and finished first individually over the two days. The junior had six birdies to round out her performance.
On Ahler’s first place finish, Rodehorst said, “Amy is just a beast. She didn’t have her best today but she found a way to get into a playoff and wow, what a shot on 18. She had about 112 yards to go from the rough and hit the most clutch shot I’ve ever seen, I don’t care what level. That’s something we’ll all remember for a long time.”
Also competing for the Bulldogs was Kayla Krueger who finished with a score of 84-87—171, good to tie for ninth place. Emma Jacoby finished 19th with a two day score of 86-89—175. Finishing with a score of 96-89—185 was Ashlen Pospisil and ended up 35th. Brenna Gnuse tied for 42nd and carded a 90-98—188. Mallarie Fila tied for 50th out of 79 golfers and scored a 96-95—191. Lauren Sperry shot a 108-109—217 over two days while Madison Pitsch recorded a 124-115—239 two day score.
The Lady Bulldogs will be back in action on Thursday, Sept. 24 for the GPAC Qualifier No. 1 at Two River Golf Course in North Sioux City, S.D.
Record breaking Ahlers earns GPAC weekly recognition
SEWARD, Neb. – Announced Wednesday, Sept. 23, Amy Ahlers has been named the first GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports women’s golfer of the week for the 2015 fall season. The junior has broken a course record at Green Valley GC in Sioux City, Iowa and helped the Lady Bulldogs break the team record so far this season.
Ahlers is averaging a score of 77 after three events which is the lowest score for Concordia. In Omaha, Neb. at the College of Saint Mary Invitational, Ahlers placed second and helped the Bulldogs to a program record breaking score of 335.
The Albion, Neb. native has recorded scores of 75 (first place), 80-79—159 (second place), and 71-80—151 (first place) this year. Twice Ahlers has reached a score below her season best of 76 from the 2014-15 season.
The Concordia women’s golf team will be back on the course Wednesday, Sept. 30 for the GPAC Qualifier No. 1 at Two River GC in North Sioux City, S.D.
Bulldog women compete in GPAC Qualifier
DAKOTA DUNES, S.D. – The Concordia University women’s golf team competed in the GPAC Qualifier No. 1 on Wednesday, Sept. 30. The squad carded a 354, a tying score for fourth place, just 12 strokes away from tying first place.
Said head coach Brett Muller, “If we just look at the fact that we’re only 12 shots out of first, it’s a good day, but at 354 we obviously could have done a lot better. We just need to put four scores together Monday and we’ll be right there.”
The team tied Dakota Wesleyan for fourth place while Morningside, having four of their five golfers place in the top 20, take first place with a team score of 342. Mount Marty College and Nebraska Wesleyan University tied for second carding a 346.
Individually, Kayla Krueger was the top finisher for the Bulldogs, tying for third with a score of 83. The score was good to tie her career low set at last year’s GPAC Qualifier No. 1 and tied again at the Nebraska Wesleyan Invite last spring. One other Bulldog, Amy Ahlers finished in the 80’s with a mark of 84 for eighth place. Emma Jacoby finished with a score of 93. Mallarie Fila (94) and Ashlen Pospisil (97) rounded out the individual scores.
“Kayla Krueger had a very solid day for us,” Muller noted. “She shot a 39 on the back and was able to post a good score.”
The ‘Dogs will be back on the course on Monday, Oct. 5 for the second GPAC Qualifier at Southern Hills GC in Hastings, Neb.
Concordia women conclude fall season with fifth-place GPAC standing
HASTINGS, Neb. – The Concordia University women’s golf team closed out its fall schedule by shooting a 348 at GPAC Qualifier No. 2. Monday’s round took place at Southern Hills Golf Course in Hastings, Neb., where each of the league’s 12 teams converged for the second of four qualifiers that take place throughout the 2015-16 year. After two rounds of conference action, head coach Brett Muller’s Bulldogs sit in fifth place with a cumulative total of 354-348–702.
After carding an 84 five days earlier at the first conference qualifier, junior Amy Ahlers turned in a 10-over-par 82, tying for sixth among 59 golfers in Monday’s field. A two-time all-GPAC performer, the Albion, Neb., native placed as GPAC runner-up last season as a sophomore.
“Overall fifth place is a disappointing spot to be in,” Muller said. “We really thought we could compete for the top two. We still can, but we have a lot of work to do. As for today’s round, we got off to a rough start on the front nine. Looking at our scores, I’m not sure anyone shot better than their season average.”
Two other Bulldogs joined Ahlers with rounds in the 80s on Monday: sophomore Emma Jacoby (86) and junior Kayla Krueger (87). The rest of the lineup included sophomore Ashlen Pospisil (93) and freshman Mallarie Fila (105).
Concordia’s GPAC average of 352.0 is four strokes better than its 2014-15 conference mean round of 356.0. Last year the Bulldogs placed fifth in the GPAC with a four-round score of 343-367-353-361–1,424.
The team’s average for 2015 sits at 344.57 after seven rounds. Ahlers leads the Bulldogs with an average of 78.71. She has two tournament victories on the season.
Ahlers and company will resume the 2015-16 season this coming spring. For the first time ever, Concordia will host a conference meet when GPAC Qualifier No. 3 gets underway at Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb.
Muller is hoping for more consistency this spring. The fall season yielded some great moments, such as Ahlers’ school record one-under-par 71 round on day one of the Lila Frommelt Fall Classic. As a team, the Bulldogs broke the program single-round record by shooting a 335 at the College of Saint Mary Invitational on Sept. 9.
“We had some decent highlights this fall, but we need more consistency one through five,” Muller said. “We have people capable of doing it, we just have to show up for every tournament.”
2015 fall GPAC totals
Amy Ahlers: 84-82–166 (6th)
Kayla Krueger: 83-87–170 (T-9th)
Emma Jacoby: 93-86–179 (T-19th)
Ashlen Pospisil: 97-93–190 (37th)
Mallarie Fila: 94-105–199 (T-47th)
Women's golf ready for move up GPAC, historic third qualifier
Fifth-year head coach Brett Muller had high hopes for what his 2015-16 women’s golf program could achieve. With a big spring performance, those expectations can still be met. Led by junior Amy Ahlers, a two-time all-conference honoree, Concordia shot an average of under 345 over seven rounds during the fall of 2015.
In terms of conference standings, the Bulldogs sit exactly where they finished during the 2014-15 season: fifth. However, Concordia has lowered its GPAC average from last year by five strokes (351 compared to 356).
“The women’s team continues to improve,” Muller said. “They proved that in the fall by setting the one-day tournament record for lowest team score. We didn’t have our best days at the GPAC meets. Sitting fifth is not where we want to be. We feel like we can definitely make a move when we host the third qualifier at Highlands. We look to make a push for the top two of the conference and get to the national tournament. It’s definitely not out of the questions, but there’s work to be done.”
Ahlers continues to state her case as the top women’s golfer in program history. The native of Albion, Neb., broke a school individual one-round record with her one-under-par 71 at the Lila Frommelt Fall Classic back on Sept. 18. Nine days earlier Ahlers and company set a new school standard by shooting a team score of 335 at the College of Saint Mary Invite. The Bulldogs also turned in two other rounds below 340 (337 and 339) during the fall.
Thanks to the addition of College of Saint Mary to the GPAC this academic year, the conference now receives two automatic bids to the national tournament. In order to qualify for nationals, Concordia will have to make up the 14 strokes that separates it from Dakota Wesleyan and Nebraska Wesleyan, two teams that are tied for second place.
Dakota Wesleyan had gotten used to dominating the conference. This time around, national tournament bids are up for grabs in the second semester of play.
“On the women’s side the conference has gotten a lot deeper,” Muller said. “It used to be Dakota Wesleyan and then everybody else. Teams in the conference have caught up to Dakota Wesleyan and it’s much more competitive, especially at the top end. We’re in fifth right now and we’re one shot ahead of Midland. Basically the top six all have a chance to go to the national tournament. In years past the conference was pretty well decided by this point. That’s exciting for the conference as a whole.”
Beyond Ahlers, Concordia will lean upon the likes of junior Kayla Krueger (currently ninth in the GPAC), and sophomore Ashlen Pospisil. Muller has also identified sophomore Brenna Gnuse as someone who has made significant improvements. Plus, Muller believes Ahlers’ best golf is yet to come.
“It’s hard to believe, but Amy’s really improved even since last fall,” Muller said. “Going through (strength and conditioning) Coach (Todd) Berner’s offseason workouts has helped her add some distance. That’s something that’s held her back a little, especially with the driver and three-wood. She’s hitting the ball farther and because of that her scores have improved.”
Another factor that could chop scores down is the facility enhancements with the indoor hitting facility located on the southeast part of campus. It now contains an 18-by-8 foot putting green as well as a launch monitor. Said Muller, “That made our winter practices much more meaningful rather than just hitting the ball into the net. We can actually see what the ball’s doing and see how far it’s going. We can see the flight of the ball, whether it’s going right, left or straight.”
April 13 will be a historic day for the program as it is set to host a GPAC qualifier for the first time ever. The meet will take place at Highlands Golf Course, the new home of the Bulldogs, in Lincoln. “The women are very excited, especially with where we’re at in the standings,” Muller said. “We feel like we can make up some ground with the event being at Highlands.”
But first the spring season will get going at the Midland Invite in Fremont on Monday, April 4. Tee time is set for 11 a.m. View the full spring schedule HERE.
Bulldogs open spring with second-place finish in Fremont
FREMONT, Neb. – In the first outing of the spring for Concordia University women’s golf, accomplished junior Amy Ahlers outplayed each of her GPAC competitors at Monday’s Midland Spring Invitational at Fremont Golf Club. Ahlers’ fourth-place finish helped the Bulldogs to a second-place claim among the 10 teams in the field. Of those 10 teams, nine were from the GPAC and the other was tournament champion Iowa Western Community College.
Though the 368 was Concordia’s highest score among its eight 2015-16 rounds, it was good enough to defeat GPAC leader Mount Marty, which shot a 369 on Monday.
“We didn’t play as want to, but we were able to get second place,” Muller said. “As a whole, our short game really hurt us. We had a lot of three-putts and left some shots out there so that will definitely be a focus this week in practice.”
Ahlers has now turned in a top-five individual finish in four of six events during her junior season. She entered the spring with a team low average of 78.7. On Monday she carded a 12-over-par 85 while turning in eight pars and one birdie. She was the lone Bulldog to shoot a score in the 80s. In her career, the native of Albion, Neb., has collected five tournament titles.
Junior Kayla Krueger and sophomore Brenna Gnuse both shot a 93 and tied for 16th among the 68 golfers at the Midland Invite. Concordia was also represented in Fremont by sophomores Ashlen Pospisil (T-29th, 97) and Lauren Sperry (54th, 110) and freshman Madison Pitsch (67th, 132).
Gnuse’s 93 was nearly seven strokes better than her season average entering the spring.
“She had a stretch of holes where she played pretty well,” Muller said. “Top to bottom, one through five, we just need 18 consistent holes.”
The Bulldogs will be back in action on Friday when they take the course at Miracle Hill in Omaha for the College of Saint Mary Spring Shootout. It will mark a return to the site where Concordia broke the program’s single-round record with a team score of 335 in the second round of the College of Saint Mary Fall Invitational on Sept. 9.
Ahlers powers CSM Invitational title
OMAHA, Neb. – Behind the sixth career tournament victory for junior Amy Ahlers, the Concordia University women’s golf team claimed first place at Friday’s College of Saint Mary Spring Invitational at Miracle Hill in Omaha, Neb. The Bulldogs shot a 350 to hold off second-place Mount Mary (352), the current GPAC leader. It’s the first tournament title for fifth-year head coach Brett Muller.
After placing second three times already this season, including this week’s runner-up finish at the Midland Spring Invitational, the Bulldogs rose to the top spot while battling the gusty conditions that met the 82 golfers in Friday’s event.
“The wind gradually picked up as the day went on, but we did a pretty good job of being mentally tough,” Muller said. “We got the most out of our rounds today. Right now Mount Marty is first in the conference. To beat them on a neutral course will definitely give us some confidence going into GPAC No. 3.”
Ahlers put together the type of performance that’s come to be expected of the two-time all-conference performer. Her seven-over-par 79 was two strokes better than runner up Kellie Winckler of Mount Marty. Ahlers, who hails from Albion, Neb., now has five top-five finishes out of seven events this season.
“Amy had a great performance,” Muller said. “She got off to a red-hot start by making two birdies in her first five holes. That put her in good position and the team in good position.”
Sophomore Ashlen Pospisil just missed on a top-10 placement with her 89 (11th place). The native of Norfolk, Neb., has taken a liking to Miracle Hill. Back on Sept. 8 she carded a career low 88 at the same course. Friday’s round helped lower her season average to 93.8.
Tying for third on the team were sophomore Brenna Gnuse and junior Kayla Krueger. Both turned in a 91, putting them 17th on the individual leaderboard. Freshman Madison Pitsch carded a 137.
The Bulldogs now look forward to hosting GPAC Qualifier No. 3 on Wednesday (April 13) at Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln. It will mark the first time the Concordia golf program has ever hosted a GPAC event. With a two-round total of 354-348–702, Concordia sits in fifth place, 24 strokes in back of Mount Marty for first place. Individually, Ahlers sits in sixth (84-82–166).
Ahlers named GPAC Golfer of the Week
SEWARD, Neb. – On Tuesday, the GPAC office announced this week’s GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Women’s Golfer of the Week as Concordia’s Amy Ahlers. This is the junior’s fifth weekly conference honor in her career.
The award came after Ahlers placed first at the College of Saint Mary Invitational last Friday. Ahlers shot a 79 to win her sixth career title and fifth top-five finish of the season. The individual victory also aided the Bulldogs to a first-place finish as a team. It was the first tournament title for Concordia under the helm of coach Brett Muller.
Ahlers and the Bulldogs will be back in action Wednesday for the GPAC Qualifier No. 3. The tournament will be at Concordia’s home course, Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln. Individually, Ahlers is in sixth place (84-82—166) while the team is in fifth (354-348—702).
Bulldogs ready to host conference qualifier for first time ever
SEWARD, Neb. – The first-ever GPAC qualifier hosted by the Concordia University golf program is set to unfold on Wednesday at Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln. The first tee time at GPAC Qualifier No. 3 is slated for 1 p.m. With a two-round total of 345-348–702, the Bulldogs sit in fifth place, 24 strokes behind conference leader Mount Marty.
“The women are very excited about hosting, especially with where we’re at in the standings,” said head coach Brett Muller. “We feel like we can make up some ground with the event being at Highlands.”
GPAC team standings
1. Mount Marty: 346-332–678
T2. Dakota Wesleyan: 345-334–688
T2. Nebraska Wesleyan: 346-342–688
4. Morningside: 342-353–695
5. Concordia: 345-348–702
6. Midland: 356-347–703
7. Northwestern: 363-362–725
8. Briar Cliff: 371-362–733
9. College of Saint Mary: 383-381–764
10. Doane: 379-389–768
11. Hastings: 395-378–773
12. Dordt: 428-419–847
Bulldogs on individual leaderboard
6. Amy Ahlers: 84-82–166
T9. Kayla Krueger: 83-87–170
T19. Emma Jacoby: 93-86–179
37. Ashlen Pospisil: 97-93–190
Muller’s women’s team enters the conference round with momentum after having won the College of Saint Mary Spring Invitational on April 8. It marked the first tournament team victory in Muller’s five seasons leading the program. Individually, two-time all-conference performer Amy Ahlers claimed her sixth career tournament win by shooting a seven-over-par 79. With a team score of 350, Concordia outshot Mount Marty by two strokes.
The Bulldogs’ fifth-place standing in the GPAC is exactly the spot they finished in a year ago when they shot a cumulative score of 343-367-353-361–1,424. Ahlers stayed in the running for GPAC medalist honors all season before finishing runner up to Dakota Wesleyan’s Lauren Fitts, who owns an 11-stroke lead at the top of the 2015-16 standings. Kayla Krueger, currently tied for ninth, finished 14th overall as a sophomore last season. Ahlers, Krueger and Emma Jacoby all earned all-conference recognition in 2015-16.
About Highlands Golf Course: Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln, Nebraska, is an 18-hole, championship, public golf course designed in 1993 by Jeff Brauer. The course has matured beautifully and offers sweeping, rolling terrain that makes the course a pleasure to play. Varying wind conditions can offer a great challenge to the golfers. The course stretches out to over 7,000 yards from the gold markers with a total of four different tees to choose from (White; 5,280 yrds, Blue; 6,022 yrds, Black; 6,523 yrds). The links style course is designed to offer a fair but challenging test for all playing abilities. The course is always in good playing condition. Highlands also has one of the best practice facilities in the midwest and a pro shop that is well stocked with name brand golf equipment and apparel.
Website: http://lincolncitygolf.org/highlands/
Tee times (Wednesday, April 13)
1 p.m. | Hole No. 1 – Morningside, Concordia, Midland
1 p.m. | Hole No. 10 – Doane, Hastings, Dordt
1:37 p.m. | Hole No. 1 – Mount Marty, Dakota Wesleyan, Nebraska Wesleyan
1:37 p.m. | Hole No. 10 – Northwestern, Briar Cliff, College of Saint Mary
Pospisil turns in career low as Bulldogs host GPAC No. 3
LINCOLN, Neb. – While still breezy, a bright sunshine soaked the sweeping, rolling terrain at Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln as the Concordia University golf program hosted a GPAC qualifier for the first time ever. The Bulldog women didn’t quite meet the expectations they had set for themselves, settling for a 10th-place finish at Wednesday’s GPAC Qualifier No. 3.
A disqualification contributed to Concordia’s high team score of 379. Fifth-year head coach Brett Muller’s squad fell back one spot on the overall leaderboard and now sits in a tie for sixth with a three-round score of 354-348-379–1,081.
The never satisfied Amy Ahlers turned in an 81 and tied for fifth place. The reigning GPAC player of the week has yet to fail to crack the top 10 at an event during her junior season. Ahlers is now fourth on the overall leaderboard with a three-round total of 84-82-81–247. She had seven pars and two birdies on Wednesday.
“I was so excited. I was really looking forward to today,” Ahlers said. “It’s a huge thing to be at your home course. It’s a huge advantage. We practice here and really know how it works. I feel like today should have been a good day so it hurts.”
Sophomore Ashlen Pospisil took advantage of the familiar surroundings and carded an 83, a career low by five strokes. The native of Norfolk, Neb., climbed to 26th place overall after tying for 11th on the day. After Ahlers, Kayla Krueger is next in line among Bulldogs in the standings. She’s tied for 13th (83-87-88–258).
The other score that factored into the team’s GPAC No. 3 score came from freshman Madison Pitsch. She carded a 127.
Concordia had hoped to build upon its first-place finish at the College of Saint Mary Spring Invitational five days earlier when it defeated nine GPAC rivals.
“It felt so good for everything to come together all at once,” Ahlers said. “It was a tough (weather) day out there and we battled through it.”
The Bulldogs take a break before returning to action April 23-24 for the two-day Buena Vista University Spring Invite. Both rounds of the event will take place at Lake Creek Country Club in Storm Lake, Iowa. The first day’s round will begin at 12 p.m. before action picks up at 9 a.m. the following day. The final conference qualifier is set for May 2.
Bulldogs holding third after day one of Buena Vista Invite
STORM LAKE, Iowa – The Concordia women’s golf team competed in the first day of the Buena Vista College Invite and currently sit third out of eight teams. Amy Ahlers leads the Bulldogs after shooting an 85 and is tied for seventh.
Head coach Brett Muller said, “The wind today was definitely a factor and affected everyone. I am proud of the way we stayed focused on a course we haven’t seen before. We are in a position if we improve tomorrow, we can still finish second. The forecast tomorrow doesn’t look great with a chance of rain for most of the round; we will need great mental toughness.”
The team has a first round score of 358 after the windy first day of play. William Penn University is in first, followed by GPAC foe, Dakota Wesleyan.
Individually, Ahlers is tied for seventh with a score 13 over par. Ashlen Pospisil carded a 90 and is tied for 19th. Kayla Krueger and Brenna Gnuse also turned in scores in the 90’s. Krueger is tied for 21st with a 91 while Gnuse is right behind with a 92.
The Bulldogs will tee off at 8 a.m. Sunday for the second round of the Buena Vista Invite in Storm Lake, Iowa.
Women's golf ties for third
STORM LAKE, Iowa – The Concordia women’s golf team tied for third at the Buena Vista College Invite with a team score of 358-351—709. The two-day event concluded on Sunday at Lake Creek Country Club.
Head coach Brett Muller said, “Kayla (Krueger) played great today for most of the day. She was in a great position to shoot in the 70’s but the last couple of holes slipped away from her. I am proud of the way she played. Overall as at team, I thought we had a good mindset. We need to continue improving on staying away from big numbers.”
The second day score of 351 is just over the team’s season average of 350.9. William Penn won the meet with Dakota Wesleyan coming in second. The Bulldogs tied for third place with Central College. Eight total teams competed in the meet.
Krueger improved her second day score by 10 strokes and carded a total 91-81—172 to tie for 14th place. Amy Ahlers shot an 85-87—172, also tying for 14th. Ashlen Pospisil turned in a score of 90-91—181 to tie for 21st place while Brenna Gnuse scored 92-92—184 to tie for 26th place.
The Concordia women’s golf team will return to the course on April 28 at the Doane College-Kaitlyn Erickson Invite in Lincoln, Neb.
Two Bulldogs place in top-10 at Doane Invite
LINCOLN, Neb. – The Concordia women’s golf team competed at the Doane College-Kaitlyn Erickson Invite Thursday afternoon at the Wilderness Ridge Golf Course. The Bulldogs shot a 367 as a team for fifth place. Two Bulldogs placed in the top-10.
Head coach Brett Muller said, “Overall we obviously didn’t play as well as we would have liked. We know what we need to work on looking at GPAC on Monday. Kayla (Krueger) continued her good play which was great to see. She has really come on as of late and will look to play well Monday to reach the top-10 to get All-Conference.”
Kayla Krueger led the Bulldogs with an 83, tying for fifth. Also shooting in the 80’s was Amy Ahlers who carded an 84 to tie for seventh. Ashlen Pospisil shot a 96 while Brenna Gnuse turned in a score of 104. Also competing for the squad was Madison Pitsch (146) and Lauren Sperry (114).
The Concordia women’s golf team will return to the course for one final meet on Monday, May 2. The GPAC Qualifier No. 4 will take place in Mitchell, S.D. at the Wild Oak Golf Course.
Ahlers finishes third at final GPAC Qualifier
MITCHELL, S.D. – On Monday afternoon, the Concordia women’s golf team wrapped up its spring season at the GPAC Qualifier No. 4, hosted by Dakota Wesleyan University. Junior Amy Ahlers claimed her third All-GPAC honor at the meet.
Concordia finished in sixth place as a team after shooting a 348 Monday. The score tied the squad’s lowest GPAC Qualifier round. The Bulldogs’ cumulative score over the four rounds is 354-348-379-348—1,429, just five strokes over last season’s fifth place finish.
Head coach Brett Muller said, “After nine holes the team was in great position to shoot a great team score. We didn’t finish our great start, and that is disappointing. The two nines at Wild Oak are completely different and we didn’t do a good enough job of adjusting. I am proud of Amy for finishing third in the GPAC for the year.”
Individually, Ahlers finished with a team best 84-82-81-79—326 to place third and receive All-GPAC honors for three straight years. Kayla Krueger finished in 12th place after shooting 83-87-88-84—342 over 72 holes. Ashlen Pospisil shot below her average to finish in 26th place with a 97-93-83-91—364 score.
Dakota Wesleyan took the conference title for the eighth-straight year. A full list of team results and placings is listed below.
Ahlers named academic all-district for second-straight year
SEWARD, Neb. – One of Concordia’s brightest athletes both athletically and as a student, junior Amy Ahlers has reeled in another honor. On Thursday, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) recognized Ahlers as an Academic All-District™ selection. She is one of 11 student-athletes named to the College Division all-district 3 team.
The CoSIDA Academic All-District™ Women’s At-Large Teams have been released to recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. For more information about the Academic All-District™ and Academic All-America® Teams program, please visit http://cosida.com.
An elementary education major, Ahlers continues to stake her claim as the top women’s golfer in Concordia history. The native of Albion, Neb., broke the program’s single-season record for lowest average (80.8) while winning three events during her junior campaign. Also a 2014-15 academic all-district choice, Ahlers has placed in the top 10 in 23 of 30 career tournaments (six tournament wins). She has earned all-conference honors in each of her first three seasons, turning in GPAC finishes of fourth, second and third, respectively.
Ahlers is part of a long list of Concordia athletes to receive all-district accolades over the past two seasons. The 2014-15 academic year saw a school record 11 Bulldogs collect such recognition. This year’s all-district honorees include Chandler Folkerts (men’s basketball), Hallick Lehmann (football), Adam Meirose (football), Becky Mueller (women’s basketball) and Ahlers. Folkerts and Lehman also earned Academic All-America laurels.
The College Division of district 3 includes the states of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Ahlers and four other GPAC players were named all-district on Thursday.
Ahlers will now be eligible for Academic All-America honors. Those award winners will be announced by CoSIDA later this month.
2015-16 academic all-district honorees
*Academic All-American
Amy Ahlers, Golf
*Chandler Folkerts, Basketball
*Hallick Lehmann, Football
Adam Meirose, Football
Becky Mueller, Basketball
2014-15 academic all-district honorees
*Academic All-American
Amy Ahlers, Golf
*Brendan Buchanan, Soccer
Stephanie Coley, Track & Field
*Chandler Folkerts, Basketball
Jaydee Jurgensen, Baseball
Adam Meirose, Football
Bailey Morris, Basketball
*Rachel Mussell, Soccer
Shawn Rodehorst, Golf
Ben Sievert, Cross Country/Track & Field
Melissa Stine, Soccer
Ahlers; Krueger named to all-conference team
SEWARD, Neb. – Two members of the Concordia women’s golf team were named to the GPAC All-Conference Team, announced Tuesday by the league office. Juniors Amy Ahlers and Kayla Krueger were among the 16 golfers named to the all-conference team.
Ahlers has been named to the All-GPAC team all three years of her career now. This season, she finished third after four GPAC Qualifiers, shooting an 84-82-81-79—326. Ahlers’ season average was a team-low 80.79. The Albion, Neb. native finished in the top 15 in every meet and turned in seven top-5 finishes, including three first place scores. This season, Ahlers was named the GPAC Golfer of the Week twice (Sept. 23 and April 12).
Krueger has been named to each the All-GPAC and honorable mention team once over her career. The South Dakota native turned in an 12th place finish in the GPAC Qualifiers after carding a 83-87-88-84—342. Krueger finished in the top 20 in all but one meet this season. Her season low in a single round was an 81 which she reached on the second day of the Buena Vista University Spring Invite.
The women’s golf squad finished sixth in the GPAC this year, turning in a 354-348-379-348—1,429. The team averaged a 352.36 over 14 rounds this season.