Fall Sports Well Underway: September Wrap-Up
Students cheer on the Concordia Bulldogs football team. Photo by Lyric Allen
By Graham Friske
Summer is over and the fall athletic season is in full swing. Here are the highlights of the early fall Bulldog sports.
The 2019-20 volleyball team is off to a scorching start. The team was undefeated for 12 games, dropping only two sets of their first 35. Head Volleyball Coach Ben Boldt said the team is “hungry and yet humble.”
Men’s and women’s cross-country were most notable seven years ago when both teams competed in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championship, but this year’s teams are championship contenders.
Concordia women’s golf team placed fourth overall in their opening tournament. The 2018 team placed seventh in Great Plains Athletic Conference overall. The team is anchored by two athletes who helped carry the team last year.
The women’s tennis team is another championship contender. Last year David DeSimone helped Concordia shatter school records, leading the team to arguably the best season in school history. He was named GPAC Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year for his efforts.
The tennis team hasn’t lost a step from last season. The Bulldogs beat William Jewell College six matches to one in their first competition of the season. Seniors Kristen Wagner and Angela Bell, and junior Allison Marshall led the surge. With an experienced core, the Bulldog women’s tennis team is looking to make some noise this season.
Men’s soccer is equipped with talent across the roster this fall and their games have proven that this team won’t go down without a fight. The team was undefeated 7-0 for the first time in Head Men’s Soccer Coach Jason Weides’ 12 years at Concordia. The streak was recently broken against Kansas Wesleyan University.
Last year, the men’s golf team took 9th overall in GPAC and this year they took 9th at their first meet of the season. The team is picking up where it left off last year, despite losing alum Nolan Zikas after graduation.
Concordia football lost their first game of the season, a primetime matchup against rival Doane University. Doane was coming off of a loss, but Concordia struggled against them.
The team also lost to Buena Vista University in Iowa. The Bulldogs were ahead 24-0 at halftime, but Buena Vista managed to make a comeback in the second half and win 27-24.
The women’s soccer team had a rough start with six losses. They won their seventh game against Presentation College 3-0. The Bulldogs also won 1-0 at home against Northwestern College. This game featured three-year-old Fritz Krieger as honorary captain to raise awareness for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
The men’s tennis team experienced a humble start to the season at their first competition. The Bulldogs did not manage to claim a single match. Several Concordia athletes advanced in a recent GPAC Invitational. Freshman Juan Rabellino snagged a singles title and senior Josh Miller finished as a consolation champion.
Photo by Sonja Brandt
Photo by Sonja Brandt
Photo by Sonja Brandt
Photo by Lyric Allen
