Winter and Spring Highlights

Women’s Basketball
The Golden Bears women’s basketball team finished the year 28-3 (16-2 NSIC). The 28 wins ties the 2003-04 team with the most season wins. The team won back-to-back NSIC regular season and tournament titles. They qualified for the NCAA tournament for the 6th straight season. Concordia started the season 18-0, which was the best in school history and the longest winning streak. The team’s 77.6 point per game scoring average was good for 1st in the NSIC and 10th in the nation. They also finished 4th in the nation in three point field goal percentage, making 40.5 percent. Among many individual NSIC honors, Paul Fessler was named NSIC Coach of the Year.

Men’s basketball
The men’s basketball team finished the season 16-12 (10-8 NSIC). They finished 4th in the NSIC and earned the right to host Wayne State in the first round of the NSIC tournament. The Wildcats ended the Golden Bears’ season with a 75-72 overtime win. The Golden Bears started the season winning six out seven games; however, over the stretch of their next 10 games, the Bears recorded only three victories. One of those victories was a 61-57 win over then #14 St. Cloud State. The Bears rebounded winning six of their final eight games including winning the final two at home. Craig Heiman (Marshall, Wis.) and James Metcalf (Killeen, Texas) captured all-NSIC honors.

Baseball
The baseball team made an appearance at the NCAA tournament—a first for men’s athletics. The team won the NSIC tournament championship earning the automatic bid to the NCAA Central Regional Tournament and eventually the NCAA tournament. They finished the season 27-16 for their fourth straight winning season and second NSIC title (2003 co-champions). Four players earned all-region honors, led by first team selection Brenden Furrow (Johnston, Iowa). Five players earned first team all-NSIC honors led by NSIC Newcomer of the Year Joe Abellera (Minnetonka, Minn.). Jake Schmidt (Oakdale, Minn.), three-time NSIC Pitcher of the Week, shattered the school’s strikeout record with 100, beating Dave Johnson’s 1995 record of 78.

Men’s and Women’s Golf
The golf program achieved a first in 2007-08 by sending a male and female golfer to the NCAA regional in the same year. Jacquelyn Hauser (Caledonia, Minn.) became the third female to compete at the regional while helping the team finish second at the NSIC championships. Kyle Lewis (Forest Lake, Minn.) became the first golfer in men’s program history to advance to an NCAA regional. As a team, the men finished 4th at the NSIC championships.

Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field
The indoor men’s and women’s track and field team set eight school records this season. Junior Kawaskii Bacon (Minneapolis, Minn.) and sophomore Katie Johnson (Anoka, Minn.) earned NSIC track athlete of the week during the indoor season. Both provisionally qualified for NCAA national meet, along with junior Tre Sayles (Woodbury, Minn.), but all three just missed making the meet field. The teams finished 7th on the women’s side and 5th on the men’s side at the NSIC conference tournament in Bemidji. Several athletes received all conference recognition. The men’s and women’s outdoor track and field team established nine school records during the season. Bacon defended his NSIC titles in the 100m and 200m dashes, while Sayles won the NSIC high jump title and Johnson took home the long jump crown. The women’s team finished 7th and the men’s finished 5th at the NSIC conference tournament.

Softball
The team finished its season with a 27-22 (11-7 NSIC) record. Sophomore Abby Brundidge (Neekoosa, Wis.) became the third player in school history to earn all-region honors by the NFCA. She also earned all-NSIC honors. Sophomore Anna Bjorlin (Hermantown, Minn.), junior Natalie Mast (Oakdale, Minn.) and freshman Sami Mattson (Esko, Minn.) also made first team, while Stephanie Schmikla (Madison, Wis.) was an honorable mention selection. Mast also set the school record for stolen bases in a season (43) and career (80).

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