2022 YEAR IN REVIEW: Memorable Concordia High School Sports Moments and Accomplishments

As we enter into the final days of 2022, this week KNCK News continues our annual look back, revisiting some of the biggest stories from the past year.

Last winter, the Concordia High School Wrestling team took seven wrestlers to the 2022 Kansas State High School Activities Association Class 4A State Wrestling Championship in Salina.  Panther Wrestlers Daniel Vines and Keyan Miller both brought home medals from the state meet.

Miller ended his Panther wrestling career as a two-time state medalist, winning a 3rd place medal last season at 182 lbs.

Vines reached the state title match at 126 lbs. in his first career state tournament appearance last winter.  Vines dropped a tight 3-2 decision to Scott City Sophomore Collin McDaniel in the state championship match, concluding his season at 38-2.

Vines was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Year for the Concordia High School Wrestling team at the team's annual year-end banquet in March.

Also representing Concordia at last year's state tournament were Christian Belden, Nathan Brown, Ashton Dooley, Logan Leiszler and Easton Swihart.

Heading into the holiday break, the Concordia High School Wrestling team has had a tremendous start to their 2022-2023 season.  Concordia went unbeaten last week, winning the Republic County Holiday Duals wrestling tournament.

During the first month of the season, Coach Josh Brown's team has also posted first place finishes at the Raider Classic in Wamego and the December Duals in Louisburg, while they placed second behind Great Bend in the Cardinal Corner Classic in Hoisington.  The Panthers also earned their first North Central Kansas League dual win of the year over Marysville, 42-28, on December 15th.

Concordia looks for another strong showing next week when they travel to Wamego to face the Wamego Red Raiders in a North Central Kansas League dual on Thursday, January 5th.

For the first time since 2008, Concordia High School qualified a full team to compete at the 4A State Boys Golf Tournament after the 2022 team recorded a second place finish in the 4A Regional Tournament in Hesston on May 16th.  Unfortunately, excessive rainfall lead to the cancellation of the second day of the state tournament in Newtown due to unplayable course conditions.

Three members of the Concordia High School Boys Golf team -- Seniors Braxton Kindel and Hayden Dvorak and Sophomore Lewis VanMeter -- remained in contention after the opening day before it was determined that the second round was not able to be played.

Coach Steve Nelson was disappointed his golfers were never able to get back on the course.

Thirteen Concordia High School athletes ran, threw and jumped themselves into the state track and field meet last spring.

The Concordia High School Boys Track & Field team, underneath coach Jordan Echer, came home with five medals.  Cav Carlgren posted a 5th place finish in the 4A Boys High Jump at a height of 6'2".  Carlgren picked up his second medal of the weekend when he captured an 8th place finish in the finals of the 4A Boys 300M Intermediate Hurdles.  Toby Wahlmeier, qualifying in four events at the state meet, medaled in two individual races, snagging a 5th place finish in the finals of the 4A Boys 100M Dash and posting a 3rd place finish in the finals of the 4A Boys 200M Dash.  And Tyler Hobrock closed out his high school career by medaling 8th overall in the 4A Boys Discus.

Sophomore Carlie Carlgren, the lone representative of the Concordia High School Girls Track & Field team at the state meet, medaled 5th overall in the 4A Girls 100M High Hurdles.

Over the summer, Coach Echer was selected to serve as an Assistant Coach for the West team for the 49th Annual Kansas Shrine Bowl in Pittsburg, Kansas.

The Kansas Shrine Bowl is an all-star high school senior, East vs. West, football game put on each year in Kansas, by the Kansas Shrine.  The game has been played throughout Kansas each summer since 1974. 

Concordia High School graduates Keyan Miller and Dalton Owen both received invitations to play in the game.  Miller ended his high school career with 3,352 career rushing yards, ranking as the second most all-time in Concordia history.  Owen, meanwhile, picked up 1st Team All-State, 1st Team All-District, and 1st Team All-League recognition and was named the recipient of the Concordia Football program's Keith Christensen Lineman Award in 2021.

Owen told KNCK Sports the football team at Concordia has felt like a family, and he's going to miss that camaraderie.

Former Concordia High School Head Cheerleading Coach Stephanie Downie was also in Pittsburg this summer, helping to coach nearly 200 cheerleaders from across the state as part of the Kansas Shrine Bowl festivities.

This year, Concordia High School graduate Taye Retter was nominated for the Kansas High School Spirit of Sport Award.  The award recognizes individuals who exemplify the ideals of the positive spirit of sport and that represent the core mission of education-based activities.  

Concordia High School Boys Basketball Coach Derek Holmes said Retter is the kind of player that inspires his teammates to do more than they think they can.

The KSHSAA Student Advisory Team participates in the selection for the state of Kansas honoree. 

Concordia High School Senior Running Back Bergun Kindel has been named the recipient of the Burlsworth Character Award, a national award that recognizes character and sportsmanship in high school football.  Kindel was nominated by the Panther football staff.

Kindel told us he really enjoyed playing football and being in a team atmosphere.

And this year, Concordia High School Senior Stryker Hake has been named a winner in the Heisman High School Scholarship Competition, in recognition of outstanding achievement in academics, athletics and community service.  The Heisman High School Scholarship program honors the nation’s most accomplished, community-minded high school senior athletes.

During the fall, Hake was named the team's Offensive MVP and the recipient of the Trevor Gennette Memorial Award.

Hake ended his high school career as the school's all-time career leader in interceptions.