Football
The Concordia-St. Paul football team has battled through a challenging start to the 2025 season but found momentum in their most recent outing. After opening with a road loss at Quincy in week one and falling in their home opener to Minnesota Duluth, the Golden Bears bounced back in week three with a 27-21 victory at Minot State. Freshman quarterback Lincoln Graf shined in his first career start, completing 18-of-24 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns while leading a pair of clutch fourth-quarter scoring drives. Senior receiver Troy Ellison hauled in four catches for 139 yards and a touchdown, while redshirt freshman Timothy Davis continued his breakout with 58 yards receiving.
Defensively, CSP showed grit by forcing four turnovers at Minot, highlighted by interceptions from Garian Denson and Dilan Williamson, while junior linebacker Ben Rehl piled up 17 tackles, the eighth-most in program history. Special teams also played a key role, with punter Caden Carsen flipping the field with a 43.3-yard average. Now 1-2 overall and 1-1 in NSIC play, the Golden Bears will look to build on their first win of the season as they head to Northern State on September 20.
Volleyball
The No. 11 CSP volleyball team has shown resilience and promise through the opening weeks of the 2025 season, navigating one of the toughest non-conference slates in the country. After a hard-fought five-set loss to Indianapolis in their opener, the Golden Bears bounced back with sweeps over West Virginia State and Tiffin before making a statement at the Colorado Premier Challenge. There, CSP proved it can compete with the nation’s elite, highlighted by a four-set win over No. 2 Angelo State and a sweep of No. 5 West Texas A&M.
Led by sophomore Makenna Nold, who has emerged as the team’s offensive focal point, and steady veterans like Ellie and Cassie Sieling, this squad is finding the right blend of new contributors and proven leaders. Transfers Reagan Hickey and Kelsey Cooper have stepped in seamlessly, while freshman Kaelyn Snoozy has provided an early spark. With momentum from marquee wins and a roster that is quickly gelling, CSP now turns its attention to NSIC play, opening the conference schedule at home against newcomer Jamestown on September 19.
Soccer
The Golden Bear women’s soccer team has opened the 2025 season in dominant fashion, posting a perfect 3-0 record in non-conference play while not allowing a single goal. The Golden Bears showed both grit and balance, grinding out back-to-back 1-0 wins over Nebraska Kearney and Minot State before unleashing a 4-0 offensive showcase against Parkside. With multiple players finding the back of the net and a defense that has been nearly impenetrable, CSP is proving early that it has the depth and chemistry to compete at a high level.
Anchored by veteran goalkeeper Sydney Potter, who added to her career shutout total with two more clean sheets to start the year, the Bears are building momentum on both ends of the field. The scoring has been spread across the roster, with established leaders and emerging contributors alike stepping up in key moments. With confidence soaring after a flawless non-conference slate, CSP now turns its attention to NSIC play, kicking off the conference schedule at home against Jamestown on September 19.
Men & Women’s Golf
The golf programs are making early waves this fall, setting the tone for what looks to be an exciting 2025-26 campaign. On the men’s side, the Golden Bears opened strong at the BSU Invite, finishing second overall with junior Chase Camilli leading the charge. His runner-up performance highlighted CSP’s depth and consistency, giving the team confidence as they prepare to showcase their talent at their home event, the CSP Fall Brawl.
The women’s team delivered an even bigger statement, capturing the Tracy Lane Memorial Invite title for the first time since 2018. Freshman Addi Wood made an immediate impact in her collegiate debut, winning the individual crown and earning NSIC Women’s Golfer of the Week honors. With seniors Darby Barstad and Piper Hill also securing top-10 finishes, the Golden Bears showed the perfect mix of fresh energy and veteran leadership. Both squads will now turn their focus to the CSP Fall Brawl, where they’ll look to build on this impressive start and continue making headlines.
Men & Women’s Cross Country
The cross country teams kicked off the 2025 season under the lights at the Augie Twilight in Sioux Falls, setting a strong foundation for what’s to come. The men’s squad placed 14th out of 25 teams, while the women’s team finished 22nd out of 26, but the bigger story was the wave of personal bests that showed just how much potential this group carries into the year.
On the men’s side, Andrew Alexander led the charge with a career-best four-mile time, finishing in the top 50 of a nearly 400-runner field. Teammates Andrew Boyum and Ethan Blischke also set new personal records, giving the Bears a promising trio to build around. For the women, Nyadio Chan turned in a standout performance with her fastest 5K yet, breaking the 20-minute mark in a deep and competitive field. With so many runners hitting new milestones right out of the gate, CSP is building momentum and confidence as they turn their focus to one of the season’s marquee meets, the Roy Griak Invitational on September 19.
For sports schedules and rosters please visit the CSP Bears site.
