RIVER FOREST, Ill. – Another school year has come and gone, but Concordia University Chicago (CUC) athletics is still in full swing as baseball and softball prepare for the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) playoffs and track & field gets ready for the last chance qualifier after a strong performance at the NACC Championships. The men's tennis team also wrapped up their season.
 
Track & Field
The Cougars competed at the NACC Championships.
 
The men's team finished sixth out of 11 teams, scoring 54 points. Kamren Hannah (El Paso, Texas) was also named the NACC Freshman of the Meet. The 4x400m relay team, consisting of Gael Arroyo (Cicero, Ill.), Vincent Scarnato (Pottstown, Pa.), Austin Knight (Forest Park, Ill.), and Hannah took home silver with a time of 3:23.14. The 4x100m relay team of Scarnato, Knight, Hannah, and Julian Switzer  (Lake in the Hills, Ill.) secured bronze with a time of 42.27. Jamel Goins (Columbus, Ohio) also earned bronze with a time of 57.71 in the 400m hurdles. Hannah took fourth place in the 100m and sixth in the 200m with times of 11.04 and a personal best 22.20, respectively. Knight took seventh in the 100m with a time of 11.05 and took fourth in the 200m with a time of 21.99. Korey Randle  (East Moline, Ill.) took fifth place in the triple jump with a leap of 13.68m and sixth place in the long jump with a leap of 6.38m. Brandon Montford  (Fairburn, Ga.) took sixth in the shot put with a throw of 13.54m. Matthew Cardwell (Cincinnati, Ohio) finished fourth in the Decathlon with a personal best score of 4972 points. His performance was highlighted by a first-place finish in the long jump with a mark of 6.26m, a third-place finish in the 100m with a time of 11.80, and fourth place finishes in the 110m hurdles and the 400m, with times of 17.66 and 55.19, respectively.
 
The women's team finished eighth of 12 teams, scoring 22 points. Madison Hipshire (Riverview, Mich.) competed in the 400m hurdles and took home silver with a time of 1:09.32. Noor Sammour (Berwyn, Ill.) placed fourth in the high jump with a mark of 1.52m. Izzy Fairless  (Royal Oak, Mich.) finished sixth in the 800m with a time of 2:25.95. Ashley Vasquez (Riverside, Ill.), Addi McKee, Hipshire, and Fairless teamed up for the 4x400m relay and took fourth with a time of 4:15.80. Kirsten Bockhorst (Union, Mo.) leapt 4.71m to claim eighth place in the long jump.
 
CUC will compete at the University of St. Francis Fighting Chance Invite in Joliet, Ill. on May 8-9 at 11:00 am.
 
Baseball (22-17, 17-7)
The CUC baseball team played two NACC doubleheaders to close out the regular season.
 
The Cougars first welcomed Milwaukee School of Engineering to the Thunderdome. Brandon Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) led the charge, going three-for-four with a home run, a double, and four RBIs. His three-run homer put the Cougars in the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Brendan Holloway (Vernon Hills, Ill.) had a strong showing, going two-for-five with two RBIs and two runs scored. Jake Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) scored three runs while also tacking on an RBI. Jeffery Beckert (Mount Prospect, Ill.) went two-for-four, picking up a run. Anthony Pullano (Park Ridge, Ill.) earned his first win out of the bullpen, after throwing a scoreless inning while  Kyle Connelly (New Lenox, Ill.) picked up his fifth save of the season.
 
In game two, CUC won 5-3. Dom Owens (Frankfort, Ill.) delivered the decisive three-run homer, picking up three RBIs. Holloway recorded two hits and an RBI while Beckert also added two hits. Michael Southard (Northbrook, Ill.) picked up the win on the mound after pitching five innings and Connelly stepped up again to nab his sixth save of the season. This is the first time the Cougars have swept the Raiders since 2021.
 
The Cougars then traveled to Rockford University for the regular season finale. CUC started off the day with a 4-1 loss. Beckert led at the plate, going two-for-three. Cam Buckley (New Lenox, Ill.) went two-for-four at the plate, scoring run one. B. Mahler drove in the lone run with his singular hit. Ryan Renella (Bartlett, Ill.) pitched six innings, recording four strikeouts.
 
The Cougars roared back in game two with a 12-2 victory. J. Mahler went three-for-five at the plate with four RBIs and two runs, picking up a double, triple, and home run. B. Mahler went two-for-three at the plate with three runs and three RBIs, including two home runs. With his three RBIs, B. Mahler wrote his name at the top of the history books for single-season RBIs, surpassing Connor Brandon (Joliet, Ill.) from 2019. Owens went three-for-five at the plate, scoring two runs and driving in two runs, while collecting a single, triple, and home run. Buckley had a solo home run and a stolen base. Matthew Licardi (Peoria, Ariz.), Eliot Higgins (Park Ridge, Ill.), and Pullano each pitched on the mound, combining for five strikeouts in seven innings.
 
This week the Cougars play in the NACC tournament. Their first game will be on Thursday, May 7, at 10:00 am. CUC awaits to see who they will play based on the first round of games on Wednesday, May 6.
 
Softball (17-21, 12-12)
The Cougars played two doubleheaders this weekend.
 
CUC took a break in NACC play to face the Cardinals of North Central College (NCC). In game, the Cardinals just edged out the Cougars, 2-1. Charlize Gonzalez (Dallas, Texas) led the way at the plate, going two-for-three. Linley Southern (Decatur, Ill.) went one-for-one at the plate and scored the Cougars' lone run off a double from Alyssa Campos (Eastvale, Calif). Haley Gulsby (Englewood, Fla.) also got a hit, going one-for-two.
 
In game two, CUC generated more offense but still fell, 8-4. Julia Pataluna (Commerce City, Colo.) went a perfect three-for-three at the plate, tacking on a run and an RBI. Gulsby went two-for-three at the plate, also grabbing a run and an RBI. Eliza Auger (Littleton, Colo.) went one-for-three, picking up two RBIs with a double in the bottom of the fourth.
 
The Cougars then held their regular season finale at home against the Spartans of Aurora University. The Cougars got the sweep, starting with a 3-2 victory in game one. Melisa Hadzic (Westchester, Ill.) recorded two sacrifice flies to put the first two runs on the board. In the bottom of the seventh, with a game tied, Campos rocketed a solo home run for the walk off victory. Campos led at the plate, going two-for-three. McKyler Morris (Belvidere, Ill.), Arissa Santos (Moreno Valley, Calif.), and Gulsby all went one-for-three at the plate, while Gulsby picked up a run. Alyssa Lopez (Corona, Calif.) recorded the win in the circle with 1.2 innings pitched and five batters faced.
 
In game two, CUC won 2-1. Auger went a perfect two-for-two at the plate, recording a run and two RBIs. Gulsby and Santos both went one-for-three at the plate. Campos also went one-for-three, tacking on a run. Lopez picked up her second victory of the day.
 
This week, the Cougars will play NCC on Tuesday, May 5, in preparation for the NACC Tournament. First pitch of the doubleheader will be at 3:00 pm. Then, the seventh-seeded Cougars will face the sixth-seeded Sabres of Marian University on Thursday, May 7, at 1:30 pm at Bedrosian Stadium in Montgomery, Ill.
 
Men's Tennis (1-17, 1-5)
The sixth seeded Cougars played in the first round of the NACC playoffs against the third seed, St. Norbert College (SNC). The Cougars battled hard but ultimately fell 4-0. At No. 1 doubles, Andres Villagran (El Paso, Texas) and Sam Smith (Munster, Ind.) dropped the match, 6-0. Collin Dickey (Frisco, Texas) and August Barnes (Sodus, Mich.) were able to grab a point at No. 2 doubles but ultimately fell, 6-1. By winning the first two doubles matches, the Green Knights took the doubles point. SNC won three singles matches to take the match. Dickey fell 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 singles. At No. 2 singles, Reynaldo Leal (Weslaco, Texas) dropped the first set 6-0. In the second set, he picked up a pair of points but still lost, 6-2. The Green Knights then took the No. 5 singles match, 6-0, 6-1, against Kevin Bullens (River Forest, Ill.).
 
The Cougars finish out the season, 1-18 overall and 1-5 in conference.
 
You can keep up with all things CUC Athletics on Twitter @CUChicagoSports, watch all the action at cucougars.com/coverage, and view all photos from the seasons here.