MEQUON, Wis. – The 2024–25 athletic year was another successful one for the Concordia Wisconsin Athletic Department. The Falcons won and contended for conference championships in many sports and put together an impressive list of great achievements. As in years past, the Department of Athletic Communications tries to sort through all the great moments and give you, the fans, top stories from the past year.
The list of stories was compiled by the Department of Athletic Communications and, like all lists, is subject to debate. The top stories will be revealed over the next few days, with stories being released throughout the week.
On May 4, the Concordia Wisconsin softball team clinched a share of the NACC regular season title with a dominant home doubleheader sweep over Concordia Chicago. The Falcons won 7-1 and 9-1, finishing the regular season 19-5 in conference play and earning the No. 1 seed in the tournament via tiebreaker. Junior Rylie DuVal (Elgin, Ill.) led the charge with a career-best five RBIs in game one, while senior Jasmine Freeze (Bolingbrook, Ill.) and sophomore Jenna Lischka (Manitowoc, Wis.) hit back-to-back home runs in the second game. Senior Jess Pozezinski (Lake Villa, Ill.) broke the program's single-season doubles record as part of the victory, and sophomore Emma Shellstrom (San Diego, Calif.) tossed a four-hit gem in the opener.
The Falcons carried that momentum into the NACC Tournament, opening play on May 9 with a historic performance. Shellstrom threw the first no-hitter in CUW postseason history, blanking MSOE in a 7-0 quarterfinal win and joining an exclusive list of only three pitchers to throw a no-hitter in NACC Tournament history.
CUW followed that with a 3-2 semifinal win over Benedictine on May 10, backed by Pozezinski's leadoff home run and strong relief from Shellstrom, who earned the win after four scoreless innings. The Falcons played mistake-free defense, highlighted by a pair of outfield-to-home tags that stopped potential tying runs.
After a game-one loss in the Championship Round on May 11, the Falcons responded with a resounding 7-1 win over Benedictine to capture the NACC Tournament title — their third in the last four years and fifth overall. Junior Maggie Plahmer (Slinger, Wis.) launched a go-ahead three-run homer, and Pozezinski and DuVal delivered key RBIs to seal the victory. Freeze picked up the win and Shellstrom earned the save.
The Falcons finished the season 31-11 overall, claimed both the NACC regular season and tournament titles, and earned their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance. Four players were named to the All-Tournament Team — Freeze, Shellstrom, Pozezinski, and senior catcher Megan Bloyer (Oregon, Wis.). Shellstrom, who finished with two wins, a save, and a no-hitter, was named the Tournament MVP. The regular season finale and playoff run cemented CUW softball's status as one of the premier programs in the NACC — and one of the top stories in Falcon Athletics this year.
