Kelly Vyhnalek (19), is the oldest of three, and is from Seward, Nebraska. Kelly is a current sophomore at Concordia University Nebraska (CUNE), and a member of the basketball team. His journey to get to Concordia is a rather interesting one.

When asked about his choice to stay in Seward for college, he replied: “It just felt comfortable in Seward. I enjoy the town and enjoy the fact that I can see my family whenever I want to, they can come to all of my games which is also a huge plus.” “I also really liked Coach Limback, and it seemed like he recruited me the hardest out of every coach, which was nice.” Kelly chose Concordia over other schools such as Nebraska Wesleyan, Morningside, Midland, Nebraska-Kearney, and Rockhurst.

Basketball played a huge factor in where Kelly wanted to go to college, and one person who was right in the middle of that process was his high school coach, Mark Cidlik. “Recruiting really started to take off for him during the summer before his senior year,” says Cidlik. “He got offers from every GPAC school in about a two- week time period, and really blew up after that.”
When Cidlik was asked about whether or not Kelly made the right choice of school, he replied: “I think Concordia was the right fit for him basketball-wise. He is a 6’7” guard who is able to shoot it from the outside, any player like that will be able to thrive in the NAIA, especially in an offensive system like Concordia.”

Family was another huge impact on where Kelly chose to go to college, and one family member in particular was especially excited about it. Jack Vyhnalek, the brother of Kelly, is 12 years old and goes to school at Seward Middle School. When he was asked about what his thoughts on Kelly staying home for college, he was elated: “I was super excited when I found out Kelly was going to Concordia. I like going to all of his games, and they are all close to home which is nice.” If you attend a Concordia basketball game in Seward, you most likely will be able to spot the Vyhnalek family in the crowd somewhere.

The home crowd at Concordia games is “electric” in Kelly’s words. “It is so cool seeing a bunch of familiar faces in the stands that have been watching me play ever since high school.” says Vyhnalek. “I try my best to represent those people and the community of Seward every time I walk onto the court.”

Entering his sophomore season, Kelly is expected to make a leap for the Bulldogs this season. It will be exciting to see how both he, and Concordia fair in the GPAC this season.