Concordia Sports - The First 100 Years by Finn Grinaker

by Vernon Finn Grinaker
| Return to Index | Chapter 1 | 1903-1921 | 20's | 30's | 40's | 50's | 60' | 70's | 80's | 90's |

Chapter 7-- The Restless Sixties

| 1960-1961 | 1961-1962 | 1962-1963 | 1963-1964 | 1964-1965 | 1965-1966 | 1966-1967 | 1967-1968 | 1968-1969 | 1969-1970 |

Jake Christiansen coached the 1962 football team to a 5 - 3 - 1 overall record, 3 - 3 - 1 in the conference. Tri-captains were Charlie McDonald, Dan Loucks and Rich Braun. Dan Loucks was named the team MVP while Gary Berg, Gary Larsen, Dan Loucks, Julian Gulsvig and Ron Offut were named to the All-Conference team.

Season results were:
Concordia 32 NDAC   13
Concordia 34 Hamline   0
Concordia 28 Macalester   0
Concordia 8 St. Thomas   38
Concordia 14 St. John’s   31
Concordia 36 Augsburg   24
Concordia 22 Gustavus   38
Concordia 8 UM-Duluth   8
Concordia 36 MSTC    14

The conference standings were:
St. John’s 7 - 0 - 0
UM-Duluth 5 - 1 - 1
St. Thomas 5 - 2 - 0
Concordia 3 - 3 - 1
Macalester 3 - 4 - 0
Gustavus 2 - 5 - 0
Augsburg 2 - 5 - 0
Hamline 0 - 7 - 0

The football team included Jim Maiola, Denny Orsen, Marsh Haaland, Lyle Stark, Curt Josephson, Charlie McDonald, Rick Torgerson, Raleigh Lillemoe, Dave Johnson, Ron Offutt, Bob Salmi, Mel Undlin, Dan Loucks, Julian Gulsvig, Jerry Nelson, Rich Braun, Ray Toivonen, John Nellermoe, Duane Anderson, Russ Larson, Bob Peulen, Ron Beachy, Jim Knutson, Doug Eckheart, Doug Perry, Tom Wee, Phil Johnson, Darrel Naugle, Buzz Johnson, Bob Nick, Ron Hendrickson, Gary Berg and Jim Herk.

The 1962 cross-country team placed third in the MIAC, just two points behind second-place Gustavus. Place winners were Gary Olson - fourth, Phil Gulstad - 6th and Bob Lindberg - eighth. Others on the team were Dick Jeffers and Ernie Knapp.

The 1962-1963 basketball team, coached by Sonny Gulsvig, had an overall record of 10 - 15, and finished in sixth place in the conference with a 5 - 11 record. The roster included Lyndon Sonju, Ron Hendrickson, Frank Johnson, Keith Bangs, Bob Nick, Wayne Odell, Rich Jacobson, Tom Dalen, Dick Pett, Gary Larsen, Keith Larson and Rick Larson.

Season results were:
Concordia 63 MSTC    49
Concordia 86 Bemidji   56
Concordia 51 NDSU    55
Concordia 64 St. John’s   65
Concordia 48 Hamline   71
Concordia 66 Pacific Lutheran 67
Concordia 50 Augsburg   59
Concordia 80 St. Mary’s   88
Concordia 73 MSTC    61
Concordia 80 Macalester   64
Concordia 77 Augustana   58
Concordia 85 Valley City   69
Concordia 70 St. Thomas   82
Concordia 75 Gustavus   85
Concordia 67 UM-Duluth   76
Concordia 57 St. Thomas   62
Concordia 76 St. John’s   79
Concordia 70 Hamline   71
Concordia 71 UM-Duluth   70
Concordia 53 Augsburg   66
Concordia 76 St. Mary’s   75
Concordia 70 Macalester   66
Concordia 72 Gustavus   44
Concordia 62 NDSU    63
Concordia 55 St. Thomas   57

The 1962 - 1963 wrestling team under Coach Finn Grinaker had an excellent year finishing 9 - 1 - 1 in dual meets and second place in the conference. Harlan Leopold was the league’s MVP and finished the season undefeated. Other team members were Einar Aarsheim, Jim Herk, LeRoy Thompson, Dave Lerberg, Al Smaagaard, Ron Offutt, Fred Volkman, Marc Wermager, Stenberg, Morris Lanning, Jerold Larson, Mike Myhre, Mendi Rashidpoor, Emil Knapp, Jim Reed, and Dan Loucks.

Harlan C. Leopold,
'63 MVP Wrestling 1961-1965

Scores for the season were:
Concordia 24 Augsburg   13
Concordia 21 Mayville   11
Concordia 26 NDSU    11
Carleton meet - second place
Luther tournament - sixth place
Concordia 27 Macalester   6
Concordia 31 St. Thomas   5
Concordia 23 Gustavus   12
Concordia 18 St. John’s   12

Scores were:
Concordia 5 Augsburg   2
Concordia 4 Gustavus   0
Concordia 4 Macalester   12
Concordia 3 St. Thomas   4
Concordia 5 Augsburg   2
Concordia 0 St. John’s   3
Concordia 4 Augsburg   8
Concordia 5 St. John’s   10
Concordia 1 Bemidji   5
Concordia 1 Hamline   2
Concordia 1 St. Thomas   6

Joe Clementson coached the 1962 - 1963 gymnastics team which was 3 - 3 in dual meets and won their own Concordia Invitational. On the roster were Richard Bogie, Wayne Kuntem, Leland Lipp, Karim Reqai, Dave Hofstad, Jim Holstad, Leigh Johnson and Dave Haugen.

The 1963 Cobber track team completed a successful season with a third place finish in the MIAC conference meet only 1 1/2 points behind second place Gustavus. They were coached by Irv Christenson. The team finished no lower than second in nine of the thirteen meets they competed in. They won the Gustavus, St. John’s and Concordia Quadrangular meets and also the intercity meet.

Some of the outstanding performers were: Rollie Martinson setting a Concordia record in the pole vault at 14' 1 3/4", Keith Larson who set a Concordia record of 14.9 seconds in the 120 yd. high hurdles and Dean DeKok setting the discus record of 130' 3 3/4". The roster included Tom Anderson, Ron Letness, Tom Hunt, Doug Perry, Chuck Beck, Rollie Martinson, Ron Stow, Dick Jeffers, Dick Sibley, Rod Shuckhart, Al Rud, Bob Davis, Paul Spilseth, Doug Huff, Gary Olson, Pete Setness, Dean DeKok and Norm Anderson.

The 1963 tennis team was coached by Don Krause and included John Malvey, Gary Kohls, John Quello, Dan Quello, Bob Philstrom and Larry Gedde.

Their season results were:
Concordia 3 NDSU    6
Concordia 7 MSC    2
Concordia 3 Hamline   6
Concordia 2 Gustavus   5
Concordia 6 MSC    3
Concordia 0 St. John’s   9
Concordia 3 UND    3
Bison Invitational - second place
Concordia 5 Augsburg   2
Concordia 4 NDSU    5

The 1963 golf team had only one letterman returning — Paul Sanderson. Others on the team, coached by Finn Grinaker, were Jerry Hanson, Tim Pederson, Don Halmrast, Dennis Wells and Paul Dorwart.

The scores reported were:
Concordia 11 Hamline   4
Concordia 18 MSC    11
Concordia and MSU Invitational - third place
NDSU Invitational - seventh place
Morris Invitational - ninth place
UND Invitational - fifth place out of ten teams
Concordia 11 Gustavus   3
Concordia 11 St. John’s   3
Bemidji Invitational - ninth place

Sonny Gulsvig took over the coaching duties for the 1963 baseball team which finished in fourth place in the MIAC. The conference standings at the end of the season were:

Augsburg   11 - 2
St. Mary’s   9 - 4
St. Thomas 7 - 5
Concordia   7 - 6
Hamline   6 - 6
Macalester 5 - 7
Gustavus   4 - 9
St. John’s   1 - 11

Scores for the team were:
Concordia 8 Hamline   0
Concordia 3 Hamline   1
Concordia 6 MSTC   5
Concordia 1 Gustavus   3
Concordia 1 Gustavus   4
Concordia 9 MSTC   5
Concordia 4 Augsburg   3
Concordia 0 Augsburg   1
Concordia 8 St. John’s   0
Concordia 4 Macalester 2
Concordia 15 Macalester 3

A tentative starting lineup for the team would be:
Vern Tolo RF Dick Johnson 1B
Lyn Nelson LF Ron Hausauer C
Charlie McDonald 2B Mickey Hoien SS
Keith Bangs 3B Stu Bartholomaus C/P
Wayne Odell P John Nellermoe
Skeeter Blank P Jim Howson P
Pete Mauritson P

Chapter 7

1. Joel Watne, Concordian, November 11, 1960.
2. Glen Temanson, Concordian, December 2, 1960.
3. Pete Hastings, Concordian, September 12, 1961.
4. Concordian, October 21, 1966.
5. Concordian, April 5, 1968.
6. Neal Jeppson, Concordian, April 19, 1968.

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These pages are maintained by Jerry Pyle - pyle@cord.edu and Finn Grinaker - cgrinaker@juno.com. These pages are copyrighted © and may not be published or reproduced without the express permission of Finn Grinaker.