Five Individuals To Be Inducted Into the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame! Five individuals will be inducted into the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday as part of the school’s Homecoming celebration. Fred Hashley, ’73, Kris Gulsvig, ’77, Marybeth Stephan Storey, ’82, Roger Lindahl, ’84 and Kris Kuehl, ’92 will all receive the honor during the annual Hall of Fame banquet. Hashley won three straight MIAC heavyweight wrestling championships from ’71-73' and was a three time All- Lutheran heavyweight champion.  Gulsvig was All-MIAC and NAIA All District 13 in basketball and baseball.  Stephan Storey was the point guard for the 1982 national championship women’s basketball team. Lindahl  was named the MIAC Co-Most Valuable Player and was an All-America NAIA Division II honoree as an inside linebacker on the Cobber football team. Kuehl is the most prominent member of the quintet. She was a member of the U.S. Olympic Team that competed in Sydney and won the discus at the 2002 USA Track and Field Championships. She won the NCAA Division III national championship, and set a Division III championship meet record in the discus in her senior year. Two Cobber Football Players Earn Weekly Honors!! Brian Schumacher Named MIAC Tri-Offensive Player of the Week! Concordia junior quarterback Brian Schumacher (Thompson, N.D.) was named the MIAC Tri-Offensive Player of the Week for his near-perfect performance against Gustavus on Saturday. He shares the award with St. John's running back Corey Webber and Augsburg quarterback Marcus LeVesseur. In Concordia's 42-27 win over the Gusties, Schumacher threw five touchdown passes which set a modern day school record. It was also the most TD passes tossed by a quarterback in a single MIAC game this season.(More)  Andrew Passanante Named to the D3football.com Team of the Week! - Complete Team of the Week Details Concordia senior wide receiver Andrew Passanante (Hawley, Minn.) was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week for his efforts against Gustavus in the Cobbers' 42-27 victory. Passanante caught 13 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his TD grabs tied the game for Concordia. He currently leads the MIAC in receptions per game (6.67), total receptions (20) and receiving yards per game (81.7).  In the team's first four games, he has caught 27 passes for 413 yards and three TD's. Cobber Athletic Hall-of-Fame Member Honored! - Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame member Hartvick "Shocky" Strand will be inducted into the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame on October 9.  Strand, a 1944 grad of Concordia, was inducted into the Cobber Hall of Fame in 1994. He earned all-conference honors twice in basketball, participated in track, and played on the baseball team.  He served as the Minnesota High School Track and Field President in 1966. He is also a charter member of the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame and a charter member of the Minnesota Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Latest News and Notes:
- Concordia junior quarterback Brian Schumacher (Thompson, N.D.) had one of the best games of any Cobber QB in school history on Saturday. In Concordia’s 42-27 win over Gustavus, he threw five touchdown passes and was 24-for-32 for 274 yards. The five touchdown passes in a single game is a modern day school record. After trailing at halftime 21-14, he came out in the second half and was a perfect 9-for-9 for 106 yards and three TD’s.

He was part of the offense that racked up 511 total yards. That is the most yards given up by a Gustavus team in an MIAC game since October 19, 2002.

Schumacher has not thrown a single interception all season long.

- The Concordia receiving tandem of Andrew Passanante (Sr., Hawley, Minn.) and Shawn Reile (Sr., Moorhead, Minn.) both had over 100 receiving yards in the Cobbers’ win over Gustavus. That marks the first time that two Concordia receivers have finished the game with over 100 receiving yards since the opening game of the 2000 season.

Passanante totaled 13 catches, 141 yards and two touchdowns. He currently leads the MIAC in receptions per game (6.67), total receptions (20) and receiving yards per game (81.7).

Reile ended up hauling in nine balls for 105 yards and two TD’s. He is currently tied for second in the league in receptions per game (5.00), tied for second in total receptions (15) and third in receiving yards per game (67.7).

- The Cobbers are currently ranked 13th in the latest Don Hansen Football Gazette DIII poll. They are also 20th in the AFCA poll and 23rd in the D3football.com poll, marking the first time all year they have cracked the top 25 in all three of the major rankings.

Concordia is the only unbeaten team left in the MIAC and their 4-0 start marks the best beginning to a season since the 1997 campaign when they went 6-0 to start the year.

The longest winning streak to open a season in the past 20 years is eight games. The 1988 Concordia team went 8-0 at the beginning of the year and finished the season by winning the MIAC title. This is the best start for a Cobber team under current head coach Terry Horan.
 

Volleyball Record: 6-0 MIAC, 14-1 National Ranking: 18th in the latest CSTV/AVCA Division III Coaches Poll Recent Results: Concordia 3 at Hamline 0 - Recap; Concordia 3 at Bethel 0 - Recap Upcoming Events: at MN/IA Border Battle on October 8-9; vs. Simpson on Friday, October 8 at 4:00pm at St. Thomas; vs. Loras on Friday, October 8 at 8:00pm at St. Thomas; vs. #10 Central on Saturday, October 9 at 11:00am at St. Thomas; vs. Wartburg on Saturday, October 9 at 3:00pm at Macalester  Latest News and Notes: - Three different Cobber volleyball players are among the league’s statistical leaders. Jessica Walden (Sr., Hawley, Minn.) is tops in assists (12.16/game), Kris Sather (Sr., Fosston, Minn.) leads the league in service aces (0.79/game) and Becca Shane (So., Detroit Lakes, Minn.) is second in hitting percentage (.371) and third in kills (4.05/game).  - Concordia senior middle hitter Jacki Barten (Melrose, Minn) has 449 blocks in her career and needs only four more to break the school record for most blocks in a career.  - The Concordia College volleyball team has won 14 straight matches. That is the second longest winning streak in program history. Currently, the Cobbers are 6-0 in the MIAC, 14-1 overall and ranked 17th in the latest CSTV/AVCA Division III Coaches Top 25 poll. They are one of only two undefeated teams in conference play in the MIAC.

Men’s Soccer
Record: 0-5-1 MIAC, 1-8-2
Recent Results: Concordia 0 at St. Mary's 0 - Recap; Concordia 2 vs. Colorado College 6 at Carleton - Recap
Upcoming Events: at #1 Trinity (TX) on Friday, October 8 at 7:30pm; vs. Southwestern (TX) at Trinity (TX) on Saturday, October 9 at 5:00pm

Latest News and Notes:
- The Cobber men's soccer team has the rare treat of playing the number one ranked team in the country. Not too many times do one of the Cobber teams square off against the defending national champion (unless it is St. John's in football) and consensus #1 team in the nation at the present time. Concordia will face off against Trinity University of Texas on Saturday. The Tigers are currently 11-0 and have outscored their opponents 55-8.

- Concordia senior Joe Wieland (Mahtomedi, Minn.) scored his first collegiate goal in the team’s 6-2 loss to Colorado College on Sunday. The bad news for Wieland was that he dislocated a rib in the goal celebration. It is the second straight season that Wieland has suffered a severe injury. Last year he broke his leg in the third game of the season and did not play the rest of the year. He just recently started playing again.

- Cobber goalie Nik Pickett (Jr., Fergus Falls, Minn.) currently leads the league in overall saves (68) and saves per game (6.80). He is one of three goalies in the MIAC who has played every minute of every game for their team.
 

Women’s Soccer Record: 5-1 MIAC, 8-3-0 Recent Results: Concordia 3 at Macalester 5 - Recap; Concordia 1 at St. Mary's 0 - Recap; Concordia 4 at MSU-Moorhead 1 - Recap Upcoming Events: vs. St. Catherine on Saturday, October 9 at 2:30pm - Homecoming!; vs. St. Thomas on Tuesday, October 12 at 4:00pm  Latest News and Notes: - Concordia forward Morgan Bain (So., Hugo, Minn./White Bear Lake HS) had her consecutive point streak stopped at six games on Saturday. Bain was held scoreless for only the third time in the team’s first 10 games this season. She currently leads the MIAC in shots, points, goals and game-winning goals. She has amassed 28 points (12 goals/4 assists) so far this year and is on pace to break the school record for points (46) and goals (19) in a single season.  - Concordia sophomore midfielder Amy Ravenhorst (Hollandale, Minn./Albert Lea HS) has scored two goals this season, both have been game winners and both have come on a Saturday. She is tied for third in scoring for Concordia with nine points. -  In the past two seasons, the Concordia women’s soccer team has amassed a 7-1 record at home and has outscored their opponents 21-4 during that stretch. The Cobbers will finish the 2004 season with four of their final five conference games at home.

Men’s Cross Country
Recent Results: 15th Place at the NCAA Pre-Nationals Meet at UW-Eau Claire - Recap
Upcoming Events: vs. MSU-Moorhead on Friday, October 8 at 4:45pm at Ponderosa GC; Hosting Homecoming Fun Run on Saturday, October 9 at 9:00am

Latest News and Notes:
- Concordia senior Nick Myran (Sr., Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo HS) finished 12th at the NCAA pre-Nationals Meet held by the UW-Eau Claire this past weekend. The meet attracted the top NCAA Division III teams from around the country as they were able to run on the course that will be used for the national Championship Meet.

Myran finished in a time of 26:08.2, which placed him 12th overall and in sixth place among MIAC runners. At last year's MIAC Championship Meet, he finished ninth and then at the NCAA Regional Meet he finished 14th. Myran is on pace to become the first Concordia men's cross country athlete to qualify for the national meet since 1992 when Jason Trichler ('93) accomplished the feat.

- The Concordia men's and women's cross country teams will host their annual Homecoming Fun Run (Cobber 5k Fun Run/Walk). This year marks the fourth time that coaches Garrick Larson and Marv Roeske will hold the event. Everyone is welcome to join in, and it is a great way to kickoff Homecoming Saturday. (Click here for more information)
 

Women’s Cross Country Recent Results: 9th Place at the Roy Griak Invitational at the U of M - Recap Upcoming Events: vs. MSU-Moorhead on Friday, October 8 at 4:00pm at Ponderosa GC; Hosting Homecoming Fun Run on Saturday, October 9 at 9:00am Latest News and Notes: - No Meets This Past Week. - The Concordia women's and men's cross country teams will host their annual Homecoming Fun Run (Cobber 5k Fun Run/Walk). This year marks the fourth time that coaches Marv Roeske and Garrick Larson will hold the event. Everyone is welcome to join in, and it is a great way to kickoff Homecoming Saturday. (Click here for more information)

Men’s Golf
Recent Results: 13th Place at the Twin Cities Invitational - Recap
Upcoming Events: at the MIAC Championship Meet at Bunker Hills GC in Coon Rapids, Minn. on October 9-10

Latest News and Notes:
- The Cobbers shot a 319 on the final day of the Twin Cities Invitational and finished the three-day event with a final team score of 949 (308-322-319) which was good for 13th place. St. Cloud State won the meet with a final score of 904 (300-305-299).

The good news for Troy Odegaard's team is that they overtook conference foe Augsburg over the course of the final 18 holes. Concordia finished fourth among MIAC schools that participated in the tournament. This will help the Cobbers as they prepare for next weekend's MIAC Championship Meet.

For the third straight tournament, Drew Dvorak (Fr., Litchfield, Minn./Litchfield HS) was the low man for Concordia. Dvorak posted all three rounds in the 70's and finished with a total of 228 (72-78-78). He was the only Concordia golfer to crack the individual top 20. He placed in a tie for 14th.

Mike Lundberg (Jr., White Bear Lake, Minn./White Bear Lake HS) also finished with all three rounds in the 70's. He fired a 233 (78-76-79) and finished in a tie for 33rd.
 

Women’s Golf Recent Results: 5th Place at the St. Ben's Invitational - Recap Upcoming Events: at the MIAC Championship Meet at Willinger's GC in Northfield, Minn. on October 9-10 Latest News and Notes: - Concordia posted identical team scores of 385 and finished sixth at the St. Ben's Invitational held at Greystone Golf Club in Sauk Centre, Minn. The Cobbers started the final day in fifth place but were passed by conference foe Augsburg after the Auggies shot a final round score of 361. St. Ben's won the tournament with a final team total of 695 (346-349).  For the sixth straight tournament of the season, Concordia was led by Katy Stevens (Sr., Colstrip, Mont./Colstrip HS). Stevens struggled in the second day of competition and finished at 181 (86-95). She started the final round in fifth place, but fell out of the top 10 after struggling to shoot a 95 in the final 18 holes.

Please Note: The views written in this piece are the work of the writer and and do not necessarily reflect the views of Concordia College. They are not meant to harm or disrespect any of the athletes or school. It is merely an attempt to give the reader a different perspective into the world of Concordia athletics. Different Perspective Index: September 29 - 2003 Different Perspective Index Homecoming 2004 - "A Trip Down Memory Lane" by Jim Cella October 6, 2004 Memories. They are the fabric that ties generations together and helps families and colleges build traditions. They are what you share at reunions and what your kids ask you to tell them about your childhood days. When it comes down to it, they are all that we have once we go to sleep at night and as we get older. The memory of everything that took place during the days and years provide a way to get through the everyday pains that life brings.  No where are memories more abundant on a college campus than at Homecoming. It is always fun to see groups of alumni get together in the corners of Memorial Auditorium and watch as they retell stories from their college days. The way their faces light up when they remember all the happy times and moments they experienced together is priceless. It's even more fun to watch the current college kids listen to former athletes and coaches tell about their "glory days" and how it was back in the day. That is how a program grows to become a tradition. Former athletes tell their stories and they get passed down to the next generation, who pass their stories down to the next.  If an athletic department is lucky, or wise enough, they find a way to write all the stories down and have them shape the history and future of how the public sees the institution. After all, memories are what make up the records, history and past accomplisments of a team. Concordia was blessed to have a person with tremendous foresight to write down the history of the first 100 years of Cobber athletics. Finn Grinaker worked diligently to make sure that future generations will be able to read all the wonderful memories that have taken place on the field, court, rink and diamond. His work is published online through the website at: www.cord.edu/dept/sports/finn/index.html. It is well worth taking the time to read. As it tells the history and traditions of all the coaches, athletes and memories that make up Concordia's story. Finn was one of the true legends of Concordia athletics. He was a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame and was the backbone of the physical education department for over 35 years through his farsighted curriculum innovations and dedication to excellence in his teaching. He founded and for 29 years coached the wrestling program, winning an MIAC title and inspiring 18 All-America performances in the process. He was also a head coach in basketball for two years, head golf coach for 20 years and an assistant football coach for 39 years. Unfortunately Finn passed away this summer, but his work and the lives he touched will live on forever. The best way I can sum up Finn is the line from the Randy Travis song "Three Wooden Crosses". "...it's not what you take when you leave this world behind you, It's what you leave behind you when you go." I think he meant to write it for Finn because Finn left behind a legacy. As keeper of the Cobber athletic memory vault, I thought that this would be a great time to start the next set of memories. One of my favorite things about being sports information director is having the privilege to hear all the great pieces of history that surround Concordia athletics. I don't ever want the history of Concordia sports that has taken place over the past 100+  years to ever be forgotten. I take it as a personal challenge to make sure that the torch Finn started will never be allowed to burn out. Since we are smack in the middle of Homecoming week - I know this because the huge yellow banners that adorn the campus are now on display - I thought it would be an opportune time to ask different people who make up the Concordia athletic family what one of their favorite memories was of their playing or coaching days. What follows is an unedited version of what the people remembered. This is just a small sample of what I could have used. The stories are submitted by friends, coaches, co-workers and not meant to harm the memory or legacy of an individual at Concordia.It is meant to start a new work of Cobber memories. As time goes by, I will periodically devote more columns to retelling Cobber memories. If you have any stories that exemplify Concordia athletic, please e-mail them to me at:sid@cord.edu. I want to make sure that future generation will understand what it means to be a "Cobber". (Note - I am also planning on devoting at least one whole column to Cobber legendary coach Sonny Guslvig who knows more Cobber lore than any other person.)  The first submission is from William Christofferson, a 1956 Concordia grad, who played football and worked as the public address announcer in Memorial Auditorium when it was first built in the middle 1950's.  The Minneapolis Lakers were barnstorming upstate in communities who had "larger" arenas as was the new gym/auditorium at CC in '53 or '54 as I recall. They were trying to build a larger geographic fan base. I was introducing over the P.A. the Lakers one at a time in a first class fashion, or so I thought. "And now, #99, from DePaul Univ., standing 6'10" (extremely tall back then), and George Mikan poked me in the ribs and said, "Hurry Up, Kid...we ain't got all night!"  I was momentarily crushed, but still saddened when years later they moved to L.A. From current Cobber men's basketball coach Duane Siverson (who at the time was head women's coach): I remember the national championship year of 1988 and the birth of my first son Tyler. We were playing at St. Olaf and I drove to the Twin Cities and then flew to Fargo to be with my wife for the birth. I left Pyle (then assistant coach Jerry Pyle) in charge of the team. I could tell he was really nervous and told him to just let the girl's play the game and not get in the way. Later on I found out from the players that right before the game, Pyle - in all of his nervousness and tension - accidentally went into the women's bathroom. Michelle Tykeson (Concordia Hall of Famer) looked at him and said "coach, you're in the wrong bathroom." Pyle then proceeded to give his pre-game speech and give the starting lineup. Once again his nerves got in the way and he announced the starting lineup with six starters! The players had to explain to him that they only played with five on the court at one time!  From Mitch Moser, who played on the 1982 men's basketball team that won the MIAC championship and is now the Associate Athletics Director at Duke University: - Playing in the 1983 NAIA District playoffs, coming out for pre-game warmups you couldn't really see anything until you got out from underneath the overhang entering Memorial Auditorium. Running up the steps and then heading into the gym and seeing all of the temporary bleachers set up and hearing the crowd noise gave me chills. - Right before Christmas in the 1983-84 season we were coming back from games in the cities in the school vans.  It was cold and snowing so we couldn't see the other van behind us.  We got separated at Fergus and the next morning in church I found out that the other van had rolled.  I remember going over and seeing the wrecked van the next day and wondering how they got out alive.  I was also thankful that I wasn't in that van!! I also recall driving one of the vans back from Minneapolis in a blizzard and following in the tracks of a tractor-trailor and not being able to see much of anything except the tracks. From former All-Conference football player Gary Haugo ('93): One of the most memorable anecdotes that comes to mind is that each year Jim Christopherson would start the year with a team meeting in the LBA lecture hall and he would go through 12 team rules. I can guarantee you that for all the years that Jim was at Concordia those rules never changed.  What I found most funny is that each year you moved up the rows in LBA, your freshman year you were in the front three rows and wrote all 12 and made notes in the side margins, your sophmore year you moved a couple rows closer to the top and wrote out the first six until you had enough courage or sense to figure out that these were the same twelve from last year. Your junior year you move a couple rows closer to the top and maybe if you wanted to look good for the coaches who weren't sitting far behind you wrote three, and your senior year when you were sitting right in front of the coaching staff, Bob Nick, Sonny Gulsvig, Al Rice, etc... you sat back and watched the freshmen scribble furiously into their new small green spiral bound notebooks! Gary also goes on to explain that the most recognizable quote at Concordia next to "Soli Deo Gloria" would have to be 40+ years of Don Krause saying "two sandwiches, one pop". (Don Krause is an Athletic Hall of Fame member, who helps the football program by making lunches for when the team is on the road and they need to eat after the game. He always tells every player "two sandwiches, one pop" (although nowadays it is two pops - inflation!) at every game and has been doing it every season for the past 40 years. He is truly one of the great people at the college!)  From former All-Conference softball player Mindy Sparby (Schirm) - who is now the Head Girl's Basketball Coach and Activities Director at NRHEG High School: I remember you (at that time I was the assistant softball coach) and Baumer (head coach Steve Baumgartner) golfing in Florida one time (on the annual spring trip to Florida), but no clubs in hand, just throwing the ball towards the green...I think it was dark too!!!  You guys probably played all 18 that way! - Editor's note: that story was published to show; a) the Cobber Sports Weekly staff can always poke fun at themselves and b) golf junkies will do anything to get the feel of playing after having spent four long winter months in snow and cold!!  From Chris Ohm, who played football and basketball at Concordia, was also the assistant women's basketball coach for a spell and is now the color commentator for Cobber football games offered these two selections: Preseason football and Coach Christopherson always told the players to take care of their feet. Every year it was the same speech. He referred to sandals as thongs. So my senior year, I was sitting next to Jed Seeger who was one of our captains. We were sitting next to the coaches in the top row of Ivers. Coach C started his foot speech. Seeger then proceeded to stand up and ask Coach C, "where he could get a nice pair of thongs!" Everyone, including the coaches, busted out in laughter and I still hear former players talk about that day.  I also remember coaching women's basketball and during my first year we travelled to Northern State for a Junior Varsity game. They were always tough because they were all scholarship players. What we didn't know was that there was a men's game vs. South Dakota State after us so our fan base by the end of the game was at capacity in Aberdeen (the Barnett Center holds 8,000). By the end of the game, the place was packed, the fans were going crazy, the band was playing, and we were down by 40 points. Every girl left the floor giving their all and they had a blast with all the fans. That might have been the best "loss" I have had in my career as a coach at Concordia. From Bucky Burgau, head baseball coach and equipment manager: I remember the first time I met Jake Christiansen. I had just started at the school and was in awe of the man, because he had built the football stadium and was a legend. He only came by to visit the football team at practice once a season, and that was the Friday before Homecoming. The first time he stopped by he walked over to me, and I was nervous to meet him. The first thing he asked was, "where can a guy go to the bathroom around here?" I had to laugh becaue he practically built the place himself and he was asking me where the bathrooms were. Finally, from current head football coach Terry Horan: Every Friday before we would leave for an away game, Jim (Christopherson) would gather all the players and announce that they would be stopping in Alexandria for dinner at "The Garden Spot". The team was doing this for as long as Jim was the coach, but he would always make a point of gathering everyone together and telling everyone proudly, "burgers and fries in Alex!" There is also one tradition that the current Cobber football team carries on. Every Thursday, the first part of practice is spent on the game field with the Special Teams unit. After they get done, everyone then goes to the practice field. The receivers and quarterbacks have a tradition of entering the practice field from behind the green shed that sits just north of the baseball diamond imitating geese and storks - complete with loud whoops and wing-like motions of the arms!!  This article started out as a way to take a trip down memory lane, and will finish in a way to keep all the work that Finn put in to writing the history of Concordia athletics alive. It's time to stand up and cheer and enjoy life as a Cobber!! From inside the box and dreaming of all the great memories of Cobberville, that's this week's different perspective. Enjoy Homecoming!

 
 

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