Spring 96 Concordia Sports

Concordia's spring sports teams continued the success of their fall and winter predecessors. Track and field had two all-Americans. The baseball team was runner-up in the MIAC with a 15-5 record. Women's golf finished 6^th in the NCAA Division II-III National Tournament. And the softball team posted their best-ever MIAC finish with a 14-8 record.

Women's Track and Field

Renee Erickson ('97, New Rockford, N.D.) captured her third consecutive NCAA Division III National Championship in the javelin on May 24^th in Naperville, Illinois. Her toss of 151 feet was nearly 11 feet beyond her nearest rival. Erickson, who maintains a 3.61 GPA in accounting, was also named a GTE Academic All-American and earned Academic All-MIAC honors.

Earlier, Erickson helped lead the Cobber women to a 4^th place finish at the MIAC Championships at Hamline May 10-11 with a conference record throw of 152-10. That throw was named the meet's Most Outstanding Performance. Teammates Shannon Frey '96, Harvey, N.D., finished 11^th at Nationals in the hammer throw and Sarah Severson '98, Ellsworth, Wisc., placed 13^th nationally in the long jump. Mollee Ludtke '98, Albert Lea, captured the MIAC 800 meter run

Men's Track and Field

Aaron Banks ('96, Lynd) turned in the 10^th and 11^th all-America performances of his career at the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championship Meet in Naperville, Illinois, May 22-25. He took second place in the shot put and third in the discus. Banks also placed 11^th in the hammer throw at nationals. Banks also led the Cobber men's track and filed team to a 6^th place finish at the MIAC Championships by winning the shot put, discus and hammer throw competitions. Banks graduated in May as an Academic All MIAC honoree with a 3.28 GPA in Biology. On July 8^th he was honored by the NCAA with a $5,000 post graduate scholarship for combined excellence in academics and athletics.

Women's Golf

Kari Walrath ('96, Watertown, S. D.) capped her outstanding Cobber golf career by earning All-America honors at the first annual NCAA Division II-III Women's Golf Championship in Allendale, Michigan May 14-17. Walrath finished 13^th at Allendale and led her team to a 6^th place finish. All-MIAC performer Sarah Penfield '97, Staples, finished tied for 19^th at Allendale. Kari and her teammates capped a season in which they won 7 of 9 tournaments, including last fall's MIAC title.

Baseball

Outfielder Randy Razidlo '97, Waconia, and pitcher Stuart Lang '96, Slayton, earned NCAA All-West Region baseball honors while leading the Cobbers to a second place finish in the MIAC. Razidlo led the Cobbers (15-5, 19-14) with a .370 average and 33 RBI. Lang was an ace reliever with 8 saves and a 2.87 ERA. Razidlo and Lang also earned All-MIAC honors, along with teammates Joe Cuchna '97, Clarissa, Jeremy Holm '97, Fargo, and Jeff Spanier '96, Paynesville. Cobber pitcher Greg Salvevold, '98, Moorhead, signed a minor league contract shortly after the Cobber season concluded. He signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in June and played with the St. Petersburg Devil Rays, a rookie league.

Softball

Pitcher Stacy Hoien '96, Cokato, and infielder Tracy Sparby ('96, Cold Spring) were named to the All-MIAC softball team after leading the Cobbers to a tie for 4^th in the MIAC with a 14-8 record. Hoien went 11-6 on the mound for the Cobbers with a 2.03 ERA. She also led the team and the MIAC in hitting with a .471 average and 27 RBI. Sparby hit .375, was 6^th in the MIAC in hitting and had a .990 fielding percentage. Sparby was also named Academic All-MIAC with a 3.6 GPA in accounting.

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