Submitted photo. Sophomore golfer Molly Zavadil takes a swing at a meet this past fall. The men’s and women’s teams don’t officially start their season until August, but they have already started preseason training and will continue to practice throughout the summer.

While the official start of golf season is not until August, members of the men and women’s teams have started preparing for the upcoming season.

Since the weather hasn’t been up to par, sophomore golf player Amy Mireault and some of her teammates have gone to the Bubble, a sports facility in Fargo, to practice. Mireault and her fellow teammates use a simulator at the Bubble to play on virtual courses and hone their skills. The athletes also use the indoor driving range to get more distance on their swings.

According to sophomore Samuel Christian, the men’s team has also been practicing at the Bubble as well as in Concordia’s gym.

The teams have also also made an effort to get outdoors. Sophomore Dana Meslow said that several women on her team have traveled to South Dakota and taken advantage of warmer weather to practice.

As summer break approaches, the women are trying to figure out what they will be doing for the next three months and making sure they put aside time to practice. According to Meslow, head coach Duane Siverson keeps up with the women during the offseason to see what they’re doing to prepare for the upcoming season.

“(Siverson) understands we work during the summer,” Meslow said. “He wants us to stay in shape for the upcoming season.”

Throughout the summer, the players will be working on developing as individual athletes in order to improve their team this coming season.

“Overall, we need to have lower scores,” Meslow said.

Mireault said the women’s golf team will have new players this coming fall and the whole team, returning players and new ones, will come to Moorhead a week before the semester begins to start practicing as a team. Tryouts will take place then as well.

Mireault said she is looking forward to starting off the upcoming season right and can’t wait to see some new faces this coming fall.

“It would be great to get some new players,” Mireault said.

Photo by Ali Everts. Long-time men’s basketball coach Rich Glas was promoted to the position of athletic director this fall. Administrators and coaches from the athletic department report that the department is more cohesive and attendance at games is up since Glas took over.

With his first year as athletic director nearly behind him, Rich Glas and the rest of the Athletic Department are reflecting on how Glas’ strategic vision for the department has changed Concordia’s sports atmosphere.

Glas said his vision was to improve Cobber athletics overall and increase Concordia’s MIAC All-Sports Trophy score, which averages and combines women and men’s sports statistics for each school in the MIAC and then ranks the schools based on their scores.  He also wanted to foster a sense of community in the athletic department.

To accomplish these goals, Glas came up with “Cob Mob,” a marketing strategy to increase student participation at games.

“The marketing department has really took my idea of Cob Mob and ran with it,” Glas said. “I think the student population involvement will only grow next year, and I think the support from our Athletic Department family was what really started it.”

In addition to his desire to expand campus-wide support for athletics, Glas has done a lot of work to improve the inner connections of the Athletic Department as a whole, said Rachel Bergeson, associate athletic director.

Bergeson said the first thing Glas did this fall was to hold the first ever all-sports meeting to which all athletes were invited. The event was held in Memorial, and President William Craft came to initiate it.  There, Glas relayed his vision for the department and played highlights from Concordia’s athletic history.  Glas said he wanted each sport to feel represented and know they are valued as part of the Athletic Department family.

“More than any other year that I have been here, we have seen more athletic support because of Glas’s vision,” Bergeson said. “We would see our whole men’s hockey team after practice come over and support our wrestling match or women’s basketball game.  I give credit to every single team who heard the vision and also to our coaches who helped spread that vision throughout the whole year, never letting it die.”

Kristen Hetland, who heads the academic side of the Athletic Department, said that Glas has really brought a sense of renewed energy to the department this year.  She said he has taken on a lot of work that is not required to make the department run and function smoother.

“Glas’s vision has really improved the cohesiveness of everyone in the department because he had a goal of transparent leadership to get everyone on the same page,” Hetland said. “He is hilarious and he constantly stops in your office to compliment or give you feedback.  You always see him, which really builds rapport with everyone.”

Bergeson said that Glas built cohesiveness among the coaches and faculty by holding at least one department meeting each month to improve communication.  She also said that when she looked back on what they have been able to accomplish as a department, there was progress because everyone was well informed on working toward the same goal, such as successfully improving the all sports trophy results and ranking higher in MIAC average scores.

Football defensive coach Kyle Bakken said Glas always makes the coaches feel appreciated and encouraged.  He said Glas doesn’t just preach to them about what to do, but he walks the walk too.

“I have always had a lot of respect for Glas with how he is able to motivate others,” Bakken said, “and not just because of his previous years of coaching experience or because he wears that snazzy sweater vest of athletic director, but because he is able to turn evaluation and reflection back on himself as well. Which is kind of ironic because of his name.”

Another thing Bakken said that Glas did differently this year was provide time for the coaching staff to assess both he and Bergeson’s performance and give them feedback.

“One of the big shifts in management awareness that went on when Glas took the athletic position department was his new idea about evaluations,” Bergeson said. “He wants to be evaluated himself and he thinks that this is really big component in improving.  It also fits in so well with the whole college’s theme of becoming responsibly engaged in the world by reflecting.”

Hetland said Glas understands how hard Concordia’s coaches work.

“He does a great job of making sure everyone has a role on the athletic department team, even if it’s not playing time, and that’s a delicate balance to figure out,” Hetland said.

For many of us, this means days filled with work, internships, and if we’re lucky, a lake day here and there.

Many Cobbers stay in the area for those fleeting months, enjoying the area’s activities and staying in shape.

Taylor Thompsen, a junior at Concordia, will be residing in Moorhead for the summer, spending her time volunteering and building her resume.

Thompsen, a workout enthusiast, says she looks forward to the warmer weather because it means she can spend more time exercising outdoors.

“I would much rather run outside than on a treadmill,” Thompsen said. “It’s way more distracting.”

For those who, like Thompsen, prefer an outdoor running experience, a list of all of the upcoming races in the area can be found at www.runningintheusa.com.

Not everyone is an avid runner like Thompsen, though.

For those that enjoy more of a team-oriented atmosphere, there are a variety of activities put on by the Fargo Park District throughout the summer months.

There are basketball and volleyball leagues, fencing, kickball, softball and even Frisbee golf.

Junior Kelsey Lofstedt was in a volleyball league last summer through the Fargo Park District.

“It was a lot of fun,” she said. “It was a fun way to get some exercise other than just running or something.”

Lofstedt also said it was a different way to meet people she may have not otherwise met.

“Each league lasts about two months, so you get to know other people pretty well,” she said.

The average cost for activities through the Fargo Park District is about $50 per two-month session, and there’s still time to sign up!

More league and registration information can be found at www.fargoparks.com.

Others spending their summer months in the Fargo/Moorhead area have plans for more intense workouts.

Sophomore Brienna Larson plans to spend her summer days working her way through the p90x program.

Larson said she’s tried completing it before, but with school, she didn’t have the time to commit.

“I’m hoping I’ll have more free time since we won’t be in school to make it through the whole thing,” she said.

Larson said she is excited to see the program’s results and feel a lot stronger and healthier going into next school year.

“I just want to feel confident walking down the sidewalks, you know?” she said.

Whatever your motive, whatever your preference, there is plenty to do right here in Fargo/Moorhead to stay active this summer.

Submitted photo. A giant snow embankment surrounds the softball field during a recent practice. Though the team was able to clear the field of snow for this particular practice, their season has been hindered by incliment weather conditions.

Calendars may say spring is here, but current weather conditions have members of Concordia’s softball and baseball teams begging to differ. Teams have been removing snow from the athletic fields and rescheduling practices to accommodate the weather. Though temperatures are rising, the teams are not quite in the clear yet, as they are now starting to prepare for the flood, sandbagging and rescheduling practices and games.

“We are running out of energy and time,” softball Head Coach Mike Reese said. “We’ve been having some short and long practices and indoor practices.”

Concordia’s baseball team had their first outdoor practice of the season on April 3, but they say winter weather continues to hinder them. Despite Facility Management’s effort to get the snow off the baseball field so that outdoor practices may proceed, outfielder Patrick Skogen said the team has still been removing snow.

He said the team spent an hour and a half last Monday shoveling snow off the field and into truck beds to be hauled away.

Reese said has had to alter his team’s schedule more than once this season because of the constant change in weather patterns.

“It’s a day-to-day thing,” Reese said. “We just finished shoveling the field, but now it is covered in snow again.”

Infielder Ashley Tibbets said the softball team has spent a good amount of their time indoors.

“We only got to practice outside yesterday (April 8),” Tibbets said.

Since conditions haven’t been in the baseball team’s favor, they have been traveling farther south to play.

“We’ve played three games in the Metrodome,” Skogen said. “There was no snow or water. The conditions were phenomenal.”

Instead of traveling, softball has stayed in the area helping the Fargo-Moorhead community prepare for the coming flood.

“We have been taking it day by day,” Reese said. “We either sandbag then practice or practice and then sandbag.”

The weather hassles have also put financial strain on the spring sports teams. Each year, teams are given a budget to use on travel and supplies. However, Skogen said that the budgets don’t factor extra expenses caused by the weather, such as having to travel to other venues because of poor conditions, and so teams are finding themselves strapped for cash.

“Its hard to plan for the budget if snow hits,” Skogen said.

Since weather conditions have been fluctuating this season, Skogen said baseball members have been glued to their phones, televisions and computers.

“We have to watch for email pertaining to practice,” Skogen said.

Reese said he is very proud of the softball team for trudging through this year’s long winter.

“I have the utmost respect (for) the students,” Reese said.

Reese has been getting together with other teams to see when missed games can be made up.

“We’re considering doing abbreviated tournaments,” Reese said. “It’s hard to make up the games we’ve missed. You just can’t make up the past weeks.”

Reese has a lot of sympathy for this years seniors because they haven’t been able to play much this season.

“Its their senior season, and they aren’t able to do what they love,” Reese said.

Despite all of weather challenges the baseball and softball teams have had to deal with this season, both teams have persevered. From helping remove the snow on the field to sandbagging for the community to working with teams to reschedule games, the athletes have stayed focused and continued practicing. Now the rest of the season is in the hands of Mother Nature, and the team hopes she will allow winter to end soon.  Reese is rooting for her.

“Come on spring,” Reese said.

Photo by Jen Swenson. Head football coach Terry Horan chats with junior running back Matt Peterson, who Horan recruited three years ago. Peterson said that he was impressed by the time and individual attention he received from Horan and other athletic recruiters at Concordia and said that this was a major contributing factor in why he chose to become a Cobber athlete.

While enrollment is down, athletic recruitment numbers remain stable so far for the 2013-2014 school year.

Concordia’s Athletic Department prides themselves on their highly personable approach when it comes to recruiting new athletes and attributes this to their success.

“Every year we go out and give it our best shot,” Athletic Director Rich Glas, said. “We try to give a lot of individual attention to who we recruit.”

Glas said the recruitment process is a fairly simple but persistent one.

“If you’re going to be a successful athletic program, the recruiting aspect is necessary,” Glas said.

He said during the summer months coaches will attend high school summer leagues and tournaments to begin identifying players who will be graduating and put on a list.

Next, the coaches move to the players who are going to be juniors, and they are put on another list so that the coaches can keep a watch out for them in the upcoming years.

As summer turns into fall and students return to school, Concordia coaches attend games to observe their potential recruits.

“Slowly, the list becomes narrower,” Glas said. “That’s when we start looking into (the students’) academic standings.”

The reason for this is to make sure they’ll be successful at school as well as athletics at Concordia, he said.

“One of the things I’ve enjoyed at Concordia is the class attendance and average GPAs of our athletes,” Glas said.

For junior running-back Matt Peterson, Concordia’s recruitment approach and their focus on academics is what swayed him to wear the maroon and gold.

“Concordia spent the most time recruiting me compared to other schools I was looking at,” Peterson, an Alexandria native, said. “(Terry) Horan was the most personable coach I met when deciding where to go to school.”

Glas says that’s just another aspect of a coach’s job.

“If you can make a recruit comfortable, it only helps the chances of them choosing our school,” Glas said. “As a coach, it’s your job to be an effective recruiter.”

Peterson said when he came to Concordia on a visit the football coaches took him to the Biology Department to speak with other biology majors and professors.

“I was looking at Concordia anyways because of the science program,” Peterson said. “It was nice to know I could get my education while still playing football.”

Vice President for Enrollment Steve Schuetz said Concordia is fortunate to have such good coordination between Admissions and the Athletic Department.

“The level of quality and collaboration between the two offices is in part why both are as successful as they are,” Schuetz said.

Glas said the feelings are mutual.

“I tip my hat to the admissions office in helping us recruit student-athletes,” he said. “It’s a great relationship that the two offices have. They’re a lot of fun to work with.”

Schuetz is grateful for the good relationship because although athletics are enjoyable, academics are very important.

“The reality is, there will come a time when you can’t play sports anymore,” he said. “That’s why we keep some of the focus on working students toward a successful career.”

Glas said coaches are feeling good about the recruiting process so far this year.

“It’s hard to say how many will come in because there’s still a lot of recruiting to be done,” he said. “But it’s definitely going well.”

Schuetz said as of now the number of students committed to Concordia for the 2013-2014 school year is about even with last year’s numbers at this time.

“Where students spend the next four years of their lives is a big decision,” he said. “Our job is to be patient and provide them with the information they’re looking for about the college and the opportunities they can have here both athletically and academically.”

Men’s and women’s tennis Head Coach Troy Hanestad stepped down last August. He was followed this year by the women’s soccer Head Coach Dan Weiler, who stepped down the beginning of March, and women’s swimming and diving Head Coach Julie Lucier, who stepped down a week later. The Athletic Department has been hurrying to find three new coaches to fill their shoes ever since.

Three search committees comprised of about five people each have been formed to scout for new coaches. On each committee is Athletic Director Rich Glas, Associate Athletic Director Rachel Bergeson, an Athletic Department member with a connection to the sport, at least one student athlete from the sport and a faculty member from another department.

Bergeson said that by having a diverse search committee, the athletic faculty can work as efficiently as possible to sift through applicants and choose the best fit for Concordia.

“Our hope is to have someone in place for all three of them prior to the end of school so that we can tell kids, ‘This is going to be your next coach,’” Bergerson said. “Then they know going into summer that they can expect this person to be here when they return.”

Bergeson said that although it was hard to lose such dedicated head coaches, she thinks the search is an exciting opportunity to find another great member of the Cobber athletic family. This search has a three-step process that the committees utilize as a guideline for filtering through applicants and finding the appropriate candidate.

Bergeson said that the first step in the search is posting the position description in a variety of places. The search committees have posted job descriptions on Concordia’s website, the NCAA market, and have sent out descriptions to MIAC conference schools and other similar Division III schools.

Bergeson said the NCAA market is a great tool to use to reach out to the national audience, and by sending the position out to other MIAC conference schools and “like” schools they can reach similar assistant coaches or coaches that may be thinking of leaving.

Since Concordia is a Division III school, Bergeson said that for coaches just starting out, a position with Concordia could be seen as stepping-stone to a higher level of athletic competition of either Division I or II schools. In recent years, however, Division II has been getting smaller due to more and more schools switching to either DI or DIII. Bergeson said that this has prompted many Division II coaches to look for Division III coaching jobs. Therefore, she said, the search teams have seen quite a diverse pool of candidates this year.

Glas said the second step in the search process is waiting about a week and a half before reaching out to candidates, and then conducting phone interviews with candidates that fit a preliminary coaching criteria specified by both Glas and Bergeson.

Bergeson and Glas have a preliminary coaching criteria checklist that they use when screening applicants. They would like to see that a candidate fits with Concordia’s mission statement, understands of NCAA Division III philosophy, has coaching experience and has recruiting experience.

After the phone interviews are done, the committee gets together to talk about each candidate and who should move forward in the process. Then they invite the most promising candidates onto campus for a visit and interview.

The candidate meets their prospective team, and the athletes write an evaluation of him or her. They also meet with President Craft, Provost Mark Krejci, the chair of the department if the candidate might teach classes as well, and with the Admissions Office.

This allows the search committees to get good feedback from diverse sources so that they can make an informed decision about who they will hire, Bergeson said.

“The point of the campus visit is we really just want to see the candidate in person and have everybody get a feel for them,” Glas said. “You never really know what someone is really like until they come and visit. Then we can see if they will really fit in the Cobber atmosphere or not.”

Bergeson said that it will be nice to get some new blood in the athletic department.

“We don’t have a lot of turnover here at Concordia,” Bergeson said, “So when I came here seven years ago the same people that were here from when I was in elementary school were still here, and now they are retiring and shifting roles, which is great because that means they were happy here, but hiring comes in waves and this is the next one for the athletic department.”

Last Friday, the search committee invited three applicants for the women’s swimming and diving coach position onto campus, they have already had some prospective women’s soccer coach candidates visit campus. However, no tennis coach candidates have yet visited.

“Filling the tennis position has been tricky because the tennis season is still going on and even if they accept the job they may not want others to know until the season is over,” Glas said. “We respect this, but it makes it hard to know exactly what candidates are out there if they are busy coaching now.”

But while the search committee is out there finding the right person for the job, there is also someone at home who has to fill the shoes.

After the Cobber tennis coach left, Andrea Rognlien, a 2012 graduate, was hired as the men’s and women’s interim coach. She agreed to serve in the position for a year before a new coach could be hired.

In her time at Concordia, Rognlien won the Chris Evret Award for the MIAC. Upon taking the role of Concordia tennis coach, she became the youngest head coach in NCAA history.

This season, Rognlien has been assisted by Concordia music Professor Jeff Meyer, who is himself a tennis player.

“It is a unique opportunity for me because being involved in the music atmosphere, I don’t get to really participate in the sports side of things,” Meyer said. “But I’ve been around tennis a lot with my kids, and I did do some USTA coaching, so I am glad to fill in for Andrea when she can’t be there.”

Meyer has helped by substituting for Rognlien at matches and practices and assisting her with coaching. Meyer also drives the van to meets, stops by practices to check in with the players, and is mostly a helpful presence to the athletes.

“I do what I am able to do which is be a positive encouragement to the players,” Meyer said. “But because of the lack of a full time head coach all the players have had to step up and take leadership roles upon themselves, especially the seniors. So this experience has really been a growing experience for the team and made everyone become a little more committed and dedicated to the team.”

Meyer said he thinks the next tennis coach needs to be a good teacher of tennis, understand that tennis for Concordia students is only one piece of their collegiate life and needs to relate to college students while being able to teach them valuable life lessons.

Glas said he hopes all of these qualities are met in the each of the new coaches. However, the committees are still deliberating and nothing has been set in stone concerning a future head coach for any of the positions.

“…(I)t is quite an ongoing process, because we want to find the best for Concordia,” Glas said. “Since (that) is exactly what our athletes deserve, the best.”

Submitted photo. Softball practiced on the field for the first time this season on Tuesday. Spring sports teams had been unable to get outdoor practice time until recently due to wintery weather conditions.

Despite having to share Memorial’s courts with baseball and softball, senior tennis player Chelise McGraw feels the tennis team hasn’t had to change there schedule too much because they can hold practice at indoor courts. However, they do want to get some outdoor time.

“We like to practice at different outdoor courts before matches,” McGraw said. “Since these courts are outside, it’s been difficult to schedule and plan these extra practices.”

With limited access to the baseball field, the team is having trouble training certain players and developing certain skills. Freshman infielder Phil Kuball said that the team’s outfielders have been unable to get the distance practice they need and that the team as a whole has had trouble developing their skills catching pop flies.

Scheduling has been difficult for softball, junior outfielder Heather Jonasson said.

“We have to work our schedules around the weather, which can be tough with classes and work,” Jonasson said. “Time management is definitely something we, as student athletes, have to stay on top of.”

Despite being limited to the small court area in Olson Forum for practices, the baseball team has still had some fun.

“Besides that it’s been repetitive, we’ve been able to overcome it, and we’re playing really well,” Kuball said. “We’ve been able to make it exciting and fun.”

Tennis has been able to keep their spirits high by looking forward to the future.

“We would love to be able to hold at least one match at our outdoor courts, and we are hoping the snow melts fast so we are able to do so,” senior Olivia DeLeon said.

According to softball coach Michael Reese, snow removal has begun but will take some time.

“It will take the next two weeks for the remaining snow to melt and the field to be prepared for the season,” Reese said.  “We are also now rescheduling MIAC conference games for the following week.”

This past week, the weather began its slow transition into spring. Snow removal has been taking place all week, and much of the snow covering the athletic fields has melted with the help of the rising temperatures.

As of this Tuesday, April 2, teams were back on the field. Baseball had it’s first outdoor practice on Tuesday, and softball had theirs on Wednesday. Though the field isn’t completely clear yet, Jonasson was still happy to play outside.

“It was good to get outside to throw the ball around a little bit and have all that space to move,” Jonasson said.

All three teams will continue practicing indoors until all of the snow is gone. When the warmer weather hits, the spring sports teams will take the field and start their 2013 outdoor season. Though this may be a couple of weeks, all the players are looking forward to playing outside.

“I can’t wait to play the game the way it’s suppose to be played,” Jonasson said.

Submitted photo. Women’s soccer at head coach Dan Weiler at work with the team during a practice session. Weiler announced on March 5 that he would be stepping down as head coach to take a position with the Christopher Newport University women’s soccer team in Newport News, Va. Weiler began his new job on March 17.

Women’s soccer head coach Dan Weiler stepped down on March 5 after 11 seasons with the program. Weiler has accepted a head coaching position at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va.

When Weiler came to Concordia College in 2002, he was the assistant coach for the women’s soccer team. After a couple of years, Weiler was offered a head-coaching job. He said he has seen the program transform throughout his time with the team.

“The program has become more competitive and nationally recognized,” Weiler said. “We’ve had six trips to the national championships, allowing a culture change (to occur).”

Before coming to Concordia, Weiler coached soccer at Fargo South High School from 1999 to 2006. He earned North Dakota Coach of the Year honors in 1999 and was a finalist for the National Girl’s High School Coach of the Year in 2002.

Though Weiler’s impact on Concordia’s soccer program can be seen through the scoreboards, it shows even more through the women’s attitudes toward the sport and toward themselves.

“He helps you realize the game by yourself,” defensive player Sadie Hayes said. “He allowed me to see a whole different half of the game I didn’t know about.”

Midfielder Laura Prosinski’s game also improved with the help of Weiler.

“He didn’t just help me with my soccer ability but with my mental game,” Prosinski said. “He helped me become a smarter player.”

By encouraging a positive mindset, team togetherness, commitment, and encouraging selflessness, Weiler was able to create a successful soccer program. Prosinski said this was particularly important in her first year with the team.

“During my freshman year we lost a lot of seniors, so we weren’t sure how we would do,” Prosinski said. “Dan helped us come together and win.”

Like all coaches, Weiler made sure to have a good time with his team. He said his favorite way of doing this was by playing light-hearted pranks on the women with the help of their teammates.

“One day, he asked me to go and get some poles that were in a bag,” Hayes said. “When I went to get the poles, another player was in the bag and jumped out of it.”

When Weiler first came to Concordia, he said he was surprised by how involved the school was with the athletic program.

“I learned that Concordia is very supportive when it comes to athletics,” Weiler said. “Concordia wants the program to succeed and move forward.”

Weiler knew that leaving Concordia would be difficult. However, he said he felt it was time for a new adventure.

“My wife and I wanted to experience a new place,” Weiler said. “I wanted to be at a division three school like Concordia, and Christopher Newport University seemed like a good fit.”

As Weiler starts his new head-coaching job at Christopher Newport University, Concordia will be on the lookout for another head coach. This process is very important for the program to continue its success, and Weiler hopes the women will be a part of the search. He offered advice to the athletes as they set out looking for a new coach.

“Be active in the search process,” Weiler said. “Ask provoking questions. Don’t fall into the same trap of looking for someone (just) like me.”

Even though the team doesn’t want Weiler to leave Concordia, they wish him nothing but success.

“I understand why he has to leave, and I support him just like he would support me if I were the one leaving,” Hayes said.

As Weiler starts his new position at Christopher Newport University on March 17 and the women’s soccer team starts their search for a new head coach, both will be headed into unchartered territories. Weiler hopes the women stay true to themselves and the program this coming season.

“Make sure to protect what you all feel is important,” Weiler said.

According to Concordia students, the weight room is arguably sacred territory, only to be occupied by the athletes—more importantly the male athletes.

“Being physically fit and lifting weights, and not just for weight loss or toning, is viewed as a very masculine thing for women to do,” Rachel Bergeson, senior women’s sports administrator, said.

Junior softball player, Ashley Tibbetts, understands these stereotypes, too.

“People say girls in sports like softball and hockey look more athletic, whereas volleyball players are expected to be pretty and thin,” Tibbetts said.

Bergeson said in her occupation she encounters women with body image issues that result from the expectations of appearance in accordance with each sport.

“Sports like cross-country and volleyball, where more of the athletes bodies are exposed, (women) think, ‘Do I fit the mold I’m supposed to be in?” Bergeson said.

Concordia athletic director Rich Glas believes certain stereotypes flourish because of the arena in which a sport takes place.

“Everyone sees who you are when you’re not covered up,” Glas said. “Gymnasium sports put the athletes literally at the same viewing level as spectators.”

On the other hand, female hockey players don’t feel the need to put on make-up or make sure their legs are shaved before a big game, not because they don’t care about their appearances, but because they’re covered from head to toe in equipment in front of their fans.

Volleyball and basketball players, on the other hand, are but a few feet away from theirs.

Glas also says part of the stereotypes are dependent on how much an individual chooses to play into them.

“There are all types of women on a basketball court,” he said. “Some don’t care what they look like; some do.”

In his opinion, what really matters is how they play the game they love.

“Athletics is like living a mini-life,” he said. “You learn to overcome defeat and humbly embrace the joys; (athletics) can really help you handle life better.”

Both Glas and Bergeson feel female athletics have come a long way in a short amount of time, but there is still plenty of adversity to face.

Bergeson said from her perspective as an authority figure in the athletic world, sexuality is a dominant stereotype.

“Not only do these stereotypes affect the female athletes, but the female coaches in the athletic sphere are judged too,” Bergeson said.

She notices that a lot of female coaches will dress ultra-feminine in hopes of ensuring spectators that they’re straight.

“It’s too bad women have to dress in such a way or look a certain way to help confirm their sexuality (in coaching occupations),” Bergeson said.

Females involved in athletics need to proudly promote who they are in order to take a step towards the abolishment of such stereotypes, Bergeson said.

“(Women) shouldn’t worry about fitting a certain mold,” Bergeson said. “If a woman plays hockey, but likes to shop, then do both.”

Bergeson said female athletes shouldn’t mask themselves as the players they are, but embrace their personality and spirit instead.

“It doesn’t matter if you like to shop or put on make-up,” she said. “You can still make just as many baskets.”

Shot put

The shot put event involves throwing a weighted ball, or “shot,” in a pushing motion as far as the thrower can forward into a fanned area.

The thrower stands in the metal shot put ring, which measures seven feet across. Once inside the circle, the thrower may exit unless he or she throws. If he or she does, it results in a foul.

There is also a stopboard about four inches high in the front part of the circle. This stopboard is helpful in making sure the thrower doesn’t trip.

Freshman thrower Ashley Thompson said that the stopboard has saved her a few times when she has messed up a part of her throw.

“I throw in all conditions of rain or shine, which can be very dangerous and you can easily trip, bruise, and get cut up from falling out of the ring,” Thompson said.

Thompson said that the technique involved in the throw starts with resting the shot near one’s neck with one hand and keeping it tight up against the neck throughout the entire first part of the motion.

The second part of the motion happens when the thrower pushes the shot straight up and out above his or her shoulder.

Thompson said the throw as a whole should be very quick and forceful, much like a basketball shot. The arm guides the shot, while the whole body powers it.

One misconception that Thompson said a lot of people have about throwers is that all the strength comes form the upper body.

“Throwing is a very full body movement,” Thompson said. “People underestimate the power of the lower body. That’s where the force and the agility comes from and you need at least three times more lower body than upper body strength.”

Thompson said that throwers do a lot of squats and footwork to maintain their throwing power.

Pole vault

In pole vaulting, there are five primary phases to performing a vault: the approach, the plant and take off, the row phase, the invert and the turn.

The approach happens as the vaulter sprints down the runway from a certain distance back and prepares for the plant. Next, the vaulter plants the pole into a pitted metal box and jumps to take off with his or her hands straight above his or her head. In the row phase, which comes next, the vaulter swings his or her legs to his or her hands in a “U” formation. This is known as the row phase because it looks as if the vaulter is rowing the pole.

After this, the vaulter “inverts,” extend their body completely straight to propel them over the bar without hitting it. The last phase is the turn in which the vaulter turns his or her shoulders completely over the bar, in a motion like he or she has pivoted around the bar.

After all the phases are complete, the vaulter properly pushes his or her pole away from the bar and falls back spread eagle, not on his or her feet.

Performing each phase correctly ensures a successful vault, sophomore vaulter Connor Baker said.

“Pole vaulting feels like you are defying gravity,” Baker said. “And it can be challenging to learn all the techniques and body angles.  However, the great thing is that you learn something new everyday.”

Baker also says that pole vaulting requires a lot of core strength, especially in the row phase. He said that a vault requires about 60 percent upper body strength and 40 percent lower body strength.

A pole vaulter must being able to handle the high-risk and stress of the sport.  Baker said that because each vault takes so much energy, vaulters can only vault 8 to 10 times per meet.

“Some guys like to start the bar at low heights in the beginning of meets and work their way up to their desired height,” Baker said, “But I usually start the bar at 13 feet and jump from there, because you only have a few jumps in you before you get too tired.”

Baker said that because performing an actual vault takes so much energy, a lot of time practicing for pole vaulting is spent visualizing.  He usually visualizes right before each vault and multiple times after to stay focused on exactly what his body will do when the time comes.

Baker said good training and visualization was what propelled the vaulters to qualify for indoor track MIAC Championships this year.

“My favorite moment was when I found out I made it to MIAC,” Baker said. “We had five of our vaulters compete in it at St. Olaf two weeks ago, and it has been one of my all-time highs of this year.”

Relays

The 4×200 and 4×400 relays each consist of teams of four runners who individually run 200 to 400 meters around the track and pass off a baton between each person.

Sophomore relay-runner Ben Vickstrom emphasized that the baton pass was the most critical moment in the relay.

As the first person ends their turn and rounds the track for the baton pass, the receiving runner needs to be on the outer side of the lane in order to more easily grasp the baton. When the first person approaches, the receiver needs to try to match the speed of the incoming runner in three steps forward while turning around with their left hand back and their palm facing up to receive the baton. The incoming runner slaps the baton on their open hand and if it is a successful baton passing, Vickstrom said it would lose no time in the race.

“I’ve seen plenty of teams where the entire race is botched by two guys not taking enough time to get the baton passing right,” Vickstrom said.

Vickstrom said that being able to stay focused on your own running is another key component to a successful relay. He said that for him it is often difficult not to be distracted by the other runners.

In order to keep control in the last second half of the race on the straight section of the track, he stares straight ahead.  If there are other runners around him he gauges their speed by looking at their chest in comparison to his.

Vickstrom said he runs best at the front of the pack. This motivates him to run faster and push harder to be first.

Vickstrom said relay running allows a unique camaraderie to develop. It is infinitely more enjoyable because you can share the experience with other runners that have put the same amount of time and effort into the event as you have.

“I like doing the relays because it is usually the last event of the meet,” Vickstrom said, “that means that the rest of the team has finished their events and are cheering for you. It pushes you harder hearing your teammates screaming in your ear over every corner.”

High jump

The two most important parts of the high jump are the approach and the take off.

The approach starts with the jumper a certain number of strides away from the bar. The jumper must ensure that he or she puts enough space between him or herself and the bar to allow him or herself to build up enough speed and energy to propel his or her body into the take off. The jumper must take off on one foot and angle his or her body so as to allow his or herself the most clearance over the bar. If the jumper does not touch or move the bar and lands on the mat, they have cleared that height and the score is measured from the ground to the bar.

Each jumper gets three tries to clear a certain bar height and after each height the bar is moved up five centimeters. Once the competition has been narrowed down to three to five jumpers, the bar is moved up by three centimeters each time.

Jumpers have various techniques for clearing the bar and different preferences for what heights they like to start from.

Senior high jumper Simon Erlandson said that his technique is to start at a six foot height and go higher from there. Other jumpers usually start from smaller heights to build up confidence.

“It all depends on whatever makes you feel more confident,” Erlandson said. “Since I am a senior…I am setting my goal high to start with so I can push myself to larger heights.”

Most jumpers start at heights of around five feet and work towards heights of around seven feet.

“High jumping is all a big mental test and it can be draining,” Erlandson said. “You need to be mentally prepared, not just physically prepared.”

Submitted photo. Women’s tennis, golf and softball all enjoyed a mid-semester break in the sun. Both the golf and softball teams spent time in Arizona and tennis traveled to Florida for pre-season training and games. Above: The softball team poses for a team photo during mid-semester break training in Tucson, Ariz.

After a stressful mid-semester exam week, members of the golf, tennis and softball team started their pre-season practice. This year, both softball and golf headed to Arizona, and tennis headed to Florida.

All three teams arrived down South for some relaxation time, team bonding and pre-season practicing. Sophomore Dana Meslow said the golf team spent most of their time at Sedona Golf Resort.

“We got up around 8 a.m. and headed to the course,” Meslow said. “We would practice for a little, do 18 (holes) and then eat dinner.”

While the golf team was practicing, the softball team was also playing some pre-season games.

“We practiced on Thursday and had two games each day Friday-Monday,” Senior Rebecca Conant said.

Down in Florida, women’s tennis was busy too.

“We had Sunday and Wednesday off, but the other days we had morning matches,’’ Senior Olivia DeLeon said.

Before heading down South, each of the teams came up with a plan of attack for the week. For the golf team it was to have fun.

“We had no set goal, other than to have a good time and do our best,” Meslow said.

The softball team wanted to have a good time; however, they also wanted to make a statement about this season’s Concordia team.

“We had the goal of coming out error free and playing a clean game,” Conant said. “We also wanted to define how Cobber softball was going to be this year.”

This year was a different story for women’s tennis. The team doesn’t have an official coach, but with the help of Concordia graduate and former tennis team member Andrea Rognlien, the team has been able to start the season off. Even with some losses, DeLeon thinks the girls kept a positive attitude throughout the week.

“We’ve been trying to play though and just have fun,” DeLeon said.

Throughout the week, all three teams had to deal with things that they weren’t used to. Despite some trouble, the teams were able to come out of the week with new outlooks.

Meslow felt the golf team was challenged a bit because of the new terrain.

“The course wasn’t your typical course,” Meslow said. “It showed me what I can do and gave me a new mentality.”

Conant felt that the softball team didn’t end the week as they had hoped to.

“We didn’t play as well as we wanted,” Conant said. “However, these pre-season games allow us to (get prepared) for MIAC teams.”

Since the tennis team doesn’t have an official coach as well as fewer players than in previous years, several girls had to step into positions they weren’t accustomed to. Even so, interim head coach Rognlien felt the women did a good job.

“Several girls had to play in positions they aren’t use to,” Rognlien said. “The girls had to toughen up and play on their own.”

Even with the setbacks the teams had, they were able to accomplish their goals and rise to new heights.

“I (learned that I) can challenge myself,” Meslow said. “I had a new driver and hit 20 times better with it.”

In spite of the tough week that the softball team had, Conant felt that it had been a great way to get the team together.

“The trip was a good opportunity to get to know my teammates on a different level, other than softball,” Conant said.

Andrea Rognlien wasn’t able to go with the women on the trip, but this wasn’t a big issue for them. DeLeon felt the women performed well despite the smallness of the team.

“We got better at (playing) harder courts which make the speed of the ball (change),” Deleon said. “Playing in the heat was hard but helped us prepare for when we play outside.”

Even though the main goal of the trips these teams took was to practice, they also made sure to have some fun too. Tennis and softball were given free days, and although golf didn’t have a set day off, they made sure to take some time after practice to relax at the home they were staying in.

“We would go in the hot tub or watch TV at night,” Meslow said.

The softball team had Thursday afternoon off, so the team decided to take a small road trip.

“We went to the Desert Museum,” Conant said. “After practice each day we had the rest of the day to relax, so we would tan by the pool.”

The tennis team had Sunday and Wednesday off, so they made sure to take advantage of their free time.

“On Sunday we just hung out by the pool,” Deleon said. “Wednesday, we went to Disney World, which was a lot of fun.”

When the week came to a close, all three teams were proud of the work they had accomplished. Each match or game the women played allowed them learn about themselves, their teammates and their competition. One of the things that all three teams enjoyed was what the amazing weather allowed them to do.

“Playing outside was great,” Conant said.

Sprinting

The 60, 200, 400 and 600 meter dashes have the runners all start from blocks. Sophomore sprinter Ben Vickstrom said that for short distance runners, training involves learning how to keep good form throughout the entire dash.

In order to keep good form at the block, athletes need to keep their heads down, pushing their chest and center of gravity as far out as possible once they begin sprinting, Vickstrom said.  Eventually athletes’ legs catch up with their upper body and the runner focuses on trying to keep them as level as possible.

Vickstrom said that sprinters need to keep their lower body and upper body in sync by pumping their arms.

“Arms are a big component of sprinting,” Vickstrom said. “Most people don’t think that runners have to focus just as much on their upper body as their lower body, but you can get a lot of power from your arms.”

Vickstrom explained that for the 200 and beyond, a sprinter’s legs will typically go numb in the last 50 meters as lactic acid builds up in the muscles. Runners must learn to to ignore this feeling in their legs and train their body to function as normally as possible. This means focusing all their attention on pumping their arms and keeping an even stride.

“I love that part of sprinting because I put everything on the line for just a little distance.” Vickstrom said. “It is all mind over matter and I like making my body do things it doesn’t want to do.”

Long jump

Long jump is set up on a l00 to 150-foot-long runway with a sand pit at the end. Somewhere between three and 12 feet back from the sand pit is a board that marks where the jumper must not step past. Each jumper starts a certain distance away from the board and without stepping past the board, jumps to land as far  into the sand as possible. The mark in the sand is then measured to the end of the board on the runway. This distance is the jumper’s score. MIAC jumps range from 18 to 22 feet.

Long jumper Simon Erlandson said long jumping was like flying. Erlandson starts about 102 feet back from the board and then counts his strides so he doesn’t go past the board before jumping. Going past the board is called a scratch and does not count.

Erlandson said jumpers are taught to keep their feet out as far forward as possible and to land on the back of their heel. As their feet hit the sand, they must pull their knees in and push their butt and body forward. The judges score the first mark made in the sand by the jumper’s body when he or she lands. This means jumpers shouldn’t let their hands fall behind them as they land, because then the jump will be determined by measuring to that mark, Erlandson said.

Sophomore long jumper Brandon Zylstra said he enjoys the competitive nature of long jumping. He likes to push himself and see how much he can improve with each jump. Zylstra’s personal record in long jump is 21 feet 8 inches.

“It’s fun to see just how far you can jump across such a long distance.” Zylstra said. “My best moment jumping was during this last conference meet, when I took fourth and got my second best score. It’s a great feeling to break your own personal goal.”

Triple jump

Like long jump, triple jump involves a runway and sand pit. The scoring is the same as in long jump: measurements are taken from the mark the jumper makes in the sand to determine the score. However, the jumping process for triple jump has more steps. The jumper strides down the runway, and after passing a board, must take three striding leaps before landing in the sand pit. The name “triple jump” comes from these three striding leaps the athlete takes when launching themselves in the air.

The stride for triple jump may appear somewhat awkward as the athlete must start by jumping on the same foot twice and then take their final striding leap on the opposite foot. This very specific technique has lead many jumpers to draw their own conclusions about how the event came into being.

Freshman triple jumper Nick Anderson said he thinks that the triple jump must have originated when someone needed to get across three stones in a river.

Anderson said that his own technique for triple jumping is jumping with his left, left, and then right foot. He said he starts his strides 102 feet back from the board.

Anderson said he enjoys triple jump and is proud of his accomplishments in the event.

“I…get a good feeling from triple jump.” Anderson said. “My favorite moment was qualifying for the North Dakota state track meet my sophomore year in high school because I didn’t expect to be that good. My score was actually to the exact inch you needed in order to qualify.”

Weight throw

Weight throw involves a 20- 25 pound ball with a handle and attached string. The thrower spins the ball around their head at least once and then pushes from the bottom handle to throw it high into the air, out from the metal ring the athlete stands in and onto the field.

Behind the ring, there is a tall net circling behind and then fanning out on the side of the counted area where the ball can land. The mark is made from the ball on the field is measured to the rim of the circle where the athlete started his or her throw.

Freshman thrower Ashley Thompson explained it as basically trying to spin as fast as you can while staying in the circle and throwing a very heavy weight over your head and as far as you can.

Thompson said you can spin as many times as you want, but typically beginners start with one spin and step, progressing into as many as three spins as their skill increases. The more spins the athlete does, the more speed the ball has, and therefore there is more momentum to propel the ball longer distances.

“There are a lot of physics involved in weight throw.” Thompson said. “But when you throw you can’t think about it. I honestly black out during the whole throw until the ball is out of my hands and if it went well I don’t feel anything out of place. It is such a powerful feeling.”

Weight throw is an indoor track event. The hammer throw is its outdoor track companion. They are exactly the same event but the hammer throw has a much lighter ball of around 8 pounds and a longer string from which the athlete can throw longer distances.

Ever done one?

3.125 miles (or five kilometers) sounds like a feasible distance, until you’re actually trudging along the black pavement, listening to the frantic pant of your own breathing, and your legs feel like they weigh a hundred pounds – each.

If that sparks your interest, but you’re not sure where to begin, no need to fret.

Men’s track coach and 5k enthusiast Garrick Larson has a simple routine to get you off of the couch and onto the pavement, or trail, in no time. Scan the QR code to view Larson’s training plan, and perhaps you’ll even be ready for a 5k run.

According to Larson’s program, over the course of 27 weeks you will work toward building the endurance needed to fully run a 5K.

As the weeks progress, the amount of time spent running increases while the amount of time spent walking decreases.

“Training for a 5K is essentially stair stepping,” said Garrick Larson, Concordia track and field coach.

Larson, an experienced runner, has mostly dealt with hefty half-marathons, but that’s not to say he isn’t experienced with 5K races, too.

Larson says for someone who isn’t used to any type of regular exercise, training for a race is merely a matter of alternating between running and walking.

Concordia junior and avid runner Tayler Vatnsdal used this method of training when she began training for 5K races in high school.

“I would always start by running, like, three minutes, then walking five,” Vatnsdal said.

Vatnsdal said she continued this rhythm for about a half hour each time she trained.

Week by week, she slowly increased her running time and decreased her walking time until she was running the entire half hour, which is about the equivalent of the average 5K.

“(Running) a race of any distance is a really accomplishing feeling,” Vatnsdal said with a smile.

Larson said one of the most crucial parts of training is getting mentally fit.

“The first time you run three miles it seems like forever, but then you start running five and that seems like forever,” Larson said. “As you get in better physical shape, you get mentally desensitized and you stop noticing how long you’re running.”

Vatnsdal agreed, saying the hardest part of training was tricking her mind into thinking she wasn’t tired.

So if you think you’ve got what it takes to build your physical and mental endurance, hop to it. Spring and the 5K races are quickly approaching!

Larson’s final piece of advice?

“Just get yourself out the door,” he said. “That’s the hardest part.”

Follow the link below to find a 28-week training planner that you can print for your use.

http://theconcordian.org/2013/03/12/28-week-5k-training-plan

Photo by Ali Everts. The current wrestling facility (pictured) is only big enough to house one full-size wrestling mat. Therefore, the wrestlers have to practice all together in the one room, leading to over-crowding and wrestlers bumping into one another as they spar.

The Cobber wrestling team is proposing to expand their facilities for their growing team into the Riverside Center gym.  Athletic Director Rich Glas and co-head wrestling coaches Clay Nagel and Matt Nagel presented their idea to renovate the former Riverside Elementary School gym to a project request committee consisting of various Concordia administrators, and they remain hopeful that the renovation process will begin soon.

Over the past four years, Concordia’s wrestling team has grown, seeing an increase in the number of incoming wrestlers. However, the 40-year-old wrestling facilities have not grown with the team, and practice space has become not only limited but also dangerous to the players, Matt Nagal said.

All-American senior wrestler Nathan Schmitz said that in his four years as a Cobber wrestler, he has noticed that as the number of wrestlers on the team increases, so does the number of injuries from practicing in such confined spaces.

“The coaches split us up sometimes when it gets too crowded, and we make do with that,” Schmitz said. “But our guys continually get hurt from smacking into each other and the walls when we practice.”

The wrestling room, located in the lower level of the Offutt Concourse, supports only one full size-wrestling mat, which is roughly 34 feet by 46 feet.  Compared with other competing universities in both the MIAC and NCAA, and even to some high school practice facilities, this is not enough to maintain a team of 31 wrestlers, Matt Nagel said.

“All our competing colleges associated with the MIAC have a much bigger capacity for their wrestling program,” Matt Nagel said. “Augsburg has at least three times the size of our area, and in comparison to the larger state universities we compete with, like MSUM, there is an even wider gap.”

Despite Concordia’s comparitively small wrestling facility, the Cobbers have still managed to maintain an impressive program and won second place in the NCAA West Regional meet at Augsburg on Saturday.

The team also broke school history this weekend as six wrestlers competed in their weight class title match , advancing them to the NCAA National Meet. This beats the 2011 record of five qualifying Concordia wrestlers.

Clay Nagel said that the team’s wrestling has only improved, and now all they need is to couple their skills and talents with a better practice facility.

“It’s like we have all the ingredients for the soup, but we don’t have a big enough bowl to support everything,” said Clay Nagel. “This led us to look at other options of space we could use, and we found an empty gym close by.”

The College found and purchased the vacant elementary school in 2004 and it is now called the Riverside Center. It currently houses the Concordia Language Village office, Cobber Kids daycare, and more recently office space for the North-West Minnesota Synod of the ELCA.

The building was renovated to accommodate the entities it now holds, but the old school gym, located in the southwest corner of the building, was left unchanged.

At the moment, Concordia is using the gym as a storage space for extra office equipment, building supplies, Hallet and Erickson dorm bedding, and even the Christmas concert mural.  These were brought over to the empty gym from the Offutt School of Business once the new building was finished.

Clay Nagel said these items could easily be moved to the newly-built storage building in East Complex near Jake Christiansen Stadium.

“The move would benefit not only the wrestling athletes and training facilities for them but also free up the space of our existing wrestling room for dance, yoga, or even zumba classes,” Matt Nagel said.

The limited space within Olson Forum and Memorial Auditorium has created resource competition between sports and has led to some teams receiving priority over others, Glas said.

Glas said that despite the fact that the wrestling team is in need of more room, the process for approving the possibility of renovating the gym will be extensive and require a lot of time in itself.

Now that Glas, Clay Nagel and Matt Nagel have proposed the idea to the administration, it is up to administrators to weigh the importance of renovating this space against other potential future projects, such as renovating the science building and expanding on East Complex, Glas said.

If the proposed renovations on Riverside Center are approved by the administration, the next step is to take the proposal to the city of Moorhead because the project must conform to certain expectations the city gave Concordia upon the College’s purchase the elementary school. From there, the building will have to be rezoned so that locker rooms and other essential athletic facility needs can be met, Glas said.

Matt Nagel said that with such a long way to go all they can do is hope for their new facility and wait.

“If the expansion into a new facility does not pull through we will still make do with what we have,” Glas said. “Even though finding more space is on the number one priority list for the athletic department, we will continue to play hard.”

Submitted photo. Ryan Sederquist.

This year’s Cobber track and field team is the largest the program has ever seen according to the men’s head coach Garrick Larson.

“The size of the program is a good sign for success,” he said. “It’s a healthy program.”

Larson credits the program’s competitiveness to their challenging schedule.

“We don’t often compete against ‘like teams,’ but we do face a lot of Division I and II schools like NDSU,” he said.

Larson said track and field is like five sports in one, making for an inevitable sense of detachment among the athletes between the different events.

Even so, he still thinks the program is a tight-knit group and is looking forward to a successful season.

Softball

Submitted photo. Kaia Sele.

The Cobber softball team is off to a slow start with an early record of 0-4.

They spent their spring break in Tucson, Ariz., competing against tough teams, head coach Mike Reese said.

Reese is very optimistic about the 2013 season.

“We’ve paid a lot of attention to detail and basic technique in the off-season,” he said. “We looked at last season and understood (that) to do better, we need to work harder.”

Sophomore Ashley Tibbetts has a positive outlook for this season.

“We’ve got a lot of talent on this team,” she said. “I’m excited to see what happens this season.”

Reese’s philosophy for a successful season is to have confidence on and off the field and play off of the team’s great chemistry.

“Our buzzword, you could say, is ‘one team, one direction,’” he said.

Tennis

Submitted photo. Chelsie McGraw.

The women’s tennis team is starting the season with a 0-8 record. The men’s tennis team has two wins under their belt so far and currently have a 2-6 record.

Senior Devin Larson led the men’s tennis team over spring break in Flordia, winning four of his six single matches.

The women were also in Florida, and freshmen Morgan Sawatske and Brittany Glatt both earned victories there. They now lead the lady Cobbers in singles play, according to the athletic department website.

Baseball

Submitted photo. Derek Rachel.

The Cobber baseball team has kicked things off with a record of 0-2 after they faced Mayville State at the Metrodome in the Twin Cities on Feb. 20.

Despite the slow start, head coach Bucky Burgau feels the team will be a force to reckon with.

“We feel we have a really good baseball team this year,” he said.

Junior Kirk Schroeder agrees.

“We’ve got a great group of talented freshmen coming in and good upperclassmen,” Schroeder said. “We’d like to make it to the MIAC tournament this year. We barely missed it last season.”

Burgau said a lot of the team’s success will depend on the pitching staff.

“We have a mixture of veteran guys and new guys that will bring a lot to the table,” he said.

Burgau’s philosophy for making this season a successful one is to “practice hard, play hard.”

The week of the championships found both teams spending most of their time on the court.  Guard Hannah Jeske said that the women used their pre-game practice time to their advantage.

“We practice for about two hours a day,” Jeske said.  “We prepared by focusing on the upcoming teams.”

The men’s team set a goal for themselves at the start of the season to simply make it into the MIAC playoffs. Forward Jordan Deutsch said he thought the men used their practice time to the fullest by going through different plays with the help of the junior varsity team.

“We did scrimmages (with the) junior varsity team,” Deutsch said. “We also did a bit of three man scramble.”

Wanting to make sure they were mentally prepared for the games, players took time for themselves and as a team, gaurd Erika Jossart said.

“(Some) watched film on the other team and even ourselves to try and pick out little things (to change during) the game,” Jossart said.

During the MIAC playoffs, the men’s team made sure to use pre-game time to hone their skills and focus on their goal for the season. Center Scott Flotterud said that even though the last couple of practices were difficult, they were crucial to the men’s success.

“The week of practice leading up to the game was very intense, but once the game started, it was just another game that we wanted to win,” Flotterud said.

Taking part in a competition as big as the MIAC tournament can create stress for players. To add to this, MIAC playoffs coincided with Concordia’s midterms. Jossart said having to balance school and basketball during the tournament was stressful for her.

“It was hard to focus on both my school work and basketball because I had to make decisions on whether to study for exams or watch film on the other team,” Jossart said.

Flotterud said that the five minutes before the game started was the most stressful part of the season.

“I just feel a little bit nervous, right before (the game) starts,” Flotterud said.

Jossart said they gave their all during the tournament.

“I think just the fact that every game is a big game and could potentially be the team’s last during tournament time really helped everyone stay focused and leave it all on the floor,” Jossart said.

Jossert also said that a strong showing of fan support this season was greatly appreciated, and fan attendance grew when playoffs started.

“This year was especially fun because we got to play at home throughout…playoffs, and it was nice that we got a really great crowd to come to the games,” Jossart said. “The atmosphere was awesome to play in.”

Jossart said that even though the women didn’t make it to the final round of the tournament, they still enjoyed their time playing and competing.

“The MIAC tournament is always really competitive and fun to be a part of,” Jossart said.

Photo by Ali Everts. Concordia track and field pole vaulters Erik Olson and Levi Bachmeier at a recent practice. Olson broke a school height record that had stood for 30 years. Olson’s new record is 15-05.25.

MIAC Men’s Indoor Field Athlete-of-the-Week senior pole vaulter Erik Olson broke Concordia’s 30-year height record for the second time in his career as a Cobber athlete.

Olson broke the existing record of 14-11, held by David “Buzz” Dahl in 1983. He cleared the 15-foot mark two weeks ago at the Cobber Open. Olson broke the record again with 15-00.25 at Saturday’s meet at NDSU. Also at the meet, junior Levi Bachmeier attempted to duplicate the record in three attempts but ended the meet with a height of 14-06.25.

Track head coach Garrick Larson says that there is more behind Olson’s record than meets the eye.

“For someone who is just looking at the results, they wouldn’t know that Erik had actually tried a larger pole at the NDSU meet,” Larson said. “And what sets Erik apart from other vaulters is a combination of athleticism, talent and dedication.”

Larson said that school records are broken every day, but for a record to stand so long was unusual. Finally having it broken by a hardworking and deserving pole-vaulter like Olson was very special.  Chris Baxter, the pole-vaulting event coach, agreed with Larson about Olson’s daring behavior.

“Erik has absolutely no fear,” Baxter said, “If I tell him to go on a bigger pole, he says no problem. He is a gamer and on game day, he steps up, puts his game face on and goes and gets it.”

Olson said that he doesn’t necessarily think about the intricate details of the vault in meets and instead focuses on the feeling of the vault as a whole.

“I am a very in-the-moment person,” Olson said. “I get really pumped up at meets. Even if I have really crappy practice days, at the meet everything usually falls into place, because I just push myself higher and harder and just go for it.”

Both Larson and Baxter emphasized the significance of finally breaking such a long-standing record and what this means for the team.

Dahl’s 1983 record of 14’11’’ got him to the NCAA Division III track meet where he placed 15^th nationally in the pole vault.

Jeff Block and Pete Seljevold, Concordia alumni and teammates of Dahl’s when he broke the record so many years ago, said that Dahl was a one-of-a-kind pole vaulter, much like Olson.

“Buzz had this daredevil personality,” Block said. “He was a good athlete and he worked really hard at pole vaulting.”

“Buzz had your typical 80s hair cut, an earring, and he looked like a hard rocker kind of guy,” Seljevold said. “He always wore a head band, wrist bands, and he looked more like the lead singer of the Ramones than a pole vaulter, but he was very dedicated to his sport and he really focused on pushing his vaulting.”

Block said he thought successful pole-vaulting took a certain personality–someone who is able to push the laws of gravity and do what others find crazy.

Pole vaulter Levi Bachmeier said that this new track season has started off with a different, more intense structure for the pole vaulters. They now practice every day and vault three times a week.  This year the track team also gained a new strength training coordinator, Dan Senn.

“This is the first strength coach that I can honestly say actually cares about track and field, not just the popular team sports,” Bachmeier said. “He has put together individualized workout for each event group and it is awesome to have work outs that tailored specifically for pole-vaulting.”

Pole vaulting coach Baxter said this athleticism has definitely helped strengthen the team as a whole and adds to their success.

“They all help and push each other, being such good athletes,” Baxter said. “Especially the vaulters, I can see they really stick together and bring everyone up. No one is left behind.”

Coach Larson said that both Olson and Bachmeier really lead the team by example with their work ethic and their constant feedback to the other vaulters.

“I think our success as a team is really due to the change in culture where people really started pushing not only themselves but each other to become as competitive as possible,” Bachmeier said. “We are obviously seeing that as a team because we have five guys right now who have a legitimate shot at qualifying for the conference championship.”

Forward Benjamin Payne said that defense has been a struggle for the team this season, largely due to an influx of rookie players.

“We lost a lot of key defensive players who were older,” Payne said. “Our team (is) mostly freshman and sophomore (defensive players). (They’ve) risen to the occasion but have had some learning curves.”

Defensive end Caleb Suderman thinks the team has had some trouble starting.

“We need to have better starts,” Suderman said. “We wait for the other team to start.”

The players said the team has improved its game throughout the season. From upping their offensive play to improving their attitude towards games, the team has taken a turn for the better, according to Payne.

“Historically (we’ve been) a strong defense team,” Payne said. “This is the most I’ve seen the offensive side improve (during my) years at Concordia.”

The players said that the team has become a close-knit group this season and attributed much of their successes to good bonding. Defensive end Maxwell Smith said that studying together, having team dinners and hanging out on weekends are all things that have helped the men grow closer. Smith said he thinks the close relationship between team members has helped them on the ice.

“We bonded well early in the season,” Smith said. “This relates to how well we’ve done. Even with some losses, we’ve played well.”

Suderman said he attributes this to the team’s positive attitude.

“Keeping a positive attitude and having a lot of energy (has helped),” Suderman said.

Suderman said he thinks even though the team has endured some losses, they have been able to come together and not let this bring their sprits down.

“We do a good job of not giving up,” Suderman said.

Mosser taught badminton at Concordia in the mid-1990s. Today, he plays it a couple times a week to get a good mental and physical workout.

“Badminton is one of the best workouts I’ve ever had,” Mosser said. “Especially when you’re up against a good opponent and the rallies get really long.”

His mentor, Dave Lester, once played at the national level in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Mosser said in the early stages of his learning he never scored a point against Lester. Eventually, though, their games got to a point of competitiveness, and Mosser began to rack up a few wins.

“We started from square one,” Mosser said. “He’s a very good teacher.”

Mosser said badminton is an amazing workout full of quick thinking, strategy, and finesse.

“It’s a mixture of smashing the ball one time and then delicately dropping it the next,” Mosser said.

The most difficult part of learning to play badminton, according to Mosser, is learning to control the bird.

“If you can’t hit the bird deep or delicately when you need to, you’re dead,” Mosser said.

Mosser said it took him four to five years of playing before he felt he could be competitive.

“It’s a hard thing to learn to do well,” he said.

Mosser and Lester have done demonstrations in the past for physical education classes at Moorhead Senior High School.

“(Playing) badminton relieves a lot of stress, and the camaraderie of a sport like that is really fun,” Mosser said.

Mosser said he thinks that in the heat of the game, badminton becomes an art.

“(Badminton) is all about constructing a point and seeing where you have the best advantage to gain a point,” Mosser said.

He said that badminton can teach good life lessons too.

“It’s constantly making you think about what you can do differently to gain the advantage,” Mosser said.

Submitted photo. Senior wrestler Nathan Schmitz takes down an opponent during a recent match. The wrestlers are currently 5-5-0, and are looking ahead to a successful performance at regionals in a few weeks.

Concordia’s men’s wrestling team has been successful this season, holding onto a 5-5-0 record as they look ahead to their next three meets and to regional competition. The men have had 221 individual wins, and have successfully pinned 69 opponents. The team’s success hasn’t happened by chance, however, but has been the product of the wrestlers’ hard work and practice.

Practice isn’t the only factor that has played a part in the team’s success. Sophomore wrestler Jordan Bendson said the fearlessness of the wrestlers has also contributed to the team’s overall success.

“We’ve stepped up the competition,” Bendson said. “(We aren’t) afraid of competition.”

Senior Kyle LeDuc said that coaches Clay and Matt Nagel have also been key factors in the team’s performance so far.

“We beat good teams (such as) Luther, and we’ve worked on stuff the coaches want (us to practice),” LeDuc said.

The athletes said that they expect a lot of themselves when it comes to wrestling, and that this goal-oriented mentality has pushed the team to achieve.

“We put in a lot of hard work, and set high goals,” junior Christian Harrison said.

The wrestlers said they have to make sure they are prepared both mentally and physically for their matches. The athletes are responsible for making sure they are in the right mindset for each match.

LeDuc said he makes sure to get his body in the right physical state before going out onto the mat.

“Before each match, I get a good warm up in, get in the right mindset and do what our coaches have us do at practice (while on the mat),” LeDuc said.

Making weight is very important in wrestling, where a few pounds here or there could cost a player the match or get him disqualified. Bendson said maintaining his weight is something he focusses on before a match.

“I keep my weight in check,” Bendson said. “I don’t want to cut ten pounds before (a match).  Also, I visualize what they’ll do, and run plays in my head.”

Once the men are in the right mindset, they step on to the mat.  Using all of the techniques their coaches have taught them, they’re able to successfully pin down their opponents.

Whether the men are at home or away, their main support-system is each other. LeDuc gives his teammates credit for keeping him focused during matches.

“We stick together as a team,” LeDuc said.

The wrestlers said the team feels there is still room for improvement this season. Bendson said he would like to see the team implement what they’ve been practicing a bit more.

“We need to keep our intensity up,” Bendson said.

Cobbers can cheer on the wrestling team this Thursday at their home tournament. After that match, the team will head out for two more duels, and then they’re off to regionals.