Concordia Sports - The First 100 Years by Finn Grinaker

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

Chapter 7-- The Restless Sixties

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

“Jake Christiansen blew the opening whistle for the twenty-eighth time this fall. Eighty-three Concordia football players answered the call, all of them upperclassmen. It goes without saying that the 83 will be rushed along as fast as possible as the Cobbers will play an early opener September 7 with cross-town rival Moorhead State College. Jake and his staff will have their work cut out for them as they have 19 holes to fill on losses from last year’s squad that finished 7-1-1.”

This season was the last year of coaching for legendary Coach Jake Christiansen. His legacy will last for generations at Concordia. Jake was elected to the NAIA Hall of Fame. The team finished the season with a 7 - 3 overall record, 4 - 3 in the MIAC for third place. Named team captains were Tom Fink and Joe Langemo, while Dennis Stamp and Chuck Olson were received All-Conference honors and Joe Langemo was the team Most Valuable Player.

Bob Nick was named to coach the frosh as Concordia lost two coaches over the summer — Charlie Basch went to St. Cloud and Rod Grubb left for St. Olaf.

Jacobi "Jake" Christiansen, Athletic Director, Head Football Coach 1941-1968

Scores for the season were:
Concordia 7 MSTC   6
Concordia 28 Augustana   7
Concordia 27 Macalester 0
Concordia 27 St. Thomas 13
Concordia 0 St. John’s   7
Concordia 29 Augsburg   21
Concordia 14 Gustavus   22
Concordia 23 UM - Duluth 14
Concordia 7 Hamline   32
Concordia 42 Luther   38

Conference standings were:

Gustavus   6 - 0 - 1
Hamline   6 - 1 - 0
Concordia   4 - 3 - 0
St. John’s   4 - 3 - 0
Macalester 3 - 3 - 1
UM - Duluth 2 - 5 - 0
St. Thomas 2 - 5 - 0
Augsburg   0 - 7 - 0

On the roster were Bruce Zempel, Dale Hertel, Tom Cummings, Dennis Stamp, Tom Fink, Joe Langemo, Regan Lefdahl, Joel Johnson, D. Peterson, Eldon Nelson, G. Van Hunnik, M. McGee, R. Johnson, Dave Jordahl, L. Teske, Paul Linde, J. Jenson, Frank Hensch, Don Tordsen, Wayne Nelson, Kent Zimmerman, Wayne Skaff, Gary Noren, Bob Kranz, Mike Swanke, B. Anderson, Jim Rosenkrantz, A. Schmidt, Don Hoven, C. Rudd, Art Glasoe, Greg Drummond, Doug Dale, Chuck Olson, A. Ritchie, B. Schoonover, J. Backlund, G. Agrimson, B. Brandt, V. Smith, Doug Aden, M. Diede, Avery Siefert, Gale Otto, Ken Moland, T. Rietz, S. Kidder, P. Falk, D. Larson, T. Vickerman, Ed Anderson, Les Perry, Robert Halvorson, Myron Smith, R. Lindstrom, L. Moe, Curt Johnson, Paul Genter, Bob Westrum and V. Holmgren.

Coach Sonny Gulsvig’s 1968-1969 basketball team had a 14 - 12 record overall and an
8 - 8 record in the MIAC. On the team were Steve Carnal, Bruce Backberg, Steve Myhre, Ed Dahlberg, Terry Knauf, Doug Hastad, Pete Rutherford, Brad Selland, Steve Reiten, Dick Peterson, John Erickson, Bob Peterson, Don See, Wayne Uglem, Randy Taylor and Larry Sonju.

The season’s results were:
Concordia 56 Moorhead State 77
Concordia 74 Augustana   67
Concordia 68 NDSU    62
Concordia 86 Gustavus   65
Concordia 41 St. Cloud State 59
Concordia 96 Humboldt State 77
Concordia 79 Eau Claire   78
Concordia 65 East Michigan   91
Concordia 54 St. Cloud State 56
Concordia 80 St. Thomas   79
Concordia 60 St. John’s   58
Concordia 59 Hamline   57
Concordia 73 UM - Duluth   62
Concordia 63 St. Mary’s   74
Concordia 46 Macalester   68
Concordia 79 NDSU    109
Concordia 80 Gustavus   65
Concordia 59 St. Thomas   79
Concordia 82 St. John’s   86
Concordia 67 Hamline   68
Concordia 68 UM - Duluth   89
Concordia 70 MSC    69
Concordia 85 Augsburg   68
Concordia 71 St. Mary’s   69
Concordia 55 Macalester   62

The conference standings at the end of the season were:

St. John’s   12 - 4
Macalester 11 - 5
St. Thomas 11 - 5
St. Mary’s   10 - 6
Gustavus   8 - 8
Concordia   8 - 8
Hamline   7 - 9
Augsburg   4 - 12
UM - Duluth 1 - 15

On the roster for Coach Finn Grinaker’s 1968 - 1969 wrestling squad were Mike Kane, Maxwell, Kim Boyce, Roger Toffle, Hult, Tim McCoy, Hoppe, Berg, Wayne Yankoff, Don Lilleboe, Pete Michel, Lindquist, Tom Fink, Yockim, Anderson, Terry Bishop, Myron Smith, Estvold and Gronneberg. The team placed fifth in the Carleton tournament, eighth in the Luther tournament and third in the conference tournament.

They finished the season with a 7 - 6 dual meet record. Scores were:

Concordia 17 Morris Branch 16
Concordia 3 Valley City   42
Concordia 9 Bemidji State   32
Concordia 11 St. John’s   30
Concordia 42 Hamline   3
Concordia 27 Duluth    11
Concordia 24 St. Thomas   21
Concordia 13 Augsburg   28
Concordia 21 Macalester   19
Concordia 24 Gustavus   15
Concordia 7 NDSU    37
Concordia 8 Moorhead State 38
Concordia 27 St. Mary’s   13

The 1968-1969 hockey team had their best season yet under new coach, Al Rice. Practice sessions were now held in the new Fargo Coliseum and this resulted in a 4 - 8 record for the conference season. On the roster were R. Moon, L. Seeger, D. McCarthy, A. Lutz, J. VanBergan, W. Horgen, D. Earnest, G. Uecker, C. Watkins, L. Haslerud, G. Noren, P. Gronhovd, K. Litzenberger, J. Thompson, D. Satre, C. Peterson, S. Erickson and G. Lee.

Team scores were:
Concordia 4 Rainy River JC 2
Concordia 1,6 St. Cloud   5,7
Concordia 2,2 St. Mary’s   5,7
Concordia 3,3 St. John’s   5,13
Concordia 2,1 Augsburg   9,8
Concordia 3,3 Gustavus   10,10
Concordia 6,6 Macalester   5,3
Concordia 4 St. John’s   3
Concordia 2,5 St. Thomas   6,4
Concordia 2,4 Hamline   6,5
Concordia 3 Rainy River JC 8

The 1968-1968 gymnastics team competed against three teams this season. After losing to Bemidji, the Cobbers outscored South Dakota State University in a triangular meet which was won by North Dakota State University. Those on the roster were M. Gunderson, H. Anderson, R. Strand, G. Virkus, S. Kidder, R. Bowman, A. Seifert, A. Agrimson, D. Rudd, B. Jahraus and C. Frank

Lettermen on the 1969 golf team, coached by Finn Grinaker, were Terry Knauf, Steve Haslerud, Bill Hanson, David McBroom and Tom Stegbauer. The team placed 7th out of 10 teams in the Cobber-Dragon Invitational, 7th out of 19 teams in the Morris Invitational, was third in the Alll-City and placed 7th out of 9 teams in the MIAC.

Aided by newly surfaced courts but hampered by the loss of injured Don Idso, coach Bob Nick’s 1969 tennis team faced tough MIAC competition. The team met St. Thomas and Augsburg and participated in an all-conference meet. On the team were C. Olson, Volker Hennig, Mike Vogel, Norm Newell, Craig Anderson and T. Simmons.

Al Rice was the coach of the 1969 baseball team, comprised of W. Nelson, D. Nielson, S. Carnal, L. Perry, T. Cummings, Paul Linde, D. Drommerhausen, D. Peterson, K. Knoff, D. Johnson, L. Sannes, B. Sieling, D. Hertel, P. Holte, S. Graff, D. Dale, P. Krabbenhoft, K. Yohe, L. Peterson, S. Simonson, L. Erdahl, G. Otto, R. McDaniel and R. Peterson. Unable to held practice outdoors, first-year Coach Rice faced the season challenged by the naming of an untried starting line-up.

The team finished in second place in the MIAC baseball race. The Cobbers compiled a
9 - 5 conference record while posting an 11 - 7 season record. Pitcher Tom Cummings and third baseman Kerry Knoff were named to the All-Conference team. Joe Langemo and Tom Cummings were the team captains.

Hurdler Greg Kaiser and vaulters Al Agrimson and Avery Seifert returned from last year to lead a small but determined track squad. These sophomores worked hard with promising freshmen to overcome inexperience. The team was coached by Jim Christopherson and student-coach Al Schmidt.

Chapter 7

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

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