Concordia Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees - 2009

MOORHEAD, Minn. (10/21/09)--- The Concordia College Athletics Department inducted four former athletes and one coach into the Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday during the annual Homecoming celebration. This year's honorees included Collette Folstad who the first coach of the Cobber women’s basketball program from 1974 to 1980. Joining Collette was Mike Hassman ’91, who was a first team All-American and still holds the school record for most career points, Dave Klug ’80, who was a football All-American, was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs and has been a Cobber assistant coach since 1988, Kris (DeBoer) Smith ’89 who was a six-time All-American in track and field and Tim Tingelstad ’82, who was a three-time All-MIAC performer and Academic-All-American in golf.

Collette (Buhr) Folstad

A women’s athletic pioneer, Collette (Buhr) Folstad played in 104 high school basketball games from 1951 to 1956, and went on to become the highly successful first coach of the Cobber women’s basketball program in the Title IX era. She built the program from the ground up, coaching from 1974 to 1980 and compiling an outstanding 115-45 record. By attracting top athletes to Concordia, she was responsible for setting the stage for the Cobbers’ national championship season in 1981.

Folstad’s Cobber teams won Minnesota intercollegiate titles, advanced to regional tournaments, and produced numerous all-state and all-region players and Concordia’s first All-American women’s basketball player. She also coached track at Concordia.

Folstad coached at the college and high school levels for 35 years. A winner wherever she went, her college teams at Concordia and North Dakota State University compiled an outstanding .716 winning percentage and her high school teams at four different schools, both large and small, posted a .593 winning percentage. Folstad taught for 28 years at the junior high, high school and collegiate levels.

In 1976 she was the first recipient of the Girls’ Sports Coach of the Year awarded by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association, and she has been honored with Coach of the Year awards multiple times. Folstad has received multiple honors and been inducted into numerous halls of fame for her contributions to basketball, volleyball, track, softball and bowling. She has been a much sought-after clinician and motivational speaker.

In recognition of her outstanding contributions to Concordia athletics, her lifelong dedication to coaching and teaching, and her personal example of character and integrity, Concordia College is proud to induct Collette (Buhr) Folstad into the Concordia College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Mike Hassman '91
Mike Hassman produced one of the most honored careers in Concordia hockey history. For three seasons, from 1988 to 1991, he led the Cobbers in scoring, finishing his career with a school record for points scored with 205.

His peers recognized his scoring, skating and stick-handling skills by selecting him to the All-MIAC team three times. During the 1989-90 season, he set single season school records for points scored (77) and goals (42) and was named the league’s most valuable player and an NCAA Division III All-American.

Hassman was a natural leader on the ice. He was an attacker who controlled the puck, passed and scored with ease. Following his collegiate career, he returned to his native Canada and continued playing hockey at a high level, playing on teams that won two Allan Cups — the Canadian national championship. He also played for Team Canada when they won the silver medal at the Nagano Cup in Japan.

Hassman has coached minor league hockey for 16 years and lives with his family in Fort St. James, British Columbia.

In recognition of his outstanding achievements as a Cobber athlete and his continued commitment to teaching and coaching hockey, Concordia College is proud to induct Michael N. Hassman into the Concordia College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Dave Klug '80
A gifted natural athlete, Dave Klug earned first team NAIA All-American honors as a defensive end his senior season, after which he was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs professional football team in the fourth round of the 1980 draft. He played four seasons with the Chiefs, from 1981 to 1984.

During his Concordia career, Klug was voted by his teammates as team captain and most valuable player his senior season; was a two-time All-MIAC team honoree; two-time member of the NAIA All-District team; and MIAC co-most valuable player.

As a leader of the defense in the 1978 season, he helped the Cobbers shut out three conference opponents and one playoff team. With Klug anchoring a determined defense, the Cobbers held off Findlay College of Ohio with a late fourth quarter goal-line stand to win the NAIA Division II national championship.

Klug joined the Cobber coaching staff in 1988 and quickly earned the distinction as being one of the leading defensive coaches in the MIAC. His creative schemes played a central role in making the Cobbers one the best defensive teams in the conference when he served as co-defensive coordinator from 2001 to 2005. He is currently assistant defensive coordinator, an assistant baseball coach, and an instructor in the physical education and health department.

In recognition of his outstanding achievements as a Cobber athlete, his dedicated commitment to teaching and coaching, and his personal example of character and integrity, Concordia College is proud to induct David J. Klug into the Concordia College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Kris (DeBoer) Smith '89
Kristin (DeBoer) Smith compiled one of the most successful track and field careers in Cobber athletic history.

Her honors include being a seven-time MIAC champion in the indoor and outdoor long jump; eight-time MIAC champion in the indoor and outdoor triple jump; and six-time All-American in the indoor and outdoor long and triple jump events. She was elected captain by her 1989 teammates and continues to hold all-time Concordia records in the indoor and outdoor long jump. She was a three-time competitor at the NCAA Division III national meet, scoring the only points for the Cobbers in the 1989 national championships.

Following graduation, Smith completed a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. For the past 20 years she has been an elementary teacher and boys and girls track coach in Brainerd.

She and her husband, Tom, are the parents of three children, Cole, Allyson and Gabbie. In keeping with her successful athletic endeavors, the Smiths are a dedicated hockey, baseball, soccer and track family.

In recognition of her outstanding achievements as a Cobber athlete and her dedicated commitment to teaching and coaching, Concordia College is proud to induct Kristin (DeBoer) Smith into the Concordia College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Tim Tinglestad '82
During his outstanding golf career at Concordia, Tim Tingelstad was named to the All-MIAC golf team three times. In his senior season, he shared low score honors as the Cobbers won the 1981 MIAC championship at the Bunker Hills Golf Club. That same year he also earned Academic All-American honors.

Following graduation, Tingelstad continued to excel at amateur golf in northern Minnesota, playing in three Minnesota state amateur events and reaching the finals of the prestigious Pine-to-Palm and Birchmont match play tournaments.

In 1999 with admittedly no mechanical ability or marketing savvy, Tingelstad began experimenting with a new putting style that led to the creation of The Way putter. This long putter has been endorsed by teaching professionals and widely used by leading amateur and professional golfers. Tinglestad uses the putter as a Christian witnessing tool by including his favorite inspirational devotional book, “In His Grip,” with each putter now sold around the world.

After graduation from law school, Tingelstad was in private practice and was assistant Beltrami County attorney. He twice ran for a seat on the Minnesota Supreme Court and is now an administrative law judge and magistrate for the 9th Judicial District of Minnesota in Bemidji.

In recognition of his outstanding achievements as a Cobber athlete, his creative contributions to the game of golf, and his personal example of Christian witness, Concordia College is proud to induct Timothy L. Tingelstad into the Concordia College Athletic Hall of Fame.