Concordia Sports - The First 100 Years by Finn Grinaker

by Vernon Finn Grinaker
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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 |

The Restless Sixties

The athletic program at Concordia reached national prominence when the 1964 football team was crowned NAIA National Co-Champion along with Sam Houston State of Texas. Also the completion of the Jake Christiansen football stadium gave the Cobbers one of the finest facilities in Division III.
A new breed of athlete began to emerge from the sixties: With the emphasis on civil and human rights, students became more concerned with how they fit into the scheme of things. Athletes started to become different than their predecessors. They, like students in the classroom, wanted to know the reasons for doing things. They probably could not be herded around as in the past. Long hair and their apparent free-thinking philosophy were the norm for most. Coaches had to learn how to handle this new breed.

With a 7 - 2 overall record and a 5 - 2 conference record, the 1960 Cobber football team under Coach Jake Christiansen was second in the MIAC. Captains of the team were Bob Markwardt, Don Pietsch and Gary Nelson. Named to the All-Conference team that year were Adrian Anderson, Arlo Brunsberg and Dave Spong.

Arlo Brunsberg earned many honors that season: 2nd in total yardage in the NAIA, leading scorer and MVP in the MIAC — the first time a junior received this award.

Scores for the season were:
Concordia 32 NDAC   12
Concordia 29 St. Thomas   7
Concordia 30 St. John’s   14
Concordia 34 Augsburg   13
Concordia 13 Gustavus   34
Concordia 22 UMD    44
Concordia 54 Hamline   16
Concordia 45 Macalester   20
Concordia 36 MSTC    14

The roster included David Anderson, Dick Young, Bob Haines, Bob Hanson, Don Brose, Virgil Christianson, Dick Braaten, Paul Ornberg, Dick Nelson, Ron Myrom, Lyle Stork, Dennis Orsen, Mel Undlin, Terry Erickson, Roy Toivonen, Richard Braun, Dave Johnson, Arlo Brunsberg, Art Ollie, Curt Josephson, Charlie McDonald, Gary Berg, Dan Loucks, Ron Hendrickson, Julian Gulsvig, Jerome Nelson, Ron Beachy, Marshall Haaland, Ron Pfeffer, Rich Torgerson, Pete Prestegaard, Delan Tharaldson, Bob Salmi, Bill Ottley, Pete Ketola, Darrel Naugle, Phil Johnson, Jim Herk, Bob Peulen, Paul Jensen and Lynn Tharaldson.

An article in the Concordian by Joel Watne commented on the recruiting restrictions of the MIAC. “The outlook for winter sports is rather grim; a large part is due to the recruiting restrictions of the MIAC which hampers private schools in competing with the state schools. This hurts Concordia even more than the other MIAC schools since we are located in an area of low population with plenty of colleges from which to choose.”

A letter to the editor a short time later took issue with the article.

In reference to your “Off the Cob” column which appeared in the Nov. 11 Concordian, I wish to express my disagreement with your attitude towards “athletic recruiting” which you submitted. You referred to the MIAC’s “obsolescent recruiting restrictions which hamper private schools . . . so that it is impossible to compete with state-supported institutions . . .” It is my conviction that not ours, but other conference recruiting restrictions are obsolete, and that the goal of any college athletic department should be to develop and present intercollegiate athletics without the aid of such grants, jobs, aids, and the like.

And I must say that in this respect the MIAC is far advanced of all the other local conferences, including those which you mentioned. After all, just how important are athletics in the total college program? I am proud to be associated with a college which doesn’t need to “buy” its students in order to gain high respect and standards, both locally and nationally, in the fields of athletics and scholarship alike.

In every possible category you can mention, Concordia wants students who believe in her standards, and what she stands for, and not just because she gave them a “better deal” than someone else.

Results were:
Concordia 74 St. Cloud    73
Concordia 77 MSTC    72
Concordia 73 St. Mary’s   63
Concordia 80 Northland Community Col. 48
Concordia 70 St. Thomas   60
Concordia 96 Bemidji   79
Concordia 74 St. John’s   72
Concordia 66 Mankato State 78
Concordia 33 MSTC    45
Concordia 74 UMD    72
Concordia 67 Augsburg   76
Concordia 66 Hamline   71
Concordia 80 Macalester   67
Concordia 55 Gustavus   71
Concordia 94 MSTC    66
Concordia 53 St. Thomas   56
Concordia 61 St. John’s   67
Concordia 61 Hamline   68
Concordia 83 UMD    96
Concordia 93 Augsburg   85
Concordia 66 St. Mary’s   56
Concordia 73 NDAC   68
Concordia 56 Macalester   68
Concordia 68 Gustavus   71

The team included Dick Shearer, Ken Small, Dennis Morstad, Paul Pederson, Gary Berg, Ron Thimjon, Denny Arndt, Arlo Brunsberg, Les Torgerson, Denny Peterson, Darwin Gorder, Dick Pett, Glen Wheeler, Wayne Odell, Dave Braaten, Ray Hendrickson and Lyle Sannes.

Basketball conference standings were:
UMD 12 - 4
Gustavus 11 - 5
Hamline 11 - 5
Augsburg 9 - 7
St. Mary’s 7 - 9
Concordia 7 - 9
Macalester 6 - 10
St. Thomas 6 - 10
St. John’s 3 - 13

Combining two conference victories, Concordia’s 1960-1961 hockey squad finished their first season out of the MIAC cellar in three years. Student-coach Don Brose led the team which included Dick Chenoweth, Bruce Unfried, Tim Holverson, Jeck Riedel, James Heureux, Richard Torgerson, Rollie Mann, Jan Hunt, Merv Thompson, Peter Keto, James Johnson, Mel Soderberg, David Anderson, James Paulson, Roger Hesby and Murray Bergman.

Results were:
Concordia 1 St. John’s   4
Concordia 0 Duluth    17
Concordia 2 Hamline   0
Concordia 7 St. Mary’s   1
Concordia 0 Macalester   11
Concordia 0 Gustavus   5
Concordia 2 Augsburg   3
Concordia 4 Bemidji State   6
Concordia 1 St. Thomas   6

Conference standings were:
Macalester 7 - 0
St. Thomas 6 - 1
St. John’s 5 - 2
Gustavus 5 - 2
Concordia 2 - 4 - 1
Duluth 2 - 5 - 1
Augsburg 2 - 5
Hamline 1 - 5 - 1
St. Mary’s 0 - 7

The 1960-1961 wrestling team under Coach Finn Grinaker included Mark Nielson, Ron Pfeffer, Alan Smaagard, Ron Nellermoe, Larry Lidahl, Fred Volkman, Emil Knapp, Roger Leopold,Brian Wermager, Bruce Nokleby, Don Pietsch, Dan Loucks, Ray Gorder, Earl Hauge and Dan Olson. Roger Leopold won the 137 lb. class at the conference meet.

Season results were:
Concordia 5 MSTC    34
Concordia 8 NDAC   28
Concordia 29 Mayville   8
Concordia 26 Bemidji   11
Concordia 21 Minot State   11
Carleton Invitational - second place
Concordia   Augsburg
Concordia   Macalester
Concordia   St. Thomas
Concordia 15 St. John’s   23
MSTC Invitational - fifth place out of eight teams
MIAC Conference meet - fourth place

Student Coach Dick Jackson and eight lettermen established a winning record for the 1960-1961 gymnastics team. On the roster were Lowell Wandke, David Fjeld, Leland Lipp, Dan Norem, David Hofstad, Gerald Sundsrud, Dean Melsness, Wesley Strand, Roger Hill, Joe Clemensen and Dale Leverson.

The season results were:
Concordia 30 Fargo YMCA   19
Concordia 54 Bemidji   22
Concordia 40 Luther    22
Concordia 51 1/2 Fargo YMCA   30 1/2
Concordia 45 UND    66
Concordia 30 Mankato   82
Concordia 53 1/2 Bemidji   33 1/2
Northwest Meet - fourth place
Red River Valley Invitational - third place

Bill Quenette was the coach of the 1961 baseball team which finished with an overall record of 4 - 8, 2 - 6 in the MIAC. On the roster were Tom Axelrod, Al Harstad, Lynn Nelson, Charlie McDonald, Dick Johnson, Curt Josephson, Don Brose, Lyle Sannes, Bill Ottley, Dave Braaten, Rollie Mann, Vern Tolo, Keith Bangs, John Streed, Micky Hoien, Dell Olson, Roger Anderson, Arlo Brunsberg and Dennis Lyngen.

William E. Quenette, Football, Basketball, Baseball, Track 1957-1962 Football, Basketball and Baseball Coach 1966-1971

Season scores were:
Concordia 0 Hamline   2
Concordia 14 Alumni   9
Concordia 9 Macalester   8
Concordia 4 St. Olaf   0
Concordia 2 St. Thomas   5
Concordia 2 St. Thomas   3
Concordia 6 St. John’s   8
Concordia 10 MSTC    11
Concordia 9 St. Mary’s   3
Concordia 3 LaCrosse   5
Concordia 0 Gustavus   7
Concordia 0 Augsburg   11

The 1961 tennis team, coached by Don Krause, consisted of Dan Olson, Dick Green, Mike Stakston, John Jorgenson, Dick Pett, Dave Dussere, Curt Sigdestad and Gerald Sandness.

Their results were:
Concordia 0 Hamline   9
Concordia 8 MSTC    1
Concordia 6 UND    3
Concordia 6 NDAC   6
Concordia 3 Bemidji   4
Concordia 2 MSTC    3
Concordia 0 Hamline   9
Concordia 6 MSTC    3
Concordia 4 UND    5
Concordia 0 St. John’s   8
Bison Invitational - second place
Concordia 4 NDAC   6
Concordia 4 Bemidji   5
Concordia 5 Augsburg   2
Concordia 0 Macalester   5
MIAC - eliminated in first round

Results for the 1961 golf team are sketchy, but their schedule included:
Hamline
St. Thomas
NDAC Invitational - last place
Concordia 7 St. John’s 8
Gustavus
MSTC Invitational - fourth out of seven teams
UND Invitational l- third out of five teams
Bemidji Invitational
Gustavus dual - tie
All-City
MIAC - seventh place

Paul Sanderson was the medalist at the conference meet with a 3 over par 111 for 27 holes. Others on the team were Adrian Anderson, George McDonald, Ron Anderson, Wayne Sletten, Dan Opgrande, Mike Tweeton, Ron Hendrickson, Paul Bentson, Glenn Hanson, Jim Malstrom, Dick Anderson, Tom Jensen and Lee Hagen. Finn Grinaker was the coach of the team.

The Concordian ran a story about Paul Sanderson placing in the NAIA championship.

Paul Sanderson has established himself as the greatest golfer in the history of Concordia after besting opponents from over 100 schools and capturing third place in the NAIA golfing championship held at Shawnee, Oklahoma June 6th through 9th. Sanderson qualified for the event by winning the MIAC championship held at Keller Golf Course at Hamline University in May.

The 18-year-old Cobber shot consecutive scores of 72, 69, 72 and 77 over the par 72 stroke course for a two over par 290 total. This placed him only two strokes behind the first place finisher who compiled a 288 total for the 72 holes. After 54 holes, Sanderson was tied for the lead but faltered during the last 18 holes of play with his five over par 77. Sanderson attributed his success to his iron shots, which enabled him to weave his way over the tricky 6750 yard cours which had an abundance of water hazards and trees.

During August 1 - 6, he added to his laurels by capturing first place at the Alexandria Resorter’s golf tournament. Minnesota-born Sanderson has been playing golf for 11 years. His brother Lee was captain of the 1960 golf team.

Irv Christenson was the coach of the 1961 track team which consisted of Rollie Martinson, Ron Schmidt, Phil Larson, Dan Loucks, Bob Lindberg, Cap Jacobs, Elmer Bonnell, Myron Westrum, Bruce Nokleby, Phil Gulstad, Jeff Boss, Darwin Gorder, Ted Kirst, Dave Birklid, Pete Hastings, Joel Watne, Don Suko, Thorpe Running, Marsh Haaland, Jack Riedel and Wally Sorum.

The season results were:

UND Invitational - UND-69, MSTC-33, Concordia-29
MSTC Invitational - NDAC-56 1/2, Concordia-26, MSTC-25 1/2, NDAC Frosh-23
Carleton Invitational - tenth place
Carleton, Gustavus, Concordia Triangular - first place
Concordia 78 1/2 Bemidji 52 1/2
Concordia 73 1/2 St. Thomas 48 1/2
Bemidji Invitational - fifth place
All-City (three teams) - second place
Rollie Martinson tied for first in the pole vault at the MIAC meet.

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.