|
| 1999
Men's
Track and Women's Track |
April 16, 1999 | Concordian | Cobber Sports | | Baseball | Softball | W-Track | M-Track | M-Tennis | W-Tennis | W-Golf | Track teams open outdoor seasons
The Cobber men’s and women’s track and field athletes came back from Florida last week with more than just a tan; they also set numerous records and had several members qualify for provisionals after their meet in the Sun Dome in Tampa. The women’s team took second place in their meet, losing by only a few points to Williams College. The scoring was different than usual; however; instead of earning points on how each individual finished overall in each event, the top two finishers for each team in each event received points according to how they finished compared to the top finishers from the other teams. “It was a different meet,” sophomore Margaret Cropp said. “We killed them overall, but when scored like that, we took second.” Cropp is one of the many Cobbers who are now qualified for provisionals. Cropp won the javelin with a 119 feet, six inches, throw. Sophomore Sara Grineski also qualifies by finishing the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 15.11, a first place finish. Junior Maria DeBoer’s winning discus throw of 141 feet also qualifies her for provisionals. Sophomore Lisa Hodapp added her name to the list of Concordia records by finishing tied for first with a pole vault of nine feet. “The competition was super,” head coach Marv Roeske said. “Williams is one of the better Division III schools.” Sophomore Angie Strom, who took first in both the high jump and the long jump, said that although the meet was small, it was a good way to open the season. “It wasn’t a huge meet but it was a good experience to practice in outside weather and get a jump on other teams,” Strom said. Cropp added that the team hopes to finish strong with continued practice. “We’ve developed as a team so much,” Cropp said. “We have fun in practice but it’s still intense.” Last weekend the women’s team traveled to Sioux Falls, S.D., for a meet at Augustana College where they took second place. Roeske said that they competed in poor weather conditions but still managed to perform strong. “Maybe our performances weren’t where we wanted them to be, but we competed well,” Roeske said. Grineski broke her own school record in the 100 meter hurdles by finishing with a time of 14.73. Junior Charity Penn also qualified for provisionals, taking first in the discus with a throw of 135 feet- seven inches. Senior Amanda Glas finished first place in the javelin with a throw of 121 feet, five inches, also provisional qualifier. The men’s track team also finished second place in a close meet with Williams College and Grinnell College. Williams took first place, Concordia second, and Grinnell third, 165-143-73.5. “It was a great time to train,” head coach Garrick Larson said. “The team bonds really well being together 24 hours a day. You have a better appreciation for the other people on the team.” The 4x100 team of freshman Mike McDonald, freshman Chris Davison, senior Rob Nick and sophomore Micah Benson captured number three on the all-time Concordia list with a time of 43.26. Senior Dan Buchholz won the high hurdles with a time of 15.79, and senior Mark Aslakson won the hammer throw with a toss of 153’9”. Although Williams College won the meet, Larson feels that his team still competed well. “They’re not as evenly distributed in each event as we are,” Larson said. Junior Micah Benson jumped 22 feet, one inch in the long jump while senior Brian Kesselring jumped 21”1’ a personal best and also number 13 on the all-time list. Sophomore Steve Edlund posted a time of 10:07.91 in Steeplechase, earning him the number 10 slot on the Concordia record list. “On the whole, everyone did really well,” Edlund said. “Everyone had really solid performances.” Edlund added that the team is focusing on finishing at the top of the conference after finishing the indoor season in third place. “Our only big goal is to try to win the conference,” Edlund said. “We’ve been focusing on that ever since Christmas.” The men’s team also competed at Augustana last weekend. They took second place, a feat that overwhelmed Larson. “I was surprised we did that well,” Larson said. “We were running short on people.” McDonald ran well in the 100 meter by finishing with a time of 11.38, a personal record. Larson also cited sophomore Chris Goebel for competing well by finishing first in the 1500 meter and seventh in the 5000 meter. “His time wasn’t impressive based on the weather, but there was a solid field of people,” Larson said. Sophomre Adam Strainer qualified for
provisionals in the triple jump with his second best distance, 46’1”. Freshman
Paul
Poduska also set a personal record in the high jump by finishing second
with a jump of
Larson said that he is going to step it up in order to get ready for their conference meet. “We only have three weeks left to get ready,” Larson said. “Our
team has an extreme amount of talent. I would love to see them put
it together for one meet. To be really good in track, you have to
compete like every meet is your last.”
| 1999 Cobber
Baseball |
Burgau reaches 400 win mark Nathan De Cock
There is an undying devotion that has enabled Burgau to accumulate his 400 career victories. Burgau’s career has spanned more than 27 years, the last 21 spent here at Concordia. Times have not always been easy, but Bucky’s years of patience and love for the game of baseball have dusted the dirty path to baseball success. It was in a 22-13 win over Gustavus, his 691st game at Concordia, that the 400th win was finally realized. Burgau stresses that one of the most rewarding aspects of coaching is development of players, something that is only accomplished through a mutual determination. “More than anything, [I’ve learned] that you need patience, to give players a chance ... For us to compete in our league and at this level, we have to get some athletes in here and we have to develop them as baseball players. I’m proud of the fact that we’ve developed some really good baseball players. The 400 wins are more of a credit to them then myself, really, because those are the guys who gotta’ hit it, pitch it, field it, and throw it.” Patience for Burgau has meant more than development of players, but also development of young men. He credits the Concordia football coaching staff with helping him learn how to deal with athletes on a personal level, educating in aspects other then athletics. “A big focus of our athletics here at Concordia is education, and if it wasn’t education we shouldn’t have it,” said Burgau. “I really have a firm belief that it is education that’s uppermost in our minds when we’re dealing with our athletes, in every aspect of our program ... What I’ve learned about this from Jim Christopherson and the football staff has really benefited me more in coaching than just about anything.” Probably the most overlooked responsibility held by Bucky and his team is that of field care and maintenance. Ten years ago, the Cobber baseball field was in such bad shape that many deemed it a joke, but through patience and fortitude of the coaches and players, the field has been turned into one of the best in the MIAC. “Not only are our athletes and coaches working at the game of baseball,
but it’s also been our responsibility to care for and maintain the baseball
field. And that requires an awful lot of work. That too has
added to some pride in our program, and is darned important to me.” Such
dedication is rare, but Bucky demonstrates the true marks of a champion.
| 1999 Cobber
Softball |
Softball begins MIAC season
The Cobber women’s softball team has started out their MIAC season strongly. Their two victories over Hamline on Tuesday improved their conference record to 3-1 and their overall record to 9-7. “This is the best, most well rounded team that I’ve been a part of,” said co-head coach Jim Cella. “We don’t have any outstanding parts, but we have good parts in every aspect of the game.” The Cobber’s well-roundedness is evident from their stat sheet. Since beginning conference play, the teams batting average is pushing .300 and their era is safely below 2.00. “This year, we feel that we have a strong lineup all the way through the order, and everybody contributes to the runs,” said senior Allison Haaland. “When it comes down to the last inning, it doesn’t matter who we have up to bat, because everybody gives us a good shot at scoring runs.” The Cobbers officially began play in the MIAC by splitting a double header with St. Ben’s on Saturday. They had an opportunity to take both games, but fell in the first contest after St Ben’s made a last inning surge to steal a victory. ”We played well as a team,” Haaland said. “and that shows that if we play that well or better we have a good shot at being on top. We played well and have a shot at coming out on top. Despite the team’s consistent offense, this years team has relied on an even more solid defense to win games. They have only two errors in conference play. “Our defense is very solid,” said junior Cindy Frey. “We have had freshmen that have stepped into key roles on the field. Our hitting will allows us to win games, but our defense is what will keep us in those games.” Cella said that the team’s performance leaves little to be desired, but it is important to play with consistency, because the hectic schedule can make or break a team in the matter of a week. “We’re heading into the meat of the schedule, where we’re almost playing
a double header every other day,” Haaland said. “It’s important that we
focus on what we’re doing and play each game with intensity. Playing four
double headers in a week can make you worn down and tired out, but
we have to keep focused, because every game is really important. If we
do that, we have as great a chance as anyone to win the conference, and
that’s what we’re striving for.”
1999 Men's
Tennis |
Men's tennis fast to St. John's, beats Augustana
The Cobber men’s tennis team (8-6) fell to St. John’s on Saturday but bounced back to beat Augustana on Sunday. St John’s and Concordia had matching MIAC records going into Saturday’s matches. “It was unfortunate we lost 5-4 to St. John’s,” said freshman Mark Tuchscherer. “The match could have gone either way.” Senior Nate Svingen was also disappointed with the loss. “It’s too bad we couldn’t pull it off – all we had to do was split the singles after we had won the doubles, but we couldn’t do it.” Tuchscherer had wins in both his singles (6-3, 6-4) and doubles with Jonah Beckermann (6-2, 7-5). “My forehand was really strong,” Tuchscherer said. “I was hitting with confidence.” The other lone singles winner was Concordia’s best singles record-holder, junior Sachin Mehta, who was previously sidelined with an injury. The scores against his St. John’s opponent were 6-0, 6-1. Senior Matt Blom and senior Nate Svingen also won doubles 6-2, 6-2. “The match against Augustana proved to be a confidence booster for the Cobbs; they crushed the Vikings 7-2. “We’d never played them before, so we didn’t know what to expect,” Svingen said. “The team was strong in both singles and doubles.” Winners in singles were Blom (6-2, 4-6, 7-6), Beckermann (6-2, 7-6). and Tuchscherer (6-2, 6-0). The men swept the doubles; Blom/Svingen, Beckermann/Tuchsherer and Mehta/Nielsen all came away with wins for the Cobbers. The men have a big weekend coming up, playing three of their four last matches before conference. They’ll be facing Carleton on Friday, Macalaster on Saturday, and St. Thomas on Sunday. 1999 Women's
Tennis |
No Story this week 1999 Women's
Golf |
Women's golf resumes season
The women’s golf team will reopen their 1998-99 season on Tuesday when they host the Concordia Spring Invite. The team is coming off another very successful fall season. They were once again named MIAC champions, a distinction they have held for six of the last seven years. The team will play three more tournaments this year, including hosting the state championships, as they battle for a spot in the national tournament. “We’re in the drivers seat now,” said head coach Duane Siverson, in his 20th season. “But, there’s a lot of work that needs to get done before it’s a done deal.” The fall season ended early in October, so the Cobbers have been kept of the links for over six months. Junior Christie Strecker said the team’s trip to San Diego over the winter and their drive to win will allow them to compete with even the southern schools at the national tournament. “You’re rusty for the first couple times out,” Strecker said. “But once you get into it and you see nationals coming up, you start to focus more. Golf is a mental game, and if you can concentrate, you can pick up where you left off.” Senior Nicole Koskey said the team’s depth is their greatest strength. “When someone has a bad day, it’’s not a big deal,” Koskey said. “Because we know that our fifth and sixth scores will be good enough to take their place. Last year, our averages were all within one point of each other.” This consistency and confidence has led to an expectation to win, instead of just compete, This is an attitude, according to Siverson, that will help the team if they advance to the national tournament. “The kids want to finish higher than they did last year,” Siverson said. “In the past, we’ve just been happy to be there, but that’s changed from previous years. They know they need to compete to win.” Another advantage the team will have in getting to nationals is that
the state meet is going to be held in Moorhead after the school year has
ended. While other teams are worried about finals, the Cobbers can relax
and focus on competing. Also, Siverson said this is only the second time
in 20 years that the players will have the ability to attend graduation.
|
