Sports
Return to the Top
Concordia returned to national prominence this spring at the NCAA Division III national wrestling tournament, with its first individual national champion in 32 years and placing three Cobber wrestlers on the All-American team after a ninth place finish.
Phil Moenkedick '11, Perham, Minn., won the national title in the 184-pound class and was named All-American along with teammates Justin Berns '11, Perham, and Ross Dankers '11, Cambridge, Minn.
"This is a big step for our program," says coach Clay Nagel. "We can show athletes that we are developing national champions at Concordia."
The last Cobber individual national champion was heavyweight Barry Bennett '78 in 1978.
Moenkedick will remember the historic weekend for years.
"I felt so comfortable," he says. "I had so much confidence in my ability that I knew if I wrestled well, there would be no questions about if I was good enough or had done enough."
The highlight for Moenkedick was his teammates rushing down from the stands to hug him after the championship match.
"It's not about me," he says. "We motivate each other. My win means we are all working hard and doing the right things to improve."
Nagel credits Moenkedick's work ethic for his success.
"Phil wins because he has great technique," says Nagel. "He's always working on improving and leads our team through his example of hard work."
Moenkedick was the national runner-up in his weight class last season. He says wrestling at the national championship level requires discipline and intense mental preparation. His goal for next season is a national team title.
"We're all dedicating ourselves to that goal," he says. "We're all going to work as hard as we can to improve. We're pushing each other to succeed."
Berns finished seventh at 149 pounds and Dankers was eighth at 174 pounds. The fourth Cobber to qualify for the national meet, Ben Anderson '11, Frazee, Minn., narrowly missed All-American honors at 141 pounds by losing his final match in overtime.
Mr. 600 Wins
Bucky Burgau earned his 600th career win as head coach of the Cobber baseball team in a 6-4 win over Augsburg in April. Coach of the team for the past 32 seasons, Burgau is the 20th active NCAA DIII coach to reach 600 wins and the 32nd to reach that mark. With more than 370 wins in conference play, he is the winningest coach in MIAC baseball history. He also was named MIAC Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career.
Excellence on the Court
Erica Nord '11, Wolverton, Minn., led the Concordia women's basketball team to another great season both on and off the court. Nord, who carries a 3.98 GPA in accounting and business management, was named to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team. She was one of only three players in the MIAC in either women's or men's basketball to earn Academic All-District honors.
On the court, Nord led the team in scoring, assists and steals and was named to the D3hoops.com All-Region team and the MIAC All-Conference team. She helped the Cobber women's team earn a spot in the MIAC playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.
Diver Takes Top Honors
Diver Amy Glubzinski '11, Novi, Mich., won the 3-meter diving title at the MIAC championship and finished third in the 1-meter to earn recognition as the meet's top women's diver. The Cobbers have now had two divers win the top conference honor in the past five years.
At the MIAC meet, Concordia had seven divers place in the top 17 of the 3-meter competition and five finishes in the top 11 in the 1-meter. Lauren Trudeau '10, Stillwater, Minn., finished second in both the 3-meter and 1-meter events and posted her third NCAA national provisional qualifying score of the season in the 1-meter.
Men's Basketball Finishes a Winner
The Cobber men's basketball team finished the season with a 13-12 overall record, marking the first time since 2002-03 that the Cobbers have posted a winning record. Along with the team's success, John Fraase '11, Bismarck, N.D., was the only MIAC player named to the D3hoops.com All-Region team.
Fraase led the team in scoring by averaging 12.9 points per game and rebounding with a 10.4 average per game. He becomes the sixth player in conference history to average double digits in points and rebounds in back-to-back seasons.
