Concordia University, Nebraska announced Wednesday night that seniors Michael Saalfeld and Whitney Stichka have been named as Concordia's Athletes of the Year for 2008-09.
Saalfeld, a standout for the Bulldogs on the track for the past four years also competed for three years as a kicker on the football team.. Saalfeld is currently one of the GPAC record holders for the longest punt. He booted a punt 83 yards in a 2007 game against Morningside College. Saalfeld also added a year of cross country competition to his resume this past fall.
On the track Saalfeld is currently the Concordia record holder in the 800-meter run for both indoor and outdoor track. His indoor record is 1:50.11 while his outdoor record sits at 1:49.11. Saalfeld also holds the fastest time for the 800 at the GPAC indoor meet, 1:51.97.
During his four seasons of outdoor and three season of indoor track, Saalfeld has earned seven GPAC conference championship titles, three indoor and four outdoor. Saalfeld is also a five-time NAIA all-American competing in the 800 or the 4X800-meter relay. Saalfeld was the 2007 NAIA National Champion in the 800 for both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
In 2009 Saalfeld was ranked among the top thirty of all competitive United States runners for the 800. He qualified for the USA Track Nationals held in Boston, Mass. Saalfeld has competed internationally in Canada and will again in September 2009 as he was recently named to the USA national team competing in the Deaf Olympics in Taiwan.
During her career at Concordia University, Whitney Stichka has become one of the most decorated Bulldogs ever to step foot on the hardwood. As a three year starter Stichka amassed 1,745 points with 309 assists and 392 rebounds. Stichka holds the record for most points in a single game when she scored 35 points against the University of Sioux Falls at the end of her sophomore year.
A three-time GPAC first team all-conference selection, Stichka has three times been named the conference's Player of the Week as well as multiple times being named the Concordia Booster Club's Athlete of the Week. Stichka holds the distinction as just the second player ever to be named the Concordia Invitational Tournament's Most Valuable Player three times: 2006, 2008 and 2009. Stichka has also been named to the Omaha World Herald's All-Nebraska Team three times.
As a junior and senior, Stichka led the Bulldogs to repeat NAIA Div. II National Tournament appearances. Both times the Bulldogs made it as far as the quarterfinals. After the 2009 tournament Stichka was named to the NAIA Div. II National Tournament, All-Tournament second team. She has three times been recognized nationally by the NAIA. First as a sophomore in 2007 Stichka was named an NAIA Div. II honorable mention all-American. She was selected to the second team in 2008 and finally to the first team following her senior season in 2009.