The following six individuals and the 2001 football team officially joined the Concordia Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday (Sept. 16) as part of a homecoming weekend ceremony.
Elizabeth (King) Grau ‘16
Well-known on campus during her time at Concordia for both her athletic talents and her personality, Elizabeth (King) Grau initiated the long line of throws national champions tutored by assistant coach Ed McLaughlin. Among her most significant highlights in the ring, King won two individual NAIA national titles (one in javelin; one in hammer), claimed two national runner-up finishes, took home six GPAC titles and collected six NAIA All-America plaques. While earning 18 points at the 2016 NAIA outdoor national meet, King led Bulldog women’s track & field to the first team national championship in school history. The native of Billings, Montana, was subsequently named the Lincoln Journal Star State College Female Athlete of the Year, the NAIA Outdoor National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year (USTFCCCA) and the Concordia Senior Female Athlete of the Year. At the time of induction, King holds school all-time rankings of No. 2 in the javelin (166’ 11”) and No. 3 in the hammer throw (189’ 10”). She continues to hold GPAC outdoor meet records for both the javelin (157’ 8”) and the hammer (189’ 10”) and is the Bulldog Stadium standard bearer in the javelin (166’ 11”).
Liz graduated from Concordia with a degree in Secondary Education with an emphasis in History and Spanish. While at Concordia, Liz met her future husband, Michael Grau. Liz and Michael currently reside in Toms River, New Jersey, with their children, Scarlett and Julianne. Liz worked in Lutheran education in Houston, Texas, and in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, before taking time to focus on caring for her children. The Grau family attends Redeemer Lutheran Church of Manchester. Wrote Liz, “I live my faith in my everyday life and Concordia gave me the confidence in the absolute truth. I am so blessed to have the friends and mentors that I met here at Concordia.”
Bernie Ochoa ‘03
One of the first stars of GPAC soccer (conference began in 2000), Bernie Ochoa arrived in Seward in 2000 after transferring from San Francisco State University. Ochoa made an immediate impact while being named co-GPAC Player of the Year in 2000 when he tallied 11 goals and three assists and led the Bulldogs to a then school record 12 wins. A native of Napa, California, Ochoa was twice recognized with First Team All-GPAC awards (2000 and 2002) and garnered Second Team All-GPAC accolades in 2001. In addition, Ochoa picked up NAIA Honorable Mention All-America laurels in 2000 and was named to the NAIA All-Region IV Team three times. Ochoa concluded his three-year Concordia career with 31 goals and 10 assists while starring for Head Coach Bill Schranz. One of the best players in program history, according to current Head Men’s Soccer Coach Jason Weides, Ochoa also served as a team captain all three years and was further honored with three All-Nebraska Team mentions (Omaha World-Herald) and with two Team MVP awards.
Upon his graduation from Concordia, Ochoa returned to his hometown Napa and coached soccer for 17 years at both the high school and club levels. Ochoa led his alma mater, Vintage High School, to a state championship and steered one of his club teams to a national championship. The city of Napa has twice presented Ochoa with a key to the city. Currently, Ochoa runs his own laundromat business in Napa. Wrote Ochoa, “Concordia University was a true blessing for me. Everything about the university from the town to the staff and the values helped me achieve my goals as a student-athlete. I will forever be grateful for my opportunity and time as a Bulldog.”
Grant Schmidt (1989-2012) ‘83
Grant Schmidt is the original orchestrator of the nationally relevant and conference contending men’s basketball program which immediately began to flourish in the 1990s. Schmidt began in this role as head coach in 1989 and proceeded to produce an overall record of 445-276 over his 23 seasons at the helm of the program. Most notably, Schmidt guided the Bulldogs to nine NAIA national tournaments, eight combined conference championships (five tournament and two regular season titles) and a pair of NAIA district titles. Schmidt became the first coach to ever take the program to the national tournament when it appeared on the national stage in 1990-91. Schmidt led the 1991-92 squad to the national semifinals and the 2004-05 team to an NAIA Division II national runner up finish. Out of the nine national tourney trips, five Bulldog teams reached at least the NAIA national round of 16 as Schmidt collected 11 career national tournament wins. The 2004-05 squad remains the school record holder for wins in a season with 32. Schmidt garnered numerous coaching awards in his career, having been recognized as the Nebraska Midlands College Coach of the Year twice by the Omaha World-Herald and the Nebraska State College Coach of the Year by the Lincoln Journal Star in 1992. Three of Schmidt’s teams are members of the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame: 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1994-95 at the time of this induction. In addition, five players he coached have been honored in the school’s Hall of Fame: Darin Engelbart, Matt List, John Puelz, Devin Smith and Mike Works. A team captain during his playing days as a Bulldog, Schmidt paced the 1982-83 team in scoring and was named the MVP of the Concordia Invitational Tournament. He went on to serve as Concordia’s Director of Athletics for 15 years and spent a stint as Head Tennis Coach.
Grant earned his degree in Secondary Education (History and Physical Education) from Concordia. Grant and his wife Deborah (Aurich) Schmidt (also a Concordia alum) sent each of their three children to Concordia, Nebraska: Preston, Brandon, and Megan. Grant is a member of Word of Life Lutheran Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. He serves as Vice President of the Orphan Grain Train.
Bob Schulze ‘64
A four-sport athlete, Bob Schulze competed in track & field, football, cross country, and swimming & diving at Concordia. Schulze excelled in each of these sports and was especially successful on the track. He earned the following Tri-State Conference meet medals: gold in 220-yard dash in 1963, silver in 100-yard dash in 1963 and bronze in 880-yard relay in 1962. In the 100-yard dash, Schulze set a then school record with a time of 10.0 seconds in dual versus Dana College before breaking his own record by running 9.8 in a dual with Nebraska Wesleyan. His time of 6.25 seconds in the 60-yard dash put him in second place behind Olympic track athlete Charlie Greene at the Nebraska Track & Field Federation Meet. Schulze also contributed to then school record relays in the 440 yard relay (45.3 seconds), 880 yard relay (1:33.1) and the sprint medley relay. Schulze was named the track team MVP three times and was a six-time varsity letter winner. A three-year member of the football program, Schulze started at halfback for the 1962 Tri-State Conference championship team. He also competed as a diver for the inaugural season of swimming & diving at Concordia.
After earning a Bachelor of Science from Concordia, Schulze completed his masters from St. Xavier University. Schulze spent his professional career in Lutheran education as a teacher, coach and administrator while being active in the church. Bob and his wife Mary reside in Midlothian, Virginia. They have four adult children: Robert, Matthew, Mary Elizabeth and Jonathan. Bob is a member of New Hope Lutheran Church. Wrote Schulze, “My life at Concordia centered around athletics. I had so much respect for Coach (Ralph) Starenko. He helped me as an inexperienced football player. Coach (John) Suhr was fantastic. I hope I have had some of the same impact on many athletes I have coached.”
Andrew Walquist ‘06
Andrew Walquist ranks up there with the greatest distance runners to ever compete at Concordia. Originally from Albuquerque, N.M., Walquist galloped to 13 career All-America awards and eight career individual GPAC championships for cross country and track & field teams coached by Dr. Kregg Einspahr. In cross country, Walquist won GPAC titles in 2003 and 2004 while being named the GPAC Runner of the Year in both instances. He went on to earn cross country All-America awards in 2003, 2004 and 2005. In those championship outings, Walquist’s best 8k time was 24:50.01. That success carried over to the track as Walquist collected seven indoor All-America awards and three outdoor All-America honors. He was named the GPAC Athlete of the Year for indoor track in both 2005 and 2006. At the ’06 indoor conference meet, Walquist accomplished the incredible feat of winning GPAC titles in the 1,000 meters, the mile and the 3,000 meters on the same day. At the time of induction, Walquist remains part of school records in the indoor and outdoor distance medley relays. From a team perspective, Walquist helped the Bulldogs to a cross country GPAC title in 2004 and to NAIA cross country national finishes of seventh, ninth and 11th, respectively. He also ranks in the top 10 on the program’s all-time lists in six other categories. A well-rounded student-athlete, Walquist collected four NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors and was named winner of the 2004-05 NAIA A.O. Duer Award, which recognizes excellence in scholarship, character and citizenship. Walqust was then honored as the 2005-06 Concordia Senior Male Athlete of the Year.
Andrew graduated from Concordia with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. He earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy from Creighton University. Since 2009, Walquist has worked in physical therapy and currently serves as the PT Clinic Director at Texas Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine in The Woodlands, Texas. Andrew and his wife Sarah (Peregoy) Walquist, also a 2006 Concordia graduate, reside in Cypress, Texas, with their two children, Abby and Ben. The family attends Salem Lutheran Church. Wrote Walquist, “Concordia instilled in me the importance of living and being loved by Christ for the service of others. All professors not only knew my name but were genuinely interested in my success and wellbeing. Coach Einspahr poured all of his energy into our team and modeled great work ethic.”
Clarence Woods (1984, ’87, & ’88) ‘06
One of the most talented skill position players in the history of Concordia football, Clarence Woods starred at the receiver position during the 1984, 1987 and 1988 seasons. With Concordia Hall of Famer Phil Seevers at quarterback, Woods flourished and produced career totals of 125 receptions for 2,011 receiving yards (third most in program history) and 16 touchdowns (13 receiving, two rushing and one via kick return). A St. Louis, Mo., native, Woods garnered First Team All-Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference awards in 1987 and 1988. He was also named the Team MVP and Team Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the Year in 1988 and was recognized as the team’s Top Offensive Rookie in 1984. Woods briefly left Concordia to play football at the University of Arkansas before making his return to Seward. His best season came in ’88 when he caught 58 passes for a still-intact school record 951 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He initially came to Concordia with scholarships for both football and track & field and competed for head coaches Larry Oetting and John Knight. Woods’ talent caught the attention of NFL scouts and resulted in him participating in training camp with the New Orleans Saints in 1989. He also played professionally in Canada and Europe.
Following his football career, Clarence completed his degree from Concordia in Organizational Management. He resides in New Britain, Connecticut, with his wife Denise. They have three children: Derek, Veronique and Gabriella. In the professional world, Woods has applied his business acumen in management positions at Planet Fitness, Adecco and Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Clarence is a member of St. Matthew Lutheran Church. Wrote Woods, “My relationship with fellow players kept me grounded by challenging me daily. The coaches put me in a position to succeed and pushed all of us as athletes. The school itself kept me focused on my goals for life.”
2001 Football
In many ways, the 2001 team stands alone when it comes to the history of the Concordia football program. This squad coached by Courtney Meyer enters the Hall of Fame as the winningest in school history thanks to a 10-2 overall record. The Bulldogs began the ’01 season at 8-0 as part of the co-GPAC title run. The road to a championship featured a 17-14 win at NAIA eighth-ranked University of Sioux Falls in the GPAC opener. Concordia clinched at least a share of the GPAC title in late October when it secured a 14-3 win at NAIA 14th-ranked Doane University. The journey eventually sped into the NAIA playoffs (a first in program history). In first-round action, the Bulldogs hosted No. 13 St. Ambrose (Iowa) and came away with a 31-26 victory. The season ultimately concluded in the national quarterfinals with a loss at NAIA fifth-ranked University of Sioux Falls.
Coach Meyer’s squad earned a national ranking in each of the final eight coaches’ polls that season and landed at No. 7 in the postseason poll, another highwater mark in program history. Meyer was recognized as the 2001 GPAC and AFCA Region Coach of the Year while four Bulldogs were named to the conference’s first team: kicker Jess Boyd, linebacker Erik DeHaven, safety Sean Stewart and tight end Ross Wurdeman. Second Team All-GPAC honors went to running back Alex Alvarez, offensive lineman Wes Amberger, receiver Regan Else, defensive back Troy Schlueter, defensive lineman David Schmidt and running back Darin Suckstorf. From that team, DeHaven, Stewart, Wurdeman and quarterback Jarrod Pimentel have each garnered individual selection into the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame. At the time of induction, the ’01 team remains the school record holder for points scored in a season (326), yards gained in a season (4,470), rushing yards in a season (2,407) and passing yards in a season (2,350).
Head Coach: Courtney Meyer | Assistant Coaches: Bill McAllister, Tim Preuss, Chad Thies, Steve Sirek, Sean Martens, Harold Pester, Mike Ellis, Cory Zahrt | Asst. to the Staff/Equipment Operations: Stan Schlueter | Athletic Trainer: Tom Ebel