SEWARD, Neb. – In conjunction with homecoming weekend on campus, Concordia University held its Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony inside the Cattle Conference Room on Friday night (Sept. 21). Four individuals and one team officially joined the exclusive club. Inductees are selected by Concordia’s Athletic Hall of Fame Committee.
2018 Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame Class
- Carol Pankoke Capek, ‘84
- Brandon Seifert, ‘01
- Mike Works, ‘92
- Jon Ziegler, ‘07
- 2004-05 Women’s Cross Country
Carol Pankoke Capek, ‘84
A multi-sport athlete, Carol (Pankoke) Capek made her biggest impact on the softball diamond while starring for then head coach Eunice Goldgrabe. A stellar shortstop, Capek led the 1984 team to a perfect 8-0 conference mark and a NIAC championship. She earned all-district and team MVP accolades as a senior. A team captain as a junior and senior, Capek also collected second team all-district honors as a junior in 1983 when Concordia posted an 8-2 NIAC mark. In addition, she played two years of basketball and one year of volleyball during her time as a Bulldog. On the hardwood, Capek snared 161 rebounds for an average of 8.1 per game as a sopFollow us on Twitterhomore on the 1981-82 squad coached by Carl Everts. That same season, the Beaver Crossing, Neb., native was named to the Concordia Invitational all-tournament team. She was named the basketball team’s MVP as a freshman in 1980-81. Capek was voted captain of the basketball team prior to the 1982-83 campaign, a season she missed due to injury. She was coached by Carl Everts in basketball.
A 1984 graduate, Carol is married to Roger Capek, also a Concordia alum. They currently reside in Milligan, Nebraska, with their children, Briana and Braden (twins). Carol earned her Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education endorsements in K-12 physical education and coaching. She currently works as a school van driver in the Exeter/Milligan Public School District. Her career history in education includes many teaching and coaching positions. Carol is also active in many professional and civic organizations and within her church, Milligan United Methodist Church.
Brandon Seifert, ‘01
Another in a long line of star distance runners tutored by Coach Kregg Einspahr, Dr. Brandon Seifert, M.D. reached the pinnacle when he galloped to a national title in the one mile race at the 2000 NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships. In track and field alone, he totaled eight All-America honors and six NIAC/GPAC individual titles as part of his standout career. Originally from Grand Island, Neb., Seifert continues to own the school record in the 1,000 meter run while also ranking second in the one mile and in the 3,000 meters on the program’s indoor lists, at the time of induction. He also ran the fastest split for the school record holding 4x800 meter relay in 2000. Seifert helped lead the 2000 squad to an indoor national runner-up finish. As a cross country competitor, Seifert achieved All-America status three times, placing as high as 11th at the national championships, and captured three individual conference titles. Additionally, at the conclusion of his career he held four cross country course records. Seifert paced the Bulldogs to a 1997 NIAC cross country title and 11th place national standing. Also a six-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete, Seifert won the prestigious AO Duer Award (presented annually to a male and female junior student-athlete in any sport who has excelled in scholarship, character and citizenship) and was named the 2000-01 Concordia Senior Male Athlete of the Year.
While at Concordia, Brandon met his future wife Vanessa. They currently reside in Lincoln, Nebraska, with their two children, Victoria and Lydia. A 2001 graduate, Seifert earned a bachelor of science in biology and Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from Concordia. He went on to obtain his medical doctorate from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2006. Since 2012, Dr. Seifert has worked at Lincoln Orthopaedic Center and serves as a team physician for numerous local colleges, high schools and organizations, including Concordia. Brandon, who holds membership in many medical organizations, is a member of Calvary Lutheran Church.
Mike Works, ‘92
The point guard for Concordia’s first ever national qualifier in the sport of men’s basketball, Mike Works delivered three spectacular seasons for the Bulldogs after transferring from the University of Nebraska. Works earned a long list of honors for his play on the hardwood, raking in Lincoln Journal Star State College Player of the Year accolades as a senior in 1992 in addition to twice being named first team All-NIAC and three times all-district (first team in 1991-92). Despite playing only three seasons at Concordia, Works ranks second all-time in assists (496) and fifth in steals (194) on the program’s all-time lists. He also racked up 1,039 points over 98 career games. A two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete 1992 CIT MVP, Works helped guide then head coach Grant Schmidt’s squad to national tournament appearances in 1991 and 1992. The ’92 squad rates as one of the best in school history having been named by the Lincoln Journal Star as one of the small college “Teams of the Century.” It won NIAC and District 11 championships and advanced all the way to the national semifinals. Works played with fellow Concordia Athletic Hall of Famers, Matt List, John Puelz and Devin Smith.
Mike and his wife Kelly have four children, Lauren, Conner (current Concordia student-athlete), Duncan and Grady. A 1992 Concordia graduate, Mike attended law school at the University of Wisconsin, where he graduated in 1995. Formerly an employee for the Nebraska Court of Appeals and Gil Grady & Associates, Mike currently works as a businessman for Nightcap Hospitality. He volunteers for the Center for People In Need and holds professional memberships with the Nebraska and Wisconsin State Bar and Nebraska Real Estate Broker. Mike is a member of Berean Church in Lincoln.
Jon Ziegler, ‘07
A Lincoln native, Jon Ziegler arrived in Seward after originally beginning his collegiate career at Concordia University, Wisconsin (where he played football for one season). He became arguably the greatest basketball player in school history. The program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,099 points, Ziegler boasts school ranks of second in steals (223), fourth in rebounds (762) and eighth in assists (287). He also broke the program single-game scoring record in 2007 when he went off for 47 points against Sioux Falls. Ziegler earned first team All-GPAC accolades in each of his final three seasons and was awarded with the 2006-07 GPAC Defensive Player of the Year award and NAIA third team All-America status in 2007. He starred on the 2004-05 team coached by Grant Schmidt that went 32-6 (school record for wins in a season), won the GPAC tournament and reached the national championship game. Ziegler was selected to the national championships all-tournament team in 2005. He garnered 2006-07 Concordia Senior Athlete of the Year honors. Ziegler averaged 21.3 points as a senior and 16.4 for his career. Ziegler played alongside 2017 Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Jason Jisa on the 2004-05 squad.
Jon and his wife Audrey live in Lincoln, Nebraska, with their son Mauer and daughter Olivia. A Lincoln Lutheran High School product, Jon graduated from Concordia in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in business administration. For the past 11 years, Ziegler has been an employee of Crete Carrier Corporation. He is a member of St. John’s Church in Lincoln.
2004-05 Women’s Cross Country
Head coach Kregg Einspahr’s 2004-05 women’s cross country squad rates as one of the best teams in school history for any sport. Led by All-American and Concordia Athletic Hall of Famer Molly Engel, the Bulldogs utterly dominated at the conference and regional levels. Concordia individuals placed in each of the first six spots at the GPAC championships and held down five of the top six place finishes at the NAIA Region IV championships. As a result, Einspahr’s crew easily won team titles at both meets. The top six finishers at the conference championships were Engel, Jennifer Nikkila, Kelly Waterman, Jacquelynn Dibbern, Michelle Quinlan and Micah Dubbs. Ranked No. 1 in the final NAIA national regular-season coaches’ poll, Concordia placed runner up at the NAIA national championships with competitors who finished ninth, 22nd, 34th, 43rd and 58th, respectively. An astounding total of seven Bulldogs garnered all-conference accolades, four were NAIA Scholar-Athletes and Engel and Dibbern were All-Americans. Einspahr was named the GPAC and NAIA Region IV Coach of the Year. Einspahr’s squad contributed heavily to Concordia’s GPAC All-Sports championship in 2004-05.
Coaches
Dr. Kregg Einspahr, Head Coach
Suzanne Weeder Einspahr, Assistant Coach
Team Members
Melanie Adamson
Jamie Burmeister Kootz
Mattie Clark Demoret
Jacquelyn Dibbern Moser
Micah Dubbs Kern
Molly Engel Christensen
Jamie Hansen Prokopec
Jennifer Henderson Williams
Megan Homan
Tanya Kanengieter Bethard
Angela Matthews
Jennifer Nikkila Pressgrove
Hilary Powell Rummel
Michelle Quinlan
Emily Ronning
Melissa Ruegg Houglum
Kayla Thole
Kelly Waterman Phelps
Melissa Weeder