SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame has officially grown by five individuals and one team. Concordia held its 2019 induction ceremony on Friday (Sept. 27) inside the Cattle Conference Room. The event takes place annually in conjunction with homecoming week on campus. Complete bios of the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame class of 2019 inductees are included below.
Ron Bork ‘70
A standout distance runner, Ron Bork rewrote Concordia record books during his time as a student-athlete. Bork won a Tri-State Conference cross country individual championship in 1968 and earned team MVP honors all four years. At the time of graduation, Bork owned school cross country records in the three-, four- and five-mile runs. In track and field, Bork placed in the top six of events in four separate conference meets and lettered three times. He became the first athlete in school history to run the two mile in under 10 minutes and set track program standards in the two- and three-mile races. In addition, Bork set new cross country standards for the Concordia three-mile course, Concordia four-mile course, the Nebraska Wesleyan four-mile course, the John F. Kennedy College four-mile course and the Midland College four-mile course. Not only did Bork win an individual cross country conference title, he also placed fifth in 1967 and 13th in 1966. A model of consistency, finished in the top 10 in all seven track meets in 1969.
An educator throughout his professional career, Bork worked as an elementary teacher and principal at six different schools from 1970-2001. He returned to Concordia and served as a professor from 2001-2016. Bork graduated from Concordia Teachers College in 1970 with a degree in education. He also owns a master’s degree from Concordia and a doctorate from Saint Louis Unversity. Ron is married to Marilyn (Schmidt) Bork. Ron and Marilyn have two daughters, Kristin and Allison. Ron has been active as a member of St. John Lutheran Church and as a worship leader at Ridgewood Rehab & Care Center. Wrote Bork of his relationship with Concordia, “Coming back in 2001 was like coming home. It gave me the opportunity to ‘raise up the next generation of teachers.’ During my 14 years as the head of the education program, CU graduated over 1,300 young people who would become teachers.”
Gentri (Brown) Tollefson ‘07
A consistent performer on the soccer field, Gentri (Brown) Tollefson garnered some form of all-conference mention all four years as a Bulldog. As a senior, Tollefson rose to the First Team All-GPAC level while also picking up NAIA First Team All-Region, NAIA Honorable Mention All-America and Team MVP accolades. Named the 2006-07 Concordia Senior Female Athlete of the Year, Tollefson recorded 47 goals (10 game winners) and 27 assists over 62 career games. A six-goal week during her senior season earned her GPAC and NAIA Region III Player of the Week accolades. Tollefson piled up 19 goals as a senior. Also a team captain and a two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete, Tollefson starred for the 2004 squad that owned the school record for most goals (80) in a single season at the time of her induction. Also at the time of induction, Tollefson sported program all-time rankings of fourth in goals, fourth in points (121) and fifth in assists. Coached by William Schranz and Rob Giesbrecht, Gentri led her squads to a combined four-year record of 40-30-3.
Tollefson graduated from Concordia in 2007 with a B.A. in psychology and interpersonal communications. She arrived in Seward via Skyline High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. She went on to earn an M.S. in applied behavior analysis and autism from The Sage Colleges in Troy, New York. Gentri is married to Tyler Tollefson, also a 2007 Concordia graduate. They have two children, Kyrie, 6, and Selah, 3, and another one due in November 2019. Gentri has been active in mission work having made trips to Canada, Nicaragua and Paraguay. She is a member of Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Leawood, Kansas. Wrote Gentri, “Concordia was an essential launching point for my independence, increased responsibility as an adult and understanding of my need to always rely on Christ.”
Erik DeHaven ‘01
One of the stars of the 2001 GPAC championship football team, linebacker Erik DeHaven put together a senior season to remember. In that campaign, DeHaven logged 110 tackles (5.5 for loss) and was named First Team All-GPAC and the Honorary Defensive Captain of the Omaha World-Herald’s All-Nebraska Team. The ’01 team advanced to the second round of the NAIA Playoffs and a set a school record with 10 victories (still stands at the time of induction). The 2001 squad, coached by Courtney Meyer, remains the only Bulldog football team to qualify for the NAIA playoffs and to capture a conference championship. Over his career, DeHaven compiled 238 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and six sacks, garnered three all-conference mentions and played in an NAIA postseason all-star game, serving as a team captain. DeHaven showed resilience in overcoming injuries in his career. As junior in 1999, he broke his left foot in the season opener and missed the remainder of the campaign. A year later, DeHaven broke his other foot and was sidelined for half the season. Originally from Mesa, Ariz., DeHaven made the most of his extra year of eligibility in 2001.
DeHaven graduated from Concordia with B.S. in business administration. He also earned a B.A. in physical education from Concordia in 2005. Erik continues to excel in his career as a football coach. After serving as a graduate assistant coach for the Bulldogs, DeHaven has made his mark at the high school ranks. Currently the head football coach at The John Cooper School in The Woodlands, Texas (hired in January 2019), DeHaven has also previously served as the head coach at St. Pius X High School and Lutheran High North as well as the defensive coordinator at three different stops. DeHaven calls the Concordia win over University of Sioux Falls in 2001 the “best game of my life.”
JaMaine Lewis ‘09
One of the top running backs in Concordia football history, JaMaine Lewis owns the program record for rushing yards in a single season (1,265) at the time of induction. In that same 2007 season, Lewis found the end zone 11 times (second most rushing touchdowns in a single season in program history) and was named First Team All-GPAC, Honorary Offensive Captain of the Omaha World-Herald’s All-Nebraska Team and a Second Team All-American by Victory Sports Network. Chosen as the 2007-08 Concordia Senior Male Athlete of the Year, Lewis scored 25 career touchdowns and collected three career all-conference mentions (two-time first team selection). He was subsequently selected to play in the 2007 NAIA All-Star Game. Lewis finished his career with 2,731 rushing yards (sixth in school history) on 479 carries (5.7 average). In his most notable single-game performance, Lewis burned Dakota Wesleyan for 261 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 31 carries in October 2007. He was coached by Courtney Meyer.
JaMaine graduated from Concordia with a B.S. in biology. Originally from St. Louis, Mo., Lewis currently resides in Wailuku, Hawaii, and serves as a police officer for the Maui Police Department. JaMaine is married to Dana Lihau Lewis. They have two children: Jeremiah, 5, and Janie, 2. JaMaine is a member of Emanuel Lutheran Church in Maui. When asked how Concordia influenced his life, JaMaine wrote, “The environment at Concordia made it easy for me to be able to converse with people I don’t know, which was an instrumental part of my success as a sales associate and now as a police officer.” JaMaine also jokes that he inspired LeBron James and the rest of the NBA by creating the first “super team” in intramural basketball.
Michael Saalfeld ‘10
Michael Saalfeld reached impressive heights as a starring member of the track and field program. Among his highest honors achieved, Saalfeld won two NAIA individual national titles in the 800 meters and collected six NAIA All-America awards, 18 all-conference honors, six GPAC individual titles and shared the 2008 GPAC indoor championships MVP award. He also helped a Bulldog 4x800 meter relay to an NAIA outdoor national runner up finish. At the time of induction, Saalfeld remained the school’s record holder in the indoor (1:50.08) and outdoor (1:49.11) 800 meter events. Saalfeld led Kregg Einspahr-coached teams to five top 15 finishes at NAIA national championship meets. Named the 2008-09 Concordia Senior Male Athlete of the Year, Saalfeld went on to win a gold medal in the 800 meters and a silver medal as part of a 4x400 meter relay at the Deaflympic/World Deaf Championships in 2009. His time of 1:49.11 in the 800 set a new world deaf record. As of 2019, Saalfeld continued to own the GPAC indoor meet record in the 800 (for 200 meter banked tracks). He also lent his talents to head coach Courtney Meyer’s football teams. Saalfeld served as placekicker for three seasons and connected successfully on 54 of 63 PAT attempts and made 19 career field goals. He was chosen as the 2008-09 Concordia Senior Male Athlete of the Year.
Saalfeld earned his degree in business administration and a minor in marketing. Michael continues to be self-employed within his own business, Saalfeld Construction LLC (since 2009). He is married to Holly Catherine Saalfeld. They have a daughter Claire and have a baby boy due Sept. 27, 2019 (date of induction ceremony!). The Saalfeld family resides in Omaha, Nebraska.
2005 Softball
Guided by head coach Frank Greene, the 2004-05 Concordia softball team set a school record with 36 overall wins (still the standard at the time of induction) behind a pitching staff headed by Judy (Alswager) Barjenbruch and Sarah (Bergen) Grizzle. The ’05 Bulldogs blazed to a 20-4 league mark on the way to a GPAC regular season title. As a result, Greene was named the GPAC Co-Coach of the Year and the NAIA Region IV Coach of the Year. Eleven Bulldogs garnered all-conference mention with first team honors going to Alswager and Rebecca (Shaffer) Anderson. The ’05 squad was the first GPAC champion for Concordia softball. At one point that spring, Greene’s bunch went on a remarkable run during which it won 22 out of 24 games. The pitching staff dominated with Barjenbruch (18-7, 2.61 ERA) and Grizzle (15-7, 2.33 ERA) combining for 33 wins. In the classroom, the team produced a combined grade-point average of 3.51, ranking it No. 2 among all NAIA softball programs nationally for the 2004-05 academic year. Greene was assisted by Randy Folkerts and Mindy Miller.
Wrote Greene, “CU gave me an opportunity to what I always wanted to do, coach collegiate softball. I had to juggle multiple responsibilities as a father, a husband, a coach, an educator and fundraiser. I’ll always be grateful for this opportunity.” In describing her relationship with Concordia, Rebecca Anderson wrote, “My time at Concordia reaffirmed my faith and helped my personal relationship with Christ grow. I made lifelong friends and met and married my best friend.”
Coaches
Frank Greene, Head Coach
Randy Folkerts, Assistant Coach
Mindy Miller, Assistant Coach
Team Members
Judy (Alswager) Barjenbruch
Katie Charlton
Miranda (Ciochon) Coulter
Jenna (Hellbusch) Countryman
Kelly (Kurtzer) Dawson
Melissa (Morrison) Dunn
Susan (Braunsroth) Devereux
Katherine (Jeppesen) Drefs
Atlanta (Feaster) Hutchins
Kayla (Gataivasa) Gillian
Sarah (Bergen) Grizzle
Amanda (Hehn) Voorman
Meredith (Peters) Marsh
Christine Mabrey
Emilie (Lewis) Meyer
Cassandra (Pralle) Ruether
Erin (Wiedel) Rathe
Christine (Jeppesen) Ruhl
Tara Schumacher
Jennifer (Davis) Schwartz
Rebecca (Shaffer) Anderson
Samantha (Hellbusch) Wietfeld