Concordia Athletics Inducts Six Into Hall Of Fame
MOORHEAD, Minn. (9/28/24)--Concordia inducted six former student-athletes, including a longtime coach, into the Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday as part of the annual Homecoming weekend celebration.
Former 2-time MIAC Most Valuable Player Morgan (Bain) Hirsch, 3-sport athlete and track and field MIAC champion Micah Benson, football All-Americans Nic Didier and Josh Dietz, former Cobber 2-sport athlete and long-time coach Doug Perry and All-American volleyball standout Becca (Shane) Jorgenson will be inducted into the Concordia Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, Sept. 28 as part of the annual Homecoming festivities.
Morgan (Bain) Hirsch ’07
Known for her patience and calm demeanor around the goal, Morgan (Bain) Hirsch is one of only four players in the history of the MIAC to earn multiple MIAC Player of the Year honors. She was named conference soccer MVP in 2004 and 2006. She was one of the driving forces behind the Cobbers’ first MIAC regular season soccer championship in 2006 where she scored nine goals and had 20 points. Hirsch was a three-time NSCAA All-Region honoree and one of only a few players in the history of the MIAC to earn All-Conference honors in four straight seasons. She holds the school record in points and goals scored in a single season, and the record in goals scored in a career.
After graduating from Concordia with a degree in French Education, Hirsch taught for nearly nine years in France, Nigeria, North Dakota, Minnesota and Oregon. She taught in traditional school settings, online, and in rural and dense city populations. She then earned a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health from Oregon State University-Cascades, and is a licensed professional counselor specializing in trauma/abuse for patients ranging from children to adults. Hirsch is a certified professional therapist and trainer practicing in Bend, Ore.
Hirsch and her husband, David, are parents of a daughter, Marit. Their hobbies include soccer, skiing, mountain biking and hiking. Her volunteerism includes KIDS Center, the Central Oregon Trail Alliance, and the Mount Bachelor Sports and Education Foundation.
Micah Benson ’00
Micah Benson was the last Cobber to participate in three sports in a single academic year and did so throughout his 4-year career at Concordia. He was a standout in soccer, basketball, and track & field. Benson was a two-time NCAA National Outdoor meet participant and one-time NCAA National Indoor meet participant in the Long Jump, finishing 7th in the nation in ’00. Micah was a three-time MIAC Champion in the Long Jump in ’98, ’99, and ‘00 and the MIAC Champion in the High Jump in ‘99. During his track career, Micah broke 8 school records and still holds the school’s indoor and outdoor Long Jump records. He was an All-Conference Honorable Mention in soccer and helped Concordia win the MIAC championship in ‘96 and advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Benson was a three-year member of the Cobber basketball team and led the squad in assists in ’98. Over his athletic career, Micah earned 11 All-MIAC Academic awards, graduated Magna Cum Laude, and is the only male athlete in school history to earn CoSIDA Academic All-American honors in multiple years.
Benson holds a Master of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in Health and Human Services and is a Certified Patient Experience Professional. For 10 years he was Director of Patient/Family Experience at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. He then became a Senior Healthcare Consultant at TruthPoint. which is now part of Uniguest, as currently serves as the Vice President of Client Success.
He is happily married to former Cobber soccer player AJ (Walthall) Benson ’03, and they are the proud parents of six children — Annalis, Soren, Boden, Bergen, EttaJo and Magnus, and two former foster children — Kaia and Malia. Family activities include time at the lake, skiing and attending school activities. Benson serves as head varsity soccer and basketball coach for Lake Region Christian School in Brainerd, and volunteers as a High School Sunday School teacher at First Baptist Church.
Nic Didier ’05
Nic Didier is one of the most decorated linemen in the illustrious history of Cobber football. He earned Associated Press Little All-American, AFCA All-American, D3football.com All-American and Football Gazette All-American honors in his senior season in 2004. He was named the Mike Stamm Award winner as the MIAC Most Outstanding Lineman after being the leader of the Concordia offensive line that helped the Cobbers win the MIAC championship and advance to the second round of the NCAA playoffs. Didier was a captain of the 2004 Cobbers that finished with an 11-2 record, and following the season, was honored to play in the Aztec Bowl – the Division III All-Star game.
Didier is a marketing professional in the medical device industry, who has carved out a niche as a specialist in the field of spine surgery. His focus in surgical procedure equipment and spinal robotics allows him to help surgeons advance their treatment for patients. His expertise and passion for helping others extends beyond his professional life. He has traveled around the world on medical mission trips, specifically to Africa and Central America, to provide much-needed medical support for adults and children with spinal deformities.
A committed family man, Didier and his wife, Erin, a former Montana State University basketball player, are the parents of two daughters, Jonelle Joyce and Kamry James. Living in Arvada, Colo., the Didier family enjoys the great outdoors, especially skiing in winter and mountain hiking in summer.
Josh Dietz ’05
As an outstanding and dedicated athlete, Josh Dietz earned the admiration and respect of his teammates for being a relentless and dependable defender. From his middle linebacker position, he could be counted on to make a play in crucial situations.
Dietz was a captain of the Cobber football team that won the MIAC Championship in 2004. He was one of the team leaders who dominated conference opponents with an unbeaten record and went on to advance to the second round of the NCAA playoffs. Dietz was named to the Football Gazette All-American Team in 2004 as well as earning All-Conference honors in three straight seasons. He was a fearsome presence in the middle and a sure tackler who is still second on the school’s all-time list for solo tackles and third in total tackles.
After graduating with a degree in exercise science and coaching, he continued his love of the game and involvement in sports as an assistant coach for the Cobber defense, while also playing baseball with the Moorhead Brewers and FM Red Hawks. He worked in the athletic sales department at Scheels before transitioning into operating heavy construction equipment.
After the birth of his two children, Carter Scott and Aaliyah Rose, he relocated to Waconia, Minn., to be closer to family. While continuing his construction career, he played town ball baseball with the Brownton Bruins. But his love of sports quickly shifted and his focus and passion became teaching, coaching and mentoring these two children. He sought to inspire them to succeed and flourish in their own chosen ways, just as he had. Joshua Scott Dietz died at age 34 in 2017.
Becca (Shane) Jorgenson ’07
A versatile and dominant volleyball player, Becca (Shane) Jorgenson was a reliable leader who possessed agility, quickness and power while either attacking or defending. She was the centerpiece of the Cobber volleyball team during the “Golden Era” of the program from 2003-06 when the Cobbers made the NCAA Tournament each year.
Jorgenson earned AVCA All-American honors in 2004 and 2006, was a two-time All-Region honoree and is the only player in program history to be named the AVCA Region First Year Player of the Year. She was a team leader as the Cobbers won the 2006 MIAC regular season championship and the 2003, 2004 and 2006 postseason league titles. She was named the MIAC Most Valuable Player in 2006 – one of only three players in program history to receive the league’s highest honor.
Jorgenson earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of North Dakota and is a board-certified Orthopedic Certified Specialist. She operates her own holistic physical therapy and wellness practice for women, ReStore LLC, in Hopkins, Minn., and is also a solo entrepreneur, hosting virtual group coaching programs for infertility and holistic women’s health. Her professional passion is to help moms and women ready to be moms welcome more balance in their busy lives to transform mind, body and spirit to reclaim their joy.
Jorgenson and her husband, Kyle, are the parents of two children, Brooks and Thea. She is an active volunteer, including the women’s ministry at her church and the nursery at River Valley Kids.
Doug Perry ’65
Recruited off the family farm to play football by legendary coach Jake Christianson, Doug Perry became a versatile two-sport athlete during his student days at Concordia. He was a valuable member of the 1964 Cobber football team that won the MIAC title and claimed the NAIA National Co-Championship. He was a national meet qualifier in the 100-yard dash and a four-year member of the track & field squad where he was a team captain in 1965.
For almost 30 years, Perry was a familiar presence in the Concordia athletic department. His long tenure as a coach included assistant coach for the football program for 27 years. He coached men’s and women’s track and field teams and was head coach of the wrestling squad. Highlights of his coaching resume include mentoring numerous All-Americans, MIAC champions and All-Conference award winners.
A lifelong teacher, coach and referee, Perry helped hundreds of students reach their full potential. For 15 years he taught business education and science at Walnut Grove and Worthington, Minn. He coached the football, track and basketball teams, and assisted in wrestling while also maintaining a full schedule of officiating and operating a popular Dairy Queen franchise. He is a member of the Worthington High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
Perry and his wife Janet live in Moorhead, and are the parents of three children, Jayson, Jodi and Jennifer. The family enjoys spending time at the lake and fishing.