Four Inducted Into Athletic Hall Of Fame

MOORHEAD, Minn. (10/13/12)— Concordia inducted three former athletes and a longtime coach into the Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday during the annual Homecoming celebration.

This year’s inductees included two-time All-MIAC men’s basketball player Darrel Pederson ‘86, All-American football player Terry Storm ‘89, two-time All-American women’s golfer Kari (Walrath) Ehlers ’96 and former men’s and women’s basketball coach and current men’s and women’s golf coach Duane Siverson.

Pederson led the MIAC in scoring in 1986 and was named to the MIAC All-Conference Team that season. He was also named to the MIAC All-Conference Honorable Mention Team in 1985. Darrel was named Concordia’s Most Valuable Player in 1985 and 1986.

Storm earned All-American honors for the Cobber football team in his senior season in 1988. He was a two-time All-MIAC award winner and still holds the school record for interceptions in a career.  Storm was the captain for Concordia’s MIAC title team in 1988.

Ehlers was a two-time NCAA All-American and four time MIAC All-Conference athlete for the Cobber women’s golf team from 1992-96. She also helped Concordia finish third at the NCAA Division III Meet in 1995. Ehlers placed in the top 5 of the MIAC in all four years.

Siverson began his coaching career at Concordia in 1978 and became one of the most successful coaches in Cobber athletic history. Siverson coached women’s and men’s Cobber basketball for 33 seasons, and women’s and men’s golf for 30 seasons and counting. In women’s basketball his most successful teams were the 1988 NCAA Division III national champions and the 1987 runners-up. In 1988, Siverson was honored as National Coach of the Year. He coached the Cobber men’s basketball team to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 1996. As coach of women’s golf, he guided the team to six NCAA top three finishes, and 11 of their first 12 MIAC golf championships from 1989 to 2000.

Darrel Pederson ‘86
Darrel Pederson enrolled at Concordia in 1982 after leading his Lake Park (Minn.) High School basketball team to the district championship. Raised on a family farm that he continues to operate today, Pederson was a standout athlete in football, basketball and baseball.
 
In his senior season in 1986, Pederson led the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in scoring and was named to the All-Conference basketball team. He was chosen by his teammates as Concordia’s Most Valuable Player in 1985 when he led the team in rebounding, and 1986 when he was the scoring leader. He finished with 921 points for his career, the seventh best in school history.

After earning his degree in elementary education and coaching, Pederson joined the teaching staff of the Perham-Dent (Minn.) School District. He coached the Perham Yellowjackets girls’ basketball team to three district titles and three Heart of Lakes Conference titles, and the school’s first Minnesota state tournament appearance in 1991. He has twice been honored as Coach of the Year.

Pederson’s service to the community is exemplary. He spent 20 years officiating Minnesota State High School League games. He is a member of the Lake Park Lutheran Church Council where he has served as vice-president and president, and he is currently a member of the Lake Park Audubon School Board. He is married to fellow Cobber Kristi Leiseth ‘87 and they are the parents of three children.

Terry Storm ‘89
Terry Storm was a standout multi-sport athlete at Walker (Minn.) High School. As a Cobber athlete, Storm was selected to the MIAC All Conference football teams in 1987 and 1988, and received first team All-American honors in 1988 as a cornerback. He was team captain of the 1988 Cobbers, a four-time MIAC Defensive Player of the Week, and finished his career as Concordia’s all-time career interception leader.

Storm was considered to be one of the best defensive backs in Division III football. He was a tenacious, smart competitor who made his teammates better players. Storm’s ability was instrumental in leading the Cobbers to the 1988 MIAC championship and the NCAA playoffs.

After earning a degree in chemistry and biology, Storm graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Pharmacy in 1992. He continues to practice pharmacy today in Thief River Falls, Minn., where he was honored as Health Practioner of the Year in 2012. He has served on the church council of Redeemer Lutheran Church, and has been involved in numerous athletic groups. He has coached youth baseball and basketball and is a member of the board of directors of the Thief River Falls Back Court Boosters. Terry and Barbara Storm are the parents of two children.

Kari (Walrath) Ehlers ‘96
Coming from a distinguished family background in golf at Watertown, S. D, Kari (Walrath) Ehlers enrolled at Concordia in 1992. As a member of the Cobber women’s golf team, Ehlers earn ed MIAC All-Conference honors four consecutive years, and consistently placed in the top five in all Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournaments during her athletic career at Concordia.

 Her calm demeanor and even disposition made her a natural leader of the women’s team during a time of playing with and against some of the all-time best golfers in the region. She was instrumental in helping Concordia finish third at the NCAA National Tournament in 1995 when both Division II and Division III athletes competed together.

In 2000 and 2002, Kari and her husband, fellow Cobber golfer Charlie Ehlers ’95, won the Minnesota Golf Association Four-Ball Couples championships. She currently is the assistant boys’ and girls’ golf coach at Marshall (Minn.) High School. She works in the Marshall school system as a fifth and sixth grade English as a Second Language teacher. She also is a Sunday school and confirmation teacher at St. Stephen Lutheran Church. The Ehlers are parents of three children.

Duane Siverson
Duane Siverson began his coaching career at Concordia in 1978 and became one of the most successful coaches in Cobber athletic history. Siverson possesses the unique ability to coach multiple sports, and in numerous seasons he led his teams to championships. He has received well-deserved recognition as Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year multiple times for coaching basketball and golf.
 
Siverson coached women’s and men’s Cobber basketball for 33 seasons, and women’s and men’s golf for 30 seasons and counting. He also coached the inaugural fastpitch softball team. In women’s basketball his most successful teams were the 1988 NCAA Division III national champions and the 1987 runners-up. These teams were ranked in the top five nationally for five consecutive years. In seven seasons as coach, the Cobbers won four MIAC titles, appeared in seven NCAA tournaments and reached the national quarterfinals four times. In 1988, Siverson was honored as National Coach of the Year.

He coached the Cobber men’s basketball team to three of their four most winning seasons, and their first NCAA tournament appearance in 1996. His 338-263 career coaching record makes him the all-time winningest basketball coach at Concordia. As coach of women’s golf, he guided the team to six NCAA top three finishes, and 11 of their first 12 MIAC golf championships from 1989 to 2000. He has been honored as NCAA Regional Coach of the Year and with the Merit Award from the National Golf Coaches Association. Siverson has coached 19 All-American golfers at Concordia.

In 2008 he was inducted into the Hall of Greats by his alma mater, Yankton College. Siverson serves on numerous golf committees in the Fargo-Moorhead area, teaches junior golf, and is an active member of the National Golf Foundation. He and his wife, Bonnie, are the parents of two sons.