Concordia Inducts Four Into Athletic Hall of Fame
MOORHEAD, Minn. (10/04/21--Concordia inducted four former standout student-athletes into the Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday as part of the annual Homecoming festivties.
Former volleyball All-American Jackelyn (Barten) Thielen, All-American men’s hockey standout Rob Gramer, women’s track and field All-American and NCAA Woman of the Year finalist Angie (Pfeiffer) Pfeiffer Bedard and 2-time football MIAC MVP, and 2-time All-Region baseball honoree, Brian Schumacher were all honored as the newest members of the Hall of Fame.
| 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet Archived Video |
Jackelyn (Barten) Thielen '05
Jackelyn (Barten) Thielen '05 was a 2-time All-American who helped the Cobber volleyball team win the MIAC postseason tournament in 2003 and 2004. She was a 3-time AVCA All-Region honoree and is the only 4-time MIAC All-Conference award-winner in the history of the program.
After graduating from Concordia, Thielen started her career at Stearns Bank. While at Stearns, she held various positions within its equipment finance division before becoming the supervisor of the sales assistant and documentation department.
Thielen and her husband, Chad, have taken over the Thielen family dairy farm, just outside of Melrose, Minn. Staying involved in volleyball, Thielen has coached both high school varsity volleyball and many youth volleyball programs. She currently officiates varsity matches. Thielen and her husband are parents to twins, Raymond and Addelyn.
Rob Gramer '00
Rob Gramer is one of only five players in the history of the Cobber men’s hockey program to earn ACHA All-American First Team honors. He was a 4-time MIAC postseason award-winner, 2-year captain and helped the Cobbers advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals in his senior season.
After graduating from Concordia in 2000, Gramer started at AnyCollege.com, a small, web-based company in Moorhead. He served as the director of business development until the company was sold in 2009. From there, he became director of sales for another start-up in Fargo, Avenue Right, which offers a web-based media buying platform.
Gramer has continued to be involved in athletics, volunteering in Moorhead Youth Hockey in a variety of roles including coaching, program development and serving on the board of directors. In 2015, Gramer merged his professional experience with his community involvement and became the executive director for Moorhead Youth Hockey.
Gramer married his wife, Laurie, shortly after graduating from Concordia. The two have lived in Moorhead ever since with their three boys, Luke, Joe and John.
Angie Pfeiffer Bedard '06
Angie Pfeiffer Bedard was an NCAA Woman of the Year finalist and NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship award-winner. She was a 4-time NCAA Outdoor All-American and 2-time NCAA Indoor All-American. She still holds the school record in the 100, 200 and 400 meters outdoors and the 60 and 400 meters indoors.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in English writing from Concordia, Pfeiffer Bedard earned a D.D.S. degree in 2010 (Doctor of Dental Surgery) from the University of Nebraska College of Dentistry. She also spent one year of advanced education in general dentistry residency in San Antonio, Texas. After several years of practice in St. Cloud, Minn., she is now co-owner of Parkview Dental in Hutchinson, Minn.
She’s an active member of P.E.O., a women’s organization providing fellowship for women and raising money for scholarships for women pursuing higher education. She is also active in River of Hope ELCA church and is currently vice president of River Table, the church council.
Pfeiffer Bedard is married to Louis Bedard, who she met on the Concordia Track & Field team. They have two daughters, Celia and Eliana.
Brian Schumacher '06
Brian Schumacher was named the MIAC Most Valuable Player in back-to-back seasons in 2004 and 2005. He is one of only two football players in the history of the MIAC to earn consecutive MVP honors. He helped the Cobbers win the MIAC championship in 2004. Schumacher was also a member of the Cobber baseball team who earned ABCA All-Region, and All-MIAC, honors in his junior and senior seasons.
Schumacher graduated from Concordia with degrees in economics and business. He returned to his hometown in 2011 taking a position with Alerus, a financial service company. He has progressed through many roles, including retirement consultant, retirement relationship manager, and product manager.
Schumacher currently belongs to the Fidelity Wealth Management Council, North Dakota Dollars for Scholars as investment chair, and has been involved in Junior Achievement since 2005.
When he’s not working, Schumacher enjoys gardening. In 2018, he earned a master gardener designation through North Dakota State University, which was “a surprisingly grueling but equally satisfying and humbling endeavor.” Schumacher makes his home in Thompson, N.D., with his wife and their three children.
| 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet Archived Video |