Buckner, a Duluth, Minnesota, native, played both women’s hockey and softball during her time at Augsburg. She started officiating at the adult amateur level and has gained acclaim as an official on the collegiate, professional, and international levels post graduation. According to a , Buckner has officiated for every professional women’s hockey league, including the current Professional Women’s Hockey League, along with international tournaments.

Buckner is one of 10 linespersons and 22 total women’s hockey officials working at the Winter Olympics, which take place February 5-19. The women’s hockey events start with pool play from February 5-10, quarterfinals on February 13-14, semifinals on February 16, and finals on February 19. 

Read the to learn more about Sarah Buckner’s Olympic journey.

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Homecoming provides an opportunity for all Augsburg alumni to stay connected to the College. Save the date for Homecoming 2013: September 23 to 28. If you are interested in serving on your reunion committee or volunteering to help plan events, contact alumni@augsburg.edu. For more information, go to for more information.

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2012 Alumni Awards

Distinguished Alumni Awards

Bruce Brekke ’70

“I’ve always been proud to be an Auggie.To know that Augsburg is proud of me is very special. I meet successful people every day. Most are just like me: ordinary people. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t, you won’t, you’ll never. Thanks, Augsburg, for the most transformational years of my life.”

Bruce Brekke is CEO of Heartland America, which opened its doors in 1985 with a mission of providing quality goods at affordable prices. Even though the company has grown (with more than 4 million valued customers), their commitment to their customers has not wavered. Initially conducting business out of his small, one-bedroom apartment, Brekke eventually transformed his one-man importing shop into a highly successful retailing/merchandising facility. Now headquartered in Chaska, Minn., Heartland America operates out of a 70,000-square-foot warehouse with two telemarketing locations in South Dakota. It is one of the nation’s premier direct-marketing companies, employing 340 people. Brekke participates in a variety of charity events and has been a long-time supporter of the Children’s Heart Foundation of Nevada and the Miracles of Mitch Foundation. For the past several years, he and his wife Nancy have been involved with the Humane Society by volunteering in the shelters and supporting its mission. He has been a strong supporter of Augsburg College over the years, attending music and athletic events and participating in the annual A-Club golf tournament. He has also been a member of the Maroon & Silver Society.

Richard Ekstrand ’72

“The seeds planted in college really helped prepare me: Be a good steward; be humble; encourage others to succeed. These were the foundations for my company’s ideology. Surround yourself with good people, and you and they will be successful.”

An innovator in wireless communication, Richard Ekstrand served as the president and CEO for Rural Cellular Corporation (RCC), a publicly traded wireless service provider which he founded in 1990. Headquartered in Alexandria, Minn., RCC provided cellular, paging, long-distance, and PCS (personal communication services) to nearly 700,000 telephone customers in rural markets in 14 states. It was acquired by Verizon Wireless in 2008. A leader in the industry, Ekstrand was appointed in 2011 to the board of directors of American Solutions for Business. He has served as chairman of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) board of directors, a member of the executive board of the CTIAPac subcommittee, and chairman of the board of directors of the CTIA Wireless Foundation, as well as president of the Minnesota Telephone Association, the Association of Minnesota Telephone Utilities, and the Minnesota Telecommunications Association. He received the 1998 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Minnesota and the Dakotas in the Entertainment/Communications division, the 1998 CTIA President’s Award for leadership in promoting safe and responsible use of wireless phones, and the 1997 GRTE/TSI Celli Award for outstanding contributions to the wireless industry. Ekstrand has also served on the Lowry (Minn.) volunteer fire department and in leadership posts at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, the Lowry Lions Club, and the Minnewaska Laker Foundation. He has been a strong supporter of Augsburg College over the years, serving as a member of the Maroon & Silver Society and A-Club.

John Selstad ’67

“Augsburg played a formative role for me, but it was the people of Augsburg who influenced me most. We need to carry on that outreach; all 24,000 alumni must carry out the charge to serve our neighbor.”

After four years in the U.S. Marine Corps piloting RF-4B Phantom jets and time serving as the drug and alcohol abuse prevention coordinator of Minnesota, John Selstad devoted the next 30 years to senior care, where he distinguished himself as an innovator of creative solutions to integrate the often-fragmented treatment of American seniors with health and long-term care needs. He joined the aging services field as the vice president managing the Ebenezer Society Community Services Division. There, he was instrumental in developing a health model called Seniors Plus, part of a national Medicare demonstration. In the following years, he became a founding board member and later the senior vice president of the National Chronic Care Consortium (NCCC), a forward-looking group of hospital networks and health plans that worked as a sort of national “think tank” to improve chronic care. Prior to his retirement in 2011, Selstad worked for the Minnesota Department of Human Services and Minnesota Board on Aging, where he was the lead staff member tracking implications of health reform for seniors and the aging network as well acting as legislative liaison and public policy support for the Board on Aging. Convinced that Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions absolutely require both medical and non-medical care, and that we must integrate health and social service systems for the most efficient and effective treatment, he was a spokesman for PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care of the Elderly), as well as lead staff to the Alzheimer’s Disease Working Group Report to the Minnesota Legislature. In 2011, Selstad received a Lifetime Service Award from the National Council on Aging (NCOA), and in 1992 was granted the Minneapolis Award for those who “have gone the extra mile to make Minneapolis a better place.” He has been called upon to serve as a volunteer leader within the ongoing community collaboration to improve Alzheimer’s care in Minnesota as well as ongoing health reform affecting seniors.

First Decade Award

Joyce Miller ’02, ’05 MAN, ’11 DNP

“As nurses, we have lots of scientific knowledge to use in helping care for our patients, but the patients are the experts, not us. We need to walk alongside of them and understand their stories. Otherwise, how will we know what they need for health care?”

In a sense, Joyce Miller is a nursing pioneer at Augsburg. She was in the first group of nurses in the bachelor’s degree completion program in Rochester in 1998, then one of the first group of nurses to begin the leadership track in the Master of Arts in Nursing program in 2002, and later, a member of the College’s first post-master’s degree program, the Doctor of Nursing Practice. During her doctorate program, Miller helped develop, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., a prenatal education program for Somali women that honors the wisdom and traditions of the Somali culture. In her educational journey, Miller explored non-traditional healing practices of other cultures. She studied holistic healing and energy practices and is a Reiki master practitioner. Miller has taught in Augsburg’s undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral nursing programs. She also served on the Augsburg Alumni Board for six years in the roles of secretary and president.

Spirit of Augsburg Awards

Dale Hanka ’60

“I volunteer because I care and because I can. I always say, “Give until it feels good.” My family, faith, and my experience at Augsburg have all worked together to make my life successful.”

Dale Hanka is a former teacher, real estate agent, financial planner, and bank president. Together with his wife Carolyn, he also owned and managed a title company. Now retired, the couple has acknowledged the importance of Augsburg College to their success by establishing the Dale and Carolyn Hanka Business Scholarship, providing encouragement and financial assistance to business students. Hanka is an active community leader who has served as president of his church’s council and as president of the Madelia Golf Course board for 10 years. He is an active volunteer with the Boy Scouts, Rotary International (36 years), chamber of commerce, and the United Way. Hanka has served the College in a variety of capacities—as an active member of the Alumni Board for several years, a class agent, a member of the A-Club, and a member of the class of 1960 50-year reunion committee.

Dick “Pork Chops” Thompson ’61

“You don’t do [the things that earn you awards] because you want to get awards. You do them because that’s what you’ve been taught to do. There are so many people deserving of this award. It’s an honor to receive it.”

Dick Thompson spent 30 years of his career as a teacher for the Minneapolis school district. He served as the head basketball coach at Minneapolis Lutheran High School, Minneapolis North High School, and Golden Valley Lutheran College. He completed his teaching and coaching career as the athletic director at Minneapolis Southwest High School. In addition, he was the co-founder of Mobile Sports Athletic Camps and president and owner of Playmore Travel. As a real estate developer/carpenter he built a home in Eden Prairie, two lake homes in the Remer/Longville area, and a 12-unit apartment building in Crosby, Minn. In the 1970s, Thompson was asked to serve as the president of the A-Club. He remained the intermittent president until the early 1990s. When he retired from teaching and coaching, he became a permanent fixture as president of the A-Club and served in that capacity until 2010. He was instrumental in raising funds for the organization and special projects like the press box and the Jeroy Carlson conference room. He remains a member of the A-Club executive board.

Athletic Hall of Fame

Congratulations to the alumni who have been inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame:

Allan Berg ’68, football/men’s basketball

Jennifer Coyle Rhoads ’97, softball

John Evans ’82, men’s hockey

Jack Grengs ’88, baseball

Kurt Habeck ’91, wrestling

Anne Richter ’86, volleyball/softball

Meg Schmidt Sawyer ’00, women’s hockey/softball

Timothy Tousignant ’91, wrestling

2012 Coaching Excellence Awards:

Larry Hoff ’66, football

Timothy Theisen ’93, men’s basketball

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On November 10, Augsburg celebrated 40 years of varsity women’s athletics and the 40th anniversary of the passage of Title IX. Lavonne (Mrs. Pete) Peterson ’50 and Joyce Pfaff ’65 were honored at the celebration with “One of Our Own” plaques for their contributions to Augsburg College and the Athletic Department. In addition, female athletes from each decade were chosen for All-decade Teams.

Peterson, an instructor, coach, and women’s physical education director, started the Auggiettes basketball team in 1950 and coached the team for 18 years, leading them to an incredible 154-6 record. Pfaff, an Augsburg coach, instructor, and director of women’s athletics, started several women’s teams after the passage of Title IX and served the College for 43 years.

Here we recognize a few of the leaders and milestones in women’s athletics at Augsburg. To read more about these women and others who contributed to the proud tradition of women’s athletics at Augsburg College, go to athletics.augsburg.edu.

Pre-Title IX

1951 – The Auggiettes basketball team, coached by Lavonne Peterson

1970s

1971 – In both the floor exercise and balance beam, gymnast Ann Knutson Brovold ’74 is the first Augsburg female athlete to compete in a post-season event — an Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Region 6 tournament.

1972 – Title IX is passed June 23, 1972.

1972-73 – Women’s varsity intercollegiate volleyball, gymnastics, and tennis are founded while basketball is restarted.

1974-75 – The volleyball team [left] places second in the Minnesota Associate for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (MAIAW) state tournament, qualifying to compete in the Region 6 AIAW tournament both years. The Auggies place fourth in the Region 6 tournament in 1974 and fifth in 1975.

1974-75 – Softball is added as a varsity sport.

1975-76 – Women’s track and field is added as a varsity sport.

1979 – The softball team [left] places second at the MAIAW state tournament.

1979-80 – Kathy Korum ’81 [right] is the first woman to play and letter on a men’s varsity team (golf).

1980s

1981-82 – The softball team qualifies for its first AIAW national tournament.

1982-83 – Augsburg joins the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC).

1985 – Women’s soccer is added as a varsity sport.

1988 – Under coach Paul Grauer, the women’s track and field team earns a third place National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) team finish with Carolyn Ross Isaak ’89 [middle] and Melanie Herrera-Storlie ’88 [right].

1990s

1991 – Women’s cross country is reestablished as part of the varsity athletics program.

1995-96 – Augsburg established the first Midwest varsity women’s hockey team.

1999-00 – The women’s hockey team [right] is the Division III national tournament runner-up in the American Women’s College Hockey Alliance (AWCHA).

2000s

2003-04 – Augsburg establishes the swim and dive program.

2004-07 – Women’s soccer qualifies for the MIAC playoffs

2012 – Augsburg announces that it will establish the first varsity intercollegiate women’s lacrosse program in the state of Minnesota.

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But once a year, Auggie student-athletes trade their uniforms and gear for suits and dresses at the annual Auggie Awards. This festive event gives students, coaches, faculty, and staff the opportunity to celebrate the year’s accomplishments on and off the field.

Meet the student-athletes who were honored at the 2009  Auggie Awards. Congratulations and Go Auggies!

FEMALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Jennifer Castillo, Softball (left)

Castillo led the Auggie softball team this season with a .403 batting average. She started all 43 games and earned All-MIAC and MIAC Rookie of the Year honors. Castillo was one of just three first-year players to be named All-MIAC and was ranked ninth in the conference in overall batting average, eleventh in on-base percentage, and led in defensive assists (104).

MALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Nick Ward, Track and field (center)

Ward won the MIAC outdoor title in the 100-meter dash (10.97 seconds) and placed sixth in the long jump. His 100-meter dash win marked the first title for Auggie men since 2005, and he is one of only two MIAC male first-year athletes to win titles in the outdoor meet.

MALE HONOR ATHLETE

Jordan Berg, Football (right)

As quarterback of the Auggie football team, Berg earned All-MIAC honors and was named to the D3football.com All-West Region second team. Last season, he broke the single-season school record with 297 completions in 499 attempts for 3,226 yards and 25 touchdowns against 14 interceptions (attempts, yards, and touchdown totals all second-best in single-season in school history). He was also a Gagliardi Trophy regional finalist.

MALE OUTSTANDING ATHLETE

Royce Winford, Football (left)

Winford earned All-MIAC and MIAC Player of the Year honors this season as a wide receiver/cornerback. He also made the D3football.com All-West Region first team and All-America first team and was named the D3football.com West Region Offensive Player of the Year. He tied school records for career touchdowns (41) and receiving touchdowns (40), and was second in school history in career receptions (247) and receiving yardage (3,282).

FEMALE OUTSTANDING ATHLETE

Maggie DeGroot, Soccer/basketball (center)

DeGroot earned All-MIAC honors and made the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team this season for soccer. As goalkeeper, she also made the NSCAA/Adidas All-Central Region second team and earned a NSCAA/Adidas Scholar All-Central Region honorable mention. DeGroot holds Augsburg career records for goalkeeper wins (37-19-16), career goals-against-average (0.68), shutouts (36) and career win-loss percentage (.627).

FEMALE HONOR ATHLETE

Tiffany Magnuson, Hockey/softball (right)

Magnuson was named All-MIAC in women’s hockey and softball. In hockey, she led the team in every scoring category this season—nine goals, 10 assists for 19 points. She was named to the All-MIAC first team for the fourth straight season and was also honored with the MIAC Sheila Brown Award, given to a senior who displays consistent sportsmanship and contributes to her team’s success.

TEAM AWARDS

• MALE OUTSTANDING TEAM – Soccer
• FEMALE OUTSTANDING TEAM – Softball
• MALE MOST IMPROVED TEAM – Golf
• FEMALE MOST IMPROVED TEAM – Softball
• ACADEMIC TEAM OF THE YEAR – Women’s cross country
• MALE ATHLETE WITH HIGHEST GPA – Jason Chrudimsky, Cross country/track and field
• FEMALE ATHLETE WITH HIGHEST GPA – Tori Bahr, Cross country/track and field

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If it weren’t for finding cheap hockey skates at a tent sale, Tiffany Magnuson’s athletic career might have been quite different than it is today.

“My dad didn’t want me playing hockey. They bought me figure skates, because my dad didn’t want me messed up with the hockey guys,” said Magnuson, whose father is a hockey coach in their hometown of Green Bay, Wis. “They bought the figure skates for me, and I couldn’t skate in them because of the toe pick. But my dad always said that I had a natural hockey stride, and I kept telling him that I wanted black skates.”

So Magnuson’s mom found her a pair of black skates— hockey skates.

“My mom always said, ‘Wal-Mart started your career,’ because they had a tent sale at Wal-Mart on hockey skates,” Magnuson said.

A senior, Magnuson has excelled at two sports during her Auggie career—hockey and softball—and will leave Augsburg as one of the top all-around female athletes in school history. Magnuson finished her hockey career as the school’s second leading goal-scorer and No. 3 point-producer. She was a four-time All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection.

In softball, Magnuson played three positions—second base, first base, and pitcher—during last season’s run to the MIAC playoffs for the first time in program history. A threetime All-MIAC selection, she enters this season with a .379 career batting average as the Auggies leadoff hitter.

Magnuson, a finance major and accounting minor, was recruited to play hockey at Augsburg and she said she chose Augsburg because it was a small school in a large city. Being active in back-to-back sports has helped her learn to manage her time.

“Sports have taught me about leadership, being committed and competitive, about interacting with others, and having to all come together for a goal,” said Magnuson, who wants to work on the business side of a sports team. “It’s a family [atmosphere], and for me being away from my family, it helps me with my life. That’s what I like about Augsburg, the close-knit atmosphere.”

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