Concordia's athletic office has a history of fostering great athletes. Cobbers not only find athletic success at Concordia but even reach the national and international stages. Kris Kuehl '92 and Judy Siegle '84 reached the skill and prestige to compete at previous Olympic and Paralympic Games.
A three-time NCAA Division III national champion in the discus throw, Kuehl graduated from Concordia with an impressive college track and field career behind her. After graduation, Kuehl started on an elite track and field career that led her to national competitions and eventually the Olympics. She competed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic trials, but it was not until 2000 that she qualified with a throw of 202 feet 7 inches. She was one of three women to represent the United States throwing discus at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Kuehl finished 18th. After the games, Kuehl continued competing and became the 2002 USA Champion in discus.
However, Kuehl is not the only track and field Cobber of Olympic caliber. When a car accident left Siegle paralyzed at 18, she did not let her new wheelchair impede her. Now an accomplished speaker, writer and athlete, Siegle has made a name for herself as a quadriplegic track and field racer. She holds multiple national records in track events for quadriplegic women and has competed in two Paralympic Games. She first competed in 1996 in Atlanta and again in 2000 in Sydney. In Atlanta, she earned a pair of fourth-place finishes and a fifth-place finish. In Sydney, she placed sixth in the 800-meter and fifth in the 1500-meter race.
Cobbers can even boast involvement outside athletic competitions. Cassie Orloske '01 and Alexis Read '04 were among the 11,500 individuals who helped carry the 2002 Winter Olympic torch to Salt Lake City. Kaia Lunde '13 spent the 2010 Winter Games in British Columbia volunteering at the bobsled races.