MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Concordia inducted five former student-athletes, including a longtime coach, into the Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday as part of the annual Homecoming weekend celebration.
Former NCAA All-American in cross country and track & field runner Heidi (Brenden) Selch, 3-time All-Region women's basketball student-athlete Melanie (Hageman) McNay, men's soccer player Mike Hashbarger who was a 3-time MIAC All-Conference honoree in three different positions, All-American football wide receiver Andrew Passanante aand All-American wrestler and All-Conference running back Nathan Reiff were all honored in a ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 4.
Heidei (Brenden) Selch ’01
Heidi (Brenden) Selch is one of the most accomplished and decorated runners ever at Concordia. She twice earned both NCAA All-Region cross country honors and NCAA All-American honors in track and field. In addition to her two All-Region honors, she was also a two-time MIAC All-Conference honoree in cross country in 1998 and 2000 when she helped lead the Cobbers to the NCAA National meet.
She won five MIAC championships in indoor and outdoor track and field and earned All-American honors at the 2001 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships by placing second in the 800 meters. She was named the Central Region Track Athlete of the Year in 1999, earned MIAC Indoor meet Most Outstanding Athlete of the Year honors that same season and helped Concordia win the 1998 and 1999 MIAC indoor and 1999 MIAC outdoor track and field championships.
After earning a degree in physical education and exercise science, she coached track and field at Concordia. She currently volunteers at her children’s school in Neenah, Wisconsin, where she also helps coach track. Her full-time day job is managing the daily operations of her family’s real estate development business.
She and her husband, Derek Selch, a 2001 Cobber hockey player, have enjoyed living abroad, including Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom; and for five years in Hong Kong, China. They are the parents of four children, Brenden, Macsen, Vivian, and Finn. Sports are a central part of their family’s schedule, with activities such as hockey, soccer, track, lacrosse, softball, golf and volleyball keeping them busy year-round.
Melanie (Hageman) McNay '08
Highlighting her career as a reliable inside scorer and tenacious defender, Melanie (Hageman) McNay earned WBCA All-American basketball honors after her senior season in 2008. She is the only three-time D3hoops.com All-Region Award winner in school history and is one of only 10 players in program history to be named to the MIAC All-Conference team three times. She is also one of only 12 players in school history to score at least 1,000 points and grab 500 rebounds in a career.
McNay finished near the top of the league in scoring in her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. In her final season, she led the Cobbers to the 2006 MIAC regular season championship and a place in the NCAA National Tournament. She is fourth on the Cobber all-time scoring list , finishing her career with 1,625 points and 690 rebounds.
After graduating with a degree in biology, she attended the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine and graduated with a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 2012. She then completed a pediatric dental residency at Children's Hospital of Michigan in 2014, and obtained board certification through the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. She currently works as a pediatric dentist at Pediatric Dentistry, LTD in Fargo. She and her husband, Michael, are parents of two boys, Carter and Ben.
McNay is active in the life of her community. She is a volunteer at Oak Grove Elementary School, True North Church, and serves on the board of the Grover Athletic Club. She also coaches her sons' basketball teams and enjoys being an avid supporter of their sports and activities.
Mike Hashbarger '97
Mike Hashbarger was a two-sport athlete at Concordia and is the only player in MIAC men’s soccer history to earn All-Conference honors as a forward, midfielder and defender in three consecutive seasons. He led the Cobber men’s soccer team in scoring in 1993 with 33 points, the fifth most in program history and was third in MIAC scoring that year. He also posted the third highest assist total in program history in 1993 and was tied for the conference lead in assists.
He was a driving force behind the 1995 Cobber team winning its first-ever MIAC championship. He was also a three-year letter winner on the Cobber men’s hockey team. He was second in assists in 1994 and finished his hockey career with 18 goals and 37 assists for 55 points.
Hashbarger is currently the senior director of Internal Sales at Allianz Life Financial Services, where he has worked for 25 years. In 2021, he was named Allianz Employee of the Year.
Hashbarger and his wife, Lisa, live in Excelsior, Minnesota, with their two children, Dylan and Olivia. As a family they enjoy Minnesota United soccer games, downhill skiing, travel and hosting exchange teachers and students through Minnetonka High School and the Excelsior Rotary Club. They have hosted students from Chile and Germany. The Hashbarger’s are actively involved in Second Harvest Heartland, Feed My Starving Children, as well as Women for Women International. Hashbarger coached youth soccer for eight years at Tonka United.
Andrew Passanante '05
Following a standout senior season in 2004 when he was a leading contributor to Concordia’s offensive juggernaut that finished the season with 11 wins, Andrew Passanante was named to the Football Gazette All-American team. He also earned D3football.com All-American Honorable Mention honors and was a two-time MIAC All-Conference honoree.
In 2004 Passanante led the MIAC in receptions and receiving yards and helped the Cobbers win the MIAC championship, where they advanced to the second round of the NCAA playoffs. He is still the school record holder for receiving yards and receptions in a single season when he caught 74 passes for 1,215 yards in 2004. He is also third on the school’s all-time career receiving yard list with 2,172 yards, fifth in pass receptions, second in receiving touchdowns with 20, and second in receptions per game.
After graduating with a degree in accounting, Passanante worked for Cargill in Minneapolis for seven years before returning to the Fargo-Moorhead area where he now works at Stoneridge Software as controller. He and his wife, Jamie, a Cobber basketball player, are the parents of three children, Fallon, Hayden and Tyden.
After his Cobber playing days, Passanante became an avid golfer. He has qualified for several Minnesota Golf Association championships as well as two United States Mid-Amateur championships. He enjoys teaching his three kids about sports and watching them compete. The Passanante family support many charitable organizations in the Fargo-Moorhead community and believe in giving back to the community.
Nathan Reiff '00
Nathan Reiff was an All-MIAC honoree in two sports at Concordia. In wrestling he earned NCAA All-American honors in 1999 when he placed seventh in the 175-pound weight class. He was one of a small group of athletes in program history to have participated in four NCAA Championship Wrestling meets. He was the last Cobber wrestler to win an individual weight class at the MIAC Conference meet when he claimed the title in the 177-pound weight class in 1997. He was a two year captain of the wrestling squad and was a three-time academic All-American.
He also received MIAC All-Conference First Team honors in football in 1999 when he led the Cobbers in rushing, was second in total offense and third in scoring.
After graduating in 2000, he earned a master’s degree from the University of Montana, while also coaching high school athletics. In 2007, Reiff transitioned into student affairs at the University of Great Falls, now the University of Providence. Over the next 12 years he held several leadership roles at the school, including director of Student Engagement. He later became a business development officer for the Great Falls Development Alliance. Since 2021, he has worked as a commercial lender with First Interstate Bank in Great Falls.
Reiff and his wife, Karen, are the parents of their daughter, Kate. They actively participate in the life of their community. Reiff served on the Great Falls Symphony board for 10 years, including a term as board president. His contributions include being a youth leader at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, a member of the Great Falls school board, NeighborWorks real estate committee, and Young Life advisory board, among other local initiatives.