Renae Hartl to step down as athletics director while continuing as head Norse softball coach
Hartl will continue in her dual role until the selection of the next Norse AD.
Funds raised on Nov. 21 will provide critical operating support for Luther’s 22 intercollegiate teams and 500 Norse student-athletes.
“With both the NCAA and the American Rivers Conference set to add women’s wrestling as a championship, the moment to join in is now,” Athletic Director Renae Hartl said.
Surrounded by more than 90 prospective student-athletes and their families, Luther College current student-athletes broke a wall to mark the launch of construction on the $24 million Gerdin Fieldhouse for Athletics and Wellness.
A 2024 Luther graduate, Bilal will compete for Team USA, facing some of the best young powerlifters in the world, in the 2024 World University Powerlifting Championships in Tartu, Estonia, July 23–27.Â
“As we approached the Board of Regents for approval of the final plans, we took the opportunity to think bigger,” said President Jenifer K. Ward.
“We work hard to provide an environment where we exercise our minds in classes and labs, and we stress and push and exercise our bodies as part of overall wellness and a strong tradition of NCAA Division III athletics,” said Athletic Director Renae Hartl.
During the day on Nov. 16, student-athletes from each sport reached out to alumni, family members and other supporters of Norse athletics through text messages. Lara Welter, a senior Norse softball player and mathematics major with a concentration in secondary education, had the chance to connect with alumni who played softball, in addition to her former coaches.
“Athletics is what brought me to Luther,” said Dennis Birkestrand. “They showed an interest in me when I was a high school player, and without that, I probably wouldn’t have gone to college. I feel strongly about encouraging Luther to always have a very strong athletic program.”
Gifts made on Nov. 16 will be matched dollar-for-dollar by more than $130,000 in matching funds pledged by One Team Day challenge sponsors. In 2022, Luther raised $310,000 from more than 1,100 donors on One Team Day.