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May 28, 2009

2009 Season - Decker, Ekberg and McMillan claim awards

Seniors Kyle Ekberg (Rockford Christian HS, Rockford, Ill.) and Ted McMillan (Erie HS, Cordova, Ill.) and junior Darin Decker (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) took home top honors for the 2009 Augustana men’s track & field team, it was announced today. Ekberg and McMillan shared the Most Valuable Track honor while Decker was the solo winner of the Most Valuable Field award.

Ekberg was the top sprinter for the Vikings as he anchored both the 400 and 1600 relays and recorded the team’s top time in the 400 with a clocking of :48.79. He helped both the 400 and 1600 relay teams win College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin titles on May 2 in Kenosha, Wisconsin at Carthage College. The 400 unit clocked :42.61 and the 1600 team ran 3:18.09. He was also second in the open 400 with a time of :48.79. During the indoor season he earned NCAA Division III All-American honors in the 400 with a time of :49.59 at the national meet where he placed seventh.

McMillan was a multiple event standout as he competed in the hurdles and the high jump. Until an injured hamstring hampered him, he was a fixture on the 1600 relay. McMillan qualified for the NCAA Division III national meet in the high jump (6’ 9”), the 110 high hurdles (:14.81) and the 400 hurdles (:52.84). He won CCIW titles in the high jump and the 110 high hurdles and was second in the 400 intermediates. He graduates from Augustana with a grand total of 18 individual or relay conference championships and he earned NCAA Division III All-American honors 12 times. He won the high jump and the 400 intermediate hurdles at the 2007 NCAA national meet outdoors. This past winter he was second in the national indoor meet in the pentathlon and was fifth in the high jump. He was a first team ESPN – The Magazine Academic All-American as a junior and has been nominated for that honor again as a senior.

Decker was named the Most Outstanding Field competitor at the 2009 CCIW outdoor meet when he won the discus (151’ 2”) and the hammer (180’ 4”) and was second in the shot put (48’ 9”). He also qualified for the NCAA Division III meet in the hammer throw with a toss of 182’ 5”.

Greg Davis (Carlinville HS, Carlinville, Ill.) was named Most Valuable Freshman for track events while Phil Christensen (Kaneland HS, Maple Park, Ill.) took the same award for field events. Davis won the 400 intermediate hurdles in the CCIW with a time of :54.99 and was third in the 110 high hurdles in :15.57. Christensen established a new school record in the discus when he uncorked a throw of 170’ 7” at the Augustana Twilight Qualifier on May 15 at the Paul V. Olsen Track. He earned NCAA Division III All-American honors when he placed sixth in the discus at the national meet on May 23 in Marietta, Ohio.

Seniors Evan Holschbach (Princeton HS, Princeton, Ill.), Andy Kubiak (Bloomington HS, Bloomington, Ill.) and Steve Sulfridge (Wheaton North HS, Wheaton, Ill.) shared the Most Inspirational Athlete award. Holschbach had the fastest 200 time on the team this year when he ran :22.15 at the Wartburg Select Meet on April 4. A leg injury cut short his season after that. Kubiak won the 3000 meter steeplechase at the CCIW meet and earned NCAA Division III All-American honors with a fifth place finish in 9:05.36. That is the third fastest time in school history. Sulfridge was an All-American as a junior in the pole vault and struggled all season long with back troubles. He cleared 15’ 4 ¼” in the final meet of the year.

Junior Max Petersen (Mundelein HS, Mundelein, Ill.) was named the Most Improved Performer. Petersen won the 100 (:10.97) and 200 (:22.42) as well as handling the leadoff leg on the victorious 400 relay (:42.61).  

Six seniors-to-be will serve as captains for 2010. They are distance runner Dan Bailey (Deerfield HS, Deerfield, Ill.), middle distance runner Nick Borchert (Ankeny HS, Ankeny, Iowa), Decker, jumper Nate Maass (Naperville Central HS, Naperville, Ill.), Petersen and distance runner Chris Zook (Normal Community HS, Normal, Ill.).

2009 AUGUSTANA VIKINGS TRACK & FIELD LETTERWINNERS