Favorite topics

January 5, 2011

2010 Season - 2010 MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY REVIEW

Senior Matt Bowman led the Vikings in 2010 and he earned NCAA Division III All-American honors by placing 32nd in the national meet.

Senior Matt Bowman (Geneva HS, Geneva, Ill.) etched his name into the history of Augustana cross country in a big way in 2010. He became the first Viking to earn All-American honors since David Nellis turned the trick in 1996 when he finished 32 nd in the NCAA Division III national meet in Waverly, Iowa on November 20. Bowman covered the 8,000 meter course in 24:52.6, which was just 30 second behind the winning time of 24:22.2 turned in by Anders Hulleberg of Haverford.

Bowman was outstanding throughout the season, leading Augustana in seven of the eight meets he competed in. He started the year with a second place performance in the Western Illinois Invitational in Macomb, Illinois on September 3 and he continued through the national meet, which was two and half months later. He took fourth in the Brissman/Lundeen Invitational at home on September 24 and followed that with an 11 th place finish at the Wartburg Invitational on October 9 in Waverly, Iowa.

Showing his remarkable consistency and durability, he was 15 th at the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Invitational on October 16 and took ninth in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin championship at home on October 30. Heading into a Midwest Regional that featured nine teams ranked in the top 35 in NCAA Division III, Bowman understood the task in front of him. He placed 14 th in a time of 24:35, which was 35 seconds faster than he had run on the same Saukie Golf Course at the Brissman/Lundeen meet in September and 17 seconds better than his time at the conference meet just two weeks earlier.

He was Augustana's lone representative at the national meet but he showed his mettle throughout the race, shaving a minute and a half off his time on the same course from the Wartburg Invitational on October 9.

Not surprisingly, Bowman was named the Most Valuable Performer for the Vikings in a vote of his teammates at the conclusion of the season. He shared the leadership role of captain for 2010 with fellow seniors Sean Carmody (Winnebago HS, Winnebago, Ill.) and Brad Keating (Cary-Grove HS, Cary, Ill.) .

This was the 45 th season for head coach Paul Olsen and once again, the Vikings were among the best in NCAA Division III. Augustana won the Western Illinois Invitational on September 3 to open the year as six runners wearing the Blue & Gold finished in the top 10. Although the WIU Invitational would be the only meet the Vikings would win, they were always around the top.

Augustana took second at the Brissman/Lundeen Invitational on September 24 and fourth in both the Illinois Intercollegiate Championship on September 17 in Normal, Illinois and the Wartburg Invitational on October 9 in Waverly, Iowa. In the Illinois Intercollegiate meet, the Vikings defeated three NCAA Division I teams and lost only to the Big 10's University of Illinois, North Central, which would finish second in NCAA Division III and Division I Illinois-Chicago.

The Vikings were seventh at the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Invitational on October 16 and placed second in the CCIW meet on October 30 at home. In the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional, competing in what most “experts” agreed was the toughest regional in the country; Augustana finished eight with 227 points.

While Bowman was named the team's Most Valuable Performer, sophomore Nathan Smith (Fenton HS, Bensenville, Ill.) and senior Eric Erspamer (Bartlett HS, Bartlett, Ill.) shared the Most Improved Runner award. Smith fought his way into the top seven and had a best finish of 11 th in WIU Invitational. He also ended up as the team's fifth man at the CCIW meet by finishing 21 st . Erspamer competed in five meets and had a 25 th at the WIU Invitational.

Bowman shared the Most Inspirational honor with fellow team captain Keating. Keating ran in five meets and had a ninth place finish in the WIU Invitational. Matt Cwiok (Hersey HS, Mount Prospect, Ill.) and Isaac Trostle (Willowbrook HS, Lombard, Ill.) were the co-winners of the Most Valuable Freshman award and Cwiok also took home the honor as the Most Improved Freshman. Captains-elect for 2011 will be seniors-to-be Thomas Christian (Port Angeles HS, Port Angeles, Wash.) and Mike Tisza (Hersey HS, Prospect Heights, Ill.) .

Sophomore Jonathan Smith (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) earned All-Conference honors with his 11 th place finish in the CCIW meet as did Tisza by taking 16 th in 25:18.2. Augustana finished the year ranked 31 st nationally in NCAA Division III by the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association and ranked seventh in the Midwest Region.

2010 CCIW MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP

October 30, 2010 **** Saukie Golf Course***** Rock Island, Illinois

TEAM SCORES

INDIVIDUAL TOP 15 (plus Augustana finishers)

2010 AUGUSTANA CROSS COUNTRY SUPERLATIVES

NCAA DIVISION III NATIONAL MEET: Senior and captain Matt Bowman earned NCAA Division III All-American honors by finishing 32 nd at the national meet on November 20 in Waverly, Iowa…Bowman became Augustana's first All-American since David Nellis in 1996 when he toured the 8,000 meter course in 24:52.6.

NCAA DIVISION III MIDWEST REGIONAL: Augustana finished eighth out of 39 teams in the Midwest Regional, hosted by the Vikings at Credit Island Golf Course in Rock Island on November 13…The 39 team field featured nine teams that were ranked in the top 35 nationally in NCAA Division III….Matt Bowman placed 14 th and qualified for the national meet.

NCAA DIVISION III NATIONAL RANKING: The Vikings finished the season ranked 31 st in NCAA Division III by the US Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association.

NCAA DIVISION III MIDWEST REGIONAL RANKING: Augustana was ranked seventh in the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional by the US Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association

INVITATIONAL FINISHES

Western Illinois Invitational on 09/03 in Macomb, Illinois – 1 st of 7 with 21 points

Illinois Intercollegiate on 09/17 in Normal, Illinois – 4 th of 32 with 151 points

Brissman/Lundeen Invitational on 09/24 in Rock Island, Illinois – 2 nd of 26 with 55 points

Dan Huston Invitational on 10/09 in Waverly, Iowa – 4 th of 24 with 152 points

Wisconsin-Oshkosh Invitational on 10/16 in Winneconne, Wisconsin – 7 th of 37 with 199 points

CCIW Championship on 10/30 in Rock Island, Illinois – 2 nd of 8 with 67 points

INDIVIDUAL TOP 10 FINISHES

Western Illinois Invitational on 09/03 in Macomb, Illinois – 2 nd , Matt Bowman in 26:11…3 rd , Jonathan Smith in 26:14…4 th , Billy Wisser in 26:19…5 th , Mike Tisza in 26:27…8 th , Brian Pollastrini in 26:44…9 th , Brad Keating in 26:46.

Brissman-Lundeen Invitational on 09/24 in Rock Island, Illinois (Saukie Golf Course) – 4 th , Matt Bowman in 25:10.9…8 th , Mike Tisza in 25:24.2.

CCIW Conference Cross Country Championships on 10/30 in Rock Island, Illinois (Saukie Golf Course) – 9 th , Matt Bowman in 24:52.

Luther JV Cup on 11/06 in Decorah, Iowa – 5 th , Justin Smith in 26:48.6…7 th , Ryan Miller in 26:55.5…8 th , Tommy Harris in 26:57.2.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

CCIW ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE: Matt Bowman, Tyler Busch, Thomas Christian, Eric Erspamer, Thomas Harris, Brian Pollastrini, Brandon Shaver, Jonathan Smith, Justin Smith, Nathan Smith, Billy TenBusch, Mike Tisza

MOST VALUABLE RUNNER – Matt Bowman

MOST IMPROVED – Nathan Smith, Eric Erspamer

MOST VALUABLE FRESHMAN – Matt Cwiok, Isaac Trostle

MOST IMPROVED FRESHMAN – Matt Cwiok

MOST INSPIRATIONAL – Matt Bowman, Brad Keating

CAPTAINS FOR 2010 – Matt Bowman, Sean Carmody, Brad Keating

CAPTAINS-ELECT FOR 2011 – Thomas Christian, Mike Tisza