Augustana College Athletics

Bill Johnson graduated from Augustana in June of 1953 after compiling a brilliant four year career as a competitor in track and wrestling. He left campus with a degree, a wife-to-be and the nickname “Squirt”.

As a high jumper and hurdler he was good but as a pole vaulter, he was great. He was the conference champion in the pole vault as a junior and senior. During his junior season he set the conference record in the pole vault with a clearance of 12’ 11 ½”. Remember, this was in the days of the steel pole vault poles. He also won the Viking Olympics in the pole vault both as a junior and as a senior.

In wrestling he made it through four years with only four losses in dual meet competition. He was undefeated as a senior and suffered just one loss as a junior. During his senior season he won the highly competitive Wheaton Tournament. As a junior he was suffering from an injury but he won his semi-final match at the Wheaton Tournament using just one arm. He was forced to forfeit in the finals.

He served as team captain in both 1951-52 and 1952-53. During his junior year he lost by only point to a wrestler from Cornell who eventually won the NCAA Division I national title and was named the “Most Outstanding Wrestler”.

Johnson was elected senior class president and after he graduated from Augustana he went on to earned a Master’s in ecology from the University of Illinois. He eventually became a teacher at Rockford Guilford High School.