Augustana College Athletics

Truly one of the first great distance runners in a long line of them at Augustana…Lettered four times in cross country (1967, 68, 69, 70) and four times in track & field (1968, 69, 70, 71)…CROSS COUNTRY: Was named team MVP three times (1968, 69, 70) and was team captain as senior…Ran in the NCAA College Division (prior to Division III) national meet in 1968, 69 and 70 and finished 29th all three years…Was instrumental in Vikings recording three straight top 20 national finishes, including a 12th in 1970…Had best time of 25:01 over five miles…Was in the top 10 of the CCIW meet all four years (seventh in 1967, third in 1968, second in 1969 and fourth in 1970)…Held three course records during his career – 21:13 over four miles at Beloit in 1967; 21:18 over four miles at Western Illinois in 1968 and 26:47 over five miles at Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1970…Helped Augustana win only two men’s cross country conference championship in school history in 1969 and 1970…At one time held school cross country records over three miles (14:04), four miles (20:04) and five miles (25:01)…TRACK & FIELD: Was CCIW champion in mile in 1969 and runner-up in the three mile in 1970…NCAA national meet qualifier in mile in 1969 with time of 4:16.3…Held school record in three mile with time of 14:20.7…Still ranks third on school’s all-time list in three mile…PERSONAL: Wife Linda and combined family of four children – Jennifer (27), Brad (27), En (25) and Greg (25)…Teacher of physical education in the Rock Island/Milan school system for the last 31 years…Coached girls track & field for the Rocks for 20 years, winning 14 Western Big Six Conference titles and placing in the top 10 of the state meet twice…He coached 50 all-state athletes and one state champion…He was cross country coach for 16 years, winning the conference three times and sectional once…BOB WILSON ON HIS AUGUSTANA YEARS: “Four truly wonderful years. I saw places, people and events that I will never forget. From the bottom of my heart I am humbled and honored to be selected to Augustana's athletic hall of fame. I owe much of my success in my adult life to Dr. Paul Olsen. He along with my parents had the most influence in shaping who I am.”