Tribe of Vikings Hall of Fame
Cherie Peterson Clark came to Augustana thinking basketball would be the sport in which she could have the greatest impact, and while she was a four-year letter winner and an all-conference performer for the Viking cagers, her accomplishments on the soccer pitch eclipsed those that she had on the hardwood.
After riding the soccer bench at St. Charles High School in St. Charles, Illinois, Peterson decided to focus on basketball as an Augustana freshman in the 1997-98 school year. However, her future college roommate encouraged her to try out for Coach Krisan Steiger’s soccer program, which she did as a sophomore. She made the team of course, and went on to be the most prolific scorer in Viking history to this day.
Peterson Clark, 13 years after her graduation, still owns the top three single-season goal and point totals in the 22-year history of women’s soccer at Augustana. At the time of her graduation, she was fifth in NCAA Division III history with a career average of 1.41 goals per game. In addition, she ranked eighth in career points per game (3.05), 17th in career goals (79) and 26th in career points (171). A two-time team captain and MVP, she is the school’s all-time record holder by substantial margins of 28 goals and 58 points and is currently tied for ninth in career assists, with 13.
After averaging 5.8 points per game as a freshman for Coach Diane Schumacher’s cagers, Peterson’s soccer odyssey began in the fall of her sophomore year. All she did that season was score a school-record 26 of the team’s 49 goals for an 11-6-1 Augustana outfit. She was named the Vikings’ Offensive MVP and to the All-CCIW first team after leading the league in goals (nine) and points (21). Back on the hardwood that winter, the 5’ 8” guard led Schumacher’s squad with an average of 13.5 points per game and 52 steals, earning third team All-CCIW honors.
As a junior, Peterson led the nation with a school-record 34 goals in 20 matches, an average of 1.70 per game. She added six assists, tying for the top spot in the nation with 74 points and ranking third with an average of 3.70 per match. She had two five-goal matches and scored a total of nine goals in back-to-back wins over Wisconsin-Platteville and Monmouth. She served as a co-captain and was named the Vikings’ MVP. She repeated as a first team All-CCIW pick, was the conference Offensive Player of the Week twice and won the league’s Jack Swartz Award.
Peterson wrapped up her remarkable soccer career in 2000 with another 19 goals and four assists, recording hat tricks against Elmhurst and Principia. She earned first team All-CCIW honors for the third year in a row. The senior co-captain repeated as team MVP and a Jack Swartz winner and was named a second team CoSIDA Academic All-American.
In addition, Peterson earned her final two basketball letters playing for Coach Lisa Robinson as a junior and senior.
After graduating from Augustana in 2001 with a major in sociology and a minor in Spanish, Peterson went on to earn a Master of Social Work from Saint Louis University in 2003. She worked as a Program Specialist and Manager of Law Enforcement Training for the Alzheimer’s Association in Florida. That position involved providing support and education to caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s as well as training law enforcement in search and rescue techniques for missing persons with dementia. She also worked as a medical social worker for Gentiva Home Healthcare.
Peterson Clark also held coaching positions with the Florida Olympic Development Program, Eastside High School in Gainesville, Florida—where she was the Gainesville Sun’s Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2009—and the Leg-A-Z Soccer Academy.
Cherie jokes that her current job—stay-at-home mother of sons Tyler, Griffin and Maddox—entails a list of responsibilities too long to list. She lives in Moline, Illinois with her boys and husband J.C.—a 2000 graduate of Augustana. Since 2011, she has also served as an assistant coach for the highly-successful Augustana women’s soccer program led by Head Coach Scott Mejia.
“My husband J.C. and I will always look back at our years at Augustana and love the memories that come to mind,” said Peterson Clark. “Our boys, as they grow up, will probably hear a little too much about how great Augustana is. My experiences at Augustana shaped me in every way imaginable. Academically, I was able to pursue my passion of helping others. Spiritually, I grew immeasurably and laid the foundation for the rest of my life in my walk with Christ. Socially, I formed friendships that both challenged me and supported me and athletically, I was given memories that I will always be able to look back and smile upon. I am so very grateful for every experience at Augie and for all the people here who shaped me along the way.”
