Tribe of Vikings Hall of Fame
One of the top throwers in the history of Augustana’s storied track & field program, David Dempsey’s legacy as a Viking includes a pair of school records, three team Field MVP awards, three All-America performances and Augustana Senior Athlete of the Year recognition. Those accomplishments have earned him inclusion in the Tribe of Vikings Hall of Fame Class of 2014.
Dempsey was a star football player at Newman Catholic High School in Sterling, Illinois, helping the Comets win a state championship in 1994 and earning All-State honors from the Chicago Tribune in 1995. At Augustana, the 6’ 5½”, 270-pound Dixon, Illinois native focused on track & field as a member of legendary Coach Paul Olsen’s program. He was named the Vikings’ Most Valuable Freshman in 1997, finishing third in the CCIW with a shot put of 51’ 4”, the fourth-best performance in school history at the time. That effort also qualified him for the national meet.
As a sophomore in 1999, Dempsey won his first team Field MVP award. He set an outdoor school record of 54’ 8¼” in the shot which still stands and again qualified for the national meet, where he just missed All-America honors with a ninth-place mark of 53’ 10½”.
During his junior season, Dempsey again collected team MVP honors for field events. He also earned his first two All-America certificates with fifth-place national finishes in both the indoor (52’ 11”) and outdoor (52’ 11½”) shot. His 54’ 2½” heave at La Crosse, Wisconsin on February 5 established an indoor school record which still stands.
Dempsey was an All-American in the shot again as a senior, with a sixth-place (53’ 7¾”) national finish outdoors. He was second in the shot at the CCIW meet, where he added a sixth-place finish in the discus. He was the Vikings’ MVP for field events for the third consecutive year and was selected as Augustana’s senior Athlete of the Year.
After graduating from Augustana in 2001 with a degree in public administration, Dempsey worked at Dixon Glass Co. in Dixon, Illinois. For the last 10 years, he has worked for the Woodstock, Illinois Police Department. A patrolman and K-9 handler, he was named Woodstock’s Officer of the Year in 2009. He currently resides in Poplar Grove, Illinois.
About his time at Augustana, Dempsey stated, “Great memories, great experiences and great friendships from a great school.”
