Augustana College Athletics

Four year letterwinner and four year starter from 1970 through 1973…Helped lead Vikings to one of most successful stretched in school history, culminating in a third place finish in the 1973 NAIA national tournament and a 29-2 record in that 1972-73 season…Still ranks as the all-time career scoring leader with 2,035 points and is tops in rebounding as well with 1,335…Ranks eighth on career field goal percentage list with a mark of .548 (827-1508)…He was a first team all-conference selection three times (1970-71, 1971-72 and 1972-73) and was the Most Outstanding Player in the league in both his junior (1971-72) and senior (1972-73) seasons…Helped lead Augustana to conference championships three times (1970-71, 1971-72 and 1972-73)…Led team in scoring all four years and in rebounding three times…Earned NAIA All-American honors in 1972 and 1973…During his career the Vikings were a glossy 89-21 overall and 52-12 in the CCIW…The Carver PE Center opened prior to his junior year and he never tasted defeat in the building, going 29-0 in those two years…Holds Carver Center record for single game rebounding with 26…Team MVP all four years…Invited to 1972 United States Olympic trials…All-Lutheran All-American team three times…Named to all-NAIA District 20 first team three times…Selected to NAIA all-star team that toured Israel…Associated Press All-American as senior…Helped Vikings participate in NCAA playoffs in 1971 and NAIA national tournament in 1972 and 1973…PERSONAL: Has worked at John Deere Harvester Works for the last 22 years where he currently serves as the Manager Production Control…His wife Kathryn have a son Brian and daughters Jennifer and Megan and a granddaughter Dylan…JOHN LAING ON HIS AUGUSTANA YEARS: “I remember the outstanding support that our team received from the college and the Quad City community. Looking back at the basketball class of 1973 I see, arguably, the best class in Augustana’s history. Drew Boster, Mark Brooks, Chuck Menzer, Jim VanDeCasteele with Carl Fricke totaled three CCIW championships, three post season appearances and two trips to the NAIA national tournament in Kansas City.”