Tribe of Vikings Hall of Fame
When Steve Miller graduated from Augustana in 1982, he held school records for singles, doubles and total victories. He teamed with classmate John Jevitz to form one of the most potent doubles combinations in school and CCIW history. Tonight he joins Jevitz as a member of the Tribe of Vikings Hall of Fame, becoming just the sixth male inducted primarily as a tennis player.
A 1978 graduate of Rock Island High School, Miller alternated with Jevitz at second and third singles as a freshman in 1979. They were also teamed up in doubles and would eventually ascend to the top slot in Coach Thom Rennie’s lineup. Miller finished the year with an 11-4 singles mark and went 16-4 in doubles. He won championships at second singles and doubles at the All-Lutheran Tournament in Waverly, Iowa and reached the CCIW quarterfinals at number three singles.
Miller won the first two of his six CCIW championships for first-year Coach Bill Allee in 1980 and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player. He won a conference title at third singles and paired with Jevitz to claim the doubles crown at number one. The duo also won at the Cornell Invitational, where Miller was champ at third singles. For the season, he posted an 18-3 record singles record—-just one win shy of the school single-season record at the time—and went 16-2 in doubles. The Vikings finished with a 13-3 dual-meet record and took second at the conference meet for the second year in a row.
Moving up to number two singles as a junior in 1981, Miller went 16-2 and helped Allee’s bunch claim the CCIW team title. Augustana became the first team ever to win all nine flights at the conference meet, with Miller capturing second singles and first doubles (with Jevitz) championships. He lost just six games on his singles title path and was named the league’s Player of the Year.
As a senior, Miller put together another stellar season, winning his third consecutive CCIW singles and doubles crowns and helping the Vikings repeat as team champions. He and Jevitz, as a doubles team, qualified for the national meet in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He finished 1982 with a 12-4 record in singles and a 16-7 mark in doubles.
Miller finished his career as Augustana’s all-time leader in singles wins (57) and total wins (122). Those marks are still 10th and eighth, respectively, in school history. He also shared the record for career doubles wins with Jevitz at 65 each, which currently ties them for seventh all-time as Vikings. Miller and Jevitz accounted for 62 doubles wins together—still a school record—and formed one of just four duos in CCIW history to claim three conference championships at number one doubles. Miller is one of just 13 players in CCIW history to win at least three singles and three doubles titles.
With an overall career record of 122-33, Miller’s .787 winning percentage is tops among the 16 Vikings who’ve won 100 or more matches. His .814 (57-13) career singles mark is best in school history among players with a minimum of 35 victories and his .765 (65-20) doubles percentage ranks 17th all-time among players with at least 20 wins.
Steve and his wife, La Sal, live in Salida, Colorado with their four children. The couple owns and operates the Little Red Hen Bakery in Salida.
