Alumni from swimming, soccer get together

Along with all the special celebrations of Augustana’s Homecoming 2022, alumni swimmers and soccer players had their own reunions.

Augustana men’s soccer was established as a varsity sport in 1979, with Kurt Anderson ’72 at the helm. Team members from those early days joined Coach Anderson at the Augustana men’s soccer game Saturday night. They were recognized at half-time on the field as the early trailblazers who started the ball rolling at Augie.

“It was wonderful to re-connect with so many friends from my Augustana soccer days," said former team captain, Steve Odenkirk ’83. "These were transformational people in my life, and I have nothing but the fondest of memories of my time with them."

He said he appreciated the assistance of the Alumni Relations Office in helping facilitate the get-together and hoped that other teams might have the same experience.

Augustana swimmers from the 1980s also came back to celebrate their days in the pool and to see the Anne Greve Lund Natatorium in the new Peter J. Lindberg, M.D., Center for Health and Human Performance.

Not content to sit on the sidelines, many of the swimmers took part in the annual alumni swim meet, including Coach Mike Hollway. While no score was kept, the alumni swimmers held their own, some still displaying the speed that led to conference and state titles in both the men’s and women’s programs 40 years ago.