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Assistant Coach - Throws
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Assistant Coach - Men's and Women's Track & Field
Second Season
dla@athletics.wisc.edu
Dave Astrauskas, who specializes in coaching the throws and pole vault, begins his second season on the University of Wisconsin men's and women's track and field coaching staffs in 2011.
| The Astauskas File |
| Name: David Astauskas |
| Age: 32 |
| Hometown: Troy, Ill. |
| Alma Mater: Eastern Illinois, 2001 |
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| Coaching Experience |
| Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Edwardsville, Ill. |
| • Head Coach, Men's Track & Field, 2005-2009 |
| • Head Coach, Women's Track & Field, 2007-2009 |
| • Assistant Coach, Men's Track & Field, 2002-2005 |
| • Assistant Coach, Women's Track & Field, 2002-2007 |
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Astauskas by the Numbers
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| Division II Coach of the Year Honors: 14 |
| 2006 |
USTFCCCA Great Lakes Regional
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M-Outdoor
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Great Lakes Valley Conference
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M-Indoor
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Great Lakes Valley Conference |
W-Outdoor
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2007
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USTFCCCA Great Lakes Regional |
M-Indoor
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Great Lakes Valley Conference |
M-Indoor
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Great Lakes Valley Conference |
W-Indoor
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Great Lakes Valley Conference |
M-Outdoor |
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Great Lakes Valley Conference |
W-Outdoor
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2008
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USTFCCCA National
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W-Indoor
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USTFCCCA Great Lakes Regional
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W-Indoor
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Great Lakes Valley Conference |
M-Indoor
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Great Lakes Valley Conference |
W-Indoor
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Great Lakes Valley Conference |
M-Outdoor
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Great Lakes Valley Conference |
W-Outdoor
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| Elite Athletes |
• Holly Noller - 2006 NCAA Division II national champion in the javelin
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• Alicia DeShasier - Finished 5th in discus at 2008 USA Olympic Trials and 4th at 2009 USA Championships
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| • Brian Bishop - Top American finisher in discus at 2008 IAAF World Junior Championships |
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Championships
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• 18 Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships
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• 29 Individual Conference Championships
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| Individual Awards |
• 28 All-Americans
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• 101 Total All-America Honors
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Astrauskas came to Madison from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, where he served as head coach of the Cougars' men's and women's track and field and cross country teams. His official capacity will be as part of the UW women's track and field staff, but Astrauskas also will work with the Badgers' throwers and pole vaulters on the men's side.
Astrauskas spent the past three seasons leading both the men's and women's programs at SIUE, which currently is undertaking the transition to NCAA Division I competition. He has been head coach of the Cougar men since 2005, after three years as an assistant, and also was an assistant on the women's staff from 2002-2007.
Named the Division II National Women's Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for the 2008 indoor season, Astrauskas also earned three Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year honors from the USTFCCCA.
During his tenure in Edwardsville, he also was named Great Lakes Valley Conference Coach of the Year 10 times, including sweeps of all four conference coaching honors -- men's and women's, indoor and outdoor -- in both 2007 and 2008.
"I'd like to thank Coach Stintzi and Coach Nuttycombe for the opportunity to join such a great program," Astrauskas said. "I'm excited because Madison is great place, the University of Wisconsin is an outstanding academic institution, and because there is such a rich track and field tradition here."
As part of the NCAA transition process, the Cougars were not eligible for post-season competition this year, but Astrauskas helped SIUE to a total of 18 Great Lakes Valley Conference championships in Division II competition during his first seven seasons on campus.
The Cougars' men's teams won five-consecutive outdoor conference titles from 2004 to 2008, and Astrauskas saw his athletes earn 29 individual conference crowns.
Astrauskas guided the Cougars to a fourth-place finish at the 2008 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships, the best showing in school history. The SIUE women's 4x400-meter relay team took home a national title at that meet, as well, and the Cougars totaled 16 All-America honors between the men's and women's teams.
The Cougars followed that performance up by claiming a combined 19 All-America accolades at the Division II outdoor championships in 2008.
In all, Astrauskas' teams at SIUE produced 28 All-Americans. Those athletes combined for a total of 101 individual All-America honors in just five seasons. In the 30 years prior to Astrauskas' arrival, the Cougars' men's program had produced just five All-Americans, while the women's team had just three.
"Dave had a tremendous amount of success at SIUE, and he has shown a great ability to build a national-caliber program," Stintzi said. "His record of developing athletes that are ready to compete on the national stage is very impressive, as well."
Among the athletes Astrauskas developed at SIUE was Holly Noller, who won a national title in the javelin in 2006, and Alicia DeShasier, who was fifth at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials and most recently finished fourth at the 2009 USA Outdoor Championships.
On the men's side, Astrauskas coached Brian Bishop, who was the top finishing American in the discus at the 2008 IAAF World Junior Championships following his freshman season at SIUE. He also helped develop Scott Block into a three-time All-American and the Division II national leader in the discus in 2008. A former conference athlete of the year, Block also holds the SIUE school records in the indoor and outdoor shot put, weight throw, discus and hammer throw.
A 2001 graduate of Eastern Illinois University, Astrauskas earned degrees in biological sciences and chemistry while competing for the Panthers on the track. He was a 12-time scorer in Ohio Valley Conference championships competition for the Panthers, including a pair of runner-up finishes, and was part of seven OVC championship teams.
