The Auggies were honored as a part of the Twins’ “Lutheran Night at the Metrodome” festivities, preceding Minnesota’s 13-2 victory over Oakland. Nine Auggie players and four coaches took the field to be honored. Before a crowd of 35,256, Auggie pitchers Sarah Green (JR, Winnebago, Minn./Blue Earth Area HS) and Melissa Larsen (JR, Andover, Minn.) delivered ceremonial first pitches to Twins first-base coach Jerry White.

Augsburg completed one of its best seasons in school history in 2008, finishing 20-23 overall and 15-7 in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. After finishing 4-34 last season and starting 4-14 this season, Augsburg won 16 of its final 25 games to reach the 20-win mark for the first time since the 1995 season (20-18) and just the ninth time in the last 30 years (since the 1979 season). Augsburg reached the MIAC postseason playoffs for the first time in the event’s five-year history this year, while also reaching the postseason for the first time since 1984.

Head coach Tim Gormley was named the conference’s Coach of the Year, while four Auggie players earned conference awards. Third baseman Jennifer Castillo (FY, Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn HS) was named the MIAC’s Rookie of the Year and earned All-MIAC honors, along with Auggie infielder/pitcher Tiffany Magnuson (JR, Green Bay, Wis./Notre Dame Academy HS) and catcher Ashley Westerman (SR, Bemidji, Minn.). Infielder Jolene Ross (SR, Arden Hills, Minn./Mounds View HS) was named to the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team. Magnuson was also named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III All-Midwest Region third team as an at-large selection, while Westerman, a physics and mathematics major with a 3.57 grade-point average, was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 5 College Division second team.

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the individual and team successes of the 2007-2008 season. While in

past years, men’s and women’s athletic departments have each held their

own end-of-season banquets, this ceremony combined the team and individual

awards.

There were differences in the structure of the event, most notably that senior athletes were recognized in a reception hosted by President Paul Pribbenow and Athletic Director Jeff Swenson before the main ceremony. The reception commemorated the seniors’ years of participation, awards, and honors. Regarding this acknowledgment, senior women’s soccer player Erin Gave said, “It was a great way to end the year for the seniors. I really enjoyed it; my favorite part was definitely how they made the seniors stand out.”

Senior men’s basketball player Derek Francis agreed, adding, “I really enjoyed it and am glad it was a little different than in past years. It was nice that the organizers rewarded the seniors for their commitment to Augsburg athletics. It was also really enjoyable seeing everyone dressed up and all the sports mingling.”

First-year women’s basketball player Shannon Renne said that while this was her first experience with an awards banquet at Augsburg, it is an event she now looks forward to next year. A recipient of the Female Rookie of the Year Award, Renne said, “I thought the Auggie Awards were a lot of fun and it was a great way to get all of the athletic teams together and celebrate the successful seasons. It was an honor to win the award, and it was a great opportunity to be able to come in and contribute as a freshman this year.”

Another award recipient for Female Outstanding Athlete of the Year, dual-sport athlete Tiffany Magnuson, said that while she was happy to have received the award, she felt equally as shocked. Magnuson said, “I feel honored to have been nominated for the award. All the nominees deserved recognition, and to win was truly unexpected.” In addition to the excitement of being honored with such an award, Magnuson added that she was pleased overall with the structure of the awards, drawing a parallel between the banquet and the athletic community at Augsburg.

“I thought the Auggie Awards ceremony was a great idea, and that it was a nice way to end the school year and have all the teams come together. That’s what Augsburg Athletics is about: coming together to support one another…we support each other by going to each other’s

games and events, and we should therefore acknowledge one another’s accomplishments,” said Magnuson.

Below are the award-winners in each category given on Monday night.

For full biographies of the winners, go to

• Men’s Honor Athlete (Co-Award Winners) — Nick Manders (SR, De Pere, Wis./West De Pere HS), Men’s Soccer; and Jason Weber (SR, New Prague, Minn.), Football
• Women’s Honor Athlete — Jackie Keller (SR, Traverse City, Mich./Traverse City West HS), Women’s Soccer/Women’s Hockey
• Men’s Outstanding Athlete of the Year — Royce Winford (JR, Brooklyn Park, Minn./Osseo HS), Football
• Women’s Outstanding Athlete of the Year — Tiffany Magnuson (JR, Green Bay, Wis./Notre Dame Academy HS), Women’s Hockey/Softball
• Men’s Rookie of the Year — Craig Henry (FY/SO, Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS), 2007 Baseball
• Women’s Rookie of the Year — Shannon Renne (FY, Nicollet, Minn.), Women’s Basketball
• Men’s Team of the Year — Wrestling (10-2-0 in dual meets, 3rd at NCAA Division III National Championships, 3rd at NWCA Division III National Duals, 1st at NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional)
• Women’s Team of the Year — Women’s Soccer (9-7-3 overall, 7-3-1 MIAC–3rd/12, MIAC playoff qualifier)
• Men’s Most Improved Team of the Year — Football (5-5 overall, 3-5 MIAC–5th/9 in 2007; 1-9 overall, 1-7 MIAC–8th/9 in 2006)
• Women’s Most Improved Team of the Year — Volleyball (13-16 overall, 4-7 MIAC–9th/12 in 2007; 11-17 overall, 2-9 MIAC–t11th/12 in 2006)
• Outstanding Academic Team — Women’s Track and Field, 3.51 team GPA (pictured above)
• Men’s Student-Athlete with Highest GPA — Kevin Graff (SR, Red Wing, Minn.), Men’s Golf, 3.912 GPA
• Women’s Student-Athlete with Highest GPA — Tori Bahr (JR, Brainerd, Minn.), Women’s Cross Country, 4.00 GPA

Article by Katie LaGrave

Slide show of photographs taken by Stephen Geffre at the 2007-2008 Auggie Awards.

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