Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Track and Field	SIUE Track and Field SIUE Athletics

David Astrauskas

August 1, 2006 Astrauskas Named Head Track and Field/Cross Country Coach         EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - David Astrauskas has accepted the full-time position of Head Men's and Women's Track and Field and Cross Country coach at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, according to SIUE Director of Athletics Brad Hewitt.         Astrauskas, who has been the men's track and field head coach and the women's assistant coach since 2004 on a part-time basis, first joined SIUE in 2002. Since he came to SIUE, the Cougars have won 10 Great Lakes Valley Conference men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field championships.         "I'm really excited about the opportunity to coach on a full-time basis," said Astrauskas. "This has been a personal goal of mine for quite some time."         Hewitt said he was ecstatic that Astrauskas accepted the position.         "He has given up quite a bit in the private sector for the passion of coaching track and field and for the dedication to SIUE student-athletes," he said.         Astrauskas was named the Great Lakes Region's Coach of the Year in 2006 as the SIUE men's track and field team garnered it best finish at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships with seventh place. Astrauskas also was on hand to watch his first national champion as Holly Noller (Pawnee) won the javelin throw and qualified for the U.S. Championships. The SIUE women's team also placed seventh at the 2006 national outdoor meet.         His primary focus previously has been to work with throwers and vaulters. He has coached 10 NCAA Division II All-Americans, 36 NCAA Division II Provisional Qualifying Performances and two NCAA Division II Automatic Qualifying performances.         "The track and field programs have accomplished a lot the past couple of seasons, and I look forward to continued success," said Astrauskas.         He is a certified USATF Level I Coach (2002), a certified USATF Level II coach (2006) and a certified USATF Association Level official (2004).         A graduate of Eastern Illinois University in 2001 with a bachelor of science in Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Astrauskas was an outstanding student-athlete himself. A member of the track and field team at Eastern Illinois, he competed on seven Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) championship teams and earned All-Conference honors five times. He twice earned Academic All-OVC honors while at EIU.         "He is bright and enthusiastic. In a short period of time, David has demonstrated the ability to develop national champions," Hewitt said.                 -siue cougars-