David Astrauskas just completed his third season as the head coach of the men's and women's track and field and cross country teams.Astrauskas, who had 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.SIUE takes Astrauskas back to his roots where he was a standout on seven Ohio Valley Conference championship track and field teams at Eastern Illinois.SIUE has grown in stature under Astrauskas' guidance. Winners of 18 Great Lakes Valley Conference indoor and outdoor track and field championships since he came to SIUE, Astrauskas has earned 11 GLVC Coach of the Year trophies. He has been named Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year three times (2006, 2007 and 2008) and was named the National Coach of the Year at the 2008 Indoor Championships.The year 2008 was a big one for Astrauskas. He led the Cougars to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships, the highest finish by a Cougar track and field team. Individually, SIUE has now had three national champions. Holly Noller was first in the javelin in 2006.As a head coach, Astrauskas also has helped manage a handful of athletes who have taken their careers to the next step. Alicia DeShasier, who posted the longest throw among javelin throwers in 2007 among NCAA Division II athletes, placed fifth at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials. Brian Bishop, who had just finished his first season at SIUE, was the top American thrower in the discus at the 2008 IAAF World Junior Championships in PolandAstrauskas' primary focus has been the field events with emphasis on the throws and pole vault. He has seen his throwers and vaulters break almost all of the SIUE school throwing and vaulting records. He has coached 29 Conference Champions, 58 NCAA Division II Provisional Qualifying Performances, six NCAA Division II Automatic Qualifying performances, and 18 NCAA D II All-Americans.Astrauskas is a USATF Level II certified coach and is also a USATF association level certified official. He holds a strength and conditioning certification with American Fitness Trainers Association and is also a USA Weightlifting certified Club Coach.
