Craig Bosch,
Tommy Flyger,
Nick Ovenden and
Nick Skibsted have been selected by their teammates as captains for the 2006 Augustana football season. All four players will be seniors this fall.
Bosch is a defensive lineman from Luverne, Minn., who will enter his fourth season in the starting lineup. He received All-North Central Conference honorable mention accolades in 2005 after earning All-NCC First Team honors in 2004. He was second on the team in tackles last season with 63. That included a team-high 12 tackles for loss, a team-high 5 sacks, 1 pass break up, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery.
Flyger is a senior quarterback from Sioux Falls, S.D. In his first season as a starter in 2005, Flyger completed 200 out of 360 passes for 2,341 yards. He also threw 23 touchdowns with only 5 interceptions. Flyger was also the Vikings' leading rusher, gaining 688 yards on 137 attempts. He also scored 5 touchdowns on the ground. In the process, he was an All-NCC honorable mention selection.
Ovenden is a senior linebacker from Sioux Falls. As the Vikings' starting middle linebacker in 2005, Ovenden led the team in tackles with 99, including 57 solo stops. He tied Bosch for the team lead with 12 tackles for loss, while collecting 4 sacks, 1 interception, 1 pass break up, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. He earned a spot on the All-NCC Second Team in the process.
Skibsted is an offensive lineman from Storm Lake, Iowa. After spending two seasons as a reserve, Skibsted emerged as the Vikings' starting center in 2005 in addition to being the team's long snapper. He helped anchor a line that averaged 389 yards per game and ranked third in the NCC in sacks allowed (21).
Augustana compiled a 6-5 overall record in 2005, the Vikings' first winning season since 2002. The Vikings open the 2006 season on Thursday, August 31 at home against Northern State University. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Howard Wood Field.
