2010 AFCA DIVISION II PRESEASON POLL
WACO, Texas - The Augustana football team received votes in the first American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches' Poll of 2010 released Monday. The Vikings earned 13 votes in the inaugural rankings of the season.
Northwest Missouri State, the defending national champion, took the No. 1 spot with 645 points and 22 first-place votes.
Augustana was one of six Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference teams to make the top 25 or receive votes. Conference neighbors Minnesota Duluth (No. 4), Minnesota State (No. 21), Bemidji State (56 votes), St. Cloud State (17 votes) and Wayne State (Neb.) (one vote) also made an appearance in the poll.
The Vikings open practice for the 2010 campaign on Saturday. First-year head coach
Mike Aldrich expects to welcome just under 100 student-athletes to campus.
Augustana returns nine all-conference performers from last season's 8-4 (7-3 NSIC) team. Senior runningback
Joe Clark, senior wide receiver
Tyler Schulte, junior wide receiver
Sam Holsen and senior offensive lineman
Tyler Lynch highlight the Vikings' experienced offensive corps. The defense is anchored by a host of veteran personnel in junior defensive linemen
Brady MacIver and
Eric Bergman, senior linebackers
Chris Janisch and
Andrew Keel and junior defensive back
Nick Andreas.
Augustana opens the 2010 season on Sept. 4 when the Vikings host St. Cloud State in a non-conference contest at 1 p.m.
