SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The 1991 men's cross country team along with Rod Vollan, Darren Paulson and Midcontinent Communications will receive special recognition at the Augustana Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet Oct. 14 at the Holiday Inn City Centre in downtown Sioux Falls. A social hour begins at 6 p.m. with dinner at 7. Tickets are $30. For reservations call 274-5420.
Led by Sioux Falls Lincoln graduate, Matt Kiesow, the 1991 men's cross country team won the North Central Conference and Central Region championships and finished seventh at the NCAA Division II competition. It was the first conference title in the history of the men's program and the highest finish in national competition.
Vollan, who retired earlier this summer after 26 years with the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, will receive the Ole Odney Award. The award honors an alumna or alumnus of Augustana for significant achievements in coaching, athletic administration, recreation, or youth athletic work. It is named in honor of Ole Odney, Augustana men's basketball coach and HPER teacher from 1948 to 1966.
Paulsen, activities director at Rapid City Central High School, will receive the L.A. “Lefty” Olson Award. The award recognizes significant lifetime service or achievement in athletics or athletic administration. It is named in honor of Lefty Olson, who coached and taught at Augustana from 1931 to 1968.
Midcontinent Communications will receive the Milt and Clara Harvey Award. The award cites outstanding contributions of time, service and financial support to Augustana athletics.
Coached by Rob Kinnunen, the 1991 Augustana men's cross country team was ranked in the top 10 nationally throughout the season and held the top spot for one week. Kinnunen was named NCC and Central Region Coach of the Year.
Joining Kiesow on the 1991 team were Carl Fritz, Tea, S.D.; Carl Cramer Jr., Hill City, S.D.; Phil Biteler, Sioux Falls; Matt Bien, Veblen, S.D.; Randy McVean, Duluth, Minn.; Chris Silva, St. Paul, Minn.; Todd McCallum, Rochester, Minn.; Keith Maloney, Sioux Falls; and Per Frederick Pharo, Olso, Norway.
Kiesow earned All-America honors three times – 1989, 1990 and 1991. In three national competitions he finished 19th, 17th and 8th. He won the individual title at the 1991 NCC and Central Region championships with a time of 31 minutes, 37 seconds for 10K.
Fritz claimed All-America honors by finishing 17th in 1991, while Biteler posted a 23rd place finish in 1990 to earn All-America recognition.
Following Kiesow (8th) and Fritz (17th) at the 1991 NCAA Championships were Cramer (46th), Biteler (67th), Bien (76th), McVean (93rd), and Silva (112th).
ROD VOLLAN, class of 1981, retired in June 2011 after 26 years in the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nev. He coached in the football and basketball programs at Cimarron-Memorial High School since the school opened in 1991. Vollan was the Spartans' varsity football coach for three years, posting a 20-14 record. His 2009 team notched two playoff wins and earned a trip to the Sunset Regional. Vollan was an assistant in the late 1990s when Cimmarron played in three-straight football state championship games, winning titles in 1988 and 1999. The Spartans lost to Reno's McQueen High in the 1997 finals. The following year Cimarron won the rematch with McQueen. In basketball, Vollan was an assistant with the school's 1994 state championship team, the first Cimarron squad to win a state title. Cimarron also rallied to win state in 1999, narrowly qualifying for the playoffs and then running the table. His classroom achievements included a nomination for Nevada Teacher of the Year. Rod and his wife, Karen, live in Las Vegas.
DARREN PAULSON, class of 1988, was named 2010-11 athletic director of the year by the South Dakota High School Coaches Association. In athletic jargon, Paulson has touched all the bases – teacher, coach, official and administrator. He has completed seven years as activities director at Rapid City Central following 10 years as activities director at Lead-Deadwood. In Rapid City he has managed state tournaments for golf, tennis, gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, wrestling, cross country and track and field. He is the recipient of the 2008 National Federation National Citation Award, the 2009 NIAAA State Award of Merit, the 2003 Assistant Principal of the Year, the Lead-Deadwood High School Hall of Fame, the 2001 Assistant Football Coach of the Year and the 2001 Regional Athletic Director of the Year. For Paulson, the most satisfying development recently is the addition of two new varsity-sized basketball courts, three-lane jogging track, and weight room at RCC. Darren and his wife, Lynn Wald-Paulson '89, live in Rapid City.
