2018 Auggie Awards - Men's Athlete of the Year, Individual Sports Nominees

BRETT BUCKINGHAM (Golf) -- MIAC Championships Co-Medalist, MIAC All-Tournament Team, MIAC Elite 22 Award Winner, MIAC Athlete of the Week; Spring 2017: MIAC Athlete of the Week … In fall half of 2017-18 season, finished tied for medalist honors at the MIAC Championships with a 3-over-par (71-76-72--219) …. Recorded a career-best 54 hole score of (70-70-72--212) at the Berry Univ. Chick-Fil-A Invitational, finishing third … Recorded four top-10 finishes in the fall portion of the season… Led the team and MIAC with a 73.6 stroke average and a .876 win-loss (429-61) percentage … So far this season has scored 77 or better in 13 of his 14 rounds, including a season-best 70 on two occasions … In the spring half the 2016-17 season, recorded four top-10 finishes … Earned MIAC Athlete of the Week honors after setting a new collegiate 36-hole best score for his second meet in a row, shooting a 1-over-par 145 (72-73) leading the Auggies to a third-place finish at the Illinois Wesleyan Invitational.

EMMANUEL EGBUJOR (2017 Outdoor Track & Field/2018 Indoor Track & Field) -- 2017 Outdoor Track and Field, NCAA All-American, NCAA national qualifier, MIAC champion, All-MIAC, USTFCCCA All-Region; 2018 Indoor Track and Field: NCAA All-American, NCAA national qualifier, All-MIAC, USTFCCCA All-Region, USTFCCCA Regional Athlete of the Year, MIAC Athlete of the Week … In 2017 outdoor track, set the school record in the 100-meter dash, qualifying for the NCAA D-III National Championships with a time of 10.62 seconds … Earned runner-up honors in the 100 meters and had the second-fastest time in the 200-meter prelims with a 21.85 clocking at the 2017 MIAC Outdoor Championships ... Became the most decorated men’s track and field athlete in school history with a seventh-place, All-American, finish in the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships with a new school record of 10.54 seconds … In 2018 indoor track, set school records in the 60-meter dash (6.79 seconds) and broke Matthew Shannon’s 14-year-old record in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.08 seconds … Named MIAC Athlete of the Week after his performance at the Bethel Gene Glader Classic ... Finished as conference champion in both the 60- and 200-meter dashes, with the 60-meter time of 6.81 seconds a new MIAC Indoor meet record … Earned All-American honors with an eighth-place finish in the 60-meter dash at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships … Named USTFCCCA Central Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year in 2018.

RYAN EPPS (Wrestling) -- NCAA National Champion (157 Pounds), NCAA All-American, NCAA Upper Midwest Regional champion, D3wrestle.com Wrestler of the Week … Finished 42-1 with 8 pins, 1 technical fall and 6 major decisions … Ended the season on a 26-match win streak ... Qualified for NCAA national championships with title at NCAA Upper Midwest Regional, besting the national No. 3-ranked wrestler in the finals … At NCAA championships, went 4-0 at 157 pounds, including a pin and dramatic 3-1 sudden-victory overtime win in the finals over the No. 2-ranked wrestler… Also won titles at Auggie-Adidas Open, Citrus Open, Cornell Matman Open, Saint John’s North Country Open and UW-Eau Claire Don Parker Open … Earned D3wrestle.com Wrestler of the Week honors after winning the title at UW-Eau Claire and topping top-ranked Logan Thompson of Wartburg in the “Battle of the Burgs” … Ranked as high as No. 1 nationally during the final month of the season.

LUCAS JESKE (Wrestling) -- NCAA National Champion (165 Pounds), NCAA All-American, NCAA Upper Midwest Regional champion, USA Wrestling/TheMat.com Athlete of the Week … Finished 39-1 with 22 pins, 3 technical falls and 7 major decisions … Earned trip to NCAA national championships with 165-pound title at NCAA Upper Midwest Regional, claiming 2 pins and a technical fall … At NCAA championships, claimed the Most Outstanding Wrestler award with a dominant performance, only the sixth Augsburg wrestler ever to earn the honor with three pins and a technical fall in the national title match … Jeske scored more team points at the national tournament than any other Augsburg wrestler in school history … Also claimed tournament titles at the Auggie-Adidas Open, Citrus Open, Saint John’s North Country Open … Ranked No. 1 or No. 2 all season … Earned the USA Wrestling/TheMat.com Athlete of the Week honors after a dominating performance at the NWCA D-III National Duals.