The Aurora University Athletic Department named its 2010-2011 male and female Athletes of the Year at the annual Spartan Sports Spring Banquet on Monday, May 16, 2011. The awards, as voted on by staff members of the AU Athletic Department, were presented to senior football/men's track and field student-athlete
Mike Langhurst (Merrillville, Ind./Merrillville H.S.) and senior women's soccer/track and field student-athlete
Cait Hartman (Parker, Colo./Ponderosa H.S.).
On hand to honor these two fine student-athletes were Aurora University Vice President for Student Life Lora de Lacey; Director of Athletics
Mark Walsh; and members of the spring sports teams, their families and friends.
AU Head Track and Field Coach
Ryan Chapman and Head Women's Soccer Coach
Kanute Drugan led the festivities by recognizing the Female Athlete of the Year winner. The Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Year, Hartman was named National Soccer Coaches Association of America Third-Team All-Region in the Central Region. Additionally, Hartman was named NAC First-Team All-Conference.
Hartman started in all 23 games for the Spartans at the important sweeper position in the AU defense. The AU defense allowed 19 goals, with 12 shutouts and a 0.82 goals-against average. The AU women's soccer program made its seventh NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship appearance in the past 10 seasons. On the season, the Spartans outscored their opponents 80 to 19 (23 games). The Spartan women finished 2010 with a 16-6-1 overall record and captured their 12th conference title in the 17 seasons of the program's existence.
As a track and field performer, Hartman has set four indoor records and five more for the outdoor season. She set NAC records in the triple jump at the 2011 outdoor meet and set the meet record in the long jump as well.
Chapman and AU Head Football Coach
Rich Duncan followed by announcing the Male Athlete of the Year recipient. Langhurst was named an American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) 2010 Division III Football All-American as a defensive back. AU finished the season with a 7-3 overall and 5-2 record in the Northern Athletics Conference.
In addition to his All-American honor, Langhurst was named 2010 D3football.com Second-Team All-North Region and Northern Athletics Conference First-Team All-Conference. In his final season with the Spartans, Langhurst led the country
with 13 pass break-ups; an AU record-tying 10 interceptions, which is tied for third best in Division III, including one he returned for a touchdown; and 30 tackles.
As a track and field athlete, Langhurst has been the AU sprints captain for the past two seasons and is the emotional leader of the Spartans, who finished second in the indoor and outdoor NAC Championships. He is a record holder for the Spartans in one indoor track category.
