ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Augustana track & field All-American Keith Sands (United Township HS, East Moline, Ill.) added to his list of honors this week when he was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. The $7,500 grant is awarded by the NCAA to "student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who are in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition."
 
Sands is Augustana's 37th Postgraduate Scholar since Jeff Maurus in 1968 and the 18th Viking honored in the last 10 years. He is the ninth of Coach Paul Olsen's track & field athletes to be awarded the scholarship, including seven since 2010. Thinclads David Voland and David Devore were each awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in 2015.
 
The son of Kim and Brad Sands of Silvis, Illinois, Keith graduated on May 22 carrying a 3.78 grade point average with majors in mathematics and secondary education.
 
Sands was this year's CCIW 3000-meter steeplechase champion, coming from behind after the final barrier to win by a nose in a meet-record 9:02.56. That performance—along with his third-place effort in the 5000—was key in helping the Vikings claim the team title by just 3½ points. He followed that up by earning All-America honors with a fifth-place finish in the steeplechase at the NCAA Division III Championships in Waverly, Iowa.
 
Sands was also a national qualifier in the steeplechase in 2014 and the CCIW 5000-meter champion in 2013, when he was named Augustana's Most Valuable Freshman.
 
A four-year letter winner in track & field, Sands also earned four letters in Olsen's cross country program, where he was a three-time MVP and earned Most Valuable Freshman honors in 2012. He was a top-ten finisher at the CCIW Championship for four straight years and a two-time champion at the Western Illinois Invitational. He took eighth at the 2015 NCAA Regional at Saukie Golf Course and finished 53rd at the national meet in Winneconne, Wisconsin.
 
An 11-time CCIW academic all-conference honoree, Sands was a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection in track in 2014. He was also Augustana's male Jack Swartz Award winner for the fall of 2015.