Wisconsin Badgers

Meet Dave Astauskas

Hometown: Troy, Ill.

Alma Mater: Eastern Illinois, 2001

Family: Wife Katie; Son Zane; Daughter Nora.

Coaching Experience

University of Wisconsin

• Assistant Coach, Track & Field, 2009-Present

Southern Illinois - Edwardsville

• Director, Track & Field and Cross Country, 2007-2009

• Head Coach, Men's Track & Field, 2005-2007

• Assistant Coach, Men's Track & Field, 2002-2005

• Assistant Coach, Women's Track & Field, 2002-2007

Astauskas by the Numbers

Coach of the Year Honors: 23

2005 | Great Lakes Valley Conference | M-Outdoor

2006 | USTFCCCA Great Lakes Regional | M-Outdoor

2006 | Great Lakes Valley Conference | M-Indoor

2006 | Great Lakes Valley Conference | W-Outdoor

2007 | USTFCCCA Great Lakes Regional | M-Indoor

2007 | Great Lakes Valley Conference | M-Indoor

2007 | Great Lakes Valley Conference | W-Indoor

2007 | Great Lakes Valley Conference | M-Outdoor

2007 | Great Lakes Valley Conference | W-Outdoor

2008 | USTFCCCA National | W-Indoor

2008 | USTFCCCA Great Lakes Regional | W-Indoor

2008 | Great Lakes Valley Conference | M-Indoor

2008 | Great Lakes Valley Conference | W-Indoor

2008 | Great Lakes Valley Conference | M-Outdoor

2008 | Great Lakes Valley Conference | W-Outdoor

2014 | USTFCCCA Great Lakes regional | M-Indoor

2015 | USTFCCCA Great Lakes regional | M-Indoor

2015 | USTFCCCA Great Lakes regional | M-Outdoor

2022 | USTFCCCA Great Lakes regional | W-Indoor

2024 | USTFCCCA Great Lakes regional | M-Indoor

2024 | USTFCCCA Great Lakes regional | M-Outdoor

2025 | USTFCCCA Great Lakes regional | M-Indoor

2025 | USTFCCCA Great Lakes regional | M-Outdoor

Elite Athletes

• Danny Block - Four-time NCAA All-American, two-time Big Ten Champion, five-time All-Big Ten honoree, three-time US Championships Qualifier Personal Bests: Shot Put - 65-7; Discus - 200-4

• Kelsey Card - 2016 and 2021 U.S. Olympian in discus, 2016 NCAA discus champion, seven-time first-team NCAA All-American, seven-time Big Ten champion, Big Ten record-holder in discus, 2012 USA Olympic Trials qualifier, four-time US Championship Qualifier, fourth in the shot put at the 2014 USA Outdoor Championships, fourth in the discus at the 2015 USA Outdoor Championships, U.S. U-23 National Team Member, two-time gold medalist at 2014 NACAC U-23 Championships Personal Bests: Shot put - 60-10 3/4; Discus – 208-5; Weight Throw - 72-7 3/4; Hammer Throw - 202-4

• Alicia DeShasier - Gold medalist at 2011 Pan Am Championships, 4 consecutive top-5 finishes at USA championships, 2008 & 2012 USA Olympic Trials qualifier Personal Best: Javelin - 191-10

• Michael Lihrman - NCAA Division I indoor weight throw record holder, No. 3 all-time weight throw in the world, 2014 & 2015 NCAA Division I national champion in the weight throw, two-time Big Ten champion in the weight throw, Big Ten weight throw and hammer throw record holder, three-time NCAA first-team All-American Personal Bests: Weight Throw - 83-11 1/4; Hammer Throw – 247-0

• Chloe Lindeman -  Six-time NCAA All-American, B1G Champion, school record holder in the weight throw and hammer, ranks No. 15 on the NCAA all-time list for the weight throw Personal Bests: Weight Throw – 78-0; Hammer Throw – 222-9

• Josie Schaefer - Nine-time NCAA All-American, 2021 Olympic Trials Finalist, school record holder in the indoor shot put and outdoor shot put, ranks No. 8 on the NCAA all-time list for the outdoor shot put Personal Bests: Shot Put - 62-3 1/4; Discus - 188-3

• Jason Swarens - Six-time NCAA All-American, two-time Big Ten champion, US Championships Qualifier, Olympic Trials Qualifier, 2024 NCAA Runner-Up & 2025 NCAA Champion in the outdoor shot put Personal Bests: Shot Put - 70-1.50; Weight Throw – 71-2 Hammer Throw – 213-9

• Taylor Kesner - 2025 NCAA Weight Throw Champion, three-time NCAA All-American. Personal Bests: Weight Throw - 77-1.25; Discus - 189-9; Javelin - 171-10

• Joseph White - Three-time NCAA DI All-American, All-Big Ten honoree, US Championships Qualifier. Personal Bests: Shot Put - 66-8.50; Discus - 203-8; Weight Throw - 76-6.50

Championships

• 2012 & 2014 Big Ten Conference men's outdoor champions, 2013, 2014, 2023 and 2024 Big Ten Conference men's indoor champions

• 18 Great Lakes Valley Conference championships

Dave Astrauskas, one of the nation's top throws coaches, enters his 17th season on the University of Wisconsin men's and women's track and field coaching staff in 2025-26. His expertise spans across all of the throwing events as he has coached an NCAA All-American in each of the men's and women's throwing events. 

Astrauskas, a 24-year veteran of the collegiate coaching ranks, has elevated the Badgers' throws program, consistently putting athletes on the podium in Big Ten championships and advancing qualifiers to NCAA competition while re-writing Wisconsin’s and the Big Ten’s record books. Astrauskas’ record-breaking athletes have also altered the NCAA Division I record book as well.

• 2 Olympians 
• 6 NCAA Champions
• 4 NCAA Runners-Up
• 1 NCAA Collegiate Record
• 6 NCAA Top 10 All-Time Performances
• 101 NCAA Division II All-Americans
• 69 NCAA Division I All-Americans
• 5 Big Ten Conference Records
• 11 Wisconsin Records
• 17 Big Ten Champions
• 28 All-Big Ten Conference honors
• 118 NCAA Outdoor Preliminary Round qualifiers
• 20 USA Track & Field Championships qualifiers
• 16 USA Track & Field U20 Championships qualifiers
• 6 Olympic Trials Qualifiers
• 5 Medalists in International Competition

The 2025 season was a banner year for Astrauskas and the Wisconsin Badger throwers, as they scored 27 points at the NCAA Championships. During the 2025 outdoor season, Wisconsin had a NCAA 1st Round Qualifier in every throwing event. Jason Swarens and Taylor Kesner led the way by each winning NCAA individual titles. Swarens was the 2025 Big Ten champion in both the indoor and outdoor shot put, breaking the school's indoor and outdoor shot put records. Swarens best outdoor markm of 70-1.5 (21.37m) ranks No. 18 all-time in NCAA history. Leading the way for the women was Kesner, the 2025 NCAA champion in the weight throw with a heave of 76-6.5 (23.50m). Kesner also earned All-American honor during the outdoor season in the discus and the javelin. Astrauskas also guided Joseph White and Chloe Lindeman to outdoor school records in the discus 203-8 (62.08m) and hammer 222-9 (67.89m). The 2025 season produced two NCAA individual champions, 11 NCAA All-American awards, 13 NCAA 1st round qualifiers, four Wisconsin school records, and two Big Ten Champions. 

Leading the way among the Badger throwers is Kelsey Card, who was the top American finisher in the women's discus at the 2016 Summer Olympics and became the first UW female field athlete to claim a NCAA title, winning the discus at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She also won four Big Ten titles her senior year and was named the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Championship as well as the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year. Card was named the 2015 Big Ten Indoor Field Athlete of the Year and the 2015 Big Ten Indoor Field Athlete of the Championships. She finished fourth in the discus at the USA championships and placed seventh at the 2015 Pan American Games.

On the men's side, Michael Lihrman set the collegiate record in the indoor weight throw with a toss of 83-11 1/4, which ranks No. 3 in world history. He went undefeated during the 2015 indoor season, winning his second NCAA title in the event. During the outdoor season, He broke his Big Ten record in the hammer with a mark of 247-0 and finished runner-up at the Big Ten meet. Lihrman was named USTFCCCA Great Lakes Indoor Field Athlete of the Year, the Big Ten Indoor Field Athlete of the Year, and the Big Ten Indoor Field Athlete of the Championships.

Most recently, the Badger throwers were led by Josie Schaefer, Chloe Lindeman, and Jason Swarens. Schaefer’s outdoor shot put mark of 18.98m (62’-3.25”) is ranked #8 on the NCAA All-Time List while Chloe Lindeman’s performance of 23.77m (78’) in the weight throw is ranked #15 All-Time in the NCAA. Jason Swarens posted an outdoor shot put mark of 20.54m (67’-4.75’) which broke his own school record and placed him on the 2023 US U23 National Team where he took the silver in Costa Rica. In 2024, Jason Swarens was NCAA runner-up in the shot put at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

In 2023 Astrauskas’ coaching influence expanded across the globe as he served as the keynote speaker for the Philippine Sports Commission at the 5 Throws for All Clinic in Manila, Philippines. Astrauskas presented over a 4 day period on training theory and technique for each of the five throwing events.

While coaching the men's pole vault from 2010-13, Astrauskas coached Mickey DeFilippo to a UW outdoor school record in 2011.

Leading the Cougars

Astrauskas came to Madison from Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville, where he served as Director of Track & Field and Cross Country for the Cougars. SIUE made the transition to NCAA Division I during Astrauskas' final season at SIUE. He was head coach of the Cougar men since 2005, after three years as an assistant, and also was an assistant on the women's staff from 2002-07.

Astrauskas was named the Division II National Women's Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for the 2008 indoor season, He also earned three Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year honors from the USTFCCCA.During his tenure in Edwardsville, Astrauskas also was named Great Lakes Valley Conference Coach of the Year 11 times, including sweeps of all four conference coaching honors -- men's and women's, indoor and outdoor -- in both 2007 and 2008. Astrauska helped SIUE to a total of 18 Great Lakes Valley Conference championships in Division II competition during his first seven seasons on campus.

Astrauskas guided the Cougars to a fourth-place finish at the 2008 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships, the best showing in school history. The Cougars totaled 16 All-America honors between the men's and women's teams. In all, Astrauskas' teams at SIUE produced 101 individual NCAA All-America honors in just five seasons. In the 30 years prior to Astrauskas' arrival, the Cougars' men's program had produced just five All-Americans, while the women's team had just three.

A 2001 graduate of Eastern Illinois University, Astrauskas earned degrees in biological sciences and chemistry while competing for the Panthers. He was a 12-time scorer in the Ohio Valley Conference for the Panthers and was part of seven OVC championship teams. Astrauskas is a USA Track & Field Certified Level II coach in the throws and is also a NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).

Dave and his wife, Katie, have a son, Zane, and a daughter, Nora, and reside in Sun Prairie.