Eric Akin was a three-time Big Eight champion and a four-time NCAA All-American for Iowa State, which named him “Male Athlete of the Year” in 1994. He represented the United States in the World Championships in 1999 and was an eight-time national champion. Akin was a silver medalist at the 2000 World Cup and twice was an alternate for the Olympics. He was a three-time state champion for Bishop Miege High School in Overland Park, Kansas, and currently is the head coach for Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kansas.