Hall of Fame
In four consecutive years of GSAC and NAIA District Three meets, when Azusa Pacific had two of the fastest sprinters in the entire world running on their teams, Michael Silander never finished lower than third in the 100m or as part of the 4x100m relay team. Davidson and Osmond Enzinwa, twins from Nigeria , not only took first and second in the GSAC and the NAIA National meet, they ran in the sprint finals in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona , Spain representing their country. Davidson made it in the 100m, Osmond as a member of the 4x100m relay team. That’s pretty fast company for conference competition and tough luck timing on Silander’s part. His speed in the 100m all four years would have placed him in the top six for All-American in the last half dozen years.
Silander was and still is the finest sprinter that Point Loma Nazarene University has ever had in the history of track and field. He is the school record holder in the 100m at 10.55. He is a member of the school record holding 4x100 relay team that finished second in the NAIA National Championships in 1990 at 41.23. Silander also has the third best time in school history in the 200m.
Silander’s performances included seven second-place finishes in the GSAC and District Three, the two top meets of each of those years (other than Nationals). He also finished seventh in the 100m in 1990 and eighth in 1991 in the NAIA National Championships. He culminated his career and National Championship performances by attaining All-American status twice as a member of the 4x100m relay teams.
Additionally, Silander was an outstanding student. Chair and professor in the journalism department, Dean Nelson put it this way: “Many people on this campus knew him as a superior athlete. I knew him as a superior athlete and a superior student. As his advisor, I remember being impressed early on by his writing ability. The longer he was here, the more impressed I became. He is a very clear thinker and an outstanding writer. Michael was one of the journalism program’s stars in all ways.”
Silander went on to law school and then passed the California Bar Exam. He is married to the former Daralina Chevez, a PLNU classmate.
The award for Outstanding Achievement by an Athlete was presented to Silander by Bob Brower.
