Kooiker, Snitker each sign National Letter of Intent to play football ...

A pair of Waukon football seniors signed their talents on to their respective collegiate programs during National Letter of Intent Signing Day Wednesday, February 2. Pictured at right are, left to right, Elliot Kooiker and Lincoln Snitker, both of whom helped lead the Indians to a 10-2 season record this past fall, along with the program’s fourth consecutive undefeated District Championship and its fifth consecutive advancement to the Class 2A State Play-Off Semifinals.

Snitker -
Snitker signed his letter of intent to play at Winona State University in Winona, MN, a NCAA Division II program that plays in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference South Division. Recruited to play inside linebacker, he will be joining his older brother, Mitchell, a 2018 Waukon High School graduate who played defensive back for the Warriors this past fall as a redshirt sophomore. The brothers have each been instrumental in the current string of five consecutive State Semifinals berths for Waukon football, Mitchell being a senior on the Indians’ 2017 State Championship team and Lincoln being a junior on the grid Tribe’s 2020 State Championship squad.

Lincoln was named the Defensive Back Most Valuable Player for Class 2A District 4 this past fall, being named a First Team All-District Linebacker. He was also named a First Team All-State Class 2A Linebacker by the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association and The Des Moines Register, as well as being named the All-Area Defensive Player of the Year by The Gazette in Cedar Rapids.

“I’ve been exposed to the program for the past four years with my brother being up there,” Lincoln explained of his choice to sign with Winona State. “It’s just a great family atmosphere up there within the program and on campus. I’m very excited to be a part of it.”

Lincoln said he plans to study Mathematics at Winona State University, with the possibility of venturing into the area of Actuarial Science. He is the son of Ted and Lisa Snitker of Waukon.

Kooiker -
Kooiker signed his football talents on with the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND, a NCAA Division II program that plays in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference North Division. He will continue providing protection as an offensive lineman, Kooiker noting that the Marauder coaching staff said he will initially work at the same tackle position he played for the Indians in high school before also learning the guard position to become more versatile on the offensive line.

Noting that he didn’t really know much about the program until they reached out to him, Kooiker said he “absolutely loved” the coaches and the campus when he made an unofficial visit to the University of Mary. “Then when I made my official visit, that just reaffirmed how much I loved the campus and the coaching staff, and getting to hang out with some of the players was a really great time, so it just felt like a great fit for me,” Kooiker said of his decision to join the Marauder program. “Their offense is super simple - Power, Zone, Pin and Pull. I’m excited to be a part of it all.”

Kooiker was named a Class 2A District 4 First Team All-District Offensive Lineman following his senior season this past fall with the Indians. He said he plans to study Civil Engineering at the University of Mary. Kooiker is the son of Evan and Sherry Kooiker of Waukon.