Athletic Hall of Fame
The Gustavus Adolphus College Hall of Fame was established in 1978 at which time 19 "Charter Members" were inducted either as coaches or as athletes. As of the fall of 2022, 348 individuals (321 athletes, 16 coaches and 11 benefactors) have been elected to the Hall of Fame.
The former Hall of Fame room on the second floor of the Lund Center was originally partially endowed by the families of both Dwight Holcombe's (the only father/son combination holding membership in the Hall). The hardwood plaque upon which the individual plates are permanently displayed, now in the Hall of Champions, was donated by the family of former football coach and Hall of Fame member Jocko Nelson, who passed away in 1978.
Jay Soule
Baseball
Inducted: 1999
One of the most talented and versatile players in Gustavus baseball history, Jay Soule was the top pitcher, starting shortstop, and cleanup hitter on three MIAC Championship teams in 1978, 1979, and 1980. On the mound, Soule finished his career as the program's winningest pitcher with a record of 23-5 and an earned run average of 3.24. In the field, he ranks seventh in career assists with 116, and at the plate, he ranks seventh in career batting average at .324, fourth in runs batted in with 75, and fourth in home runs with 10. Soule, who is one of only four Gustavus baseball players to have been named to the all-conference team three times, was a starting pitcher and shortstop on the 1980 Gustavus team that tied a school record for wins with 24 while winning the MIAC title and the school's first ever NAIA District title. In that record-breaking season, Soule compiled a pitching record of 11-0 with a 2.18 earned run average and a batting average of .329 with nine home runs.
After graduating with a degree in elementary education, Soule went on to teach and coach in the Danube-Renville-Sacred Heart, Shakopee, and Belle Plaine school districts. Soule left teaching in 1994 to become a textbook sales representative with Scott Foresman Publishing and he has been with them ever since. He continued to play baseball after college, participating in state amateur baseball. Soule was a part of the Chaska team that won the state championship in 1987. He has been selected to the all-state amateur team five times. Jay lives in Victoria, Minnesota, with his wife, Lynn, and their three children, Ryan, Kristi, and Jeff.