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.
Mindy Mayerchak Oosten
Soccer and Softball
Inducted: 2007
Soft-spoken and mild-mannered in her life outside of athletics, Mindy Mayerchak Oosten changed into a tenacious and fearless competitor once she crossed the lines of the soccer or softball field. The Brooklyn Park, Minn., native was one of the top goalkeepers in the MIAC for the soccer team, and the premier left fielder in the conference for the softball team. A three-year starter in soccer, Oosten was athletic in the nets and anchored the defense with her smart play. She set the school record for wins in a season with 10 during her junior year as she helped the Gusties finish second in the conference (with a record of 8-3-1) and earn the program's first national ranking (17th in the year-end poll). Oosten was named to the all-conference team in her senior season with a sterling goal-against average of 1.03. In the spring, Oosten turned her attention to softball, where she compiled a career batting average of .302 and set the school record for career assists by an outfielder with 16 (a record that still stands). She received all-conference honors in 1986 and 1988. A gifted student, Oosten was also a three-time academic all-conference honoree (1986-88) as well as a First Team CoSIDA Academic All-America selection in 1988.
A magna cum laude graduate with a major in mathematics, Oosten accepted a position as an actuary with the St. Paul Insurance companies immediately after graduation in 1988. Five years later she joined Universal Underwriters in Kansas City as a pricing manager. For the last nine years she has worked for Nationwide Mutual insurance in Des Moines, Iowa. Currently she is an associate vice president of pricing. Mindy lives in Waukee, Iowa, with her husband, Dierck, and their children, Jack, Carly, and James.