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.
Ryan Skanse
Tennis
Inducted: 2007
One of the elite players in NCAA Division III tennis from 1988 to 1992, Ryan Skanse won a national doubles title with partner Davie Jussila in 1991 and then finished second in singles at the NCAA championships in 1992. The three-time All-American also recorded a third-place finish in singles in 1991 and a fifth-place finish in doubles with partner Gordon Reid in 1992. At the conference level, Skanse won #1 singles and #1 doubles titles in both 1991 and 1992 and was a key contributor on MIAC championship teams in 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992. He finished his career with an all-time record of 80-38 in singles and 81-25 in doubles. Ryan and his brother Rich (who was inducted in 2005) are both in the Gustavus Athletics Hall of Fame.
After graduating in 1992 with a major in business, Skanse returned to the Twin Cities and started working at the family business, The Douglas Corporation in Eden Prairie, Minn. The Douglas Corporation makes decorative nameplates for automotive and industrial applications. He is currently a plant manager. Ryan and his wife, Erika (Midtbo '94), live in Eden Prairie with their children, Sam, Owen, and Max.