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.
Duke Paluch
Tennis
Inducted: 2010
An athletic singles and doubles player with a high-powered serve and volley game, Duke Paluch was a two-time All-American on the dominant Gustavus men's tennis teams of the early 1980s. Paluch burst onto the scene his freshman season (1981) winning the MIAC #1 doubles crown with Per Ekstam and the NAIA District doubles title with John Gambucci. He also played #2 doubles with Ekstam on the team that finished third at the NCAA Championships that year. In his junior season (1983), Paluch won the MIAC title at #6 singles and earned First Team All-America honors with doubles partner Mark Kruger as the unseeded duo advanced all the way to the semifinals of the NAIA Doubles Draw before falling to the eventual national champions in three thrilling sets. Paluch saved his best for last as he played #1 singles and #1 doubles on a squad that finished second at the NCAA Championships and sixth at the NAIA National Tournament in the Spring of 1984. He earned All-America honors for the second year in a row with doubles partner Mark Kruger.
After graduating in 1984 with a major in finance, Paluch accepted a position as assistant tennis professional at the Boulder Country Club in Boulder, Colorado where he taught tennis and administered all league play. In 1987, Paluch was named the head tennis professional at the Millenium Harvest House (MHH) Tennis Center in Boulder. He has since held the positions of Director of Tennis, Head Tennis Professional, and Club Manager at MHH. Paluch is a Certified Level 1 Tennis Professional with the United States Professional Tennis Association. Paluch is also co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Tennis Center, which is located in Louisville, Colorado and has a projected opening date of January 2012. Duke and his wife Marty live in Superior, Colorado with their sons Matthew and Thomas.