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.
Todd Bowlby
Tennis
Inducted: 2013
A true embodiment of Head Coach Steve Wilkinson's three crowns philosophy of positive attitude, full effort, and good sportsmanship, Todd Bowlby was the golden boy and face of the Gustavus men's tennis dynasty in the 1990s. A standout from the moment he stepped onto campus in 1994, Bowlby was a student of the game, a true sportsman, and a proven leader. In his four years on the hill, the Gustavus men's tennis team went a combined 100—28 overall and 40—0 in the MIAC. The Gusties won four MIAC Championships and competed in theNCAA Tournament four times—advancing to the quarterfinals in 1995, and semifinals in 1996 and 1997.
Tireless and unshakeable under pressure, Bowlby consistently frustrated and outlasted opponents with penetrating ground strokes and a strong baseline game. Playing at the top of the lineup from the start, the Minneapolis Washburn product was named an ITA All-American and became the first player from Minnesota to be named the National Rookie of the Year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) following the 1995 season. Bowlby earned All-America honors all four years of his career, becoming one of only three players in program history to accomplish such a feat. He finished runner-up in the 1996 NCAA Singles Tournament, 1997 ITA Singles Tournament, and 1998 ITA Doubles Tournament. Bowlby won four MIAC No. 1 singles titles, two No. 2 doubles titles, and took the No. 1 doubles titles in 1996 and 1998. To this day, he is the only player to win the ITA Midwest Regional Singles Championship all four years.
After graduating in 1998 with a degree in health fitness, Bowlby worked as a tennis teaching professional at the Flagship Athletic Club and Eden Prairie Lifetime Athletic Club for 12 years. In 2010, he accepted a position at the Wright Group in Eden Prairie where he currently works as a manufacturing representative. Todd lives in Savage with his wife, Angie (Dudeck) '98, and children, Sami and Addie.