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.
Dana Peterson Nordberg
Cross Country, Track & Field
Inducted: 2016
One of the featured runners on the Gustavus cross country and track and field teams in the mid-1990s, Dana Peterson Nordberg helped lead the distance running program to national prominence during her impressive four-year career. Nordberg’s fun-loving and upbeat personality was her trademark as she was running at the front of the pack in cross country in the fall and among the leaders in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters on the track in the spring. A highly decorated member of the cross country team, Nordberg earned All-Conference honors in 1994 (11th), All-Region honors in 1993 (25th), 1994 (6th), and 1995 (8th), and All-America honors in 1994 (24th). In 1994, Nordberg was at her best as the Gusties burst onto the national scene earning the program’s first ever NCAA National Tournament appearance and posting a 13th place team finish at the national meet. Nordberg was the first Gustie runner across the finish line earning All-America honors with a 24th place finish. She returned to the national meet in 1995 and posted a 56th place finish. The epitome of the student athlete, Nordberg was a four-time Cross Country Coaches Association Scholar Athlete with a 4.0 grade point average and helped the Gusties post the top team GPA in Division III in 1995 at 3.86.
On the track, Nordberg was a three-time All-Conference honoree in the 3,000 and 5,000 meter runs in both indoor and outdoor track and field. She won the 3,000 meter run outdoors in 1994 and then finished third in the 5,000 meters both indoors and outdoors in 1995. During her track career, Nordberg broke the school records in both the 3,000 and 5,000 meter runs.
After graduating in 1996 with a degree in elementary education and coaching, Nordberg worked in the Osseo School District with at-risk youth. She then went on to teach and coach in the Rockford School District for seven years, while earning her master’s degree in learning technologies at the University of St. Thomas. Nordberg currently works as a high potential teacher at St. Michael Elementary. Dana lives in St. Michael, Minnesota with her husband Mike Nordberg ’93 and their children, Callie and Caden.