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.
Chad Gustafson
Golf
Inducted: 2017
At his best when the stakes were the highest, Chad Gustafson turned in his finest performances for the Gustavus men’s golf team at the biggest tournaments during his standout career from 1997 to 2001. A gifted shot-maker with the ability to hit nearly any shot on the course, Gustafson moved on to the national scene in his junior season finishing 12th out of 118 golfers at the NCAA Championships earning All-America honors and leading the Gusties to a sixth place team finish. A year later in his senior season, Gustafson played the #1 position, claiming individual titles at the Bemidji State Invite and the Twin Cities Classic, while posting a career best season stroke average of 74.5. He wrapped up his career in memorable fashion posting a career-best 72-hole score of 69-71-77-74—291 (+7), finishing 10th at the NCAA Championships, earning All-America honors for the second consecutive year and leading the Gusties to a fifth place team finish. Gustafson’s single season stroke average of 74.75 in the 2000-01 season ranks fifth all-time and his career stroke average of 75.74 ranks seventh all-time for the Gustavus men’s golf program. As solid in the classroom as he was on the course, he earned Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Scholar Athlete honors in both his junior and senior seasons.
After graduating from Gustavus in 2001 with a degree in financial economics, Gustafson served first as the assistant golf professional and then as the head golf professional at the White Bear Yacht Club. A member of the Professional Golfers Association of America, he is currently the head golf professional at St. Cloud Country Club. Chad lives in St. Cloud, Minnesota with his fiancé Katie Erickson ’02.