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.
Eric Butorac
Tennis
Inducted: 2018
One of the best tennis players to ever don the Three Crowns, Eric Butorac was a driving force in the Gustavus men’s tennis program’s standing as a national powerhouse from 2001-03. Butorac stood up to the challenge of facing the top players in the country, winning both the NCAA singles and doubles championships in 2003 on his home court as Gustavus served as the host site. Butorac and doubles partner Kevin Whipple became the second duo in Division III history to advance to the NCAA finals in both singles and doubles the same year.
An outstanding attacker with a nasty serve, Butorac was a five-time All-American from 2001-03 and was the NCAA singles runner up in 2001. He was the first recipient of the Athletic Department’s highest honor, being named the inaugural Gustavus Male Athlete of the Year in 2001. Butorac was a key cog in Gustavus’s 2003 ITA indoor national championship, winning both his singles and doubles contests in the title match against Emory.
In the most pressure-packed situations, Butorac always played with an air of calmness. The Rochester, Minnesota native never lost a conference match during his career, going 16-0 in MIAC singles and 12-0 in MIAC doubles, earning two All-Conference awards. Butorac finished his singles career 77-16 and went 70-13 in doubles. During Butorac’s three seasons at Gustavus, the Golden Gusties won three MIAC team titles, finished fourth at the NCAA Championships in 2001, and took third at the national tournament in both 2002 and 2003. He also won the ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award in 2003.
After graduating in 2003 with a degree in psychology, Butorac was an ATP Tour professional from 2003-16. He won 18 ATP titles and played in the men’s doubles finals at the 2014 Australian Open. He was also a semifinalist at the 2008 US Open and 2014 French Open Mixed Doubles. Since 2016, Butorac has been the Director of Pro Tennis Operations and Player Relations at the USTA. Eric and his wife Maggie live in Greenwich, Connecticut with their sons, Jack and Charlie.
*Eric and his father, Tim ’75, who was inducted in 1995, become the second father-son duo in the Gustavus Hall of Fame joining Dwight M. and Dwight N. Holcombe.