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.
Luke Benoit
Golf
Inducted: 2019
A technician of the game with a brilliant golf acumen, Luke Benoit played a major role in Gustavus’s success on the conference and national stage from 2000-04. Benoit captured three All-America honors and capped his career by taking second place individually at the 2004 NCAA Championships, leading the Gusties to the national team title. He was one of two golfers to shoot under par (for 72 holes) at the 2004 national meet and tied the school record for lowest 18-hole score by shooting a seven-under-par 65 in the final round.
Benoit, a dynamic golfer with a creative approach, was honored as the 2003-04 Gustavus Male Athlete of the Year. A two-time All-Conference selection, he registered 15 top-five finishes in his standout career. The consummate team player, Benoit helped the Gusties place second at the MIAC Championships and fifth at the NCAA Championships in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, followed by consecutive MIAC team titles his junior and senior years. In addition to his excellence on the course, Benoit was also a standout in the classroom, earning First Team CoSIDA Academic All-America honors his senior year.
After graduating cum laude in 2004 with a major in financial economics, Benoit served as the head women’s golf coach at St. Olaf College from 2007-13. Since 2015, he has been the Director of Instruction at Interlachen Country Club in Minneapolis. Benoit earned a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota and hopes to complete his doctorate in kinesiology by the end of this academic year. Luke and his wife Courtney live in South Minneapolis with their sons Leo and Gus.