The Gustavus Adolphus College Athletics Department has selected nine individuals for induction into its Athletics Hall of Fame. The 2014 class of inductees includes Tara Joosten Bubar ’98 (Soccer), Stephen Erickson ’99 (Golf), David Jussila ’91 (Tennis), Melissa Ring ’99 (Track & Field), Luke Schmidt ’99 (Basketball), Aaron Smith ’99 (Track & Field), Bob Southworth ’99 (Football, Basketball), Brent Staples ’99 (Football, Hockey), and Dee Swenson (Benefactor). This group will be honored at the Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet, which will be held in Alumni Hall at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 1, following the Hall of Fame football game between the Gusties and Bethel University set to take place at 1:00 p.m. on Hollingsworth Field.
Individuals eligible for induction into the Gustavus Athletics Hall of Fame are athletes, coaches, and benefactors. Selection of athletes is based on athletic achievements while a student at Gustavus. Eight of the nine members of the Gustavus Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2014 will be inducted for their accomplishments on the playing field, while one will be inducted as a benefactor.
Tara Joosten Bubar, a native of Coon Rapids, Minnesota, was a standout goalkeeper on three MIAC Championship teams (1994, 1995, 1996) and three NCAA Tournament teams (1995, 1996, 1997). She played in a total of 75 games compiling a record of 57-15-3 overall with a 0.650 goals against average and a .865 save percentage while also recording 43 shutouts. An all-conference and all-region honoree in 1995, Bubar holds school records in career saves, shutouts, goals against average, and minutes.
Stephen Erickson, a native of Bemidji, Minnesota, played at the top of the Gustavus men’s golf team’s lineup as it shined at both the conference and national levels during the late-1990s. Erickson earned all-conference honors three times — including runner-up performances in 1996 and 1997 — as the Gusties won MIAC Championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998. He led the team at the NCAA Championships in three of his four years, earning All-America honors in 1996, 1998, and 1999. He finished a career-best fifth in the nation in 1999.
David Jussila, a native of Bloomington, Minnesota, was a key singles contributor and a standout doubles player for the men’s tennis teams of the late 1980s and early-1990s. A three-time All-American (1989, 1990, and 1991), Jussila and his doubles partner, Ryan Skanse, won the 1991 NCAA Division III Doubles Championship over No. 2 seeded Tom Dailey and Steve Tignor of Swarthmore in Claremont, California. With four MIAC titles (2 singles, 2 doubles), Jussila helped the Gusties to four consecutive MIAC Championships.
Melissa Ring, a native of Anoka, Minnesota, was the track & field program’s first shot put specialist to consistently compete on the national stage during the late1990s. Ring was the first Gustie to earn All-America honors in the shot put at the NCAA Indoor Championships with a fourth place finish in 1999. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Melissa achieved All-America status in the shot put three times, placing eighth in 1997, fifth in 1998, and sixth in 1999. She won the MIAC indoor and outdoor shot put titles in 1999, and tallied a total of six all-conference honors.
Luke Schmidt, a native of New Ulm, Minnesota, established himself as one of the men’s basketball program’s most lethal scorers in just three seasons from 1996 to 1999. A three-time all-conference performer who also earned all-region honors in 1997 and 1998, Schmidt ranks fifth all-time in scoring at Gustavus with 1,607 points. He holds the school-record in career field goals (663), blocked shots (160), single-season points (604) and field goals (245), and sits fourth in rebounding (785). Schmidt helped the Gusties win MIAC championships in 1996 and 1997, MIAC playoff titles in 1997 and 1998. He was also a part of teams that qualified for the NCAA tournament in 1997, 1998, and 1999.
Aaron Smith, a native of Jackson, Wisconsin, was the track & field program’s first NCAA champion and still remains one of the most decorated throwers in school history. Highlighted by a gold medal performance in the hammer throw at the 1999 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Smith compiled a total of six All-America performances over his career including one indoor and five outdoor in the shot put (3), hammer throw (2), and discus (1). At the conference level, Aaron recorded 14 all-conference performances, which included four indoor titles in the shot put (2) and weight throw (2), and five outdoor titles in the shot put (2) and hammer throw (3). He still holds the school-record in the indoor shot put and outdoor hammer throw.
Bob Southworth, a native of Gibbon, Minnesota, stood out as a quarterback on the football team and a shooting guard on the basketball team. A two-time all-conference performer on the gridiron, he graduated as the school-record holder in career passing yards (7,085), touchdowns (59), completions (561), and completion percentage (56.9%), and still holds records for passing TDs in a season with 31 (1998) and passing TDs in a game with six (1998 vs. Hamline). On the hardwood, Bob was a three-year starter and two-time all-conference selection on Gustavus teams that won MIAC championships in 1996 and 1997 and made NCAA tournament appearances in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999.
Brent Staples, a native of Windom, Minnesota, terrorized opposing offenses as a defensive lineman for the football team during the late 1990s. A two-time all-conference performer in 1997 and 1998, Staples graduated ranked third in school history in tackles with 258 (105 solo) and remains the program’s top tackling defensive lineman. In his senior season, Staples received the Mike Stam Award as the MIAC Lineman-of-the-Year, was named a Football Gazette All-West Region First Team honoree, and received honorable mention on the Football Gazette’s All-America team. He is the football program’s all-time leader in tackles for loss with 67 and ranks second in sacks with 21.5.
Delores “Dee” Swenson, a native of Willmar, Minnesota, was the administrative assistant and office manager for the athletics department from 1974 to 2000. Swenson, the cheery and professional public face of the athletics department, juggled an impressive array of responsibilities including budget manager, travel manager, ticket manager, assistant eligibility coordinator, and NAIA/NCAA Championship liaison to name just a few. It was Swenson’s genuine care for the faculty, staff, and student-athletes and her positive, can-do attitude that was the driving force behind the family atmosphere that existed in the athletics and physical education departments during her 25-year tenure.
The selection of inductees to the Gustavus Athletics Hall of Fame is made by the Gustavus Hall of Fame Board which is a 13-member group consisting of current athletic administrators, and former coaches and alumni.
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