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February 8, 2009

Gustavus alumni cheer on Gusties

By Jim Rueda

ST PETER — Over the last 50 years, Reynold ‘Red’ Rehwaldt has seen a lot of changes in the Gustavus Adolphus College campus. Even though he doesn’t get back to St. Peter very often, the community and college rekindle fond memories for the Gustavus graduate of 1952.

Rehwaldt returned to campus Saturday afternoon to watch the Gusties men’s basketball team take on Hamline and to help the school celebrate 100 years of men’s basketball at Gustavus. When Rehwaldt played, in the late-1940s and early 1950s, it was mostly for legendary coach Gus Young.

“Gus was a great coach, he taught us more than just basketball,” Rehwaldt said. “He taught us things that served us well in life, too.”

The 5-foot-10 guard came to St. Peter from Granite Falls where he was a playmaker on a successful high school team.

“I was a feeder, I only averaged about 5.5 points a game in high school,” Rehwaldt said. “But Gus convinced me I could shoot, too. I ended up a two-time All-Conference player.”

Rehwaldt was one of about 50 alumni who made the trip back to campus Saturday. Gustavus head coach Mark Hanson, himself a 1983 Gustavus grad, said he did not stress the centennial celebration with his players.

“We didn’t talk about it much,” he said. “I just told them to consider getting involved because this is all about the tradition of a program they are now a part of.”

Rehwaldt, a 1952 grad, was the oldest among the former players in attendance. Upon graduation, the history major served three years in the Navy during the Korean War. He then went into education, taking a teaching and coaching job at Faribault High School before getting into the administrative side of things.

He eventually had stops at Rochester and Albert Lea, and even served as the superintendent in Mankato from 1980-86 before ending up in School District 196, which covers Rosemount, Apple Valley and Eagan. He is now retired and continues to live in Apple Valley.

“I get down here to games every once in a while, but mostly I try to catch them a couple of times a year when they play in the cities,” he said. “The campus is really beautiful now.”

As for the game of basketball itself, he’s noticed a lot of changes from his playing days.

“The biggest thing is the way they call traveling. We couldn’t turn the ball over with our palms the way they do today. The game’s a lot more physical now, too.

“I’m glad I played when I did. With my size I was better suited to the 40s and 50s.”

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