Gustavus Adolphus College Women's Tennis
Academic Snapshot
Acceptance Rate
62%
Avg SAT
1,320
Avg ACT
29
Enrollment
1,930
Team Information
Sport
Tennis
Gender
Women's
Division
NCAA Division 3
Location
St. Peter, MN
Coaching Staff (3)
Jon Carlson
Head Coach
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Heidi Carlson
Assistant Coach
COACHING RESUME Gustavus Adolphus College - 2008-Present Assistant Women's Tennis Coach and Swanson Tennis Center Director Gustavus Adolphus College - 2007-08 Head Women's Tennis Coach Gustavus Adolphus College - 1994-07 Assistant Women's Tennis Coach PLAYING CAREER Gustavus Adolphus College - 1989-93 NCAA DIII Tennis EDUCATION Gustavus Adolphus College - 1993 B.A. Elementary Education HOMETOWN Hutchinson, Minn. Heidi Carlson has served as the Assistant Women's Tennis Coach for 29 seasons alongside her husband Jon after an impressive playing career for the Gusties. In 2008, Carlson served as the Head Women's Tennis Coach for one year helping the team to an overall record of 25-9, while winning the MIAC Championship and posting a fifth place finish at the NCAA Team Championship. Carlson has helped coach the Gustavus women's tennis team to 21 titles in her time as an assistant coach, creating the most successful NCAA Division III women's tennis program of the last three decades. Alongside her husband Jon, the Gusties have amassed a record of 633-242, making 21 NCAA team appearances, and totaling 40 All-Americans. Last season, the Gusties went 16-11, taking second in the conference with a MIAC record of 9-1. The team advanced to the MIAC playoff championship, where they fell to Carleton 1-5 in the title match. In 2017, Carlson was named the ITA Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year. One of the most tenacious competitors in the history of the women's tennis program, Heidi Rostberg Carlson simply refused to lose when her teammates needed her the most during her standout career. The legend began in the spring of 1990, when Carlson broke a bone in her thumb in the conference tournament and quickly taught herself how to hit with a one-hand backhand as she could not hit her traditional two-hand backhand with a cast on her left hand. Carlson would go on to post a perfect record in NCAA Championship team play (4-0 in singles and 4-0 in doubles) including the deciding doubles point with partner Molly McCormick to help Gustavus win the national championship over UC-San Diego. Carlson helped the Gusties advance to the national championship match three times in her four-year career compiling a record of 13-2 in singles and 15-0 in doubles in NCAA Championship team match play. A two-time All-American (1992, 1993) and four-time MIAC singles champion, Carlson compiled a career mark of 93-32 in singles and 87-17 in doubles. She wrapped up her career by finishing third in the singles draw at the 1993 NCAA Championships. After graduating in 1993 with a major in elementary education, Carlson accepted a position as manager of the Mankato Tennis Club, while also serving as the assistant women's tennis coach at Gustavus. Carlson was a substitute teacher for a couple of years in the Saint Peter Public School system and then was a stay at home mom for ten years while raising three children. She continued to serve as the assistant women's tennis coach at Gustavus during that time. Heidi and Jon '88 both reside in Saint Peter, and have three grown daughters, Calleigh '17, Grace '19, and Josie '22. The Carlsons have made coaching a family affair, as Calleigh serves as an assistant for the Gustavus women's tennis team alongside her parents, while Grace is the head swimming & diving coach at Ripon College in Wisconsin. Hall of Fame Profile Heidi Carlson's Year-by-Year Head Coaching Record Year Wins Losses Win % Postseason 2007-08 25 9 .735 1st // MIAC Playoff Champions // NCAA 5th Place // 2 NCAA Qualifiers 1 Season 25 9 .735 1 MIAC Title
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Cal Carlson
Assistant Coach
COACHING RESUME Gustavus Adolphus College - 2019-Present Assistant Women's Tennis Coach and Assistant Director of Tennis and Life Camps U.S. Open Tennis Championships - 2017-22 Media Relations NFL Network - 2018-20 Superbowl Productions Assistant Tennis and Life Camps - 2015-19 Tennis Professional and Supervisor PLAYING CAREER Gustavus Adolphus College - 2013-17 NCAA DIII Tennis EDUCATION Gustavus Adolphus College - 2017 B.A. Communication Studies and Religion HOMETOWN Saint Peter, Minn. Cal Carlson, a 2017 graduate of Gustavus, is entering her seventh season as an assistant coach for the women's tennis team in 2024-25, coaching alongside her parents, head coach Jon Carlson '88 and assistant Heidi Carlson '93. Last season, the Gusties went 16-11, taking second in the conference with a MIAC record of 9-1. The team advanced to the MIAC playoff championship, where they fell to Carleton 1-5 in the title match. The Gusties have compiled a record of 90-50 during Carlson's time as an assistant, finishing first in the MIAC in 2022. The team has taken second every other year of Carlson's six seasons. While at Gustavus, Carlson was a four-year letterwinner for the women's tennis team. As a student-athlete, Calleigh was selected as the 2017 winner of the MIAC's Chris Evert Award, which is presented to a senior tennis student-athlete with outstanding sportsmanship and exemplary athletic, academic and humanitarian accomplishments. She was also named All-Conference in singles and doubles in her senior year and compiled a career record of 43-25 in singles and 56-33 in doubles play. The Gusties won two MIAC regular season titles and two MIAC Playoff Championships while Carlson was an athlete, advancing to the NCAA championships twice. The team finished in the second round during Carlson's junior year and advanced to the quarterfinals in her senior season. Outside of coaching the women's tennis team, Carlson also serves as the assistant director of the Tennis and Life Camps. She is also certified USPTA Professional and will graduate with her M.S. in sport management from MSU-Mankato in December of 2024. Calleigh lives in Saint Peter, and is one of four coaches in the Carlson family. Outside of her parents, sister Grace '19 also serves as the head swimming & diving coach at Ripon College in Wisconsin.
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