Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Macalester

Located in St. Paul, the Scots of Macalester at one time had a very competitive wrestling program within the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), winning team titles in 1948, 1949, 1950, 1959 & 1960.   They were also quite competitive on an individual level within the NAIA.  Today the Scots are NCAA Division III. 

Glen Clark
157 lbs 

Clark was an NAIA All American for the Scots in 1964, taking fifth place honors. 

Bill Snyder

During his career at Macalester Bill Snyder only knew loss once winning 100 of 101 matches.  He was a four time MIAC champion winning titles in 1947, 1948, 1949 & 1950.   He was president of the class of 1950. 

After college Snyder was a captain in the United State Navy.  He then went on to coach at Central High School where he got together with the other high school wrestling coaches in St. Paul to organize the St. Paul City tournament. 

Steve Callson
137 lbs 

Callson earned fourth placed NAIA All American honors in 1969. 

Curt Burkhardt
HWT 

During high school Burkhardt was a standout on the football & basketball teams. He came to Macalester to play football & basketball, but was asked by head wrestling coach Gary Olsen if he would consider coming out for wrestling.   He took coach Olsen up on his offer & it didn't take long for him to learn.  He won an MIAC title later that season (1959).   He'd go on to win three more in 1960, 1961 & 1962. 

When Burkhardt entered college he was already a pilot with a airplane & a license.  To help pay for tuition he gave rides & flying lessons to other students during the spring, summer & fall.   

Later in life he was director  of Foreign Languages at Macalester. 

John Howard

Also a member of the Track & Field team, Howard took runner-up honors at the MIAC wrestling championships.  In his last two seasons in Track, in the discuss he took MIAC runner-up honors & in the shotput he finished in third.  

Later in life he worked in Hospital administration and he was a Deacon of the Presbyterian Church. 

The Larson Brothers 

The Larson brothers were both members of the wrestling team at Macalester.  Doyle who also played golf, went on to be a pilot in the Vietnam War.  Carl also a member of the Scots Football team as a All MIAC linebacker, won three MIAC titles in his freshman, sophomore & junior seasons of 1948, 1949 & 1950.   He most likely would've been a four time MIAC champion but in a mystery that remains unsolved he was murdered before his senior season. 

Paul Olson 

While a member of the Scots wrestling team, it was in football & in Track & Field where Olson shined brightest.  He took eighth place All American honors in 1970 throwing the shotput.   As a football player he was All MIAC.  He went on to a career in the NFL where he played for the New York Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles & the Chicago Bears.   He later worked for the Minnesota Vikings. 

Howard Hellickson 
177 lbs 

A member of the football, wrestling & baseball teams, Hellickson excelled at everything he did, being named team captain of all three sports during his final two seasons.  On the gridiron, he made All MIAC & All District his junior & senior years.  As a senior he was named the MIAC Linebacker of the year.  

In Baseball he was All MIAC his sophomore, junior & senior seasons. 

In wrestling as a senior in 1969, he won a MIAC championship & finished in sixth place at the NAIA championships. 

All in all he earned 12 varsity letters.  It is the most of any Scot athlete ever. 

We sadly lost Hellickson in a farming accident in 1974. 

Thomas Otteson

A three sport athlete while at Macalester, Otteson excelled in football, wrestling & golf.   As a football player he was honorable mention MIAC during his senior season.  In wrestling he was runner-up as a sophomore at the 1963 MIAC championships, finishing in third place in 1964 & 1965.   As a golfer, he was twice runner-up at the MIAC championships in 1964 & 1965. 

It is said that today Otteson owns the largest collection of Golf memorabilia in the United States. 

Duane Roberts 

Roberts won MIAC titles for the Scots in 1949 & 1950.

Robert Stark
 

After serving on Marine craft carriers during World War II, Stark returned to Macalester to play football & to wrestle.  He was a member of the 1947 MIAC championship football team. 

Victor Wilson

Wilson won MIAC titles for the Scots in 1956 & 1958, earning runner-up honors in 1957.  

Post college he became head coach at Benson High school where he led his team to eight conference titles.  There he was also the biology teacher.