1963

President John F. Kennedy was killed on November 22. I saw in a movie that the mafia killed him because he didn't get back their casinos in Havana that were taken away from them by Fidel Castro. 

The St. John’s football team defeated Prairie View A&M 33-27 to win the national small college championship. Coach John Gagliardi was then in his eleventh year at St. John’s and this was only his third MIAC title team. But, he would go on to coach the Johnnies for another 50 years, winning 24 more MIAC titles and a total of 465 games at St. John’s and 489 in his college career. He and the Johnnies would win three more national championships in 1965, 1976 and 2003.

• Meanwhile, the Gopher swimmers—specifically Al Erickson, Virgil Luken, Wally Richardson and Steve Jackson—won the NCAA 400m medley relay title, while Jackman won the 50 meter freestyle for the second time. And, Les Bolstad’s Gopher golfers won a Big 10 title.

#30 Leader

Les Bolstad

New Prague native Les Bolstad may not be Minnesota’s greatest golfer—that would be Patty Berg. But, he was a hell of a golfer, the youngest winner at the time of the national Public Links championship in 1926 at the age of 18; winner of Big 10 titles in 1927 and 1929; and, later, winner of Minnesota Public Links, State Amateur and State Open titles. 

But, Bolstad unquestionably is “the godfather of Minnesota golf.” He nurtured many of the state’s top golfers, including Berg, and served as Gopher coach from 1947 to 1976. The Gophers won the team title in 1963, while Bill Brask and Dave Haberle won individual titles in 1967 and 1971. The University golf course is named in his honor, as is the Big 10 season scoring award.

• Marshall and St. Paul Johnson won a pair of thrillers for the basketball and hockey titles. Many said that Marshall’s 75-74 win over Cloquet was the greatest state basketball final ever, while Johnson’s overtime win over International Falls prevented the Broncos from ultimately winning five straight titles. 

#46 Event Marshall Shocks Cloquet 75-74 in State Basketball Final Bloomington was a heavy favorite to win the 1963 state basketball title. They were, according to one sportswriter, the best defensive team in recent history. Well, Cloquet beat the best defensive team in recent history 87-67 to quickly establish itself as the new favorite for the state title. They kept right on running, beating Sauk Centre 87-81 in the semis.  But, it turned out that playing the running game on Thursday night and then in the later Friday game was the kiss of death. Meanwhile, Marshall calmly won a pair of games, resting its regulars in a 61-35 cakewalk over Anoka on early Friday night. Marshall was ready to go on Saturday, while Cloquet was running a little low on gas. And, when Dennis Schroeder made two free throws with 15 seconds remaining, Marshall had a 75-74 win in what many called the greatest state basketball final ever.

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Rube Gustafson

One of the great “dirty little secrets” of Minnesota sports is that Rube Gustafson, legendary hockey coach at St. Paul Johnson, couldn’t skate. He directed practices from center ice in his overshoes. But, that didn’t prevent Rube and Johnson from playing in twelve state tournaments and winning four, from 1946 to 1963. (Johnson then played in seven more tournaments under coach Lou Cotroneo, but did not win another title.) 

Each of their titles was a melodrama. In 1947, they became the first southern team to win while denying Roseau a second straight title, 2-1. In 1953, they needed four overtimes to beat St. Louis Park; then roughed up perennial power Eveleth 7-1; then beat Warroad 4-1. In 1955, they beat Minneapolis Southwest 3-1 in the final, the night after Southwest had needed eleven overtimes to beat Thief River Falls.

But, their final title in 1963 was their most memorable. The Governors beat International Falls 4-3 in overtime in the final. It was their third one-goal win, and it kept the Broncos from winning five straight titles. Falls came into the final at 23-0-2, Johnson 23-2-1. Falls outshot Johnson 27-23 in regulation, but it was the Broncos who needed a goal with 42 seconds remaining to force overtime. Falls swarmed the Johnson net in overtime, but it was Rob Shattuck who scored the game-winner for Johnson at 4:31. It was Gustafson’s last game. 

• Bob Wagner won state cross-country and track titles, and his St. Louis Park teams did the same. Buddy Edelen had also run track at St. Louis Park, and at the U of M, and in 1963 he was the first man ever to run the marathon in under 2:15. 

• The Minnesota Twins had another great year, finishing third in the AL as Harmon Killebrew hit 45 home runs.

Year	Athlete of the Year	Team of the Year	Coach of the Year	Event of the Year
1963	1. Buddy Edelen, marathon 2. Steve Jackman, Minnesota Gopher swimming (2 NCAA individual titles) 3. Bob Wagner, St. Louis Park cross-country (state individual champion), track & field	1. St. John’s football (NAIA champion) 2. Minnesota Twins baseball (91-70) 3. St. Louis Park cross-country and track (both state champions)	1. John Gagliardi, St. John’s football 2. Rube Gustafson, St. Paul Johnson hockey 3 (tie). Les Bolstad, Minnesota Gophers golf (Big 10 golf champion) Mowerson	1. Marshall defeated Cloquet 75-74 in what some called the best state basketball final ever. 2. St. John’s defeated Prairie View A&M 33-27 to win the NAIA football championship. 3. St. Paul Johnson 4 defeated International Falls 4-3 in OT to win the state hockey title.