FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State University announced its 49th annual induction class for the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame on Monday, and Great Falls native Lindsey (Graham) Gustafson was one of eight individuals slated for induction. The induction ceremony will take place Oct. 2.
Gustafson, a Great Falls CMR graduate, was a three-time All-American softball player for the Bison from 2001-04, helping lead the Bison to two North Central Regional championships in four NCAA Division II tournament appearances.
"Just to be able to make our way through the (North Central Conference), and then to the regional championship and then to be able to go beyond that stage at a national tournament with eight teams, it's just pretty amazing," Gustafson told MTN Sports.
Gustafson, who pitched and played outfield for the Bison, is the program's all-time strikeout leader with 1,019. She also leads the program in shutouts (49), earned-run average (1.11), opponent batting average (.177), and strikeouts per seven-inning game (8.43).
She threw three no-hitters and is tied for first in program history with seven career saves. North Dakota State compiled a 180-38 record during her career.
"It's definitely an honor to be going in with the people that I'm going in with and to be in that group overall," she said. "I'm just thankful for my coaches taking a chance on me, a Montana girl, because not many people get recruited out of Montana, and I'm just really thankful for my coaches and my amazing teammates, because without them, I definitely wouldn't be here."
Aside from being part of four straight State AA championships with CMR as a high school player, Gustafson led the Rustlers to three additional titles as a head coach in 2012, 2016 and 2017. She resigned from her position in 2019.
Gustafson was inducted into the Montana High School Association Athletes Hall of Fame in 2018.
