Augustana University Athletics

The scoring records on the basketball court generated by Carl Gonder have yet to be matched.

At the conclusion of his four-year career, Carl had scored 1,830 points earning him the top spot on the career scoring chart. Many fans remember those long rainbows from the Goose; those were before the three-point shot was initiated in basketball rules. As a senior, he set a single season scoring record with 632 points.

Carl set a season record in 1981-82 making 86-of-92 free throws, a 92.5% mark. That was the best for all of Division II as well, as he held the record for consecutive free throws made. He was 12-for-12 from the line against UNO in 1982 and is one Vikings to be perfect from the line. As a senior, he was 13 of 14 from the field against UNC, a 91.9% effort that was another school record. Also in 1983-84, he was among the top ten in scoring and rebounding for all of Division II, and led the nation in scoring for the first 20 games of the season. Goose was also a force on the boards with a career total of 845.

He was named All-NCC in 1982-1983 and again in 1983-1984 plus All-North Central region. Three times he was named to the all-tourney team at the Holiday Basketball Tournament, and he earned several NCC Player-of-the-Week honors.

Carl wrote, "I have many incredible memories of my four years at Augie…Some of the basketball memories include shoveling snow on the highway on the way to North Dakota in 1982, packed Holiday Tournament games, last-second wins against the Jackrabbits and the Coyotes… ." He continued, "I remember my last home game when we made a big comeback to beat North Dakota and left the court to a standing ovation."

Carl came to Augie from Washington High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as a high school All-American. He majored in Journalism and Communications and later earned a master's degree in Education from the University of Western Australia in 1996. Of the people he met here, Carl wrote, "I had the good fortune to meet so many wonderful people in the Augie family, and will always remember President Bill Nelsen, Jim and Carol Oakland, Larry Borgum, Bill Gross and John Thomas, to name just a few."

Beginning in 1984, Carl played professionally overseas for 10 years in France, England and Australia; he had a tryout with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1987. His basketball records continued with these teams, including MVP of the Australian League in 1991. His #11 jersey was retired by the Kanyana Kings of Western Australia in 1993.