Baseball, Basketball and Football
Charles Lunder distinguished himself as a student at Carleton by both playing and coaching sports. He participated in football, basketball and baseball at Carleton. he was elected captain of the basketball team as a freshman.
During his junior year he was captain of the baseball squad and was awarded that team’s defensive player award. As a senior, Lunder was offered a coaching job in football, basketball and baseball by Director of Athletics Marshall Diebold. His freshman basketball team in 1936-37 went undefeated, winning two games against highly ranked Mason City Junior College.
Lunder went on to have an outstanding career in coaching with most of his years spent at St. Olaf College. In 1952 he was named assistant coach of football and basketball and head coach of baseball at St. Olaf. He also coached wrestling and men’s and women’s tennis during his career with the Oles. He retired from St. Olaf in 1977, the same year he was selected for induction into the Minnesota Coaches Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Prior to St. Olaf, Lunder coached at Slayton, Minn. from 1937-40, and was head coach in football, basketball and track at Clarkfield, Minn, where his teams won two football championships and a district title in basketball. His career was interrupted for three years as he served in Naval Communication in the Pacific Theater. In 1946 he was named head coach in football and track at Two Harbors, Minn.
Lunder’s son, Leon, serves as Professor of Physical Education, Athletics and Recreation and is also the Athletic Director at Carleton.