Gustav Detter, Trinity College
Gustav Detter goes down in history as not only one
of the greatest but also one of the most revered athletes in the
history of Trinity College sports. The Bantam men’s squash
streak of 202 consecutive victories would be a fond memory were it
not for his heroic effort as a freshman against the Princeton
Tigers four years ago. One point from losing, 3-0, and ending the
streak at a “only” 134 wins in a row, Detter scored
three straight points against the nation’s premier college
squash player to win game three and went on to trounce his
opponent, 9-1, and, 9-2, to give the Bantams a 5-4 triumph. Detter
ranks second all-time in wins in the program’s storied
history, and was a four-time all-American during his college
career, which he capped by winning the coveted George Sheldon
McCook Trophy as the College’s top senior male athlete.
Detter majored in Economics and minored in Chinese, with a GPA of 3.93. He is fluent in Swedish (his native language), English, German, Danish, Norwegian, and proficient in Chinese. As a student at Trinity, Detter was appointed by the student body as a Student Representative for the Academic Honor Council, he was a teaching assistant for Chinese Language classes, an academic tutor for Swedish language classes, and founder of Squash for Squirts, a Boys & Girls Club community service mentor program. He now works for Stephens Incorporated, an investment bank, in Little Rock, Ark.
Detter posted a 65-11 career record, while leading the Bantams to a 77-0 record and four national intercollegiate championship titles. Detter earned NESCAC All-Academic honors the last two years. In 2009, he was selected by his opposing coaches as the Skillman Award recipient for his combination of on-court poise and demeanor, skill level and ability in the game of squash, team play, contribution to intercollegiate squash, leadership, and cooperation with players, coaches, and tournament officials.