UWEC Athletics Hall of Fame
Chick Kolstad was named the All-Around Athlete Award winner in his senior year at UWEC in 1939. He played halfback on the football team, forward on the basketball team and outfield and catcher on the baseball team. He was co-captain of the 1938 basketball team along with fellow Hall of Famer Wally Lehman. The 1937-38 basketball team was the first undefeated conference champion in school history. The following year, the Blugold squad became the first to travel to the national tournament at Kansas City. They lost to eventual champion Southwestern Kansas in the first round. Since graduation, Kolstad has coached at Arkansaw (1939-1942), Spooner (1946-47), Mondovi (1947-50) and Eau Claire St. Patrick and Regis High Schools (1950-60). He began a stellar career at St. Norbert College in DePere in 1960. During World War II, he was a first lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the Marshall Islands. At Mondovi, Kolstad's football team was 19-3-2 with two conference championships. He had an outstanding 63-20 record as football coach at Regis, winning the state championship in 1951 when the school was still known as St. Patrick's. Regis played in the state tournament all seven years Kolstad coached the basketball team. The Ramblers won the state title in 1952, were consolation champs in 1953 and runners-up in 1954. At St. Norbert, Kolstad posted a 91-51-5 football coaching record by the end of the 1975 season. He was selected NAIA District 14 Coach of the Year in 1974.
