Woodbury’s LeVander Peters selected to Gustavus Hall of Fame

Woodbury native Laura LeVander Peters was recently inducted into the Gustavus Adolphus College Athletics Hall of Fame.

LeVander Peters burst onto the Gustavus softball scene in 1993 compiling a perfect record of 9-0 on the mound in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play and leading the Gusties to a second place finish with a 16-2 mark. She fired the first no-hitter in the program’s history against Carleton that season and would go on to establish herself as one of the finest pitchers in Gustavus and league history during a standout career that lasted from 1993 to 1996.

The first player in the program’s history to earn All-Conference honors in each of her four seasons, Peters was also one of the first hurlers in the league to master four pitches (fastball, change-up, rise, and drop) and she used outstanding control and above average velocity to register 396 strikeouts, which was the all-time record both at Gustavus and in the MIAC. The Woodbury native graduated with virtually every pitching record in the program’s history including innings pitched (406.1), wins (42), complete games (55), strikeouts (392), shutouts (19) and appearances (75). In addition, she ranked first all-time in MIAC history in strikeouts (332) and earned run average (0.89) and third in wins (36) and innings pitched (329). Peters’ mastery on the mound allowed her to register a career record of 42-20 and a league mark of 36-8, while helping the Gusties compile a record of 70-46 overall and 60-26 in conference play.

After graduating cum laude in 1996 with a major in political science, Peters went to work at Lutheran Brotherhood until 1999 when she accepted a position at Automated Data Processing (ADP) selling payroll services to small businesses. She later accepted a sales position at Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical before moving to Marshall Field’s as a buyer. Peters has been a stay at home mom raising her two daughters since 2007. She and her husband Mark live in Stillwater with their daughters, Mackenzie and Courtney.

Individuals eligible for induction into the Gustavus Athletics Hall of Fame are athletes, coaches, and benefactors. Selection of athletes is based on athletic achievements while a student at Gustavus. This year Gustavus chose nine individuals for induction into its Athletics Hall of Fame. LeVander Peters joined fellow 2011 inductees Todd Anderson ’95 (Soccer), Amanda Murdock Diehl ’92 (Gymnastics), Jay Klagge ’92 (Basketball), Tracy Erickson McMorrow ’95 (Tennis), Scott Moe ’95 (Golf), Bryan Ripken ’94 (Swimming), Colleen Barland Sherman ’96 (Soccer), and Owen Sammelson ’58 (Benefactor). The group was honored at the Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet in Alumni Hall on the Gustavus campus on Saturday, Oct. 15.

The selection of the inductees to the Gustavus Hall of Fame is made by the Gustavus Hall of Fame Board which is an 11-member group consisting of current athletic administrators, and former coaches and alumni.

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