MANKATO, Minn. – Bethany Lutheran College proudly announces the Class of 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees. The individuals will be officially recognized at the annual Hall of Fame Banquet on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025, in the Ron Younge Gymnasium. Learn more and register HERE.
 
Kay (Guse) Gottschalk (1983-Present) – Volleyball, Basketball, Coach, and Athletic Staff
Gottschalk competed on the volleyball and basketball teams during 1983-84. She was second team All-MCCC in volleyball, leading the Vikings with 52 total blocks and second on the team with 125 kills. On the basketball court, Gottschalk was first team All-MCCC, helping Bethany to the State Tournament and leading the team in rebounding. After her freshmen season, Gottschalk was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and for forced to retire from competitive athletics. To retain her scholarship, Gottschalk began keeping statistics for the volleyball team her sophomore year and continued after she graduated from Bethany. During the 1989-90 basketball season, Kay became an assistant coach for the Vikings, a season when they won the MCCC championship. After living in Red Wing, Minn., for a year, she moved back to her hometown of Janesville, Minn, and jumped right back into Bethany Athletics keeping book for volleyball, and adding both men's and women's basketball. Gottschalk has been the official scorer for Bethany volleyball since 1984 (one year break in 1990) and the Viking women's and men's basketball teams since 1991.
 
Robert Schweim (1994-96) – Basketball
Schweim played basketball for the Bethany Vikings, where he was the team's power forward for the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons. During the 94-95 campaign, he had 393 points and 235 rebounds (86 offensive, 149 defensive). In 95-96, he recorded 417 points and 237 rebounds (75 offensive, 162 defensive). He led his team and was at the top in the MCCC Conference in rebounds both years he played for Bethany. The teams he was a part of had a combined record of 39 wins and 11 losses (18-7 in '94-95 and 21-4 in '95-'96). In 1995-96, the Mankato East graduate was recognized as an All-MCCC, All-Southern Division, and All-XIII Region player, and was named to the All-Region XIII Tournament Team. He was also named team captain his sophomore season. After Bethany, Schweim attended St. Olaf College to continue playing basketball, was named captain, and was named to the MIAC All-Conference team.
 
John Baumann (1997-Present) – Athletic Staff
Baumann came to Bethany as a student in the fall of 1996 and since his sophomore year, you very rarely come to a home Viking athletic contest and not see him running the scoreboard for all teams (volleyball, men's and women's soccer and basketball, baseball, and softball) or the basketball shot clock. In this role for 28 years, Baumann continues to faithfully fulfill this important role for all Bethany sports at the highest level of competency. Regarded as one of the top athletic personnel to work a scoring table in the region, Baumann's reputation has secured him invitations to do the scoreboard for many of the area's high schools, colleges, collegiate summer, and amateur teams in the same sports listed above. Baumann has always made Bethany his first priority, making sure he serves his beloved alma mater's athletic needs and will schedule duties with other organizations so he can always be there for Bethany.
 
Derek Laliberte (1998-99) – Soccer
Laliberte played soccer for Bethany in 1998 and 1999. He was named captain his freshmen and sophomore years, leading the Vikings in scoring both years. Laliberte's Bethany career consisted of 37 goals and 19 assists and he was voted MVP his sophomore year. His accolades include two-time All-MCCC, All-Region XIII, and was named NJCAA All-Region and Honorable Mention All-American his sophomore year. After Bethany, Laliberte went on to be a two-year Division I starter at Indiana University Fort Wayne.

Kasey (Schlicker) Walker (2002-04) – Basketball and Golf
Walker was a two-sport athlete in golf and basketball for Bethany from 2002-04. In basketball, Walker played in 51 games over those two seasons. In 26 games in 2002-03, she had 395 points (15.2 points per game), was 155-for-300 in field goals (51.7%), 11-for-26 in three pointers (42.3%), 74-for-96 in free throws (77.1%), had 247 rebounds (9.5 per game), 48 assists, and 44 steals. In 2003-04, she played in 25 games, scoring 344 points (13.8 per game), 138-for-267 (51.7%) in field goals, 11-for-45 (24.4%) in three pointers, 57-for-78 (73.1%) in free throws, 95 rebounds (3.8 per game), 28 assists, and 44 steals. Walker was part of teams that won the 2003 Southern Division championship and the Region XIII runner-up in both 2003 and 2004. Her accolades include being two-time MCCC All-Southern Division and All-State. In 2003-04, she was named All-Region XIII, NJCAA Third Team All-American, and claimed the NJCAA Region XIII Service and Achievement Award which recognizes athletes who demonstrate volunteerism, achievement, service, leadership, and excellence. In golf, Walker also played two years and the Vikings were the 2004 Region XIII runner-up, the same season she earned an invitation to compete in the 2004 NJCAA National Women's Golf Tournament in Daytona, Fla. Walker went on to play basketball at the University of South Dakota (NCAA Division II at the time) after Bethany.

Tommy Saffert (2006-10) – Basketball
Saffert was a four-year standout for Bethany from 2006-10 played in 107 games (fifth all-time) for the Viking basketball teams, starting 94 (second all-time). Among NCAA players, the Mankato West graduate is second all-time in points scored (1,274 points), fifth in field goals (422), first in three-pointers made (226), tenth in free throws made (195, .806), first in assists (420), and first in steals (192). Saffert was named first-team All-UMAC Conference for the 2007-08, 2008-09, and 2009-10 seasons, and was named to the UMAC All-Defensive Team for the 2007-08 season. He was selected as the UMAC Player of the Year for the 2009-10 season.
 
Questions: Please contact Jake Krier, Bethany's Director of Alumni Relations at 507-344-7519 or Jake.Krier@blc.edu