Mike Gunderson, a 1991 graduate of DLHS, was a three-sport star for the Lakers, excelling in football, basketball and baseball. Gunderson possessed talent and skills that can’t be taught, which emanated from his 6-4, 235-pound frame during his high school playing days.

Gunderson didn’t start out as the hulking 6-4 quarterback. He entered his freshman year as a 5-9 athlete. Between his freshman and sophomore seasons he went from a 5-9 to 6-4.  Gunderson didn’t just allow nature to do all the work. Instead, he harnessed his growth spurt by becoming a workout warrior in the weight room, and the time spent sweating and lifting paid off big-time dividends.

Gunderson is looked on as one of the pioneers who helped spark the Laker football dynasty of that decade, while being one of the top baseball prospects in the state during his junior and senior seasons. Gunderson entered his junior season starting at quarterback and free safety under head football coach Rick Manke. He was a quick study running the veer offense. He led the team in touchdowns, rushing yards on offense and interceptions on defense.

The Lakers were peaking by the time the section playoffs rolled around in the fall of 1990.  The Gunderson-led team upset No. 1 seed Staples and then downed Fergus Falls to earn DL’s first-ever state berth. They lost to Delano in the state tournament but the stage was set for the future Lakers to start one of the most dominating stretches of state championships in Minnesota history.

Even though football was Gunderson’s first love, it was baseball in which he would have the most success. The DL native was just at home on the mound as he was under center. His fastball reached in the upper 80’s in high school. By the time he was pitching in college his fastball was reaching speeds of 94 to 96 miles per hour.

In between football and baseball seasons, Gunderson was a force on the hardwood. He accumulated 386 points during his senior basketball season for an average of 19.3 points per game, while collecting an outstanding 206 rebounds. He broke the single-game scoring record when he dumped in 38 points against Bemidji. He finished with a career total of 572 points.

Gunderson went on to the University of New Mexico on a full ride scholarship to play baseball his freshman year, then transferred to NDSU for his sophomore and junior seasons. Mike was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 5th round of the major league baseball draft and chose to leave NDSU and pursue a professional baseball career. He played 3 minor league seasons. At the time of his induction Mike is living in Detroit Lakes with his wife Jeni and their 5 children.

If one wanted to make the perfect athlete, ingredients such as strength, speed and size are needed, as well as theintangibles of a hard-work ethic and a strong will driven by a high motivation to being the best one can be.

And if you needed a blueprint to make this perfect athlete, Mike Gunderson would be a good start.

During the early 1990’s, Gunderson was a three-sport star for the Lakers, excelling in each of football, basketball and baseball.

He is the epitome of what every athlete strives to be and wishes they could be.

Gunderson possessed talent and skills that can’t be taught, which emanated from his 6-4, 235-pound frame during his high school playing days at DLHS.

The 1991 graduate can be looked on as one of the pioneers who helped spark the Laker football dynasty of that decade, while being one of the top baseball prospects in the state during his junior and senior seasons.

He enters the Laker Hall of Honor with his head football coach, Rick Manke, which signifies two people who aided in the construction of three state championships.

“He was a beast,” said DL head football coach Flint Motschenbacher, who coached Gunderson as the defensive coordinator. “Mike set the tone for the whole program during his time here and was the best competitor I’ve ever coached.

“He knew one way to play — hard.”

 

Born to compete

Gunderson didn’t start out as the hulking 6-4 quarterback who would run over linemen and run away from secondary position players.

Instead, Gunderson entered his freshman year as a 5-9 athlete, who learned how to use his agility to avoid tackles and drive the lane during the basketball season.

But things changed dramatically between his freshman and sophomore seasons.

“By the end of my sophomore year, I went from 5-9 to 6-4,” Gunderson said. “In basketball, I grew up playing point guard, but became a 6-4 post with guard moves.”

But Gunderson didn’t just allow nature to do all the work. Instead, he harnessed his growth spurt by becoming a workout warrior in the weight room, and the time spent sweating and lifting paid off big-time dividends.

The Laker “beast” finished his DL career rushing for 1,436 yards for a 4.52 yards per carry average, which ranks 18th on the all-time DLHS list (ironically, his brother Erik is ranked 17th, with 1,438 yards, just two yards more than his older brother).

Gunderson entered his junior season starting at quarterback under Manke, as he became a quick study running the veer offense.

By the time his senior season rolled around, Gunderson was a feared site for linebackers, who had to run into his path during a veer play.

The Lakers were peaking by the time the section playoffs rolled around, with an 8-3 record. The Gunderson-led team upset No. 1 seed Staples on their home turf in the semifinals, then downed their biggest rival, Fergus Falls, 10-8 to earn DL’s first-ever state berth.

“It was a long time coming making state,” Gunderson said. “It was quite the celebration after.”

The Lakers lost to Delano at Mollberg Field in the state quarterfinals by the score of 28-10, after the Tigers rolled off 28 unanswered points.

But the stage was set for the future Lakers to start one of the most dominating stretches of state championships in Minnesota history.

“It was a nice run in the sections for us, beating Staples 31-12 after they were ranked No. 6 and then Fergus Falls, which was ranked No. 2 in the state,” Gunderson said. “That’s when we started learning how to win. It felt good being the first DL team to make state, but that quarterfinal loss still stings.”

That typifies how competitive Gunderson was. It drove him to new heights, in which he took out his frustration on his opponents.

DL activity director Mitch McLeod saw firsthand what happened when Gunderson became upset.

McLeod saw Gunderson become an elite pitcher for the Lakers, while coaching him later at North Dakota State University. He coached Gunderson starting his sophomore DL year on the Legion baseball team, as well.

“You didn’t want to get Mike mad, he’s one of those players who plays better mad,” McLeod said. “Mike is truly one of the best athletes I coached and I’m saying that as a college coach, so I’ve seen my fair share of elite athletes.”

Even though football was Gunderson’s first love, it was baseball in which he would move on to play after college.

His fastball helped gain him a full-ride scholarship to the University of New Mexico, though he later transferred to NDSU to play for McLeod.

Gunderson was chosen by the Houston Astros in the fifth round of the Major League Baseball draft, where he played professionally in the minor leagues for three years.

The DL native was just at home on the mound as he was under center. His fastball reached in the upper 80’s in high school.

Batters would whiff at plenty of Gunderson’s pitches. Against Bemidji, he struck out 17 batters in a seven-inning game.

By the time he was pitching for New Mexico, and later at NDSU, his fastball was reaching speeds of 94 to 96 miles per hour.

“Mike could fall out of bed and throw 94,” McLeod said. “He has the perfect frame for an elite athlete. He was fast, he could jump and he was just powerful.”

Using anger and the desire to stay away from losing motivated Gunderson. Opponents who upset him, would eventually pay, as McLeod pointed out during a Legion Post 15 game DL was playing in.

“We were playing Jamestown (N.D.) and their players were getting pretty chippy in the dugout when we were playing defense,” McLeod recalled. “Mike was playing third base and finally yelled over to the players that they were being pretty cheap.

“Their head coach got in Mike’s face, in which I finally had to separate them. I told the coach, ‘You have three choices. You will have to either deal with Mike or Charlie (Gunderson’s father) and you don’t want to do that.

“Or, you deal with me, which I recommend.”

Later in the game, McLeod had to replace his starting pitcher in the bottom of the sixth inning and Gunderson walked up to the mound and told his coach he’ll take the ball, despite pitching just three days prior.

The game went into four extra innings and the Lakers eventually won behind Gunderson’s 10 strikeouts, thus shutting up the dugout of Jamestown.

In between football and baseball seasons, Gunderson was a force on the hardwood. He accumulated 386 points during his senior season for an average of 19.3 ppg, while collecting an outstanding 206 rebounds.

He broke the single-game scoring record when he dumped in 38 points against Bemidji. Gunderson finished with a career total of 572 points.

One aspect Gunderson enjoyed was dunking on his opponents, which happened six times his senior season.

“It was a lot of fun throwing down dunks during games, it really fired everyone up,” Gunderson said.

With Gunderson’s playing days behind him and having the chance to compete on all three levels of high school, D-I college and pro, he still ranks his Laker playing days as his best.

“It was that small-town pride everyone felt which sticks out over playing college or pro,” Gunderson said. “It was the innocence of the total love of the game which you get playing high school sports.

“You have the opportunity to represent your community and they take pride in their high school team.”

Gunderson also said coaching was different on each level. At Detroit Lakes, the coaches cared for their student-athletes on more than just the winning level.

“You don’t have coaches like Rick Manke, Flint Motschenbacher and Mitch McLeod up on the pro level, they are the kind of people who care about you as a person more,” Gunderson added. “When I received the call from Mark Hagen that I was going to be inducted into the Hall of Honor and he told me Rick was, as well, I just went silent.

“It’s hard to describe how great of an honor it is to be inducted in the same class as Rick. It’s the ultimate.”

But Gunderson also won’t be the only one in his household who has felt the privilege of being inducted into the Hall of Honor.

His wife, Jeni (Jost) Gunderson, was inducted in 2010, and Mike is happy to be joining her this year. They have five kids together: Max (age 11), Sophia (nine), Olivia (eight), Grace (six) and Avery (12 months).

“I don’t have to hear her joking about how she is the best athlete in the house now,” Gunderson laughed.

There maybe good-natured teasing of who is the best athlete in the Gunderson household, but there is one thing which can’t be argued —and that is the former Laker will be known as close to a perfect athlete as DLHS has seen.

“You don’t get many 6-4 strong athletes, who can run and be as dominant as Mike was,” McLeod said. “If you get one like him in a small town, he’s a gem.”