John Nielson, ’91 • Football, Baseball
John Nielson was a two-time All-MIAC performer and holds seven school records in football, but he is most remembered for his baseball exploits. A four-year letter winner and two-year captain, he earned All-MIAC honors all four years of his career, including the 1989 season when he was chosen as both a pitcher and a shortstop. He earned the MIAC’s most valuable player award in 1989 and 1991. Nielson is Carleton’s only All-American in baseball, earning first-team honors in 1989 and third-team honors in 1991. A two-year captain, he led the Knights to their only MIAC championship in 1991, as the team posted school records for 24 wins and a 16-4 MIAC mark. On the gridiron, he rolled up 4,611 yards passing and 5,343 yards of total offense, tossing 44 touchdowns in only two years as a starting quarterback. Also a four year letter winner and a two-year captain, he was named all-MIAC first team in 1989 and 1990. He led the conference in passing and total offense those two season and also was named the team’s most valuable player.
Greg Sampson, ’91 • Swimming and Diving
One of the most dominant breaststrokers the MIAC has ever seen, Greg Sampson is the most decorated athlete in Carleton History. He earned more than 20 all-conference citations and nine All-America citations. Sampson won five individual national titles, capturing back-to-back titles in the 100 breaststroke in 1990 and 1991 and three straight titles in the 200 breaststroke from 1989 to 1991. He helped lead the Knights to four straight top 25 finished at the NCAA Championship, the best four-year run in history of the program. He is the only male swimmer or diver to win an individual national title, and his five titles are a school record. He still holds the 200 breaststroke school record and three relay records. He appears in the all-time top 10 for 11 events and graduated with 9 school records.
Jennifer Streefland Henry, ’91 • Track & Field, Cross Country
Streefland Henry personified the word athlete during her four glorious years at Carleton. She was the first of what became a long line of top-notch multi-event performers, twice earning All-America honors in the heptathlon and missing a third by a mere three points her sophomore season. She still holds records in the pentathlon and heptathlon, as well as the 1600 meter outdoor relay and the sprint medley indoor relay. Her versatility was shown in her contributions to back-to-back top 10 national finished in cross country and her domination of the track and field multi-event and sprints. A 24-time-all-conference performer, she graduated with nine school records and was the MIAC’s most outstanding performer in 1990 and 1991 in the outdoor season. Her 100- and 400- meter hurdle records stood for nine and eleven years, respectively. Her name still appears ten times in the school’s all-time top 10 list for outdoor track and field and nine times for indoors. She earned her masters degree in social work from Loyola University of Chicago in 1994.