SMSU
Char Nelson was born on Feb. 27, 1961. Upon graduation (1979) from Armstrong High School in Plymouth, Minn., she attended Southwest State University. While at Southwest State, Nelson excelled in three sports: basketball, track & field and volleyball (1979-1983). She received her B.S. in Business from SSU in 1983. As a track and field athlete, Nelson was a three-time (1981-83) AIAW and NAIA All-American in the heptathlon event, becoming SSU’s first woman all-american in any sport. In each of those outdoor seasons, she participated in the NAIA track and field championships. Nelson still holds the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference mark in the heptathlon with a record of 4,666 points. She achieved this mark in 1982, earning All-NSC and winning the Northern Sun Conference (NSC) championship. Nelson also achieved All-NSC in the high jump and 100-meter hurdles in 1983. She was All-NSC each of her four years at SSU and was a part of 11 Mustang track and field records (individual and relay). As the Mustang captain, Nelson was selected First Team All-NSC in volleyball (1981 and 1982) and was named All-MAIAW Division II in 1981 and 1982 as well. As a junior, she was deemed the NSC’s most productive offensive player, amassing 130 service aces, attacks and blocks versus conference opponents. Her senior campaign the Mustangs finished third in the league (5-2 NSC) with a 32-13-3 overall record. In basketball, Nelson participated on two Northern Sun Conference championship teams (1979-80 and 1980-81), helping the Mustangs to 19-6 and 18-8 overall records. SSU had a 12-2 league mark during that two-year championship run. She was inducted into the SSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Armstrong High School Hall of Fame in 2002. Nelson, now Nisleit, resides in Woodbury, Minn. with her husband, Rick, and their three daughters Amanda (16), Sarah (13) and Carly (5).