Bret Van Dyken '99 is one of the most well-rounded student-athletes in Ripon College history. A three-time First Team All-Conference selection on the basketball court, earning Midwest Conference Player of the Year honors as a senior, Van Dyken is one of just three Academic All-Americans in Ripon's men's basketball history. He was inducted into Ripon's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.

With Van Dyken leading the way, Ripon appeared in the MWC Tournament all four years, winning the MWC Championship twice, while advancing to the NCAA Division-III Tournament on three occasions. During Van Dyken's four years at Ripon College, the Red Hawks compiled an incredible 83-16 record, never losing more than five games in a season during that span, in what was one of the greatest era's in Ripon's men's basketball history.

"​I had the good fortune to play with a lot of great athletes at Ripon, at least four of whom are also in Ripon's Athletics Hall of Fame," Van Dyken said. "I can't remember a game during my college career when I didn't expect to win before the game began, and my most memorable moment is still all of the accomplishments we achieved as a team. Our team set a number of school records during my junior year, including most wins in a season (23). It was a lot of fun to play on teams with that level of success."

Van Dyken's freshman season saw Ripon finish with a record of 21-4, including a 13-1 conference record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament, as he finished with 4.5 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. The following year, Ripon finished 18-5, with Van Dyken leading the team in scoring (15.8 ppg) and finishing second in rebounding (4.7 rpg). The Red Hawks turned things up a notch during Van Dyken's junior campaign, finishing with a program-best record of 23-2 and an undefeated conference record of 13-0 as Ripon won the MWC Championship and again advanced to the NCAA Tournament thanks to Van Dyken's 13.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest. As a senior, Van Dyken won the MWC Player of the Year award, helping Ripon to a 21-5 record, as the team advanced to the NCAA Tournament's second round for just the third time in program history. He averaged 15.1 points and 6.2 rebounds that season.

"Bret was the Player of the Year on probably the best team that I've ever coached," recalled legendary Ripon basketball coach Bob Gillespie. "During his senior year, we played the University of Utah, who finished as NCAA Division-I National runner-up that season. Bret clearly outplayed Utah's 6-foot-10 Hano Mettolay and 6-foot-9 Britain Johnson that game, recording 17 points and 9 rebounds. Not only was Bret a terrific basketball player, but he was one of the best students that I've ever coached."

Van Dyken graduated with the eighth-most points in program history (1,202), which currently ranks 17th. Twenty-two years after his graduation, Van Dyken also still ranks ninth in program history for career blocked shots (51). He made 106 three-pointers during his career, shooting .412 from 3-point range. None of that may have happened if not for Coach Gillespie, who was a big reason Van Dyken committed to play basketball at Ripon College.

"I went to Ripon because I wanted to play for Coach Gillespie and be part of a successful program," Van Dyken said. "I always appreciated that he cared so much about our academic success as much as the athletics and we all knew how much he cared about us and how he would do anything to help us be successful. Not every program has a coach like that, and he's a large part of what made Ripon such a special place for me."

It would be an understatement to say that Van Dyken's college experience in both academics and athletics prepared him for the future, as he was surrounded by positive influences everywhere he turned.

"I've had experiences over the years working for good and bad leaders, and while I didn't appreciate it at the time, playing basketball at Ripon really showed me what great leadership looks like. The entire coaching staff and several of my teammates were natural leaders who made me want to be the best I could be every day," Van Dyken said. "As a business owner and father of two young girls now, I find myself looking back on my playing days and trying to emulate many of those qualities. Having been exposed to great leadership at such a young age has helped me become a better leader and father today."

After receiving his B.A. in Chemistry and Biology from Ripon in 1999, Van Dyken went on to earn his DDS in Denistry from the University of Minnesota in 2003. He served as a Dental Officer in the U.S. Navy for three years after that, before becoming a General Dentist at Midwest Dental in Plover, Wis. Van Dyken currently serves in the same capacity at Riverhill Dental Associates in Wisconsin Rapids, where he has worked for the past six and a half years.


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