Ski-U-Mah: Winter 2015 Issue

Sco beats the odds as a pancreatic cancer survivor—umnhealth.org/Sco

CHEERING ON THE HOME TEAM AN ORDINARY MOMENT MADE POSSIBLE

BY EXTRAORDINARY HEALTHCARE.

How do you define a breakthrough? Is it always newsworthy? Does it have to change the course of history? What one person considers a breakthrough may simply be taking one less prescription.

Or being able to play with the kids.

Or cheering on the home team.

From checkups to transplants, the care team at University of Minnesota Health pays just as much a ention to making the breakthroughs that change our patients’ lives as they do to making the ones that change the world.

To find out more, or make an appointment, call 844-273-8383 or visit umnhealth.org today.

University of Minnesota Health represents a collaboration between University of Minnesota Physicians and University of Minnesota Medical Center.

W E L C O M E

F R O M

N O R W O O D

T E A G U E

It’s a very busy time for Gopher Athletics as we wrap up the holiday season – a time for helping others, continuing traditions and, most importantly, family. Not only are those ideals seasonally appropriate, they also provide a nice introduction to the stories included in this issue of Ski-U-Mah. Family is one of the most important things in life. While we aspire to have an athletics department that feels like family, there’s also a literal sense to the word when you look at the student-athletes and staffs across our 25 programs. There are 17 sets of siblings within Gopher Athletics right now, and two of those – the Tapp sisters (volleyball) and the Ness brothers (wrestling) – are profiled in this issue.

A core element of family is continuing legacies and traditions. We see stories in this issue that speak to that as well, with a cover story that details the honor of wearing the captain’s “C” for the Gopher men’s hockey team and the men who have earned that right, and the story of Kierra Smith, the latest in a long-line of excellent backstrokers to swim for the Gophers and one of many Canadians to represent that program.

When you think of family, you also think of those who will always be there for you when you need them most. In the case of Amanda Zahui B., her path to the University of Minnesota brought her to the U.S. from Sweden, and she’s found a new family here in the Twin Cities among her coaches and teammates on the women’s basketball team. As a department, we’ve needed help from our staff to accommodate our guests at TCF Bank Stadium, the Minnesota Vikings, and this issue will show you the teamwork and commitment our staff has shown in ensuring we are great hosts for our NFL neighbors.

As we share stories that give you a new perspective on some of our student-athletes and staff in this issue, I want to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season.

Go Gophers!

Norwood Teague, Director of Athletics JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 1

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W EA R I NG THE ‘C’

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HANN AH & PA IG E TAPP

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AMANDA ZAH UI

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WHE RE A RE TH EY N OW: J. B. BI C KERSTAFF

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for these stories and much more, visit the home of Gopher Sports at gophersports.com.

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S E A S O N R U S H I N G YA R D S B Y D AV I D C O B B

SCHOOL RECORD

NEWSWORTHY

: ERIC MILLER

2,000

The NCAA announced on November 14 that Minnesota was selected to host the Men’s Final Four® in 2019. The March/April 2019 tournament will be held in the new Minnesota Stadium, which is set to open in 2016. The Minnesota Final Four Bid Committee delivered the successful presentation to a NCAA committee in Indianapolis, Ind., on November 11.

CAREER POINTS SCORED BY RACHEL BANHAM ( F O U R T H P L AY E R I N S C H O O L H I S T O RY ) The University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development honored the late Jean K. Freeman by renaming the University Aquatic Center the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center on December 6. The legendary figure coached Minnesota’s women’s swimming and diving program for 31 years where she coached 175 All-Americans and two Big Ten championship teams. She was also a graduate of the University (1972) with a degree in physical education.

Kyle Rau, a senior on the men's hockey team, and Kaitlyn Richardson, a senior on the softball team, accepted the Henry L. Williams and Patty Berg Legacy Awards, respectively, at the annual Scholarship Banquet at TCF Bank Stadium on October 14. These awards recognize one male and one female student-athlete who excel in competition and in the classroom while representing the values of the athletics department.

PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER MITCHELL

The University of Minnesota announced in October that its student-athletes posted a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 86 percent, continuing the longterm trend of GSR increases in Gopher Athletics.

The NCAA Graduation Success Rate is designed to show the proportion of studentathletes on any given team who earn a college degree. The report represents data from studentathletes who enrolled at the University of Minnesota between 2004 and 2007, but excludes student-athletes who transfer from the university in good academic standing.

Since the NCAA began releasing Graduation Success Rate figures in 2005, Gopher Athletics has improved its GSR by 19 points.

JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 3

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THE BEST OF GOPHER FOOTBALL PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOS BY ERIC MILLER, BRACE HEMMELGARN, CHRIS MITCHELL, COURTNEY ANDERSON

JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 5

SKI- U-MA H Issue

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DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS Norwood Teague SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS Chris Werle EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / ASSISTANT ATHLETICS DIRECTOR FOR CREATIVE SERVICES Jeff Keiser EDITOR / WRITER Jake Ricker

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rick Moore, Justine Buerkle, Kevin Kurtt, Michael Molde, Jordan Osterman, Lexi Diederich CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Chris Lagasse CONTRIBUTORS Paul Rovnak, Michelle Traen, Sarah Turcotte DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Eric Miller CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Christopher Mitchell, Courtney Anderson, Jerry Lee, Brace Hemmelgarn, Craig Lassig, Patrick O’Leary, Jim Rosvold special thanks to Uppercut Gym in Northeast Minneapolis Advertising: 612.626.2300 GOPHERSPORTS.com Ski-U-Mah is written and designed by University of Minnesota Athletics and is provided as a courtesy to our fans and may be used for personal and editorial purposes only.

Any commercial use of this information is prohibited without the consent of University of Minnesota Athletics. for questions about the editorial content in this issue of Ski-U-Mah, please email keiser@umn.edu.

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We left as a Team.

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BY KEVIN KURTT

FOLLOW THE LEADER You hear it almost every time a player commits to the University of Minnesota men’s hockey team. “I grew up wanting to wear the ‘M’.”

It’s a common refrain, especially among the Minnesota natives who

Among those captains are Olympians and medal winners, a Stanley

dream of one day becoming a Golden Gopher and skating onto the

Cup champion, NHL players and coaches, Hobey Baker Award finalists

Mariucci Arena ice to the sound of the Rouser. For young players in the

and winners, All-Americans, and successful individuals both on and off

State of Hockey, there are few goals bigger than pulling on the hockey

the ice.

sweater with the big block M on the chest.

But ‘M’ isn’t the only letter that carries a great deal of significance for the Minnesota men’s hockey program. Above the heart of at least one player each season sits a ‘C,’ signifying he is the captain of the Golden Gophers.

In 93-plus seasons, 123 young men have served as Gopher team captain, including six players who have worn the ‘C’ multiple times.

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As exclusive a club as becoming a Gopher hockey player is, there are few groups more select than becoming the captain of the University of Minnesota men’s hockey team.

In this edition of “Ski-U-Mah,” we catch up with a handful of members from that select group to learn what it meant to lead Minnesota’s Pride On Ice, how different players used their position as captain, lessons learned and thoughts on the legacy of Gophers to wear the ‘C.’

G

etting a ‘C’ stitched onto your jersey is just the first step for new Gopher captains. Next, comes the hard work – leading a team of various personalities, strengths and weaknesses, while serving as a liaison to the coaching staff. It’s a position that’s not for everyone and each captain had his own way of providing leadership for Minnesota’s Pride on Ice.

u IT WAS A RESPONSIBILITY THAT I TOOK VERY SERIOUSLY AND FELT

HONORED TO BE ABLE TO DO. If you wanted to do the proper job and you wanted to be respected, you had to make certain that you cared about what was going on. – L O U N A N N E (1962-63)

u It was Herbie’s first job as a college head coach, so I think he wanted to get the pulse of the team. He knew we had to be grittier, so he could tell me to do certain things on the ice, and I would be a good soldier.

– BILL

B U T T E R S (1972-73)

u I just played hard trying to lead by example, but it also forced me to be more responsible on and off the ice. This was the challenge because I played a little reckless and acted a bit reckless. SO BEING CAPTAIN MADE ME MORE AWARE OF REPRESENTING THE TEAM AND SCHOOL TO A HIGHER STANDARD. Most importantly, being a captain meant being a good teammate.

– BEN

ERIK WESTRUM

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Y E A R S O F C A P TA I N S

H A N K I N S O N (1990-91)

u My job was to try, in any way possible, to bring the best out of everybody.

– G I N O G U Y E R (2005-06) u THE BEST CAPTAINS ARE THE LEADERS ON THE ICE, NOT NECESSARILY IN SKILL, BUT IN DESIRE AND DETERMINATION. – C A S E Y H A N K I N S O N (1996-97, ’97-98) u I just felt like I needed to set an example of what was expected. That was everything – be on time, unload the bus, pick up pucks. It wasn’t, ‘I’m a senior and all you freshmen are here to serve me.’ Leaders are there to serve the team. I was in an era where it was all about the team. Herbie beat that into everybody’s head. My first year was his last year. HE SET A PRETTY GOOD TONE THAT THAT ‘M’ ON THE FRONT OF YOUR JERSEY MEANT A LOT MORE THAN THE NAME ON THE BACK. – K E V I N H A R T Z E L L (1981-82)

u I wasn't necessarily the most talented or most vocal leader, but I believe I was named a captain because I always put in the work on and off the ice.

– R YA N

F LY N N (2009-10)

KEVIN HARTZELL

30

ALL-AMERICA AWARDS JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 9

H

earing the news that you’ll be the next captain of the Golden Gophers comes with shock, elation and a newfound sense of responsibility for the player elected to wear the ‘C.’ For this group of captains, being named a leader of one of the nation’s premier college hockey programs was a time of pride, excitement, humility and honor.

u I WAS A COMBINATION OF HAPPY, PROUD AND SHOCKED. You grow up watching the Gophers as a fan and first, just to get the opportunity to play for Minnesota, then to be the captain, it’s something that only a handful of people get the opportunity to do in their lifetime. – G I N O G U Y E R (2005-06)

u CASEY HANKINSON

Knowing that I was viewed as one of the leaders of a

tradition-rich program was one of the greatest moments of my athletic career.

– R YA N

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C A P TA I N S H AV E G O N E O N T O P L AY I N T H E N H L

F LY N N (2009-10)

u I think being named being named captain is the highest honor you can achieve

because you receive that from within the room; that’s an internal award from the coaches and players. I think that it’s a true testament on what your teammates think about you. – G R A N T P O T U L N Y (2002-03, 03-04)

u Being a captain at the U was a tremendous honor, mainly because it was

voted on by your peers and they viewed you as a leader of the team. It was especially special to be named a captain my junior year as that had not been done in a long time. – C A S E Y H A N K I N S O N (1996-97, 97-98)

u IT MEANT THE WORLD TO ME. I was just coming off season-ending knee

surgery the year before and to find out my teammates had chosen me to be their leader was an extremely special moment in my career. – J AY B A R R I B A L L (2010-11)

u When Doug Woog told me, I kind of got goosebumps. That’s when you

start realizing all the captains that have been a part of this great program, and all of a sudden you’re one of them. After playing on teams with great captains like Ben Hankinson, Larry Olimb and Travis Richards, you want to carry on that legacy. – C H R I S M c A L P I N E (1993-94)

JAY BARRIBALL

u You look at the guys who have been captains previously and to be on a list with those guys is pretty unbelievable. – K Y L E R A U (2013-14, 14-15) u The team voted me captain. It wasn’t like they were telling me I was a great

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APPEARANCES ON U . S . O LY M P I C T E A M S 10 / SKI-U-MAH / JANUARY 2015

player. It was just nice knowing they voted you as somebody that cared about team. It meant a lot. – K E V I N H A R T Z E L L (1981-82)

u IT WAS A GREAT HONOR AND AN IMPORTANT JOB DURING A

TIME OF TRANSITION (from Doug Woog to Don Lucia). I wanted to make

sure the program had a solid foundation with expectations of how the older and younger players interacted with each other. – E R I K W E S T R U M (1999-2000, ’00-01)

C

aptains are expected to set the standard for the team, to be the face of Gopher hockey, to assist in pulling together a team with a shared goal of winning championships and hanging banners. Being the captain of the University of Minnesota hockey program is a crash course in leadership training, and the lessons learned stay well after each player’s playing days are finished.

u IF YOU LISTEN AND LEARN FROM OTHERS, you get some direction from them and some direction for yourself, too. – PAT W E S T R U M (1969-70) u What it teaches you is how to believe in your own voice – you are a

captain for a reason; because players respect that voice. You can't try and do too much. – C A S E Y H A N K I N S O N (1996-97, ’97-98)

u ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I LEARNED WAS THAT THERE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE ADVERSITY IN SPORTS AND IN LIFE. How you handle that adversity is really what is important.

– J AY

B A R R I B A L L (2010-11)

u LEADING IS SUCH AN INTERESTING DYNAMIC BE-

CAUSE EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN IDEA OF WHAT LEADERSHIP IS. A lot of it comes from your life expe-

riences. For me, it was always about doing things the right way, from doing the little things on and off the ice, to taking care of your studies during the week, to the way you keep your team close and together. – G R A N T P O T U L N Y (2002-03, ’03-04)

BILL BUTTERS

u Being a leader on the team is something that really affects how

you do things, not only in sports, but after sports....You know that people are relying on you, looking up to you, following you. When you’re in that position, you become more aware of the responsibility that you have to make certain that you’re going to succeed and do things the way that they should be done. – L O U N A N N E (1962-63)

u BEING A GOOD CAPTAIN REQUIRES BEING A GOOD TEAMMATE, which carries over to being successful in life. – B E N H A N K I N S O N (1990-91) u I’m finding now that when I do something, I want to be the best; I want to be the leader. I’VE TAKEN EVERYTHING FROM MY GOPHER CAPTAIN EXPERIENCE and Gopher playing experience, and now I’m trying to apply that to my life, to my work. – G I N O G U Y E R (2005-06)

JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 11

A

n awful lot of big names in hockey have been captains at Minnesota – from John Mariucci, John Mayasich, Lou Nanne and the Micheletti brothers, to Todd Richards, the Hankinson brothers, Brian Bonin and Jordan Leopold. The list of players to have worn the ‘C’ for the Gophers is a veritable who’swho of Minnesota hockey. For this group of captains, being a part of that legacy is something to be cherished.

u It’s really cool. I THINK IT’S SOMETHING THAT WILL BE EVEN COOLER IN LIKE 10 YEARS from now when I step back away from hockey. – K Y L E R A U (2013-14, ’14-15)

u I think every captain has strived to be like the successful ones before him, and the U has provided plenty of great examples.

– J AY

B A R R I B A L L (2010-11)

CURRENT GOPHER CAPTAIN KYLE RAU WITH ASSISTANT COACH GRANT POTULNY (CAPTAIN – 2002-03 & 2003-04 AND ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH MIKE GUENTZEL (CAPTAIN 1984-85).

u IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE TO FOLLOW IN MY FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS AS A GOLDEN GOPHER CAPTAIN. He taught me about being a leader, a Gopher hockey player, a student-athlete and leading by example through hard work and dedication. – E R I K W E S T R U M (1999-2000, ’00-01)

u THE FIRST TIME I SKATED ONTO THE ICE WITH THE ‘C’ ON

RYAN FLYNN

MY JERSEY, there was certainly a little extra weight there. It was really special and definitely one of the biggest moments of my career. – C H R I S M c A L P I N E (1993-94)

u There have been so many great Gopher players that were never captain and to see the list of captains is impressive. It was an honor to wear the ‘C’ for all the leaders on our team and nice to look back at those years knowing the fun games and times we had together. – B E N H A N K I N S O N (1990-91)

u I am probably the least talented of the guys that have worn the

BEN HANKINSON

‘C’ there. To look at the legacy of the great players that wore the ‘C,’ you feel pretty humbled to be in that grouping of men.

– BILL

B U T T E R S (1972-73)

u It’s a club that you have to be proud to be a member of. When

you look at it, there are a lot of great players that have been captain at the University of Minnesota. TO BE A PART OF

THAT SELECT GROUP IS SOMETHING THAT YOU TREASURE AND TAKE SERIOUSLY. – L O U N A N N E (1962-63)

12 / SKI-U-MAH / JANUARY 2015

GINO GUYER

T

here are games, players, coaches and moments that Gopher hockey fans remember. Whether it’s the scoring exploits of John Mayasich, Robb Stauber’s Hobey Baker season, Chris McAlpine’s 208 career penalties, Grant Potulny’s NCAA-title winning goal or Justin Holl’s buzzer-beater at last season’s Frozen Four, the memories are fresh in the minds of the Gopher faithful. But for Minnesota’s captains, certain lesser-known memories highlight their time spent as leaders of the Golden Gophers.

u There was a situation against Michigan State where my roommate took a penalty,

got very upset with the referee then went over to the Michigan State head coach and gave him a piece of his mind. That started a somewhat of a rhubarb. So Mariucci threw him off the team. We had to play the next night, but Mariucci told him, ‘You’re going home in the morning.’ BEFORE WE WENT HOME, I TOLD JOHN THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE A TALK AND LOOK AT THE SITUATION AND MAYBE RECONSIDER. I tried to reason with him why he had to change his decision, and he did. – L O U N A N N E (1962-63)

u It was late in the game and we were leading by a goal. I let my emotions get the

best of me and took a stupid penalty behind the play. I remember sitting in the box thinking to myself, ‘What the heck are you doing? You are the captain the University of Minnesota Gophers and that’s the type of example you’re going to set?’

Luckily, we killed off the penalty and won the game, but the responsibility you have as a captain runs a lot deeper than goals and assists. That was a very valuable lesson.

– J AY

LOU NANNE

B A R R I B A L L (2010-11)

u We had difficulties early in the year with some players that were whining and just not happy. We had one of those closed-door meetings and went over some things.

What happened was two guys got released from the team. We talked to Glen Sonmor about the issues, he understood, we turned over a new leaf and everything went well.

– PAT

W E S T R U M (1969-70)

u The year before Herbie came in we had probably the worst record for a Gopher hockey

team. I think Herbie saw that and thought our team was a little bit soft. So he actually encouraged me to muck up some of the guys that he thought needed to be tougher. I PROBABLY MADE SOME ENEMIES OF MY TEAMMATES BECAUSE I WAS PLAYING HARD AGAINST THEM IN PRACTICE, MAYBE GOT INTO A COUPLE OF FIGHTS HERE AND THERE TO TRY TO BUILD SOME TOUGHNESS INTO THEM. That was kind of coachdriven with Herbie telling the team, ‘This is how I need you to practice and play every day.

We’re a little bit soft, and if we’re going to play in the WCHA, we’re going to need to get tougher. – B I L L B U T T E R S (1972-73)

IN CLOSING Ronald Reagan once said, “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.”

For nearly a century, great captains have helped the University of Minnesota men’s hockey team accomplish great things. It’s these 123 leaders that have led the Golden Gophers to five NCAA championships, 15 conference titles, 21 NCAA Frozen Four appearances and more than

1,700 wins.

On and off the ice, the captains of Gopher hockey have worn the ‘C’ and led all those who have donned the ‘M’ sweater as Minnesota’s Pride on Ice. “Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 13

LAUNCHING CAREERS

O N E S T U D E N T- AT H L E T E ’ S I D E A B E C A M E G O P H E R AT H L E T I C S ’ I N A U G U R A L

BY LEXI DIEDERICH P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T E V E N T C A L L E D P R O D AY

E

arlier this autumn, University of Minnesota student-athletes

a need for an annual professional development event specifically designed for

suited up for a major event. It wasn’t a rivalry game or a

student-athletes. With this idea in mind, he approached Peyton Owens III, as-

tournament, and the usual maroon and gold uniforms were

sistant athletics director of student-athlete services, who was immediately on

traded in for business attire and resumes.

board.

On Oct. 23, they packed the DQ Club Room in TCF

“We tried to think of an event that would be inclusive for all student-ath-

Bank Stadium for Gopher Athletics’ inaugural Pro Day. A

letes, meet their needs within a time that works for them and figure out a way

short program and dinner kicked off the event before nearly

for them to have that touchpoint with the Twin Cities workforce,” Owens said.

600 student-athletes of all years and majors began weaving

Once the idea of Pro Day was solidified, Owens and Bravence reached out

through booths and exploring career opportunities with 45 dif-

to Gopher Athletics Director of Community Relations Linda Roberts to get the

ferent Minnesota-based companies. Students were also encouraged to have a

planning process rolling. Roberts contacted between 75-80 companies, more

professional headshot taken for their LinkedIn page.

than half of which were represented at the event. She maintained constant

Among the participating students was junior Ben Bravence, a member of the men’s swimming and diving team. Bravence played a major role in creating the event, so he was relieved to see everything in action.

“Walking in there, seeing all of the companies and people with smiles on their faces and talking to these employees…it’s a great feeling,” Bravence said.

“It’s definitely satisfying.”

The brainstorming for Pro Day began months ago, when Bravence had to miss a similar event due to an athletics commitment. He realized that there was

14 / SKI-U-MAH / JANUARY 2015

communication with the companies until Pro Day arrived.

“When you invite someone to your campus, you want to make sure that everything is structured from ‘A to Z’ so that they know what’s going on,” Roberts said.

As the event unfolded on a crisp Thursday night, freshmen and seniors alike seemed satisfied with the overall experience. The event was mandatory, but that didn’t stop athletes from making the most of it.

With recruiters of various companies in attendance, younger athletes of un-

decided majors learned about what they may be in-

Day continuing. Instead of 45 companies, however,

terested in for a major or career.

he wants more. The planning process for next year’s

Roberts was hoping that the underclassmen

event has already begun with feedback surveys from

would use the event for this exact reason. She

students and companies.

wanted them to learn the basics of networking, such

Abby Egstad, a freshman on the rowing team,

“We’re going to make it bigger and better,”

as coming prepared with business cards, a quality

used the event as an opportunity to network, even

Bravence said. “With a full year to work on this,

resume and following up with recruiters.

though she isn’t currently looking for an internship.

hopefully we have double the companies. Hopefully

“As they continue to come back, it will definitely

Also undecided on a major, Egstad strategically

all of these companies leave with very positive ex-

prepare them for when they’re a junior or a senior,”

tried to figure out which majors taught skills that

periences and want to come back.”

Roberts said of the event.

would be most useful to companies.

Lee Stecklein, a sophomore on the Gopher

For Meghan Lorence, a senior on the women’s

With all of the logistics aside, Bravence’s passion may be the lasting legacy that keeps Pro Day

women’s hockey team, was one of these underclass-

hockey team, Pro Day came at just the right time.

men. She appreciated how businesses understood

As a student studying human resources, she is look-

“Those are the types of individuals and leaders

that the younger student-athletes may be new to

ing for a job or internship to begin after graduation.

we’re looking for in our student-athletes; ones that

networking.

around for years to come.

“It’s a lot of networking and putting faces to

see a need and are willing to work to plug that need

“I didn’t really know how to start, but I think that

names of people who you’ve heard about,” Lorence

for the greater good,” Owens said of Bravence.

people here are really good at leading the conver-

said of the event. “There are a lot of good oppor-

“That’s really what goes into being ambassadors for

sation and giving a lot of good information,” Steck-

tunities; you just have to put yourself out there.”

Maroon and Gold.”

lein said.

Looking toward the future, Bravence sees Pro

PHOTOS: ERIC MILLER

More than 45 Minnesota-based corporations were represented at the First Annual Pro Day at TCF Bank Stadium. Nearly 600 student-athletes attended, where they were able to relationship-build, network and conduct professional interviews. Studentathletes were also able to have professional head shots taken for their LinkedIn profiles.

JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 15

L TO R: LOU NANNE, SHELLE GAITHER, ANDREA HJELM

Wine L TO R: JACK NORQUAL, DONNA LINDBERG, GREG LINDBERG

NORA & DOUG O’LEARY

KARI ERICKSON AND LYNN SABRE AND FRIENDS

nin annual

PHOTOS: CRAIG LASSIG

SEPT EM B ER 29, 2014 | CA L HOUN BEACH CL UB

$220,000 raised for scholarships 16 / SKI-U-MAH / JANUARY 2015

L TO R: CHAD WINTER, STEPHANIE NELSON WINTER

L TO R: FRANCINE NANNE, MICHELLE LETTIERI, SHEILA NANNE

L TO R: DIANE & RON LEAFBLAD, RANDY HANDEL, JOHN ANDERSON

L TO R: DONNA LINDBERG, GRETCHEN NORQUAL

PRESIDENT ERIC & KAREN KALER

L TO R: LOU & JILL CLOSE, RIMA & ERIK TORGERSON

ERIK & TARA ENGEBRETSON

L TO R: STEVE KRISTO, STEVE VEKER, KIRBY JOHNSON

SHELLE & SHAWN GAITHER

L TO R: MEN’S GOLF COACH JOHN CARLSON, TINO LETTIERI, STEVE NELSON

EMILY McNAMARA AND FRIENDS

JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 17

ON

TAPP...

AND TAPP...

‘RENAISSANCE’ STUDENT-ATHLETES HANNAH AND PAIGE TAPP ARE GETTING IT DONE ON THE COURT (AND IN THE CLASSROOM) FOR THE GOPHERS VOLLEYBALL TEAM

BY RICK MOORE

HERE

are some things you may or may not know about Hannah and Paige Tapp, sophomore middle blockers for the Gopher women’s volleyball team.

Combined, they’re 12 feet, 3 inches tall in bare feet, with Hannah holding an inch edge on her sister. Their cumulative (average) grade point average thus far is 3.935, which puts them in good stead in the U’s not-for-slackers Carlson School of Management. It also puts them on Capital One Academic All-District Teams.

And it’s not always apparent that they’re identical twins. They share similar traits—competiveness, an outward effervescence, an artistic bent, among many—yet they can self-identify a number of differences, even aside from the ones apparent to the crowds at the Sports Pavilion. Paige is the blonde[r] Tapp, a result of the coloring jobs they’ve been getting since high school.

Hannah is the free spirit, while Paige is more… well, serious.

q

18 / SKI-U-MAH / JANUARY 2015

PHOTO: ERIC MILLER

JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 19

RUNNING AROUND IN THE COUNTRY The Tapps grew up in Stewartville, Minnesota, a town of about 5,500 people just south of Rochester with an abundance of city parks, a new municipal swimming pool, and the cheery slogan, “The future is bright!”

“I loved growing up in Stewartville,” said Hannah. “All of our friends lived within walking distance, so we’d just run around in the parks.

There wasn’t very much to do—there’s no movie theater and it’s surrounded by corn fields and forests—so we literally got creative and found fun things to do.”

They spent much of their time with a core group of friends playing sports: volleyball in the fall, basketball in the winter, track and field in the spring… and a lot more basketball (their sport of choice for much of their youth) in the summer.

“We had this really good group of girls in our grade that we did all the sports with,” said Hannah. “The beginning of volleyball for us was more like a social thing with all of our friends.”

As freshmen, the Tapps made the Stewartville varsity basketball team but not the varsity volleyball team. Instead, they were the team managers. But by sophomore year they started to shine, and that spring they traveled with a Stewartville team to the U for a tournament that they won. That was their first birds-eye view of the campus and the Gophers program.

Their days as three-sport athletes hit a roadblock during their junior year when a new rule prohibited basketball players from playing any volleyball during the season, even on weekends.

Since that was when club volleyball took place, the Tapps faced a huge dilemma, and they ultimately decided to forgo basketball and devote themselves to volleyball success. That same year, the Stewartville basketball team came within two points of advancing to the state tournament, which still elicits the occasional, “What if?”

“It was a really tough decision, but we both agreed after we played one year of club that it was probably the best decision we could have ever made,” Paige said. Indeed, their Mizuno Northern Lights club team won the open division of the USA Junior National Championships in the 20 / SKI-U-MAH / JANUARY 2015

PHOTOS: CHRISTOPHER MITCHELL / CRAIG LASSIG

“They’re both very determined and they’re both very driven, but that gets expressed in different ways; I think that’s the best way to put it,” said Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon. Paige, he said, is “a little more pragmatic,” and more literal in the way she processes things, while Hannah is “a little more on the emotional side of things, but not in a bad way.”

Best of all, they’re great ambassadors for their hometown, the University of Minnesota, and how to excel as student-athletes.

summer of 2012. “Ultimately, we’re in the right spot and the choices we have made have paid off.”

They’re abundantly happy to be wearing Maroon and Gold, since they had imagined playing for the Gophers on visits to watch games while kids.

“It always seemed like a faraway dream for us,” Paige said. “It was in the back of my mind to play Division I for the Gophers. And then coming here and talking to the coaches, things got really real really fact, and that was just incredible.

And all of a sudden, I didn’t want anything else.”

“It was always like a dream—kind of untouchable,” added Hannah.

SAME SIZE, DIFFERENT COLOR Back to the twin thing. For most of their lives, the Tapps have gone after the same things, whether it be clothes, sports, or academic programs.

They talked about attending different colleges,

presumably about like the United States talked about adopting the metric system.

“We like the same things; we [just] don’t like to admit it,” said Hannah. But we’re “not quite Mary Kate and Ashley.”

Hannah describes Paige as being very organized and very analytical. “She has a good sense of when things are going right and when they are going wrong, and she obviously tries to make them right. And she’s very smart.”

Paige appraises her sister as being more outgoing and funny, quick to crack a joke. “She’s a bit more laid back than me. If something happens she’s not going to stress over it. She knows it’ll work out eventually. That would be a nice trait to have.”

“They’re well balanced in terms of their interests,” said McCutcheon. “Obviously, they care about volleyball, but they get it done in the classroom, and they also have an artistic [side]. You know, they are quite the renaissance athletes.

They have some balance to them. I like that.”

Hannah points out that they’re equally and fiercely competitive. She pauses for a bit, then sighs at a fond memory. “All I can think about is, growing up we’d play basketball every night,” she said. “We’d play PIG and that was fine; we could always finish a game of PIG. It’s easy to define a winner and a loser.

“But we’d also always play one-on-one, and that got aggressive, and we’ve never finished,” she added (to Paige’s laughter), saying they would disagree about fouls or what score they were playing to. “We probably played every single night in the summer [for years] and we never finished a game because we can’t have a winner.”

A sibling rivalry with no resolution. That’s a perfect thing to take to college.

WHY SHANE BATTIER IS LIKE A MIDDLE BLOCKER When asked to name their favorite athletes, male or female, their answers are an interesting window to what makes Hannah and Paige Tapp tick.

Hannah pauses for a long while before throwing out LeBron James as a possibility. “He’s fun to watch,” she said, but “he’s not necessarily my favorite athlete for his actions.”

She also is drawn to Muhammad Ali, “I like his quotes. His confidence, just how sure of himself he was, kind of inspires me.”

Paige, based on a video they had just seen, adopted a new favorite athlete—recently retired NBA player Shane Battier.

“Even though he doesn’t score all the points or get very many rebounds, whenever he’s on the floor his team gets so much better, because he’s doing all the extra plays and giving all his effort off, away from the ball,” she said. “And that’s something that’s extremely important, that even if you’re not the star and you’re not scoring all the points, you’re making your team better with everything you do and you’re giving your all.”

“Especially at the middle position,” chimed in Hannah, making the sudden leap from the NBA basketball court to their lives as middle blockers at the Sports Pavilion. “It’s not always the most glorious position. It’s pretty blue collar.

Holding a block and making your outside hitters or right side hitters better.…”

Added Paige: “You’re constantly grinding, you’re constantly planning before the plays trying to make everyone on your side of the net know what’s going on. You have to be ahead of the game. You have to know where the setter is setting before she even sets it, and you have to know where your block is going to be. … You’re basically doing everything you can to make your teammates better, and a lot of the times it’s not super glorified.”

And Hannah: “You’ll probably get set the least and jump the most, but if you work hard at it, it can help your team a lot more than what shows on the stats or box score.”

It’s clear to see that, even as they pursue academic excellence and white-collar jobs, they’ve embraced their blue-collar roles on the volleyball team.

And how has making the leap from high school and club volleyball to Division I athletics surprised them?

“I expected it was going to be really tough physically, which it is, but I never really fully grasped the idea of how mentally taxing it can be to constantly be aware of your technique, and how you need to change, and breaking habits,” said Hannah. “I never knew how challenging it would be but also how rewarding it would be.”

“I think the most interesting thing for me was coming into this great program,” said Paige. “I understood what a great opportunity it was, but once I came here I really understood how awesome it is to be able to compete at such a high level every single day.

“We have one of the most rewarding opportunities ever. How many people get to come and play in front of thousands of fans against the best teams in the country every single night? It’s an opportunity to compete and battle with some of your closest friends, and there’s really nothing like it. We’re so lucky.”

Rick Moore is a writer and editor in University Relations and a long-time follower of Gopher Athletics. Contact him at moore112@umn.edu.

TWICE IS NICE The Tapps aren’t the only pair of twins making an impact in Golden Gopher Athletics this year. There are currently six twins and 10 additional sets of siblings competing at the U of M during the 2014-15 seasons.

TWINS

ALEX & AMANDA BECKMAN

CHRIS & NICK DARDANES

CONNOR & RYAN REILLY

FARIS & TIJANI KARABORNI LUKE & KYLE McAVOY

HANNAH & PAIGE TAPP

TRACK & FIELD

APPLE VALLEY, MINNESOTA

WRESTLING

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

HOCKEY

CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA

WRESTLING

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA

FOOTBALL

BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS

VOLLEYBALL

STEWARTVILLE, MINNESOTA

FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL

LAKEVILLE, MINNESOTA

SIBLINGS

COLE & RACHEL BANHAM HENDRICK & SCOTT EKPE ALLIE & ERNIE HEIFORT

MATT & MITCH LEIDNER

CONNOR & ALEX MAYES

BRANDON & JORDAN KINGSLEY BEN & REGGIE MEYER BRETT & CHRIS PFARR

CONNOR, MIKE & RYAN REILLY BLAKE & BROOKE ZEIGER

FOOTBALL

LEWISVILLE, TEXAS

TRACK & FIELD/FOOTBALL

BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA

FOOTBALL

LAKEVILLE, MINNESOTA

FOOTBALL

VAN ALSTYNE, TEXAS

WRESTLING

APPLE VALLEY, MINNESOTA

BASEBALL

NEW BRIGHTON, MINNESOTA

WRESTLING

LE SUEUR, MINNESOTA

HOCKEY

CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA

SWIMMING

CUMBERLAND, RHODE ISLAND

JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 21

FLIP THIS STADIUM T H E T C F B A N K S TA D I U M O P E R AT I O N S C R E W I S T E S T E D W E E K LY, M A I N TA I N I N G T H E FA C I L I T Y F O R T H E G O P H E R S A N D V I K I N G S , B U T O N E W E E K E N D WA S I T S B I G G E S T CHALLENGE OF THE YEAR.

“A ct l ike we ’ve be en th e re b ef ore, e ven tho ugh we ha v en ’t. ” That was the philosophy TCF Bank Stadium Director of Operations Derek Hillestad hoped everyone at the facility would follow the weekend of Oct. 11-12. It was the first and only time during 2014 in which the Golden Gophers and the Minnesota Vikings— sharing the stadium until construction on their own is finished—would play home games on consecutive days. On top of standard cleaning operations, the stadium would undergo a transformation everywhere from the paint on the field to the furniture in the premium spaces.

Although quick turnarounds are common in many athletic facilities—the now-demolished Metrodome was a prime local example—this had never been done before at the Gophers’ stadium. TCF Bank Stadium staff had prepare a winterized, snowy stadium on short notice for Monday Night Football in 2010. But they had never had to convert between two major football games in such a short time span.

The operations team booked three hotel rooms across the street from the stadium the day the NFL released its schedule. They knew it would be a late night after the Gophers’ game against Northwestern, and an early morning before the Vikings’ game against the Detroit Lions.

In collaboration with the NFL teams and several contractors, University of Minnesota staff members would go beyond what they were used to doing and succeed in taking on this new challenge.

22 / SKI-U-MAH / JANUARY 2015

T H U R S D AY

OVERNIGHT DEADLINE LOOMS

In the bowels of TCF Bank Stadium, Mattie Buswell and Josh Needham orchestrated their part of the weekend preparations with help from walkie-talkies. The two Minnesota alumni, who worked in the stadium as students, serve as the leads for contractor BirchTech’s partnership with the stadium.

The company runs most of the operations during Vikings game weeks, while the TCF Bank Stadium staff handles Gopher football and other university events.

BirchTech would normally start Vikings setup on Thursday and gradually finish everything in time for Sunday’s game.

They would normally be the only ones in the building while they set up locker rooms. But not this weekend.

“Basically, we’re trying to do three days of work in an afternoon/night,” Buswell said.

Like other staff members who had never operated on an overnight deadline for the changeover, Buswell and Needham did not know exactly what to expect, but they were excited to see what happened. Buswell planned to attend the Gophers game as a fan and immediately get to work when it was done.

“I’m thankful that I’m back here working,” Buswell said.

“There’s no place I’d rather be during the fall than TCF.”

As soon as the Minnesota-Northwestern game ended and

PHOTOS: CRAIG LASSIG / COURTNEY ANDERSON

FIELD TRANSFORMATION the field emptied, the field crew began the clearing of the Gopher logos and college field hashmarks, followed by the painting of the Vikings logos and colors.

BY JUSTINE BUERKLE PHOTO: COURTNEY ANDERSON

F R I D AY

a way that would eliminate the need for service elevators in the premium spaces during the changeover. BirchTech stored most of what it needed for the Vikings children’s play area in the Gophers’ recruiting room so it would Because of the fast turnaround, the facility management team needed to be ready for a quick transition. be especially conscious of when different groups were in which places. A Stadium staff made room in a storage closet four-page document laid out the timing of deon the press level for Fox TV to stage some of liveries and stadium tasks. its equipment until BTN cleared out after the “Through discussion, through conversacollege game. Fox and BTN even coordinated tions, we’ve staggered it now to a point where to share a camera cart, booth lighting and we have enough diversity in schedule so we’re monitors to make it easier. not all stepping on each other at the same Getting all the production trucks for both time, trying to get the same work through the stations into the broadcast parking lot on Frisame corridors and the same elevators,” day was more difficult, but they all fit with the Hillestad said. help of a detailed diagram. BTN would pull out Fitting in so many groups and keeping of the lot Saturday night, leaving more breaththem all informed of any issues—from an outing room for Fox on Sunday. of-order elevator to an early delivery—would Both Minnesota and Northwestern’s footrequire clear communication. Cutting out ball equipment trucks dropped off their essenmost phone use in favor of walkie-talkies tial cargo at the stadium loading docks on would allow all these messages to travel faster Director of Operations Derek Hillestad explains the changeover of the DQ Club early Saturday evening following the Gophers-Northwestern game.

Friday afternoon. The next day, they would reto more people. load and move out so the Vikings, Lions and food and beverage provider Extra equipment like fork lifts and club cars were on hand for the weekAramark could take their place. end so that different groups would not have to share, and there would be The pre-changeover planning was the key to success. If everyone stayed extras available in case one went down. true to the schedule, the quick transition would be done with time to spare.

Strategic placement of this equipment and all deliveries was also impor“Everyone that’s part of this effort understands that what we’re doing is tant. Assistant Director of Operations Kevin Robinson staged equipment in P R E PA R I N G F O R T H E B I G D AY

JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 23

unique and special,” Hillestad said. “I think that that has really brought a lot of the departments closer together to communicate more.”

S AT U R D AY

ALL HANDS ON DECK

24 / SKI-U-MAH / JANUARY 2015

INDOOR SPACE TURNOVER From the locker rooms to the club rooms, suites and other areas, nearly everything has to be changed from Gophers to Vikings.

PHOTOS: CRAIG LASSIG

Boxes holding 52,000 Vikings Playbooks sat waiting near the Gophers’ entrance tunnel as they took the field to face the Wildcats. Other than the extra items stashed here and there, game day proceeded as usual.

Northwestern kicked off at 11:10 a.m., and the game clock hit zero at 2:37 p.m. with the Gophers winning 24-17.

Soon after the teams and officials cleared the playing surface, the Mantis Hydro Extractor went to work. This scrubbing machine erased the field logos, yard-line numbers and hash marks from the Gophers game.

By the time reporters returned to the press box at 3:18 p.m. following postgame interviews, the field crew had already painted purple over the gold ‘M’ in the west end zone. NFL hash marks, numbers and the Vikings’ Norseman logo would follow.

The Gophers were out of their locker room by about 3:30. Cleaners, BirchTech and the Vikings went in shortly after. With fewer players on their roster, the Vikings don’t need as much space as the Gophers, so BirchTech blocks off part of the locker room to make it feel smaller.

In the operations office around 5:00, some staff members grabbed dinner before dispersing to where they were needed in the stadium. The game crew went home to get some rest before returning at 6 a.m. Sunday. Fittingly, “Get Ready for This” played on a set of computer speakers as night shift workers trickled in.

U of M student stadium workers were on the third level of the stadium in the DQ Club Room.

BirchTech usually handles the premium spaces— which also include the Indoor Club, President’s Suite, Hall of Fame and ‘M’ Club—for Vikings needs, but the quick turnaround called for student help.

Though the Gophers and Vikings play the same sport on the field, the setup in the stadium tower is completely different. The workers needed to convert, or “flip,” the DQ Club Room from a setup with ample seating to a standingoriented arrangement with more food stations.

The crew had to move almost all the Gopher

game furniture into storage and bring out the high-top tables and other furniture needed for the Vikings game.

Robinson and Hillestad coordinated with Aramark ahead of time to have Aramark clear its stations right away after the Gopher game so the flip crew could start. Cleaning company Marsden also got a head start. The flip crew, which was scheduled until 1 a.m. “just in case,” finished its job around 10 p.m. and also double-checked the suite furniture.

“The tower went extremely well,” Robinson said. “We weren’t stepping over each other’s toes with the different departments to accom“It’s great to get our Minnesota Football brand out to the state of the Minnesota, and also on a national scale on national broadcasts. It’s been good to get on that platform where we’re showcasing our facility, we’re showcasing the university.”

– TCF Bank Stadium Director of Operations Derek Hillestad

plish things. We staggered it perfectly.”

On the sixth level of the tower, the last Gophers beat writer left the press box at 7:01 p.m.

Down on the field, Fox was setting up and testing its equipment. One of the differences between BTN and Fox’s broadcasts is an additional camera position, at field level near the end zone, for the NFL game.

Painting was still in progress during this time.

Senior Director of TCF Bank Stadium and Out-

door Facilities Jeff Seifriz said that conditions were ideal for changing the field marks. He said that the fast game time saved about 45 minutes, and the dry and relatively warm weather helped in removal and application of paint.

“About a dozen staff participated directly in the field marking changeover,” Seifriz said. “If colder and/or wetter conditions were present, it would have been tremendously more difficult.”

While all of this was happening, several different groups of cleaners were at work to make the stadium look spotless for the Vikings game.

Some continued cleaning the tower. Others sorted garbage from the Gophers game into trash, recycling and compost. After 8 p.m., cleaners from a company called MVP started moving through the upper bowl of the stadium collecting debris.

Most operations finished ahead of schedule.

TCF Bank Stadium staff members were able to leave by 10 or 10:30.

S U N D AY

STILL NO TIME FOR REST

With a noon kickoff for the Vikings game, many staff members had an early call time on Sunday.

The game resulted in a 17-3 Lions win.

That night, student stadium staff members worked for about 4 1/2 hours to get ready for the next event. The Minnesota athletics department was holding its annual Scholarship Banquet on Monday in the DQ Club Room. By Saturday, everything would be back to Gopher game set-

T

he Golden Gopher football team plays only seven home games each season. That leaves time for TCF Bank Stadium bring in several large outside events. The Vikings’ 10 home

games cut into that number, but the stadium will still play host to some big names. One Direction is scheduled to host a concert next

July, and there is still room to add more shows.

“Any time you can do that, it adds a lot of prestige to the venue,” Associate Athletics Director for Event Management Andrew

SIGNAGE & CLEANING Most of the Gophers’ permanent signage is covered with Vikings branded materials between games. The cleaning crews worked late into the evening to give Vikings fans a sparkling clean facility.

tings. Even after one of the stadium’s biggest weekends of the year, there was little time to sit back and rest.

T H E A F T E R M AT H

“We’d almost like to have four weekends like this where we have back-to-back so we have other weekends fully off,” Hillestad said with a smile.

The stadium was busier and more crowded than usual, but good planning and good workers alleviated some of the potential stress of the situation.

“The student laborer crew was meticulous in their attention to detail and executed these key transition tasks from the Gophers game to the Viking game day,” Seifriz said. “Our student crews were instrumental in a successful doubleheader weekend.”

The stadium directors of operations credited interns Lacey Probst and Erik Dwyer, former intern Connor O’Brien, who

came back to work for the weekend, and student interns Lyndsey Thorpe and Mitch Kukay for helping things run smoothly.

They and everyone else who took part in the weekend can take pride in what they accomplished.

“It’s great to get our Minnesota Football brand out to the state of the Minnesota, and also on a national scale on national broadcasts,” Hillestad said. “It’s been good to get on that platform where we’re showcasing our facility, we’re showcasing the university.”

People in the facility and event management industry often say that the best feedback is no feedback. If they don’t hear anything negative, they likely won’t hear anything at all. Though TCF Bank Stadium staff may not receive much recognition for their efforts, there is no doubt they deserve it.

NOT JUST FOOTBALL

Parrish said.

Large events generate revenue for the athletics department, local businesses and parking. They also draw people who might not otherwise come to stadium, or to the U of M campus in general.

Parrish said TCF Bank Stadium is an ideal concert venue because of the surrounding music-loving community, the Twin Cities’ outdoor summer culture and the stadium’s acoustics and sightlines.

The first major concert held at the stadium was part of U2’s 360 World Tour in 2011. Around 60,000 people attended the concert, which featured a unique, claw-like stage setup.

“It was the biggest concert in history, from a production and stage setup standpoint,” Parrish said. “I think it showed that we can handle any type of event here.”

Parrish said that the relationships that helped secure the One Direction show resulted from the U2 show.

“I think the best recruiting you can do is to do a great job when you get [a show],” he said.

The more TCF Bank Stadium and athletics department staff demonstrate their abilities, the more calls Parrish and company receive from promoters about hosting future events. While in these discussions, they have to be mindful of the events limit, of Gophers teams’ schedules and of their staff.

“It’s a bit of a juggling act, and you’ve got to keep in mind, the summer’s the only time the guys that work over here get much of a break,” Parrish said.

For a venue that opened less than 5 1/2 years ago, TCF Bank Stadium has held a wide range of events — including the Hockey City Classic, an International Champions Cup soccer match, the MLB All-Star Concert featuring Imagine Dragons and a Monday Night Football game forced to relocate when the Metrodome roof collapsed.

“At the end of the day, it’s such a great opportunity to generate revenue for us that I think we have to do it,” Parrish said. “If we don’t, there’s other places they can go.”

It’s not just TCF Bank Stadium getting in the mix for extra events.

American Idol used Mariucci Arena for auditions during the summer, and Parrish hopes large shows will keep leading to smaller events in Minnesota’s other athletics venues.

Justine Buerkle is an athletic communications assistant at the U of M. Contact her at jbuerkle@umn.edu.

ANOTHER FINISHED PRODUCT Just 21 hours after Gophers defeated Northwestern, the skies were blue and TCF Bank Stadium was open for business again as the Vikings hosted the Detroit Lions.

TCF Bank Stadium’s first major event outside of football games was U2’s 360 World Tour in 2011.

PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER MITCHELL

JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 25

University President Eric Kaler with Land O’Lakes CEO Chris Policinski at the announcement of $25 million donation to the University.

BUILDING GREATNESS TOGETHER By making a contribution of historic proportions, Land O’Lakes, Inc. made a powerful statement about its commitment to the University of Minnesota and Gopher Athletics.

BY JAKE RICKER

M

ore than 90 years ago in St.

“This contribution to the University was a strate-

As institutions in the state of Minnesota, Land

Paul, Minn., Land O’Lakes,

gic and pragmatic decision for Land O’Lakes,” said

O’Lakes and the U have a natural bond with one an-

Inc. was born from the col-

Policinski. “Our company has doubled in size to $15

other. They are neighbors, with Land O’Lakes head-

lective desire of 300 cream-

billion in sales in the past five years and we know

quartered only about 20 minutes away from the U

eries throughout the state to

that investing in the University will help develop the

of M campus. Approximately 20 percent of Land

improve the quality of butter.

type of talent we’ll need to continue to grow and

O’Lakes headquarters’ employees are U graduates.

Though not called Land

succeed in a global marketplace. Our hope is that

While based in the Twin Cities, both make a signifi-

O’Lakes until several years later, the organization

this contribution will continue the pipeline of talent

cant impact across the entire state of Minnesota,

created that day envisioned a future where every-

from the University to one of the most dynamic and

with the University creating nearly 80,000 jobs

one involved could achieve greatness together.

growing industries, agriculture, and Land O'Lakes.

statewide and operating six collegiate campuses.

Earlier this summer, in a move that in many ways

We know students will play a key role in finding so-

Looking beyond the borders of Minnesota, both

mirrors the vision on which Land O’Lakes was

lutions to the challenges we face, and we’re thrilled

Land O’Lakes and the university are internationally

founded, CEO Chris Policinski had the honor of an-

to be able to support them at a new level.”

known and respected brands that represent excel-

nouncing a $25 million donation to the University of

“We take great pride in partnerships like the one

lence in their field.

Minnesota from Land O’Lakes and the Land O’Lakes

between Land O’Lakes and the University of Min-

“Partnering with the University makes sense for

Foundation. The commitment made by Land

nesota,” added University of Minnesota President

Land O’Lakes,” said Policinski. “Of course there are

O’Lakes and its foundation was the largest collective

Eric Kaler. “To receive such an extraordinary com-

a lot of similarities between the two organizations

gift the two institutions had ever combined to make.

mitment from a long-time partner based right here

but, most importantly, we see the University as the

It was historically significant for the U of M as well,

in Minnesota means a great deal to the entire Uni-

economic engine for the state, training and educat-

representing the largest single corporate commit-

versity, and to me personally. The U of M plays an

ing the next generation of leaders who will be re-

ment in the nearly 165-year history of the University,

essential role in solving some of society’s most

sponsible for maintaining and elevating Minnesota’s

a history that pre-dates the founding of the state of

pressing challenges, and Land O’Lakes is helping

place as a global leader.”

Minnesota.

position us to continue to do so for years to come.”

26 / SKI-U-MAH / JANUARY 2015

While it made news for its generosity earlier this

year, Land O’Lakes has contributed to the University for nearly half a century. The company had existing relationships with all of the colleges and departments that benefited from its most-recent donation - Intercollegiate Athletics; the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences; the Carlson School of Management; and the College of Science and Engineering – but this was a chance to

“Partnering with the University makes sense for Land O’Lakes. Of course there are a lot of similarities between the two organizations but, most importantly, we see the University as the economic engine for the state, training and educating the next generation of leaders who will be responsible for maintaining and elevating Minnesota’s place as a global leader.” – Land O’Lakes CEO Chris Policinski

bolster its involvement with each of those departments and provide essential resources to help fur-

partner in our campaign to build new athletics facil-

ther the University’s educational mission.

ities,” said Director of Athletics Norwood Teague.

new facility. Additionally, the nutrition center will be

“The real opportunity in making this gift was to

“Every fundraising campaign needs champions –

a first for Gopher Athletics. Unlike many Division I

build upon our long-term support of the University

individuals and companies willing to make meaning-

athletics departments, Minnesota does not have a

one-fourth the size of the proposed space in the

of Minnesota and to broaden our impact supporting

ful contributions, whether that’s by donating directly

centralized area for student-athletes to eat as a

student development for years to come,” noted

to the campaign or advocating for the cause. Land

team before and after practice.

Policinski.

Specifically, Land O’Lakes’ gift will provide stu-

O’Lakes has stepped up and done both. Its support has been incredible.”

“To say this center for excellence is a need for our student-athletes and our athletics department

dent scholarships, internship opportunities, faculty

The 60,000 square-foot center for excellence will

is an understatement,” said Teague. “We are way

research backing, and academic and development

house academic, nutritional and leadership devel-

behind our competitors in our capacity to fully sup-

support for Gopher Athletics. The company also re-

opment programs for all University students and

port the needs of our student-athletes. With this

ceived naming rights to a new center for excellence

student-athletes alike, and is anticipated to open in

landmark donation to help us build this new facility,

that will be the centerpiece of the new athletics vil-

fall 2016. It will be a dramatic improvement over the

Land O’Lakes is making a major difference in the fu-

lage for which the Athletics Department is currently

current facilities. The current on-campus, student-

ture of Gopher Athletics, and in the lives of gener-

raising private contributions.

athlete academic center, which also houses existing

ations of future Gopher student-athletes.”

“Land O’Lakes continues to be an invaluable

leadership development programs, is only about

P H O T O S : PAT R I C K O ’ L E A R Y

JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 27

CANADIAN

CURRENT

BY MICHAEL MOLDE

CANADA’S KIERRA SMITH HAS CONTINUED MINNESOTA’S STRONG BREASTSTROKE LEGACY AND HAS HER SIGHTS SET ON AN NCAA TITLE AND A BERTH ON THE CANADIAN OLYMPIC TEAM IN 2016.

It’s 7 a.m.

on a picture-perfect summer weekend in Kelowna, British Columbia. A resort town of 150,000 residents, Kelowna sits on the eastern edge of an 80-mile long body of water, Okanagan Lake. As the sun rises in the sky to the southeast, a small group of adult triathletes swims laps around a 750-meter course.

As individuals slowly emerge, one-by-one, from the water after their morning workouts, one swimmer is noticeably younger than the others. Teenager Kierra Smith is not a triathlete like her father, Andrew. She just likes to swim. It was Andrew, and Kierra’s mother, Jo-Ann, who helped develop their daughter’s interest in swimming, beginning at the age of two. As Kierra wraps a towel around herself, the warm early-morning sunlight glows on her face.

“It is absolutely beautiful,” Smith said of the area surrounding the picturesque town where she grew up.

28 / SKI-U-MAH / JANUARY 2015

ast forward six years to August, 2014. Kierra, now 20 years old and soon to begin her junior year at the University of Minnesota, has developed her skill in the pool so much so that she is sitting in a chair on a pool deck in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, mentally preparing herself for the 200 breaststroke final at the 2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.

It is Smith’s second meet as a member of Canada’s national senior team, just one month after her debut for the squad at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. Six months earlier, Smith had swept titles in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke for the Gophers at the Big Ten Championships and then made the 200 breast final at NCAAs. Smith sits, as calmly as possible in such a nerve-wracking moment, listening to the final verse of Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl,” which she proudly admits is her go-to song before she takes the starting block at any competition. Smith removes her ear buds, eyes gazing intently through her goggles at the pool in front of her. The crowd is buzzing with excitement, but she tunes it out.

She closes her eyes and focuses on the task before her. On either side of her are veteran national champions, record-holders, some of the world’s top breaststrokers. She is here among them, and she knows she belongs. Her fourth-place result at the Commonwealth Games and a new personal-best of 2:25.19 provide that.

Smith steps up on the block. Total concentration ensues, as she goes through her final thoughts before breaking the water and embarking on her race. She does a final stretch and loosens her limbs, then leans forward, and grabs the block. Smith takes a deep breath, steadies herself, preparing to burst toward the water.

The crowd becomes silent in the moment before the gun sounds. It’s a clean start. As she has done hundreds of times before, Smith immediately finds her timing and begins to cut through the water like a knife.

“If your timing is just a little bit off, you can be as strong as you want, but if you’re splashing in the water, it’s not going to work for you,” Smith said. “You have to have the timing come together very perfectly.”

On this day, Smith’s timing was as good as it’s ever been. She fought through the pain and burning in her muscles, especially during the second half of her race, to touch the wall in fourth place.

As she turns to look at the board, her eyes widen in amazement and she smiles at the 2:23.32 displayed next to her name. The time is less than half a second from earning a spot on the podium, and is seventh-fastest in the world in 2014.

“After the Commonwealth Games, I had gone 2:25 and I was like, it’s great to be at 2:25 again. I achieved most of my goals, I was happy, and then I went 2:23 at Pan Pacs and was like, that’s unreal,” Smith said. “I went 2:24 in the morning, and I remember looking up at the board and being so surprised. It was my happiest moment ever - besides the 100 breast and Big Tens last year, that’s another very happy moment.”

——— Smith’s sweep of the Big Ten titles in the breaststroke events last February continued Minnesota’s amazing success in the event

F

ABOVE: Smith won the Big Ten title in the 100 and 200 breaststroke as a sophomore before finishing sixth in the 200 breast at the NCAA Championships. BELOW: Head Coach Kelly Kremer has helped Smith become one of the world’s best breaststrokers. Kremer has coached 12 of the last 14 Big Ten champions in breaststroke events and two national champions.

PHOTO: ERIC MILLER

PHOTOS: CHRISTOPHER MITCHELL (TOP TWO), ERIC MILLER (THIRD), JERRY LEE (BOTTOM).

JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 29

”She is way past the point of dreaming about the Olympics.

She’s at the point where that’s realistic.”

PHOTO: ERIC MILLER

– GOPHER HEAD COACH KELLY KREMER

30 / SKI-U-MAH / JANUARY 2015

in recent years. Former Gopher All-Americans Jillian Tyler and Haley Spencer dominated the events during 2008-13, and Smith added her recent feat to help Minnesota win its third consecutive team title.

Overall, the Gophers have won six of the past seven Big Ten titles in both the 100 and 200 breast, and Smith is quick to credit Head Coach Kelly Kremer for the improvement he’s helped her make in the events.

“We train with mid-distance and distance freestylers, and I don’t fully understand it, but it works,” Smith said. “He (Kremer) has breaststroke drills that apply to each individual, and he’ll alter them. For some of the drills, he’ll tell me to do fly kick instead of flutter kick - he’ll tell people to do different things for what suits them, and he’s so insightful on what each person needs for their stroke and that’s so important.”

——— “When I came over to the women’s side as co-head coach, the first NCAA qualifier Terry (Ganley) and I had in 2006 was Julia Quinn, a 200 breaststroke swimmer,” Kremer said. “She dropped a huge amount of time to make NCAAs, and then we got Jillian Tyler. After Jill, it went to Haley, and now to Kierra. It’s been good fortune.”

In addition to their dominance in the breaststroke events at the Big Ten Championships, Tyler (100 breast) and Spencer (200 breast) each won an individual NCAA title in 2011, an accomplishment on which Smith now has set her sights.

Due to her performances on the international level, Smith’s goals now far exceed success at the collegiate level. Her dreams are focused not only on an NCAA title, but on the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“When you’re seventh in the world, this is a good time to do it (train for the Olympics),” Kremer said.

“Her improvement curve is as steep as anybody’s. She’s going to invest everything she has into the Olympic year - she won’t be attending class, she’s going to take the year off collegiately and really prepare for the Olympics.”

Kremer said Smith will likely train at the University of Minnesota until January, 2016, before returning home to Canada to train with the national team leading up to the Summer Olympics.

“I think her improvement curve will only get steeper,” Kremer said of her chances of reaching the 2016 Olympic Games. “She’ll go by some of the people in front of her right now, and I don’t see anybody behind her catching her. I think being on the podium is a very realistic goal. She is way past the point of dreaming about the Olympics. She’s at the point where that’s realistic.”

“Making the Olympic team has always been my

number one goal,” Smith said. “Now, it’s not only that, but I want to final at the Olympics in 2016. That’s what all my efforts are going toward.”

For now, Smith says winning NCAAs remains an important focus for her, one that has grown over the years. As a freshman, she admits it wasn’t her most important goal. But last year’s sixth-place finish in the 200 breast final helped her to realize it was within her reach.

“That was so much fun,” Smith said. “Now, this year, it’s all I want to do. This year I am just trying to win NCAAs, and then I will switch over to Canadian Trials, with two weeks in between.”

Smith’s training regimen with Kremer involves about 6,000 yards per practice, or 30,000 yards per week. For most people, that type of work would cause far too much pain and exhaustion. But Smith feels her ability to train hard and be able to work through any pain is what sets her apart from competitors.

“I’ve never been afraid of the pain. I expect it,” Smith said. “I think I’m very good at the back half of my race because I don’t fear it.

Yeah, it hurts, but it’s supposed to. I try to get there as quickly as possible.”

“Kierra has a great stroke. It’s different than the stroke that Jillian had, or that Haley had, or any male breaststrokers I’ve worked with have had,” Kremer said. “It’s different, but it really works for her.”

Kremer says Smith’s been good about making stroke changes when asked, and that she’s good at feeling if something with her stroke isn’t right. He adds that she’s very coachable, which is something he believes is common for elite athletes and what makes them a little different.

When it comes to role models in the pool, Smith doesn’t have to look far to find two great ones. Both Jillian Tyler and Annamay Pierse are multiple-time Canadian Olympians that Smith has always admired.

“Jillian was one of the main reasons I came to Minnesota. I wasn’t set on coming to America when I first started looking at colleges,” Smith said. “The reason I looked here was because Jill was here, and she had so much success. She and Kelly collaborated so well. Kelly goes up to Canadian meets and Jill didn’t have any trouble training here and then training long course meters. I knew it would be a good decision for me because it was a good decision for her.”

Smith said she also grew up with former world record-holder Annamay Pierse as a role model. Pierse was in Vancouver, and being a world record holder from Canada was impactful to Smith.

“Having Annamay as a role model really made me want to be good at breaststroke, and then I was lucky that it clicked for me and that it came so naturally,” Smith said. “She was always so nice to me, even up to when I was 18 or 19 years old, she would still wave to me on the pool deck. I’ve always been a fan of hers.

She’s retired now, but I think having her support along the way has been super helpful.”

——— Smith’s mom and dad would do anything for her if it benefitted her swimming, which included long drives for their daughter to be able to train with Pierse.

“They would always send me to any swim meet that I had to go to. They would figure out a way to get me to those places, and they would always drive me,” Smith said. “There have been countless times they have driven me to Vancouver to swimming meets, or to see Annamay, and it’s a five or six-hour drive.”

She also gives a great amount of credit to her coach with the Liquid Lightning in Kelowna, Emil Dimitrov.

“Emil has always believed in me, even when I wasn’t as successful in breaststroke. He’s always helped me see the more fun side of it, and never pressured me,” Smith said.

“Kierra just has to continue to be herself.

She’s gotten past the point of education where you’re trying to convince them how to be committed, and she’s gotten through that,” Kremer said. “She’s very committed, focused, as coachable as you could be, and she’s at that spot now where she really just has to be herself and she’ll get there.”

Three days in March will determine whether Smith can join Tyler and Spencer as the next national champion Golden Gopher in the breaststroke. After that, Smith will focus solely on international competition through the 2016 Summer Olympic Games though, surely there will be some time for Gwen Stefani along the way.

Michael Molde is a freelance writer in the Twin Cities. He can be reached at michaelmolde@hotmail.com.

MORE OF A GOOD THING Kierra Smith is carrying on a legacy in the breaststroke events at the University of Minnesota under head coach Kelly Kremer.

Haley Spencer (2010-13) and Jillian Tyler (2008-11) accumulated 24 All-America awards between them. Below is a listing of Minnesota’s NCAA and Big Ten champions since 2008.

NCAA CHAMPIONS YEAR

INDIVIDUAL

2011

JILLIAN TYLER

100

2011

HALEY SPENCER

200

HALEY SPENCER

EVENT

JILLIAN TYLER

BIG TEN CHAMPIONS 2014

KIERRA SMITH

2014

KIERRA SMITH

100 200

2013

HALEY SPENCER

100

2013

HALEY SPENCER

200

2012

HALEY SPENCER

200

2011

JILLIAN TYLER

100

2011

JILLIAN TYLER

200

2010

JILLIAN TYLER

100

2010

HALEY SPENCER

200

2009

JILLIAN TYLER

100

2008

JILLIAN TYLER

100

2008

JILLIAN TYLER

200

ALL-AMERICA AWARDS 13

JILLIAN TYLER

2008-11

11

HALEY SPENCER

2010-13

KIERRA SMITH

2013-

3

PHOTOS: WALT MIDDLETON

JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 31

READY FOR AN

ENCORE

BY JORDAN OSTERMAN

PHOTO: ERIC MILLER

Amanda Zahui B. sits in the fifth row of Williams Arena, the long legs that anchor her 6-foot-5 frame flaring out sideways to avoid the maroon seat in front of her.

It’s 5:20 p.m., about 20 minutes since practice ended and the Stockholm, Sweden, native stepped down from the same court she dominated so often last year. The men’s team will tip off later tonight and staff are preparing the arena for the Gophers home opener. Graphics rotate across the massive scoreboard screens and music blasts over empty seats, echoing throughout The Barn.

As Zahui takes a moment to ponder the transition between coaching staffs (Marlene Stollings is in her first season as the Gophers coach), rapper Jay Z’s voice bellows out a line that very well could have emanated from the curly-haired Minnesota center: “Can I get an encore? Do you want more?”

The first part? Easy: Yes, Zahui will get her encore, a sophomore season that promises to see her continue a blistering conquest of painted areas throughout the Big Ten. The second part? Where even to begin, when “more” seems borderline gluttonous?

Consider the season to which we’re talking about adding: Zahui averaged a double-double (15.1 points and 11.6 rebounds) in Big Ten contests last year; led the league (and set a Gophers single-season record) in blocked shots with 105; broke both Minnesota and conference season records with 394 rebounds; was named to the All-Big Ten First Team by media members and was a WBCA All-America Honorable Mention, among a laundry list of other awards. All this as a freshman, which qualified her unanimous Big Ten Freshman of the Year nod.

“DO YOU WANT MORE?” Yes. Zahui absolutely wants more. And the way she frames the measurement speaks to how she views her place among a group she considers family.

“This is a team sport,” she said. “All my individual accomplishments will come if I work hard, but my main goal is not for me. It’s all about my team.

“We’re better, faster, stronger, and we want it more. We’ve worked for it more,” she added. “During the offseason, the stuff we did and the work we did, I’ve never seen any team work harder. Never. This team is ready to go to another level.”

The Gophers are ready to register their season’s worth of more, a plan that inclues penciling in a bid to the NCAA tournament. Accomplishing that would undoubtedly feature Zahui, a piece of the puzzle the Gophers had to travel more than 4,000 miles to add.

ONE FAMILY TO THE NEXT It was a foregone conclusion to Zahui and her family that she would be

leaving Sweden after high school to play basketball. Her parents (her father is from the Ivory Coast) traveled all over Europe with Zahui and her brother, much of it for her basketball. For years she had dreamed of playing professionally in Spain and planned to take that route immediately after high school. Discussions of playing collegiate basketball in the United States were always in the background but, as her high school career neared completion, it became the focal point.

A years-long relationship between Minnesota’s coaching staff and Zahui’s family put the Gophers at the front of the recruiting pack. Her official visit cemented the choice.

“Have you ever had something where it just clicks? It was one of those moments (for me choosing Minnesota). And you don’t have them a lot so you’ve got to take them when you do,” Zahui said. “I stepped off the plane … and thought, ‘Why does this feel right? I’m only at the airport.’ Then I met the team and knew this was it.”

The team has remained the most important thing for a young woman tasked with acclimating to life in another country; learning a completely different style of basketball than that with which she grew up with; playing in one of, if not the, toughest conferences in the country and going to school to pursue an African Studies major with minors in youth studies and communications. Oh, and having to undergo that transition from the coaches who recruited her to a new group under Stollings.

“We had new coaches and five new (teammates) coming in (this season), and it sounds tough. We all just sucked each other in. We’re a family,” Zahui said. “We all hang out. When I struggle with homesickness and know I want to go home, I know I can talk to literally anyone about it. We have people living 10 minutes away from here that miss home. I’m like, ‘It’s OK. Come here on my shoulder. I know what you’re going through.’ Personal, basketball-related, we all have each other’s backs. For me, that’s family. You’re all looking out for each other.”

A SPECIAL PLAYER That looking out is evident on the court as well. Zahui redshirted her freshman season, so last year proved the true test for her move to the U.S. collegiate game. It was not without its growing pains – see: traveling and foul trouble – but was grounded in a confidence fueled by her fellow Gophers.

“I feel like everything goes back to how my teammates are: very supportive,” Zahui said. “‘It’s your first year and you’re going to go in and kill it.’ Everyone had told me that, but I’m like, ‘It’s the Big Ten. I’m going to go out there and give it everything I’ve got, but we’ve got JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 33

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some big girls in this conference. It’s going to be hard.’ They just said, ‘No, you’ve got it.’”

Crystal ball aside, it’s hard to imagine any of the Gophers envisioning quite how much “it” Zahui truly did have. A complete defensive game-changer with her size and length in the paint, Zahui consistently disrupted opposing offenses, even when she didn’t get her hands on shots. On offense she provided an increasingly treasured asset in the college game: a truly dominant post presence, a scoring and rebounding force that stresses any defensive scheme and must constantly be accounted for.

“It makes a big difference (to have a great post player),” said teammate and roommate Kayla Hirt. “Without someone her size and ability it lowers our talent level and ability to

really dominate. She brings that.”

Zahui brings so much to the floor that many are already drawing comparisons to former Gophers great and current Minnesota Lynx center Janel McCarville.

“Of course (the comparison) puts a lot of pressure on me, but I honestly don’t think that puts any more pressure than I put on myself. I want to become the greatest and one of the players that people talk about,” Zahui said.

“It’s amazing to come here to play well like last year, but I can’t be satisfied that they’re talking about me and Janel in the same sentence. I want younger girls to think, ‘Amanda, that’s who I want to be like.’ My goal is to be the best.”

Watch Zahui for a game, a half, a minute, and it’s clear such a goal is not unfounded. A

student of the game – “I could watch basketball film for hours,” she says – she is hungry to continue a line of improvement that already has seen her make huge strides. Add to the equation a more up-tempo style of play under Stollings and Zahui is showing potential of tapping into even more aspects of her game: an efficient scoring and passing threat in transition as well as in the half court.

“It’s going to help my game grow,” Zahui said. “Quick rebounds, pass and run the floor; there are not a lot of post players in our conference that can run the floor. I’ve been working so hard at it and am getting so much better at it. It’s fun. It’s been very hard to get there, I’m not going to lie, but it feels great.”

Cue the looks of anxiety on opposing centers. The tall task of containing Zahui will grow more daunting as she continues adapting to the U.S. style, developing and growing her own game, and focusing on what she can do to make her team better.

“She works so hard. She obviously has talent and a body that’s better than anyone else’s, but she works harder than anyone else on this court. That’s why everything clicks for her and why she is so successful,” Hirt says.

“She’s going to be a very special player.”

She may already qualify as special. Her first act is imprinted in the record books and stands as one of the best freshman seasons the Gophers have ever seen. What comes next could require a different set of adjectives or measurements to qualify. Or, it could simply be boiled down to the one thing Zahui and the Gophers know they are ready for: more.

Jordan Osterman is a freelance writer for Ski-U-Mah.

FOUR LANGUAGES manda Zahui B. is a woman of many diverse talents. Known best for being a fierce competitor on the basketball court for the Gophers, what people many not know is that Zahui also speaks four languages – Swedish, English, French and Spanish.

Born in Stockholm, Sweden, Zahui grew up speaking the country’s native language, Swedish, but throughout her childhood, family influences brought new cultures and different dialects into her world.

Her father, Alex, originally hails from Ivory Coast where the main language is French, so Zahui learned the French language early in her life…and used it often. While playing for the Gophers last season,

A

Zahui and former teammate Micaëlla Riché would converse in French while out on the court, which was something that reminded Zahui of her younger days. “(Speaking French with Micaëlla) was fun because I did that in junior high, as well,” Zahui said. “Half of our team came from African countries where they spoke French, so that was how we communicated on the court.”

Zahui now mostly communicates with her teammates in English, a dialect she first started learning after her uncle made the trip to Sweden from Ivory Coast while studying the language. The pair would speak English together, before Zahui continued her studies in school around the age of six.

“Being able to speak English gave me the confidence to come to the United States to play basketball,” Zahui said. “When I started my English as a Second Language (ESL) classes here at Minnesota, I was basically an American compared to the other kids in class, because they didn’t speak any kind of English.”

Lastly, Zahui’s Spanish influence came from her mother, Annso, who is half-Spanish – a fact that pushed Zahui into taking Spanish classes in school.

Zahui’s diversity and eagerness to learn both on and off the court have led her to many great opportunities in life so far … and she is just getting started.

JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 35

T H E

F A M I LY

T H A T

PHOTOS: ERIC MILLER

PINS TOGETHER 36 / SKI-U-MAH / JANUARY 2015

THE GOPHERS WRESTLING PROGRAM HAS A HISTORY FILLED WITH BROTHERS, BUT NO TWO ARE QUITE LIKE JAYSON AND DYLAN NESS.

BY JAKE RICKER

s much as any other sport, wrestling demands total commitment to achieve greatness. The shared dedication and sacrifices of every wrestler on a team galvanizes an incredible bond between them. The Gopher wrestling program embraces that bond, a brotherhood as they often say, among its wrestlers.

That feeling of brotherhood, that powerful connection to each other, has often taken on a more literal meaning throughout the program’s history. Dozens of brothers – brothers by blood – have wrestled for the Gophers through the years, many accomplishing great things.

Despite those accomplishments, no two have ever each captured an individual National Championship, nor each been four-time All-Americans. As a senior this year, Dylan Ness has the opportunity to make the Nesses the first. He’s a three-time All-American, a twotime national runner-up and is currently the top-ranked wrestler in the country at 157 pounds. His older brother Jayson, now a volunteer assistant coach at Minnesota, claimed the title at 133 pounds in 2010, his senior season, capping his fourth career All-American campaign.

The Ness brothers now sit on the cusp of making history because of one simple misunderstanding 20 years ago.

A

“Jayson liked WWE and that is why he started [wrestling],” said Dylan, smirking. “He found a flyer for wrestling [and he] was pumped because he thought he was going to be throwing chairs and stuff like that.”

“I thought I’d be one of those guys jumping off the turnbuckle,” Jayson recalled with a chuckle.

He was devastated to find a room full of mats, headgear and singlets instead of championship belts, costumes and body slams.

“I hated it,” said Jayson. “I didn’t want to go. My mom literally dragged me to practice. I was a 39pound kindergartener, so it wasn’t very hard for her to grab me and make me go, but I fought her every practice.”

It was an honest mistake. Jayson thought he was going to have the opportunity to imitate some of his idols from pro wrestling on television, like the Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan. But that mistake set in mo-

tion everything that has led to the Nesses becoming some of the most recognizable wrestlers in Gopher history.

“One of the things my parents instilled early was you can’t quit,” said Jayson, adding that his parents – Jay and Sally – told him “you decided to join this team, you’re going to see it out.”

Though wrestling wasn’t a love-at-first-sight situation for Jayson, he quickly warmed up to the sport. A year later, he shocked his parents by telling them that he wanted to return and wrestle for a second season.

“They said ‘Are you sure? Remember, you have to go to everything.’ … but I loved the competitions. I loved the kids that I was with. They became some of my best friends.”

While it took Jayson time to overcome his initial disappointment at what wrestling truly is, Dylan embraced it immediately.

“Growing up with an older sibling, especially a brother, you kind of imitate what they do,” said Dylan.

“Jayson got into wrestling and right after he did, I was pretty much going to practice with him when I was three years old. I was crawling around the mats.”

From an understandable mix-up, pre-practice temper tantrums and crawling around on wrestling mats, the legacy of the Ness brothers was born.

WE TOOK THE NAME

Though he never wrestled, Jay Ness quickly embraced his sons’ passion for wrestling and became heavily involved in the sport, coaching the boys through much of their early years.

“I loved it,” said Jay. “People say I was a coach, but I never looked at myself as a coach. I was more of a guide for my boys, to get them good coaching and hang around good people.”

That role as guide led to developing relationships with some of biggest names in Gopher wrestling, including Brandon Paulson, the Thorns, the Zilverbergs and the Morgans.

“My dad kind of jumped in there,” remembered Dylan. “He picked up [tips] from everyone, like (former Gopher wrestler) Gordy Morgan. … My dad kind of consumed all of it and drove us all over the place to wrestle.”

Gordy Morgan’s influence on both of the Ness boys is evident when watching their matches. Gordy and his brother, Marty, are all over the records books at JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 37

Together, the Nesses have more pins than any combination of Gopher wrestlers not named Ness in the program’s history, brothers or not.

PHOTO: JERRY LEE

Though they share that signature move, Jayson and Dylan look very different when they wrestle. That half-nelson became a staple of Jayson’s repertoire, a key tool for an All-American known as a lanky tactician who ended more matches early with a pin than not. It wasn’t the only strong move in his arsenal, but it was one of the most-used by

PHOTO: ERIC MILLER

ABOVE: Jayson’s last-second victory over Iowa’s Daniel Dennis in the 2010 NCAA title match at 133 pounds is one of the most dramatic and memorable in Gopher Wrestling history. BELOW: Dylan has recorded many victories via pin but his stick of Penn State’s Dylan Alton in 2014 at the Sports Pavilion in front of a standing-room only crowd is one that Gopher fans will remember for years to come.

Minnesota, the latter winning the 1991 National Championship at 177 pounds and going on to be an assistant coach for the Gophers. The brothers were known for the “Morgan Half Ride,” a half-nelson they used to turn opponents on their backs and rack up pins. Gordy coached the Nesses throughout their junior careers and taught them the famous move.

“Gordy show it to me when I was in third grade and we worked on it all the way through high school, worked on really perfecting it. We always called it the Morgan Half 38 / SKI-U-MAH / JANUARY 2015

growing up,” said Jayson. “You know, Dylan, being five years younger, by the time I was in third grade he was just starting to wrestle. He started doing it as soon as he started wrestling. He was already working on it.”

Growing up, “Jayson and I worked on our top series and half-nelsons,” said Dylan. “We learned that half-nelson series from the Morgan… [but] it’s the Ness Half now. We took the name.”

Name of the move aside, it’s provided a lot of wins for the Nesses and a lot of team points for the Gophers in the past decade.

“People ask me about what it is like having your brother as your coach. I say, ‘Well, he’s been my coach my entire life and just because there’s a label on it doesn’t change anything for me.”

– DYLAN NESS

someone who was defined by technical proficiency and tenacity. Fast forwarding to today, Dylan is, by his own definition, “unexpected.” In a YouTube clip with more than 86,000 views, Big Ten commentators describe him as “highly combustible” after an electrifying move to pin fourth-ranked Dylan Alton of Penn State in front of a raucous, capacity crowd at the Sports Pavilion. Others have said his style is unpredictable, the result of endless hours spent watching film and incorporating a vast array of influences.

“Growing up, I watched so much film. Almost too much,” Dylan recalled. “When I was in high school I watched every wrestler in every match. I could tell you what shoes guys wore. I would try to imitate every wrestler I saw. I would watch someone wrestle and then the next day at practice [I’d] try to do what they did.”

“In practice, he used to drive me nuts,” said Jay. “I talked to Marty Morgan one time about it. I said ‘he’s imitating all these guys and he’s driving me nuts.’ And Marty said ‘Jay, relax. When he starts imitating the crummy guys, then you got to worry.’ … I learned, that’s just Dylan. He loves to wrestle.”

SAME DIFFERENCE

Beyond divergent wrestling styles, Dylan and Jayson are very different people. Jayson is quiet and measured. Dylan, sporting colorful

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older brother’s, even if the way sneakers and a flair for the drathey go about so many things is matic, is the more outgoing of different. Like Jayson, Dylan is a the two. One of the people who three-time All-American enterknows the two the best sees COMBINED ing his final season. Like Jayson, those differences.

CAREER PINS Dylan has lost a national cham“[Jayson is] like a lot of firstpionship match at this point in borns. They’re very orientated, his career. Like Jayson, expectathey’re very controlled, they’re tions are high that he will capture very methodical about what they that elusive National Champido,” said Minnesota Head ALL-AMERICA onship as a senior. Those lofty Wrestling Coach J Robinson.

AWARDS expectations bring out yet an“The younger one (Dylan in this other commonality the two case) is a free spirit, caring, open share. to anything.”

“Jayson really handles presFor all the ways Dylan and sure situations well, and so does Jayson are different, they are still Dylan,” said Jay. “The bigger the brothers, which creates a few unCOMBINED match, the higher performance deniable similarities.

CAREER WINS you get from Dylan. Dylan loves “Jayson is a little more reas of January 1, 2015 crowds … he just loves the atserved I guess and Dylan’s a little mosphere. He loves the spotlight.” more extroverted,” Jay noted. “That what people see. But actually, they’re a lot alike.”

B R O T H E R LY A D V I C E “The things that are important to them, Jayson has been on the Minnesota coaching their core root system, is exactly the same,” staff for four years, basically all of Dylan’s casaid Robinson. “But they’re getting where reer with the Maroon and Gold. Both boys they’re going in a different way.” grew up being coached by their father, so family involvement on the team is nothing Jayson’s way led him to the final match – new to either of them. win or lose – of his career in 2010 in Omaha, “People ask me about what it is like having Neb. It was the NCAA Championship match your brother as your coach,” said Dylan. “I say, at 133 pounds against Daniel Dennis of Iowa.

‘Well, he’s been my coach my entire life and With 20 seconds left in the match, Dennis led just because there’s a label on it doesn’t Ness 4-2. In wrestling, a takedown is worth change anything for me.’” two points, so Jayson was wholly concen“I try to be more of a big brother than a trated on that as the final seconds of his career coach. That’s kind of a hard thing to separate, melted away. To compare it to the sport his fabut I try to be more of a brother,” said Jayson. ther played, what happened next is some-

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thing like scoring the game-tying goal with seconds left on the clock and the goalie pulled, then putting the goalie back in and scoring again to win at the horn. With Dennis looking to play defense and run out the clock, Jayson made a slick duck-under move and took down Dennis with six seconds left to tie the match, then controlled him on his back as the match ended to score an additional two points for a near fall, winning the National Championship with a miraculous four-point surge just before time expired. As unlikely as that victory was, it was Jayson’s way.

While his senior season remains largely unwritten at this point, Dylan’s way has produced three seasons with the Gophers that mirror his

“I’ll help him out here and there, but more for encouragement and support. Just be there for him.”

If anyone in the Minnesota wrestling room understands Dylan, it’s reasonable to assume it’s his brother. But more than that, Jayson’s been in those wrestling shoes, figuratively, at least. That said, the two don’t often discuss their career parallels, or what this season could mean for the family’s legacy in the program.

“We haven’t really talked about that,” Jayson said with a bit of a shrug. “I keep telling him just keep wrestling the best you can. … A lot of times what happens is guys go out there and they’re so focused on winning, they just shut down. [Instead, if] you’re wrestling your best, you’re relaxed, you’re having fun and there’s no pressure. You’re just competing.”

When the two arrive at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis this March – one as a coach and the other as a wrestler – the spotlight will be shining brightly. The one on the Gopher bench will truly understand what the one on the mat is going through, having gone through a similar situation himself. And if Dylan were to ask Jayson for brotherly advice before he steps on to the mat, the reply would be the calm common sense that so often comes from a coach… or an older brother.

“If I had to say something to him, I’d say relax. Relax and have fun. Go out there and score points. That’s all you have to do.”

Jake Ricker is an associate athletic communications director at the University of Minnesota. He can be reached at rick0127@umn.edu.

ALL-AMERICAN BROTHERS

Jayson and Dylan Ness are one of 10 sets of brothers to earn All-America honors on the mats at the University of Minnesota. Below is a list of the brothers and the years they earned All-America status.

LAST NAME

BROTHER

BROTHER

NOTES

DARDANES

Chris (2012-13)

Nick (2013)

Three combined All-America awards

LAMPHERE

Jeff (1972)

Reid (1969)

Two combined All-America awards

LAWRENCE

Brett (2001)

Jared (2000-03)

Jared – 2002 NCAA champ at 149 pounds

MORGAN

Marty (1989-91)

Gordy (1989)

Marty – 1991 NCAA champ at 177 pounds

NESS

Jayson (2007-10)

Dylan (2012-14)

Jayson – 2010 NCAA champ at 133 pounds

SCHLATTER

Dustin (2006-08)

C.P. (2007)

Dustin – 2006 NCAA champ at 149 pounds

SHORT

Chris (1989)

Willy (1993)

Both finished third at NCAAs

THORN

Mike (2010-11)

David (2013-14)

Four combined All-America awards

YOHN

Sonny (2010-12)

Cody (2013)

Sonny – 3-time All-American at 197 pounds

ZILVERBERG

Dan (1979-80)

Larry (1974-76)

Larry – 1974 NCAA runner-up at 158 pounds

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Where Are They Now J.B. BICKERSTAFF

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Former Gopher basketball star J.B. Bickerstaff is in his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets after stints with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Bobcats. When Bickerstaff joined the Bobcats staff in 2004, he was the youngest coach in the NBA at age 25, working for his father, Bernie. Now 34, Bickerstaff is on the staff of another Gopher great, Kevin McHale, and is eyeing his first head coaching job.

Q: Do you still have time to follow Gopher basketball or any other Gopher sports?

JB: Yes. I watch a lot. There’s big bragging rights down here as to what your college team is so I keep up with the football team. I don’t get a chance to watch that many games but I check all of the scores and do the same with the basketball team as well.

Q: You had your beginnings in coach at the U of M. How did that influence your desire to continue coaching?

JB: I always wanted to be a coach because of the impact that coaches could have on young people’s lives from a young age. Coach Haskins and Coach Monson reinforced that for me. Coach Monson gave me a chance to get in and get my feet wet and see what it was all about and my mindset has never changed.

Helping young people, teaching them not just as a basketball player but how to be a man and develop good habits to be successful in life whether it was in basketball or off the court in life. That’s something I am still lucky enough to be doing. People think that because these guys are pros that they have it all figured it out. They need the same guidance and they have the same questions and eagerness to learn as the young kids do. For me, it’s been a blessing to be able to do what I love and move up the coaching ranks.

Q: What was it like growing up in such a basketball consumed family?

JB: It was awesome. What every other kid’s dream was, was my day-to-day reality. I got to be a ball boy.

I got to see Dr. J. I got to talk to Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan. Those guys knew me on a first-name basis when I was seven years old. For me, it couldn’t have been any better. I always tell the joke that while kids went to daycare, my brother and I went to basketball practice. You grow up in the locker room. You learn the good and the bad that comes with that.

You understand what it means to be a good teammate. You understand the camaraderie. You understand what it’s like to be unselfish and do what is right for the group, not just for yourself.

Q: Who was your favorite player growing up?

JB: At that age, guys like Dale Ellis and Shawn Kemp were my two favorites. I was probably seven years old when those guys were on the team and they took us under their wings. They treated us like we were little brothers. We would go to their houses, play video games and take us to the mall. Those were my guys.

Q: What is the biggest difference between coaching in college and the pros?

JB: The time. The way you divide your time. We ded-

sponsibility. If your guys don’t look prepared and if they don’t believe in your style or system, it shows on the court. The owner pays a player $20 million and the coach well less than that. It’s a lot easier for that owner to get rid of the coach than the player making $20 million.

J.B. Bickerstaff averaged 9.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game and shot 54 percent from the field in 43 games as a Golden Gopher. Following his graduation with a degree in speech communications, he was hired by Dan Monson as the Director of Basketball Operations at the U, launching his coaching career. He is currently in his 11th season as an assistant coach in the NBA.

BICKERSTAFF AT A GLANCE

PROFESSIONAL COACHING CAREER 2002-03 University of Minnesota 2004-07 Charlotte Bobcats 2007-11 Minnesota Timberwolves 2009-pres.

Houston Rockets PLAYING CAREER 1999-2001 University of Minnesota 1997-99 Oregon State University

icate all of our time to strictly basketball. It’s film. It’s practice. It’s games. It’s travel. In college, you have to figure out how to divvy up your time between basketball, class, recruiting and all those other things.

For us, it’s just basketball.

Q: Is it more stressful being a college or pro coach?

JB: There’s pressure and stress in both. In the NBA, there’s 30 teams and the pressure to keep your job is significant. The first person to go and to blame is the coach up here. You have that stress every day.

Your job is literally on the line every night. I don’t think people think about it that way. There’s a re-

Q: You spent some time behind the microphone as an analyst on the Timberwolves Radio Network.

Was that something that you thought would end up being a full-time career for you?

JB: At the time it was fun and it wasn’t something that I really pursued. When I was in college, I did a weekly call-in show on KFAN and it kinda went from there. People from the Wolves heard me on the air, called me in for a screening and I got a job. It was probably the best team the Wolves had as well. They made it to the Western Conference Finals and I got a lot of exposure from that. There was ESPN and NBATV and things like that because the team was so good. My mind was always to be a coach but to have that opportunity and get that experience opens up doors and I would like to do that at some point in time when my coaching career is done or if I ever had to take a break.

Q: You had some tough injuries during your college career. How hard was that to overcome? Do you think you would still be playing somewhere if you hadn’t had the rash of bad injuries?

JB: I think I would have played for someone, somewhere after college for sure. It was tough. You still have thoughts about it and the what ifs. However, my life has turned out pretty good so I have no complaints. Where I am now, close to reaching my dreams of becoming a head coach I hope. I got married and I have three kids. It could have turned out worse. If I would have held on to it and felt sorry for myself, I don’t think I would be in this position. I was lucky growing up, my mom, she was a teacher and my dad always told me, you have to have a ‘Plan B.’ I was fortunate to have a Plan B and the injuries didn’t stop me from reaching my goal and that was to be in the NBA. This is my 11th season. Sometimes you have to take a different course to get there but, if you stick with it, you can get there.

Q: You have traveled all over the place because of basketball. What is your favorite place to visit?

JB: My favorite place to visit is San Diego and it has nothing to do with basketball. I love the beach. I love the weather. I love the city. If I ever had a choice of a play to live, I would probably choose there. interview by Jeff Keiser

JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 41

Big

THE ‘M ’ CL UB INDUCT S F OURT EEN GREATS INTO IT S HALL OF FAME

2014 ‘M’ CLUB HALL OF FAME INDUCTION PHOTO FRONT ROW: Kenneth Haycraft, Jr., Kari Blank, Elsie Hanning, Tanya Schuh, Bernie Zeruhn, Nicole Branagh.

BACK ROW: Bill Light, Keita Cline, Pat Micheletti, Laura Halldorson, Quincy Lewis.

Kari Blank Nicole Branagh Keita Cline Laura Halldorson Bob Hanning Kenneth Haycraft Jim Hill

Softball / 1988-92 Volleyball / 1997-2000 Track & Field / 1992-95 Women’s Hockey Coach / 1997-2007 Gymnastics / 1938-40 Football / 1926-28 Swimming / 1925-27

42 / SKI-U-MAH / JANUARY 2015

Quincy Lewis Bill Light Pat Micheletti Frank McCormick Tanya Schuh George Tuck Bernie Zeruhn

Basketball / 1996-99 Football / 1969-71 Hockey / 1983-86 Baseball Coach / 1930-41 Swimming / 1994-97 Basketball / 1902-05 Swimming / 1993-96

Kari Blank (1988-92) was the softball Big Ten Player of the Year in 1991 and was the first Gopher to be named All-Big Ten three times.

Gopher basketball All-American Quincy Lewis (1996-99) with his parents Louie and Mabeline and daughter, Ti’are.

17-time swimming All-American Bernie Zeruhn (1993-96) and his family.

Hockey legend Pat Micheletti (1983-86) and his family at the awards ceremony.

Two-time All-American and 2000 Big Ten Player of the Year Nicole Branagh with Gopher Volleyball Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon.

Gopher coaching icon Laura Halldorson with former players Kim Hanlon, Sarah Erickson, Winny Brodt, Nadine Muzerall, Angela Borek, Krissy Wendell, Julie Otto and Jerilyn Glenn.

PHOTOS: JERRY LEE

Keita Cline (1992-95) was a five-time Big Ten champion and two-time All-American in track and field.

Football alumni Mike Perfetti, Bill Light, Jim Carter, Ernie Cook, Gary Hohman, Tim Brown celebrate Light’s induction to the Hall of Fame.

Nine-time All-American and six-time Big Ten champion swimmer Tanya Schuh (1994-97).

JANUARY 2015 / SKI-U-MAH / 43

THE SUN PEEKS OVER TCF BANK STADIUM PRIOR TO THE MINNESOTA-IOWA GAME ON NOVEMBER 8.

PHOTO BY BRACE HEMMELGARN

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