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FE BR U ARY t he
o fficia l
2016
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ISSUE
ma gazine
o f
11
Go pher
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VOL.
contents
II
At hlet ics
features
p
12
S i mo ne Ko l and er
p
16
J akub Maly
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22
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Ca rl i e Wa gn e r
26
L u ca W i e l a n d
additional content
p
32
L i z Be rkh ol t z
p
38
Yarosl av P och i n ka
2
record breakers & achievements
4
season to remember
6
photo feature
10
credits
20
wine dinner
30
golden gopher fund donors
36
student-athlete development
40
Where Are They Now: Ryan Lefebvre
42
‘M’ Club Hall of Fame
44
parting shot for these stories and much more, visit the home of Gopher Sports at gophersports.com. FEBRUARY 2016 / SKI-U-MAH / 1
PHOTOS: ERIC MILLER
school record for career points
2,268 RECORD BREAKERS
senior guard Rachel Banham broke the all-time school record for career points with her 2,268th point on November 28. She broke the mark set by WNBA champion and Olympian Lindsay Whalen.
10
PHOTO: JIM ROSVOLD
Banham hit a school record 10 three-pointers and tied a careerhigh with 39 points against Illinois on January 7. The Gophers tied a Big Ten record with 19 treys in the game.
senior forward Hannah Brandt notched her 247th career point on November 14, breaking the school record set by threetime Olympian Natalie Darwitz.
school record for career points
247 PHOTOS: BRACE HEMMELGARN
2 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016
Minnesota garnered four All-America honors in Daly Santana (first team), Hannah Tapp (first team), Samantha Seliger-Swenson (second team) and Paige Tapp (third team), the most in school history. Santana was named the Big Ten Player of the Year. Hugh McCutcheon was named the AVCA National Coach of the Year and the Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Gopher volleyball players earning All-America honors
4
The Gopher football team defeated Central Michigan 21-14 to claim the Quick Lane Bowl title and win its first bowl game since 2004. Mitch Leidner was named the game MVP after completing 24-of-30 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown. Leidner’s 13-yard touchdown run with 4:26 to play was the game-winning score. PHOTOS: ERIC MILLER
FEBRUARY 2016 / SKI-U-MAH / 3
SEASON TO REMEMBER
P H O T O S : E R I C M I L L E R , C H R I S T O P H E R M I T C H E L L , W A LT M I D D L E T O N
The Gopher volleyball team reached the 2015 Final Four after earning the No. 2 overall seed, the best in program history. Minnesota went 30-5 on the year, its most wins since 2004. The Gophers won the Big Ten title for just the second time in school history (2002) after an 18-2 Big Ten regular season. The championship season included a 15-match winning streak, the longest in school history. The Gophers delighted home crowds with a perfect 15-0 mark at the Sports Pavilion.
4 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016
FEBRUARY 2016 / SKI-U-MAH / 5
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and left as a T TEAM. TEAM
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SARAH POTOMAK LOOKS AHEAD FOR A TEAMMATE AGAINST BEMIDJI STATE ON NOVEMBER 13. [BRAD REMPEL]
THE GOPHER MEN GET OUT OF THE BLOCKS AT THE ROY GRIAK INVITATIONAL. [CHRISTOPHER MITCHELL]
HUDSON FASCHING SCORES THE GAME-WINNER IN OVERTIME AGAINST OHIO STATE ON DECEMBER 4. [JIM ROSVOLD]
THE GOPHERS ARE ON THE MISSISSIPPI FOR AN EARLY MORNING PRACTICE IN NOVEMBER. [ERIC MILLER]
BRETT PFARR GOES FOR BACK POINTS AGAINST INDIANA ON DECEMBER 11 [ERIC MILLER].
8 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016
JORDAN MURPHY DROPS TWO OF HIS 24 POINTS IN MINNESOTA’S 89-83 VICTORY OVER CLEMSON ON NOVEMBER 30. [BRACE HEMMELGARN]
BRIEAN BODDY-CALHOUN AND THE GOPHERS DEFEATED ILLINOIS ON NOVEMBER 21 AT A CHILLY TCF BANK STADIUM. [BRACE HEMMELGARN]
TAYLOR STAINBROOK CELEBRATES A GOAL IN THE NCAA FIRST ROUND GAME. [CHRISTOPHER MITCHELL]
FEBRUARY 2016 / SKI-U-MAH / 9
SKI-U-MA H Issue
11
INTERIM DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS Beth Goetz 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 Justine Buerkle, Michael Molde, Mark Remme, Rick Moore CONTRIBUTORS Paul Rovnak, Michelle Traen, Brian Deutsch, Mandy Hansen, Cody Voga, Erin Kunesh DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Eric Miller CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Christopher Mitchell, Courtney Anderson, Brace Hemmelgarn, Jim Rosvold, Bruce Kluckhohn, Brad Rempel, Craig Lassig, Jerry Lee, Walt Middleton 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.
AMONG NEW EXHIBITS AT WILLIAMS ARENA IS A VINTAGE HAND-PAINTED SIGN BY WORLD-RENOWED SIGN PAINTER MIKE MEYER AND PHOTO BY COURTNEY ANDERSON GOPHER ASSISTANT CREATIVE DIRECTOR NIKO ALEXANDER.
10 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016
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.
T
here’s a certain rhythmic genius to soccer. The ball movement, quick shifts and ball control associated with time management and strategy all has a musical flow unlike any other sport.
Sometimes, watching a play develop as a for-
Children’s Theater Company, among others.
ward brings the ball up the pitch, you feel as
Throughout elementary and middle school,
though you could add a melody to the move-
she followed both her athletic and musical
ments — an audible soundtrack to a visual
passions in a way few others have likely expe-
masterpiece. The type of precision that often
rienced. She would go from her theater per-
makes the game so beautiful is sometimes
formance to a basketball game to a soccer
eerily similar to the style and shiftiness of a
practice all in the same day. It was an early les-
Bach-like ballad.
son in the value of time management, working
Simone Kolander knows the beat very well.
at a professional level and becoming comfort-
As a junior this past fall on the University of
able with the performing—whether it was a
Minnesota women’s soccer team, Kolander led
song on stage or scoring a goal on the field—
the team with 10 goals — her six game-win-
that stayed with her long after her time in the-
ners tied her for ninth in the country—and
ater ended.
took home both All-America and Big Ten For-
“It helped me mature faster, because I was
ward of the Year honors. Her competitiveness,
around so many adults and working in a very
leadership and maturity helped deliver the
professional setting, which was really hard for
program’s most wins (12) since 2010 and the
a 10-year-old to do,” Kolander said. “And I
team’s deepest run in the NCAA Tournament
think it was really big for me. My mom said she
in that same span.
thinks that starting theater at such a young
She brings a style, a will to win and a musical flow that — when they’re most successful
age, it was one of the best things for my confidence.”
— the Gophers try to dictate throughout the game. “Teams like us, we like to keep it on the ground, pass it, move it. There’s a certain aspect of rhythm that is helpful,” Minnesota assistant coach Andy Stoots said. “Getting the ball and connecting and keeping the team chasing you. Simone is that type of player that is really important to what we do in that aspect. She helps us get our rhythm and keep a rhythm, because she’s a player who wants to be on the ball a lot and be under pressure and make decisions. When we’re at our best, there is a rhythmic element. And Simone is really important to that.” Perhaps it is Kolander’s other standout skill that helps with her movement, flow and overall athletic confidence. Long before she was a Division-I college standout, Kolander was auditioning for and performing in musicals at some of the Twin Cities’ biggest venues. She was cast in roles in Annie at the Youth Performance Company, Beauty and the Beast at the Chanhassen Dinner Theaters, A Christmas Carol at The Guthrie Theater, and Madeline and the Gypsies at the 12 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016
Building strength through music Natalie Kolander noticed her daughter’s singing ability very early. It was unavoidable, really, because of the way she belted out lyrics from songs she memorized along the way. “She was just a natural singer, in tune,” Natalie said. Turns out, that singing ability opened up doors as a child that few get to experience in their entire lifetimes. It became a passion and a pastime, but it also helped Kolander become strong and confident in her athletic and day-to-day life. But it wasn’t always easy. She was about nine years old when her mom noticed an audition for Annie at the Mall of America. Kolander knew the songs and Natalie brought her to the mall’s rotunda to try out for an audition on stage. The line zigzagged through the concourse and into the mall’s hallways, and there was plenty of talented young singers awaiting their chance to belt out a few chords. Nerves hit pretty quickly. As the two weaved their way through an hour-and-a-half
center stage
SIMONE KOLANDER displayed her musical talent long before she became one of the nation’s top soccer players. – story by mark remme – PHOTO: ERIC MILLER
line, Kolander tried to quell those nerves by darting in and out of stores with a fellow auditioner while her mom held her PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER MITCHELL
place in line. “I was mortified, terrified,” Kolander said, smiling. “I was like, ‘Mom, I can’t do this.’ But she said, ‘I knew you had a good ear for music and I knew you were going to be fine.’ She wasn’t going to let me bail out of the situation. So I went up there, nervous as heck, and I sang 15 seconds of Annie.” The crowd roared. “She got out there and belted it out,” Natalie said. “And it was the loudest cheer when she got done.” That moment, so minor in scale compared to the rest of her theater and athletic career, planted a seed in Kolander that has reverberated through her life ever since. She was scared, but she persevered. She was overwhelmed, but she endured. And in the end, it proved to her that she
— don’t let it consume you. It gives you that extra
could, in fact, perform musically in front of others
adrenaline and focus. It keeps you on your toes.”
even when those nerves seemed too overpowering to deflect. The end result was a new level of confidence that never yielded. And theater, singing, became a passion that would always be part of her life.
Kolander has used that focus and drive to tran-
going to state three times in both. In each case, she grew from being a role player into a standout who helped lead the squad.
sition into her athletic career. She morphed into fo-
At 14, she first heard from the University of Min-
cusing on basketball and soccer by high school, but
nesota about their interest in her. Ecstatic as she
those early lessons on the stage never left her.
was, her dad gave her more wisdom about her
“Her confidence through middle school, high
overall development.
“We just started it because she was a very good
school, those leadership positions, the way she car-
“My dad’s like, ‘That’s awesome that they want
singer,” Natalie said. “And she just started audition-
ries herself — her confidence in expressing herself
you to be here, and they want you with the pro-
ing in theater, and that was her avenue to get in:
and making suggestions and her confidence in her
gram, but they don’t want 14-year-old Simone.
Her voice. What it’s done for her—she’s not acting
ability,” Natalie said. “I don’t know if things would
They want Simone in four years that worked hard
anymore—but what it did was absolutely give her
have been different if she hadn’t done theater. But
to keep improving,’” Kolander said. “Never settle.
confidence in herself. The ability to go on stage and
I absolutely know theater helped build the founda-
Be happy with your accomplishments, but always
perform in front of complete strangers, the self es-
tion for those traits.”
strive for more.”
Becoming an athletic star
and grew as a player, a person and a leader. She
So she did. She worked hard, refined her skills
teem to say, ‘I know I can do this and have no fear.’ It was just an absolutely great foundation for her to use in all facets of life.”
Through all her performances, soccer and basket-
That was a door into theater groups, many of
ball were always part of her life. She was equally tal-
those casts of predominantly adults. Sometimes,
ented athletically. She had the gift, as both mother
like at Beauty and the Beast, Kolander was one of
and father, Chad, played collegiately for the Go-
four child actors that were cast. That level of pro-
phers — Natalie in women’s soccer and Chad in
fessionalism at such a young age also played into
men’s basketball. Along with that athletic ability she
how Kolander developed in her childhood, and it
had in-home coaches and mentors that were able
brought forth strength, leadership and communica-
to help her develop her fundamentals and skills
tion qualities. She turned the uncertainty she once felt during that Mall of America audition into fuel. “[I have] not [been] that nervous, for sure,”
from an early age. Those skills began to shine in both, as she played on AAU basketball teams and standout soccer squads through leagues like the Elite Clubs Na-
Kolander said. “It was a mix of immaturity — I was
tional League, among others. Through year-round
nine years old, so just not knowing what to expect.
programs in each sport, she not only excelled ath-
And then, when it comes to sports, it’s like I’m nerv-
letically, but she also gained strong friendships with
ous for games, but there could be 10,000 in the
players she’d eventually play with at the U.
crowd or 200, and I’m going to feel the same
At Lakeville North, she played four years on
nerves. My dad always says it’s great to have nerves
both the girls’ basketball and girls’ soccer teams,
14 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016
developed that rhythmic play that she’s become known for with the Gophers, and she continued learning how to get better. Other schools inquired, but she always compared them to the U — a university she grew up visiting because of her parents’ roots here, a place of familiarity and a place near home where she could play collegiately but also be close to watch her brothers grow up. In the end, her athletic career paved a way for her to attend school, get her degree, attend her parents’ alma mater and maintain a close relationship with her family. A win all around. Three years have nearly passed on campus, but Kolander continues to show growth, standout play and an ability to keep amazing her friends and family with her accomplishments. “It goes so fast,” Chad said. “It feels like yester-
day it was her first day on campus, and now she’s almost going into her senior year. But her biggest growth has been her maturity, becoming a captain and hearing some of the things she’s done to help some of the younger players has
preparing for what is shaping up to be a potentially special season ahead. Kolander, with her leadership and style, will be part of weaving this next chapter.
been rewarding for us, too. She’s doing the right things up there and leading,
“For us, it’s consistency, and one of the hardest things is to be consistent,”
and we can see that on the field, too. For me, I think that’s been the most re-
Kolander said. “But we’ve got four months of practice, and I think that will help
warding thing.”
so much. We’ve had ups and downs, but it’s how you respond to do those depths. That’s going to be huge.”
Taking the Gophers to the next level The Gophers held their own last year in the Big Ten, finishing sixth with a 12-7-
Still singing strong
3 overall record and an 6-4-1 conference mark. They beat eventual national
Kolander’s musical side never left her. She still gets a nudge from her roommates
champion Penn State, and they set the benchmark for the type of season they’re
now and again to sing a song or two when they’re doing the dishes or working
looking to build in 2016.
on homework.
“The sky’s the limit,” Kolander said. “We really exceeded expectations this year.”
Even athletically, she’s meshed the two together. She sang the National Anthem at the Metrodome before a Vikings game when she was 14 years old —
Now, the focus shifts toward building on that confidence, establishing con-
she considers that, in front of 65,000 people, perhaps her coolest performance
sistency and getting more and more comfortable with one another over the off-
yet — and she’s even sang the National Anthem prior to her own games with
season. Kolander is right in the midst of those plans, as she has become a
the Gophers.
standout player both by example and as a leader. As a two-time captain going
The gift never left her, nor did the passion. Through soccer, she’s helped
into her senior season, she’ll be looked to as a go-to scorer as the team looks
provide the rhythm that the Gophers need to be successful through her style of
PHOTOS: ERIC MILLER (LEFT, TOP RIGHT), CHRISTOPHER MITCHELL (BOTTOM LEFT)
Kolander performed at the Golden Goldys in 2015 (right) and sang the National Anthem prior to the Gophers home game against Wisconsin in 2014.
to advance farther than any Gophers women’s soccer team has in history — to
play, her tenacity and her scoring ability. She knows she’s got one year left to
at least the Elite Eight and beyond.
make an impact on this program, and she’s looking forward to doing just that.
“Simone’s the type of player who wants the ball,” Stoots said. “She likes to
After that, who knows? If opportunities arise on the pitch, she’ll be ready.
have the ball at her feet. She isn’t afraid to have the ball and have some pressure
But one thing she does know is this: Her musical talent has always been there,
on her. That’s the type of player in any sport that stands out — the one that
and it will never leave. It’s a part of who she is that always rings true.
wants the ball and shows up to get the ball and do something with it after she receives it.” The team is returning nine of 11 starters and essentially 12 or 13 key players from last year. Now, the focus shifts toward improving over the offseason and
“My parents said you only have a certain amount of time where your body will allow you to play sports,” she said. “But you’ll always have your voice, always have the ability to do something with that. Maybe someday I’ll be singing, but right now it’s all soccer, all the time.” Mark Remme is a freelance writer for Ski-U-Mah.
FEBRUARY 2016 / SKI-U-MAH / 15 PHOTOS: NFL PHOTOS, COURTNEY ANDERSON (TOP)
THE
MINNESOTA EXPERIENCE NATIONAL TEAM SWIMMER, SOLDIER, ALL-AMERICAN. 23-YEAR-OLD JUNIOR JAKUB MALY IS ALL OF THESE THINGS, AND MORE. — S T O RY BY J A K E R I C K E R 16 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016
E
xperience is life’s greatest teacher. Nothing can replace the lasting knowledge which comes from experiencing something firsthand. No one understands this more than a 21-year-old col-
“With the Europeans in particular, and we’ve had quite a few over the years,
lege freshman, which is somewhat ironically a unique ex-
[we] normally don’t encourage them to visit. We prefer they didn’t because of
perience itself. Jakub Maly lived that moment two years
ago when he arrived in Minnesota. The Czech-born Austrian citizen had seen
finances,” Kremer said. “It was really Jakub that wanted to see the university and meet the coaches before making a decision.”
and done more than almost all of his first-year peers combined. Maly had moved
Maly was only aware of Minnesota thanks to Paul Nelsen, a former Gopher
from Prague to Vienna after ninth grade, splitting time between living on his
swimmer who coached Jakub’s younger brother in Austria. Nelsen knew Maly
high school’s campus and his grandmother’s nearby home during high school.
wanted to swim for a U.S. college and pushed him to consider Minnesota. While
He then served his mandatory two-year term in the Austrian military while also
Maly’s dream of coming to America involved going to school “somewhere warm
training and competing in major international competitions, most notably the
on the coast,” he visit Minnesota during a trip to the U.S. after connecting with
2013 World Championships in Barcelona. Meanwhile, many of his classmates
Gopher coaches.
were living away from their parents for the first time in their lives.
“It was funny because I was coming from Florida State, which is pretty warm.
“I was three years older than the guys here as a freshman [and] you could
Then [I visited] a friend in Mississippi [where] it was like 84 degrees, then I got
feel the difference,” Maly remembered. “I just had experiences that the guys,
here,” recalled Maly, smiling and pausing for the punchline. “It was April 28th
the freshman guys, didn’t have yet and they had to learn. If you’re 18 years old,
or 29th and it was snowing here.”
you do things, just crazy things. … I felt like I was just too old for that. “But it gave me the chance to lead by example and show them what are the right things, and maybe not the right things, to do.”
Maly was undeterred by the unseasonable late April snowfall. “I would never decide to go to school just for the weather,” he said. “I just liked everything about [Minnesota]. I liked the fact that the campus is in a city so there is stuff to do. I liked the campus itself. The pool is one of the best pools I have ever seen.
in the past, including those who have served in the military prior to college. In
I loved the coaching staff. It was everything I was looking for. It felt like the right
Maly, he sees some of the same positive qualities those other swimmers have
place for me.”
brought to the program. “They’re so appreciative of the opportunity,” said Kremer. “Part of that could
For someone as well-traveled as Maly, finding a place that felt right was important. He had been on the move for much of his younger years. As he was
have been the military service that they had, the discipline, knowing this expe-
growing up, Maly’s four-person family “moved around Prague a lot,” but his life
rience wouldn’t exist for them in their country. …. It wasn’t like you were edu-
remained centered around the Czech Republic’s capital city until he was 15.
cating those [guys] on not being a normal college student and the ‘Don’t get
After ninth grade, Maly had to decide where he would attend high school. He
wrapped up in that.’
weighed options to go to school in Vienna, near his grandmother, or in Bu-
“If every freshman started college at age 20, maybe we’d see a difference.”
dapest, near his aunt, ultimately opting to attend a high school in Austria with an Olympic training center feel. During the next four years, he would spend the
Even if every freshman started college after moving past their teenage years,
week living on campus at his high school, his weekends with his grandmother
they may not bring the same wealth of experience Maly brought with him to
and every fourth weekend or so, he’d make the nearly 300-kilometer (about
the Twin Cities. His maturity showed even before he committed to swim for the
185-mile) trip home to Prague. That existence could be lonely, especially for a
Gophers. Unlike most swimmers recruited from outside the U.S., he insisted on
competitor in an individual sport.
taking an in-person visit before signing with Minnesota.
In the United States, unlike Europe, “swimming is a team sport and you swim
FEBRUARY 2016 / SKI-U-MAH / 17
P H O T O S : C H R I S T O P H E R M I T C H E L L ( L E F T ) , W A LT M I D D L E T O N ( B E L O W )
Maly’s head coach, Kelly Kremer, had coached international student-athletes
for a team. That was a change I was looking for, to
people swimming with me while I was doing differ-
were are striving to get better as a team. It made
be a part of a team because, since I was very little,
ent stuff. I needed to do more because they were
me more humble and appreciative of the opportu-
I always swam for myself,” said Maly. “I wanted to
usually younger or slower. Now [at Minnesota] I was
nity to have a team that’s willing to support me.”
go to the United States to have a team that could
in a group of people, all the time just pushing each
Maly thrives on the support of his team, which
support me.”
other,” Maly said. “That was probably the biggest
has not only made him a better swimmer, but made
transition. I think I handled it pretty well but it took
him a better teammate as well. His ability to quickly
me a while to get there.
settle into the team concept is one of Kremer’s first
Maly found that team when he arrived at Minnesota but swimming for a team proved to be a
“Back home, there’s always this kind of rivalry.
new experience for which he wasn’t fully prepared,
You always want to beat somebody else. In the be-
even if it was his dream back in Austria.
ginning, I saw some of my teammates like this. It
“He’s really embraced team. [He wants his] team
took me a while to realize they are here for me. That
to be great. [He wants his] teammates to be great,”
“I was used to having a group of eight to ten
observations of how Maly has evolved thanks to his experience at Minnesota.
RUBBER DUCKY, you’re the one
W
alking into Jakub Maly’s room at his parent’s home back
His excitement comes through clearly as the tone of his voice shifts from the
in Europe would provide a stark visual contrast to what
logistics of building a vast rubber duck collection to thinking about the hundreds
you may already know about him. He’s older than most
he’s acquired and what else is still out there.
college juniors and has a collection of life experiences
“I realized they have so many cool, different ones. All different kinds, sizes,
that rival those who are 10 years his senior, including
colors … they even have a Goldy rubber ducky,” Maly explained. “Really, they
swimming in international competitions, living in multiple
have a rubber ducky for everything.”
countries and serving in the military. Despite the maturity he’s developed through those experiences, a maturity he effortlessly conveys in conversation and in com-
petition, the shelves in Maly’s bedroom are overrun with a simple child’s toy – rubber ducks. His collection – which he estimates exceeded 250 when he last attempted to count them this past summer – has been building for about eight years. “I was around 15 and I just saw one rubber duck. We were going canoeing with my parents for a holiday and I thought it would be cool to have the rubber
Perhaps more accurately, Maly has a rubber ducky for everything, though the bulk of that collection resides in Vienna, where his parents now live. “I have maybe 15 [rubber ducks] here. Most of them are back home,” said Maly. “The ones I have collected this semester are here, then I’ll take them home [but] I have three or four that are on my table here. Those four are probably my favorites.” In his eyes, what rubber ducks are the favorites, the top two percent among a class of competitors that numbers in the hundreds?
duck tied behind my canoe,” said Maly, a sheepish expression on his face as he
“One of them is obviously the Goldy rubber ducky. One of them is from my
smiled and recalled the earnest beginning to his odd collection. “I really liked
parents after I swam the first cut for the World Championships. And one of them
the ducky. I got another one, got another one, and I was like ‘Maybe I should
is from one of my best friends back home.”
collect rubber duckys.’” From that moment, the collection has grown at a rate of nearly one rubber duck per week. “If I would have a birthday or Christmas and someone needed a small gift for me, they wouldn’t have to think hard. They would just give me a new rubber ducky.” 18 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016
While a couple rubber ducks on a coffee table may not seem too out of the ordinary, especially for an athlete who spends most of his time in the water, the flock that lives on shelves back in Vienna may be a little more conspicuous. Even Maly sees that. “My room is basically a bed and clothes … and shelves filled with rubber duckys,” said Maly. “It’s a weird room.”
His maturity showed even before he committed to swim for the Gophers. Unlike most swimmers recruited from outside the U.S., he insisted on taking an in-person visit before signing with Minnesota.
PHOTOS: ERIC MILLER
Kremer observed when listing some of Maly’s best qualities. “With international
ning the Big Ten championship in the 400 IM. … In terms of NCAAs, it’s defi-
students, you’re not 100 percent sure because they didn’t experience this. They
nitely being in the top-eight this year and moving up next year.”
don’t have high school swimming and diving [but] he has been just an awesome
Kremer wants the same for his oldest junior.
team person. That part has only gotten better, in terms of his ability to lead a
“I want to see him in a championship final at the NCAA Championships and
team and lead our team.” That symbiotic relationship Maly shares with his teammates may seem rote to American athletes who have been in a team system their entire lives, but it was a new experience for Maly, and one that has helped him realize his potential as one of the best swimmers on the roster.
I’d love to see him win a Big Ten title individually,” said Kremer. “I’d like him to march out at NCAAs in the championship final, the top-eight, and have a chance to be a first team All-American. “I don’t think that’s his ceiling by any means, but those are experiences I want for him before he leaves school.”
Before arriving at Minnesota, Maly had swam in the 2010 Youth Olympic
Experience molds all of us into the people we become. Maly is no different
Games, the 2012 World Short Course Championships and the 2013 World
than anyone else in that regard. His shared experiences with his teammates at
Championships. His achievements set expectations on what Maly would accom-
Minnesota have made them all better swimmers. It’s Maly’s previous experiences
plish for the Gophers, expectations he quickly moved to meet.
that makes him aware of how special his time is at Minnesota.
Maly routinely placed among the top swimmers in both the 200-yard indi-
“I know once I graduate, I’m not going to have this experience anywhere
vidual medley (IM) and the 400 IM, while also showing promise in other events,
else,” Maly said, looking off into space and considering his next statement. “I’m
most notably the 200 breaststroke. That year at the NCAA Championships, he
considering next year to be the peak of my overall career. I’m considering not
earned All-America status with his 400 IM performance. At season’s end, the
swimming anymore after my senior year.”
conference named him the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. His All-American debut at NCAAs served as notice that, despite a trans-At-
He continues on without pause, showing a sense of calm in making such a strong statement that can only come from careful reflection.
lantic journey and the energy it takes to become acclimated to a new culture –
“I just feel like [swimming is] not going to be as much fun as [it is] right now.
both in the pool and out, Maly was prepared to compete at the highest levels.
Everything I’ve done before, I don’t want to go back to it. I don’t want to just
He won multiple individual titles in the 200 and 400 IM as a sophomore, efforts
drill and drill yards back home, on my own.”
that built toward a bronze-medal performance in the 400 IM at the 2015 Big
For the 23-year-old Czech, who swam for the Austrian National Team and
Ten Championships, a run that included Maly claiming the school record in the
served in their military, who has lived in several countries and has made of habit
400 IM by turning in a time of 3:42.54 at the conference meet. Maly went on to
of chasing down his goals, the idea of never swimming competitively again after
set his third school record, this one in the 200 breast, at the NCAA meet, finish-
college seems to come easily, with no sense of hesitation. For someone with a
ing in 1:54.57.
lifetime of experiences despite his relative youth, what comes next? At this
“We’ve gotten what I thought we would get with Jakub,” said Kremer. That said, both Kremer and Maly see a ceiling that hangs high above Maly’s head, like that of the Jean Freeman Aquatic Center when Maly kicks out laps during a training session. “The goals are always high,” said Maly. “For this year and next year, it’s win-
point, it’s about experiencing the moment. “I’m really trying to enjoy this year and next year and take the most out of it. I’m really enjoying right now.” Jake Ricker is an associate communications director at the University of Minnesota. He can be reached at rick0127@umn.edu.
FEBRUARY 2016 / SKI-U-MAH / 19
L TO R: DON LUCIA, CRAIG DAHL, ROBIN DAHL
L TO R: KATHLEEN DANFORD, JUDY TUCKER, SANDY SIMMONS, DIANE LEAFBLAD
L TO R: KYLE GEASON, DIANE ELMGREN, ERIN GEASON
L TO R: DIANE ELMGREN, BOB LANEY, SUSAN LANEY
WINE
10th annual
PHOTOS: CRAIG LASSIG
SE P TE MB ER 2 1 , 2 0 1 5 | M E T ROP OL ITAN C LUB
$200,000 raised for scholarships 20 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016
L TO R: CJ MORK, RIMA TORGERSON, PATI McCORMICK, JILL CLOSE
DANA & KATIE HARMS
LOU NANNE
PETE KENEFICK
RYDER CUP PRESIDENT PATRICK HUNT
CHANCE & HEATHER MADDOX
L TO R: HARVEY MACKAY, WALLY CHAPMAN, EVA CHAPMAN, ANNIE CRONIN, NICK CRONIN
THERESA & LYLE WARD
L TO R: FRANCINE NANNE, LOU NANNE, BETH GOETZ, TINO LETTIERI, MICHELLE LETTIERI
FEBRUARY 2016 / SKI-U-MAH / 21
— by Justine Buerkle —
PHOTO: ERIC MILLER
“Last person out turns the lights off. There’s nobody left in town when the tournament comes around.” That line, reminiscent of the Hickory Huskers’ following in “Hoosiers,” is how
“That’s where it started,” Wagner said. “That’s where I cried and got bossed
Carlie Wagner’s father described the mass exodus from the New Richland-Hart-
around my brothers and pushed down and never won a game and hated bas-
land-Ellendale-Geneva area as people traveled to support his daughter’s Pan-
ketball because of it. But then a few years went by and I started catching up to
thers team in the Minnesota state basketball tournament, including back-to-back
them and started beating them.”
championship wins. Wagner grew up in a tight-knit community — the type of community where headlines sometimes mention her on a first-name basis. She has been referred
Even though older brothers Danny and Alex cut her no slack, Darren saw his oldest daughter go back to the driveway, tears, scratches and all. “She didn’t like being beat up,” he said. “She was a fighter. She wouldn’t
WAGNERVILLE to as a “local heroine” in the newspaper. Now a Golden Gopher, she continues
to enjoy the support that followed her from her small Minnesota town to the
state’s biggest city and flagship university.
give up. She was just feisty.”
Organized basketball in New Richland begins in third grade. That’s when
Wagner began playing under John Schultz, who would coach her through high
school and whose daughter became Carlie’s close friend. Schultz said he once
Sophomore Carlie Wagner isn’t just a high-scoring guard for the Gopher women’s basketball team. She’s the heart of a community in rural Minnesota.
From the driveway…
offered his sixth grade basketball players $1 for each left-handed layup
Well before Wagner was born, the soil was tilled for her to
they made during games. (“We did that for a while, but it got to be
put down roots in New Richland. Her parents, Jane and
too expensive.”) During that time, one opposing coach yelled to
Darren, grew up in the area and met during high school
his team about the right-handed Wagner: “You have to take her
study hall. The community was an idea place for them to
left side away! She’s all left-handed!”
raise their five children after they got married. “It’s just a huge family,” Jane said. “Everybody knows everybody by name. We’re all friends.” Much of NRHEG is farmland, and most residents who are not farmers still have big yards. In town, unlocked cars and kids in the grocery store by themselves are common sights. Favorite activities include hunting, going to the lake, eating at the restaurants in town or going on an excursion to a nearby city. And, of course, basketball. Neither of Wagner’s parents played the sport, but her brothers and cousins loved it, and it became one of her main pastimes. She began playing basketball on her brothers’ small toy hoop. Soon, the family driveway served as her first court. “She was two years old dribbling around the driveway,” Jane said. “By three she was practically going between her legs.” Mounted above the Wagners’ garage door is the backboard and rim where Carlie worked on her shot as she got older.
To the high school gym… As a young hoopster, Wagner looked up to the NRHEG Panthers’ Alison Anderson, and said she still gets nervous around her. In front of packed bleachers, Anderson set what was then the school’s career scoring record and earned all-state recognition. “She was the superstar when I was little,” Wagner said. “I would freak out around her. She had all the records and stuff. She went to SDSU and I went to a couple of her games and got to watch her. I just thought she was the coolest person ever.” Little did Wagner know, she would come to surpass the legend of her basketball idol. She was offered a place on the varsity team in seventh grade, and began having more of an impact as a freshman. Already known in NRHEG, Wagner burst onto the FEBRUARY 2016 / SKI-U-MAH / 23
WAGNER GREW UP IN A TIGHT-KNIT COMMUNITY — THE TYPE OF COMMUNITY WHERE HEADLINES SOMETIMES MENTION HER ON A FIRST-NAME BASIS, AND
PHOTOS: COURTNEY ANDERSON
SHE HAS BEEN REFERRED TO AS A “LOCAL HEROINE” IN THE NEWSPAPER.
larger Minnesota basketball scene as sophomore when she led the Panthers to
thers to a 61-game winning streak and consecutive state titles her junior and sen-
a comeback win in the state tournament. After Wagner scored 48 points, NRHEG
ior seasons, winning the latter with her sisters on the team.
athletic director Dan Stork recalled her surprise when she turned a corner at Target Center and walked right into a horde of reporters, lights and TV cameras.
Wagner finished her prep career with 3,957 points, second on the state’s alltime list. She averaged 37.1 points per game as a senior and raked in a trophy
That was a taste of the attention Wagner would garner as her prep career
room’s worth of accolades, including Minnesota Miss Basketball honors. The fans’
continued. Schultz started receiving phone calls from coaches both inside and
chants at her final home game nearly brought her to tears. Because of her hu-
outside the Big Ten. He enjoyed helping Wagner and learning about recruiting,
mility and personable nature, Schultz said Wagner “never had an enemy” despite
and Anderson also gave her some pointers. At first Jane was taken aback when
achieving the type of success that could feed an ego or lead to others’ jealousy.
people at games would point out college coaches in the crowd watching Carlie.
“She’s obviously a very kind person, considerate, just nice to everyone all the
“It actually scared me, because she was my baby,” Jane said. “We had no
time,” Schultz said. “She’s never had a bad thing to say about anybody. But at
clue of this whole process.”
the same time she’s a fierce competitor inside. It’s kind of a good mix. It’s a mix
The attention started to become familiar as Carlie put up big numbers,
you typically don’t get. Most kids, if they’re that aggressive and a fierce com-
though the local fervor for the team may have been more intense than any re-
petitor, sometimes have people that kind of resent them. She somehow pulls it
cruiting pushes. Carlie said that the community supported all sports and activi-
off.”
ties, but basketball was the favorite. The team would have photo posters printed, sign hundreds of them and auction them off as a fundraiser. There were times when Stork had to worry about turning fans away at games due to gym capacity.
Wagner was elected homecoming queen her senior year. She also held popularity among area youth coaches and players, whom she would help at practices even after long days of class and her own basketball obligations. “She always went above and beyond and helped out our kids, helped out
“We used to have people come to our gym from a 50-mile radius,” Jane said.
our program, and built a tremendous amount of excitement around our entire
After NRHEG’s third-place finish her sophomore year, Wagner led the Pan-
athletic program, not just girls’ basketball,” Stork said. “She’s going to be a spe-
24 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016
cial person the rest of her life because of those
friend at a care center she visited frequently
skills.”
during high school.
To Williams Arena…
NRHEG area is a two-way street. Her home
The relationship between Wagner and the shaped her character and her basketball ca-
By the second state championship, Wagner
reer. Now she is serving as a role model to the
had signed her National Letter of Intent to
next generation and reflecting her success
play at Minnesota. It had been her dream
back on her home.
school since she knew she wanted to play at
“She represents our community so well,”
the next level.
Stork said. “And it’s not just New Richland. It’s
Wagner said the only time she has felt
New Richland and Hartland and Ellendale and
pressure playing in Williams Arena was during
Geneva. She’s just such a quality kid. She con-
the second state championship, in what she
ducts herself in a manner that we’re all very,
called an “insane” atmosphere. About a
very proud of. I have young girls in the school
dozen buses rolled north from NRHEG, and
district that are coming through the basket-
an entire side of the Barn was filled with Pan-
ball program and I had a daughter who
thers supporters who knew she would be back
played with Carlie on the championship
there in the fall wearing Maroon and Gold.
teams in high school. She’s a good role model
Now Wagner is in the heart of her sopho-
for all of those kids, boys and girls alike.”
more season, and calls playing for her state
“I would say she helped put New Richland
school “the best thing ever.” She entered the
on the map,” Schultz said. “People have a lot
starting lineup as a freshman and earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. This year she constitutes half of one of the nation’s top scoring duos alongside Rachel Banham. She has never been afraid to take big shots. “I knew she could, and I still think there’s part of her game that we haven’t seen,” Schultz said. “It’s exciting to watch on TV or
“That’s where it started,” Wagner said of her driveway court. “That’s where I cried and got bossed around my brothers and pushed down and never won a game and hated basketball because of it. But then a few years went by and I started catching up to them and started beating them.”
buses up to watch her play. A lot of talk and a
it still amazes her.
Jane said. “She used to get mail just from fans, old people especially. That’s why we live
wavered between her high school and college
Increasing numbers of Gophers mailboxes
her college career does not surprise her, but
“We get cards and letters and newspaper
The hometown support for Wagner never
games. Some people even traveled to last
nitude of southern Minnesota’s support for
clippings and congratulations in the mail,”
phers because of her being there.”
year’s Big Ten Tournament outside Chicago.
Wagner stays after games to catch up with the people who came to watch her. The mag-
there if it wasn’t for them.”
lot of people in our area following the Go-
there are now organized bus trips to U of M
gresses through college.”
“It means a lot,” she said. “I wouldn’t be
go up and watch our community still take
days. As with the state tournament games,
of pride and take ownership of her as she pro-
Busloads of NRHEG grade school kids attended the Gophers’ game on December 23 and had a chance for a postgame Q&A with Wagner.
have cropped up around town back home. “When you actually see the community gather around, it’s pretty fun to see,” Darren said. “You look back to when she was in third grade and you thought you’d never get to this point. You knew she’d be good, but nothing like this. We just raise our kids to be good and I think it reflects how they act. Everybody loves how they carry themselves on the court.” NRHEG grade school kids attended the Gophers’ field trip day on Dec. 23 and got autographs after a postgame Q&A session with Wagner. She is now to girls what Anderson was to her. She likes being a role model and said she would gladly help the next area superstar follow in her path. “You want to set a good example for them and you want them to do better
here. That’s all I can say.” Carlie, who is studying communications and business and marketing education, said that she will likely live in the Twin Cities for a while, but would love to move back to her hometown eventually if she could find the
right job. For now, she enjoys the times when she can visit for a day or two. “It feels the same, besides my brother taking over my room,” she said. Jane and Darren attend the Gophers’ home games and follow road games however they can. When Carlie is away at school, Jane said she usually doesn’t see stories about her daughter until other people tell her about them, though she said Darren has begun to follow news about the team more. Darren said he’d like to see the Gophers make some runs in the NCAA Tournament, but his main hopes for Carlie’s career are for her to have fun and stay healthy. The Wagners’ low-key approach to sports parenting gives a strong hint about where Carlie gets her humble, grateful attitude. The same could be said for New
than you even did.”
Richland as a whole. People there know about and celebrate Wagner’s athletic
She’ll always be New Richland’s own.
not because she’s a celebrity.
Gopher women’s team posters are in high demand in NRHEG. Jane often brings them back for people who request them, and Carlie signs these and mailboxes when she can. She personally delivered posters to her grandmother and another
accomplishments. But when they say hello to her, it’s because they’re her friends, As Jane said: “She’s just Carlie here.” Justine Buerkle is an assistant communications director at the University of Minnesota. She can be reached at jbuerkle@umn.edu.
FEBRUARY 2016 / SKI-U-MAH / 25
26 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016 PHOTOS: ERIC MILLER
MULTI-DIMENSIONAL Luca Wieland is a talented musician, an Academic All-American student-athlete and the nation’s top multi-event athlete. STORY BY RICK MOORE
W
hen Luca Wieland was a youngster growing up on the outskirts of Saarbrucken,
Germany, he played soccer. He also dabbled in gymnastics. And he was adept at
table tennis, too.
But what sport was he most drawn to? “I couldn’t decide because I was
pretty good at a lot of things,” he says. “So I wanted to do everything.”
fast, and I did not have the vocabulary they had,” he said. “My coach picked me up from the airport and I did not understand much of what he said.”
Not much has changed over the years, other than Wieland crossing the
That translates to more than just missing words. “If there’s a language barrier
pond to take his athletic prowess to the United States and the University of Min-
you don’t want to talk that much and you’re more quiet. You listen more than
nesota. He’s still “pretty good at a lot of things,” especially in track and field.
you talk and you don’t engage as much in conversation,” he noted. “In Germany
Last year, the junior multi-event athlete won the NCAA heptathlon title with
I was pretty much extroverted. Here, I became totally introverted. The first year
6,070 points — the eighth-highest total ever by a collegiate athlete in the event.
I didn’t talk much. That was the biggest barrier I had.”
He has his sights set much higher. He’d like to compete more on the world
“He has grown so much since coming from Germany two years ago,” said
stage and dreams of making the Olympic team for Germany — ideally in time
Paul Thornton, the Minnesota coach who picked Wieland up at the airport. Thorn-
for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. After that, and perhaps simultaneously, he’ll be
ton works with the jumpers, sprinters, and multi-eventers on the track and field
on track to become a doctor.
team. “He’s grown a ton, but he and I have grown a lot in terms of communication.” And, he added, Wieland is “a lot of fun to coach.”
Land of opportunity Wieland hails from a small suburban community about 20 kilometers away from the big city of Saarbrucken. Compared to Minneapolis, he describes his town
At about age 12, a coach and teacher in Germany told Wieland he should try
as much calmer and quieter.
track and field, and he finished third in his state at one of his first meets. Soon
He attended an elite prep school geared more toward athletes, which set
he was routinely finishing first, and started doing multi events at age 16.
him up to compete collegiately. “I always knew that I wanted to go pro in a
Wieland finished second in his age group in the decathlon in the German
sport, and I also wanted to do something academically like become a doctor,”
national track championships at 17. “I was pretty pumped about that,” he said.
he said. “In Germany it’s not possible to combine both really well because they
“That was the first meet where I was at that level nationally.”
don’t have the system we have here where you can compete for the university; it’s more like you have to do it separately and that gets really hard.”
He’s gained national prominence at the ‘U’ despite a hamstring injury that hampered him for the better part of two years.
A coach from Wisconsin came to his school to introduce the U.S. collegiate
“I’m an explosive kind of ‘multi,’ so sprints and jumps come easier to me,
system and Wieland knew that’s where he belonged, although “finding the right
especially long jump, which is one of the best events I have. I became a really
school was a little harder,” he said. He used an agency and created an online profile and about 60 schools showed
good high jumper, too, because of the practice here. And I became a really good thrower — the shot put, especially.”
interest. An offer from Cal-Berkeley fell
His Achilles heel, if he has one, is in the
through and then he turned his thoughts
distance events — the 400, 1,000, and
to Virginia and Minnesota.
1,500 — despite his best efforts and extra
The more he learned about the Min-
practice. “I’m sure I have to practice more
nesota, the track team, and the coaches,
than the others, especially for the 1,500
the more Minnesota felt like the right fit.
and 1,000, to become good at it.”
“It wasn’t a decision that was super ra-
But it’s that multitude of events and the
tional,” he said. “I didn’t have a lot of in-
variety of his workouts that drive him.
formation. I kind of trusted my gut and my
“Some events are just going to be frustrat-
heart. …
ing at some point,” Wieland said. “But
“We have great academics. We have a
then you always have another event where
great community. And I really like my team;
you can maybe do things better and get in
we have good chemistry. I feel really com-
a better mood. But you’re always at the
fortable here and I think that improves my
edge of doing too much, not doing
performance.”
enough, getting hurt, and becoming bet-
Which is not to say that everything has P H O T O S : W A LT M I D D L E T O N
A multitude of events
ter.”
been easy for Wieland. He knew what to
“He’s so engaged with how his body
expect in terms of appearances and
feels and is able to do these events, and
scenery in America — “We kind of know
he’ll let you know how he feels or what he
how it’s supposed to look [from TV],” he
needs to do better” before you even need
joked — but it was a difficult adjustment,
to address it, said Thornton.
nonetheless.
In addition to the NCAA title in the
The language was the toughest part. “I
heptathlon, Wieland is a two-time Big Ten
came here and everyone was talking so
champion, and last spring was the recipi-
He can do all these things, but he has all these other goals in life that are even better. He’s going to reach all of these goals because of how motivated he is. – assistant coach Paul Thornton ent of the Garry Bjorkland Award, given an-
But no, he’s not a “multi” when it comes
nually to the Gophers’ most valuable com-
to instruments. In his freshman year he tried
petitor.
playing the piano at Sanford Hall, but figured
In December, he posted a nation-best
he didn’t have time to add that to his resume.
5,789 points to win the heptathlon at the in-
“He can do all these things, but he has all
door season opener and was honored as the
these other goals in life that are even better,”
Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week and the
noted Thornton. “He’s going to reach all of
USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week.
these goals because of how motivated he is.”
From track practice to
Perception…
medical practice
and ranking greatness
“Academics are more important for me than
To a new acquaintance, Wieland seems
sports,” Wieland said. “Maybe right now it
measured and reserved, if not introverted. He
doesn’t look like it because the [higher level]
kicks back in an easy chair and comfortably
academic stuff is going to be in the future
handles every question thrown his way with a
and I want to be really good in sports right now. … You really have to find a balance. I’m not going to be a 4.0, but you do the best you can.”
vocabulary that belies any trouble he had with English when he arrived here in the summer of 2013. He’s not exactly sure how people perceive him, but has the sense some peo-
At 3.71, his GPA is nothing to sneer about. This past year Wieland was hon-
ple think he’s quite serious, maybe even a bit full of himself. “When you have
ored as a Capital One Academic All-American, just the fourth Gopher track and
success, people will think, ‘He’s a little cocky,’” he said. “I know that I’m really
field athlete to earn those honors in the past six years. He’s majoring in interna-
not. … People who know me best know I’m not that serious about myself.”
tional business and marketing in the Carlson School of Management. Despite the current focus on business, he’s eyeing a future in medicine. He’s
But he’s obviously proud of being a multi-event track star, and has no disagreement with people who think decathletes are the greatest athletes.
not sure exactly what field he’ll choose — his mother is a gastroenterologist and
“I definitely agree with that. It’s always hard to compare sports; there are
his father a psychologist — but he knows in addition to being a doctor he wants
different aspects in each sport, but I guess the decathlon would be the best
to add business savvy to the mix.
guess for the best athlete because you have sprints, you have jumps, you have
“I wanted to get insight into the business world to build my own practice at
throws, and you have the longer distance [events],” he said. “You have to do all
some point,” he said. “In the capitalistic world of today, a business degree will
those movements and you have to practice a lot. … All this combined is a com-
help me with that a lot.”
plete package.”
He also plays guitar and sings. He shared his talents with his fellow Gopher
He runs through some of the other sports and notes their unique demands
athletes at the last two Golden Goldys award ceremonies. He’s in the singer-
of athleticism — the explosiveness of an NFL wide receiver, the size and skill of
songwriter realm, a la Ed Sheeran, with skills he picked up from his uncle. Playing guitar is “just something where I can forget about sports and forget about school,” he said. “Sometimes when you’re stressed out you just want to
an elite basketball player, a male gymnast doing the iron cross — and starts to back off a bit, for a moment, on that proclamation. It’s really hard to make that comparison and unfair to a lot of sports, he
do something completely different, and I really enjoy music a lot. I couldn’t sur-
notes. But… he smiles, “I think decathlon is the best guess.”
vive without playing the guitar once in a while.”
Rick Moore is a writer and editor in University Relations and a long-time follower of Gopher Athletics. Contact him at moore112@umn.edu. FEBRUARY 2016 / SKI-U-MAH / 29
GOLDEN GOPHER FUND DONORS On behalf of Gopher Athletics, the Golden Gopher Fund would like to thank everyone who has supported our 720 Gopher student-athletes in the past year. We would like to recognize the individuals, families and organizations who generously gave $5,000 or more to Gopher Athletics during the last year. You make it possible for the University of Minnesota to provide student-athletes with a world-class education, nationally recognized athletic opportunities and the experience needed to become tomorrow’s leaders.
$5,000+ GGF Donors Eric E. & Dr. Tracy G. Aanenson Jane T. Adams Michael J. Adams Richard Akerman & Peggy Cayemberg-Akerman Bernard P. & Cindy L. Aldrich Erik & Susan Allen Alliance Bank Howard R. Alton III AM Retail Group Inc./Wilsons Leather Ameriprise Financial Inc. Raymond "Butch" Ames Richard & Lollie Ames Ames Construction Patricia M. & James N. Andersen, Sr. David P. & Lori J. Anderson John S. Anderson Mary Ann Anderson Omar Ansari APi Group, Inc. Gregory & Janice Aplin Patrick W. Archbold Architectural Alliance Duane A. & Karen M. Arens Allen & RaeAnn Arneson Allen & Carmen Arvig Associated Bank Dr. Scott D. & Susan D. Augustine Dale & Ruth Bachman Michael & Kathleen Bailey Duane & Angel Bakke Bradley Earl Bakken & Mary Bakken Gail & Richard Baldwin Dr. James H. Barthel & Dr. Victoria M. Elmer Bradley & Jacqueline Baumgard Thor & Jane Becken The Beckmann Family Peter T. Beniares Chris & Margaret Benson Lois K. & James R. Berens Jeffrey & Nancy Berg Berger Transfer and Storage John & Lorelei Bergman Patricia M. Bergstrom Robert S. & Pamela M. Berkwitz Roger & Carolyn Bettin Russell C. & Rebecca J. Bierbaum Big Sky Cattle LLC Michael A. & Jacqueline S. Bilski Dr. John R. & Sheila A. Bjorklund Kristin & Richard Bjorklund BMO Harris Bank G. Bart & Kathleen T. Bontems Betty Borman Thomas R. Braun Bremer Bank Beth M. Brill Jerry Broeckert Ben Brown John & Kristin Bruellman Daniel J. Bulver Richard P. Burke Michael & Stephanie Burley Dana W. & Laura M. Buska Joseph & Mary Buska Julianne Bye C.E. Murphy Inc. James & Erma Cabak Toni M. & Alfred M. Cady III Sally A. Callahan Chris Campbell Jon & Susan Campbell Dr. Josh Campbell Carl Bolander & Sons Company Mark A. Carlson Virginia D. & Robert W. Carlson, Jr. Carlson Companies Thomas E. Caron Justin Carroll
James C. Carter Gus Chafoulias Daniel M. & Tamara J. Christianson Grant J. & Joan M. Christianson Ciresi & Conlin LLP Citizens Bank & Trust Co. Keith H. Clark, Jr. Cliff Viessman Inc. Gerald S. Cloutier The Coca-Cola Co. Cheri Durda Cohen & Miles J. Cohen Joshua L. Colburn Randy Cole H. Richard & Faith Coleman Ryan Colich Colle+McVoy Doug & Lorrie Collison Comcast Cable Concord, Inc. Michael & Lea Connealy Randy & Carol Cote Robert & Jennifer Coughlin Covidien Jeff Cowan Irma & M. Kendrick "Dutch" Cragun, Jr. Stephen A. & Gail J. Craine David P. & Katherine P. Crosby Robert F. & Teri Crosby Crystal Farms Cummins NPower, LLC Charles & Kathy Cunningham Edward A. & Karayn R. Cunnington D & R Star Craig & Robin Dahl Data Recognition Corporation M. Mitchell & Laurie A. Davis Martin & Anne Davis Davisco Foods International, Inc. Edward N. & Sherry Ann Dayton Robert J. & Joan L. Dayton Dedicated Logistics, Inc. Joseph Deignan James DeLaHunt Kirk W. & Julie Detlefsen Dr. Charles & Jackie Dietz Bill & Terry Dircks DLR Group Architects & Engineers Kay E. Dobbs Doherty Employment Group Peter J. & Diane L. Donnino Dougherty Financial Group LLC John E. & Jean A. Drawz E. A. Sween Co. Peter & Martha Eckerline Robert K. Eddy Dr. Thomas R. & Lee Ann Edwards Judson A. Ekblad David L. Ekstrand & Dr. Mary K. St. John Emerson Process Management Jake Enebak Harry A. & Rita M. Engelbrecht Carolyn A. Erickson Michael D. Erickson John Estes Factory Motor Parts Co. Benjamin D. Fagerlie Kevin G. Fahey Lyle C. & Jane A. Fahning Mr. & Mrs. Charles W. Farnham III Fast Break Club Federated Insurance John L. & Christina G. Felsch Roy R. & JoAnn B. Ferber Festal Farms Company Bert & Amy Finsand Dr. Brent L. & Lauren M. Florine Drew Forbes James Forbes
30 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016
Dr. Jeanni R. Foss Dale L. & Becky Fredell Eugene U. & Mary F. Frey Bernard W. & Norma B. Gaffron Frank P. Gallipoli Mike Gamburg Richard & Darlene Garmaker Charles H. & Joyce M. Gauck Chad D. & Dr. Jennifer S. Gednalske Joe Gehlen Jean G. & John E. Geisler General Mills Genz-Ryan Plumbing & Heating Company Geritom Medical Pharmacy Sarah & Thomas C. Giel David J. & Clo Mary Girk Chip Glaser Gold Country, Inc. Golden Gopher Blue Line Club Cindi & Harold Goldfine Goodin Company John B. Goodman Gray Plant Mooty Mooty & Bennett Robert & Susan Greenberg Edward E. & Jane B. Griffin Michael K. Grube Mike Haglund Timothy & Laurie Hahn Benjamin T. & Jeanne M. Hamilton Thomas L. Hanson Dana & Katie Harms Richard K. & Kelly A. Harris Harris Mechanical Kay & Glenn W. Hasse, Jr. Judge Deborah Hedlund Mark & Jacqueline Hegman Richard E. Heichert Kyle & Eileen Heitkamp Lowell & Cay Shea Hellervik Jayne & Al Hilde, Jr. Dr. Gregg G. & Diana L. Hipple Robert J. Hiti Ken Hjelm & Andrea Hricko Hjelm Douglas W. Hoefer Norman & Ann Hoffman Holden Graphic Services Holiday Companies The Home Run Club Deborah L. Hopp & Christopher Dahl Timothy P. & Jennifer A. Horan Bradley A. Hoyt Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc. Elizabeth A. Huey Patrick Hunt The Andrew Hunter Family Stanley & Sharon Hup The Hurley Family Hurley Ltd. Hutchinson Dental Center Integrated Benefits Group Ion Corporation J. J. Taylor Distributing Company J. L. Buchanan Inc. Thomas D. & Jan M. Jacobson Thomas F. Jasper JE Dunn Construction James K. & Mary M. Jetland Chris H. & Sarah J. Jewett John J. & Margarita A. Johannson The John Roberts Company Deron M. Johnson Joann & Dennis L. Johnson Michael A. Johnson Johnson Brothers Liquor Company Jerry D. & Sharon K. Jordahl K2 Capital Group Christopher J. & Delphine C. Kahler Frederick E. & Susan J. Kaiser
Kane Transport Edward F. Karon Carol Keers & Tom Mungavan, Jr. Jerry & Rebecca Kill Alexandra & Robert C. Klas, Sr. Donald F. & Mary Lou Klassy Janet E. Klis Judy L. Knight David H. Knoblauch Paul & Michelle Koch Linda & Robert Kollasch Brent A. Kompelien Dr. Michael & Heidi Koopmeiners William P. Kozlak Mark & Deborah Kravik Steven J. Kristo William P. Kroll Harriet Kronick LG Electronics John K. Lamoreaux, Jr. Land O'Lakes, Inc. Stephen S. & Nancy A. Lane Dr. William R. Laney & LaDonna M. Laney Drs. James T. & Penny I. Langland Nancy & Ronald Langness John E. Larsen & Michael D. Stewart Janis L. Larson Wayne Larson Michael J. & Dr. Barbara F. J. Lauesen Ronald S. & Diane E. Leafblad Dr. Edgar H. Lechner Tony Lemaire Thomas & Diane Lentz Stephen & Roxanne Lerum Brock Lesnar Ross & Bridget E. Levin Herb & Ann Lewis B. John Lindahl & Sarah Brooks Lindahl John E. & Nancy E. Lindahl Dr. Richard L. & Jacalyn M. Lindstrom Norman C. Linnell & Patricia J. Kinsey-Linnell Daniel & Peggy Lister Scott & Paula Litman Donovan C. & Glorianne M. Loeslie Andrew Schmidt & Jamie Lohr Paul Lorenz Don & Joyce Lucia John & Elizabeth Lyngstad Patricia A. Lyon M.A. Mortenson Company Harvey & Carol Ann Mackay Kathleen F. & David W. MacLennan MacQueen Equipment, Inc. Paul J. Martin Allen Mayes Chris McCasland Jacqueline G. McCauley Dick McCullough Dr. Michael G. & Tanya J. McDermott Timothy J. & Lee G. McGrath Emily J. McNamara Bill & Kay McReavy Jay T. Mega Jeffrey P. & Lisa E. Mellas James C. & Robin B. Melville John A. & Karen J. Meslow Metro Equity Management David Meyer Microsoft Corporation Midtown Foods Mills Fleet Farm Minnesota Vikings Marilyn E. Mitchell Mark W. & Michele Mitchell Greg & Michelle Mitsch Tom & Karen Moe Charles W. & Elizabeth C. Mooty Ronald M. & Joanne Moquist
Robert L. & Karen M. Morgan Dr. Siobahn M. Morgan Mosaic Crop Nutrition LLC Rick D. & Kristine A. Moulton Keith F. & Jennifer A. Mueller Robert & Barbara Mulder Jeffrey J. Murray & Jennifer L. Hart-Murray Pamela Nagorske Louis V. & Francine Y. Nanne Michael A. & Janis J. Nash Gregory P. Nelson James W. Nelson Rodney L. Nelson Dr. & Mrs J. Scott Nelson Shirley A. Nelson, Ph.D. Priscilla Ngo David Nibbe Jack & Gretchen Norqual Jeffrey P. Norton Les Novak Michael C. & Karen B. Nowakowski Brian Obert Howard V. O'Connell, Jr. Dr. Kirk M. & Alice S. Odden Thomas F. O'Grady Timothy J. & Sandra J. Oliver Bruce & Concordia Olson Deborah R. Olson Steve P. Orth The Orthopedic Center of St Louis S. Bartley & Harriet V. K. Osborn Anthony Oswall Mary K. Owen Packaging Corporation of America Marcia L. Page & Dr. John E. Huepenbecker Mark Peer Jim Pekarek Ronald & Arlie Peltier Pentair Inc. Glen & Alisha Perkins Nancy & Richard Perrine Dale E. & Jeri L. Peterson Tricia Peterson William C. Peterson Dr. & Mrs. Clifford Phibbs Phillips Beverage Company Ernest C. & Caryl K. Pierson Piper Jaffray Companies
Pohlad Companies Brian Posey Precision Lens Press-Sure Printing, Inc. James Prokopanko & Bonnie McPhee Benjamin & Kelli Puhl Robb W. & Amanda Quinlan Robert & Tracy Quinn Gene Rabel & Kadine Olson-Rabel Keith Rachey Noel & Angelina Rahn William B. & Donna K. Ramsay Brett W. Rasmussen Dale A. & Beverly Rasmussen RBC Tile & Stone RBC Wealth Management John & Barb Regal Mike & Lisa Reilly James & Janet Richard Scott & Staci Richardson Andrew & Trisha Rieck James R. Riehle Dr. Ryan L. Ritchie RJW Foundation Steve & Darcy Roessler Dr. J. Brittan & Anne Marie M. Rogers Hon. James & Leanna Rogers Gary A. Rooney Donald & Rita Rosen Thomas G. Rothstein RTP Company Dr. Kyle D. Rudser Frank Russomano Ryan Contracting Company Richard B. Sachs Kevin E. & Susan F. Sallstrom Curtis A. Sampson Family Dr. Steven J. & Penny J. Sanderson James & Sharon Sawyer Charles J. Schaefer Scherer Brothers Lumber Company Jean Schlemmer Michael S. Schmidt Aaron Schoenecker Nicole Schoeppner Alvan L. & Jane A. Schrader Michael Schroer JoAnn C. Schuldt
Larry A. & Mary Jo A. Schulz Jerry Schurman Diana L. Schutter Rae Carter & Lowell Schwab Susan J. Schwalbach Schwan's Home Service Inc. Kent T. & Jane H. Schwickert Daniel J. & Kristin M. Seeler Ann M. Seha Joan M. Seha Select Sales Inc. Jeffrey R. & Nancy L. Selleck SeQuel Response SFM Mark & Jennifer Sheffert Shellback Financial, LLC Brian & Megan Slipka Dr. J. Patrick & Linda M. Smith Thomas M. Smith & Carol Ann Shudlick-Smith Dr. Patricia A. Sobczyk Alan J. & Melissa S. Spaulding Spencer Stuart of Minneapolis Jon W. Springer & Andrea D. Mowery Dr. Gordon D. & Debra L. Spronk St. Jude Medical Kirk Stapleton Isaac Steinberg Steven D. Stinski Larry D. & Sandra L. Stordahl Ralph & Grace Strangis Dan & Rebecca Stratton Patricia A. Stringer Jim & Jill Suk Leland "Lee" & Louise Sundet Super Radiator Coils Jeffrey M. Sweet Matthew B. Sweet Gary & Deanna Tangwall Allan C. & Phyllis M. Tappe Target TCF Bank Barbara Johnson Telander Gary W. Temte Vanessa G. Tennyson Terry Stade Farms, Inc. Think Mutual Bank Ralph & Loanne R. Thrane David & Dan Tomsche
Erik & Rima Torgerson Anthony Tortorice Towers Watson Twin Town Trading Erin Twohig U of M Baseline Club/Tennis Boosters U.S. Bank U.S. Energy Services Inc. Erik & Virginia van Kuijk Bruce & Diane Vandersall Mark E. & Michele T. Vandersall Thomas P. & Teresa D. Vannelli Vivid Seats Dennis & Joyce Wahr Waletich Corporation Bill & Judy Walter Walter G. Anderson Inc. Lyle G. & Theresa Bell Ward David T. & Carmen K. Warford Washburn McReavy Funeral Chapels WCCO Radio 8-3-0 Mike & Jari Welle Jeremy Weller Wells Fargo Bank Minnesota Wells Fargo Bank NA Wells Fargo Private Bank Wells Fargo Wealth Management Patrick D. Wenning Patrick J. Whitcomb & Patty A. Napier Wheelock Whitney & the Honorable Kathleen Blatz Dean & Beth Williamson Steven C. & Dawn C. Willoughby Daniel A. & Anne Wilson Ned W. & Christine E. Windmiller Mark H. Wingerd Chad & Stephanie Winter Dave Wipson Wirtz Beverage Minnesota James Wohlford Michael B. & Lisa J. Wright Mike & Judy Wright Lynn, Ron, Rory & Drew Zamansky Andy Zarras Larry A. & Diane M. Zavadil James K. & Sonja K. Zenk Ziegler Inc.
Heritage Society Members Listed below are members of the The Heritage Society. The Heritage Society honors donors whose gifts in their estates will have a lasting impact on future generations of Gopher student-athletes. Richard & Lollie Ames Lee R. & Penny Anderson Richard G. Anderson Allen & Carmen Arvig William D. & Patricia Baker Roy S. & Virginia M. Barke Ray Basques Shannon Skelley Becking & Lawrence Becking Peter T. Beniares Roger & Carolyn Bettin Robert A. & Beth J. Bjork Dr. John R. & Sheila A. Bjorklund Kristin & Richard Bjorklund Susan Bocchi & Richard Dwyer G. Bart & Kathleen T. Bontems Paul B. & Charlotte S. Brown Richard P. Burke Michael N. & Kathleen A. Callies Michael D. Capstick Barbara B. Clark Edward M. Cohen Gary W. Cohen & Margaret Macneale Marcia K. & John R. Copeland Robert & Lynne Cunningham James Dahl Jean DeSchriver Richard & Sandra Devine Richard Dougherty Angelita V. & William K. Dunwoody III Robert K. Eddy Dr. Lincoln G. Ekman Jeffrey Flaten Eugene U. & Mary F. Frey Charles H. & Joyce M. Gauck Cindi & Harold Goldfine
Mary & Steven Goldstein Daniel T. Grady Edward E. & Jane B. Griffin Todd Guberman Dr. Karen E. Hawley & Charlaine E. Tolkien Timothy J. McQuaid Hennen Ken Hjelm & Andrea Hricko Hjelm Andrew J. Holewa Michael & Bonnie Holloway Jim & Susan Holtan Joyce & John W. Hooley The Andrew Hunter Family Stanley & Sharon Hup Betsy Ingalls Karen Iverson Ronald F. & Caroline P. Johnson Stephen E. & Pamela J. Kairies Frederick E. & Susan J. Kaiser Dr. Charles E. Kath Ann M. & James T. Kelly, Jr. John J. & Maureen King Thomas R. & Jean L. King Dr. Joseph C. Kiser Alexandra & Robert C. Klas, Sr. Barbara Koch Paul & Michelle Koch Constance & V. Allan Krejci John C. & Sandra J. Kuehn Harold Larson Thomas & Diane Lentz John E. & Nancy E. Lindahl L. David & Karen Gail Lindberg D. Kenneth & Patricia A. Lindgren Richard & Juanita Bolland Luis Barbara J. Lutz
Patricia A. Lyon Cathy Mahowald Marc E. & Sharon S. Maslow John E. Mayasich Jacqueline G. McCauley Philip J. & Pat McElroy Charles A. & Patricia L. McMunn Bill & Kay McReavy Marilyn E. Mitchell Paul D. & Betsy Ross Mitchell Charles W. & Elizabeth C. Mooty Michael T. Mulligan Louis V. & Francine Y. Nanne Evan L. Nelson, Jr., M.D. Gary F. Nelson Dr. & Mrs J. Scott Nelson Rodney L. Nelson Les Novak Mary O'Brien Timothy J. & Sandra J. Oliver Jim Oltman Mary K. Owen Ronald & Arlie Peltier Michael P. & Dorothy M. Perry Dr. & Mrs. Clifford Phibbs Jim L. & Lynn L. Z. Praska Paul R. & Joyce C. Ramseth James M. & Kathryn C. Ramstad Mike & Lisa Reilly Kathleen C. Ridder Christopher & Karen Riley Kenneth O. Robinson Hon. James & Leanna Rogers Gary A. Rooney Roger L. & Carol J. Rovick
Robert C. Rowell Marilyn I. Rushenberg Richard B. Sachs Paul & Pat Sackett William F. Sampson James & Sharon Sawyer General Dennis & Pamela Schulstad Paul J. Scipioni Diane M. Scovill Jeffrey R. & Nancy L. Selleck Mary Jo Shasky Lisa & Scott Sieling Cindy Silianoff Douglas H. Smith Dr. Gordon D. & Debra L. Spronk James C. Stordahl Leland "Lee" & Louise Sundet Betty F. Swanson Charles L. & Penny C. Swanum Barbara Johnson Telander Jill Vecoli Anthony D. & April L. Wagner Mr. & Mrs. Rodney S. Wallace, Sr. Bill & Judy Walter Linda M. Wells Patrick J. Whitcomb & Patty A. Napier Kathy Williams Murray & Patricia Williamson Michael Wirtanen Family Doug Woog E. Dennis & Susan Zahrbock Larry A. & Diane M. Zavadil
FEBRUARY 2016 / SKI-U-MAH / 31
PHOTOS: BRUCE KLUCKHOHN
32 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016
STRONG STRIDES
LIZ BERKHOLTZ HASN’T JUST WORKED TO BECOME ONE OF THE NATION’S BEST DISTANCE RUNNERS. SHE’S DILIGENTLY PREPARED FOR A CAREER AS A TRAUMA UNIT NURSE. — BY MICHAEL MOLDE
FEBRUARY 2016 / SKI-U-MAH / 33
Liz Berkholtz wants to have an impact on the lives of others, and while that is an aspiration many people share, Berkholtz’s post-graduation plans go far beyond simple words. A redshirt senior and standout in both cross
sprints and relays, but her greatest success would
country and track from Sun Prairie, Wis., Berkholtz
eventually come in cross country meets and at the
already has an undergraduate degree in psychology
longer distances in track. As a senior at Sun Prairie High School, Berkholtz
with a minor in neuroscience. She’s currently enrolled in a graduate certificate program in addiction
finished sixth at Wisconsin’s state cross country
studies, and has applied to numerous nursing
championships, and also captured state titles in both
schools across the country.
the 1600m and 3200m runs.
Once she learns where she’s been accepted and
During the recruiting process, Berkholtz said she
makes a decision on where she’ll continue her edu-
looked online at college programs’ All-Americans.
cation, Berkholtz plans to pursue either an acceler-
She was impressed by the fact that Minnesota
ated bachelor’s program or a Master’s program, with
seemed to have a history of helping runners like her
the goal of a career as a nurse at a level one trauma
become outstanding performers in college. “Seeing people who were good runners in high
center.
school, like me, develop into amazing runners at
That's Berkholtz's dream job, and it's also how her desire to positively impact the lives of others
Minnesota was a big turn on for me, and I knew I
sets her apart – she wants to be in a career where
wanted to be a part of that,” Berkholtz said. “I also
her where her knowledge and training can affect a
saw that the women's track team had done well at
life-or-death situation.
NCAA championship meets, which impressed me.”
“There’s the emergency room, and then there’s
When Berkholtz came to Minnesota, she had
the trauma unit, and that’s where the worst of the
lofty dreams, and she’s been chasing them her entire
worst end up,” Berkholtz said. “It excites me to know
career. She wanted to break Stephanie Price’s
that people would come in with life-threatening in-
school-record 6K time, she wanted to become an All-American in cross country, and she expected to
juries, and that I’d be able to help them recover.”
be admitted to nursing school.
A trauma unit is where her father, Richard, wound up after being critically injured in a car accident in
“Liz was that recruit who came in the door as a
June 2014. He was on his way home after attending
freshman and said, ‘I want to be an All-American,’”
a baseball game with family, in very foggy condi-
cross country head coach and assistant track coach
tions, and collided with a truck trailer that was cross-
Sarah Hopkins said. “She’d won a state title in Wis-
ing the highway. Berkholtz said her dad was originally pronounced dead at the scene, but medics were finally
After earning All-Big Ten honors in cross country as a senior, Berkholtz on her final track season.
able to revive him with an EpiPen, kind of as a last-
lution-focused person who wants to be able to see
resort. Richard suffered a traumatic brain injury and
the results of her work.
consin, so obviously she was talented, but she wasn’t a national-caliber kid out of high school and wasn’t recruited by the world.” It impressed Hopkins that Berkholtz had so much confidence, and the drive to become great, from the
spent three-and-a-half weeks in the trauma unit at
“Having gone through that experience, I know
University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison. It was
that when I’m a nurse and have to speak to families
“Liz just said, ‘That’s the goal, and I want to win
two months before he returned home.
about their loved ones in the trauma unit, I’ll be able
a Big Ten title.’ I think in her head, right off the bat, that is what she saw herself being,” Hopkins said.
moment she stepped foot on campus.
“It was a difficult situation with my dad, but I
to tell them that I understand what they’re going
think I handled it pretty well because I have a nurse’s
through and that I’ve been in their shoes,” Berkholtz
“In our sport, and in every sport, that confidence
mentality and a positive attitude. It kind of rein-
said. “My dad had some of the best care I’ve ever
piece and that drive – you can’t coach that. That’s
forced my belief that I can do this if I really want to,”
seen from the nurses at the University of Wisconsin
something they either have or they don’t. You can
Berkholtz said. “Unfortunate as it was for my dad, I
Hospital, so that motivates me to do the same when
foster it and help her get there, but she thought that
think it was good experience for me in terms of life
I’m a nurse.”
coming in the door.”
and career.”
“I had lots of support from my teammates and
During the past year and a half, Liz has made nu-
coaches, who gave me lots of hugs and words of en-
merous trips back and forth to Wisconsin to be able
couragement,” Berkholtz said. “They were awe-
to help in any way she can. She says her dad is
some, and they helped me get over the hump.”
“probably 90 percent” recovered, but that he lost his vision, likely due to a lack of oxygen during the period of time when he wasn’t breathing.
Overcoming Setbacks Even with her confidence and expectations sky-high, there were some obstacles, and things didn’t go exactly as Berkholtz had envisioned early in her career.
A Love of Running and Chasing All-America Dreams
and track as a freshman, she experienced her first setback.
After taking a redshirt year in both cross country
Her dad’s situation impacted her career path.
Berkholtz didn’t start to run competitively until sev-
Berkholtz, who had been gearing toward a job in
enth grade, but once she did, she immediately fell
mental health, now says she feels she’s more of a so-
“I applied to nursing school when I was a fresh-
in love with the sport. She initially ran hurdles,
man, but I didn’t have any health care experience.
34 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016
So after my freshman year, I earned my certified
the track, Hopkins says Berkholtz has one of the best
10K in the Big Ten on any given day, and it’s the
nursing assistant and did a bunch of other things to
final 200-meter kicks of anyone in the country.
same type of thing at the national meet,” Hopkins
try applying again as a sophomore, and I still wasn’t
“It’s amazing how powerful the brain can be,”
accepted,” Berkholtz said. “But I think it’s just been
Berkholtz said. “It can help to push you past the limit
and on any given day, she can win it. But she could
meant to be. I was able focus on my running, and
where your body might be telling you to stop or
also run really well and be seventh.”
not have to be bogged down with clinicals and all
slow down, but your brain says you can still go if you
sorts of other responsibilities.”
want to push it.”
Her first season competing as a collegiate runner was an eye-opening experience, as well. “I think she was 214th at her first national cross
said. “There are lots of good kids in this conference,
Berkholtz expects to begin nursing school in June, which could be a bit of a challenge if she qual-
Berkholtz did everything she could to make that
ifies for the NCAA Outdoor Championships June 8-
one last push for All-America honors, as she kicked
11 in Eugene, Ore. She’s hoping to be able to
it in over that final 600 meters. In the end, she
continue her education close to her family.
country meet, and that was as a redshirt freshman, so she’d already been here for a year,” Hopkins said. “So she thought, ‘Holy cow. Top-40 is All-America. That’s my goal, and that’s what I said it would be.’ Then the reality sets in of what that really means.” After that first year, Hopkins said Berkholtz’s big strength was not getting too discouraged by her performance, being able to realize where she wanted to be, and asking what she needed to do to bridge the gap. “It’s been an evolution of Liz not being a crazy person and doing it all in one step, but saying, ‘Next year, I’m going to be here,’ and I think she’s done a really great job of seeing the forest through the trees in terms of seeing long term and not just tomorrow,” Hopkins said. “Every season, she’s gotten better at something, whether it’s race tactics, nutrition, sleep, stress, mileage or training. Every season in cross country, indoor, outdoor and summer, she’s taken a step in one of those areas.” As a redshirt sophomore, Berkholtz finished 180th at the NCAA Championships. The next year,
crossed the finish line in 20:29.1, which put her in
“I’m hoping I’ll be accepted at Marquette, be-
44th place. She was fifth among Big Ten competi-
cause my mom graduated from there and she works
tors, but four spots from where she wanted to be.
in the Milwaukee area. My grandparents live there,
even with her focus divided following her dad’s ac-
“It was a tough moment. As a coach, you just
as well,” Berkholtz said. “Plus, that’d allow me to be
cident, she improved to 80th and was Minnesota’s
want that last little piece for her, not for us, not for
about an hour away from my dad, so it’d be nice to
top finisher at NCAAs. But still, she was 40 spots
anyone else,” Hopkins said. “She had that goal she’s
be in Milwaukee for the next 18 months or so.”
away from her goal of becoming an All-American.
been chasing for five years, so my heart sunk a little
Berkholtz has accomplished great things during
bit. Still, that’s the best she’s ever finished by 40
her five years at Minnesota. She owns three of the
places at a national meet.”
program’s top 10 times on a 6K course, and her
The Final Lap
books. She plans to continue running competitively
Within an Eyelash of Her Dream
name is all over the cross country and track record
Berkholtz was far-and-away Minnesota’s best cross country athlete during her final season with the Gophers. She earned team MVP, was All-Big Ten Second Team with an 11th-place finish at the Big Ten Championships, she was All-Midwest Region and earned Academic All-Big Ten for the fourth time. But that ultimate goal wound up narrowly eluding her despite a gutsy effort at the NCAA Championships in Louisville, Ky. “I was about 600 meters out from the finish line at the national meet. I was counting heads and I knew when she passed me she was about 49th,” Hopkins said. “I yelled at her, ‘You’re 10 spots away from it!’ I hadn’t seen how much ground she made up, so when I came to finish area, I was watching the board scroll through. Every fiber of my body wanted to see that kid pop up in the top-40.” After hearing Hopkins’ update, Berkholtz knew it was now or never, and she picked up the pace. On PHOTOS: BECKY MILLER (LEFT), BRUCE KLUCKHOHN (RIGHT)
Running at a high level is a year-round commitment, so Berkholtz quickly transitioned into track mode following her NCAA Championship performance on November 21. She loves cross country, but admits track and field is her favorite. “I definitely like track better, and I think it’s because I like the team atmosphere more. Our cross country team is definitely a tight-knit group of people, and I enjoy traveling with a small group, but I love track because there are so many other things going on at a meet,” Berkholtz said. “Once you’re done with your event, you can go watch the throwers or the pole vaulters.” As she enters the final stretch of her collegiate running career, Berkholtz is among the favorites for Minnesota in both the 5K and 10K. “I think she’s a top-three kid in the 5K and the
after college, even mentioning the 2020 Olympic Trials in the marathon as a possibility. “I’ve encouraged her to keep going. I think she’s just scratching the surface of how good she can be,” Hopkins said. “But a lot will depend on career. She’s going to be a nurse, which is a job where you’re active and on your feet for much of the day. It won’t be easy for her to finish her shift and feel like heading out on a long run.” For now, Berkholtz’s focus is on finishing her career with successful indoor and outdoor seasons in the 5K and 10K for the Gophers. But if she approaches nursing school and marathons with the same driven, self-motivated and confident mentality she’s had during her collegiate career, she’ll be successful in whatever she does. Michael Molde is a freelance writer for Ski-U-Mah. He can be reached at michaelmolde@hotmail.com.
FEBRUARY 2016 / SKI-U-MAH / 35
GOPHERS HELP IN ATHLETES ANSWER TO HUNGER CAMPAIGN More than 60 University of Minnesota student-athletes and staff members joined together to volunteer their time on Monday, Dec. 14 throughout the halls of Bierman, in an effort to give back to the local community through an event called Athletes Answer to Hunger.
here at the University of Minnesota would create the same effect." During the two-hour period of packing, Gopher student-athletes and staff packed an amazing 11,000 nutritious meals for nearby children in need. Following the packing process, Cashman and fellow Gopher student-athletes
Athletes Answer to Hunger is a food-packing event, started a few years ago
delivered the meals to The Sheridan Story, a local organization which distributes
by freshman Gopher football player, Blake Cashman, and his mother, Corinne
meals to local churches and schools for children in the surrounding community.
Cashman-Meshberger. The Cashmans teamed up with an organization called
These meals help feed the children over the weekend when school lunches are
Harvest Pack, to help bring a packing event to the campus of the University of
not provided.
Minnesota.
"I hoped that this event could help bring awareness to my non-profit, so I
"I wanted to do a food packing event here because I did it at my high school last year and I saw how much of an impact it had on the community and the peo-
can host more food packs throughout the community and state in the future," Cashman said.
SECOND ANNUAL PRO DAY A SUCCESS
ple that helped volunteer," Cashman said. "I hoped that doing a packing event
duct professional interviews at Pro Day
Athlete Development office held its sec-
were also given suite access to engage
ond-annual
with the student-athletes for more in-
Pro
Day
on
Monday,
November 2, at TCF Bank Stadium.
depth conversations.
Golden Gopher Athletics welcomed 53
As student-athletes checked-in by
Minnesota-based corporations to the
the M Club Hall of Fame, they were free
event, which was held in the DQ Club
to roam the event floor, go station-to-
Room.
station or stop and talk with individuals
Similar to a job-fair, the event suc-
representing their organization. Stu-
cessfully welcomed nearly 650 student-
dent-athletes were also encouraged to
athletes to explore their career options.
have a professional headshot taken for
The intent was to build relationships,
their Linkedin page.
network and grow professionally for life after athletics.
In addition to current student-athletes, Gopher Athletics also invited ap-
Corporate representatives began ar-
proximately 25 alums, who volunteered
riving at TCF Bank Stadium at 5 p.m., to
or represented a company at this event.
set up their assigned stations through-
Current Gopher Ben Bravence (men's
out the club room and enjoy a quick din-
swimming and diving) and Gopher di-
ner before student-athletes checked in
rector of community relations Linda
at 7 p.m. Businesses who wished to con-
Roberts spearheaded the event.
36 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016
PHOTOS: ERIC MILLER
The University of Minnesota Student-
by Dan Motl, student-athlete development intern
student-athlete development update
GOPHERS HOST INAUGURAL COACHES VS. CANCER TIP OFF CLASSIC west Division operating officer. “The partnership between the American Cancer
ketball team joined forces with the American Cancer Society on Sunday evening
Society and the NABC is something that goes back many years. The Upper Mid-
to host the inaugural Coaches vs. Cancer Tip-Off Classic at the Minikahda Club.
west is leading the way in the fight with Coaches vs. Cancer, it’s great to see
The event, which was emceed by head coach Richard Pitino, raised money and
that the Midwest is playing such a big role in how Coaches vs. Cancer is making
awareness for the fight against cancer in the Twin Cities and throughout Min-
a difference.”
nesota.
The Coaches vs. Cancer program is a nationwide collaboration between the
“This is a great opportunity to truly make an impact in the fight against can-
American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches
cer,” said Pitino. “I am grateful to at least be a small part in this everyday battle.
(NABC) that empowers basketball coaches, their teams, and local communities
Personally, I have been impacted with two grandparents passing from cancer -
to make a difference in the fight against cancer. The program leverages the per-
it touches everybody.”
sonal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of bas-
“Every year 30,000 people are touched by cancer in Minnesota,” he added.
ketball coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy
“The American Cancer Society has spent more than $5 million in research at the
living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy
University of Minnesota, so we’re glad to be further strengthening the partner-
programs.
ship here. We’re going to build this event – we want to be in a bigger room with more people every year.”
Because cancer has touched so many of our nation's basketball coaches, Coaches vs. Cancer offers them the unique opportunity to fight the disease.
The evening began with a social hour and meet-and-greet with members of
Through integrated fundraising activities and public awareness campaigns, par-
the basketball team, who took pictures with supporters. Following a brief pro-
ticipating coaches are truly making a difference in the fight against cancer and
gram, several items and experiences went up for a live auction, which served to
are raising awareness in their communities about the importance of cancer pre-
raise more than $30,000 in winning bids.
vention, early detection, and making healthy lifestyle choices.
“A big thank you to Coach Pitino for his leadership and involvement in
“We would love to be a part of growing this event with Coach Pitino, and
Coaches vs. Cancer – he is making a real difference in the fight against cancer,”
we will help him in any way make this a bigger, stronger event to raise money
said David Benson, American Cancer Society’s executive vice president and Mid-
for the fight against cancer,” Benson added.
FEBRUARY 2016 / SKI-U-MAH / 37
PHOTO: JERRY LEE
With a crowd of more than 100 supporters on-hand, the Minnesota men’s bas-
RAPID RECOVERY Yaroslav Pochinka defied prognosis and became an All-Big Ten gymnast as a freshman just months after shattering his hand.
Y
by Michael Molde
aroslav Pochinka’s freshman season as a member of the
sibilities during the recruiting process. It is something that would prove to be
men’s gymnastics team did not go as planned. How can
beneficial during his rehab.
it, though, when about a month before the first meet, he fractured three metacarpals in his left hand? In a sport where hands are essential, or “money,” as head coach Mike Burns says, Pochinka suddenly was seeing
“One of the things I really like about Yaro is that he’s one of the hardest workers we have on the team,” Burns said. “He’s very punctual, and very diligent in taking care of the tasks he is asked to do, whether it’s in the gym with his training or if it’s with his academics.”
a hand specialist and facing surgery. Few people felt there
Pochinka is majoring in neuroscience with a minor in psychology, and the
was a realistic chance he’d return to gymnastics at any point during the season.
reason he claims to be able to handle responsibilities quickly, as Burns noted,
“I sent a copy of the X-ray to my wife, who is an anesthesiologist, and she
is that he prides himself on prioritizing.
said, ‘Oh, he’s out for the season,’” Burns said. “I responded, ‘Eh, I don’t know.
“I went into the surgery knowing that it was going to be painful, and that
Don’t count him out.’ But she took another look and said, ‘No. No, he’s out
I would need to push myself to make it through the rehab process,” Pochinka
for the season.’ I showed it to the hand specialist, and he too said he’s out for
said. “For weeks, I couldn’t even lower my arm because it hurt so much, so I
the season.”
was spending most of my time riding a stationary bike and doing leg condi-
On December 3, 2014, Pochinka underwent surgery on his hand. A plate and screws were inserted to repair the injured bones. Weeks of grueling rehabilitation would soon follow. “My broken hand is the most severe injury that I’ve ever had,” Pochinka said. “Everything else has been a sprain or a bruise or a pulled muscle. This was broken bones, multiple shattered pieces.” The thing that made Burns question the season-ending diagnosis is how Pochinka had proven to be very detail-oriented and quick to handle respon-
38 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016
tioning exercises.” “Normally, even when my wrists are really sore from gymnastics, I’m still able to use my hands,” Pochinka said. “So it was a really odd feeling not to be able to move my hand a couple degrees, no matter how hard I tried. It was really frustrating.” Slowly, things started to get better. Pochinka began going into rehab twice a week and working on just trying to open and close his hand, or rotate it around.
STUDYING THE BRAIN
As talented as Yaroslav Pochinka is as a gymnast, he might be even more impressive in the classroom. The sophomore is majoring in neuroscience with a minor in psychology, and he received the team’s academic excellence award as a freshman. “My dream job would be as a practicing physician, who is also a professor at a medical school, and doing some research on the side,” Pochinka said. “I definitely want to pursue a career in medicine, in some form or another, whether it’s neurology, neuroscience, or as a general physician.” In his spare time, Pochinka said he’s been working with InSciEd Out, an integrated science education outreach program, where he gets to help elementary and middle school-aged children work on science. By doing so, he discovered he enjoys teaching, which made him interested in a professorship.
“It was a great feeling seeing my hand move just a little bit more each time. At one point, I was able to move it to a 45-degree angle, and that was a great improvement,” Pochinka said. “After that, it was almost exponentially better each week. I went from 45-degrees to a closed fist in about two weeks.” Eventually, he was able to start doing push-ups against a wall while standing,
Burns said. “It was just another task that needed to be done, and he paid a lot of attention to it and did everything that was asked of him.” Pochinka, who does a front handspring double front tuck for his competition vault, remarkably made his collegiate debut with a team-best 15.150 at Stanford on Feb. 28, about three months after the injury. He competed in the final three
then, he was doing push-ups on the ground, the,n handstands. After that, it was
regular season meets, finishing second at the Big Ten Championships and ninth
just a matter of time. He pushed his hand to the point where it hurt but not too
at the NCAA Championships.
much. He was able to grip things again and to lift weights. “Once I saw the progress that was being made, things started to get easier,” Pochinka said. “I went from push-ups to doing a handstand in one day, then I slowly started doing tumbling, back flips, front flips, and I tried a front handPHOTOS: ERIC MILLER
His college decision came down to Minnesota, Stanford and Nebraska, but Minnesota wound up being his choice for all the obvious reasons, but also in part because his recruiting trip was so well-organized. “I also liked the team aspect better at Minnesota,” Pochinka said. “It just seemed more like a strong community. I felt right at home at Minnesota, and eventually it just became the only place I wanted to be.” “Yaro is a very dedicated student and he is the prototypical student-athlete,” head coach Mike Burns said. “He’s into the School of Biological Sciences, which is not an easy college to get in to. Whatever he is going to do in life, I anticipate great things out of him just based on his dedication and diligence to what he’s asked to do.”
spring and it didn’t hurt too badly.” According to Burns, Pochinka’s two best events are vault and rings. Both would be challenging with the plate and screws in his hand.
This season, he’s expected to compete in vault, still rings and floor. He’s been working on doing the same vault, but in a pike position, which Burns said is something only a few gymnasts in the world are able to do. “He definitely has the capability,” Burns said. “It’s whatever happens that particular day, but looking at his competitive comfort zone and basing it on last year’s results, I think he’s got a real strong possibility of becoming a Big Ten or even a national champion.”
”That’s where his diligence came into play, because he took the same approach with his rehab as he did with the tasks I gave him during recruiting,”
Michael Molde is a freelance writer for Ski-U-Mah. He can be reached at michaelmolde@hotmail.com.
FEBRUARY 2016 / SKI-U-MAH / 39
where are they now
RYAN LEFEBVRE
W
baseball / 1990-93
Ryan Lefebvre went from producing in pressure-packed moments as a
Gopher to broadcasting those moments for the Kansas City Royals hile a life in baseball seemed like destiny for Ryan Lefebvre,
sive categories where his numbers remain among the top
the son of a former major league player and coach, and a
10 in program history.
standout centerfielder in his own right, the path from that first hit off the tee to calling the final out of the 2015 World
Series hasn’t been as direct as the base line from home
plate to first base.
A Cleveland Indian prospect after his college career, Lefebvre quickly left minor league baseball – “I hated every minute of it,” he recalled with a chuckle – to pursue his other passion, broadcasting. Within two years, he was
The first base line is one with which Lefebvre became very
broadcasting Twins games and, in 1999, took a play-by-play
familiar as a player. As a high school star in Los Angeles, he
job with the Kansas City Royals. After enduring more than
drew recruiting interest up and down the West Coast, but a
a decade of losing seasons with the franchise, Lefebvre had
chance encounter between his father and long-time Min-
the honor of being the first in 30 years to call the Royals
nesota head coach John Anderson brought Lefebvre to the
“World Series champions” when he called the team’s se-
Twin Cities, where he would become the Gophers’ all-time
ries-clinching win in the Fall Classic last October.
hits leader. He’s currently sixth on that list, one of six offen40 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016
interview by Jake Ricker
Q: How does a kid from L.A. end up playing baseball at Minnesota? A: Boy, I’ve been asked that question a million times and it was just that all the stars lined up perfectly. My dad, Jim, was coaching the Oakland As. He met John Anderson at a college coaches’ clinic and they hit it off. John invited my dad to fly to Minnesota and work with his hitters during the baseball offseason and they became friends. One year, they’re in the coaches’ office after practice and my dad just casually said, out of curiosity, “What are you guys looking for this year [in recruiting]?” The year before, JT Bruett had signed with the Twins. He was a centerfielder and a leadoff hitter. They missed JT and they were looking for a player of his type. My dad said, “That’s interesting, my son is that type of player. He’s being recruited. Would you be interested in watching him play or talking to him?” I think John and Rob [Fornasiere], just out of courtesy to their friendship with my father, said, “Sure, we’ll give him a call and we’ll look into him.” Q: So that opened the door to Minnesota, but how did you end up deciding to come to the Twin Cities? A: Every other school that was recruiting me was on the West Coast. Minnesota was the only school that wasn’t on the West Coast and I really had no intention of going to Minnesota. I just thought it would be a good experience [to take a recruiting trip there]. I thought, ‘When am I ever going to go to Minnesota again?’ I just felt surprisingly at home while I was there. It caught me off guard. I remember flying back to Los Angeles and the whole flight I kept telling myself, ‘I think this is where I’m supposed to go.’ It was fate. Q: Though you had baseball aspirations, right from the time you got to Minnesota you worked for Radio K, didn’t you? A: I did, back before it was Radio K. When I was in school, it was a professional radio station run by radio people. They had a few students that helped out but, for the most part, it was a radio station that you could hear anywhere in town. Then there was [the student-run station] in Coffman Union. In the mornings before class, I would bike from the East Bank over to the Rarig Center and I would do sports updates in the morning on KUOM. Then, once a week, in the evenings, I’d go to the student station and I would do a one-hour talk show. I got a lot of really good experience. Q: Did you know from the start – even with baseball – that you wanted to be a broadcaster or go into broadcasting? How did you balance that with baseball at the U? A: It’s probably one of the few mature things I did when I was 18 and 19 years old, having a big-picture perspective. I think it really helped me that I grew up in the game. I knew the failure rate of making it to the major leagues. At that time, I was like every other kid – I was going to make it to the major leagues – [but] I really did take my major seriously. When I went
station and doing some internships, I think I felt more gratification as an aspiring broadcaster than as an aspiring baseball player. Q: Do you have a favorite memory or lasting impression from your time here at Minnesota? A: When we won the Big Ten in 1992. That was something we could all enjoy. I think breaking the [career] hits record was neat for various reasons. Number one, John and Rob took a chance on me and they brought me in from Los Angeles and they didn’t bring kids in from that far away. I felt good for them because they took a chance on me … but, in the end, winning the Big Ten championship, the whole team shared in that. I have a little office here at my house and I have a big picture of a couple teammates and me holding the Big Ten plaque that we won in Columbus. I still have my ring. That was far and away number one for me.
Ryan Lefebvre was a First Team All-Big Ten outfielder in 1991 and 1993. He played in 229 games, hitting .343. He set school records for most at bats (787), hits (271) and triples (12) upon graduation.
to college, I knew I wanted to major in broadcasting, but the play-by-play just kind of evolved over time. I thought I wanted to be a news anchor and I was talked out of that … I think I had a fear of being the typical jock that becomes a sports announcer. Then, when I was at KFAN [as an intern], I thought I would want to be a talk show host but I realized over time I just wasn’t interested in all the sports like I needed to be. … My personality really lined up well with being a play-by-play announcer. Q: What was your major in? A: It was a combined major. I tell people it was a triple major, which sounds a lot more impressive, but it wasn’t three separate major. It was through the College of Liberal Arts [and] I combined three departments: Speech Communications, American Studies and Sociology. Q: With your experience in both, what’s your opinion on which is a harder existence – being a minor league ballplayer or being on the lowest rung in the broadcasting industry? A: They’re both very similar. They both pay very little. Both industries are similar in that if you get to the top, it’s a long way from the bottom. I think a lot of people look at a major league baseball player and in their mind they think, ‘professional baseball player.’ Well, a majority of professional baseball players are in the minor leagues, riding the bus, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and playing on old fields. In broadcasting, if you’re in a very small market, you’re a one-man show. If you’re doing a television story, you’re hauling the camera out there, you’re doing the interviews, you’re shooting yourself, hauling the camera back to the station, doing your own editing, all for very, very little pay. …When I signed with the Cleveland Indians, I only lasted for two-and-a-half weeks and I quit. During my senior year, working at KUOM and working at the student
Q: What about your favorite moment as a professional broadcaster – was getting to call the Royals’ championship this year the highlight of your broadcasting career? A: For me, it was calling the final out of the World Series. To be the person who gets to say “The Royals are World Series champions.” It happened to be that I was behind the microphone. It’s not like I had anything to do with the Royals winning the World Series [but] I got to say it, which is a great honor because there are so many great broadcasters who have never been to a World Series, let alone call the final out. The parade, the rally, being on the field after they won Game 5 of the World Series and seeing so many people as happy as they were, it’s like comparing the hits record to winning the Big Ten championship. [The championship] was something we could all enjoy together. Calling the final out of the World Series is just a very small piece to this much greater puzzle of what it’s meant to Kansas City, the region and the organization. Q: What importance did your U of M experience have in getting you where you are today? A: To this day, I tell people the most important decision I ever made in my life was to go to the University of Minnesota. To follow my heart, get out of my socalled comfort zone, experience something new. … I tell people all the time, I was born and raised in Los Angeles, but I grew up in Minnesota. At the University of Minnesota, when media would come out and cover the Gophers, John made sure to introduce me to everybody, whether it was a radio personality, a television personality, a newspaper writer and let them know, when Ryan’s career is over, he wants to pursue broadcasting. … Two years after I’m done playing, I’m broadcasting for the Twins. I was 24 years old. I think I was the youngest broadcaster in Major League Baseball at that point. I broadcast for the Twins for four years and that leads to a job with the Royals and I’ve been here for 17 years. For me, it all started when I took a leap of faith and I left Los Angeles and went to Minnesota.
FEBRUARY 2016 / SKI-U-MAH / 41
BIG
TH E ‘ M ’ C L U B I ND U CTS FO URTE EN G RE ATS IN TO I TS HAL L OF FAME
2015 ‘M’ CLUB HALL OF FAME INDUCTION PHOTO FRONT ROW: Luke Becker, Ronda Curtin, Jennie Moe Coughlin, Gil DePaul (son of Roland DePaul), Byrl Thompson, Helene Grone (daughter of Clifton Gustafson) BACK ROW: Beth Goetz, Olga Splichalova Espinosa, Joey Ray, David Odegard, Buzz Schneider, Dick Meredith, Tim Manders (son of Jack Manders), Brent Gates
Luke Becker
Wrestling / 2000-03
Dick Meredith
Hockey / 1952-54
Ronda Curtin
Hockey / 2000-03
Jennie Moe Coughlin
Tennis / 1989-92
Chris Darkins
Football, Track & Field / 1992-96
David Odegard
Track & Field / 1959-61
Roland DePaul
Hockey / 1946-49
Joey Ray
Gymnastics / 1981-84
Brent Gates
Baseball / 1988-91
Bill “Buzz” Schneider
Hockey / 1972-75
Clifton Gustafson
Wrestling / 1936-38
Olga Splichalova Espinosa Swimming / 1995-98
Jack Manders
Football / 1930-32
Byrl Thompson
42 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016
Track & Field / 1949-50, ‘56
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Parting Shots
The Gophers celebrate a victory over Michigan (top). Alyssa Goehner and Hannah Tapp simultaneously pancake a ball against Marquette in NCAA Second Round play. PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER MITCHELL & ERIC MILLER
44 / SKI-U-MAH / FEBRUARY 2016
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