Ski-U-Mah Magazine: Winter 2013 (Issue 1, Volume 1)

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Welcome to the inaugural issue of Ski-U-Mah! Ski-U-Mah is the new official magazine of Gopher Athletics.

Published on a bi-monthly basis, it has been developed exclusively for our stakeholders and fans. IT’S A GREAT TIME TO BE A GOPHER, and we have created Ski-U-Mah to bring you stories about Gopher Athletics that you can’t get anywhere else.

Gopher Athletics is nothing without its people, and we are fortunate to have a department filled with amazing individuals. We have a lot to celebrate and we look forward to sharing these stories with you in every edition of Ski-U-Mah. Additionally, Ski-U-Mah will be an important vehicle for presenting key initiatives relating to facilities, finances, season tickets and other special offers.

The 2012-13 athletic year is off to great start, and that is in no small part due to the support we receive from our donors and fans. Football has played in one of the most thrilling games of the bowl season, while volleyball reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Our winter sports have continued the positive momentum, with most earning recognition in the national polls.

I see a great future ahead for Gopher Athletics and am very much looking forward to seeing it chronicled for you here in Ski-U-Mah!

GO GOPHERS!

Norwood Teague Director of Athletics

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features 12

RACHEL BANHAM

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GAME CHANGERS

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HUGH McCUTCHEON

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BILL & KAY McREAVY

30

CHUCK MERZBACHER

34

GOPHER GENERATIONS

38

PAUL MOLITOR

additional content 2

NEWSWORTHY

4

BEST OF FOOTBALL PHOTOS

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PHOTO FEATURE

10

MILESTONES

26

GOLDEN GOPHER FUND DONORS

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FAST START PROGRAM

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OFF THE FIELD: STEFANIE GOLAN

40

MIKE GRIMM GUEST COLUMN

41

BEHIND THE SCENES: LEE GRESETH

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BEHIND THE SCENES: PEYTON OWENS

16 34

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

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NEWSWORTHY Donald Constable, a 2011 U of M grad, became the first Gopher to earn his PGA Tour card since 2002 and fourth ever, finishing in a tie for 22nd at the 2012 PGA Tour Q-School.

Taylor Uhl became the first AllAmerica soccer player at the U of M since 1997 when she was named a third-team selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

After a prolific 28-year run as head coach of the women’s cross country program, Gary Wilson is retiring and turning the reins over to Sarah Hesser, who has served as a volunteer assistant for the last seven years. Wilson will coach the distance runners through the end of the outdoor track and field season.

A Ridder Arena record sellout crowd of 3,400 fans turned out for Minnesota’s 4-1 women’s hockey victory over Wisconsin on December 1.

Gopher Baseball has much to celebrate in 2013. The New Siebert Field opens on April 5 with a Big Ten contest against Ohio State. It’s also the 125th anniversary of the program.

Gopher Women’s Hockey broke the NCAA record for consecutive victories in women’s ice hockey, with its 21st straight victory on November 17. The Gophers defeated Minnesota State 9-1.

Minnesota's 71 fall Academic All-Big Ten selections were its most ever and included a program-high total for Gopher football of 32.

Minnesota student-athletes are graduating at a rate higher than ever before. The Gophers’ Graduation Success rate in the fall of 2012 reached an all-time high of 83 percent. Gopher Student-Athletes graduate at a rate four points higher than the rate for all University of Minnesota students.

PHOTO: JIM ROSVOLD

A sold-out crowd poured into TCF Bank Stadium for the Gophers’ 17-10 victory over Syracuse on September 22.

PHOTO: JIM ROSVOLD

{ Derrick Engel vs. Michigan, 11/3/12 }

PHOTOS: ERIC MILLER

{ Troy Stoudermire vs. Purdue, 10/27/12 }

{ Donnell Kirkwood vs. Texas Tech, 12/28/12 }

{ MarQueis Gray vs. Purdue, 10/27/12 }

{ Rodrick Williams vs. Texas Tech, 12/28/12 }

{ Ra’Shede Hageman at Wisconsin, 10/20/12 }

{ Rowers on Mississippi River, 10/10/12 }

PHOTO: ERIC MILLER

{ Erik Van Rooyen at Gopher Invitational, 9/10/12 }

PHOTO: ERIC MILLER

PHOTO: COURTNEY ANDERSON

{ Noora Raty at Bemidji State, 12/7/12 } { Cody Yohn vs. Hofstra, 11/9/12 }

PHOTO: JERRY LEE

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DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS Norwood Teague EXECUTIVE ASSOCIATE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR David Benedict

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jeff Keiser EDITOR Garry Bowman CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kevin Kurtt, Rick Moore, Joel Rippel, Justine Buerkle, Mike Grimm, Cory Hall, Kate Wadman, Brian Deutsch CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Chris Lagasse CONTRIBUTORS Randy Handel, Kristin Scott, Liz Hogenson, Laura Halldorson, Joe Quinn, Michelle Traen, Jarrett Yehlen DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Eric Miller

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CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jerry Lee, Christopher Mitchell, Jim Rosvold, Courtney Anderson, Craig Lassig, Bruce Kluckhohn, Greg Smith 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.

SKI - U - MA H

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500 Tubby Smith won his 500th career game with a win at USC on December 8.

MILESTONES 200 Pam Borton earned her 200th victory as Minnesota’s head coach on November 18 versus Maine.

PHOTOS: ERIC MILLER

600 Don Lucia earned his 600th career victory on October 20 at Michigan Tech.

p PHOTO: BRUCE KLUCKHOHN

q PHOTO: ERIC MILLER

393 J Robinson became Minnesota’s all-time leader in dual meet wins with his 393rd victory versus North Dakota State on November 10.

12 SKI-U-MAH

BACK IN THE

FLOW

Point guard Rachel Banham recovers from an offseason setback, picks up her game in stride.

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achel Banham strolls back into Williams Arena after a midweek practice, entering the half-light that bathes the Barn for much of the day. She takes a padded seat below the elevated court with three ice bags taped to her body and an audience of one.

The ice bags are standard issue for Banham, and don’t suggest any medical concerns out of the ordinary. On this day she’s healthy, energetic, and ready for the next challenge on the court.

But this past summer was a different story. *** Her world began turning in July, when she started feeling pains in her chest and was struggling to breathe. Coincidentally, she had taken a blow to the body during a pick-up game a short time earlier, and thought that might be the source of her problems. An initial trip to the doctor didn’t uncover anything unusual, and neither did a second trip, but the pain persisted... and worsened.

Finally, Banham went to the emergency room and got a two-part injury report.

Yes, she had a lung contusion on the side where she got hit playing basketball. But there was more.

She learned that on the other side she had a pulmonary embolism—medicalspeak for a blood clot in her lung—that was far more serious than the contusion.

According to women’s basketball trainer Kate Taber, the clot was about the size of an eraser on a pencil. But a clot of any size in the lung can lead to dire consequences.

For Banham, it was a more intense blow than anything she’s taken on the court.

“Right away I was instantly crying because I was so emotional,” Banham says.

“I was scared and I was kind of confused. I mean, you don’t really hear about a 19year-old getting a blood clot.

“All I could think about was when I could play. That’s the first question I asked the doctor was, ‘How long am I out?’”

He told her three to six months, and Banham immediately did the math in her head.

“Six months would be a lot of the season, and I was like, ‘No.’ I was so mad.”

Being angry at losing time on the court was a natural reaction for Banham—a 19-year-old who’s dedicated to the sport of basketball. But for others around her, there was even more concern.

“I think I was pretty speechless,” says Minnesota head coach Pam Borton. “Your mind races because we’ve been in the position before, as coaches at this level, where players have died from blood clots just walking across campus, on the practice field, on the court. You think about so many different things when you hear it at first.

“My mind went a hundred different places. You’re just very, very concerned about her and her health.”

“I knew it was pretty serious,” says Taber, who notes that they would have never found the blood clot without the pick-up game injury. “Those aren’t things you can mess around with. [The clot] was luckily in a non-life-threatening location in her lung, but it was still definitely something we had to deal with right away.”

The ‘U’ staff and Banham consulted with a hematologist on campus who oversaw her care. She was put on a blood thinner and given a strict regimen to follow, with the goal of being able to return to the court at full strength in three months if all went well.

That meant about two months of avoiding all contact. She could dribble and shoot till the cows came home and the lights went off; she just couldn’t have any contact and risk a serious injury while on blood thinners.

PHOTO: ERIC MILLER

by Rick Moore

14

“We wanted to make sure she was healthy before we put her back on the court,” says Taber. “The last thing we wanted was to clear her before she was ready and cause some sort of damage.” Finally, in late October, Banham was given the green light, just in time for the non-conference season.

She’s still at a risk for blood clots in the future, but there are steps she can take to keep the risk to a minimum. Chief among them are to stay hydrated and moving after intense activity, which means strolling around the plane on flights home after a game.

“Other than that, there’s not a whole lot we have to watch out for,” Taber says. “She’s back to normal—as normal as she is.”

“I think things happen for a reason,” adds Borton. “The blood clot happened for a reason. But I think we were all very fortunate that we were able to catch it, and that she was in a safe place when they did catch it.”

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What she has done for them lately Borton is asked about her second-year point guard from Lakeville North High School, and the descriptors and superlatives flow freely and rhythmically, like a set of free throws at the end of a practice.

“She’s a special player who’s extremely competitive,” Borton says. “She’s been consistent. She’s got an edge. She hates to lose. She can take a game over. She can put a team on her back. There’s nothing on the basketball court that she can’t do.”

She pauses for a second. “And she’s only going to get better. She’s only in the first half of her sophomore year.”

Did she sense that Banham would have the kind of impact she did in her first year?

“In recruiting her, I knew she was really, really good. And being able to watch her play on a national level with her club team in the summertime, she competed against kids who are going to UConn and Texas and all these other schools, and she definitely held her own.

“But I did not know that she was going to have [that] type of impact her freshman year. I knew she was going to have an impact and she was going to start for us at point guard, but I did not know that she was going to be our best player, be the most consistent player on our team, the one that could put a team on her back, the one that showed up every game and had the numbers, as a freshman. No way did I think that.”

Her numbers were downright gaudy. Banham started all 36 games for the Gophers and racked up a team-high 580 points, the most for a freshman in any of the nation’s six power conferences and the most ever for a first-year player at Minnesota.

She led the team in scoring average (16.1 points per game), field goals (216), three-point field goals (54), three-point percentage (.425), minutes played (1,213), and—in case you thought this was getting too offensive—in defensive rebounds (148).

Those numbers were good for the following accolades: she was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earned second team All-Big Ten honors. She was also named to the Full Court Freshman All-America First Team. And she was honored as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week just about enough times to have the award named after her.

One part athlete, one part cop Banham grew up in a busy household with three siblings, and as a kid sampled about every sport imaginable, including soccer, gymnastics, and even football… when she could. She says her dad wasn’t on board with letting her play football, but there was one exception. “He let me do football camp one summer (she was the only girl) and I got MVP of my team,” Banham says, “and I was like, ‘What’s up, Dad?’” From the seventh grade forward she settled on track (as a sprinter) and basketball, but she knew early that basketball was her sport of choice. And that she wanted to play for the Gophers.

“I could never see myself leaving Minnesota,” she says. “I just love the fans and being so close to home.”

As for her career aspirations? They’re one part basketball and one part family tradition. “I’d like to play in the pros and then I want to become a cop,” Banham says.

Regarding the WNBA, it’s always been a goal, but one tempered with reason. “You

DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT etting an inside scoop on Rachel Banham isn’t a tough chore. She doesn’t come off as being overly private, and she’s already confessed to a number of quirks. But this one bears repeating.

“I have a purple pillow that’s my best friend,” she says. “It’s just a purple pillow I’ve had since fourth grade that I’m obsessed with, and I take it everywhere.”

G

don’t know if you’re ever really good enough for that; let’s be real,” she says. “After last season, I can see that it’s definitely a possibility. Now it’s a really big goal. I’m striving for that and I’m going to push myself to be drafted and drafted at a higher pick.”

When that career plays itself out she wants to follow in the footsteps of her mother, father, and grandfather in law enforcement. Her grandfather was a cop for 30plus years at the University of Minnesota Police Department, and both her parents have made their

To clarify, this isn’t a soft, cuddly pillow. “It’s one of those nice pillows that you put on your bed for looks and then you take it off at night,” she says. She stole it from her parents’ bed and has kept it ever since, and in its current state she deems it… well, ugly.

No matter. Now it travels with her everywhere, and if it doesn’t, she gets upset. “For [the Kansas trip in

career working for the Minneapolis Police Department.

Her dad retired recently, and her mom works in the sexcrimes unit, which Banham is interested in.

That steered the conversation to the television show Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, which focuses on those crimes. Her mom recently told her, “Just so you know, I’m the real SVU,” Banham jokes. And “it’s not as glamorous as it looks.”

In the meantime—especially in season—she’s focused on Gopher basketball, and is driven by a host of lofty goals.

“Team-wise, I want to compete for everything: [to be] the best team in the Big Ten, win a Big Ten championship, go to the NCAA Tournament—the classic goals that everyone probably says,” Banham laughs.

“Individually, I want to be on the first team All-Big Ten and compete to be Big Ten Player of the Year,” she adds. “I just want to finish at the top of a lot of the statistic boards— with a good field goal percentage, 3point percentage, you know, all those different things.”

There’s also an academic goal or two on her bucket list. “I want to be Academic All-Big Ten,” she says. “And in the future a big goal would be Academic AllAmerican. I think that’s something I would like to push myself to, because school isn’t my favorite thing in the world and it’s tough for me sometimes.”

Borton says she appreciates the lofty goals—both team and individual. “I think she realizes they will make her better,” she says. “She sets goals that are very hefty, but she’ll reach her goals.”

A goofball who can ‘flip a switch’ Borton, now in her 11th year as head coach of the Gophers, points out that Banham is taking on more of a leadership role on the team, and for her that means leading by what she does on the court.

“She knows what her role is and she knows that she has to play well every day in practice. And she knows she has to play well in every single game and if she doesn’t, it’s going to be tough for us to win,” Borton says. “I think she understands the pressure, she understands responsibility, and she wants it. A lot of kids say that they want it but they really don’t.

She says that she wants it and she really does.”

But with that willingness to accept great responsibility comes a desire to hang loose whenever she can.

PHOTO: JERRY LEE

December, I almost forgot and I had to moped back to my place and get it.”

Is she planning on a separation ceremony, maybe at age 30?

“No, it’s going to stay forever,” she insists. “It’s going to be in my coffin; I’m going to be hugging it when I’m dead. … It’s always going to be there, I promise.”

It may not be visible to fans in the stands, but Banham is apparently as playful and offbeat as they come. She says as much herself, and no one in the know is disagreeing, least of all her coach.

“She’s goofy, she’s funny, she sings, she dances,” Borton says. “She says the dumbest things that are funny. She brings a calming effect to our team, but she can flip a switch… and bang, she’s ready to play.”

She offers a similar self-assessment. “The first word I would think of is ‘goofy,’” Banham says. “I’m always cracking jokes, being weird, keeping people laughing, smiling. … I can crack a joke but then I can be serious and like, ‘Hey, let’s do this!’”

Which leads us to her other pastime.

“I really like to sing. My teammates know that,” she says. “I feel one time in the future I might decide to sing the national anthem, but that’s going to take a lot of [courage]. I get really nervous. If I wouldn’t get nervous, I’d be set.”

Maybe she could just imagine three defenders in the way of her and “the home of the brave.” Borton seems to think she could pull it off.

“I think she’s a great singer,” she says. “Maybe by her senior year for Senior Day she’ll be singing the national anthem. That would be really nice. And she can dance along to it.” *** Back at Williams Arena, Banham is talking again about the visions she’s had now for many years—dreams that she’s trying to turn into reality.

“Whenever I looked into college I was thinking, I want to break records, I want to go the NCAA Tournament, I want to be a champion in different ways—the Big Ten Tournament or the NCAA Tournament.

“Those are big goals, but when you’re young that’s what you dream of. And I think that’s what I still dream of. Just being the best player to come out of here. Obviously, Lindsay Whalen is that person, so I challenge myself to be better.”

At this point she’s gazing up and into the distance, her mind seemingly locked into something.

“I love how I’m like staring at her right now.”

Our laughter echoes across the arena as it becomes apparent that while she spoke of her goals, her eyes found their way to the banner hanging from the Barn’s rafters of Whalen shooting a driving layup.

“That was so creepy… I really didn’t try,” Banham says, still laughing.

Maybe it was a Freudian slip of the gaze.

One thing’s for sure. Even if it was creepy, it’s not creepy in an “I’m stalking you” kind of way. More like, “I’m coming after your records.”

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

16 Siebert Field photographed on December 4, just after seats were installed.

SKI-U-MAH

PHOTOS BY ERIC MILLER

GAME

CHANGERS

SIEBERT FIELD PROJECT FACTS

Total project cost $7.2 million Construction key dates Broke Ground, June 18, 2012 Field Completed for team's fall practice on Sept. 30, 2012 First game - April 5, 2013 vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Seating 1,420 Total Seats 494 Chair backs 902 Bench seats 24 ADA Additional seating available on two grass berms inside the stadium, and one beyond left field wall Dimensions Left Field 330', Left Field Power Alley 365', Center Field 390', Right Field Power Alley 365', Right Field 330' Playing surface MONDO Sport Turf, Ecofill (copyright) Pro Series 3NX FTS All areas turf except for home plate and mound, clay New Daktronics Scoreboard 36' W x 30' H, which includes a 23' W x 12' H video board Additional Facts • Two points of access with ticket booths off of 8th St. SE and 5th St. SE pedestrian bridge.

• Even though Siebert is an artificial turf field, the site includes over 4100 sq. yards of new sod.

• General Contractor - PCL Construction, Inc. - Minneapolis, Minn.

• Architect - DLR Group - Minneapolis, Minn.

• Phase II (TBD) - Will include Indoor training facility, lights, home and visitor locker rooms, offices, umpires locker room and canopy.

Minnesota’s latest facility improvements include a brand-new Siebert Field to house the baseball program and large audio-visual upgrades to Mariucci and Williams Arenas.

18

WILLIAMS ARENA PROJECT FACTS

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Total project cost $2.28 million Project key dates Installation began: May 22, 2012 Installation completed: September 11, 2012 First game: October 31, 2012 Scoreboard features Weight - 17,000 lbs.

Overall scoreboard dimensions - 20’ 9 7/8” tall by 26’ 5 1/2” wide High definition video board - 11’ 5 1/4” tall by 13’ 6 1/4” wide LED ribbon boards (fascia) - 680’ in total length Sound system features All new digital system by Parson Electric Custom designed and tuned for unique aspects of Williams Arena Additional Facts • Scoreboard installation required routing new fiber. The installation of additional steel to reinforce the roof and a new hoist system was also required due to the weight of the new scoreboard.

• Scoreboard and ribbon boards built and installed by Daktronics, Inc.

Mariucci Arena equipped with brand new scoreboard and ribbon boards, photographed on November 17.

PHOTO BY JERRY LEE

A sold-out crowd packed into Williams Arena on New Year’s Eve to see the Gophers defeat Michigan State, 76-63.

PHOTO BY CHRIS MITCHELL

MARIUCCI ARENA PROJECT FACTS

Total project cost $1.85 million Project key dates Installation began: June 11, 2012 Installation completed: September 26, 2012 First game: October 6, 2012 Scoreboard features Weight - 19,133 lbs.

Overall scoreboard dimensions - 20’ 4 5/16” tall by 30’ 1 3/8” wide High definition video board - 11’ 5 1/4” tall by 13’ 6 3/4” wide LED ribbon boards (fascia) - 594’ in total length Sound system features All new digital system by Parson Electric Custom designed and tuned for unique aspects of Mariucci Arena Additional Facts • The installation of a new hoist system was required due to the weight of the new scoreboard.

• Scoreboard and ribbon boards built and installed by Daktronics, Inc.

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AROUND THE

WORLD SKI-U-MAH

After a spectacular decade-long run with USA Volleyball, including gold and silver medals at the Olympics, Hugh McCutcheon has settled into his job at the University of Minnesota.

by Kevin Kurtt

For the better part of the last decade, McCutcheon was a full-time coach with USA Volleyball - as an assistant and head coach of the men’s national team, and head coach of the women’s team - guiding Team USA for three Olympic quadrennials.

On February 10, 2011, McCutcheon was named the head coach of the University of Minnesota volleyball team, succeeding long-time coach Mike Hebert. The New Zealand native did not immediately take over in Dinkytown, continuing instead in his role with USA Volleyball. At Minnesota, the reins were handed to assistant coach Laura Bush while McCutcheon led the U.S. women’s national team to the Olympic Games.

On August 11, 2012 at the London Olympics, McCutcheon’s Team USA fell to Brazil in four sets in the gold-medal match. Then, between August 12 and 29, McCutcheon flew back to his home in Southern California, cleaned out his office, packed, traveled to Minnesota and prepared to take over as head coach of the Golden Gophers.

On August 30, he held his first practice with his new team. The next day, the Hugh McCutcheon era began with a 3-0 win over Long Island at the Diet Coke Classic.

Fast-forward three months and McCutcheon had led the Golden Gophers to a tie for second in the Big Ten, an NCAA Tournament berth, an Elite Eight appearance, and within two sets of advancing Minnesota to its fourth Final Four.

Yes, Hugh McCutcheon deserves a vacation.

“It’s been a great year,” McCutcheon said. “It was pretty crazy going back-to-back with the national team and the Gophers. It was a lot of work, but we got through it and luckily I had some really good people around me to help me along the way.”

“I’m amazed that he still has a pulse after those 10 years and after the kind of season that an Olympic year demands,” volleyball legend Karch Kiraly, an assistant with McCutcheon in London, said. “The workload and the hours that you have to put in to have a great team are incredible. He essentially has had zero breathing time. It must feel really good to step back.”

McCutcheon hasn’t had an opportunity to step back for some time now. After wrapping up a standout career at BYU and two seasons of professional volleyball, McCutcheon jumped into coaching at his alma mater, helping the Cougars to two NCAA championships.

He then spent two years in Europe, guiding the Vienna HotVolleys before beginning his career as a volunteer assistant with the U.S. men’s national team. In 2003, he became a full-time assistant, and in 2005, he took over as head coach.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, McCutcheon led Team USA to its first gold medal since 1988.

“In 1988, I was watching Karch, Marv Dunphy and those guys win a gold medal in Seoul

PHOTO: ERIC MILLER

while I was sitting on my couch in Christchurch, thinking, ‘Wow, that looks really cool,’” McCutcheon said. “Twenty years later, we got to win a gold medal with Marv on my staff; and the next year Karch is on my staff. It’s been a surreal journey.”

A short time after capturing gold in Beijing,

“It was awesome and it was hard,” McCutcheon said. “I gave it everything I could, probably at a significant personal cost. It beats you up a little bit. There’s a saying: Coaching is a grindstone; it either polishes you or it wears you down.

I think it’s a bit of both. It forces you to grow and evolve in a lot of different ways.”

McCutcheon made the unprecedented move to the women’s national team, leading Team USA for the 2009-12 Olympic quadrennial which culminated with a number one world ranking and a silver medal for the red, white and blue.

During his tenure with USA Volleyball, McCutcheon traveled to numerous U.S. states, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Barbados, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Serbia and Montenegro, Greece, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Germany, Finland, Spain, Switzerland, Bulgaria, England, Egypt, Japan,

The evolution of Hugh McCutcheon took a big step about 2 ½ years ago when Bachman gave birth to their son, Andrew (they welcomed their second child, Annika, last April). The arrival of children to the mix provided a certain impetus for McCutcheon to put the grind of coaching with USA Volleyball behind him.

“My goal in life was to be a dad, not necessarily a coach,” McCutcheon said. “We had this young family; I was on the road 150 days a year.”

“The toughest thing about the job is when we have to go on road for four straight weeks,” Kiraly

“I’m amazed that he still has a pulse after those 10 years and after the kind of season that an Olympic year demands.” – KARCH KIRALY China, Chinese Taipei, Thailand and Hong Kong.

“I’ve seen a ton,” McCutcheon said. “I was talking to Wiz [his wife, 2004 U.S. Olympian Elisabeth Bachman] about it and she said, ‘All those highlights from opening credits of the Amazing Race - I think you’ve seen all of them. I don’t think many people can say that.’”

That being said, the schedule of a U.S. national team coach isn’t for the faint of heart.

“The grind is ridiculous,” women’s national team setter and former Gopher Lindsay Berg said.

“When we’re together, we go on month-long trips. You’re away from your family and friends.

The mental and physical toll is extreme.”

said. “When Hugh started a family, that changed the equation. It’s tough when kids are growing the fastest and changing so much, and all you have is Skype time on the road. Hugh found a coaching situation that helped solve that problem.”

That situation presented itself on Dec. 11, 2010, when Hebert announced his retirement a day after Minnesota lost in the Sweet 16. A short time later, then-athletic director Joel Maturi contacted McCutcheon to gauge his interest in the Gopher job.

“At that point, I wasn’t really interested,” McCutcheon said. “I was up to my eyeballs in USA.

PHOTO: GREG SMITH

Hugh McCutcheon deserves a vacation.

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We were trying to figure out how we were going to win a medal in London. I told Joel, ‘Right now, I just don’t see how I can make this work. I think there are a lot of people that can do this job; I don’t think you need me to do this.’”

A few weeks later, Maturi came back to McCutcheon, asking him to come out to Minnesota to have a look. Maturi indicated that he thought they had some things in place that might be of interest to McCutcheon. McCutcheon agreed to the visit and was impressed by the opportunity that presented itself at the University of Minnesota.

“This state has a strong passion for the game; there’s great fan support,” McCutcheon said. “It’s a university that is very much into supporting the team, with budgets that allow us to be competitive, a great facility and a lot of great people. I was just thinking, ‘Maybe there aren’t a lot of people that can do this job.’”

The decision to take the job at Minnesota was made a little easier by the fact that Bachman grew up in the Twin Cities.

“That was kind of the cherry on the top,” McCutcheon said. “It’s great to be in a community where there is a family presence, but that wasn’t the driving force. It just so happened that Minnesota was a great opportunity and on top of that there was this other really cool family stuff. I feel very fortunate to be here.”

The hiring of McCutcheon was a significant one for Maturi and the Gopher program as Hebert compiled a 381-125 record in 15 seasons, leading the team to three NCAA Final Four appearances.

“When Mike announced his retirement we knew that we would have huge shoes to fill,” Maturi said. “We wanted to make sure we hired someone who could continue to keep Golden Gopher volleyball among the best programs in the nation. With the hiring of Hugh McCutcheon, we feel like we accomplished that goal in a big way.”

“It was a huge hire,” Berg said. “There are only a handful of coaches that have the respect that Hugh has. There was no better hire than Hugh with all his experience and his youth.”

For a while, it wasn’t clear if McCutcheon was going to leave the national team or finish out the Olympic cycle.

He vacillated for a week or so, with Maturi and USA Volleyball giving him the freedom to make whatever choice he wanted.

“Ultimately, I decided that I put my heart and soul into [USA Volleyball], I have to finish it out,” McCutcheon

McCutcheon gives an enormous amount of credit to Laura Bush (right), for taking the interim head coaching position for the 2011 season while McCutcheon completed the Olympic cycle as head coach. Bush took the Gophers to the NCAA Sweet 16 before resuming an associate head coach role upon McCutcheon’s arrival in Minneapolis.

said. “At some point I’m going to have to talk to my kids about finishing what you start and seeing it through. It all became pretty clear then.”

The tough part for McCutcheon and Maturi was figuring out the interim. McCutcheon was committed to devoting all his efforts to the U.S. women’s national team and their pursuit of a medal in London. Meanwhile, Min-

the program didn’t do well here, then everyone has egg on their face,” McCutcheon said. “She led the program through this transition and was phenomenal. And we were fortunate enough to come away with some hardware in London, so it all worked out.”

Indeed, it worked out. Bush guided Minnesota to a 2012 overall record and an appearance in the Sweet 16, while

“It was a huge hire. There are only a handful of coaches that have the respect that Hugh has. There was no better hire than Hugh with all his experience and his youth.” – LINDSEY BERG nesota would be without a coach for a full season. Then Gopher assistant coach Laura Bush, who has twice been a Division I head coach during her career, stepped in to serve as the interim head coach.

“Laura provided one of the most selfless acts in terms of supporting this program to accept a very risky interim position. Risky in that if we didn’t do well in London and

McCutcheon and his son, Andrew, following his first match as head coach at Minnesota on August 31 at the Sports Pavilion.

McCutcheon became the fourth coach to lead the U.S. to a medal in Olympic women’s volleyball.

During the 2011-12 season, NCAA rules prohibited McCutcheon from contacting Gopher players and recruits until he took over, leaving Bush and assistants Chris Tamas and Alfee Reft in complete control of the program.

“At the beginning, we had a couple days to talk about philosophically where I’m going,” McCutcheon said. “But I included the caveat that they needed to coach and teach the way they wanted because it was their program then.

They needed to do what they thought was right to win. I wasn’t going to micro-manage; I wasn’t going to watch from afar and critique. I was completely absorbed in the national team at the time.”

“The team and the coaching staff were able to lay some groundwork during the 2011 season in anticipation of Hugh's arrival,” Bush said. “Once Hugh arrived to the team, everyone assumed the roles needed so that the transition was nearly seamless.”

That transition had to wait until Minnesota had already played and won two matches. It was a unique situation that McCutcheon likens to the first day of class in a freshman year.

“When I got here, I wasn’t sure what we were going to be like. I had no idea,” McCutcheon said. “I had never seen the team, the kids play; the recruits I’d never seen. It could PHOTOS: ERIC MILLER

HUGH’S TRAVEL TALES Q: How many countries have you been to?

A: Right now I’m at 50.

Q: In traveling with volleyball, in a year, how many days out of 365 have you been on the road?

A: The highest number I’ve been away from home would probably be in around 150, maybe 160.

More than I wanted to, I can tell you that.

Q: What’s your favorite place to visit?

A: Obviously I’m biased, but I do like visiting New Zealand, my home country. I also really enjoy visiting Japan. I’ve spent a lot of time there over the years, but it’s a very interesting place to check out.

have been a weird transition, but I kept it pretty low-key and just eased into it.

It seemed to be pretty natural. And a large part of that has to do with Laura and Chris, and the way they front-loaded the whole thing.”

After the transition came the adjustments. McCutcheon had to learn his players’ names and get dialed into the state of recruiting, all while attempting to coach a team that perennially has high expectations.

“There certainly was a learning curve,” McCutcheon said. “But I think our primary responsibility, given when I arrived, was to make sure the team was being as successful as they can be on the floor. The focus was on getting better.”

For McCutcheon, returning to the college game rekindled his love of teaching, an aspect of coaching that isn’t as significant at the international level.

“It’s great to see people figure it out and do stuff they’ve never done before,” McCutcheon said. “And for the first time in a lot of years, I really enjoyed teaching and coaching,” McCutcheon said. “That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy coaching with the national teams, but there it was a lot more management and wearing of different hats.”

“Hugh’s willingness to connect with people is great,” Berg said. “He wants you to be the best that you can be. You feel it. He believes in you.”

Away from college volleyball for over a decade, one might expect some necessary adjustments for a coach stepping a level below the national team.

Not so, says McCutcheon.

“Volleyball is volleyball. It’s just a different level of execution,” McCutcheon said. “One of the things I told our national team athletes all the time was, ‘Maybe in college you could execute a skill 9 times out of 10 and it’s good enough, but here you have to do it 99 out of 100. Even though it’s 9 to 9.9, it’s a huge shift. Now we’re just going from 99 out of 100 to 9 out of 10 - which is still a high level of execution.”

A high level of execution is precisely what McCutcheon enjoyed in 2012, from the national team’s Olympic silver medal to his inaugural Gopher team’s Elite Eight appearance. It’s perhaps a sign of things to come for the University of Minnesota volleyball program.

“With his USA experience and his ability to connect with people, Hugh will help Minnesota to do something they’ve never done before,” Kiraly said.

“He’s the man who can make it happen.”

“There’s no way Minnesota will not be successful under Hugh,” Berg said.

“He’ll bring an international look to the game and make it as fast as possible.”

For a coach who has only been in his post for a little over four months, McCutcheon is somewhat hesitant to look into his crystal ball and make predictions for the future of the Minnesota volleyball team. One thing is certain, however. The Gophers are, in his words, "going to get after it."

“I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that we’re going to work hard and compete,” McCutcheon said. “We’re going to develop some great human beings. It’s not going to be easy. We’re going to constantly strive to evolve, get better and figure out ways to be more efficient. What that brings us ultimately, I don’t know. I can’t control what’s going on in Texas’ gym. But in terms of what we’re going to do, we’re going to get after it. And we’ll either be good enough or we won’t, but I know we’ll do everything we can.”

Right after his much-deserved vacation.

Kevin Kurtt is the editor of Let’s Play Hockey. He is a former assistant athletic communications director at the University of Minnesota and Goldy Gopher during his undergraduate days.

Q: Why Japan?

A: I like the food and culturally it’s just so different. I think it’s a really a very interesting ancient culture. Right now, they are in this very strange dichotomy between ancientness and westernization of the world. Seeing that stuff clash is pretty interesting. I can speak a little Japanese so I can get around ok. It’s just different. It’s clean; it’s safe and a lot of really cool history to it.

Q: What’s the most exotic food you’ve ever eaten?

A: To stay with the Japanese theme, I would say blowfish, or fugu. It’s very tasty, but apparently many people die from eating it. I was not one of them, fortunately and I have lived to tell the tale.

Q: In your travels, have you been able to sightsee and if you had to pick your top places, what would they be?

A: I’ve been very fortunate to have seen many things. The Grand Canyon is spectacular. The Christos in Rio is phenomenal. If you get a chance to go and visit that, you should. If you get to go to the Pyramids and Sphinx, you should. That’s really incredible. I think that’s my top historical site to see. Also, the Vatican City and see the Sistine Chapel, it’s incredible. I’ve had the good fortune, even though I’ve been busy, to check out a lot of different places. I’ve been to the Amazon, checked out Paris and London and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I’ve been to Moscow and seen Red Square. Niagara Falls is beautiful. If I had to choose one, the Pyramids, just because of the way they have been built and you go inside and go into the tomb inside and the degree of precision in which they were constructed, it’s mindboggling.

Q: What’s been your best jetlag story so far?

A: It’s not about me, but about an assistant coach of mine. We traveled quite a bit together with the national team and we just arrived in Italy. This was in the middle of a seven-week tournament all over the world. We were a little beat up, but we had to go to practice. Luckily, his room was right across my room with a little hallway, leading to the main hallway. We happen to walk out at the same time. I’m walking out in my shorts, my shirts, shoes, backpack, ready to go. He’s walking out in a t-shirt, boxer shorts, shoes and ready to go. He had forgotten to put his shorts on.

I said to him, hey, how are you doing, how are you feeling? He said, pretty good, you ready for practice? I said, I’m ready to go, but do me a favor. Go back in your room, have a look and get back to me. Sure enough he realized his mistake. I could have just taken him down to the elevator lobby where the team was waiting, but I just couldn’t do it.

Q: Any place where you’ve had a custom change or a culture shock and if so, what was it?

A: Most places you run into that. I remember being in Russia one time and a city called Yaroslavl.

I was visiting there. We ended up going out with the mayor and the president of the club. We started an evening of drinking whiskey and vodka and jellied meats. It wasn’t great, but we got through it. When I played in Japan, and played professionally there, we trained ridiculously long hours. They weren’t efficient hours, but eight hours a day, six days a week. I was really hungry for most of my time in Japan because we were training so much and I couldn’t get enough protein and food. One night, we’re at this Japanese Ryokan, which is a Japanese traditional hotel. We have this very lavish looking meal we’re about to eat. The centerpiece is this large plate with a big lid on it. I’m thinking, big plate, big amount of food, looks great. I pull off the lid, when it’s time and it’s a large boiled fish head. I’m looking at this, thinking, you’re kidding me. The rest of the team is like “Yay, fish head” and I was so bummed out. I ate the cheeks and had about three bites and that was it. The guy next to me asked if he could eat the eyes out. You guys go for it, that’s not a problem.

Q: Who has the best volleyball fans and venues in the world?

A: Brazil is pretty good. They do a nice job with their venues. They aren’t ridiculously lavish, but they pack them out. The crowds are great.

24 SKI-U-MAH

When talking about their donation to TCF Bank Stadium, which is by far ehind every athletic department across the country there is a group of people that float under the radar as important cata- their largest donation to date, talk arose about possibly their most prized conlysts to success. They are not coaches, student-athletes or ath- tribution to the University…a scholarship in the name of Kay’s mother.

“I believe our first contribution to Minnesota came in 1985 when we letic directors, but they have just as much, if not more, love and began a scholarship in my mother’s name, which is passion for their respective inawarded to a women’s basketball player every year,” stitute. These people are the donors that give aid to a university in supporting and helping “I am so lucky and blessed to have Kay said.

Kay’s mother was a basketball player at the Unistudent-athletes blossom into tomorrow’s Bill and Kay, who are possibly the versity of Manitoba and was the smallest player on leaders. nicest people I have ever met. They the roster. In her honor, the McReavy’s started a When looking for the most passionate supporters of Gopher Athletics, you don’t not only gave me a scholarship, but yearly scholarship that benefits the smallest player on need to look any further than Bill and Kay also support me in so many ways.” the Gopher squad. However, it is not the only athletic scholarship that is backed by the McReavy family.

McReavy. These two have been dedicated GoOn Sept. 1, 2002 at 6 a.m., Bill was woken up pher fans since they met on the University of – RACHEL BANHAM, women’s basketball recipient of the Bill & Kay McReavy scholarship with an unexpected phone call from then-Gopher Minnesota campus in the 1950s. Since gradhead football coach Glen Mason with horrific uating from Minnesota, their fandom for all news…the death of redshirt freshman Brandon Hall. things Maroon and Gold has only grown.

“Coach Mason called me with this terrible news that Brandon had been “Bill and Kay are extremely special people and represent what’s best about our fan base at the University of Minnesota”, said director of athletics Nor- shot, and he didn’t know what to do,” said Bill. “I told him to give me the conwood Teague. “Their desire to give back in order to provide opportunites for tact information for his family, and I will take care of everything and not to our student-athletes, is inspirational and indicative of the special spirit that worry. Go deal with your football team and staff.”

After chatting with the Hall family, Bill, who is the president of Washburn embodies both of them.”

The McReavy’s have been instrumental in a number of advancements McReavy Funeral Chapel, assisted with the funeral service, as he did with the across Minnesota’s campus, including the start-up of athletic scholarships and late Gary Tinsley. But that wasn’t all…

“After things settled down, Coach Mason and I were chatting, and I told donations to both the Minnesota Medical Foundation and Academic Health Center. But none have been more generous than the couple’s seven-figure do- him that something else should be done in memory of Brandon,” said Bill. “I decided to look into what it would take to start a scholarship, and they said it nation towards the construction of TCF Bank Stadium in 2007.

“I think our love for the University began with our parents,” said Kay. “My would cost $250,000 to start one. So that day, Kay and I checked with the perparents were very well connected to the University since my dad wrestled here, son who handles our finances, and we decided that would be able to do it.”

These generous actions from the McReavy’s are ongoing and benefit curand Bill’s dad was connected because he helped with recruiting.” rent student-athletes, like women’s basketball player Rachel Banham and football player Donnell Kirkwood Jr. “I am so lucky and blessed to have Bill and Kay, who are possibly the nicest people I have ever met.

They not only gave me a scholarship, but also support me in so many ways,” said Banham. “They are always interested with what is going on not only with basketball but my life in general. They are just huge Gopher fans across the board.”

“I think it’s more rewarding to see our money benefit various student-athletes,” said Kay. “Obviously, we have watched these recipients play over the years, but we have also gotten to know them personally.”

When asked how it has been possible to be so selfless, the McReavy’s talked about how fortunate and blessed they have been.

“We have been fortunate enough, not only financially but also with our health, to be able to give back to the University of Minnesota as well as our church and a few other things,” said Bill. “Supporting things Bill and Kay McReavy pictured with Rachel Banham (basketball) and Donnell Kirkwood (football), the 2013 recipients of their two endowed scholarships. that we feel strongly about is important to us and our family.

And support they have. Aside from the charitable donations and scholarBill, who has been a football season ticket holder since 1947, remembers coming to games as a little kid, while Kay and her family drove down from ships, the McReavy’s have been some of the most loyal fans across the Gopher Duluth for many home football games. Because of the deep connection to the Nation. The family has 12 seats in TCF Bank Stadium along with quarter ownGopher program, both felt that bringing the football stadium back to campus ership of a loge box, four seats in Williams Arena and four seats in Mariucci Arena. They also have intentions on purchasing seats in the new Siebert Field, was essential.

“It was a big thing to bring football back to campus, and we are glad that which opens April 5. we could help make that possible,” said Bill. “Every Sunday after church, we would swing by the construction site of TCF Bank Stadium and check on the Cory Hall is an assistant athletic communications director at the University of Minnesota. progress.”

B

PHOTO: CRAIG LASSIG

GOLD

STANDARD The Profile of Bill and Kay McReavy

by Cory Hall

PHOTO: ERIC MILLER

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GOLDEN GOPHER FUND DONORS

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The Golden Gopher Fund would like to thank and recognize the following donors. These individuals, families, and organizations made gifts to Minnesota Athletics totaling $5,000 or more between November 1, 2011 and October 31, 2012. Their generous support provides opportunities in the classroom and in competition for our 750 student-athletes to become the leaders of tomorrow!

10.0 Club A. H. Bennett Company Jane T. Adams Michael J. & Christine P. Adams Joan R. & Richard J. Ahmann III Aitkin Iron Works, Inc. Richard Akerman & Peggy Cayemberg-Akerman Bernard P. & Cindy L. Aldrich Aljon Precision Sheet Metal & Stamping Erik & Susan Allen Timothy S. & Pamela L. Allen Alliance Bank Howard R. Alton III Raymond & Karen Ames Richard & Lollie Ames Ames Construction Patricia M. & James N. Andersen, Sr. John S. Anderson Lee R. & Penny Anderson Mary Ann Anderson Jon R. & Sharon M. Andresen Anheuser-Busch Companies Al & Cathy Annexstad API Group, Inc. Gregory & Janice Aplin Patrick W. Archbold Architectural Alliance Arctic Air Co. Craig R. Arends Arthur Chapman Kettering Smetak & Pikala Allen & Carmen Arvig Thomas J. & Emily J. Arvig Associated Bank Dr. Scott D. & Susan D. Augustine Terry & Sharon Avent Dale & Ruth Bachman Michael & Kathleen Bailey Dr. Lowell H. Baker Bradley Earl Bakken & Mary Bakken The Balcony Club Dr. James H. Barthel & Dr. Victoria M. Elmer Bauer Real Properties Bradley S. Baumgard The Beckmann Family Mary Don & Richard Beeson Dr. Douglas & Patti Bengson Peter T. Beniares James G. & Mary N. Benson Margaret & Chris Benson Lois K. & James R. Berens Jeffrey & Nancy Berg Berger Transfer & Storage John & Lorelei Bergman Robert S. & Pamela M. Berkwitz Roger & Carolyn Bettin Russell C. & Rebecca J. Bierbaum Big Sky Cattle LLC Michael A. Bilski Benjamin J. & Dana L. Birk Richard J. & Kristin K. Bjorklund BMO Harris Bank Kevin & Carol Bohren Walter T. & Antoinette M. Bond G. Bart & Kathleen T. Bontems Elizabeth Borman Boston Scientific-Guidant Corp.

BPKZ Financial Services, LLP Bremer Bank Jerry Broeckert Robert J. & Karen S. Broich Drs. Robert H. Bruininks & Susan A. Hagstrum Richard P. Burke Michael & Stephanie Burley

James & Erma Cabak Toni M. & Alfred M. Cady III Sally A. & Francis A. Callahan Cambria Steven P. & Eileen K. Canakes Cardinal Glass Industries Inc. Mark A. Carlson Thomas E. Caron C.H. Robinson Worldwide Gus & Ann Chafoulias CHS Inc. Mark D. Churchill Dr. Ethan R. Chute Keith H. Clark, Jr. Cliff Viessman Inc. Gerald S. Cloutier Cobb, Strecker, Dunphy & Zimmermann The Coca-Cola Co. Cheri Durda Cohen & Miles J. Cohen Randy Cole H. Richard & Faith Coleman Colle + McVoy Doug & Lorrie Collison Comcast Spotlight Concord, Inc. Mike & Lea Connealy Randy & Carol Cote Robert F. & Jennifer Coughlin Jeff Cowan Marguerite Cowles Irma & M. Kendrick Cragun, Jr. Stephen A. & Gail J. Craine Robert F. & Teri Crosby Crystal Farms Cummins NPower, LLC Charles & Kathy Cunningham Robert & Lynne Cunningham Edward A. & Karayn R. Cunnington C.W. Healthcare Inc. D & R Star Gale I. Dahlke M. Mitchell & Laurie A. Davis Mark & Mary Davis Martin & Anne Davis Mathew L. & Kristi A. Davis Dedicated Logistics Inc. Rick Deslauriers Robert Destaubin Dr. Charles & Jackie Dietz William R. & Terry Dircks DLR Group Architects & Engineers Kay E. Dobbs Doherty Employment Group Patrick Dombrovski Peter J. Donnino Doran Companies Michael E. & Kathleen A. Dougherty Dougherty Financial Group LLC John E. & Jean A. Drawz Dugout Club E. A. Sween Co. Ruth & Mark Eaton Peter & Martha Eckerline David L. Ekstrand & Dr. Mary K. St. John EI Microcircuits Emerson Process Management Harry A. & Rita M. Engelbrecht Engineering America, Inc. Factory Motor Parts Co. Kevin G. & Tami L. Fahey Lyle C. & Jane A. Fahning Fairview Health Services Mr. & Mrs. Charles W. Farnham III

Fast Break Club Federated Insurance Companies Roy R. & JoAnn B. Ferber Filtration Engineering, Inc. Michael Flaherty Dr. Brent L. & Lauren M. Florine Patrick T. & Marcia M. Fortunato Fox Sports Net Donald D. Frank David R. & Sandra L. Frauenshuh Eugene U. & Mary F. Frey Friends of Minnesota Women's Track Fred & Marie Friswold Steve Gau 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 Thomas C.& Sarah Giel David J. & Clo Mary Girk Michael & Linda Givens Chip Glaser Gold Country, Inc. Harold & Cynthia Goldfine Gopher Wrestling Club Gray Plant Mooty Great Clips Inc. Harrison Grodnick Phillip W. Grodnick Michael K. Grube Gordon & Llura Gund Kathleen M. & James E. Haglund Mike Haglund Timothy & Laurie J. Hahn Hallmark Building Supplies Inc. Patrick J. Halloran Benjamin T. Hamilton Jack & Jenny Hannahan Thomas L. Hanson Richard K. & Kelly A. Harris Stuart Harris Harris Mechanical Ted H. Harrison John & Mary Beth Hartmann Bruce & Maureen Haslerud Glenn W. Hasse, Jr. Richard E. & Susan A. Heichert Kyle & Eileen Heitkamp Lowell & Cay Shea Hellervik Brent & Rachelle Herbel Dr. Gregg G. & Diana L. Hipple Ken Hjelm & Andrea Hricko Hjelm Douglas W. Hoefer Lynn K. Holleran Deborah L. Hopp Timothy P. & Jennifer A. Horan Bradley A. Hoyt Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc. Stanley & Sharon Hup Hutchinson Dental Center Intercomp Co. Ion Corporation Mr. & Mrs. John O. Irvine J. J. Taylor Distributing Company J. L. Buchanan Inc. Jacobs Trading Co. Thomas D. & Jan M. Jacobson James H. Gilbert Law Group Tom Jasper JE Dunn Construction North Central

Chris H. & Sarah J. Jewett Paul S. Johansson Dennis L. Johnson G. Martin Johnson Gary D. Johnson Philip D. & Debra J. Johnson Robbin & Kris Johnson Todd Johnson Jostens, Inc. Christopher J. & Delphine C. Kahler Eric W. & Karen F. Kaler Kane Transport Kelly & Berens, P.A. Jerry & Rebecca Kill Janice Kispert Alexandra & Robert C. Klas, Sr. KLN Enterprises, Inc. Paul & Michelle Koch Linda & Robert Kollasch Dr. Michael & Heidi Koopmeiners William P. Kozlak Mark & Deborah Kravik Steven J. Kristo Connie Olson Kroll The Labor Temple Association Inc. Duane D. & Diane H. Lambrecht John K. Lamoreaux, Jr. Dr. William R. Laney & LaDonna M. Laney Drs. James T. & Penny I. Langland Hon. David M. & Janis L. Larson Ronald S. & Diane E. Leafblad James R. Lebens William P. & M. Katherine Lentsch Thomas & Diane Lentz Stephen & Roxanne Lerum Ross & Bridget E. Levin Herb & Ann Lewis LG Electronics Joseph E. Liedl B. John Lindahl & Sarah Brooks Lindahl John E. & Nancy E. Lindahl Dr. Richard L. & Jacalyn M. Lindstrom Norman Linnell & Patricia Kinsey-Linnell Daniel & Peggy Lister Scott & Paula Litman Donovan C. & Glorianne M. Loeslie Karen Lueck & Susan Corbin Richard Luis & Juanita Bolland Luis Patricia A. Lyon M.A. Mortenson Company Harvey & Carol Ann Mackay MacQueen Equipment, Inc. Catherine M. Mahowald Mate Precision Tooling Mr. & Mrs. Edwin J. McCarthy Chris McCasland Jacqueline G. McCauley Richard C. McCullough Dr. Michael & Tanya McDermott Ambassador Tom McDonald Robert & Annette McNamara Bill & Kay McReavy Medtronic Inc. Jeffrey P. & Lisa E. Mellas James C. & Robin B. Melville Charley & Ann Mencel Merchant & Gould, PC Metro Equity Management Michael C. Meyer & Kathryn M. Mahigan Midtown Foods Mills Fleet Farm Minikahda Club Minnesota Twins Minnesota Vikings Gerald & Marilyn Mitchell Greg & Michelle Mitsch Tom & Karen Moe David & Linda Brekke Mona Monsanto Company

Charles W. & Elizabeth C. Mooty David & Jeanne Mooty Family Robert L. & Karen M. Morgan Dr. Siobahn M. Morgan Tom Morris Rick D. & Kristine A. Moulton Robert & Barbara Mulder Michael T. Mulligan Lynn & Pamela Nagorske Dr. John & Mignette Najarian Louis V. & Francine Y. Nanne Denny Neagle Gregory P. Nelson Dr. & Mrs. J. Scott Nelson James W. & Lorna K. Nelson Richard & Janet Neville Stuart & Pamela Nolan Jack & Gretchen Norqual Les Novak Michael C. & Karen B. Nowakowski Jerry V. & Jane L. Noyce Nuveen Investments Howard V. O'Connell, Jr. Dale R. Olseth Bruce & Concordia Olson Deborah R. Olson S. Bartley & Harriet V. K. Osborn Anthony & Summer Oswall Pacal, LLC Michael G. & Lori L. Page Painters & Allied Trades District Council 82 James E. Peck & Dr. Martha K. Parker Pentair, Inc Perham Golf Event Glen & Alisha Perkins Carrie Peterson Dale E. & Jeri L. Peterson Tricia Peterson Phillips Beverage Co. Ernest C. & Caryl K. Pierson Pipe Fitters Local 539 Piper Jaffray Companies Roger W. & Sally A. Plath Andrew E. Plesko Pohlad Companies Power Play Club Press-Sure Printing, Inc. PrinsBank Robb W. Quinlan Keith Rachey Noel & Angelina Rahn William B. & Donna K. Ramsay Brett W. Rasmussen RBC Tile & Stone RBC Wealth Management James B. & Julie A. Rechtiene John D. Regal Regis Corp.

James & Janet Richard Kathleen C. Ridder Andy Rieck Daniel Riley W. Patrick & Jeanne K. Riley Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP Hon. David K. & Audrey H. Roe Darcy K. & Steven C. Roessler Dr. J. Brittan & Anne Marie M. Rogers Judge James D. Rogers Gary A. Rooney RTP Company Frank Russomano Nick Ryan Ryan Contracting Company Curt Sampson Family T. Denny Sanford Philip D. & Deborah K. Saunders James W. & Sharon L. Sawyer Charles J. Schaefer Raymond Schaper

Jean Schlemmer Andrew Schmidt & Jamie Lohr The Nick Schoen Family Dr. Stephen W. Schondelmeyer Alvan L. & Jane A. Schrader Lowell Schwab & Rae Carter Kent T. & Jane H. Schwickert Securian Financial Group Select Sales Inc. Jeffrey R. & Nancy L. Selleck SFM Steven T. & Wendy L. Simenson Cal & Sandy Simmons William A. & Carin M. Simpson Debra A. Sit & Peter H. Berge SKB Inc. Brian & Megan Slipka Jeffrey C. & Helene Zuber Slocum Dr. J. Patrick & Linda M. Smith Dr. Thomas M. Smith & Carol Ann (Shudlick) Smith Jon W. Springer & Andrea D. Mowery Stearns Vet Outlet Robert A. Stein Ralph & Grace Strangis Daniel D. Stratton & Rebecca Crooks Stuart Companies Jim & Jill Suk Leland N. & Louise C. Sundet Gary & Deanna Tangwall Allan C. & Phyllis M. Tappe Target TCF Bank Tee & Jam Inc. Gary W. Temte Terry Stade Farms, Inc. Think Mutual Bank Kristi Ties Erik & Rima Torgerson Twin City Hardware Co. Twin Town Trading U.S. Bank U.S. Energy Services Valspar Corporation Bruce & Diane Vandersall Mark E. & Michele T. Vandersall Vermillion State Bank Viking Materials, Inc. Rebecca L. Wacker & Jason Esteseth Brian M. & Lise Waller Bill & Judy Walter Walter G. Anderson Inc. Lyle G. & Theresa Bell Ward Washburn McReavy Funeral Chapels Watson Wyatt & Company WCCO Radio 8-3-0 Weis Builders Inc. Jeremy Weller Wells Fargo Bank N. A. Wells Fargo Insurance Services of Minnesota, Inc. Wells Fargo Wealth Management Michael C. Wendel Patrick D. Wenning Westman Freightliner Inc. Patrick J. Whitcomb & Patty A. Napier Wheelock Whitney & the Honorable Kathleen Blatz Gary L. & Susan K. Wilson Winfield Solutions LLC Wirtz Beverage Minnesota James Wohlford Michael B. & Lisa J. Wright Mike & Judy Wright Xcel Energy Denny Zacho Larry A. & Diane M. Zavadil Simon N. & Karen M. Zeller Ziegler Inc.

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A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY Thanks to a new giving opportunity, donors can provide both immediate financial assistance and long term endowed support for U of M students.

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At the 2012 Scholarship Banquet, Gopher Athletics celebrated the generous donors to its endowed scholarship program and the nearly 200 student-athletes who were honored as the recipients of these scholarships. Drs. Jim and Penny Langland were first-time attendees, receiving an invitation as a part of their Golden Gopher Fund annual benefits. During the event, they noticed that the men’s swimming and diving team had a significantly less scholarship endowment than the women’s program.

The Langlands saw a need. Their love for swimming and fitness, along with their deep appreciation for the skill and athleticism of competitive swimming, made it an easy decision to make a financial commitment. “We wanted to try and help out,” said the Langlands, whose philanthropy ex-

tends beyond Gopher Athletics and includes several other endowments at the University of Minnesota. “The U is where we met, where we made life-long friends and where we received a great education preparing us for careers we have loved. We would hate to think that potential students today would be denied these opportunities.”

Jim and Penny hope that endowments will help the “U” attract and retain the best students and student-athletes. With the retrenchment in state support, and the resulting rise in tuition cost, they fear that many of today’s potential students may be denied the incredible opportunities available through the “U”, which have been so meaningful for them.

When approached with information regarding the Fast Start 4 Impact program, it was clear to the Langlands that it was a unique opportunity to in-

crease the power of their endowment. “Fast Start 4 Impact program allowed our gift to have an immediate impact.” With the Fast Start 4 Impact, each gift or pledge of $50,000 or more will result in four years of funding-of at least $2,500 per year-to a U of M student. It can take new endowments years to generate awards that size. With Fast Start 4 Impact, a new endowment fund has time to get fully established before payout begins. Award amounts increase with the size of the endowment created.

Today, the Langlands take pride in knowing they’ve helped secure the future of Gopher Athletics through the Jim and Penny Langland Swimming Endowment, one of several endowments that have taken advantage of Fast Start 4 Impact.

for information on the Fast Start 4 Impact program and how to donate, please contact the Golden Gopher Fund at 612-626-4653 or at goldengopherfund.com.

DEREK TOOMEY junior / swimming Madison, Wis. kinesiology major PHOTO: JERRY LEE

We have $10 million to give to deserving students.

This is a unique opportunity, specifically created by the University of Minnesota Foundation to increase the power of your endowment giving.

Fast

Your gift helps deserving students right away.

Your gift triggers four years of Fast Start awards to deserving University of Minnesota students. There’s no waiting for your gift to grow.

Four years

Your gift can be made over 4 years.

You do need to act fast on this unique program, making your commitment before December 2014, pledging to pay the full amount immediately – or in equal payments over four years. Either way, taking advantage of this unique giving program now helps more students, faster.

Financially wise

Your gift gets more help to students, faster.

When compared with typical endowment starts, Fast Start 4 Impact significantly increases the power of your gift for students. Investment earning are reinvesting into your new fund for the first four years, allowing the principal to grow. Meanwhile, Fast Start funds your choice of an undergraduate scholarship, a graduate fellowship or a professional school award.

Forever

Your investment continues to help students for generations to come.

Your gift funds a permanent endowment for student support. You are making a long-term investment in the University of Minnesota that provides benefits to students far into the future.

Fast Start 4 Impact amounts increase as the size of the gift increases.

Fast Start 4 Impact significantly increases the benefit for students when compared with typical endowment starts.

Gifts or pledges in these ranges

$ 50,000 – $ 100,000 – $ 150,000 – $ 200,000 – $ 250,000 +

$ 99,999 $ 149,999 $ 199,999 $ 249,999

Receive scholarships in these amounts*

$2,500

$2,500

$2,500

$2,500

$ 10,000 $ 20,000 $ 30,000 $ 40,000 $ 50,000

*Scholarship awards are paid out over 4 years in equal amounts.

Fast Start 4 Impact Typical endowment start

YEAR 1

YEAR 2

YEAR 3

YEAR 4

Illustration for a gift or pledge of $50,000.

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RETURN

SKI-U-MAH

SERVE by Kate Wadman

early 30 years after first stepping onto the court as a Golden Gopher student-athlete, Chuck Merzbacher returned to his alma mater to take the helm of the women’s tennis pro-

gram.

During his playing tenure, Merzbacher quickly established himself as a top-rated student-athlete. As a freshman in 1984, he earned collegiate credibility with a Big Ten Conference No. 4 singles title. In four years, he helped the Maroon and Gold amass an overall record of 42-7 and become Big Ten Champions in 1984 and 1986. He was a three-time All-Big Ten selection and two-time NCAA national qualifier. To this day, Merzbacher still holds the program record for alltime wins with 137 in his career.

After graduation, he served a brief stint as Minnesota’s assistant coach before moving on to head coaching positions. For the past 24 years, Merzbacher has helped build programs at Northern Illinois, Kansas, and fellow Big Ten member Ohio State. With more than 23 years of coaching experience under his belt, Merzbacher has totaled 342 career wins and coached six individual All-Americans. Collectively, his teams have claimed seven conference titles and have made 12 postseason appearances.

Q: For fans that aren't familiar, what's your coaching background?

A: I started coaching for the Northern Illinois men’s tennis team and was there for three years before I took the women's tennis head coaching position at the University of Kansas and stayed there for four years. From there, I coached at The Ohio State University for 16 years as their women's tennis coach.....and here I am now, a Gopher again!

Q: What is your excitement level right now to be able to come back and coach at your alma mater?

A: Well, I consider the University of Minnesota as the foundation of my adult life. I believe in this university and what it can mean to the people that are fortunate to attend the "U".

So, my excitement level is really up there! I am looking forward to recruiting students to be Golden Gophers!

Q: You left a well-established program at Ohio State. What made you want to come back to the U of M? A: It was a very tough to leave The Ohio State University and a program that I built for 16 years, but I think people can really understand my love for the "U." It means a lot to me to coach at a place that has done so much for me. I believe in this university, and its ability to compete nationally, academically and athletically.

Q: There have been open coaching positions here in the past few years. What made now the right time to come back?

A: At this time in my life with my children almost all grown

PHOTO: ERIC MILLER

up, if I was going to make this move, now would be the time to do so. It has been a thought to come back ever since I graduated in 1987, but in this business, you never know if that opportunity will arise.

Q: How has the transition been with your family relocation?

A: It was easy for me to get here but a little tougher on everyone else in the family. My son is already a freshman in college and my daughter is finishing up the first semester of her sophomore year in high school back in Ohio. Once she is done, we will all relocate to Eden Prairie. My family is very pleased to see Dad so happy to be back at the "U". They have expressed their support to me and that means a lot.

Q: Talk about your experience as a student-athlete here.

A: I must give a lot of credit to my head coach, Jerry Noyce, for the driving force behind our success on and off the court during my years playing here. We won two Big Ten Conference championships and the program was continually in the top 20. My junior year, we finished ranked in the top 10 with a 27-4 record, to be one of the best tennis teams in the school’s history. We went out and played the best competition and we really pushed ourselves to put Minnesota Tennis on the map!

Q: What is one thing you will never forget about playing in college?

A: I'll never forget the experience of competing at the final site of the NCAA tournament with my team in Athens, Ga. It was just an awesome experience.

Q: What is it like to be back on the court, this time as a coach?

A: I do have to pinch myself on the fact that I am back here again after all these years of coaching at tremendous universities. Being able to be the head coach at the school that I hold as No. 1 is amazing!

Q: It is somewhat surreal to think you are back here coaching on these courts, including one named that is named after you?

A: My entire life has been quite the journey. To actually think that you play at a university, have a wonderful collegiate experience, and then get to look at a court with your name on it....well, I am truly fortunate.

The Merzbacher File Born: Jan. 31, 1965 Hometown: Findlay, Ohio High School: Findlay High School College Education: University of Minnesota '87 (B.S., Sociology) College Tennis: Three-time All-Big Ten honoree at Minnesota... played on two Big Ten Conference championship teams (1984 and 1986)... qualified for the NCAA tournament in singles and doubles in 1985 Professional Tennis: Played professionally from 1987-89 Coaching Career: 1987: Assistant Men’s Coach, Minnesota 1989-92: Head Men’s Coach, Northern Illinois 1992-96: Head Women’s Coach, Kansas 1996-2012: Head Women’s Coach, Ohio State Coaching Career Highlights: Won two Mid-Continent Conference Titles at Northern Illinois... led team to four Big Eight Conference Titles at Kansas... won the Big Ten regular season title at Ohio State in 2000, led 10 Buckeye teams to the NCAA Tournament.

Family: Wife: Cherie Children: Chad, Caitlyn

Q: Being a former Gopher athlete, you are familiar with expectations and traditions of the Maroon and Gold. How does that give you an advantage coming back into the environment?

A: My expectations are going to be high. I want to brand Minnesota Tennis. I believe that we can get the word out on Minnesota Tennis. This is the tennis in the Northland, and we are going to be a factor. If we continue to brand Minnesota Tennis, we will be able to achieve the goals that we want to achieve and attract the student-athletes that want to be a part of this journey. My advantage is that I was witness to Minnesota Tennis at a time when it was beginning to make a rise nationally. I know what it can be like and I want to keep building on it.

Q: How has your time as a student-athlete here affected your coaching style?

A: Coach Jerry Noyce taught me about developing a program that was built on community and how that builds support for your program. He taught me about creating excitement around a program. He was a positive and demanding man that expected everyone around him to be committed. He was all in. I am very similar and I want to dream big for our program here!

Q: What are some of the differences in the campus and the facilities, etc., now than when you played?

A: We played our matches at the 98th Street Racquet Club in Bloomington, Minn. It was awesome. We still drew huge crowds! We played University of Michigan in front of a couple thousand people one year and it was a great atmosphere....and we won! Now we have an amazing facility in the Baseline Tennis Center that is right on campus. It’s a facility that is among the top in the nation and has the draw factor to get big name opponents willing to travel for competition, allowing us to play some of the best around.

Overall, the entire athletic facilities unit is at another level than what we had when I played. I am so proud of the U of M building all the facilities and especially bringing football back to campus. We have more to do, but we are showing commitment and competing nationally in that respect.

Q: Minnesota and the Twin Cities have a pretty large tennis following. What is it like to have that kind of community support and resources?

A: This area has a lot of tennis enthusiasts! I realized this more and more when I played here. Having that foundation is very important to the development of our program. We need that support to help us build the excitement for Minnesota Tennis.

Kate Wadman is an athletic communications assistant at the University of Minnesota.

OFF THE FIELD with first-year head soccer coach Stefanie Golan tefanie Golan assumed the head coaching position for the Golden Gopher women's soccer program this past fall after spending the last three years with the Black Knights of the United States Military Academy at West Point.While at Army, she posted a 33-18-10 record and guided the team to three Patriot League titles and two NCAA appearances. In 2010, she was named the conference's Coach of the Year after a 14-4-3 season.

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In her first year with the Maroon and Gold, Golan led the Gophers to an 11-7-2 finish. The winning record earned the team the No. 4 spot in the Big Ten final season standings and a place in the year-end tournament. She coached three players to Big Ten honors, including first team selection Taylor Uhl, who also became the first Minnesota Soccer All-American since 1997.

Q: For fans that aren’t familiar, give a brief insight into your coaching and playing background.

A: I grew up playing club ball in St. Louis and was recruited by a number of places out of high school. I ended up going to Duke University, where I had an absolutely great experience. When I graduated, I took a graduate position at Mercer University. I started my MBA and realized that I really liked coaching, so I began pursuing full-time assistant positions. I served as an assistant coach at the University of Evansville and the University of Pittsburgh. Then I went to Army, where I was the associate head coach for two years and the head coach for three and a half.

Q: What made you want to come to the U of M? A: When I made the trip for my interview, I saw that all of the pieces are here to be able to succeed at a really high level. I really liked the players, and the facilities and support are awesome. If I was going to leave Army, it had to be something special. Minnesota can be a very special program and that was something that was really apparent to me. I got the sense that everyone is working towards greatness.

Q: How has the transition been with your family?

A: It has been really fast but my family has adjusted pretty well. Fortunately, I knew a few people that live in the area that I was able to talk to about what it is actually like living here and raising a child here. My husband was ready to do whatever he needed to do to support what I wanted in my career, which is great. You don’t find a lot of people like that. It was kind of a leap of faith in that respect.

Q: What is your assessment of the fall?

A: I liked what we got this fall, with the exception of not going to the

NCAA Tournament. Finishing fourth in the Big Ten Conference was big for us. I love the girls that we have. I’m sad I don’t get to work with our seniors longer, but the future is definitely bright for the program. We’re going to be intense and we’re going to put in a lot of work, but we are going to enjoy it.

Q: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your first year at the helm?

A: The biggest lesson that I have learned is that finishing fourth in the conference isn’t always enough to get you into the NCAA Tournament. We definitely have to get that signature win too. We certainly have those opportunities within the conference but we need to grab some of those outside of conference. There needs to be that delicate balance of schedule.

Q: What becomes a priority for the team in the offseason?

A: Fitness is definitely a priority at all times. Our players on a whole may not be as highly touted as others, but we always want to be a better team.

That means we have to be more fit and be sold into the system that we are going to play. We’re not going to be a team of superstars, but we’re going to be a superstar team. We definitely have that ability to do that here at Minnesota.

Q: What does it mean for you to be a Gopher?

A: Being a Gopher is something you can take a lot of pride in. This is the first time I have been at a place where you go out anywhere and see people wearing Maroon and Gold. It’s awesome. We go recruiting around the state, and kids want to be Gophers. It’s really cool to be a part of something that people want to be a part of. interview by Kate Wadman

PHOTO: CHRIS MITCHELL

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n Minnesota, some family trees look a lot like hockey line charts. The sport passes from generation to generation on ponds and in hockey arenas throughout the state.

GOPHER

SKI-U-MAH

GENERATIONS The Ramseys and Parenteaus capture the spirit of family legacies active in Minnesota Athletics

by Justine Buerkle

The University of Minnesota, one of the nation’s elite hockey powers, often sees this trend within its own program. The younger generations strive to carve out their own places in Gopher sports history while still respecting the legacy their parents started before them.

Current Gophers Rachel Ramsey and Jake Parenteau are doing just that. Both have fathers who played for Minnesota. In hockey culture, where getting on the ice follows soon after learning to walk, both younger generation Gophers were on skates by age three. They play now in a different era than their fathers did, but they share the same love for the sport and the Maroon and Gold.

*** Sophomore Ramsey constantly fields questions about her father, Mike, who won the 1979 national title and an Olympic gold medal before a long career playing and coaching in the NHL. Mike grew up in Minneapolis and played hockey at Roosevelt High School. It was only natural for him to stay in his home city and play for the Golden Gophers.

There was a chance that Rachel might not follow in her father’s footsteps. At a young age, she took interest in some of the activities she saw her sister doing.

“I think I danced for two weeks when I was like three or four,” she said. “I think I tried gymnastics.

They had those big foam pits and I wouldn’t get out of the foam pit. We were supposed to be doing gymnastics, so that didn’t stick.”

Mike noted Rachel’s reluctance to put on her tights for dance.

“The dance thing wasn’t going to go,” he said.

Instead, she started playing mites hockey with the boys at age five while Mike was coaching with the Buffalo Sabres. The family moved back to Minnesota when Mike took an assistant coaching position with the Wild. He was able to help coach Rachel’s under12 team during the 2004-05 NHL lockout. When the NHL was in season, the Ramsey children regularly tagged along.

“When you’re coaching or playing, you spend a lot of time away from your family,” he said. “So it was a nice perk to come to the rink and bring the kids with me.”

The family now goes to Ridder Arena together for as many of Rachel’s games as possible. As with Mike, Minnesota was Rachel’s first choice. Mike was proud and excited to see her sign with the Gophers. *** Both the Parenteaus’ paths to the U of M were marked with uncertainty. Tom played high school hockey at North St. Paul. Late in the year, an additional Minnesota roster spot for a defenseman opened, and Tom got the call to join the Gophers. He played four years at Minnesota, starting in 1981-82.

Now a junior, Jake was born four years after his father’s college career ended. Tom helped his son de-

PHOTOS: ERIC MILLER

Mike Ramsey played one season at Minnesota (1978-79) before joining Team USA and its run to the Olympic gold medal and a long NHL career. Rachel is in her sophomore season as a defenseman, helping the Gophers to a national championship as a freshman.

Tom Parenteau scored 53 points in 95 games as a Gopher defenseman from 1982-85. His son, Jake, a junior defenseman for the Gophers, also dons the same number 6 jersey that his father wore.

velop a love for the sport and for the Gophers in particular. Tom coached Jake all the way up to the high school level.

“I loved every second of it,” Jake said. “He taught me everything.”

Like his dad, Jake did not initially expect to play for Minnesota. He played hockey at Chisago Lakes High School and one year for the St. Paul Lakers of the Minnesota Junior Hockey League. Then he traveled to Alaska to spend a couple seasons with the NAHL’s Avalanche.

Parenteau impressed those around the NAHL with his performance as one of the league’s top-scoring defensemen. During his second year with the Avalanche, he received a pleasant surprise when Minnesota’s coaching staff expressed interest in recruiting him.

“Ever since I can remember, I wanted to play here,” he said. “I’ve worn Gopher gear since as long as I can remember also. It’s been a dream of mine.”

His years of dreaming and hard work paid off. Parenteau committed to join the Gophers for the 201011 season.

“For Jake, coming here was never really on the radar for us,” Tom said. “He was a late bloomer. So when it did happen, it was a lot of fun. It’s more than we could ask for.”

*** Before the 1980 Miracle on Ice team, the NHL All-Star career and the coaching, Mike Ramsey won an NCAA title at Minnesota in 1979. He actually started out with the Gophers’ junior varsity squad before moving up to varsity after about two months.

When Ramsey was at Minnesota, the men’s team still played in Old Mariucci Arena, the site of the Sports Pavilion today, and varsity Gopher women’s hockey did not yet exist. By the time Rachel arrived on the college scene last season, the women had Ridder Arena and three national championships.

Rachel chose the No. 5 jersey in part because her father wore that number in the Olympics. The two also share the same position, as Rachel switched to defense late in her high school career. Mike said that she has better vision and better hands than he did at the college level.

Rachel and her team added a fourth national title in 2012, 23 years after Mike’s championship. Mike went up to Duluth for the biggest game of his daughter’s career so far.

“It’s funny, I was more nervous at that than any game I’ve ever had,” he said. “It was fun. You feel like you’re part of it. You get to know the kids, the parents.

That’s what it’s about.” ***

36 SKI-U-MAH

Like Rachel, Jake Parenteau also chose a jersey number his dad once wore. Tom wore No. 6 at Minnesota. Jake switched from his usual No. 9 in Alaska when it was already taken by another player. He stayed with No. 6 when he joined the Gophers.

Tom and Jake both played for teams that advanced to the NCAA semifinals, although Tom saw limited action on the 1983 team that made it there. He had a breakout year in 1984, notching 16 points in 35 games. As a senior, he scored 31 points in 46 games.

Jake also played just a handful of games as a freshman. He became a regular in the lineup during last year’s Frozen Four run, playing in 39 games.

Tom made the trip to Tampa to attend the semifinal game after seeing the Gophers claim the WCHA’s MacNaughton Cup and the NCAA West Region championship.

“We were probably just as excited as the boys were, I’m sure,” he said. “We had a lot of fun.”

Tom, a defenseman like Jake is now, said the two have similar playing styles.

He also threw in a little teasing.

“I scored more goals than he has,” Tom said. “But he’s got a couple years left. He’s got to pick it up a little bit in that department.”

Although he treasures his memories of playing at Minnesota, Tom called it “a bigger thrill” to watch his son. *** In addition to his dad, Jake’s uncle, Mike Anderson, also played for Minnesota. Some of Jake’s current teammates

have family connections, too. Ryan, Connor and Mike Reilly’s father, Mike, was a Gopher, as was Nick Bjugstad’s uncle Scott. Rachel’s teammate Amanda Kessel’s brother Phil was a Gopher before going to the NHL. Tom likes telling Jake old stories from when he played. Rachel said she has to “drag it out of him” if she wants to hear Mike talk about his playing days. But whether or not they talk about it, the parents and the children share a sense of pride that both wore the Maroon and Gold.

A LEGACY IN THE POOL

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t almost seems like pool water runs through the Radecke family’s veins. Kurt and Tess Radecke both swam in college, and their three children followed in their footsteps. Their parents swam at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, but Meagan, Monica and Vince Radecke all chose to become Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Meagan decided to attend Minnesota after graduating from Stillwater Area High School because she liked the combination of athletics, academics and staying in her home state. A few years later, Monica (2010) and Vince (2012) arrived on campus without much convincing from their older sister.

“I wanted them to choose for themselves,” Meagan said. “But I’m very happy that they chose here, because I had such a good experience.”

The trio, all sprint freestyle specialists, each took a few levels of lessons before starting to swim competitively. As they progressed, their father sometimes trained with them and the family would race each other for fun on vacations.

Monica remembers watching Meagan’s swim meets while she and Vince were very young. Now their roles have reversed. Meagan, who graduated in 2011, cheers alongside her parents in the Minnesota Aquatic Center’s bleachers while her younger siblings compete for the Gophers.

“Seeing them training now is so cool for me,” she said. “It makes me kind of miss it a little bit, but I still feel connected.”

The Gopher men’s and women’s teams host several meets together each season, so Kurt, Tess and Meagan can sometimes watch them both race on the same day. Practices overlap, too, so freshman Vince and junior Monica see each other at the pool all the time.

“We swam club together,” Vince said. “Being together is kind of natural, I

“It’s something that you can cherish,” Mike said. “I don’t take it lightly, and I know Rachel doesn’t.”

“It’s an honor to wear the ‘M’,” Jake said. “Knowing that my dad wore it, too, and I have the same number, I can’t even fathom it. It’s pretty cool.”

Seeing these families’ appreciation for the special experience they share across generations, it is clear why Gopher hockey is known as “Pride on Ice.” Justine Buerkle is a senior athletic communications student assistant majoring in sport management.

Monica, Vince and Meagan Radecke (left to right).

guess. It doesn’t seem different.”

Monica’s time as a Gopher has overlapped with both her siblings. Not many people have a chance to compete in top-level college sports together with their family. The three Radeckes recognize how special it is that they have all worn the Maroon and Gold.

“It means a lot to me,” Monica said. “I think it was just meant to be that we all – by Justine Buerkle chose here.”

PHOTO : JERRY LEE

SIBLINGS MACAULEY SPANDL

ADAM L A FLEUR

MARISSA PRICE

JACENTA SPANDL

TIM L A FLEUR

PARENTS & CHILDREN

BRIANNE PRICE

DAN COLEMAN

PARENTS & 2+ CHILDREN

JOE COLEMAN

FAMILY TIES

a comprehensive listing of current Gopher blood lines

Family Name Anderson Banham Beckman Busack Coleman Dardanes Dyson Fortunato Howard Kessel Kingsley McAvoy Mullaney Ness Omeoga O’Shea Price Radecke Rallis Russell Salvatore Saxon Solfelt Spandl Stemper Thorn Tow-Arnett Tukey Volz Weis Yohn

Younger Sibling Abby (Track & Field, 2010-pres.)

Rachel (Basketball, 2012-pres.)

Alex (Track & Field, 2012- pres.)

Heidi (Swimming, 2012-pres.)

Joe (Basketball, 2011-pres.)

Chris (Wrestling, 2011-pres.)

Becca (Track & Field /CC, 2010-pres.)

Nathan (Gymnastics, 2011-pres.)

Dominique (Track & Field, 2011-pres.)

Amanda (Hockey, 2011-pres.)

Brandon (Wrestling, 2013-pres.)

Kyle (Football, 2011-pres.)

Shayne (Basketball, 2012-pres.)

Dylan (Wrestling, 2011-pres.)

Akuoma (Track & Field, 2011-pres.)

Kyle (Baseball, 2010-pres.)

Brianne (Soccer, 2011-pres.)

Vince (Swimming, 2012-pres.)

Nick (Football, 2012-pres.)

Dusti (Gymnastics, 2011-pres.)

Toni (Track & Field / CC, 2012-pres.)

Tucker (Tennis, 2012-pres.)

Stephanie (Track & Field / CC, 2011-pres.)

Macauley (Track & Field, 2011-pres.)

Matt (Baseball, 2013-pres.)

David (Wrestling, 2010-pres.)

Nathan (Football, 2009-12) Alex (Baseball, 2010-pres.)

Michelle (Track & Field, 2010-pres.)

Lauren (Swimming, 2010-pres.)

Cody (Wrestling, 2009-pres.)

Older Sibling Gabriele (Track & Field, 2004-10) Cole (Football, 2011- pres.)

Amanda (Track & Field, 2012- pres.)

Stacy (Swimming, 2006-09) Dan (Basketball, 2005-08) Nick (Wrestling, 2011- pres.)

Katie (Track & Field / CC, 2009-11) Aaron (Gymnastics, 2007-10) Erin (Martin) (Volleyball, 2001-04) Phil (Hockey, 2005-06) Jordan (Wrestling, 2012-pres.)

Luke (Football, 2011-pres.)

Mark (Football 2003-05) Jayson (Wrestling, 2007-10) Chioma (Track & Field, 2007-10) Nick (Baseball, 2008-11) Marissa (Soccer, 2009-12) Monica (Swimming, 2011-pres.)

Mike (Football, 2008-12) Rehana (Gymnastics, 2005-07) Katie (Track & Field / CC, 2010) Ronni (Tennis, 2007-10) Mark (Swimming, 2007-10) Brock (Track & Field, 2008-11) Shannon (Softball, 2006-09) Mike (Wrestling, 2007-11) Jeff (Football, 2007-10) Valerie (Swimming, 2005-08) Matt (Track & Field, 2009-12) Zach (Swimming, 2008-11) Sonny (Wrestling, 2009-12)

Older Sibling

Family Name Anderson Blanchette Brancale Halloran Hartmann Hegerle LaFleur Meyer Parenteau Ramsey Soule

Current Student-Athlete Kaela (Swimming, 2011-pres.)

Bree (Softball, 2011-pres.)

Sam (Wrestling , 2012-pres.)

Matt (Baseball, 2011-pres.)

Tyler (Football, 2012-pres.)

Micah (Track & Field, 2009-pres.)

Adam (Gymnastics, 2010-pres.)

Ben (Baseball 2012-pres.)

Jake (Hockey, 2011-pres.)

Rachel (Hockey, 2012-pres.)

Billy Jr. (Baseball, 2010-pres.)

Parent Erin (Driscoll) (Swimming, 1982-85) Patty (Hammond) (Gymnastics, 1983-84) David (Wrestling, 1975-76) Michael (Baseball, 1984-87) Brian (Baseball, 1990-92) Deb (Bell) (Volleyball, 1979-81) Tim (Gymnastics, 1974-78) Bob (Baseball, 1984-87) Tom (Hockey, 1982-85) Mike (Hockey, 1978-79) Billy Sr. (Baseball, 1981-83)

Parent

Family Name Olson Reilly Zilverberg

Current Student-Athlete Current Student-Athlete Ed. Jr. (Football, 2009-pres.)

Tommy (Football, 2011-pres.)

Mike Jr. (Hockey, 2012-pres.), Connor (Hockey, 2012-pres.), Ryan (Hockey, 2012-pres.)

Danny (Wrestling, 2010-pres.)

David (Wrestling, 2009-12)

Meagan (Swimming, 2008-11)

Sarah (Swimming, 2002-05) Jacenta (Track & Field, 2004-07)

Nick (Football, 2007-10)

Adam (Swimming, 2006-09)

Eileen (Schaller) (Cross Country, 1984-85) Randi (Wilhelm) (Gymnastics, 1976-79)

Parent Ed Sr. (Football, 1980-82) Mike Sr. (Hockey, 1980-81) Pat (Wrestling, 1972-74) DAVID ZILVERBERG

TRUST IN ZILVERBERG

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opher junior Danny Zilverberg has a picture of his uncles on his bedroom bulletin board. When he goes to wrestling practice for the Golden Gophers, he sees their pictures again on the team’s All-America wall. Danny’s uncles, Larry (1974-76) and Dan (1978-80), and his father, Pat (1974), all wrestled at Minnesota. Danny and his older brother David (2009-12) continued the tradition.

The Gopher wrestling roster has included multiples of many last names, including Ness, Thorn, Yohn, Dardanes, Kingsley and others. As with those families, wrestling is almost as common as breathing for the Zilverbergs. Danny’s family home has a wrestling room in the basement. He and his brother grew up training together and dreaming of becoming Gophers. Their father was as happy as them to see that dream come true.

“Watching my boys at the University of Minnesota, I couldn’t have asked for anything more gratifying for a dad,” Pat said. “They’ve worked so hard in their lives to be wrestlers.”

Danny and David wrestled together at Wayzata High School. When Danny was a senior, David coached him in his state title match. Then the brothers’ Gopher careers overlapped for three seasons.

“It’s weird thinking about my dad and his brothers doing the same stuff that my brother and I do now,” Danny said. “I always wish I could go back and see their practice and see what they were like.”

His father, brother and uncles remain closely connected to the Gophers. The families have had season tickets for as long as Danny and David can remember.

Before they got to college, they would attend Gopher home meets and the NCAA Championships. Now that his own college career is done, David enjoys being back

DANNY ZILVERBERG

in the stands watching his brother.

“It gives me an excuse to stay so involved in the program,” he said.

Pat and David do not always just sit and watch. They relish the opportunity to coach Danny at open meets.

“I’m very comfortable with him in my corner,” Danny said. “I feel like I wrestle – by Justine Buerkle well when my dad and my brother are coaching me.”

38 SKI-U-MAH

COMMITMENT Paul Molitor’s continuous contributions to the Gopher baseball program are far-reaching.

by Joel Rippel PHOTO: ERIC MILLER

Anderson admitted that there were some doubts that ne of the first calls John Anderson made after the campaign would succeed. Anderson said, “Some peobeing named the Golden Gophers baseball ple doubted we could raise $7.5 million for the first phase coach in the fall of 1981 was to a former in this economy. Because of his background as a promiteammate. nent alumni, he (Molitor) gave the campaign credibility.

“He said he was excited that I had gotten I think lots and lots of people contributed because Paul the opportunity,” said Anderson. “He told me he’d support was involved. He inspired me. I didn’t want to let him me ‘any way I can’ and told me ‘don’t ever hesitate to call.’ down.”

That really helped my confidence.”

Molitor’s interest in the Gophers athletic program That former teammate – Paul Molitor – is still supportgoes back more than 40 years. Growing up in St. Paul, ing the program 31 years later.

Molitor met a future Gopher star.

“His contributions to the program are so far-reaching,” “I met Dave Winfield when I was in eighth grade,” said said Anderson. “He has never wavered on that commitMolitor. “When he went to the ‘U’ it was natural for me ment.” to follow what he was doing. He’s kind of the reason I beThe most recent contribution by Molitor, an All-Amercame interested in the program. I knew him personally ican during his University of Minnesota baseball career and and had a connection with him.” a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, has been After playing for the Gophers, Molitor signed a proas the honorary chairman of the Siebert Field Legacy Camfessional baseball contract in 1977. After one season in paign. the minor leagues, Molitor joined the Milwaukee Brewers The campaign, launched in April of 2010, raised $7.5 in 1978. After 15 years in Milwaukee, he played for the million for the renovation of 41-year old Siebert Field.

Toronto Blue Jays for three years before spending the final Groundbreaking for the project was held in June of 2012. three years of his 21-year career with the Minnesota The Gophers will play their first game in the new Siebert Twins.

Field on April 5.

Despite being gone from Minnesota for 18 years, An“When I asked him if he would be the honorary chairPaul Molitor derson said Molitor stayed in touch with the program. man of our Siebert Field Legacy Campaign,” said Anderson, “When you leave a program that allows you to get an “I really hoped to just be able to use his name to support the College career (1975-77): Position: Shortstop education and to play Division I baseball, and you’re forcampaign. Maybe he would make a few calls. He’s done way First Team All-American, 1976 & 1977 tunate to be a part of,” said Molitor, “the obvious thing is more than that. He’s attended meetings. He’s made calls and First Team All-Big Ten, 1976 & 1977 to try and be mindful of the institution that gave you that appearances. He kicked off the campaign.”

Led Minnesota to 1977 Big Ten title and opportunity. I had played for Dick Siebert. When the proMolitor gave Anderson credit for the campaign’s success. berth in the College World Series gram was passed to George Thomas, who is a friend of “John’s words are appreciated. They are very kind,” said mine, and then passed to John, it remained personal for Molitor. “John is overstating my contribution. He has done Drafted third overall in the 1977 MLB Draft me. It made sense for me to keep tabs on the program and a lot of the work. He has logged most of the effort and the try and give back where I could. I don’t remember when miles. At the start, I asked what they expected of me. I knew Major League career: the (baseball) program first endowed scholarships, but my time would be limited because of family and travel. They Position: Infielder / Designated Hitter that was the first way I got involved.” told me, ‘what ever you do is a bonus.’ I haven’t been able Milwaukee Brewers (1978-92) Toronto Blue Jays (1993-95) Anderson said Molitor has always “taken a substantial to do as much as I would have liked.”

Minnesota Twins (1996-98) interest in the baseball program. In 1991, he made a (subAnderson said Molitor’s contributions were invaluable stantial) gift to endow a (baseball) scholarship. But he’s to the campaign.

Seven-time All-Star interested in all of the (Gophers athletic) programs. He’s “Some of the larger gifts came from people that weren’t World Series champion (1993) a season ticket holder in basketball. He attends events. He alumni or connected to the program,” said Anderson. “I cares about the school, the athletic department and its think having Paul on the committee inspired others. If he Inducted into National Baseball Hall of programs.” missed a meeting, he would check in or follow up. He was Fame in 2004 on first ballot One thing impresses Anderson the most about his so helpful about telling the story of the program. Its tradiformer teammate. tions. Its needs. How the program impacted him and others.

“It’s never been about him,” said Anderson. “Even That the campaign was for a need, not a want. We felt we when he was a player here – as good as he was, an Allhad a good story to tell. Baseball is the oldest sport on camAmerican, highly drafted – he didn’t act like a star. It was pus. We’ve developed championship teams. Graduated playabout the team, not about Paul. His theme was always, ers. Paul had lived the experience and was able to qualify ‘accomplish the goal,’ not ‘who gets the credit.’ He has carthe experience.” ried that attitude with him and he never lost his desire to Molitor said one of his initial concerns about the camhelp. He’s been amazing. We appreciate his time and enpaign was “is it feasible? I didn’t want to be part of a failure. ergy. What’s really impressive is that it’s not as if he Not because of a fear of failure, itself, but what it would doesn’t have other things to do. Family. His commitments mean to the program if the campaign failed.” to the Twins. I once asked him ‘who do you say no to?’”

For Molitor, the key to the success of the campaign was Fortunately for the Gophers athletic program, when a gift from the Pohlad Family Foundation. it has asked, Molitor hasn’t said no.

“Their gift ($2 million in May of 2010) was critical,” Molitor said. “I don’t know if it could have been done without the Pohlads stepping Joel Rippel is the author of seven books on Minnesota sports, including “Dick Siebert: A Life in Baseball,” “Game up.” of My Life Minnesota Gophers: Memorable Stories of Gopher football,” and “Brock Lesnar: The Making of a Hard-

O

Core Legend.”

40

ON THE ROAD

SKI-U-MAH

with Mike Grimm

Lakeville, MN (December 31, 2012) -- On the surface, there is no doubt my job would be a ‘sports fantasy come true’ for many die-hard Golden Gopher fans. As the radio voice of the University of Minnesota, I have the privilege of attending and calling every minute of every Gopher football and men’s basketball game. Not only does that mean I get to attend each and every game in person, almost always from one of the best seats in the house, but it also means it comes with the ease of charter travel, nice hotels, getting to know Gopher coaches, players, and administrators, and getting paid to do it. Certainly, more than one maroon and gold-clad fan has cast an envious eye at my Gopher-related profession.

The crème de la crème of this job may have come over the past seven weeks. When it all came to an end on the final day of 2012, I called 17 different Golden Gopher games from seven different cities, including one locale that needed a passport to get to.

The 42-day voyage that covered more than 10,000 miles began at Williams Arena on Friday, November 9th with the men’s basketball season opener against American (a Gopher win).

The following morning, I was on a small, seven-seat plane along with U of M athletic director Norwood Teague and some select donors to Champaign, Ill. for the Golden Gopher-Fighting Illini football game. Minnesota secured bowl eligibility with a 17-3 win. I returned home on the team flight to Minneapolis that evening. The Gopher basketball team played two days later (Nov. 12) notching a win over Toledo. Then, Thursday of that week began with me cohosting “Gopher Football Weekly With Jerry Kill” followed by a men’s basketball broadcast that night with a win over Tennessee State. I hopped a team charter to Lincoln, Neb. the following day (November 16th). The Minnesota football lost a Saturday game to the nationallyranked Cornhuskers. A return flight with the team that night led into a Sunday afternoon men’s basketball game at home against Richmond, another Gopher victory.

A Monday “Gopher Basketball Weekly With Tubby Smith” came the next day (November 19th), followed by the charter flight to the Bahamas on the following day (November 20th).

Sunny, but windy Paradise Island provided a scenic backdrop to three Gopher men’s basketball games in the ‘Battle 4 Atlantis’ tourney. An opening round loss to Duke preceded impressive victories over Memphis and Stanford. A long week of game preparation ended on Saturday, giving way to a wonderful Sunday with my family on the sandy beaches and daring waterslides of the Atlantis resort.

The team flight left Nassau on Monday (November 26th) en route to Tallahassee, Fla., where the Gophers would take on Florida State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Tuesday.

A quick U.S. Customs stop in Orlando only slightly lengthened the trip to Tallahassee. We broadcast “Gopher Basketball Weekly With Tubby Smith” that Monday night from the team hotel and watched Gopher practice later in the night. Minnesota dominated Florida State the

GRIMM’S AIR ADVENTURES MINNEAPOLIS TO/FROM CHAMPAIGN

846 mi

MINNEAPOLIS TO/FROM LINCOLN

674 mi

MINNEAPOLIS TO/FROM NASSAU, BAHAMAS

1,640 mi

NASSAU TO ORLANDO

346 mi

ORLANDO TO TALLAHASSEE

219 mi

TALLAHASSEE TO MINNEAPOLIS

1,118 mi

MINNEAPOLIS TO/FROM LOS ANGELES

3,072 mi

MINNEAPOLIS TO/FROM HOUSTON

2,118 mi

APPROXIMATE TOTAL (11/9-12/31)

10,033 mi

next evening (November 27th) and returned home in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Men’s basketball games at home (thankfully) followed against North Florida and South Dakota State (both wins). Then, it was back onto a big old jet-airliner with a trip west. Mechanical issues delayed our flight to Los Angeles on Friday, December 7th. We didn’t arrive at LAX until early Saturday morning. A short night of sleep was followed by an historic win over USC (December 8th). Tubby Smith earned his 500th career victory that evening. The reward was a return trip to Minneapolis-St. Paul International that put us back home around 5:30 a.m. on Sunday.

A couple of more home basketball wins (NDSU and Lafayette) came over the next two weeks, along with another Tubby Smith Radio Show. Tubby’s team was now ranked 11th in the nation and 12-1 overall.

The air travel wasn’t finished yet. I boarded a large 747 (easily the largest plane I’ve ever been on) on Wednesday, December 26th with 400+ others en route to Houston, Texas, where the Golden Gophers were playing the Texas Tech Red Raiders. A special broadcast previewing the Meineke Car Care Bowl came from the team hotel at the ‘Sota Social on Thursday (December 27th). And, the Gophers gave Texas Tech a great game on Friday (December 28th).

A bit of a delay didn’t get the large travel continent home until 8:30 a.m. on Saturday after flying home overnight after the game.

The final leg of this fall/winter 2012 odyssey happens on the final day of 2012 when Tubby’s Smith’s 11th-ranked Golden Gophers knocked off No. 19 Michigan State inside a raucous Williams Arena.

The game ended an unbelievable stretch for Gopher Athletics. I got to thinking about this.

I’m quite certain that I’m the only person on the face of the earth who was lucky enough to witness every one of these specific 17 events in person. No one else that I can think of was able to do it. Not athletic director Norwood Teague. Not University president Dr. Eric Kaler. Not football coach Jerry Kill. Not basketball coach Tubby Smith. All of those guys had other duties during one or more of the aforementioned 17 games. Again, I admit, I’m a lucky guy.

Looking back, I am quite thankful for all the things I’ve been able to watch and do over the past two months. But, I must also admit I’m very thankful I don’t have to get on an airplane today to go to work!

Go Gophers!!

Mike Grimm is in his seventh season as the radio voice of the Golden Gopher men’s basketball team and second with the football team. Grimm is also the co-host of the Tubby Smith and Jerry Kill weekly radio shows.

PHOTO: ERIC MILLER

A

s Minnesota prepares to move from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association to the Big Ten Conference next year, Gophers equipment manager Lee Greseth brings a unique perspective to the team’s final WCHA campaign.

Of the 12 teams in the WCHA, Greseth has worked for five of them (North Dakota, Alaska Anchorage, Denver and Colorado College in addition to two stints with the Gophers).

Q: What’s the favorite part of your job?

A: I really enjoy interacting with our players and staff – we have a great atmosphere here at Minnesota, and it makes coming to work every day a lot of fun.

Q: Minnesota will play in its first outdoor game of the modern era this February against Wisconsin at Soldier Field in Chicago. How much work goes into planning a game like that and do you have anything special set up?

A: Obviously, it’s a big game for us, and the first thing people will look at will be our jerseys.

We looked back at years past – like when we opened the new Mariucci Arena, we wore the special bumblebee jerseys. We’re trying for a little bit of a throwback but with some originality too. We’re kind of feeling things out with cold-weather gear for the team and staff because we want everyone to feel comfortable on game day, and that’s not easy to plan with the outdoor weather. There’s a little bit more preparation for us than a normal game, but it’s going to be a great experience.

Q: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen happen at a hockey game?

A: I remember when Ben Hankinson lost his skate blade at the old Mariucci Arena. He was wearing Switch-It skates at the time – they were the ones that could switch back and forth from ice skates to rollerblades – and his blade came off on the far side of the ice. For anyone who hasn’t tried to skate without a blade on their boot, let’s just say it’s not easy. And watching someone try to do it is quite comical.

Q: How about a horror story from the road? Do you have one that comes to mind?

A: When I was in Denver, we had an upperclassmen who forgot two pairs of skates when we went to Boston. We had just made an announcement the week before to remind the guys to pack both pairs of skates, but sure enough we get to Boston, and he didn’t have any skates.

Luckily, we practiced the day before the series, so we were able to find a solution before the games.

Q: Who decides what uniforms the Gophers will wear for each game?

A: For the most part, we let the captains pick what jersey we will wear. A lot of times, we’ll ride a hot streak if we’re winning with a certain jersey or we’ll switch jerseys out if we lose a game. I remember one of my first years, we struggled in our gold jerseys, and I was told to bury them somewhere that nobody would find them. There’s only a couple times since I’ve been here that we’ve vetoed their decision to go with a traditional combination.

Q: You’re from Rochester and worked as a student equipment manager for Harry Broadfoot. What did it mean to you to have the chance to come back here and work with Golden Gopher Hockey?

A: It was pretty exciting. To be a part of this program is awesome. I liked everything about Denver, where I was at the time, but obviously being from Minnesota and Gopher Hockey being what it is made it a great opportunity. My wife ( Jennifer) and I both have our families here too, and it’s nice to have them close by.

Q: What will next year be like when the team leaves the WCHA for the Big Ten? A: It will be a little different moving out of the WCHA next year since I’ve been around the league for a long time. I always like going back to Colorado College, Denver, North Dakota and Alaska Anchorage to see the old places and former coworkers, so I’ll miss that. As for the Big Ten, we’ve played all the Big Ten schools and been to most of the Big Ten cities with the exception of Penn State, so it won’t be a huge difference for us - just a new standings board. It’ll be nice to keep playing all the Minnesota schools in addition to the new Big Ten schedule.

Q: Don’t lie. Who does the laundry when you go home?

A: I’m proud to say that my wife and I both split that responsibility.

Q: How would you describe “hockey glove smell” to someone who has never experienced it?

A: I’m actually immune to that smell now after all these years, but there is definitely a unique quality to it. For most people, it’s unbelievably unpleasant. But there are some people who take pride in how their gloves smell. Putting words to that smell isn’t easy though. interview by Brian Deutsch, assistant athletic communications director

BEHIND THE SCENES MEN’S HOCKEY EQUIPMENT MANAGER LEE GRESETH The Greseth File Hometown: Rochester, Minn.

Alma mater: University of North Dakota Professional Career: 1987-89: U.S. International (student equipment manager) 1989-92: Minnesota (student equipment manager) 1992-93: Colorado College (equipment manager) 1993-96: Alaska Anchorage (equipment manager) 1996-99: North Dakota (equipment manager) 1999-09: Denver Univ. (equipment manager) 2009-pres.: Minnesota (equipment manager) Family: Wife: Jennifer Children: Morgan, Luke

42 BEHIND THE SCENES DIRECTOR OF STUDENT-ATHLETE AFFAIRS PEYTON OWENS III

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opher Athletics is filled with key support staff who each play huge roles in the lives of Minnesota’s student-athletes. However, few have as large an impact on these players as people as Peyton Owens and his colleagues in the athletic department’s Student-Athlete Affairs office.

As the Director of Student-Athlete Affairs, Owens and his staff work with Golden Gopher student-athletes to help get them prepared for life after sport and the professional and personal opportunities they are likely to encounter once their playing days are done.

It’s a unit few outside the Bierman Building probably even know exists. Nevertheless, Gopher Athletics has long been committed to taking a holistic approach to student-athlete development. And it’s the Student-Athlete Affairs office that helps the Gophers fill in the gaps of life outside the field of competition and the classroom.

The NCAA slogan about most student-athletes going pro in something other than sports hits right at the heart of mission of Gopher Athletics’ Student-Athlete Affairs office. For them it’s all about helping the student-athlete be prepared for the future. And it’s truly is a selfless labor of love.

Q: What do you see as the primary role of Student-Athlete Affairs and how are you working to make a difference in the lives of Golden Gopher student-athletes?

A: We see our mission as one that is dedicated to the student-athlete as a person and helping them be prepared for life after sport. That’s a lofty way of saying it, but helping them be prepared to meet the challenges of the professional and personal opportunities they are likely to encounter after graduation is a key element of what we do. We also get them actively engaged in the community and really encouraging them to work on leadership development. Essentially we are teaching them the tools of personal brand management. We work with them on developing their own personal brand so that when the time comes they have the tools and confidence to articulate that to an employer, a graduate school program, or anyone they may encounter who they are as a person, what they stand for and what they have to offer to society beyond athletics. Essentially we want them to become the best citizens they can be.

Q: What are some of the programs that we have developed to help our student-athletes achieve those goals and prepare them for life after sport?

A: It starts when they first arrive as freshmen. We have them take a course titled OUE 1086, First Year Experience, which I am a co-instructor of. We have all of our incoming freshmen in that class and it gives them an opportunity

The Owens File Hometown: Richmond, Va. Bachelor’s Degree: William & Mary, ’00 Master’s Degree: Virginia Commonwealth, ’03 At University of Minnesota since December, 2005 Family: Wife: Alicia Children: London, Buerkley

to understand what our expectations are of them as student-athletes here at the University of Minnesota. We also familiarize them with a lot of different resources we have on campus – library services, student legal services, housing and residential life, the center for writing – just the abundance or resources they have at their disposal. We also talk about who they are and really focus on their identity. A lot of our student-athletes come in with an idea of who they are and where they would like to go, but we really want to tie it together and from there discuss how we can impact their lives and help them move forward.

Beyond the first-year course, our program is really broken down in to three categories: personal, professional and community service. In the personal sphere, we engage the student-athletes in personal development programs or PDPs. With those we provide a one-hour program to all of our teams twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. We allow the coaches to pick from a variety of topics that are relevant to their teams. Those topics cover areas such as nutrition, time management, goal setting, financial responsibility, sexual responsibility and social media. We’ve even done car basics 101, where we’ve actually brought in fleet services from campus with two vehicles and had them show the basics of maintaining a vehicle.

What we are trying to do with the PDPs is give our studentathletes tangible information that will help them navigate life both while they are hear at school and then after graduation. When student-athletics come to the University of Minnesota, they are going to get plenty of athletic practice.

They are also going to study hard and receive tutoring as necessary to work on their academic pursuits. What we don’t want to get left behind is their personal and professional development.

Professional development starts first and foremost with us being able to sit down with our coaches and student-athletes and gauging what their interests might be. Through that individual dialogue we are able to start the networking process. In our freshman first-year class, one of the first things we do is work on putting together a resumé. A lot of our student-athletes think “what am I going to put on a resume as a freshman?” What we have them focus on is their transferable skills – being a self-starter, being able to be motivated, being able to work in both individual and team settings, being able to overcome obstacles, work in diverse environments. Those are examples of the type of transferable skill that we hear all the time from HR representatives that student-athletes possess that they would love to have in their companies. We are told all the time by representatives that they can teach anyone how to do the job, but some skills just can’t be taught. Either you have it or you don’t and student-athletes have those skills.

Professional development sessions continue with something we call Feedback Fridays. They usually occur once a month when we bring in HR representatives from Fortune 500 companies in our region and they assist us with doing resume critiques, mock interviews and leading us in informational sessions that talk about professional development and what it means to be a young professional.

We also conduct young professional etiquette dinners.

Those dinners partner student-athletes with professionals PHOTOS: ERIC MILLER

in a field they are interested in. We have them sit down to a nice meal and talk to someone face-to-face in a real intimate setting that might include three student-athletes to each professional so that they can discuss what they did to reach that place in their life. The great thing about the dinners is that most of the individuals we bring back are graduates of the University of Minnesota and many of them are former student-athletes, who can speak to the fact of going pro in something other than sports. The whole meal is led by an etiquette professional who discusses topics such as making eye-contact, dressing for success, interviewing correctly, greetings and proper hand-shakes.

Q: So this idea of transforming and broadening identities must be amazing to witness. Can you talk about some of the transformations you have witnessed?

A: We certainly have seen some big transformations and I think it has been a tremendous help to a lot of them. I think our student-athletes really feel touched in a lot of ways by the services we provide. They don’t all take advantage of it right at the beginning. Some of them don’t see the benefit or really start to realize that they’re going to go pro in something other than their sport until their senior year. But when they do grab ahold of our program, they see it and the transformation can be huge when they get on board and the light goes on that they have additional talents. A lot of times when we meet with them, we are not talking to them about their sport. In all honesty, not many of them want to talk about that. They want to talk about other things. This is what they live and breathe every day. Being prepared and having that confidence in other aspects of life can be the things that are a little bit scary to them. So when we are able to sit down and start building that confidence they start to thrive a whole new way, they start to come alive.

Q: Can you talk about how much our student-athletes give back to the community and how rewarding it is for them as individuals?

A: The main thing that we see from our student-athletes getting out there and giving back is that it allows them to consistently remain humble. They see how they impact the community, they see how they impact these young kids, they see how they impact the elderly or the campus community and it allows them to recognize that what they are doing as student-athletes is a privilege. It’s not something that is guaranteed and it’s not something that you are owed.

It’s a privilege to have this opportunity and they realize that.

Our community service is huge. Last year, Gopher studentathletes did more than 12,000 hours, and that’s just what

was documented. We have an online system that allows our student-athletes to select what works best with their schedules. From there we track all the participation online and get the student-athletes to and from the various events. The events are strongly tied to our various poster campaigns – tobacco free, reading champions, exercise your heart and mind – which allow the student-athletes to be ambassadors for what we stand for here within Gopher Athletics.

Q: Now not only is community service encouraged, but it is also rewarded and recognized each year. Can you talk about how these efforts are honored?

A: Each year we present an award at the Golden Goldys to the teams and individuals that do the most for the community. The Golden Goldys is our version of ESPN’s ESPY awards and at the end of each year we honor the athletic and academic achievements of our student-athletes with different awards – athletic, as well as our academic awards.

The community service awards are an integral component of the night and we highlight the team that has been actively engaged and done the most for the community. We also have an individual award for community service. We’re trying to drive home the importance of these wonderful accomplishments and being excellent overall.

Q: Are you looking for people from the community who would like to get involved with our student-athletes and if so what type if individuals are you looking for and how can they get involved?

A: First and foremost I would encourage anyone who thinks they might be at all interested in getting involved with one of our programs to visit our website on gophersports.com under the athletics tab. You can see all the great things we do as well as find my contact information.

We are always looking for new and creative ways to engage our young men and women and keep them excited about what life has to offer. That is in large part a result of the great partnerships we have developed both on campus and within our local business community. The truth is that the vast majority of our student-athletes are going to go pro in something other than their sport and who knows that better than the working professionals of our community. interview by Garry Bowman, director of athletic communications

Freshman Daly Santana attempts a jump serve against Miami (Ohio) on September 1. Santana finished the season with 56 service aces and helped Minnesota advance to the NCAA Elite Eight.

PHOTO BY ERIC MILLER