University of Minnesota Athletics
Rachel Nelson Olson
9/6/2007 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Rachel Nelson Olson |
A native of Mapleton, Minn., Olson starred in the outfield for the Maroon and Gold from 1994-97. During her freshman season, she earned All-Big Ten Second Team and NCAA All-Mideast Region First Team honors after leading the Big Ten in hits and posting a team-best .365 batting average. Olson had an impressive 22 multiple-hit games and ended the season with a 12-game hitting streak.
Olson built on her rookie season with a stellar sophomore campaign in 1995. Collecting Third Team NSCA All-American, NCAA All-Mideast Region First Team, Second Team All-Big Ten and team Most Valuable Player accolades, Olson started all 56 games and led the Golden Gophers with a .380 batting average, 76 hits and 36 runs scored.
The 1996 season Olson put together will go down as one of the greatest individual years for a Golden Gopher in program history. Named to the NSCA All-America, All-Mideast Region and All-Big Ten First Teams, Olson claimed Minnesota single season records in runs scored (65) and hits (93). In the season record book, she also ranks second in triples (7), third in batting average (.415) and fifth in at bats (224). Paced by Olson’s outstanding play, Minnesota appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991.
Olson wrapped up her Maroon and Gold career in 1997 with another award-filled season. Notching a team-best 71 hits, 45 runs scored and 25 stolen bases, along with a .382 batting average, Olson earned NCAA All-Mideast Region Second Team, All-Big Ten Second Team and team Most Valuable Player honors. She also became only the fourth softball player in school history to earn GTE CoSIDA Academic All-American honors when she was named to the third team.
In 2000, the two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection was named to the Minnesota Softball All-25th Anniversary Team, while in 2001, she was inducted into the Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame.
Olson finished her career with 313 hits, fifth on the NCAA all-time list, and a Minnesota/Big Ten Conference record. In the Golden Gopher career record book, Olson ranks first in hits, runs scored (175) and at-bats (810), third in batting average (.386), and fourth in triples (13) and stolen bases (66)
Olson earned a degree in kinesiology from the University of Minnesota.
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