University of Minnesota Athletics
A Fish Called Charley
9/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
A Fish Called Charley
When you’ve been a coach as long as Gary Wilson has, some stories told again and told again become legend. It’s fair to say that after 22 years or possibly more, that Charley the Fish can be considered a legend, though he is brought to light, or should we say out of the barn only once a year.
Charley the Fish, you see, is the consolation prize no, the loser’s bounty at the Gopher women’s cross country intrasquad meet. It is a traveling trophy of sorts, though there hasn’t been a team willing to even take it home from the course after the meet. Instead, Charley hibernates and collects dust in Wilson’s barn at his Stillwater home until the next intrasquad meet rolls around.
The history of this rather ugly, worn, decaying work of taxidermy goes back to around the year 1986, a year or two and in most cases several before nearly all the current Gopher runners were even born. Wilson’s son Ben brought it home from a local garage sale when the Wilson home was in St. Paul. Oddly enough, it was purchased for the young Mr. Wilson by former Pioneer Press sports reporter Charley Hallman, who is actually the namesake of the “trophy” fish.
Hallman would coach one of the squads and Wilson the other in those early years, but now it’s a battle between Wilson and his protgs Sarah Hesser and Kallie Suske.
Charley the Fish, however, has been a constant, though there have been three winner’s trophies. This started so long ago that Wilson doesn’t even remember the first one. The second was a 4-foot tall cheerleading trophy that was found unclaimed somewhere according to Wilson. That trophy disappeared - rumored to have been stolen - one year. The third and current piece of hardware given to the winning team at the intrasquad is a “beautiful” Goldy Gopher lamp. Okay, not really beautiful. So unsightly in fact that Suzy Wilson would not allow it to be placed in their home. So, apologies to whomever might have given the Wilson’s this lamp as a gift.
The winning team is able to take this trophy home as well, but the Goldy lamp usually finds its way to the team lockerroom. Though certainly not has distasteful as Charley the Fish, the Goldy lamp obviously is not an attractive addition to even a college co-ed’s living room dcor.
So, the story, the legend of Charley the Fish, lives on. The Golden Gophers’ intrasquad battle of Gold, coached by Wilson, and Maroon, coached by Hesser and Suske, will be fought on the rolling hills of the Les Bolstad Golf Course on Saturday. The winner will pose proudly with the Goldy lamp. The losers will be added to a gallery of memorable photos with Charley the Fish.
The photos taken, a lot of laughter shared and some cherished memories made, the team will come back together as one. The Gold and the Maroon will just be the Gophers again, though you can bet the winners will boast of their conquest throughout the season. And the tired Charley will once again will retire to the quiet, dusty peace of a barn in Stillwater.
When you’ve been a coach as long as Gary Wilson has, some stories told again and told again become legend. It’s fair to say that after 22 years or possibly more, that Charley the Fish can be considered a legend, though he is brought to light, or should we say out of the barn only once a year.
Charley the Fish, you see, is the consolation prize no, the loser’s bounty at the Gopher women’s cross country intrasquad meet. It is a traveling trophy of sorts, though there hasn’t been a team willing to even take it home from the course after the meet. Instead, Charley hibernates and collects dust in Wilson’s barn at his Stillwater home until the next intrasquad meet rolls around.
The history of this rather ugly, worn, decaying work of taxidermy goes back to around the year 1986, a year or two and in most cases several before nearly all the current Gopher runners were even born. Wilson’s son Ben brought it home from a local garage sale when the Wilson home was in St. Paul. Oddly enough, it was purchased for the young Mr. Wilson by former Pioneer Press sports reporter Charley Hallman, who is actually the namesake of the “trophy” fish.
Hallman would coach one of the squads and Wilson the other in those early years, but now it’s a battle between Wilson and his protgs Sarah Hesser and Kallie Suske.
Charley the Fish, however, has been a constant, though there have been three winner’s trophies. This started so long ago that Wilson doesn’t even remember the first one. The second was a 4-foot tall cheerleading trophy that was found unclaimed somewhere according to Wilson. That trophy disappeared - rumored to have been stolen - one year. The third and current piece of hardware given to the winning team at the intrasquad is a “beautiful” Goldy Gopher lamp. Okay, not really beautiful. So unsightly in fact that Suzy Wilson would not allow it to be placed in their home. So, apologies to whomever might have given the Wilson’s this lamp as a gift.
The winning team is able to take this trophy home as well, but the Goldy lamp usually finds its way to the team lockerroom. Though certainly not has distasteful as Charley the Fish, the Goldy lamp obviously is not an attractive addition to even a college co-ed’s living room dcor.
So, the story, the legend of Charley the Fish, lives on. The Golden Gophers’ intrasquad battle of Gold, coached by Wilson, and Maroon, coached by Hesser and Suske, will be fought on the rolling hills of the Les Bolstad Golf Course on Saturday. The winner will pose proudly with the Goldy lamp. The losers will be added to a gallery of memorable photos with Charley the Fish.
The photos taken, a lot of laughter shared and some cherished memories made, the team will come back together as one. The Gold and the Maroon will just be the Gophers again, though you can bet the winners will boast of their conquest throughout the season. And the tired Charley will once again will retire to the quiet, dusty peace of a barn in Stillwater.
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