University of Minnesota Athletics
Laorr and Kuenster Find Success at Home
4/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
By Rachel Timmerman, Athletic Communications Student Assistant
Minnesota natives Anna Laorr and Celia Kuenster didn't grow up Gopher fans, aspiring to attend the University of Minnesota.
Laorr's parents went to Northwestern, and the Kuenster household rooted for the Wisconsin Badgers.
"It was definitely different for me to decide to come to Minnesota," Kuenster, the Mendota Heights native said.
Laorr, from Eden Prairie, never put much thought into playing golf at Minnesota. Even her family expected her to venture away from home.
"I have a twin brother, and everyone thought that personality-wise, he would stay home and I would go far away from home," Laorr said.
She didn't seriously think about playing for Minnesota until the end of her college search, when she realized she wanted to show what golfers in Minnesota have to offer.
"I just always have thought Minnesota golf doesn't get as much recognition as it deserves," Laorr said. "I went to a small high school where golf didn't get a lot of attention. Some people didn't know we had a golf program."
Laorr also wanted the Big Ten experience, but a different experience than her parents.
"I love representing Minnesota," Laorr said. "I'm really proud of being from Minnesota and wanted to show that at the collegiate level as well."
Head coach Michele Redman wanted to keep the best talent in Minnesota, and that included Laorr.
"[She's] definitely the best grinder on the golf course that I've ever seen," Redman said. "She gets the most out of her rounds."
Kuenster's decision was more focused on where she could improve her game.
"For me, it was figuring out what I wanted to do with my golf career, and knowing coach could do that for me was a big piece of it," Kuenster said.
Even though they're both happy with their decision to stay in Minnesota, they sometimes wonder what their life would be like if they went to school further away from home.
"I'm very close to my twin brother - he goes to school in Vermont. A lot of my friends from high school go to school out east," Laorr said. "I wonder if I would have been closer with them, seen my brother more. But I know that wouldn't have been the best for me and I made the best choice I could have made."
Laorr will be graduating soon and has started to look for jobs, but only if they're in Minnesota.
"I didn't think I realized how much I loved Minnesota until I started looking for jobs," Laorr said. "I only wanted to stay in Minnesota."
Though staying close to home isn't for everyone, it was the right decision for these athletes.
"'I'm happy with my decision to stay here," Kuenster said. "The school itself, it's an amazing campus and we're treated really well here."
"I definitely wouldn't give up being a Minnesota athlete for anything," Laorr said. "I've loved every moment of it. It's a true blessing and a true privilege to say that I play Big Ten golf at Minnesota."
Players Mentioned
