University of Minnesota Athletics
Scholarships Take Center Stage
10/25/2016 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
The Golden Gopher Fund hosted its annual Scholarship Banquet on Monday night, welcoming hundreds of donors and student-athletes to the DQ Club Room at TCF Bank Stadium. While the event celebrated the achievements of Gopher student-athletes, it also highlighted the importance of investing in scholarships. Money generated through endowed scholarships provides critical support for the athletics department in covering its annual scholarship tuition bill, which is more than $10 million in 2016-17.
"I tell people all the time that I have the best job in the world because I work with young men and women who are chasing their dreams," Athletics Director Mark Coyle shared with the audience. "All of you who invest in our kids should be proud, because you invest in their dreams. You're making a difference for our students every day."
The event featured a collection of speakers, video features and award presentations. Following a welcome from student-athletes Gaelin Elmore (football) and Simone Kolander (soccer), emcee and voice of Gopher football and men's basketball Mike Grimm guided the program. In addition to the remarks from Coyle, long-time head baseball coach John Anderson and one of his alums, former MLB catcher Dan Wilson, discussed Wilson's time at Minnesota.
"What I received here at Minnesota was way beyond my expectations in terms of an education. I got a life education as well and that was the most impactful," said Wilson. "The most wonderful thing as I look back on my career here was getting that life education."
The scholarship banquet tradition includes three annual awards, recognizing an outstanding donor and a pair of student-athletes. Lee Stecklein (women's hockey) received the Patty Berg Award, Brett Pfarr (wrestling) received the Henry L. Williams Award, and the Mooty Glaser families accepted the Director's Award.
Stecklein shared how she dreamed of being a Gopher, but never thought it was possible until she was committing to play for the U. "Now that I'm actually here, I realize how many people have been involved in making this experience possible for me," said Stecklein. "Even now, I probably don't understand one percent of what it takes to make my dreams come true. I do know it's not possible without the generosity of the people in this room."
Following her freshman season with the Gophers, Stecklein took a redshirt year to train with U.S. National Team and won a silver medal at the 2014 Olympics. Since returning to school, she has collected two All-America honors and a collection of academic awards from the Big Ten and the WCHA for her work toward an entrepreneurial management degree. Stecklein wore the captain's "C" last year, a rarity for a non-senior, and will reprise her role as captain for the team again this season.
"I know I'm not in this position only because of myself. I'm here because of the people in my life who have influenced and supported me," said Pfarr, acknowledging his family, his friends and his coaches. He then turned his attention to the donors in the room. "Thank you for taking the time to be fans. That emotional support is so important. It means a lot. Nothing gives me goosebumps like walking out of the tunnel at the Pav in the Maroon and Gold singlet for thousands of fans."
As a junior last season, Pfarr had one of the greatest statistical years in program history, amassing a record of 40-4 and winning 25 matches with bonus points - wrestling terminology for several different forms of dominant victories. His success on the mat fueled one-half of a rare double-All-America year for Pfarr. An All-American wrestler, Pfarr also earned Academic All-American recognition for his work in the classroom as he pursues his degree in agricultural and food business management.
With nearly three dozen University of Minnesota degrees in their family and innumerable hours of service to the University serving as leaders within campus organizations like the Alumni Association, the Mooty Glaser families have shown their love for their alma mater through actions. This year's Director's Award recognized their generations of service and support to the University.
"We're very honored and humbled to be given this award. We have a legacy of service to the University of Minnesota and that's because the University of Minnesota is the single most important institution in the state" said Chip Glaser. "For most people, the link to the University of Minnesota is through the athletics department, so we also want to thank each and every one of you student-athletes, because you are the ambassadors. You represent the University across this great state."
Addressing the student-athletes in the crowd specifically, Bruce Mooty added "Although you have a lot of accolades, this is the first quarter of your game. We really hope what happens after this is that you become the best ambassadors and the best people you can be for our community for a long time to come."
Endowed scholarships provide a lasting legacy because they offer long-term, sustainable support to Gopher student-athletes. By investing the full amount of these gifts and using the returns to fund scholarships, the University is able to use endowments to support scholarships for generations of student-athletes. If you are interested in supporting endowed scholarships, please contact the Golden Gopher Fund at (612) 626-GOLD (4653) or ggf@umn.edu.
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