University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Hand Out 10th-annual Golden Goldys
5/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
May 2, 2016
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics department recognized both the athletic and academic achievements of its student-athletes at the 2016 Golden Goldys/Scholar Athlete banquet, tonight at TCF Bank Stadium. The Golden Goldys is now in its 10th year of existence, while this year's event marked the 27th year of the Scholar Athlete banquet. The two banquets consolidated in 2010.
The Golden Goldys voting process includes spring sports of 2015 (baseball, men's and women's golf, rowing, softball, men's and women's outdoor track & field and men's and women's tennis) and the fall and winter sports of the 2015-16 athletic year.
Team of the year awards went to women's hockey and men's tennis. Women's hockey posted a 35-4-1 overall record en route to the program's seventh national title. The Gophers added three All-Americans, five WCHA conference award winners and two Patty Kazmaier finalists. In the past four years, women's hockey has posted a 148-9-6 record. Men's tennis captured the 2015 Big Ten title, Minnesota's first since 1995. In 2015, the Gophers ranked 21st nationally as a team, their highest finish in the ITA rankings since 2003. The Gophers had the Big Ten Player of the Year and two All-Big Ten selections last season.
Women's basketball's Rachel Banham and track's Luca Wieland claimed the Female and Male Athletes of the Year. Banham was an Associated Press, Wooden Award, USBWA and espnW First Team All-American. The Big Ten Player of the Year was second in the nation in scoring with 28.6 points per game, which also was a Minnesota season record. She set Big Ten records with 549 points (30.5 ppg) and 75 3-pointers in conference play. Weiland was a 2016 NCAA Indoor First Team All-American in the heptatlon when he finished fifth overall. The 2015 Big Ten Outdoor champion in the decathlon, Weiland had 7,635 points, the fourth most in school history. Coupled with his 2015 Big Ten heptathlon title during the indoor season, Wieland was the fourth man in Minnesota's 117-year history to sweep the Big Ten multi-event titles.
Volleyball's Hugh McCutcheon and men's gymnastics' Mike Burns were named the Coaches of the Year. Named the AVCA National Coach of the Year, McCutcheon led the Gophers to their first Big Ten title since 2002 and the program's first Final Four appearance since 2009. The Big Ten Coach of the Year led Minnesota to an 18-2 conference record and a 30-5 mark overall. He coached four All-Americans and three All-Big Ten selections. In 2016, Burns led Minnesota to the NCAA Finals for the first time since 2007 and guided the Gophers to a second-place finish in the first session of the NCAA Championships. He coached three individuals to four All-America honors and was named the CGA Central Region Coach of the Year. The Gophers finished third in the Big Ten and held a 13-5 regular season record.
Volleyball and men's gymnastics also took home the Rookie of the Year awards. As a freshman, Samantha Seliger-Swenson was named a Second Team All-American as she helped the Gophers to a Big Ten title. The AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year, Seliger-Swenson was also the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and an All-Big Ten selection. A five-time recipient of Big Ten Freshman of the Week, she had 1,510 assists in a single season and ranked ninth nationally in assists per set. In his first year with the Gophers, Justin Karstadt was a 2016 First Team All-American when he finished eighth on the pommel horse at the NCAA Championships. Named a First Team All-Big Ten selection, Karstadt reached two event finals at the Big Ten Championships and finished fifth in the all-around. He won six event titles during the season.
The Breakthough Performers of the Year went to softball's Sam Macken and football's KJ Maye. After seeing action in 30 games as a freshman, Macken started all 60 games at third base in 2015. Named Second Team All-Big Ten and First Team NFCA All-Great Lakes Region, Macken improved her batting average from .258 as a freshman to .363 as a sophomore and on-base percentage from .358 to .471. She scored 57 runs, tying for second-most in a single season by a Gopher. Maye went from 34 catches and 417 yards in 2014 to 73 passes in 2015, which were the most ever by a senior at Minnesota and the second most all-time in a season behind Eric Decker's 84 receptions in 2008. He notched 939 all-purpose yards as a senior and caught five touchdowns, rushed for one and caught two successful two-point conversion attempts.
The Outstanding Student-Athlete Achievement Award is presented to one male and one female who are accomplished in both academics and athletics. This year's recipients were women's gymnastics' Lindsay Mable and football's Jon Christenson. Mable was the winner of the 2016 AAI Award, presented to the nation's outstanding senior gymnast. A three-time All-American, Mable finished her Gopher career as a two-time Big Ten Gymnast of the Year and a First Team All-Big Ten. The 2016 Big Ten all-around champion was also an Academic All-American and is set to graduate this month with a degree in elementary education. She will also pursue a master's degree in the same field. Earning a bachelor's degree in biochemistry in 2014, Christenson is completing a master's degree in public health administration & policy. During his undergraduate work, Christenson conducted cancer research involving nanotubes and the effects of microRNA on liver cancer. As a football team captain in 2015, Christenson helped protect for an offense that passed for 2,793 yards (most since 2008) and 15 touchdowns (most since 2010). The Gophers also rushed for 1,873 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Julia Courter (women's tennis) and Ben Bravence (men's swimming & diving) were awarded Outstanding Achievement Award in Leadership and Service, given to student-athletes who are accomplished in the areas of leadership and volunteerism. Courter contributed more than 300 hours of community service through M.A.G.I.C. since her freshmen year. An active Student Athlete Advisory Council representative at both the conference and national level, Courter has assisted in the fundraising efforts for the Unlimited Dance Marathon since 2013 to garner awareness and collaboration for the U of M Masonic Children's Hospital. Bravence established more than 80 hours of community service through M.A.G.I.C. since his freshmen year. The 2015-16 president of the SAAC, Bravence was also the creator of Pro Day.
The Outstanding Academic Team Award was presented to the men and women's teams representing both large and small team categories. Large teams are made up of 22 members or more, as small teams are made up of 21 members or fewer and includes the grade point averages of the past spring and fall semesters. The women's small team was women's golf and the large team was soccer. The men's small team was cross country and the large team was swimming and diving.
The Top Five Award were also handed out, which is given to the top five male and female student-athletes with the highest cumulative grade point average: Jessica Flakne (rowing, two-time recipient), Rashida Beal (soccer), Joanna Hedstrom (women's basketball), Emily Stock (rowing), Lee Stecklein (women's hockey), Michael Kroells(wrestling), Ryan Miksch (men's swimming and diving), Brett Pfarr (wrestling), Chris Pfarr (wrestling) andJack Tribble (men's swimming and diving). Flakne and football's Christenson were awarded the Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship.
The teams who had the most community service hours during the 2015-16 season were women's track & field/cross country and men's swimming and diving. This number is based on community service hours per team member.Women's track & field was awarded the Gladys Brooks Commitment to Academic Excellence Award, while baseballwas awarded the Norman Borlaug Commitment to Academic Excellence Award.
Women's hockey's Amanda Kessel and football's Gaelin Elmore were given the Richard Pinky McNamara Student-Athlete Achievement Award, which is given to individuals who have inspired all by making an extraordinary effort to succeed despite difficult circumstances, persevering during a time of tremendous adversity and/or overcoming a great challenge. Elmore was surrounded by abandonment, foster care, poverty and crime prior to his time at Minnesota. Since arriving on campus, he has overcome all odds and succeeded academically, athletically, and personally. Kessel was at the height of her hockey career when she took a redshirt year in 2013-2014 to represent the USA at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. She suffered a concussion and although she was able to compete in the Olympics, the concussion symptoms worsened and she was forced to take time away from school and hockey. On February 5, 2016, Kessel made her collegiate comeback against North Dakota and later went on to win a national title.
The Teammate of the Year Award went to longtime University of Minnesota employee and friend to Gopher athletics Bob Swoverland. The Tom H. Swain Campus Recognition Award was given to Heidi Meyer, Scott King, Casey Erickson and Jenny Mealey from Admissions.
Former Gophers coach Jerry Kill served as the guest keynote speaker at this year's event.
Male Athlete of the Year
Matt Barnard, diving
Justin Kloos, hockey
Zach Liebler, gymnastics
Brett Pfarr, wrestling
Leandro Toledo, tennis
Luca Wieland, track & field
Female Athlete of the Year
Rachel Banham, basketball
Hannah Brandt, hockey
Sara Groenewegen, softball
Lindsay Mable, gymnastics
Daly Santana, volleyball
Yu Zhou, diving
Male Rookie of the Year
Bowe Becker, swimming
Justin Karstadt, gymnastics
Jordan Murphy, basketball
Eric Schierhorn, hockey
Tommy Thorn, wrestling
Female Rookie of the Year
Sofie Albrechtsen, track & field
Danielle Parlich, softball
Sarah Potomak, hockey
Caroline Ryba, tennis
Samantha Seliger-Swenson, volleyball
Male Breakthrough Athlete of the Year
Leon Bristedt, hockey
Matt Fiedler, baseball
Ryan Lockard, track & field
KJ Maye, football
Brett Pfarr, wrestling
Female Breakthrough Athlete of the Year
Emerald Egwim, track & field
Joanna Hedstrom, basketball
Sam Macken softball
Jessica Ramberg diving,
Madeline Strandemo, cross country
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Players Mentioned
