University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Welcome Two New Staff Members
8/23/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
MINNEAPOLIS - Two new staff members have joined the University of Minnesota women's track & field/cross country program for the start of the 2016-17 season, Gophers Director of Women's Track & Field and Cross Country Matt Bingle announced.
Former Golden Gopher student-athlete Lyndsey Thorpe has joined the program staff as director of operations, and Sarah Wambheim is the newest member of the University of Minnesota athletic medicine staff. Wambheim will work with both the men's and women's track & field and cross country programs while Thorpe will focus on the women's program.
Lyndsey Thorpe, Director of Operations
Thorpe joins the program's staff following a five-year career competing for the Golden Gophers. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Sport Management with a minor in Mass Communication from the University of Minnesota in May 2015 and expects to complete her Masters of Education in Applied Kinesiology in May 2016.
During her undergraduate career, Thorpe worked as an event supervisor in the Minnesota Athletics event management department, coordinating event details and execution while providing first-class customer service. She also spent three years working as a senior facility supervisor at TCF Bank Stadium during the inaugural dual-occupancy season with the Minnesota Vikings. Thorpe served as a student-athlete development intern at the University of Minnesota and logged significant community service hours with M.A.G.I.C. (Maroon & Gold Impacting the Community) as well.
Thorpe's professional experience also includes an internship in community relations with the Minnesota Twins where she was responsible for planning and executing the 1965 American League Champions 50th reunion and overseeing the Twins Care Tickets for Kids program along with coordinating personal philanthropic programs and events for multiple players.
A three-time letterwinner for the Maroon & Gold, Thorpe competed for the Gophers from 2011-12 to 2015-16. She concluded her collegiate career as Minnesota's program record-holder in the hammer throw with a mark of 63.30m (207-08) set at the 2016 NCAA Championship where she placed sixth to earn First Team All-American honors. Thorpe also ended her career ranked third in Minnesota history in the weight throw (19.72m, 64-08.50). She captained the Gophers to a share of the 2016 Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field title as a senior, placing fifth in hammer at the B1G meet. Thorpe was a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic team honoree, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, and Academic All-Big Ten honoree along with earning CoSIDA Academic All-District honors as a senior.
Sarah Wambheim, Athletic Trainer
Wambheim joins the Athletic Medicine staff at the University of Minnesota as an assistant athletic trainer, working with the Gopher men's and women's track & field and cross country teams. Prior to joining the Gophers, Wambheim was a Certified Athletic Training Fellow at the University of Kansas where she provided primary athletic training coverage for the women's tennis team and spirit squad, overseeing practices, strength & conditioning sessions, and competitions for the Jayhawks' tennis, cheer, and dance teams. She accompanied KU's women's tennis team to their first NCAA appearance in 17 years.
A graduate of North Dakota State University, Wambheim completed her Masters of Athletic Training at NDSU in May 2015 after earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Psychology & Health Education in August 2014. During her graduate studies, she wrote a case study titled "The Rare Presence of an Accessory Soleus Muscle Strain in a Male Division I Collegiate Track Sprinter" that was accepted to be presented at the 2015 National Athletic Trainer's Association (NATA) National Convention. She graduated as a Phi Kappa Phi Academic Honor Society inductee for maintaining a 4.0 grade point average throughout graduate school.
At NDSU, Wambheim also worked as an athletic training student for two years where she assisted the athletic training staff in medical coverage for the football, soccer, track & field, and wrestling programs. She worked with NDSU's football team through two FCS national titles.
Wambheim interned as a Sports Performance Coach for Wellefast Elite Sports Performance training and was able to work with collegiate soccer, tennis, and football players as well as local off-season NBA and NFL players after completing her undergraduate degree. Wambheim holds certifications as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), ICTA Certified Cupping Therapist (CCT), and American Red Cross: Emergency Medical Response Instructor. Her clinical interests include cupping therapy, functional movement screening, manual therapy/active release techniques, and functional rehabilitation.
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