University of Minnesota Athletics
2018 Golden Goldys Awarded
4/30/2018 12:00:00 AM | Student-Athlete Development
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University of Minnesota men's gymnastics, women's track & field and softball teams highlighted the 2018 Golden Goldys, held tonight at TCF Bank Stadium. These trio of teams took home eight Goldys as Intercollegiate Athletics recognized both the athletic and academic achievements of its 700 student-athletes.
Men's gymnastics earned the team of the year, coach of the year (Mike Burns), athlete of the year (Tristan Duran) and rookie of the year (Shane Wiskus). Finishing second as a team at the NCAA championships, the men's gymnastics team took home 96 podium finishes over the course of the season and 36 event titles. Male athlete of the year, Tristan Duran, was a nominee of the CGA Gymnast of the Year and won the Big Ten championship on the parallel bars. He was also named a First Team All-Big Ten honoree. Rookie honoree Shane Wiskus stormed onto the collegiate scene and was named the Big Ten Gymnast and Freshman of the Year. Named the CGA Rookie of the Year, Wiskus won seven Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors and later named to the First Team All-Big Ten. Under the helm of Mike Burns, the Gophers had three victories over top-five opponents this season, and was Central Region Coach of the Year.
Kaitlyn Long took home the female athlete of the year, while Temi Ogunrinde was awarded the female breakthrough athlete of the year. In just one year with the Gophers, Long became the NCAA and Big Ten indoor weight throw champion. A First Team All-American and All-Big Ten selection, she was also named the Midwest Region and Big Ten Women's Field Athlete of the Year. She scored 10 points at the Big Ten championship and led the Gophers to a conference title. Ogunrinde started last year's track season as an unranked athlete in Minnesota's all-time top 10. She went on to hold the program record by the end of the season and went on to become the Big Ten champion in the hammer throw.
Softball took home the women's team of the year after an outstanding 2017 season. The Golden Gophers won the Big Ten regular season title, the program's first since 1991. They also won the tournament championship for a NCAA automatic bid. Their 26 game win streak was the longest in program history and held a perfect 16-0 record at home. Led by freshman Kendyl Lindaman, the Gophers established a 56-5 overall record. Lindaman was named the Big Ten Player and Freshman of the Year, a First Team NFCA All-American and set the Minnesota single season records in home runs (20) RBI (tied-76), slugging percentage (.899), on-base percentage (.598) and walks (63).
Male breakthrough went to football's Tyler Johnson. As a freshman, Johnson went having 14 catches as a freshman, to leading the Gophers with 35 receptions for 677 yards (44.7% of team total) and seven touchdowns (77.7 percent of team total). He went on to garner All-Big Ten Honorable Mention his sophomore year. Volleyball's Hugh McCutcheon won his third-straight women's team coach of the year. After graduating three of its four top offensive players and the national player of the year, McCutcheon's volleyball program went on to compete in the Sweet 16 and posted a 28-6 overall record. Ranked in the top 25, the Gophers had three All-Americans and All-Big Ten selections.
For the second-straight year, the Big Ten Medal of Honor recipients were also announced at the Golden Goldys as basketball's Carlie Wagner and Derek Wiebke received the honors. The conference's most exclusive award was the first of its kind in intercollegiate athletics to recognize academic and athletic excellence. Wagner amassed 2,215 points and finished her career third on Minnesota's all-time career scoring list. A two-time Third Team Academic All-American, Wagner was also a three-time All-Big Ten selection, including first team her senior season. Wiebke was the 2017 Big Ten Indoor Mile champion, All-Big Ten First Team selection. His top mile performance of 4:01.85 ranks fourth-all time in Minnesota history. Off the track, Wiebke was Minnesota's Student-Athlete Advisory Council president, a multiple Academic All-American and All-Big Ten selection.
Wrestling's Tijani Karaborni and softball's Danielle Parlich were awarded the Land O'Lakes Outstanding Achievement Award in Leadership and Service. Selected by the Land O'Lakes committee, this award is given to one male and one female student-athlete who are accomplished in the areas of leadership and volunteerism. Competing with the Gopher wrestling program for four years, Karaborni was also a staple in the MAGIC program and Student Athlete Advisory Council. Named to the executive committee, Karaborni also was one of two student-athletes to represent the athletic department on the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee on the U of M campus. Not only has Parlich been a starter for Gopher softball, she has volunteered over 150 hours of community service work, been a camp counselor at MVP Seville Summer Camp, and a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council.
Football's Gary Moore and rowing's Allison Sterneman received the Richard Pinky McNamara Student-Athlete Achievement Award, 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. After losing his father at a young age and also overcoming a learning disability, Moore earned a bachleor's degree last fall. He currently is pursuing a masters of education degree in youth development and leadership. Allison Sterneman went through a difficult time when her mom received a rare diagnosis with hospice as a potential. Through the ups and downs of her mother's health, Sterneman was still able to maintain a 3.5 cumulative grade point average, the ability to continue through the stress of a college athlete, and most important, keep an upbeat and positive attitude through it all.
The Outstanding Academic Team Awards were presented to the men and women's teams representing both the large and small team categories. Large teams are made up of 22 members or more, while 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 winner was women's golf and the large team winner was women's cross country. On the men's side, it was men's cross country (small) and men's hockey (large).
The Top Five Award recognizes the five highest grade point averages by male and female student-athletes. On the women's side: Sabrine Garrison (golf), Mariam Khamis (swimming), Abigail Kargol (track/cross country), Emily Betz (track/cross country) and Maggie Werba (swimming); while the men's teams included: Micah Coffey (baseball), Alan LeBlang (swimming), Faris Karaborni (wrestling), Yaroslav Pochinka (gymnastics), Derek Wiebke (track/cross country).
The Lindahl Outstanding Student-Athlete Achievement Award is presented to one male and one female student-athlete in honor of their success in both the classroom and athletics. This year's recipient was women's hockey's Sydney Baldwin and men's gymnastics' Yaroslav Pochinka. Baldwin is set to graduate next month with degrees in human resource and health management. In addition to her success in the classroom, she was also the 2018 WCHA Player of the Year and helped the Gophers to two titles. Pochinka is set to graduate with honors this spring with a degree in neuroscience. In addition to his success in the classroom, he's an All-American on the vault, a Big Ten silver medalist and a member of this year's national runner-up team.
Women's cross country was awarded the Gladys Brooks Commitment to Academic Excellence Award, while men's tennis was awarded the Norman Borlaug Commitment to Academic Excellence Award. Lindsey Smit (track) and Joel Gagnon (gymnastics) were both given the Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship.
New this year to the Golden Goldys, the Ultimate Goldy Award is presented to teams or individuals that supported their fellow Gophers the most. Individual winners included diver Sarah Bacon and wrestler Faris Karaborni and the team awards went to soccer and men's swimming & diving.
The Teammate of the Year Award went to director of photography, Eric Miller. Over the past 15 years, Miller has been behind the lens of every Gopher Athletics program. From taking headshots to team photos, while shooting photos at events or even traveling with teams, you'll see Miller's images everywhere on social media, venues and historic archives.
The Tom H. Swain Campus Recognition Award was given this year to the Martin Luther King Jr. program on campus.
This year's banquet marked the 12th Golden Goldys gala and the 29th year of the Scholar Athlete banquet. The two banquets consolidated in 2010.
The Golden Goldys voting process includes spring sports of 2017 (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 2017-18 athletic year.
Male Athlete of the Year
Lucas Gilbreath, Baseball
Ethan Lizak, Wrestling
Connor McHugh, Swimming & Diving
Jordan Murphy, Basketball
Tristan Duran, Gymnastics
Female Athlete of the Year
Sarah Bacon, Swimming & Diving
Sydney Baldwin, Hockey
Sara Groenewegen, Softball
Kaitlyn Long, Track & Field
Stephanie Samedy, Volleyball
Madeline Strandemo, Track & Field
Male Rookie of the Year
Jordan Kozicky, Baseball
Stefan Milicevic, Tennis
Casey Mittlestadt, Hockey
Ben Psicihulis, Track & Field
Shane Wiskus, Gymnastics
Female Rookie of the Year
Kendyl Lindaman, Softball
Destiny Pitts, Basketball
Lexy Ramler, Gymnastics
Stephanie Samedy, Volleyball
Grace Zumwinkle, Hockey
Male Breakthrough Athlete of the Year
Bowen Becker, Swimming & Diving
Justin Doeden, Golf
Tyler Johnson, Football
Jonathan Webb, Track & Field
Female Breakthrough Athlete of the Year
Kenisha Bell, Basketball
Ivy Lu, Gymnastics
Temi Ogunrinde, Track & Field
Sydney Squires, Soccer
Dani Wagner, Softball
Men's Team of the Year
Baseball
Gymnastics
Swimming & Diving
Women's Team of the Year
Basketball
Softball
Track & Field
Volleyball
Men's Team Coach of the Year
John Anderson, Baseball
Mike Burns, Gymnastics
Kelly Kremer, Swimming & Diving
Women's Team Coach of the Year
Matt Bingle, Track & Field
Kelly Kremer, Swimming & Diving
Hugh McCutcheon, Volleyball
2018 winners in bold