University of Minnesota Athletics
Photo by: Christopher Mitchell
Gopher Athletics Celebrates National Girls and Women in Sports Day
2/6/2019 2:50:00 PM | Athletics
University of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day both on and off campus this year with a variety of events throughout the week.
The University of Minnesota had four individuals receive recognition at the 33rd annual Minnesota Girls and Women in Sports Day. Gathering at the Minnesota History Center, current athletic employee Chris Howell, former Gopher women's basketball standout Angie Iverson Ohnstad and the Tucker Center (Mary Jo Kane and Nicole LaVoi) all received awards.
Chris Howell received a Breaking Barriers award. Howell has long been an advocate for student-athletes, coaches and officials. The award is given to individuals or organizations that have broken barriers, overcome challenges and/or strive to provide athletic opportunities for girls and women of all races, all ages, and all levels of ability. Howell is in her 32nd year at the University of Minnesota, and her 22nd with athletics administration, where she provides daily support for the Executive Associate Athletic Director, organizes major projects for the department and manages travel for post-season competitions. She is a former assistant basketball coach at both UCLA and Minnesota, was inducted into the University of Minnesota's Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 as an assistant coach for the 1981 Big Ten Champions and in 2009 for the 1982 AIAW Region VI Champions. She served as a college and high school basketball official, is a member of the Minnesota Coalition of Women in Athletic Leadership Committee, Vice President of the Minnesota High School Basketball Hall of Fame Committee, a facilitator for North Memorial Hospital Safe Journey Program and mentors young athletes and basketball officials.
Angie Iverson-Ohnstad has dedicated her life to girls' and women's athletics and also received a Breaking Barriers award. The Owatonna, Minn., native starred as a member of the University of Minnesota basketball team. She was a four-year letter winner, two-time team captain and earned All-Big Ten honors twice. Making the transition from player to coach, Iverson-Ohnstad has coached girls' basketball in Lakeville for 13 years. After serving as an assistant at Lakeville North from 2000-06, she took over as the head coach at Lakeville South in 2011 – a position she still holds. As well as coaching high school basketball, Iverson-Ohnstad also coaches youth traveling basketball and AAU basketball. No matter what level she coaches at, she provides her athletes with an environment where they gain confidence by learning new skills and achieving success.
Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, received the Legacy award. For 25 years, the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport has been conducting research and educating people around the country about the importance of girls and women not only competing in sports but coaching and being involved in sports at all levels – from right here in Minnesota. Housed in the College of Education and Human Development's School of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota, the Tucker Center was started in 1993 by Dorothy McNeill Tucker and is the first research center of its kind in the world. It is dedicated solely to the study of girls and women in sport. Since its inception in 1993, the Tucker Center has helped provide advocacy, education, and outreach on issues of both national and local significance, and has encouraged researchers, policymakers, educators, parents and practitioners to work together to improve the lives of girls and women in sport. Through that education and training, the Tucker Center has helped to bring awareness in Minnesota and at a national level not only to the inequalities girls and women face in sports, but also the positive impact that sports can have on girls and women throughout their lives.
Although National Girls and Women in Sports was on Feb. 6, Gopher Athletics celebrated it all last week on campus. A variety of events were highlighted throughout Gopher women's hockey, tennis and basketball games.
Due to inclement weather, the on-campus celebration scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 5 at TCF Bank Stadium was postponed for a later date.
The University of Minnesota had four individuals receive recognition at the 33rd annual Minnesota Girls and Women in Sports Day. Gathering at the Minnesota History Center, current athletic employee Chris Howell, former Gopher women's basketball standout Angie Iverson Ohnstad and the Tucker Center (Mary Jo Kane and Nicole LaVoi) all received awards.
Chris Howell received a Breaking Barriers award. Howell has long been an advocate for student-athletes, coaches and officials. The award is given to individuals or organizations that have broken barriers, overcome challenges and/or strive to provide athletic opportunities for girls and women of all races, all ages, and all levels of ability. Howell is in her 32nd year at the University of Minnesota, and her 22nd with athletics administration, where she provides daily support for the Executive Associate Athletic Director, organizes major projects for the department and manages travel for post-season competitions. She is a former assistant basketball coach at both UCLA and Minnesota, was inducted into the University of Minnesota's Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 as an assistant coach for the 1981 Big Ten Champions and in 2009 for the 1982 AIAW Region VI Champions. She served as a college and high school basketball official, is a member of the Minnesota Coalition of Women in Athletic Leadership Committee, Vice President of the Minnesota High School Basketball Hall of Fame Committee, a facilitator for North Memorial Hospital Safe Journey Program and mentors young athletes and basketball officials.
Angie Iverson-Ohnstad has dedicated her life to girls' and women's athletics and also received a Breaking Barriers award. The Owatonna, Minn., native starred as a member of the University of Minnesota basketball team. She was a four-year letter winner, two-time team captain and earned All-Big Ten honors twice. Making the transition from player to coach, Iverson-Ohnstad has coached girls' basketball in Lakeville for 13 years. After serving as an assistant at Lakeville North from 2000-06, she took over as the head coach at Lakeville South in 2011 – a position she still holds. As well as coaching high school basketball, Iverson-Ohnstad also coaches youth traveling basketball and AAU basketball. No matter what level she coaches at, she provides her athletes with an environment where they gain confidence by learning new skills and achieving success.
Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, received the Legacy award. For 25 years, the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport has been conducting research and educating people around the country about the importance of girls and women not only competing in sports but coaching and being involved in sports at all levels – from right here in Minnesota. Housed in the College of Education and Human Development's School of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota, the Tucker Center was started in 1993 by Dorothy McNeill Tucker and is the first research center of its kind in the world. It is dedicated solely to the study of girls and women in sport. Since its inception in 1993, the Tucker Center has helped provide advocacy, education, and outreach on issues of both national and local significance, and has encouraged researchers, policymakers, educators, parents and practitioners to work together to improve the lives of girls and women in sport. Through that education and training, the Tucker Center has helped to bring awareness in Minnesota and at a national level not only to the inequalities girls and women face in sports, but also the positive impact that sports can have on girls and women throughout their lives.
Although National Girls and Women in Sports was on Feb. 6, Gopher Athletics celebrated it all last week on campus. A variety of events were highlighted throughout Gopher women's hockey, tennis and basketball games.
Due to inclement weather, the on-campus celebration scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 5 at TCF Bank Stadium was postponed for a later date.
National Girls and Women in Sports Day
Wednesday, February 04
Cub Plays of the Week
Wednesday, September 24
Cub Plays of the Week
Thursday, September 18
Cub Plays of the Year
Monday, July 14