University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Gophers Name Captains for Upcoming Season
11/12/2021 2:00:00 PM | Tennis
Emilee Duong and Rachel Hanford will lead the team as captains
Minneapolis - The Gophers have named their captains for the upcoming spring season: Emilee Duong and Rachel Hanford. The two captains will lead Minnesota into regular season play for 2022.
Emilee Duong joins the Gophers as a graduate transfer from Illinois, and brings a wealth of experience to Minnesota. Her quick acclimation and veteran presence will help to guide the team. Duong shared what being named captain means to her, "I am extremely grateful to both Coach Thompson and Coach Kelley for providing me with the opportunity to lead such an extraordinary team, alongside Rachel, even though I am one of its newest members! I hope to utilize what I have learned from my past experiences and help each of my teammates reach their full potential as both competitors and people. This team has so much talent, and I know that we can accomplish the goals we've set for ourselves and take the program to new heights. I am very excited to see what this upcoming season has in store for us".
Duong will be joined by Rachel Hanford, who emerged as both a strong competitor and leader in her freshman year as a Gopher. She enters her second season as a captain set to guide Minnesota to a successful season. Hanford spoke on what being a captain means, "It's an honor and I am extremely excited about the opportunity to be one of the leaders of the team. We have so much depth and talent on the team this year as well as the strength of the coaches. I think [this] will position us for a successful season. Everyone has been putting in a lot of work on and off the court and I'm confident that it will pay off. Overall it's a privilege to be co-captain with Emilee this year and I'm pumped for what's to come".
Coach Catrina Thompson on the naming of the Gophers captains, "Emilee and Rachel were selected 2021 - 2022 team captains by their teammates. Coaches and Staff are in agreement acknowledging their work ethic, passion, drive and ability to lead the team this season".
Minnesota's regular season play will kick off in January, with Emilee Duong and Rachel Hanford looking to lead the team to a strong season.