University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Athletics Timeline (1980-1989)
1980
Led by Minnesota coach Herb Brooks and featuring six members of his Golden Gophers team, Team U.S.A. wins the Winter Olympics gold medal in the “Miracle on Ice.”
1981
Hobey Baker Award is created to honor America’s best male college hockey player; Minnesota’s Neal Broten is its first recipient.
1981
Gretchen Larson (left) is Minnesota’s first softball All-American; she’ll repeat two years later.
Chris Curry (right) becomes the first women’s swimming and diving national champion, winning the AIAW title in 3-meter diving.
Field hockey is discontinued as a varsity sport.
1982
Football games are now held off-campus, at the H.H.H. Metrodome.
1982
Merrily Dean Baker is hired as the third women’s athletics director. The same year, the NCAA becomes the primary governing body for women’s athletics and the AIAW dissolves after a 10-year run providing a competitive national platform.
Women’s crew earns varsity status from the university.
1982
In the first season under head coach John Anderson, the Gopher baseball program wins the Big Ten Tournament and advances to the NCAA Tournament.
1985
Women’s crew varsity club is discontinued.
1986
Ron Backes becomes Minnesota’s first NCAA indoor track and field champion, claiming the shot put title.
1986
Gopher Softball wins Minnesota's first official women's Big Ten title.
1986
Diane Wallner (left) wins an unprecedented four Big Ten swimming titles and earns five All-America awards. Wallner ends her career with a record 13 conference titles.
1988
Chris Voelz (right) is hired as the fourth women’s athletics director which she held until the men’s and women’s departments were merged in 2002.
1988
Women's Gymnastics wins its first conference title.
1989
Women’s gymnasts win individual titles in every event, plus the all-around, on their way to the Big Ten regular season title, their second in a row.
1989
Women’s golf wins the Big Ten title and finishes a program-record 12th at the NCAA Championships.
1989
Men’s hockey reaches fourth straight NCAA Frozen Four and win second straight McNaughton Cup under head coach Doug Woog.
1989
The volleyball program earns an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time, defeating Colorado in the first round.