A “coaching tree” historically refers to a head coach whose career has produced head coaching jobs for others. Sadly, this reference seems only to apply to White coaches. You often hear about the late Pat Summitt’s “tree,” but we hear nothing about Rutgers’ C. Vivian Stringer’s, the only Black coach to amass 1,000 career victories. […]
Gophers/College
Sports: a space for local and national sports news, with emphasis on stories pertaining to African Americans.
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Black Gopher swimmer and diver both proud of cultural impacts
Gopher senior swimmer Rachel Munson and junior diver Kristen Hayden reflect on their college successes and journeys.
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Final Four kickoff event a first for North Minneapolis
North Commons renovations are now underway for scheduled kickoff and national champion crowning.
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Intensity of college play a top challenge for Mac men’s hoops
The first year of a coach’s program is always the hardest. “I think we can have a top-25 Division III men’s basketball program” at Macalester, a top-25 liberal arts college, Abe Woldeslassie, the Scots’ first-year head coach, has pledged.
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It’s official: The facts show that referee bias is all too real
Do teams of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) get the respect they are due when playing predominately White institutions (PWIs)? That’s the question raised by a recent study on bias.
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A recent study shows that HBCU teams are penalized more when they play White schools.
Middle Tennessee State Communication Studies Professor Andrew Dix published a study last fall that examined 10 years of data (2008-17). It showed that HBCU women’s basketball teams are called for more fouls than predominately White institutions (PWIs). He also noted that an average of 1.5 times more fouls were called on 23 HBCUs than were […]
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The color of hockey: Two Black hockey coaches meet in a historic first
The Friday-Saturday NCHC regular season series has no more significance to most fans, media and others than two clubs meeting for the first time this season, but a closer look will show it is much more than that.
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Former metro prep stars make history while leading Augsburg to victory
In fact, many observers believe it is the first time this has happened in conference history.
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Basketball Classic starts here Friday!
Friday, November 30, the Gophers will play Oklahoma State at U.S. Bank Stadium in the Inaugural U.S. Bank Stadium Basketball Classic.
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Stringer is first Black NCAA coach to reach 1,000 career wins
On November 13 Stringer became the sixth women’s basketball coach in NCAA history and the fifth Division I coach to reach the grand milestone, which brought well-deserved worldwide acclaim.
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Seasoned volleyball veteran settles into leadership role
Alexis Hart amassed about 1,300 kills as a high school volleyball player in Kansas City, Mo. She’s now in the 1,000-kills club as a Minnesota Golden Gopher with more than a season and a half left in her collegiate career.
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HBCUs back in town for ‘money games’
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (APB) is one of two HBCUs playing the Gopher women this season at Williams Arena in what is commonly known in college athletics as “money games”
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It’s show time for new Whalen era of Gopher women’s hoops
As a first-time-ever coach at any level, Whalen assembled a staff with both familiarity and experience soon after she was hired this past spring.
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New Mac assistant coach anticipates opening-night jitters
It is first-year Head Coach Pamela Findley’s opening night at the St. Paul school — she was hired this past spring.
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Sade tunes help Gopher freshman calm pre-game jitters
Adanna Rollins initially wasn’t sure what to expect as a U of M freshman volleyball player other than the quick necessity for her game to reach college-level shape.
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Good at basketball, great at running
Hassan Mead ran cross country, indoor and outdoor track for Minnesota (2007-11) and still holds four school records in the 8,000 meters (cross country), 5,000 meters indoors, 5,000 and 10,000 meters outdoors.
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Non-athlete Black students show little enthusiasm for U of M Homecoming
Page is not the first Black grand marshal: Archie Givens, Jr. (2015), Clara Adams-Ender (2016), and Bobby Bell (twice chosen, 2001 and 2009) served in the past 25 years, U of M Alumni Association President/CEO Lisa Lewis pointed out. “Choosing Page was pretty easy,” she explained.
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‘Fantastic Four’ prep photos of the week
Gabrielle McCaa, Maddy McIntosh, Kendall Coley and Raegan Alexander — who led St. Louis Park past Park Center 3-2 in a Metro West Conference showdown. The Oriels defeated Richfield 3-0 last week as well. Check out the pics and captions
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Adjustments required for college soccer newcomer
After nearly a half-calendar year on the Twin Cities campus, the team’s only Black player said she hasn’t experienced homesickness as most out-state freshmen typically face, but she wasn’t able to avoid the usual first-year athletic adjustments from high school to college ball. “The soccer is crazy different from playing in high school. A big surprise,” she quickly learned.
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Suspended in the limbo between college play and the pros
Not many athletes seamlessly go from a mid-major to a Power Five conference, but the 5’-10” guard did when she went from the MAC to the Big Ten. “The transition going from the MAC to the Big Ten was a huge one,” Morton admitted.