Posted by Kelly Salwei
    JENNY HANSEN - GOPHERS WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS COACH, JAMIE TRACHSEL - GOPHERS WOMEN'S SOFTBALL COACH, AND MIKE BURNS - GOPHERS MEN'S GYMNASTICS COACH
    Jenny Hansen has been part of the Minnesota Gopher Gymnastics program for 20 years. As a high school athlete she was recruited to a very strong national program. Her teams have won 3 of the last 5 Big 10 titles while attaining a 3.4 GPA during the past two years. They are planning a Rotary day at the Pavillion. Their motto is “Always Golden” and 75% of athletes remain in MN after graduation.
     
    Jamie Trachsel earned 17 letters in High School. She said she always knew she wanted to be a coach. She began her coaching career at NDSU where she coached for 14 years, guiding the program from Division II to Division I, defeating Oklahoma along the way. She was recruited away by Iowa State where she spent 14 months before getting the opportunity to come back to MN and assume the head coaching position at the U of M. She mentioned her surprise regarding the Big 10 conference academic emphasis which has become a selling point. None of her players from last year left when her predecessor left.
     
    Mike Burns was a walk-on athlete and knows what it takes to succeed. He indicated that Athletic Director Mark Coyle is “making a huge difference”. The academic support for MN athletes is “off the charts”. He indicated that they are trying to move the men’s and women’s Gymnastics programs to vacant space in TCF Bank Stadium. The team was 5th in nation and 3rd in Big Ten. One individual athlete (Alex Wittenberg) was a Big Ten Champion and they had five All Americans at the NCAA Championships.
     
    ANNOUNCEMENTS
    • Vino Classico is October 7th
      • SELL, SELL, SELL those tickets! Approximately one-third of goal in event ticket sales.
      • Get your silent auction items to Carol or Jeanne. Up to 99 items, looking for 125.
      • Get your wine donations to Elaine or give her cash and she will shop for you. Half way to goal.
    • Prop Fundraiser 9/28 6-9 p.m. at dugo (Galleria). They will donate 10% of sales to PROP and store manager will present fall fashion trends at 7 p.m.
    • Steve Rummler Foundation Gala Fundraiser, Unmasking Opioid Addiction 10/27/2017 at Westin in Edina. Click here for more information.
    • Milla, our former exchange student from Finland, will be visiting our club.
     
    HAPPY FINES
    • Robb Hiller is happy about clean pet scan
    • Mike Lewis shared news from his daughter who is in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia
    • Elaine Larabee is happy to see Carol Bomben
     
    VISITORS
    Steve Cwodzinski - Prospective Member
    Eric Hemme - Prospective Member
    Holly Link - Prospective Member