The University of Minnesota’s M Club Hall of Fame received 13 new members earlier this month. The M Club Hall of Fame is one of the oldest and largest clubs for athletes who earn a varsity letter in a University of Minnesota sport.

The M Club oversees the University’s athletics department Hall of Fame, as the school’s varsity sport alumni club. With an athletic history of more than a century, many University student-athletes, coaches and administrators have been inducted, dating back all the way to the 1880s.

The M Club welcomed its newest members on Sept. 16 in Club Cambria at Huntington Bank Stadium during an in-person ceremony.

Brandon Eggum (Wrestling, 1997-00) — Eggum was a two-time Big Ten champion, a three-time All-American and the 1999 NCAA runner-up at 184 lbs. Eggum is entering his sixth season as the Gophers men’s wrestling head coach but has been involved with the program for 22 years.

Veronica (Martin) Eriksson (Track and Field, 1991-94) — Eriksson was a 1993 Big Ten champion, three-time NCAA All-American and 1993 NCAA indoor pole vault champion. She represented Sweden in the 2000 Olympic Games.

Paula Gentil (Volleyball, 2002-05) — Gentil was selected for the All-Big Ten selection four times, was a three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, competed in two NCAA Final Fours and was on the 2004 NCAA Final Four All-Tournament team. She was the first three-time All-American in school history and concluded her career as the NCAA record holder in digs with 2,971.

Dave Haberle (Golf, 1968-71) — Haberle was part of the 1971 All-Big Ten, was a 1971 Big-Ten champion and a 1970 and 1971 All-American. He was also inducted into the Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame, was the 1970 Minnesota State Golfer of the Year and was state open champion.

Jeff Hackler (Swimming, 2000-03) — Hackler was an 11-time Big Ten champion and part of the 2001 and 2002 Big Ten championship teams. He was also a 16-time All-American (third most in school history) and an eight-time First Team All-American.

Ron Johnson (Football, 1998-01) — Johnson was part of the All-Big Ten First Team in 2000 and led the Gophers in receptions and receiving yards for three seasons. He set program records in career receiving yards, receptions and receiving touchdowns.

Dana (Larson) Birk (Soccer, 1996-99) — Birk was part of the 1997 All-Big Ten First team, was the starting goalie for 1997 Big Ten Championship team and was part of four NCAA Tournament teams.

John Pohl (Men’s Hockey, 1998-02) — Phol was part of the 2002 All-American First Team and was captain for the 2002 NCAA title team. He was also one of nine players in school history with 200 career points, was a two-time team captain and was part of the 2002 All-WCHA first team.

Terry Silkaitis (Swimming, 2002-05) — Silkaitis was a 10-time Big Ten Champion with five individual titles, a 23-time All-American, the 2003 Big Ten Swimmer of the Year and was the most decorated swimmer in school history.

Jillian Tyler (Swimming, 2008-11) — Tyler was a four-time Big Ten champion in 100 breaststroke, an NCAA champion in 100 breaststroke, a seven-time NCAA individual finalist and received 13 All-America awards.

Clyde Turner (Basketball, 1971-73) — Turner was part of the 1972 All-Big Ten First Team, the 1973 All-Big Ten second team and the 1972 Big-Ten Championship team. He averaged a team best of 18.6 and 18.1 points per game in two seasons. Turner died on Aug. 9 and was inducted posthumously.

Jenny (Shaughnessy) Ferris (Swimming, 2006-09) — Ferris was an eight-time Big Ten champion, a member of the 2008 Big Ten championship team, the 2009 Big-Ten Swimmer of the Championships, a 12-time All-American and held six records upon graduation.

Nora Sauska (Tennis, 2006-09) — Sauska was the only athlete in University history to be a four-time All-Big Ten First Team singles player. Sauska also led Minnesota to three NCAA Regional berths, the longest streak in school history, and attained a 24-11 singles record as a junior with an 8-2 mark in Big Ten play.

Sept. 15: vs. No. 22 Pepperdine

The first game of the Diet Coke Classic kicked off on Thursday with a matchup between the No. 6 ranked Golden Gophers and No. 22 ranked Pepperdine Waves.

After a back-and-forth start, Gophers head coach Hugh McCutcheon called a pair of timeouts as Pepperdine began to cut into their 11-6 lead. Coming out of the break, Jenna Wenaas nailed a kill, tying the game at 25, leading Minnesota to take the first set 28-26.

After a kill from freshman Mckenna Wucherer and blocks from Ellie Husemann and Wenaas, Minnesota jumped out to a 3-0 lead in set No. 2. However, Pepperdine controlled the rest of the set, winning 25-20 and tying the match.

Set three was nothing short of a struggle for the Gophers. Pepperdine started out strong, scoring 11 of the first 13 points to put them up with a very significant 11-2 lead. An ace from Elise McGhie and a kill from Taylor Landfair gave the Gophers serious momentum, cutting the deficit to 25-18 but ultimately falling short.

Initially, set four was not much better for the Gophers. Pepperdine scored five of the first six points, leading to an early Minnesota timeout. The Waves had a predominant lead, but a fire ignited within the Gophers as they went on a 6-2 run midway through the set with kills from Carter Booth, Landfair and Wucherer. It was too little too late though, as Pepperdine won a third straight set and the match.

Redshirt-sophomore Landfair totaled double digits for kills the seventh time this season and 25th time in her career. In total, she scored 16 kills against Pepperdine. In her college debut, true freshman and top recruit, Wucherer, impressed, scoring 13 kills.

Sept. 17: vs. Washington State

The Gophers’ weekend ended with a Saturday night tilt against Washington State in their final non-conference game of the season.

Minnesota went on a pivotal 5-0 scoring run to take an early 10-5 lead in the first set, forcing the Cougars to call a timeout. After the break, another 5-0 Gophers’ scoring run led by blocks from Melani Shaffmaster and Husemann, an ace from CC McGraw and a kill from Wenaas ultimately led to a dominant 25-16 first set victory.

The Gophers dominated set number two. It was one of the best all season for Minnesota, hitting .565 with multiple kills from Landfair, Booth, Wucherer, Husemann and Wenaas, winning 25-13.

With their back against the wall, the Cougars took an early lead in the third set, scoring seven of the first eleven points. It was a back-and-forth affair, but after a brief media timeout, the Cougars were able to build on their 18-15 lead. Two late kills from Booth and Wucherer tied the game at 24, but Washington State scored the last two, winning the third set 26-24.

The fourth set started with a kill from Washington State’s Katy Ryan. This, however, would be the only time Minnesota trailed in the set. Minnesota would eventually win the final set and match 25-20.

Minnesota moves to 5-3 for the 2022 season and will travel to West Lafayette, Indiana to play Purdue on Friday in its Big Ten season opener.

The No. 3 ranked Gophers women’s volleyball team had a busy weekend, hosting the annual Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge.

The Gophers played their first game of the tournament on Friday against No. 18 Oregon. The first few plays of the game proved to be a little rough for Minnesota as the Ducks scored six of the first nine points.

Minnesota was able to regain momentum after an 8-1 scoring run. Highlighted by a kill and ace from Taylor Landfair, two more kills from Ellie Husemann and Jenna Wenaas and a block from Carter Booth and Naya Gros as they took the first set with a score of 25-20.

The second set was just as intense, with early kills from Julia Hanson, Naya Gros and Taylor Landfair. Oregon quickly responded with a five point scoring run to take a 15-10 lead. After a brief media timeout, the Gophers ran with the momentum and scored 6 of the next 7 points.

Following a timeout, a block from Gros and Wenaas and a kill from Wenaas tied the set at 21. Minnesota continued their scoring run after an Oregon timeout, winning the set 25-22.

Set three began with both teams going back and forth on the scoreboard. Once the score reached 10-9, the Ducks took off going on a 7-2 scoring run, jumping out to a 17-11 lead. Minnesota did not come within five points of the Ducks’ lead and would lose the set 25-18.

The fourth set was nothing less than a battle for the Gophers. The Ducks carried over their momentum from the previous set and scored seven of the first nine points to take an early 7-2 lead. Minnesota responded with a 6-2 scoring run that cut Oregon’s lead to three with the score at 12-9. The Ducks would maintain their lead with the score at 15-10 until Minnesota finally went on a 5 point scoring run to tie the game 15-15.

After an Oregon timeout, Landfair earned a kill to put the Gophers on top 21-20. After a late timeout, Minnesota went on a 3-1 scoring run to win the game 27-25.

The Gophers were led by redshirt sophomore Taylor Landfair who attained 28 kills setting a career high. It was her fourth time in five games leading the team in kills and her third career match with 20+ kills.

The following day the Gophers took on the No. 11 ranked Stanford Cardinals.

The first set began with both teams fired up and ready to play. Once the score reached 17-17, Stanford began to lead. Melani Shaffmaster threw down a kill after a Minnesota timeout, bringing the score to 20-22. Stanford responded with three straight kills and won the set 25-20

The second set was largely dominated by the Cardinals, as they scored 8 of the first 10 points. The Gophers were able to cut the deficit to four, but Stanford ultimately won the set 25-18.

The Gophers put up a fight in the third set of play. Stanford put up a strong lead at 17-13, but after a Minnesota timeout, the Gophers went on a four-point scoring run that tied the game at 17. After a kill by Landfair that put the Gophers in front, they were able to use that momentum to carry them to win the set 25-22.

The fourth set was owned and dominated by Stanford. They took a very early lead at 12-4. The Cardinals capitalized on this and went on a 5-point run to win the set and match 25-12.

After a 1-1 weekend, Minnesota moves to 4-2 for the season. Next on the schedule is a Sept. 15 home match against the Pepperdine Waves.

Men’s basketball head coach Ben Johnson introduced University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel to the team during Tuesday’s practice to help award junior Will Ramberg a scholarship as the team made final preparations for their upcoming season.

“It’s really fun for me to be able to come out and see you all start your year,” Gabel said as she started talking to the team. “I have a message for you that I would like you all to read to yourselves.”

Gabel then asked Ramberg to read an introductory message for the upcoming season to the rest of the team. It wasn’t until he reached the end of his statement that he found out the news.

Hard work never goes unnoticed, congratulations on your scholarship @willramberg!

Thanks for the assist, President Gabel! pic.twitter.com/HjSZoXDo1v

— Minnesota Men’s Basketball (@GopherMBB) September 6, 2022

“From Day 1, there was no expectations and he just kept grinding and grinding and grinding and is a big part of what we are doing,” Johnson said in the video posted to Twitter

After transferring from McGill University in Canada, Ramberg appeared in 13 games in his first season with the Gophers. He averaged 3.7 minutes per game, totaling five points and four rebounds for the season.

Hailing from Grand Marais, Minnesota, Ramberg could be in line for an increased role for the upcoming season. The Gophers will tip off their 2022-23 campaign on Nov. 2 in an exhibition game against local Division III St. Olaf College.

Head coach Ben Johnson announced on Monday that 6 foot 8 inch forward Kadyn Betts will reclassify and join the men’s basketball team for their 2022-23 season this fall.

Kadyn Betts comes from Pueblo, Colorado and is currently ranked as the No. 87 2023 recruit in the country, according to Prep Hoops. He previously played prep basketball for Pueblo Central High School and the P.L.U.T.O. Prospects AAU program.

Betts first committed to Minnesota on July 1, making him the first Gopher basketball member of the class of 2023. At that time, he had plans to play for the Huntington Prep basketball program as a senior.

In his junior campaign at Pueblo Central, Betts averaged 22.7 points, a 12.3 record, 3.6 blocks, 2 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He served as the team captain and led Pueblo Central to a 23-4 record and a state 4A Final Four appearance.

This summer, Betts played with the P.L.U.T.O. Prospects. He was named to the Battle at the Lakes 17U All-Tournament team, scored 31 points and had seven threes at the Freedom Classic in Denver and recently scored 43 points in a single game at the Atlanta Prep Hoops event earlier this summer.

“We are extremely excited to add Kadyn Betts to our 2022-23 Gopher roster,” Johnson said. “Kadyn comes from a great basketball family. I love his high academic background along with his contagious passion and energy for Gopher Basketball. He has a great skill set with an ability to really shoot the basketball. I love his size and versatility he will bring to our wing position and I look forward to developing him both on and off the court.”

In the classroom, Betts is a straight A-student and served as the junior class president at Pueblo Central. He will be the third member of his family to participate in NCAA basketball. His father played at San Diego State and his brother played at Air Force and Colorado School of Mines.

In 5.1 innings of work, former Gophers star pitcher Max Meyer conceded five earned runs, one walk and five strikeouts against the Philadelphia Phillies Saturday, marking his first career start in a Miami Marlins uniform.

The Marlins announced on Twitter Thursday that 2020 No. 3 overall pick Max Meyer would be joining the team as a pitcher and put into their starting rotation.

Meyer debuted as a relief pitcher for the Gophers, tying the program record with 16 saves as a true freshman in 2018. He developed into an elite starting option, closing out with a team-low 1.95 earned run average and team-high 46 strikeouts as a junior, leading the Big Ten in that category.

The Marlins selected him as third overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft following three seasons with the Gophers. His slider was one of the best pitches in the draft, and his fastball was in the mid-90s.

Hailing from Woodbury, Minnesota, Meyer quickly rose through the Marlins’ organization’s minor league system, pitching for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Jupiter Hammerheads and most recently the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.

His rapid development resulted in a call up to the big leagues. In his first game with the Marlins, Meyer came out with a 94.7 mph four-seamer as his first pitch, which resulted in a strike. His first strikeout ended a 10-pitch battle with Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins and came on his patented slider.

Meyer held the Phillies scoreless until the fourth inning. He gave three straight two-out hits, and the Marlins were then down 2-0.

“He has a really good slider. Obviously the swing-and-miss stuff — his fastball is good, he mixed the changeup in when he needed to. I thought he threw the ball really well, especially for your first start,” Phillies catcher Realmuto said to MLB.com.

Realmuto said Meyer seemed confident and in control on the mound, adding that Meyer could be a good pitcher for a long time.

“Almost everybody you see now has good stuff,” Marlins head coach Don Mattingly said to MLB.com. “You see these guys with stuff, and it’s a guy that has the understanding of how to get better, and the belief in himself to continue to work, to learn to keep always evolving and what that means here. Those are the guys that end up being the better guys.”

Meyer concluded his MLB debut game with five earned runs, one walk and five strikeouts over 5.1 innings. Overall, he totaled 53 strikes and threw 79 total pitches.

Although the Marlins came up short 10-0, Meyer proved to be a promising young pitcher in the MLB.

“He’s going to have to go through it and get to a point where he can figure out where his adjustments are. Every guy I’ve ever had has gone through that process. I love his stuff. I love the competitive nature,” Marlins pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. said to the Miami Herald on Friday.

Last week was a memorable time for the Minnesota hockey community as five Gophers were selected to play in the NHL during last week’s draft in Montreal.

The Gophers had three athletes drafted in the first round, setting a program record for the most first round picks since 2006.

At Thursday night’s draft, center Logan Cooley was drafted third overall by the Arizona Coyotes. Cooley is the second highest drafted Gophers hockey player ever. Cooley is known as an elite skater, a two-way, playmaking center and he was No. 2 in Central Scouting’s final ranking of North American skaters.

The second Gopher to be drafted was right-wing Jimmy Snuggerud. Snuggerud was drafted 23rd overall by the St. Louis blues, becoming the 11th Minnesota player to be selected by the Blues.

Snuggerud scored 63 points in 59 games including seven power-play goals while playing in the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. He is also the sixth father/son Gophers’ duo to be drafted. His father Dave Snuggerud was drafted in 1987 by the Buffalo Sabres.

Just two picks after Snuggerud, defensemen Sam Rinzel was drafted 25th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks. Rinzel hails from Chaska High School and will play next season with Waterloo in the United States Hockey League before (USHL) joining the Gophers for the 2023-24 season.

The second round of the NHL draft began Friday morning when the Washington Capitals selected defenseman Ryan Chelsey, 37th overall. He was also part of the U.S. National Team Development Program and scored 29 points in 59 games for the under-18 team last season.

Finishing off the Gophers’ picks was forward Connor Kurth. Kurth was selected 192nd overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He played in 52 games and scored 15 goals and 41 points for the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL.

While nothing is confirmed, the Gophers plan to open their season on Oct. 1 at the Mariucci arena against Lindenwood. Cooley, Snuggerud, Chelsey and Kurth will all wear the Maroon and Gold at Mariucci this fall. Rinzel will soon join them in 2023.

Minnesota Gophers head coach Bob Motzko announced on June 29 that defensemen Brock Faber and Jackson LaCombe as well as forward Jaxon Nelson will be captains for the 2022-23 season

The three were valuable assets to the Gophers’ success last year. Combined, they scored a total of 54 points, leading the Gophers to the Big Ten regular season title and the 22nd NCAA Frozen Four in program history.

The team will be entering its 102nd season of play, bringing the total number of gophers to serve as captain to 178. Team captains date back to the 1921-22 season.

Brock Faber, from Maple Grove Minnesota, was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings, but on June 29, the Kings traded his rights to the Minnesota Wild.

Last season, Faber became the third Gopher ever to receive the Big Ten defensive player of the year title and was selected for the academic All-Big Ten team. He also played for the U.S. Men’s Hockey team in the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.

Jackson LaCombe, from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, was drafted to the Anaheim Ducks in the second round of the 2019 NHL draft but will be returning to the Gophers for the 2022-23 season.

He has played more than 100 games in his tenure and has missed only four games throughout his career. All four can be attributed to his assistance with the U.S. National Junior Team and their gold medal victory at the 2021 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championship.

The fourth-year defenseman was selected for the 2020-21 All-America second team. He was also named All-Big Ten each of the previous two seasons, after earning Big Ten-All Freshman team honors in his first season.

Jaxon Nelson, from Magnolia Minnesota, previously competed in the 2017 USA Hockey All American prospects game and is currently ranked fifth in Minnesota State High School history with 290 career points.

Nelson scored two goals against Penn State last November, resulting in a career-high of six goals for the year. He also tallied the game-winning goal in the 2021 Big Ten tournament title game against Wisconsin. He earned Academic All-Big Ten honors each of the last two seasons.

“These three are following in a long line of incredible Gopher leadership, and I know they’ll continue to carry that tradition this season,” Motzko said in a statement. “They have given their heart and soul to this program, so it’s only fitting that they have this opportunity to lead.”

Head coach Ben Johnson and the Golden Gophers are set to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies, led by Mike Young, next season for the annual Big Ten/ACC challenge, followed by Head Coach Tony Stubblefield and DePaul’s Blue Demons for the Gavitt Tipoff Games.

The Big Ten/ACC Challenge is set to take place on Monday, Nov. 28 in Blacksburg, Virginia. The date and time for the Gavitt Tipoff Game between Minnesota and DePaul is TBD.

The Gophers are 12-11 all time in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. They have won their last three challenge games, including a tight competition against Pittsburgh last year, where they narrowly defeated the Panthers with a final score of 54-53.

Last year, Virginia Tech finished the season going 23-12. They went on to win the ACC Tournament and were granted an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament where they lost to Texas Tech in the round of 64.

The 2022 Big Ten/ACC Challenge will be the second time Minnesota has played against Virginia Tech. The two teams last played in the 2011 Big Ten/ACC Challenge, where the Gophers defeated the Hokies 58-55.

The Gavitt Games began in 2015 and only eight Big Ten teams are selected to play each year. The Gophers have been selected to play three times and hold a record of 2-1 in the competition. They last played in the Gavitt Games in 2019 and lost to the Butler Bulldogs.

DePaul has played in the Gavitt Games six times. It currently holds a record of 3-3 in the competition. Their most recent appearance was in 2021, when they defeated the Scarlet Knights from Rutgers.

The Blue Demons finished last season with a record of 15-16 and finished 10 out of 11 in the Big East conference with a record of 6-14 in conference play.

The last time the Gophers met the Blue Demons was November 2019 when DePaul came away with a 73-68 victory at Williams Arena.

Isabelle McCauley has become the face of golf in the state of Minnesota. 

While a senior at Simley High School, she stood out at the annual Minnesota Golf Champions Tournament last fall. She put together rounds of 66.71 and 70 for a 54-hole total of 9-under 207 to become the first woman to ever win the event. 

McCauley had to miss the Minnesota State Championship tournament because she became the first ever Minnesotan to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open, one of the Ladies Professional Golf Association’s (LPGA) four major tournaments.

Throughout the high school season, McCauley received a medal ten times and never finished worse than second in an event. In 2021, she was ranked as the No. 1 high school girls’ player in the state.

McCauley attributes much of her golfing knowledge to her father. As a 6-year-old, her father would take her to Rich Valley Golf Club to work on her golf game, doling out Skittles and Starburst candy as rewards for good shots. 

Earlier this month, McCauley was awarded Ms. Minnesota Golf, an award annually given to one female high school senior based on performance on the golf course, academic achievement and strength of character.

“Her resume is extensive, highlighted with her qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open last summer,” Gophers head coach Rhyll Brismead said in McCauley’s player bio. “She is currently ranked eighth in the nation for the class of 2022 and will be the most highly ranked athlete this program has ever signed.”

McCauley stated in her bio she chose the University of Minnesota because of the amazing team, culture and coaches.