Gophers women’s track and field started the outdoor season ranked No. 45 in the nation, but their ranking dropped to No. 86 just a month into the season.

Though the women’s team has a lot of strong competitors, very few of them are able to rank nationally. After starting the season ranked No. 45, they fell to No. 76 heading into week three of the season before falling to No. 86. 

The Gophers have excelled on the individual level despite their rankings.

Multiple Gophers set lifetime bests throughout various different meets and moved their way up in the school record books.

Redshirt sophomore Anthonett Nabwe set two lifetime bests at the Throwtown Ramona World Invitational meet in Oklahoma last weekend. The event catered to all professional throwers, not just collegiate ones.

Nabwe’s performance moved her to No. 2 in the Gophers record book for discus and No. 3 in hammer throw. Her hammer throw earned her seventh place in the event, but she was first among collegiate competitors.

“I did like the environment because I love seeing athletes who throw better than you,” Nabwe said. “I think it helps you push yourself.”

At the beginning of the season, Nabwe was named an athlete to watch by the Big Ten, and she finished her indoor season as an All-American.

Redshirt sophomore Hadley Streit, also named an All-American after her indoor season, said that she loved working and competing with Nabwe.

“It’s like having a constant competitor here,” Streit said. “Although we’re teammates, we’re able to push each other.”

Streit set a lifetime best in hammer throw during the Pepsi Florida Relays, moving to No. 6 in Gophers history.

Though the two throwers set lifetime bests, Streit said they are constantly looking for ways to improve.

“I feel like what helps me is looking back at the film of the throw,” Streit said. “I can look at the form of that mark and just see that there’s a lot of things I can still improve.”

Nabwe and Streit were the only two Gophers to compete in the NCAA Indoor Championship. They are both looking to continue their work and compete in the NCAA Outdoor Championship at the end of the semester.

At the Bryan Clay Invitational, freshman Isabelle Schmitz and redshirt sophomore Zoie Dundon were able to make their way onto the NCAA ranking for 3000m steeplechase.

Dundon is now ninth among NCAA athletes for the steeplechase and Schmitz is 11th.

During the Raleigh Relays, redshirt sophomore Ali Weimer broke the school record for the 10,000m, however, it only ranked her No. 20 in the NCAA.

Other Gophers faced similar fates, as graduate student Erin Reidy and Dundon both set a lifetime best in the 800m, moving them into the top 10 of Gophers history, but Reidy placed No. 20 in the event.

Redshirt sophomore Izzy Roemer and fifth-year Emma Atkinson also moved into the top 10 in Gophers history with their 5000m performance, but again did not place elsewhere.

The Gophers need to improve their records quickly, with only four more meets before the Big Ten Championship on May 16.

Gophers women’s track and field started the outdoor season ranked No. 45 in the nation, but their ranking dropped to No. 86 just a month into the season.

Though the women’s team has a lot of strong competitors, very few of them are able to rank nationally. After starting the season ranked No. 45, they fell to No. 76 heading into week three of the season before falling to No. 86. 

The Gophers have excelled on the individual level despite their rankings.

Multiple Gophers set lifetime bests throughout various different meets and moved their way up in the school record books.

Redshirt sophomore Anthonett Nabwe set two lifetime bests at the Throwtown Ramona World Invitational meet in Oklahoma last weekend. The event catered to all professional throwers, not just collegiate ones.

Nabwe’s performance moved her to No. 2 in the Gophers record book for discus and No. 3 in hammer throw. Her hammer throw earned her seventh place in the event, but she was first among collegiate competitors.

“I did like the environment because I love seeing athletes who throw better than you,” Nabwe said. “I think it helps you push yourself.”

At the beginning of the season, Nabwe was named an athlete to watch by the Big Ten, and she finished her indoor season as an All-American.

Redshirt sophomore Hadley Streit, also named an All-American after her indoor season, said that she loved working and competing with Nabwe.

“It’s like having a constant competitor here,” Streit said. “Although we’re teammates, we’re able to push each other.”

Streit set a lifetime best in hammer throw during the Pepsi Florida Relays, moving to No. 6 in Gophers history.

Though the two throwers set lifetime bests, Streit said they are constantly looking for ways to improve.

“I feel like what helps me is looking back at the film of the throw,” Streit said. “I can look at the form of that mark and just see that there’s a lot of things I can still improve.”

Nabwe and Streit were the only two Gophers to compete in the NCAA Indoor Championship. They are both looking to continue their work and compete in the NCAA Outdoor Championship at the end of the semester.

At the Bryan Clay Invitational, freshman Isabelle Schmitz and redshirt sophomore Zoie Dundon were able to make their way onto the NCAA ranking for 3000m steeplechase.

Dundon is now ninth among NCAA athletes for the steeplechase and Schmitz is 11th.

During the Raleigh Relays, redshirt sophomore Ali Weimer broke the school record for the 10,000m, however, it only ranked her No. 20 in the NCAA.

Other Gophers faced similar fates, as graduate student Erin Reidy and Dundon both set a lifetime best in the 800m, moving them into the top 10 of Gophers history, but Reidy placed No. 20 in the event.

Redshirt sophomore Izzy Roemer and fifth-year Emma Atkinson also moved into the top 10 in Gophers history with their 5000m performance, but again did not place elsewhere.

The Gophers need to improve their records quickly, with only four more meets before the Big Ten Championship on May 16.

The Gophers women’s basketball ended their season last year without a championship, losing to Saint Louis University in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament finals. 

However, they did not leave empty-handed this year. Redeeming their previous season’s loss, they beat Belmont University in the 2025 Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament. 

Head coach Dawn Plitzuweit was excited for the potential of the team when the season began in November. 

“We’re better than we were last year,” Plitzuweit said. “We’re also deeper and we have more athleticism, and we’re stronger right now, too.”

Everything Plitzuweit mentioned was apparent in the Gopher’s early games. Their first four games were easy wins, outscoring their opponent by at least 20 points each time.

Then leading scorer and playmaker, junior Mara Braun, broke her foot on Nov. 20, the same foot she broke the prior year. 

When Braun went down for the season, sophomore Grace Grocholski stepped up.

Grocholski averaged only four points through the first four games. The next four games, without Braun, she averaged 15.

The Gophers overcame the loss of Braun, going 10-0 before being given their first loss by No. 25 University of Nebraska, the first Big Ten team they played.

When January ended the Gophers were 18-4. March Madness hopes were still alive, even with the loss against the University of Southern California.

With the new additions from the now-defunct Pac-12, women’s basketball got more challenging. Every new Big Ten team introduced themselves to Minnesota by beating them.

The Gophers only won twice in February, hindering their March Madness chances and when the season ended, all ten losses came from Big Ten teams.

Qualification for the WBIT gave the Gophers a chance to redeem their disappointing season.

Besides an overtime thriller against Gonzaga University, the Gophers proved throughout the WBIT that they were the No. 2 seed for a reason.

The finale took place at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, against the small private school, Belmont University.

Even though Belmont had a strong fourth quarter, they were simply outmatched. The Gophers maintained a lead the entire game, ending 75-63.

Freshman Tori McKinney was effective on both ends of the court, scoring 26 points with Plitzuweit acknowledging that she set the defensive pace.

“She really defended at a high level, she attacked when we needed someone to attack until we started falling in the third quarter,” Plitzuweit said. “We got a little undisciplined in that way and we need her out there.”

McKinney played all but 30 seconds in the first half but had more time on the bench in the second half.

McKinney earned the WBIT Tournament MVP, shooting 71% from the field and 57% from the 3-point line.

After last season, University of Illinois women’s basketball head coach Shauna Green said after winning the WBIT, their aspirations were still for March Madness. This year, they competed in the tournament as the sixth seed.

Plitzuweit wants to recreate Illinois’ success and said the Gophers are not satisfied with a WBIT win.

“The goal is to be in the big dance,” Plitzuweit said.

Junior Mallory Heyer, who grabbed 16 rebounds in the finale, repeated the sentiment.

“We’re going to carry this and keep moving forward,” Heyer said.

Senior Sophie Hart already declared she will be returning next year. Braun said she plans to return and the Gophers starting five remains together for one more year.

The Gophers have not seen any players enter the transfer portal, unlike some other Big Ten teams.

“Really proud of our young ladies for the resilience that they’ve showed all year in dealing with the adversity that we’ve gone through,” Plitzuweit said.

The Gophers defeated the University of Florida in the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament 66-52 on Monday.

In her first year coaching the Gophers last year, head coach Dawn Plitzuweit led the Gophers to the Women’s National Invitational Tournament championship. Now, she and her players are seeking redemption in the championship after losing to Saint Louis University the prior year.

Junior Mallory Heyer said their postseason work last year helped them improve this season,  mentioning that their future goal is still March Madness.

“I thought last year getting to play in the WNIT got us to build momentum for this year, so we’re looking forward to doing the same thing after this tournament,” Heyer said.

All the starters for Minnesota helped out in their 14-point win. All of them, except senior Sophie Hart, put up double-digit scoring. Hart was close, but only finished with eight points.

The Minnesota bench was absent for the last two games, ending with a single point each game.

Heyer recorded her sixth double-double of the season against Florida, scoring 13 points while grabbing a season-high 15 rebounds.

“I think our team did a great job of just moving the ball tonight, just finding the open player and I was the recipient of some of those plays,” Heyer said.

Sophomore Grace Grocholski remained consistent with her second consecutive game, finishing with 20 points and four assists.

Plitzuweit said they are performing better and making the necessary adjustments to succeed every game.

“I think it is the best we’ve played,” Plitzuweit said. “We’re learning things about ourselves, we’re understanding the game in a bigger picture and we’re able to make adjustments quicker.”

Plitzuweit said the team made a necessary adjustment after the first half to address Florida’s freshman guard Liv McGill. A Minnesota native, McGill scored 18 in the first half, but the Gophers’ defense held her scoreless after halftime.

Defense from the Gophers held Florida to under 20% shooting from the arc and 35% shooting from the field. They also forced 16 turnovers from Florida.

Grocholski said even when they were ahead, they continued to make adjustments to maintain their lead. 

The Gophers held the lead for the majority of the game and Grocholski said the competition they faced in the Big Ten this year helped prepare them for postseason play.

“I’d just say just the lessons we got through the regular season helped us to be in these positions,” Grocholski said.

They will face Belmont University in Indianapolis, Ind., on Wednesday for the WBIT championship. Belmont is seeking their first-ever championship win as a program.

The Gophers won the quarterfinal game of the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT) in overtime, 82-77, against Gonzaga University at Williams Arena on Thursday.

Junior Amaya Battle put up a career-high 35 points with 10 assists in her 100th game with the Gophers. Battle also shot perfectly from the free-throw line, going nine for nine.

In the first half, freshman Tori McKinney and Battle helped set the pace for the Gophers, combining for 27 of the Gophers’ 34 points. 

Battle did not feel like the pressure was all on her, though.

“I just feel like any time we’re not making shots, we all have a sense of urgency,” Battle said. “Throughout the whole team we’re like, alright, we gotta get a bucket.”

Battle acknowledged how important sophomore Grace Grocholski and McKinney’s scoring efforts were.

Though Grocholski only scored three points in the first half, she came alive in the third and ended the game with 20 points.

The Gophers needed Grocholski, as they lost their early lead and ended the half trailing 35-34. 

“I was just going to keep shooting it, I mean they were getting me open, I had open looks,” Grocholski said. “If you don’t take a good shot that’s almost, you know, hurting the team.”

A Grocholski 3-point shot gave the Gophers a 70-67 lead, but Gonzaga fought back and sent the game into overtime, 70-70.

In overtime, the Gophers were able to maintain a lead, despite McKinney fouling out. She left the game with 19 points and two steals. 

“There were three players that really carried them,” said Gonzaga head coach Lisa Fortier. “I haven’t seen a stat sheet that looked quite like that, where those three players had almost all of their points.”

Seventy-four of the 82 points were scored by Battle, Grocholski and McKinney. Head coach Plitzuweit responded to Fortier’s comment.

“Was she talking about her team scoring or our team scoring,” said Plitzuweit. “We kept talking about how Ejim was a kid that you had to have really good attention to.”

Plitzuweit added when they guarded Ejim with two defenders, she was not stopped.

Gophers could not contain Gonzaga fifth-year senior Yvonne Ejim, who finished the game with 27 points and 15 rebounds, nine of them offensive rebounds. 

She averaged just under 21 points per game and was named a Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award finalist this year. She won the award in 2024. 

Plitzuweit said players like senior Sophie Hart and freshman Niamya Holloway contributed well to the team in ways that did not show up on their stat sheets.

“(Hart) played great for us down the stretch and our offense was a lot better when she was in the game,” said Plitzuweit. “Holloway helped us a great, great deal in a lot of those scenarios, too.”

The Gophers will play the University of Florida on Monday in Indianapolis, Indiana for the WBIT semifinals.

The Gophers women’s basketball ended January 18-4, when it had looked like they could be returning to March Madness for the first time since 2018.

In February, they went 2-5, before losing the regular season finale to finish 20-10. A series of losses against Big Ten opponents left them barely missing the NCAA tournament, and their 8-10 Big Ten record placed them as the No. 13 seed in the Big Ten tournament. 

Head coach Dawn Plitzuweit maintained a positive attitude when discussing the disappointing end of the regular season. 

“We were watching with bated breath, yes, we were hoping, and unfortunately we did not get into the NCAA tournament,” Plitzuweit said. “The good news is we get an opportunity to continue playing in the WBIT.”

The Gophers’ performance in the Big Ten tournament was likely a deciding factor. They made a quick exit, losing 79-65 to No. 12 University of Washington.

The Gophers had also lost to Washington in their last home game of the season, losing 72-62.

Senior Sophie Hart spoke about the shift in competition this year.

“The Big Ten got so much better this year,” Hart said. “It was super challenging, but I mean, that’s fun to play night in, night out. And so I just think we’ve had a lot of fun.”

There was little room for mistakes with the addition of four more teams this year. Former PAC-12 teams UCLA, the University of Southern California (USC), the University of Oregon and Washington played their first season in the Big Ten.

UCLA and USC fought for the one seed in the Big Ten all year, and it appeared that their only competition in the Big Ten was each other. They were both rewarded with the No. 1 seed in March Madness. 

Oregon and Washington made March Madness as well, ranking No. 10 and 11.

Despite missing out on March Madness, the Gophers earned the No. 2 seed in the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT). 

Last year, they made it all the way to the championship game in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) before losing to Saint Louis University.

The WBIT was inaugurated in 2024 and is essentially the same tournament format as the WNIT, but is funded and run by the NCAA. For teams that did not make March Madness, the WBIT is now the primary alternate postseason option.

Since it had been over two weeks since the last Gophers game, Hart and sophomore Grace Grocholski noted the importance of strong preparation.

“We’re just ready to get back out there and play,” Hart said. “I know we focused a lot the last couple of days on really bringing energy, really trying to hype each other up and kind of creating that flow state within the team.”

The Gophers’ defense stood out against Toledo on Thursday, forcing 19 turnovers and never giving up their lead.

“I think the week we were off we had to hit it a little harder, just without games you have to stay in shape and get ready again to play,” Grocholski said.

Though the Gophers should have home-court advantage against Missouri State, they are not able to host, due to UMN allowing the Minnesota State High School League championship to use Williams Arena.

Plitzuweit said how difficult it was last year when they played multiple games on the road during the WNIT.

“Three, four, games in a row, that was really, really hard, but I thought it really helped us this year,” Plitzuweit said. “The positive to it, is I guess we’ve done it in the past.”

They defeated the Missouri State Bears in Springfield, Missouri on Sunday 78-71.

Sophomore weight throwers Anthonett Nabwe and Hadley Streit earned their way to the NCAA championships after a successful Big Ten Indoor Championships. 

Going into the weekend, the women’s track and field team knew they lacked the depth to compete for a top-three team finish like they did in previous years. Despite the lack of depth, the Gophers still had multiple successful individuals. 

Streit spoke about the impact of this mindset when preparing for the competition.

“The expectations were a little bit less team-wise but more just like focusing on the individual,” Streit said. 

Streit’s sixth-place finish in the Big Ten Championship was the first of her career and helped her qualify for the NCAA indoor championships for weight throw for the first time.

Freshman Isabelle Schmitz, senior Dyandra Gray, sophomore Zoie Dundon and senior Erin Reidy placed third as a part of the distance medley relay (DMR) team and set a new Minnesota record with a time of 11:02.42.

Freshman Kennedy Martinson set her lifetime record in the pentathlon and 60 meter hurdles but placed sixth overall in the event. Martinson’s time of 8.41 in the 60 meter hurdles was seventh best in Gophers history. 

Fifth-year Alliyah McNeil placed sixth in both the long jump and high jump and is now a six-time conference scorer.

Nabwe defended her Big Ten weight throw title, becoming the first woman to win back-to-back titles in weight throw in nine years, the last being Olympian Kelsey Card. 

Nabwe earned ten points for the Gopher team with her first-place win at the Big Ten championship. The DMR team earned the second most points with six.

Nabwe also qualified to compete in the NCAA championship. She competed last year but did not place. 

In the Big Ten championships, Nabwe’s performance set the longest mark of any women’s weight throw this season and put her at second all-time in Gopher history.

When speaking about her experience at last year’s NCAA championships, Nabwe said she was nervous but plans to approach the meet this year more relaxed.

“I was scared of (the weight falling), but this year I got to go in there and relax,” Nabwe said. “I’m one of the best in there so I just gotta do what I usually do in practice, other meets, and just execute.”

Nabwe currently has the best mark with 24.22 meters, 0.63 meters better than the second best mark made by University of California, Berkeley’s Giavonna Meeks. Nabwe will compete against former teammate Shelby Frank, who placed second last year.

Streit acknowledged the impact of the coaching staff and teammates when talking about their achievements.

“I get to push myself more when (Nabwe)’s here and then working with Miller,” Streit said. “I mean, he’s coached so many good weight throwers.”

The NCAA indoor track and field championships will take place next week, March 14-15, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Gophers women’s basketball suffered their ninth loss of the season on Wednesday after losing three of their last four games.  

With Minnesota’s 72-62 loss against the University of Washington, the Gophers now sit at No. 12 in the Big Ten before heading to play Michigan State. Regardless of the outcome, the Gophers will qualify for the tournament but could drop to No. 13 in the conference. 

The Gophers gained a 12-point lead early, but Washington fought back and entered halftime tied at 33. 

Graduate student Annika Stewart and sophomore Grace Grocholski led the Gophers in scoring with 13 points each.

Despite leading the team in scoring at the half, junior Amaya Battle went scoreless in the second half.

Washington’s success came from their 3-point shooting. The Huskies made 50% of their 3-point shots, well above their 37% season average. 

The Gophers had no answer for Washington guard Elle Ladine, who finished with 26 points going 10/13 from the field.

With seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, Washington had its largest lead of 17 points, but the Gophers made a strong run and brought the game to 60-65. 

Head coach Dawn Plitzuweit emphasized the importance of effort for the final two games before facing Washington.

“I thought we played with really good urgency throughout the Purdue game,” Plizuweit said. “All we can control right now is what we do moving forward.”

After losing to now No. 12 ranked Ohio State University and the University of Oregon, the Gophers defeated Purdue University in a strong win.

Junior Mallory Heyer spoke about the importance of ball control after Purdue scored 12 points off Gopher turnovers. 

“As a team, we’ve really been focusing on just taking care of the ball and being smart with that,” Heyer said.

Typically, the Gophers only have a few days rest between games, but they had a week of preparation against Washington.

Against Washington, the Gophers gave up just six points on turnovers.

Heyer grabbed 10 rebounds against Purdue and eight against Washington. She leads the team in rebounds this season and has five double-doubles.

“She’s demanding the ball, and then when she catches the ball down there and draws a lot of attention, it opens the floor for the rest of us,” Grocholski said in a Friday press conference.

Grocholski tied her career high with 27 points against Purdue. Senior Sophie Hart also set her career high in points with 22 against Purdue.

Hart, Grocholski and Battle combined for 60 points, accounting for 81% of the Gophers’ total. 

In the Purdue game, the Gophers bench only contributed three points. That was fixed in the Washington game when the bench scored 20 points. 

Plizuweit complimented Grocholski’s playmaking skills over the season during a Friday press conference.

“Grace has a very high level of awareness,” Plizuweit said. “Her basketball IQ is really high, but I think she also has a high level of confidence.”

In a game against now-ranked No. 12 Ohio State on Feb. 13, Grocholski hit a three-pointer to send the game into overtime, but the Gophers fell short, losing 84-87. Their last four losses were within ten points.

The Gophers will play their final game against Michigan State in East Lansing, MI., before March Madness. Michigan State has won six of their last 10 meetings with the Gophers. 

Grocholski spoke about the team’s attitude as the season winds down and Selection Sunday looms. 

“Go into every game, try to get a win, work hard and try to get better for that potential later in the tournament,” Grocholski said.