Gopher Sports

Former Golden Gopher standout Nicole Branagh and current beach volleyball teammate Elaine Youngs are continuing their quest to qualify for the 2008 Olympics this week at the Conoco Phillips Grand Slam Event in Norway.

University of Minnesota football recruit Sam Maresh underwent successful heart valve replacement surgery at Mayo Clinic Thursday. The surgery was performed by Mayo Clinic cardiovascular surgeon Hartzell Schaff, M.D., and a team of health care providers.

In an eight-part series this summer, Gophersports.com will correspond with each of the eight Gopher soccer seniors to catch up and chat about everything from their favorite munchies to their most poignant Minnesota soccer memories.

Former Minnesota volleyball standouts Cassie Busse and Lindsey Berg were both named to the U.S. Preliminary Olympic Games Roster. That roster consists of 19 players, and will eventually be trimmed down to the 12 who will compete for the U.S. team at the Olympics in Beijing, China.

A total of six current or former Gophers will compete at the Olympic Trials, which runs from Friday, June 27 to Sunday, July 6 at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

The University of MInnesota women's swim team will be in full force at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, June 29-July 6 at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb. The Golden Gophers will have 15 either current of former members competing for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team. A highly competitive event, only 26 females make the U.S. Olympic Team.

Minnesota's Hassan Mead, who ran to All-America honors and a Big Ten title in the 5,000 meters this season, will compete on Friday, June 27, at 10:40 p.m. (CT) in the 5,000 meters semifinals of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials.

There will be plenty of Maroon and Gold on the deck at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb. as 21 current and former Gopher swimmers will take the blocks for a shot at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Minnesota women's track & field athletes Heather Dorniden and Liz Podominick have been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Second Team. In Golden Gopher women's track/cross country history, Dorniden and Podominick are just the fifth and sixth student-athletes to earn national acclaim on a very prestigious award.

The University of Minnesota has announced the 2009 competition schedule. The Golden Gophers will host six regular-season home meets at the Sports Pavilion during the season, plus the annual intrasquad exhibition meet.

Tonight, a Gopher fan favorite, Janel McCarville, is in the Twin Cities as her New York Liberty face the Minnesota Lynx in WNBA action at the Target Center. The former All-American took a few minutes after shoot-around for a quick Q&A for gophersports.com.

University of Minnesota senior Andrew Paulson (White Bear Lake, Minn.) shot a 2-under 70 in the final round of the U.S. Amateur Public Links Qualifier to take medalist honors by one stroke over University of Wisconsin golfer Tyler Obermueller.

Coming off a successful 2008 season which included a Big Ten indoor team title and a 13th-place showing at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Minnesota head women's track & field coach Matt Bingle announced his 2008 class of 10 recruits who have signed National Letters of Intent. These student-athletes will join the Golden Gophers for the 2009 season.

University of Minnesota wrestlers Brent Eidenschink and Ben Berhow combined for three medals at the Pan American Junior Freestyle and Greco-Roman Championships this weekend in Cuenca, Ecuador.

The Gophers are coming home to your county! Don't miss your opportunity to get involved with the opening of TCF Bank Stadium, Minnesota's outdoor, on-campus stadium. For the first time in 28 years, the sounds, sights and excitement of Big Ten football will spread across campus and new game-day traditions will be born with a sense of pride and felt among Gopher fans everywhere.

Former Golden Gopher gymnast and current volunteer administrative assistant Guillermo Alvarez is taking part in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials later this week in Philadephia. He is being accompanied by Minnesota head men's gymnastics coach Mike Burns, who will be blogging about the experience here on GopherSports.com. Check back here each day for the inside scoop from Coach Burns about Guillermo's quest for a spot on the Olympic Team.

Aaron Ness, last season's Minnesota state high school Player of the Year and an incoming recruit at the University of Minnesota, was selected in the second round of the National Hockey League draft by the New York Islanders.

A veteran Minnesota women's basketball team will open the 2008-09 schedule at NCAA runner-up Stanford on Nov. 14, highlighting the Golden Gophers' non-conference slate.