2016

Donald Trump was elected the 45th and perhaps last president of the United States.

The Minnesota Gopher women’s hockey team won its fourth NCAA title in five years and their seventh overall. They lost to Wisconsin 1-0 in the WCHA playoff final, then beat the Badgers 3-2 in OT in a semi-final. They beat Boston College 3-1 in the final. Amanda Kessel and Hannah Brandt finished as the #1 and #2 scorers in Gopher history. Kessel scored 108 goals and 140 assists; Brandt 115 goals and a record 170 assists.

• The Gopher women’s basketball team finished 20-12. Rachel Banham starred, scoring 29 ppg and a Big 10 record-tying 60 points in a 112-106 overtime win over Northwestern. The Gopher volleyball (29-5) team stormed into its fifth Final Four, but lost to Stanford three games to one in the semi-finals. Samantha Seliger-Swansen and Sarah Willhite earned all-American honors. The Gopher soccer and softball teams won the Big 10 title. The softball team won two NCAA tournament games, the soccer team lost to North Carolina State 0-0 (4-2).

• Concordia (St. Paul) won its eighth D2 volleyball title in ten years. St. Cloud State won its first D2 wrestling title. And, the St. Thomas men’s basketball team won its second D3 championship. The Tommies, now under coach Johnny Tauer, defeated Benedictine 82-76 as Taylor Montero won most outstanding player honors. 

• The Minnesota Lynx had their best regular season record ever at 28-6, and they swept the Phoenix Mercury three games to none to advance to the WNBA finals. Their opponent was the tough L.A. Sparks (26-8). The Lynx had taken the season series from the Sparks, two games to one, winning twice by three points each in L.A. while the Sparks won by 18 in Minneapolis. Now the two teams split a pair of games in Minneapolis and split a pair of games in L.A. as Maya Moore led all scorers in two of the four games. Game five was back in Minneapolis. There were 24 lead changes and it came down to the Lynx leading by one in the late going. L.A. scored a basket that came very clearly after the shot clock had expired, but play continued. The announcers said, “They’ll take that one off the board.” But, at the next stoppage, the officials said that the call could only have been made at the time. Since the clock had continued to run, the basket would count. The WNBA office later said that the call had been in error. But, it still stood. And, so, after the Lynx took back their one-point lead, Nneka Ogwumike scored for the Sparks with three seconds remaining, and the Sparks won the game 77-76 and the series three games to two. But, Lynx fans know that the Lynx won this game and this series for what is known as their fifth, phantom WNBA title.

Year	Athlete of the Year	Team of the Year	Coach of the Year	Event of the Year
2016	1. Banham, Minnesota Gopher basketball 2 (tie). Hannah Brandt and Kessel, Minnesota Gopher women’s hockey 3. Seliger-Swenson, Minnesota Gopher volleyball	1. Minnesota Gopher women’s hockey      (24-3-1, NCAA champion) 2 (tie). Concordia (St. Paul) volleyball (35-2) St. Cloud State wrestling St. Thomas basketball (30-3) (all NCAA D2 or D3 champions) 3. Minnesota Lynx   (33-9 including playoffs, Division and Conference champions)	1. McCutcheon 2. Stephanie Golan, Minnesota Gopher soccer 3. Allister (Big 10 champion)	1. Rachel Banham scored 60 points as Gopher women’s basketball beat Northwestern 112-106 in OT. 2. The Lynx lost the fifth and final game of the WNBA finals on a blown shot clock violation call that should have gone against the L.A. Sparks. 3. The Minnesota Gophers beat Wisconsin 3-2 in OT in an NCAA women’s hockey semi.