Laura Halldorson joined the Golden Gopher Fund sta in 2007 aer serving as the head women's hockey coach of the Gophers from 1996-2007. Under her leadership, the Gopher Women's Hockey Team won three national championships, including back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005. As part of the Annual Fund, Laura assists with the management and distribution of donor benets, coordinates internal communications, and works on special, donor-related projects.
Coach Kristi King played hockey for a total of 17 years before making the switch over to the coaching side. She played six years on Stillwater’s Varsity hockey team from 7th grade through her senior year. Throughout this time, she helped lead her team to a State Consolation and two State Championship titles. She was captain of both her fast-pitch and hockey team. Each year she was selected to attend USA Player Development Camps in both St. Cloud and Rochester, NY. In addition, she was also a prospect for the USA U-18 National team.
Sami Reber has been the head coach of the Edina Girls Hockey Varsity Team for two years. During her time as head coach, Reber has accumulated a record of 56-3-2 and has helped her team win back to back MN State Hockey Championships; their title in 2017 being the program's first ever. On top of two State Championships, during Reber's time at Edina, their team has been back to back Lake Conference Champions and Section 6AA Champions, Reber having been named the Section 6AA Coach of the Year in 2017. American Family Insurance also named Reber the All-USA High School Coach of the Year in 2017.
Ronda Engelhardt, formerly Curtin, is the current varsity hockey head coach at Breck School in MN. She wrapped up her fifth season with the Breck Mustangs by winning 2018 MN State High School League Championship for class 1A. With this championship, Ronda made history by becoming the first female hockey coach to win the State tournament as a player and coach.
Australian native, professional tennis coach, Sarah Stone has been coaching on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) tour for over 10 years. A former professional player, Stone has a vast amount of experience at the very top of women's tennis. Currently she is the coach of American Fed Cup player Alexa Glatch. Formerly, Sarah was the coach of Samantha Stosur who was a 3 time grand slam champion whilst under her tutelage. Stone is an internationally renowned speaker.
Mary Beth Barry is in her 32rd year of teaching learners to “think on their feet” at her alma mater DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis Minnesota. There she has coached boys soccer and tennis, girls basketball on all levels, and is currently the clock operator for boys and girls soccer, football and girls basketball. Mary Beth has a B.S. in Physical Education and Coaching from the University of Minnesota and M.A. in Educational Leadership from Concordia University, St. Paul.
Mary Beth Barry is an ardent and loyal supporter of the Tucker Center.
Betsy Butterick: The Coaches’ Coach & Communication Specialist
During her playing and coaching careers Betsy experienced first-hand why the buzzword most often associated with successful teams is “chemistry”. Chemistry is grounded in connection, and the heart of connection is communication. As a communication specialist Betsy helps individuals become more conscious of their communication while developing the skills to support success at all levels of team.
As a parent, sports broadcaster and former collegiate athlete, Lea B. Olsen has experienced sports culture from every angle.
Since playing basketball for the University of Minnesota, where she studied journalism, Lea has worked for NBCSN, ESPN’s national WNBA coverage, as a game analyst for the Minnesota Lynx, and as a television sideline reporter for the Minnesota Timberwolves, along with numerous college and high school games.
Anna Baeth is a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota, studying Sport Sociology. Baeth is a research assistant in the Tucker Center and is an assistant lacrosse coach at Hamline University. In 2018, she received a graduate student research grant through the NCAA for her dissertation: Analyzing the Pathways of Women Head Coaches with Career Longevity in NCAA D-I Sport. Baeth examines women with career longevity in coaching in an effort to help administrators and coaches retain women in the profession at all levels.
