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Forrest Tahdooahnippah (No. 10) went out fast at the 2007 Roy Griak Invitational, his first chance to run in front of hometown family and friends in five years. The U of M Law School student was the third Gopher finisher in the eight-kilometer cross country race. (Photograph by Eric Miller)

Forrest Tahdooahnippah’s life has been all about making the most of his chances. The first-year U of M Law School student is using his final year of athletics eligibility to run for the Gopher cross country team. It might seem like a strange choice for Tahdooanippah, who has already achieved much in his sport, to begin the rigors of law school with yet another trek through intercollegiate competition. But through many twists and crossroads in his young life, Tahdooahnippah has learned one thing: “Value your chances,” he says. “Do what you love.”

As a junior at Southwest High School in Minneapolis, Tahdooanippah, who is Comanche, won a state track title. He was second finisher for Team USA at the World Junior Cross Country Championships as a first-year student at national cross country powerhouse Stanford University, and last year was one of Stanford’s top runners.

Tahdooahnippah’s running ability comes naturally. Both his father and an older brother were successful high school runners. Native American tradition and recent history are full of young men with great distance-running prowess, like Billy Mills. Born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, Mills struggled through college at Kansas before winning an Olympic gold medal in the 10,000 meters in 1964 in a stunning upset. But native history is also full of young men who struggle to take advantage of their prowess. Mills and Tahdooahnippah have talked several times, the elder counseling the younger on how to channel his drive and focus on goals.

Through the years—he’s been running since seventh grade—Tahdooahnippah has faced many challenges: a suspension from his team in high school for violating rules, a difficult transition from his home in St. Paul to Stanford and the West Coast, and especially the suicide of a close friend at Stanford last spring, a fellow Native American born and raised in North Dakota. Each time, Tahdooahnippah has made a thoughtful decision about the best next move for him. He left behind negative friends and transferred from St. Paul Central High School to Southwest. He joined a native running program that uses the sport to boost pride among young runners. And he continually reasserts his commitment to academics and athletics.

Tahdooahnippah was an honors graduate at Stanford in public policy and was accepted to law school there, at Texas, and at Minnesota. His friend’s suicide left him with new understanding of his values and of what he loves, and he chose Minnesota for law school largely to be near family and to run for his home team. Eventually, he wants to be involved in Minnesota politics. “Government is so pervasive [and]

Laura Halldorson put Minnesota women’s hockey on the national map, compiling a 278-67-22 record during her 11-year tenure. (Photograph courtesy of Gopher Athletics)

can be a vehicle for change,” Tahdooahnippah says. “There are  a lot of new issues for the indigenous community that have presented themselves over the last 20 years.”

But first, Tahdooahnippah wants to run. “I thought about giving it up,” he admits. “But especially with the passing of my friend, it put a lot into perspective. . . . I’ve got one more year [of college sports] and I didn’t want to pass it up.” —Chris Coughlan-Smith

Editor's note: With the NCAA Cross Country Championships coming up Monday, November 19, Tahdooahippah has been the Gophers' third runner all season, collecting all-Big Ten and all-Midwest Region honors for a team that finished second at both neets, earning an automatic qualifying spot for the NCAA meet.

For the first time in its 11-year history, the Gopher women’s hockey team took to the ice without Coach Laura Halldorson at the helm when it opened the 2007–08 season in October. Halldorson, who built the women’s hockey program from the ground up, called it a career in August after 20 years of coaching—18 as a head coach, including 11 years at Minnesota.

Acting head coach Brad Frost picked up where Halldorson left off, leading the No. 7–ranked Gophers to back-to-back victories against Boston University and the University of North Dakota to open the season.

Halldorson said she had been contemplating the change for some time due to the daily demands of the position. “This job has been extremely time-consuming, and now it will be nice to have more time to spend with family and friends,” she said.

Halldorson put Minnesota women’s hockey on the national map during her tenure. She is the only women’s hockey coach in the country to lead a program to five consecutive Frozen Fours, and guided the Gophers to national championships in 2000, 2004, and 2005. In each of those championship seasons, the Gophers won at least 30 games, and in 2005 boasted a record of 36-2-2. Halldorson’s record at Minnesota was 278-67-22 (.787).

She is a native of Plymouth, Minnesota, and graduated from Wayzata High School in 1981. She played collegiately for Princeton University. Before coming to Minnesota, she was head coach at Colby College.

Frost has been with the Gopher program since the 2000–01 season, and served as associate head coach last year. A national search for a permanent replacement will take place after the season.