University of Minnesota Athletics
McEnelly and Rowray receive awards at Golden Gopher Fund banquet
10/14/2026 12:00:00 PM | Gymnastics, Wrestling, Golden Gopher Fund
University of Minnesota gymnast Brooklyn Rowray and wrestler Max McEnelly received the Patty Berg and Henry Williams Awards, respectively, at the Golden Gopher Fund banquet Tuesday night.
The Patty Berg and Henry Williams Awards were established to honor the legacy of both Berg and Williams by recognizing an outstanding female and male student-athlete each year at the University of Minnesota.
Berg was University alumna who later achieved fame as a professional golfer and one the founding members of the LPGA. She was selected as one of the NCAA's 100 Most Influential Student-Athletes of the Century.
Williams, known affectionately as "Doc" Williams, was an outstanding Gopher Football coach in the early 1900s and emphasized the combination of academic and athletic excellence that all Gopher student-athletes strive to achieve.
Rowray became just the second Gopher in program history to win a national title when she did so on balance beam at the 2026 NCAA Championship, while also earning First Team All-American honors. Her beam routine also led her to be named balance beam champion at the NCAA Corvallis Regional.
Beyond the gym, Rowray has been named a WCGA Scholastic All-American (2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25) as well as the team's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award in 2026.
In the classroom, she graduated with a degree in Kinesiology and is currently working toward a Masters in Sports Exercise Science.
McEnelly made history at the 2026 NCAA Championships, becoming the first Gopher to win a national title at 184 pounds. He became the 19th different Gopher to win a national title, and it was the 25th individual championship overall in program history.
En route to his championship, McEnelly finished the 2025-26 season with a 24-2 record, including a 15-1 record in duals, a perfect 8-0 mark during the Big Ten regular season and a 15-2 record versus ranked competition. Twelve of his 24 victories were by tech fall and two more came by major decision.
A finalist at the Big Ten Championships, McEnelly was also a Second-Team All-Big Ten honoree, a Third-Team Academic All-American, NWCA Scholar All-American, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
The Patty Berg and Henry Williams Awards were established to honor the legacy of both Berg and Williams by recognizing an outstanding female and male student-athlete each year at the University of Minnesota.
Berg was University alumna who later achieved fame as a professional golfer and one the founding members of the LPGA. She was selected as one of the NCAA's 100 Most Influential Student-Athletes of the Century.
Williams, known affectionately as "Doc" Williams, was an outstanding Gopher Football coach in the early 1900s and emphasized the combination of academic and athletic excellence that all Gopher student-athletes strive to achieve.
Rowray became just the second Gopher in program history to win a national title when she did so on balance beam at the 2026 NCAA Championship, while also earning First Team All-American honors. Her beam routine also led her to be named balance beam champion at the NCAA Corvallis Regional.
Beyond the gym, Rowray has been named a WCGA Scholastic All-American (2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25) as well as the team's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award in 2026.
In the classroom, she graduated with a degree in Kinesiology and is currently working toward a Masters in Sports Exercise Science.
McEnelly made history at the 2026 NCAA Championships, becoming the first Gopher to win a national title at 184 pounds. He became the 19th different Gopher to win a national title, and it was the 25th individual championship overall in program history.
En route to his championship, McEnelly finished the 2025-26 season with a 24-2 record, including a 15-1 record in duals, a perfect 8-0 mark during the Big Ten regular season and a 15-2 record versus ranked competition. Twelve of his 24 victories were by tech fall and two more came by major decision.
A finalist at the Big Ten Championships, McEnelly was also a Second-Team All-Big Ten honoree, a Third-Team Academic All-American, NWCA Scholar All-American, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
Players Mentioned
184 lbs.
/ Wrestling
/ Gymnastics
Saturday, October 10
Tuesday, April 07
Thursday, April 02
Monday, March 23