Joel Rippel
News Assistant
Joel Rippel writes about sports for the Star Tribune.
Latest from Joel Rippel
Gophers starting point guard Chansey Willis Jr. expected to miss rest of season
Chansey Willis Jr., who leads the team with 17 steals, suffered a foot injury against Stanford. The Gophers open the Big Ten season Wednesday.
December 2, 2025
Strib Varsity Athletes of the Week: Meet seven top performers across Minnesota
From goal scorers on the ice to shooters in basketball gymnasiums, these seven athletes are big contributors for their high school teams.
December 2, 2025
Gophers women’s basketball dominates at home against Samford
The Gophers led 35-9 at halftime to improve to 5-0 at Williams Arena on the season.
December 2, 2025
Gophers will play host to Fairfield, could face St. Thomas in second round of NCAA volleyball tournament
The Tommies’ first trip to an NCAA tournament as a Division I program will take them across the Twin Cities to Maturi Pavilion, where they will face Iowa State.
December 1, 2025
U men’s hockey beats No. 4 Denver 6-5 in overtime on Moore’s goal
The Gophers were outshot more than 2-to-1 and barely had the puck in OT before Moore scored with 35 seconds left.
November 30, 2025
Minnesota State Mankato advances to third round of Division II playoffs with victory at Indianapolis
St. John’s and Bethel both rolled in the Division III playoffs.
November 29, 2025
Gophers volleyball swept by Wisconsin in regular-season finale; men’s basketball blown out by Santa Clara
The NCAA volleyball tournament field will be announced Sunday.
November 29, 2025
Gophers men’s basketball falls to 0-3 away from Williams Arena with 72-68 loss to Stanford
The Gophers led by 10 early and briefly led in the second half before falling to the Cardinal in Palm Desert, Calif.
November 28, 2025
Something unfamiliar awaits MSU Mankato, and more to know about Minnesota college football
The Mavericks will play the University of Indianapolis for the first time in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.
November 27, 2025
Gophers roundup: Women’s basketball team loses to Alabama in Bahamas finale
Julia Hanson had 19 kills as the No. 18 Gophers volleyball team defeated No. 11 Purdue in four sets as the regular season nears an end.
November 27, 2025
Strib Varsity Athletes of the Week: Seven who met high standards
Sarah Johnson, Lauryn Ankeny, Brooklin Hinze, Dane Kanwischer, Brooklyn Mauch, Colton Purcell and Marcus Snyder landed the honor.
November 25, 2025
Gophers women’s basketball leads wire-to-wire against South Florida in Bahamas
The Gophers jumped out to a 20-4 lead and led by double digits almost the rest of the way at the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship.
November 25, 2025
