Four individuals connected with the University of Minnesota received awards on the 33rd annual Minnesota Girls and Women in Sports Day on Wednesday at the Minnesota History Center.

The honorees were Chris Howell, former Gophers women's basketball player Angie Iverson-Ohnstad and Mary Jo Kane and Nicole LaVoi of the Tucker Center.

Howell, who received a Breaking Barriers award, is in her 32nd year at the university, and her 22nd with athletics administration, where she provides daily support for the executive associate athletic director, organizes major projects for the department and manages travel for postseason competitions.

Iverson-Ohnstad got her Breaking Barriers award for coaching girls' basketball in Lakeville the past 13 years. She has been Lakeville South's head coach since 2011-12.

The Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, located on campus, received the Legacy award. It's been conducting research and educating people around the country about the importance of girls and women not only competing in sports but coaching and being involved in sports at all levels.

3 U swimmers honored

Senior Chantal Nack earned her first Big Ten women's swimmer of the week award this season while Bowen Becker and Max McHugh claimed the swimmer and freshman of the week awards on the men's side.

Nack took first place in three of her four individual events in a three-team meet at Northwestern — Purdue was the third team — as well as anchoring the 800 freestyle relay to a win (7:21.68) and leading off the winning 400 freestyle relay team (3:23.22). The senior's times in two events were also fast enough to qualify as B cuts in the 200 backstroke (1:56.55) and the 200 freestyle (1:46.84).

Becker won the 50 and 100 freestyle races with B cut times of 19.83 and 43.24, respectively. McHugh earned his seventh freshman of the week award by winning the 100 and the 200 breaststroke events with B cut times of 53.57 and 1:54.72, respectively.

Etc.

• Delanie Cox of Aurora, Colo., signed with the Gophers softball team. The National Fastpitch Coaches Association named her to its All-America team and she was a two-time all-state pick in Colorado. As a senior, the catcher/shortstop hit .638 with eight homers and 45 RBI for Cherokee Trail High School. … The Gophers open their softball season vs. North Florida at 4 p.m. Friday in Orlando, Fla.