Minnesota Scene: Hastings of MSU Mankato named top hockey coach

Minnesota State Mankato's Mike Hastings was chosen the American Hockey Coaches Association's Coach of the Year for NCAA Division I men's hockey on Wednesday.

In his third season at Minnesota State, Hastings guided the Mavericks to a program-record 29 victories. The Mavericks won the Broadmoor Trophy by winning the WCHA tournament title for the second consecutive year. They also gave the school its first MacNaughton Cup, as regular season WCHA champions. The Mavericks entered the NCAA tournament ranked first in the nation before losing to RIT in the first round.

Minnesota State is 79-36-7 under Hastings, reaching the NCAA tournament all three years. He was previously an assistant coach at Nebraska Omaha and Minnesota.

Jenny Hansen was promoted from interim coach to full-time head coach for the Minnesota women's gymnastics team.

She served as interim coach this past season when Meg Stephenson resigned amid an investigation into claims of sexual harassment.

Hansen was a gymnast for the Gophers from 2000-03 and served as captain her senior season. She was an assistant coach from 2007-14.

She led the Gophers to a fourth-place finish in the NCAA Auburn regional last Saturday.

• Sophomore righthander Sara Groenewegen of the Gophers was named one of the 26 finalists for USA Collegiate Softball Player of the Year. She is 19-4 with a 1.50 ERA and 207 strikeouts. Groenewegen also is hitting .358 with seven homers and 26 RBI.

• The Gophers men's gymnastics team will be one of 12 programs competing in the NCAA championships starting Thursday in Norman, Okla. No. 6 Minnesota will be one of six teams in the first session beginning at 1 p.m. The top three will advance to the team finals on Friday. Also advancing will be the top three all-arounders and top three individuals on each even who are not a member of the advancing teams. The individual event finals are Saturday. Senior Ellis Mannon of the Gophers is the defending national champion on the pommel horse.