For Brynn and Tenley Senden, being part of the Gophers sports family was written in the stars. 

These two sisters have a long family history of sports at the University of Minnesota. Their mom, dad, uncle and grandfather were all Gophers athletes. 

Their mom, Kristen Senden, formerly Kristen Vandersall, was a part of the Gophers gymnastics team from 1994-1997. She was inducted into the Minnesota Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2007.

Their dad, Stuart Senden, played hockey for the Gophers from 1998-2001. Brynn and Tenley Senden’s uncle, Mark Vandersall, played for the Gophers baseball team from 1992-1995.

Finally, their grandfather Bruce Vandersall worked for the Gophers football team from 1973-1982. Both Brynn and Tenley add new sports to their family roster. 

Brynn is a junior guard on the women’s basketball team. Her sister, Tenley, is starting her first year on the Gophers soccer team for the 2025-2026 season. 

Brynn said that being able to carry on this legacy holds a lot of pride, especially since they are doing new sports. 

“I guess you could say we are a very varied sports family,” Brynn said. “There is pride in being able to do so.” 

With the two having such a long family history with the Gophers, they grew up being fans of the school. Tenley said they would go to all the different sporting events growing up. 

“It was really fun to be able to come down here a lot for a bunch of different sports like hockey and football games,” Tenley said. 

She added that it was her dream to play for the Gophers soccer team. 

Brynn corroborated Tenley’s point when she said that there are photos of the two of them wearing Gophers gear before they could even walk. 

“We started going to Gophers tailgates for the football team for as long as we can remember,” Brynn said. “We did gymnastics camps through the U, we did basketball camps through the U.” 

Brynn added that their 13-year-old brother is going to both football and hockey camps at the University of Minnesota.

While it is clear that being Gophers runs in their bloodline, the two made it clear that their parents would support them no matter where they chose to go to school. Brynn said that they just wanted what was best for them, and the best fit ended up being Minnesota.

Despite their long family history, both Brynn and Tenley are happy to be Gophers for their own personal reasons as well. 

Tenley said that she is excited to finally be a part of a Gophers sports team. 

“I am excited to get to know my teammates,” Tenley said. “And also play in front of my family.”  

Brynn already has a few years of experience at the University, but one of her favorite things about being on the women’s basketball team is their culture. 

“It is a really special thing to be a part of the Gophers athletic community,” Brynn said.