University of Minnesota Men’s Basketball Coach Niko Medved and Minnesota Cross-Country State Champion and All-American Robert Mechura will serve as grand marshals for the 2025 Rose Parade.
Both men grew up in Roseville, graduated from Roseville Area High School, and have accepted the Rose Parade Committee’s invitations to represent their hometown.
The pair will lead the parade, which will include nine marching bands with nearly 700 members, and more than 70 participating local businesses and community organizations. The parade starts at 6:15 p.m. on Monday, June 23. The parade route begins at Roseville Area High School and ends at Roseville City Hall.
“We are thrilled to be able to celebrate two Roseville High School alums who are achieving athletic success. With Robert heading to college to run cross country and track, and Niko heading back home to coach our beloved Minnesota Gophers, we are proud to honor both of them at the 33rd annual Rose Parade,” said Roseville Assistant Parks Director Carrie Anderson.
Coach Niko Medved
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Medved was named head coach of the Golden Gophers Men’s Basketball Program in March. It’s a return home for Medved who graduated from Roseville Area High School in 1992 and the University of Minnesota in 1997, lettering in both basketball and golf.
Medved was head coach of the men’s basketball program at Colorado State University from 2018 to 2025, leading the Rams in three NCAA tournament appearances in the past four years. Under Medved’s direction, Colorado State won the 2025 Mountain West Conference men’s basketball tournament. He also served as men’s head basketball coach at Furman University in Greenville, S.C., and Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
Medved said his Roseville roots have shaped him as a coach and a parent.
“Looking back on it now, it really was the best of everything being in a community that felt small and supportive, but also being in a city like the Twin Cities. The proximity to everything and the access we had, but still feeling like a more intimate, small community – is really, really cool,” Medved said.
“Roseville was really an amazing place. The values I share today with my children and my players really all started there from the values my parents gave us.”
University of Minnesota mascot Goldy Gopher, known for his toothy grin and his boundless energy, will also make an appearance at the Rose Parade.
All-American Robert Mechura
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Mechura graduated from Roseville Area High School this spring and will attend the University of North Carolina in the fall, running cross country, indoor and outdoor track for the Tar Heels.
Mechura is a fierce and disciplined competitor, winning the Class 3A county state championships in both his junior and senior years of high school. Mechura was also the Class 3A track and field state champion in the 1600m and 3200m in 2024. He will be competing in the 2025 Class 3A track and field state tournament in June in hopes of defending his titles.
His senior year, he won the Class 3A cross country state championship with a time of 15 minutes, 3.7 seconds in the 5K race, winning with just a 2.7-second lead on the second-place finisher.
Mechura finished 10th and 15th at the national NXN Final and the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships, earning All-American honors at both national competitions, all while maintaining a 3.99 G.P.A.
Mechura has volunteered for the Special Olympics, and he served as a track coach for Roseville Parks and Recreation. Mechura, who started running around 11, shares his experiences training and competing on his YouTube channel.
“What makes a good cross country runner is consistency,” Mechura said. “It's really a year-round sport. You have to be doing it all the time, and you have to be smart about it.”
The Rose Parade is the kickoff of Rosefest 2025, the community's annual summer celebration. To learn more: cityofroseville.com/rosefest