The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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64 THE WOLVERINE SEPTEMBER 2018 TOP TEN OLYMPIC SPORTS FRESHMEN 3. OLIVIA THEIS Lansing, Mich. Cross Country/Track Theis was ranked No. 3 nationally at 3,200 meters among high school prospects in 2018, and she checked in at No. 12 over two miles. She was a three-time Michigan state cham- pion in track and field, and also came out victorious in both the 2017 Foot Locker Midwest Regional and the Michigan Division 2 state champion- ship in cross country. She placed third at the 2017 Foot Locker Nationals, trailing only U-M great Erin Finn's runner-up finish for an incoming recruit. "Olivia had an outstanding senior year and is a tough-as-nails competi- tor who has a great work ethic," head coach Mike McGuire said. "We're ex- cited to have her on board." 4. PATRICK MALONEY Oyster Bay, N.Y. • Tennis Tennis Recruiting Network pegged him as the No. 2 player in New York and the No. 6 player nationally, hail- ing him as a blue-chip, five-star pros- pect. The publication also stated that he holds a 6-2 record against other five-star recruits and a 3-0 mark against four-stars. "Patrick is from New York, which is actually where I'm from, so I know his background very well," Steinberg explained. "He's a fighter, and I love how he's a late bloomer. He really impressed me late in his junior year and is another guy who we expect to make a big impact right away. "Patrick is an all-court player and is such a good competitor, which I loved when I first saw him in junior tennis. He's coming off surgery on his foot, so it will take him a little bit to get going — once he does though, everyone better watch out." 5. JOEY SILVA Orlando, Fla. • Wrestling Silva was a five-time Florida state champion at Lake Highland Prep, coming out on top in five different weights. He was listed as the No. 1 recruit nationally at 138 pounds and No. 7 overall by FloWrestling, while Inter- 1. Softball — U-M's six-member class earned a No. 7 rating nationally from FloSoftball and stands as the top class in the Big Ten. The haul is made up of outfielder Lexie Blair (Winder- mere, Fla.), infielder Gianna Carosone (North Las Vegas, Nev.), catcher Hannah Carson (Weidman, Mich.), infielder Morgan Overaitis (Canton, Mich.), pitcher Alex Storako (Frankfort, Ill.) and infielder Grace Cheleman (Woodhaven, Mich.). Overaitis is the headliner, checking in at No. 18 nationally according to FloSoftball. Carson isn't far behind at No. 21, while Blair and Carosone make the cut at No. 28 and No. 60, respectively. "We think this is a really great class," head coach Carol Hutchins noted. "It covers a lot of our needs. I've loved watching them grow into Michigan Women, and now it's of- ficial. It's an athletic group and a highly driven bunch, and it has kids who have won national championships. They come from a winning background, and we want winners in this program. We are very excited about this group." 2. Volleyball — Michigan's seven-member incoming unit has been tabbed as the 12th-best group in the entire coun- try by PrepVolleyball.com. It is also the third-highest group of freshmen among Big Ten programs, trailing only Penn State (No. 1 nationally) and Nebraska (No. 5). The clan is highlighted by setter Erin O'Leary of Novi, Mich., and opposite hitter Paige Jones of Bremen, Ohio. The former finished her junior campaign as a USA Today All-American and the Class A Michigan Player of the Year, and was selected to play for the U.S. Under-18 National Team in Puerto Rico as a senior. Jones, meanwhile, was a MaxPreps Small School All-Amer- ican as a junior and senior. "This class is a really good group that fits the needs of our program well and will have a strong impact on our team over the next four years," head coach Mark Rosen explained. "All of them come in with great high school and club accom- plishments, and we look forward to seeing how they make the transition to the collegiate level." 3. Basketball — Head coach Kim Barnes Arico's five-per- son clan is rated 12th nationally by ESPN, which is tops among Big Ten programs. Five-star guard Amy Dilk of Carmel, Ind., highlights the group and is lauded as the No. 40 overall player in the country by ESPN. She was also penned as the 2018 Indiana Miss Basketball award winner and the Hoosier State's Girl's Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year. Barnes Arico also signed three four-stars in forward Naz Hillmon of Cleveland (No. 58 overall nationally), forward/ center Emily Kiser of Noblesville, Ind. (No. 78) and guard Ariel Young of Tallahassee, Fla. (No. 92). Three-star guard Danielle Rauch of Cicero, N.Y. rounds out the group. "I think it is one of the best classes we have coming in, from top to bottom, since I've been here," the U-M head coach said. "It really targets each position we need, one through five. These five young women are unbelievable basketball play- ers, but they are even better people. "They each have a great understanding of the game and what it means to be part of a team. They know what it takes to be at the University of Michigan, on the court, in the class- room and in the community." Michigan's Top Three Incoming Women's Olympic Sports Classes Olivia Theis was ranked No. 5 in FloTrack's final class of 2018 distance recruit rankings. PHOTO COURTESY JOHN SCHROEDER