The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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14 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2018 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS MICHIGAN'S TOP PERFORMERS Men's soccer senior midfielder Ivo Cerda: On Nov. 8, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced he had been chosen as a Google Cloud Aca- demic All-District selection for the third season in a row. The accolade recog- nizes Cerda as one of the country's top student-athletes for his efforts both on the field and in the classroom. As a re- sult, the senior will next advance to the Google Cloud Academic All-America ballot, where athletes can be selected to one of three teams, which will be revealed in early December. Former men's gymnast Sam Mikulak: On Nov. 3, he became the first gymnast with Maize and Blue ties to earn a medal at the FIG World Cham- pionships, when he took home the bronze on the high bar in Doha, Qatar. Mikulak, who competed at Michigan from 2011-14, also helped lead Team USA to a fourth-place finish in the team competition, while he finished fifth in the all-around final Oct. 31, with a score of 87.273. The world championship event marked the fifth such competition for the two-time Olympian. Ice hockey sophomore forward Josh Norris: He was named Big Ten Second Star of the Week Oct. 30 after tallying consecutive multi-point games in a two-game sweep of St. Law- rence Oct. 26-27. Norris posted an assist and the club's third goal of the contest in a 3-0 victory over the Saints Oct. 26, before once again registering an assist and a goal in a 3-1 triumph Oct. 27. Men's swimming and diving junior breaststro- ker Charlie Swanson: He was tabbed as the Big Ten Swimmer of the Week Nov. 7 after an outstanding two-day per formance Nov. 2-3 in Iowa City against Denver and Iowa. Swanson won three individ- ual events in Michigan's sweeps of both clubs (271-80 over Denver and 232-121 over Iowa), taking home top honors in the 100-yard breaststroke (55.42), 200-yard individual medley (1:48.44) and 400-yard individual medley (3:53.40). The accolade was the first Big Ten weekly honor of the junior's collegiate career. Women's basketball senior center Hallie Thome: On Oct. 26, for a second straight season, she was pegged to the watch list for the Lisa Leslie Award, which is given annually to the top center in women's college bas- ketball. Thome racked up 17.4 points and seven boards in 31.8 minutes per outing last year, and logged a team- high six double-doubles. Although the senior didn't win the prestigious award in 2017-18, she was named one of the 10 finalists for it. — Austin Fox Getting To Know Hockey Junior Forward Jake Slaker Ice hockey junior forward Jake Slaker burst onto the scene as a freshman at Michigan in 2016-17, competing in all 35 games and tallying 21 points (14 assists and seven goals). He increased that total to 27 (15 goals and 12 assists) last year as a sophomore, and is off to another hot start once again this season — his nine points (five goals and four assists) through nine contests are tied for the second most on the squad as of Nov. 11. Here are a few other interesting facts you may not have known about Slaker: Nickname: "Slakes. A lot of people also call me by my last name." Favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor: "Mani [Osteria & Bar]." Best meal he can cook by himself: "I can cook a steak pretty well." Sports he plays besides hockey: "In the spring and summer- time, the team does an intramural softball league." Hobbies: "I like to work out, hang out with friends, and travel and explore new places. I'm also a foodie so I like trying new res- taurants." Favorite TV show: "'Entourage.'" Favorite movie: "'The Wolf of Wall Street.'" Dream vacation: "I'd love to go to Greece." Favorite place he's been to: "Barcelona, Spain." Favorite professional athlete: "[Washington Capitals right winger] T.J. Oshie." Role model: "My dad." Why he chose Michigan: "It was the best opportunity for me to further my academic and athletic career. I also figured it would set me up for the best future both in and out of hockey." What he hopes to do after hockey: "I hope to play profession- ally. Once that's over, I'd like to get into the management side of hockey." His overall experience at Michigan: "It's been indescribable. Playing Division I hockey is something you dream of as a kid. You have all these expectations heading into college, and I can hon- estly say they've all been fulfilled and more. It has been the best experience of my life." — Austin Fox Slaker was tied for the second on the team with nine points (five goals and four assists) after Michigan's first seven games this season. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL