The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JUNE/JULY 2019 THE WOLVERINE 13 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Getting To Know Men's Lacrosse Junior Midfielder Avery Myers Lacrosse midfielder Avery Myers tallied just 10 goals and 19 points through his first two college seasons, but en- joyed a breakout junior campaign in 2019 that saw him rack up 24 of the former (second most on the team) and 34 of the latter (third most). Though the Maize and Blue stumbled to a 4-9 record, he helped the club end the year on a high note when he notched two goals and an assist in a season-ending upset win over No. 10 Ohio State. Here are a few other interesting facts you may not have known about the Alexandria, Va., native: Nickname: "I have a few different ones from a couple people — A-1 is popular, and Sunshine is one I've had since high school." Favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor: "Black Rock [Bar & Grill]." Best meal he can cook by himself: "Breakfast foods; I crush that stuff." Hobbies: "I love reading and doing anything outdoors. When- ever I get a chance to play basketball or go swimming outside, I always take advantage of it." Favorite TV show: "'The Office,' without a doubt." Favorite movie: "'Chasing Mavericks.'" Dream vacation: "Bali. I haven't been there yet." Favorite place he's been to: "I went to Greece last summer, and it quickly became the coolest place I've ever been." Favorite professional athlete: "That's a tough one, but I'd have to go with [former Los Angeles Lakers guard] Kobe [Bryant]." Role model: "My dad." Sports he plays besides lacrosse: "I don't do any other sports at the University of Michigan, but I played basketball and water polo in high school." Why he chose Michigan: "This is a pretty common answer, but the mixture of academics and athletics is insane and unparalleled to any other university. You always hear about the school spirit and how much the alumni base enjoyed their time here, and how often they come back to help others out as a result. I love the community aspect of life here." What he hopes to do after lacrosse: "Get a job and make some money. I am currently majoring in sport management, and intend to work in the front office of a professional sports organization after I graduate. I don't know which specific team I'd like to get involved with, but I think it would be cool to move out to the West Coast. I'm just trying to keep my options open." His overall experience at Michigan: "It has been tremendous. It's hard to put into words, because I've learned so much during my time here and am actually sad that I'm already heading into my fourth year, but excited at the same time. An extensive wealth of knowledge has come from my three seasons in Ann Arbor, and I couldn't have asked for a better three years anywhere else." — Austin Fox Myers ranked second on the team this past season with 24 goals and third with 34 points. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY MICHIGAN'S TOP PERFORMERS Women's tennis head coach Ronni Bernstein: She was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year May 2 after leading the Wolverines to a 20-6 over- all record, and a sweep of both the league's regular-season and conference tournament titles. The Maize and Blue finished a per- fect 11-0 in league play and took home the Big Ten Tournament crown for the second straight year. The accolade actually marked Bernstein's sixth conference coach of the year honor, though it was the first time she had won it since 2014. Softball freshman outfielder Lexie Blair: She was tabbed as a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection May 8 and the next day was named one of 10 finalists for the NFCA Freshman of the Year award, which is given annually to the nation's top softball rookie. Blair led the Wolverines in several of the most important offensive categories, including batting aver- age (.406), hits (tied with 78), doubles (22) and RBI (54). The winner of the NFCA Freshman of the Year will be revealed prior to the start of the Women's College World Series, which begins May 30 in Oklahoma City. Men's swimming and diving sophomore freestyler Luiz Gustavo Borges: On May 10, he was chosen to represent his home country of Brazil in this summer's World University Games July 3-14 in Naples, Italy. The sophomore earned the honor by finishing fifth in the 50-meter freestyle (22.21) and 10th in the 100-meter freestyle (49.60) at the Brazil Trophy this past April. Borges actually ranks No. 14 in the world this year (by best time) in the former, and is just 0.04 seconds behind the school record of 22.17, which was set by Paul Powers in 2016. Women's basketball guard signee Maddie Nolan: Head coach Kim Barnes Arico announced Nolan's addition to the 2019 signing class May 16. She joins center Izabel Varejao and guard Michelle Sidor as incoming Wolverine fresh- men for the 2019-20 campaign. Hailing from Zionsville, Ind., the newest signee averaged 21.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game as a high school junior while leading her club to the state championship game. The 5-9 guard was also named a Core-6 Indiana Junior All-Star and landed on the all-state team, before a knee injury caused her to miss all but five games of her senior season. Volleyball sophomore libero Natalie Smith: On May 9, she was declared one of 12 Big Ten volleyball players who will be members of the 2019 Foreign Tour Team that will travel to Japan (Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo) June 14-26. Smith was the conference's only libero to make the cut, after she played in all 34 matches (16 starts) as a sophomore this past year, and ranked fifth on the team in digs (208) and sixth in service aces (11). She will also be joined by U-M head coach Mark Rosen on the trip, who will serve as an assistant to Iowa's Bond Shymansky. — Austin Fox