The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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12 THE WOLVERINE OCTOBER 2020 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS M ichigan women's la- c ro s s e s e n i o r C a ro l i n e Witkowski grew up in a sports family, with her fa- ther, Kevin, having played college football at Western Michigan from 1984-88. That background helped shape her into the star stu- dent and standout defender that she is today. "It was awesome," Wit- kowski said about growing up while participating in athletics. "My dad's always been my biggest supporter. I was always playing sports growing up. "He instilled a great work ethic in all of us and showed me the ropes in things. He was with me through the whole recruiting process, taking me to tournaments. Having him as a role model definitely helped me get to where I am." W i t k o w s k i t a l l i e d 1 0 ground balls and six caused turnovers in her breakout sophomore campaign of 2019, before being one of seven players to start all six games during her junior season, which was cut short due to the COVID-19 pan- demic. Since becoming a varsity sport in 2014, U-M women's lacrosse hadn't posted a winning record in any of its first five seasons, until the Wolverines went 16-4 in 2019, making their first NCAA Tournament game and boasting a top-10 national ranking to end the year. Witkowski, who committed to the previous coaching staff but has played exclusively under fourth-year head coach Hannah Nielsen, has been crucial in helping the Maize and Blue blaze a new trail. "Being able to shape a program is a really unique experi- ence that I'm so happy to be a part of. We get to change the culture and create our legacy on the program," Witkowski said. A two-time U-M Academic Achievement award recipient and two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Witkowski also has a strong desire to be great in the classroom. "I've always been really focused on academics," she said. "Getting a reward for all that hard work feels like such a great accomplishment to have. And then also just to hold myself to a higher standard and get good grades and show up to class every day, putting in the work like I do on the field — it's good to receive recognition at such a big school." A member of the Cappo Sales Track program at U-M's pres- tigious Ross School of Business, Witkowski hopes to go into the marketing field post-graduation. She worked a digital marketing internship this past summer at Maker's Valley, an Italian high-end fashion manufacturer, and believes that the student-athlete experience at U-M will set her up nicely for a successful career down the road. "Just my work ethic in general," Witkowski said of how her athletic traits carry over into academics and beyond. "I'm always competitive on the field, and I want to be competitive in the classroom and get the best grades that I can. "I think that sets us apart from other candidates, because we are a certain breed of people that are hardworking and competitive. Going to a prestigious university helps as well. It's definitely a blessing, and I'm super grateful for all the time I've had at Michigan." — Clayton Sayfie Witkowski is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and two-time U-M Academic Achievement award winner (both in 2019 and 2020). PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY Student-Athlete Of The Month Women's Lacrosse Senior Caroline Witkowski