The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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perlative, since she was the only head coach to lead a U-M team to a national title this past year. Her Wolverines won the program's first-ever NCAA championship with a program-best 198.2500 score at the Finals. In her 32nd year at the helm, Plocki was voted the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) Coach of the Year nationally for the second time in her career, and she was also honored as the Big Ten Coach of the Year for the 11th time. Additionally, Plocki's staff — which includes associate head coach Scott Sherman, assistant coach Maile'ana Kanewa-Hermelyn and volunteer assistant coach Lexi Funk — were named the Assistant Coaches of the Year by the WCGA. U-M posted a 29-2 overall record on the season and totaled 14 All- America performances at the NCAA Championships. The Wolverines also boasted eight WCGA regular-season All-America citations, including four for junior Natalie Wojcik, who was named WCGA Regional Gymnast of the Year. BREAKOUT PERFORMERS OF THE YEAR Male Breakout Performer Of The Year Nick Rowlett, Lacrosse A Burke, Va., native, Rowlett was rated a four-star recruit and the No. 44 player in the country according to Inside Lacrosse, joining the Wolverines in 2019 with plenty of fanfare. How- ever, it took a couple years for the 6-0, 175-pounder to make a big impact while wearing a winged helmet, with an injury forcing him to miss his fresh- man season. He returned as a sopho- more, but appeared in just seven of the team's 12 games and totaled one goal. Then came the face-off man's breakout junior season. This past year, Rowlett put it all together, registering a team-high 100 ground balls, winning 54 percent of his face-offs and scoring three goals on eight shots. He led the confer- ence and ranked No. 6 nationally in ground balls per tilt, with 8.33. The highlight of Rowlett's season came against Rutgers March 6, when he set the U-M single-game record for face-off wins and ground balls in a game, winning 25 of 38 draws and registering 16 ground balls. For his efforts, he was named first- team All-Big Ten (first in program history at his position) and honor- able mention All-American by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. He's the team's first All- American since 2018. Female Breakout Performer Of The Year Abby Heiskell, Women's Gymnastics The progression was significant from Heiskell's freshman year to her sophomore season, when she earned U-M's team Most Improved award — but she made an even bigger jump as a key piece on a national cham- pionship-winning squad her junior year. Make no mistake, Heiskell was a big part of U-M's Big Ten title in 2020, when she scored a 9.900 or better on two vaults and one beam routine. In 2021, though, it all clicked, with the Charlotte, N.C., native being named first-team A l l - B i g Ten and a WCGA A l l - A m e r - i c a n in three events — vault, floor and all-around. When the Wol- verines actually got to compete in the NCAAs af- ter they were canceled in 2020, she stepped up — lit- erally, on the beam — and left her mark in what was a moment her team, and fans watching across the country, will never forget. Heiskell needed a 9.8500 on the balance beam to clinch the national title for the Wolverines, but she left no doubt, posting a 9.9250 with the rest of her team anxiously watching the last event of the NCAA Finals. Shortly thereafter, the confetti came rain- ing down, and the Maize and Blue celebrated their first-ever title. BEST WINS Male Team Win Of The Year Men's Basketball, Feb. 21 At No. 4 Ohio State In what was deemed college basket- ball's game of the year at the time, the No. 3-ranked Wolverines took down fourth-ranked Ohio State, 92-87, in an instant classic in Columbus, U-M's first win at OSU in seven seasons. Defense was optional at the Schot- tenstein Center that Sunday after- noon, with the teams combining for 179 points and each squad shooting better than 53 percent from the field. The Wolverines had just a bit more firepower than the Buckeyes and buckled down on the defensive end when it mattered most. The rivals were neck and neck all game long, before U-M surged ahead and gutted out the win. The Wol- verines held the Buckeyes to 4-of-12 shooting from the 11:43 mark un- til there were 23 seconds left in the game, going on a 29-17 run to close things out. Junior Abby Heiskell clinched the Wolverines' NCAA title with a 9.9250 on the balance beam in the last event of the NCAA Finals. PHOTO BY C. MORGAN ENGEL/NCAA PHOTOS VIA GETTY IMAGES AUGUST 2021 THE WOLVERINE 43