The Wolverine

September 2021

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1404875

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 54 of 67

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE WOLVERINE 55 BY CLAYTON SAYFIE M ichigan's fall sports out- side of football were postponed to later in the school year last season. Several have already started action as of late August, after playing into March or even April. Here's a primer on each squad going into their re- spective campaigns: MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY First Event: Michigan Open (Dex- ter, Mich.) Sept. 3. Season Outlook: This season should be much more normal than the last. In 2020's delayed and shortened cam- paign, the Wolverines were forced to withdraw from the Big Ten Champi- onships due to an athletic department- wide shutdown because of COVID-19 concerns. At its only team event, the Florida State Last Chance Invitational, the Maize and Blue finished second out of five teams. The squad did not qualify for the NCAA Championships, but they're looking to rebound this fall. Top Three Athletes: • Sixth-year senior Devin Meyrer — U-M's lone representative at the NCAA Championships in the spring, Meyrer — the reigning Big Ten Cross Country Athlete of the Year — is a two-time All-American (2019 and 2020) in cross country. A team captain, Meyrer is also the school re- cord holder in the 5,000 meters and earned second-team All-America honors for indoor track last season. • Junior Tom Brady — After dealing with injuries during his freshman year, Brady burst onto the scene last indoor track season at the Simmons-Harvey Invitational in January, with a career- best time of 7:58.06 in the 3,000-meter run to break both the meet and facility records. He earned second-team All- America honors in the race. Brady also showed his prowess dur- ing the outdoor track season, finishing second in the 10,000 meters at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in May. • Junior Nick Foster — The Ann Arbor native finished 11th with a time of 24:10.1 at the Florida State Last Chance Invitational, before post- ing a second-place finish on the track in the 1,500-meter race at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships (3:51.99). Don't Miss: At Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational (South Bend, Ind.) Oct. 1. WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY First Event: Michigan Open (Dex- ter, Mich.) Sept. 3. Season Outlook: The Wolverines finished 17th out of 31 teams at the NCAA Championships in March, af- ter posting a first-place (out of four squads) result at its only other meet of the season — the Last Chance Invita- tional. With a full slate set to occur this fall, the Maize and Blue have a great chance to see even higher levels of success, especially considering the fact that they weren't able to compete in the Big Ten Championships last spring. In 2021, the Wolverines will aim to extend their NCAA Championships qualifying streak to 20 consecutive seasons, and they have a great chance to do so, with all seven runners who participated in last year 's national championships still on the roster. Top Three Athletes: • Junior Ericka Vanderlende — A cross country All-American in 2019, the Rockford, Mich., native led the Wolverines with a 65th-place finish at the NCAA Championships last season. She also impressed during the indoor track season, earning sec- ond-team All-America honors in the 5,000-meter race by clocking 16:37.36. • Sophomore Samantha Tran — The Grand Rapids, Mich., product placed 90th at the NCAA Champi- onships, the third-best mark on the team, and was named the Big Ten Cross Country Freshman of the Year during the 2020 season. She closed extremely well at the national cham- pionships, having moved up 32 spots   OLYMPIC SPORTS UPDATE Sixth-year senior cross country runner Devin Meyrer, U-M's lone representative at the NCAA Championships in the spring, is the reigning Big Ten Cross Country Athlete of the Year, a two- time All-American (2019 and 2020) and a team captain. PHOTO COURTESY U-M ATHLETICS RETURN TO NORMAL U-M's Fall Sports Hope To Enjoy A More Typical Autumn This Year

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of The Wolverine - September 2021