The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NOVEMBER 2021 THE WOLVERINE 15 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Getting To Know Dance Team Fifth-Year Senior Megan Bellottie Fifth-year senior Megan Bellottie has been a mainstay on the sideline of foot- ball and basketball games since 2017, and has competed with the dance team on a national stage each spring. A team captain in 2020-21, she led the squad to a national championship in the College Virtual competition's Division IA jazz and hip-hop categories in April. She returned as a fifth-year senior, handing over captainship to fourth-year team- mates, but still plays a vital role. Here are some things you may not have known about Bellottie: Best Part About Being From Dex- ter, Mich.: "It's really nice, of course, being close to home, close to family and still being involved in my home- town, as well. I teach at a dance studio in Dexter, so I'm back and forth all the time." Nickname: "Everyone calls me 'Meg.' But as far as a funny nickname, my friends call me 'Grumpy.' Freshman year for Halloween, seven of us dressed up as the seven dwarves from Snow White, and I was 'Grumpy.'" Favorite Restaurant In Ann Arbor: "Jolly Pumpkin. I feel like every time I have a meal there, it's really good. Frita Batidos is really good, as well. I'd say it's a tie between the two." Best Meal She Can Cook By Her- self: "I've made stir fry, and I was really proud of that, just with lots of veggies and chicken and noodles." Favorite Professional Athlete: "Misty Copeland, who's an African- American professional ballerina. She was really groundbreaking within the dance community, kind of changing what that image of a dancer looks like." Activities She Participates In Be- sides Dance: "I enjoy playing tennis. I'm by no means very good at it, but I've been trying to improve my tennis skills. That would be a good physical activity I would be able to continue doing as my body gets older and no longer wants to dance." Why She Chose Michigan: "My par- ents didn't go to any big university, so I didn't have any allegiance in that capacity. So really my only exposure to university, college sports, all of that, was Michigan. My dad's always been a big Michigan fan, so I grew up going to sporting events. "And then growing up, I didn't know much about dance team as a college sport until I was in high school and I had this connection to the Michigan dance team through my coach. That exposure drew me toward Michigan, too, knowing I'd be able to be a part of the dance team." What She Hopes To Do After Michi- gan: "I'm hoping to go into marketing, into a brand management position. But I'm open to other positions, and I'm cur- rently doing the job search." Favorite Memory At Michigan: "Winning the national championship in jazz and hip-hop this spring. We re- ally got so close as a team and really sa- vored every moment we had together, because that's all we really had. We didn't get to participate in football or basketball or anything, we could only focus on nationals for our team. Ac- tually winning was such an incredible feeling." Overall Experience At Michigan: "More than anything else, my experi- ence on the team has shown me what true teamwork looks like. I've learned how to be flexible in my role, whether that's being quiet, being a follower, let- ting those in position lead or, when needed, stepping into that leadership role." — Clayton Sayfie A captain in 2020-21, Bellottie led the dance team to a national championship in the College Virtual competition's Division IA jazz and hip-hop categories in April. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY Michigan's undefeated start to the season was a team ef- fort with contributions from players in all three phases of the game, but a pair of freshman standouts turned enough heads for some midseason hardware. Linebacker Junior Colson's play allowed him to crack ESPN's list of midseason true freshman All-Americans. "Colson was [ESPN's] No. 144-ranked prospect in the 2021 class out of Brentwood, Tennessee," analyst Tom VanHaaren wrote. "He was coming into a veteran Michigan defense, but he has provided a lot of help at linebacker for the Wolverines. He is fifth on the team in total tackles (20), and has one pass breakup and a fumble recovery in six games. Colson has had at least one tackle in all but one game this season and is one of the young bright spots on defense for Michigan." The Athletic named defensive back R.J. Moten as another prospect breaking through and finding a role in Ann Arbor. "After redshirting last year and appearing in one game on special teams, Moten took a big step forward this offseason and has made four starts for Michigan's much-improved defense," Max Olson wrote. "The former four-star from New Jersey has recorded 20 tackles and is emerging as a physical presence on the back end." — Anthony Broome Pair Of Wolverines Named Freshman All-Americans Through Six Games