The Wolverine

August 2013

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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1. The shot heard round the world: There are come-from-behind wins, comeback wins and improbable wins. And then there are impossible wins. Michigan's Sweet 16 victory over No. 3 Kansas belongs in a category entirely its own. The Wolverines rallied from a 14-point deficit with seven minutes to go, and a five-point deficit with 30 seconds remaining. Down three in the waning seconds, point guard Trey Burke fired off a step-back threepointer, from well beyond the arc, dropping it through the net to tie the game at 76-76. In overtime, the Maize and Blue went on the attack, delivering the knockout punch to the shocked Jayhawks in an 87-85 extrasession win. 2. The Wolverines go for a swim: Oneby-one, they dove into the water. Some head first. Others jumped in with a cannonball plunge. Most of the swimmers went in wearing t-shirts emblazoned with their accomplishment, while the staff was in khakis and collared shirts. After capturing the program's first national title since 1995, the men's swimming and diving program's athletes, coaches and support staff celebrated in the pool at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis. Michigan finished with 480 points, soundly beating runner-up California (406.5 points). 3. The nation's best yet again: Among Michigan's current coaches, only Red Berenson (1996 and 1998) had shared Kurt Golder's résumé (1999 and 2010) with two team national titles. By the end of April, Golder stood alone after leading the men's gymnastics team to an NCAA championship for the second time in four years. Ranked No. 1 much of the season, the Maize and Blue proved invincible, winning a Big Ten title while besting the field at NCAAs by three points. 4. Can't catch us: Seniors Rebecca Addison, Jillian Smith and Amanda Eccelston, with freshman Maya Long, knew they were fast, but maybe not 10:56.46 fast. The quartet handed off the baton three times and crossed the finish line ahead of the pack in the distance medley relay event to win an indoor national title, and in the process set a school record for the event. The victory was the fourth NCAA title by the Wolverines all time in the distance medley relay and the first since 2005. 5. Flooring the competition: The women's gymnastics team suffered a disappointing fate when it failed to qualify for the NCAA finals in late April, but in individual event performances, both senior Katie Zurales and junior Joanna Sampson garnered All-America honors. Zurales placed second on the balance beam, and Sampson did better than that, scoring a 9.375 to win the floor exercise title, becoming the first gymnast in school history to win an NCAA championship on floor. 6. The kick that ended the streak: Even though the 2000s were not kind to the Michigan football team in its rivalry with Ohio State, at least U-M could boast of its continued success against Michigan State, winning six in a row from 2002-07. But taking advantage of the Maize and Blue at their low

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