The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1460661
APRIL 2022 THE WOLVERINE 13 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Getting To Know Rowing Fifth-Year Senior Grace Collins Grace Collins is one of five Wol- verines who was part of U-M's two consecutive appearances at the NCAA Championships in 2019 and 2021. A veteran pres- ence on the team, Collins is a two-time Big Ten champion in the first varsity eight boat (2019, 2021) and was an NCAA bronze medalist in 2019. She earned second-team All-Big Ten honors last season. Here are some more fac ts about Collins that you may not have known: Best Part About Being From Ridgefield, Conn.: "I was lucky enough to be close enough to the water to get started in rowing." Nickname: "This is a sad one — I really don't [have a nickname], other than my coach sometimes calling me 'Collins.'" Favorite Restaurant In Ann Arbor: "Stray Hen [Cafe]." Best Meal She Can Cook By Herself: "A salmon rice bowl — salmon, with a bunch of veggies, avocado and teriyaki sauce." Favorite Professional Athlete: "Lauren Schmetterling, who rode in the 2016 Olympics and is now one of our coaches. She has shown me what it takes to hold yourself to the highest standard. Her influence on our team has elevated my rowing and my teammates' rowing." Sport She Enjoys Playing Besides Rowing: "My friends and I will always go out and play tennis whenever the weather gets nice. I can't say we're very good, but it's a summer hobby of mine, and it's really fun." Favorite TV Show: "'Friends.' It's classic, and just my comfort show." Favorite Movie: "'Titanic.'" Why She Chose Michigan: "The second I stepped foot on campus, I could tell that you are held to a really high standard, academically and athletically. And that was the level that I wanted to push myself to. One of the moments that I knew I wanted to come here was when [head] Coach Mark [Rothstein] sat us down and said, 'If you choose to row at Michigan, it's going to be the hardest thing you'll ever do in your life, but will be the most rewarding.' That idea excited me, and it wasn't a comment that I heard from a lot of coaches." What She Hopes To Do After Michigan: "I have a job lined up in Chi- cago with Sales Force, which I'm excited for. But on the other hand, I have been entertaining the idea of continuing rowing after I graduate." Favorite Memory At Michigan: "What I hold near and dear to my heart is in 2019 winning Big Tens. It was the first time in six years that Michigan had won. To be a part of that team that broke through and was fearless in the pursuit of a championship was the most rewarding moment of my life so far." Overall Experience At Michigan: "It definitely has been the hardest thing I've ever done, but it has been incredible. My experience here has been shaped by the people, and I am so grateful for all of my teammates, my coaches and my classmates. "I've been at Michigan for a while now — pre-COVID, during COVID and after — and what has stuck out to me is how supportive the people are and the camaraderie around supporting Michigan in everything you do, whether in rowing, in football in The Big House. The environment in Ann Arbor is electric, and I couldn't have seen myself at any other school, so I'm so grateful to have ended up here." — Clayton Sayfie Collins is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY PFF said. "His play certainly doesn't justify that move, as Onwenu has been excellent at multiple positions so far in his NFL career. This past year, he played both left guard and right tackle for at least 200 snaps and al- lowed 11 pressures over 340 pass-blocking snaps." — Anthony Broome MICHIGAN INVOLVED IN TWO OF 2022'S TOP REVENGE GAMES Bleacher Report recently named the top 10 revenge games for the 2022 college football season with Michigan appearing twice. The list is headlined by the Nov. 26 tilt between the Wolverines and Buckeyes in Columbus. Ohio State will be looking to avenge a 42-27 loss in Ann Arbor in 2021, its first to Michi- gan in 10 years. "This game will have a lot of the same cast," writer Morgan Moriarty noted. "Quarter- backs Cade McNamara and C.J. Stroud are both coming back in 2022. So is Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh, who announced he'd be staying at Michigan despite inter- viewing for the Minnesota Vikings. "The Buckeyes may have missed out on the CFP for the first time since 2018, but OSU appears to be primed for a huge year in 2022. ESPN's S&P+ projection for 2022, which looks at returning production, recruit- ing and recent history, has the Buckeyes at No. 1 overall. Michigan checks in at No. 4." The script will be flipped for the game vs. Michigan State in Ann Arbor on Oct. 29. The Spartans gave the Wolverines their only regular-season loss in a contest they let slip away in 2021. Michigan blew a 16-point second-half lead and fell 37-33 to MSU in East Lansing. That result allowed head coach Mel Tucker to take a 2-0 lead in the series over Har- baugh, which has not sat well. "Per usual, this game in 2022 will be huge in determining the Big Ten East standings," Moriarty wrote. "Although MSU head coach Mel Tucker was reportedly a candidate for several open head coaching jobs this coach- ing carousel, he is staying put in East Lan- sing. MSU will also return starting quarter- back Payton Thorne and 1,000-yard receiver Jayden Reed. On defense, Xavier Henderson and Ronald Williams returning in the sec- ondary is a huge plus. "With Jim Harbaugh, McNamara and a Michigan team that is ranked fourth in ES- PN's S&P+ projections, there's no doubt that revenge will be on this team's mind. The Wolverines haven't lost three times in a row to MSU since the 2013-15 seasons." — Anthony Broome