The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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14 THE WOLVERINE ❱ DECEMBER 2023 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Women's basketball forward Cameron Williams will be leaned on as a veteran presence throughout her senior year, but it goes beyond what she does on the court. A 33-game starter last year, Williams is a two-time All-Big Ten performer, and that distinction is not something she takes lightly. "It's a huge honor for me," Williams said, "especially being a part of a culture that really takes both academics and athletics super seriously. Growing up, academics and athletics were both super important for me. So, I think being recognized for that is just bearing the fruits of my labor. "It's nice to be appreciated for stuff like that every now and then, especially when you put so much work into it every day. It's definitely a great honor." Academic accountability is one of the pillars of head coach Kim Barnes Arico's program. The players discuss it, and the resources available to the team go beyond basketball. "Every day at the start of practice, we have a circle and we always talk about important things that are going on," Williams said. "Whether that's academics or keeping each other in line. We have academic coaches to make sure that we're communicating with them about what we need to be doing or how things are going, good or bad. "We do a good job at holding each other accountable. It's a standard we have here at Michigan, and I think we've all been doing a great job at following that." Williams wants to keep her momentum going in the classroom. But after averaging 6.4 points and 3.8 rebounds in 2022-23, she also has on-court boxes she'd like to check off. "I want to become a better defender and a better rebounder," Williams revealed. "I'm working on that day in and day out. For academics, I just want to be on top of my classes — utilizing the tutoring resources so I'm not slacking throughout the season, because it's a long year." Williams is a sport management major interested in marketing and social media in the profes- sional ranks. She was also an intern with the U-M athletics department working with NIL as well as with the leadership development team while handling social media for both groups. "I've done a few internships already for marketing," Williams said. "I'm super interested in that field, so hopefully after college, I can potentially pursue a career with a major sports league or an organization where I could be in the marketing department. "I'm also interested in player management. Handling social media for players would be super interesting for me, too." — Anthony Broome Williams, a 33-game starter last year, is a two-time All-Big Ten performer for the women's basketball team. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS ❱ Student-Athlete Of The Month Senior Forward Cameron Williams MICHIGAN'S TOP PERFORMERS Football senior offensive lineman Zak Zinter: The right guard was named one of 16 finalists for the National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Trophy, the pre- mier scholar-athlete award in college football recognizing an individual as the best in the nation for combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. A team captain, Zinter was a second-team Academic All-American in 2022 and has earned Academic All-Big Ten honors twice (2021-22). Prior to the Maryland game Nov. 18, he had started 40 career games, earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2022 and been a part of two Big Ten championship teams and back-to-back Joe Moore Award-winning offensive lines. Women's cross country graduate Kayla Winde- muller: The Hamilton, Mich., native was named first-team All-Big Ten for the second time in her career, after pacing the Maize and Blue at the Big Ten Championships and placing seventh overall with a time of 21:14.2. Teammate Lani Bloom was tabbed as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and landed on the second- team All-Big Ten list. Ice hockey sophomore Rut- ger McGroarty: The 2022 first- round NHL Draft pick by the Winnipeg Jets was named the Hockey Commissioners Asso- ciation Co-Player of the Month Nov. 1, after a strong start to the season. He led the nation with 15 points in eight games in October, posting 5 goals and 10 assists. The forward from Lincoln, Neb., scored at least 1 point in seven outings, including the first five of the campaign, extending his point streak to a career-best 13 games. Field hockey senior Lora Clarke: The Shaker Heights, Ohio, native was selected to the All-Big Ten first team for the first time in her career. The midfielder posted 3 goals and a team-high 9 assists as U-M's primary corner inserter. Clarke has started 65 of 76 career games, totaling 21 goals and 17 assists for 59 points in 2,676 minutes played. — Clayton Sayfie