The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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56 THE WOLVERINE ❱ DECEMBER 2023 MEN'S GYMNASTICS First Event: Maize & Blue Intrasquad (Dec. 9) Season Outlook: The goal this season begins with targeting a fourth straight Big Ten champion- ship and a third straight under head coach Yuan Xiao. Michigan brings back plenty of top-tier tal- ent, headlined by the return to competition for graduate student Paul Juda. Top Three Athletes Sophomore Fred Richardson: Won three NCAA titles as a freshman in 2023 — in the high bar, parallel bars and all-around. Also was national runner-up in the floor exercise. He earned five All-America citations and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Gymnast of the Cham- pionships. Graduate Paul Juda: Did not compete last season due to injury but has a long list of accomplish- ments, headlined by a pair of NCAA titles in 2022 in the all-around and vault. He is also a six-time NCAA All-American and won last year's Nissen-Emery Award, which goes to "the collegiate senior gym- nast who has established an outstanding record of achievement during his college career." Senior Javier Alfonso: NCAA All-American the past two seasons on the still rings and broke the 14-point plateau in 10 meets while also participat- ing in nine events on the parallel bars. WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS First Event: Dec. 3 vs. Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan (exhibition) Season Outlook: Head coach Bev Plocki and her veteran-laden squad will look to defend their Big Ten championship and get back into the national title picture after a heartbreaking end to the sea- son a year ago when tiebreaker rules knocked them out of the NCAA Regional Final. Top Three Athletes Graduate Sierra Brooks: Two-time team captain was last season's AAI Winner, the "Heisman Trophy of gymnastics." Has a laundry list of honors in Ann Arbor, headlined by seven WCGA first-team All- America nods and 10-time WCGA regular-season recognition. Graduate Gabby Wilson: 2023 team captain was a WCGA regular-season All-America first-team selection and Big Ten individual champion on the vault, earning first-team all-conference honors and a spot on the Big Ten All-Championship Team. Senior Naomi Morrison: All-Big Ten first-team performer was an individual regional co-champion on the vault and a WCGA All-America first-team honoree on the vault and ranked 18th nationally on the floor. MEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING First Event: Wisconsin Tri-Meet (Oct. 21) Season Outlook: Both the men's and women's swimming and diving programs are helmed by first- year head coach Matt Bowe, who was named to the position in June after helping the Cal men to an NCAA title in 2023 as associate head coach. Both the men's and women's programs at U-M finished third in the Big Ten last season. Top Three Athletes Junior Gal Groumi: All-Big Ten first team, All- American in 200-yard butterfly and Big Ten cham- pion in the 200 individual medley and 100-yard butterfly in 2023, as well as a six-time CSCAA All- American after the 2022 season. Junior Brendan Fitzpatrick: All-Big Ten second team in 2023 and placed 17th in the 200 medley relay and 14th in the 400 medley relay at the 2023 NCAA Championships. Senior Bence Szabados: All-Big Ten second-team selection in 2023 and earned a CSCAA All-America nod in 2022 in the 200 freestyle relay. Placed 13th in the 200 freestyle relay in last year's NCAA Cham- pionships. WOMEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING First Event: Wisconsin Tri-Meet (Oct. 21) Top Three Athletes Sophomore Katie Crom: Won Big Ten champion- ship last season in the 200-yard butterfly and was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in addi- tion to All-Big Ten first-team honors. Junior Lindsay Flynn: All-Big Ten second-team honoree is a five-time CSCAA All-American (2022: 100 freestyle, 400 freestyle relay, 400 medley relay, 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay). Junior Letitia Sim: Another second-team All-Big Ten selection, she has a trio of CSCAA All-America nods in the 100 breaststroke, 400 medley relay and 200 medley relay. WRESTLING First Event: Nov. 11 at Michigan State Open Season Outlook: No. 6 Michigan returns two All-Americans and three NCAA qualifiers this year, headlined by Will Lewan and Cameron Amine while also adding four All-America grad transfers in Michael DeAugustino (125 pounds), Chris Can- non (133) and Lucas Davison (heavyweight) from Northwestern and Shane Griffith (174) from Stan- ford. Top Three Athletes Graduate Will Lewan: All-American last season at 157 pounds, claimed an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships with a 3-3 record while finishing third in the Big Ten Championships. Redshirt Senior Cameron Amine: Claimed fourth place at NCAA Championships last season and was an All-American at 165 points, defeating new teammate Shane Griffith in consolation semifinals. Graduate Shane Griffith: Two-time Stanford grad, 2021 NCAA 165-pound champion and three- time All-American was twice voted Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year and posted a 112-13 record in five years at Stanford. WATER POLO First Event: TBD (Schedule not announced) Season Outlook: U-M is looking to build on the success it had last season under first-year head coach Cassie Churnside. The Wolverines went 23- 10 on the year and finished third in the CWPA ❱ OLYMPIC SPORTS UPDATE Michigan Winter Sports Previews Redshirt junior Dylan Ragusin, a 2023 NCAA qualifier, went 4-0 to start the wrestling season, cap- turing the 133-pound title at the Michigan State Open. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY