The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/152358
to the puzzle is the Golf Association of Ontario's 17th-best player, Bryce Evons. Provincially, he won a gold medal at the Ontario Summer Games/GAO Ontario Junior Championship by shooting a three-round, 5-under-par total of 211. "Bryce, Reed and Tom come to campus with a lot of experience and confidence — which is huge in any sport, but especially golf," Michigan head coach Chris Whitten said. "They all play well and have different strengths in their game, but the things we identified in all of them were maturity, toughness and competitiveness. They will be great teammates and fit our culture at Michigan perfectly. I expect all of them to push our returning players on the course and help us compete well all year in our events." Soccer: In 2012, the Wolverines won a home match in the NCAA Tournament and there has been upward momentum for the program ever since. Nine freshmen, as well as one transfer, have committed and will serve as the foundation for head coach Chaka Daley's program to build on. Five signees are ranked in the IMG Top 150, TopDrawerSoccer.com labels the Wolverines' class No. 6 in the country and CollegeSoccerNews.com rates it No. 8. "It's a solid class which will add quality to our team and will continue to create more quality depth," Daley said. "Initially, [Rylee] Woods and [Brett] Nason stand out due to their pedigrees, but every member of this class has talent." Swimming: Though this group might lack the normal firepower associated with a Mike Bottom recruiting class, you can bet Michigan's forward-thinking head coach recruits for want and not the approval of the various services. Record-smashing Jason Chen and multiple-event swimmer Christopher Klein are two headliners, but there are others right behind them. Cameron Stitt, a 2012 U.S. Olympic qualifier, is another name to watch, and six-time All-American and No. 46-ranked swimmer Jack Mangan will compete in the backstroke. "This is a group of guys with high potential and great heart," Bottom said. "They are competitors in the truest sense. Combined with our current culture, we would expect they'll be producing at a high level within two years." Tennis: A decidedly small class at just two men, what it lacks in size it makes up for in potential. In addition to four-star recruit Tyler Gardiner, head coach Bruce Berque landed Hong Kong native Kevin Wong, who posted a sparkling high school career overseas. Wong, who holds a 2-2 record against United States-born recruits, holds an International Tennis Federation Junior World Ranking of No. 93. "We are thrilled that Tyler and Kevin will be on board next year," Berque said. "They are both athletic, skilled in doubles as well as singles, and experienced at both the national and international junior levels. We are confident that they will be working very hard in the coming eight months, as they are very eager to be positive contributors in their first year at Michigan." — Geoff Chiles