The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 33 2023-24 YEAR IN REVIEW BIGGEST UPSETS OF THE YEAR MALE SPORT UPSET OF THE YEAR HOCKEY VS. MICHIGAN STATE Michigan fell to 1-4 against the Michigan State Spartans when it lost 5-4 in overtime in the Big Ten Tournament championship game in East Lansing. The Wolverines had gotten on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble, but were having issues beating the Spartans, even if the last game was close and very winnable. The Maize and Blue wound up in the same region as the top-seeded Spartans in Maryland Heights, Mo., and the two teams met in the national quarterfinal game, with a spot in the Frozen Four on the line. When it mattered most, the Wolverines stepped up. Led by junior forward Dylan Duke (2 goals, 1 assist) and junior defenseman Ethan Edwards (1 goal, 2 assists), Michigan pulled off the 5-2 victory. The score was tied 2-2 midway through the third period, before Duke's first goal gave U-M the edge. He capped off the win with another score to make it 5-2 with less than three minutes to play. MSU was the only No. 1 seed that failed to make the Frozen Four. The Wolverines lost to Boston College 4-0 in Saint Paul, Minn., in the national semifinal. FEMALE SPORT ROOKIE OF THE YEAR STEPHANIE BALDUCCINI, SWIMMING The freshman freestyle swimmer put together an outstanding first season in the maize and blue, earning Big Ten Fresh- man of the Year honors. The São Paolo, Brazil, native wasn't just one of the best freshmen in the sport, she was one of the top overall athletes in the country, plac- ing ninth in the 100-yard freestyle (47.04) and 11th in the 200-yard freestyle (1:43.10) at the NCAA Championships. She was fourth and fifth in those same events, re- spectively, at the Big Ten Championships. Balduccini was named first-team All- Big Ten and second-team All-American by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America. FEMALE SPORT UPSET OF THE YEAR SOFTBALL VS. FLORIDA Michigan was 2-1 entering a clash with No. 17 Flor- ida Feb. 10, gutting out a 2-1 victory in 10 innings at the USF-Rawlings Invitational in Tampa, Fla. The game was scoreless until the ninth inning, in which both teams scored 1 to send it to extras. Junior pitcher Lauren Derkowski allowed just 1 run (none earned) on 6 hits and struck out 4 batters in the complete game, and she shut the door in the bottom of the 10th to secure the win. In the top half of that inning, freshman outfielder Jenissa Conway had an RBI groundout to score classmate Lexi Dellamonica, who was making her collegiate debut. Florida won the SEC Tournament, advanced to the Women's Col- lege World Series (where it lost an elimination semifinal game 6-5 to NCAA champion Oklahoma) and finished the season ranked third in the nation. The Wolverines actually had the Gators' number in 2024, beating them a second time, 10-2, March 2 in Fullerton, Calif. Freshman outfielder Jenissa Conway had the game-winning RBI groundout to score class- mate Lexi Dellamonica in the Wolverines' thrilling 2-1 win over No. 17 Florida on Feb. 10 in Tampa, Fla. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS The Wolverines' hockey team was 1-4 against Michigan State this season after a 5-4 overtime loss in the Big Ten Championship. But when it mattered most, Michigan earned a 5-2 victory against the Spartans to claim the NCAA regional title and advance to its third straight Frozen Four (and record 28th overall). PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Swimmer Stephanie Balduccini earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors and was a second- team All-American in the 100- and 200-yard freestyle events. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS