The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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APRIL 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 15 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS FIVE YEARS AGO, 2020: The COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to all Michigan athletics activities in mid-March, wiping out the tournament opportunities for a host of spring sports. Michigan men's basketball left the court just prior to its Big Ten Tournament opener, ending the season at 19-12 for a potential NCAA Tournament team. Michigan hockey — struggling more than usual at 18-14-4 — saw its season put on ice. Michigan softball and baseball, sitting at 15-8 and 8-7, respectively, packed away the bats before their Big Ten seasons even began. Men's and women's gymnastics, men's and women's track, and every other spring sport came away with truncated campaigns. Michigan football's open spring practice, scheduled for April 18, also went by the wayside. "The health and well-being of our student-athletes, coaches and staff is paramount as we assess the near- and long-term potential impacts," the Michigan athletics department noted in a statement released to the media. "This is a rapidly evolving situation." 10 YEARS AGO, 2015: Three Michigan men's gymnasts earned All-America honors with runner-up finishes in their events at the 2015 NCAA Individual Event Finals on April 11 at Oklahoma's Lloyd Noble Center. Junior Nolan Novak led the way, finishing as the nation's runner-up in the pommel horse competition. Meanwhile, senior Stacey Ervin Jr. and freshman Dmitri Bela- novski each tied for third in their events, Ervin on floor exercise and Belanovski on the high bar. Novak's second-place finish on the pommel horse marked the best result by a Michigan athlete in that event since Sam Mikulak took fourth in 2013. A day later, Michigan — which attempted to win its third con- secutive national championship in the sport — wound up fourth in the national finals behind Oklahoma, Stanford and Penn State. "Obviously I'm disappointed because we didn't perform up to our capabilities," assessed U-M coach Kurt Golder. "I don't think we were a good enough team to get past Oklahoma. We would have had to be perfect and they would have had to falter in order to get by them." 25 YEARS AGO, 2000: Michigan women's gymnastics ad- vanced to the NCAA Championships by capturing the NCAA Re- gion V title on April 1, 2000, at State College, Pa. The Wolverines posted a score of 196.550 to win the event, followed by host Penn State (195.925), Florida (195.875), Rutgers (192.375), Pittsburgh (191.850) and New Hampshire (191.200). Michigan's Sarah Cain led the way, winning or tying for the win in three separate events. She got things started off well by posting a 9.900 in the floor exercise, taking the title. Cain also placed first on the uneven bars, this time with a 9.950. Her 9.900 in the vault earned her a share of first place with Michigan teammate and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Janessa Grieco. The Wolverines emerged from the competition ranked No. 1 nationally. "The judging here was fair, but I thought it was conservative," noted Michigan head coach Bev Plocki, the Region V Coach of the Year. "You have to literally earn every eighth of a tenth that you get in the postseason, and that's the way it should be." — John Borton THIS MONTH IN MICHIGAN ATHLETICS HISTORY Follow Michigan Sports Year-Round With The Wolverine Magazine! The Wolverine Magazine! FIVE-STAR OT ANDREW BABALOLA RARE RARE AIR AIR U-M Lands Its Best Class Since 2017; U-M Lands Its Best Class Since 2017; Five-Star Plus+ QB Bryce Underwood Five-Star Plus+ QB Bryce Underwood Brings Elite Skill Set To Ann Arbor Brings Elite Skill Set To Ann Arbor THEWOLVERINE.COM | MARCH 2025 | $8.95 THEWOLVERINE.COM | MARCH 2025 | $8.95 BIG TEN BIG TEN CHAMPS! CHAMPS! Dusty May & Co. Take Michigan From Worst To First Dusty May & Co. Take Michigan From Worst To First THEWOLVERINE.COM | APRIL 2025 | $5.95 THEWOLVERINE.COM | APRIL 2025 | $5.95 WWW.THEWOLVERINE.COM • $18.95 WWW.THEWOLVERINE.COM • $18.95 Makes a terrific gift for your Michigan Fan! TWO EASY WAYS TO ORDER: www.TheWolverineOnDemand.com Order 24 hours a day from our online store! CALL: 800-421-7751 10:00-4:00 ET, Mon.-Fri. Or call 919-688-0218 if outside the U.S. The Wolverine magazine is the foremost source for analysis, information and opinions on Michigan football, recruiting and other sports! A one-year subscription includes: n 11 Monthly Editions Of The Wolverine n The Wolverine's 160-Page Football Preview n Online Access at TheWolverineOnDemand.com Subscription plans start at $49.99 for digital-only delivery and $74.99 for print/digital delivery. First-class postage upgrades are available. Sales tax may be added where applicable.