The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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14 THE WOLVERINE ❱ NOVEMBER 2025 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS ❱ Student-Athlete Of The Month Men's Soccer Senior Midfielder Zach Martens For senior midfielder Zach Martens, the path to playing at this level has been anything but easy, but he would have it no other way. His story has largely been paved by the un- wavering support of those who helped get him to Michigan. Martens grew up in Gainesville, Fla., and his schedule meant that his family was always spending time on the road with him. It was the foundation for everything that has fol- lowed for the two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. "I can't say enough about my parents," Martens said, via MGoBlue.com. "It's a pretty big gamble to drive a 13-year-old kid three hours a night. They have always encouraged me to chase my dreams, and they told me they would support me in whatever I wanted to do. There were times when I would question whether I wanted to keep doing it, and it was their support and nudging me, saying, 'Hey … this is your dream.' Having that support that I always needed when there were any troubling times is what helped me throughout the journey." That kind of belief shaped how he approaches the challenges thrown his way now, adding perspective to his journey to Michigan. The blend of high-level athletics, elite academics and long-term career prospects is a perfect fit for someone hoping to make the most of his opportunities. "At the end of the day, I think Michigan's pretty much unrivaled with what it offers from the academic balance and the sport aspects, to go along with the career opportunities and the facilities," he said. "I could go on and on. It checks every single box." As a student in the Ross School of Business, Martens has embraced the opportunities that have been granted to him. In his MGoBlue feature, he said one of the highlights was co-authoring a sustainability case study selected for publication through WDI Publishing. This yearlong process tested his leadership and collaboration skills. Whether it's in the classroom or on the soccer pitch, Martens continues to embody what Michigan stands for: dedication, balance and the belief that success is built one step, and one long drive, at a time. "It's been about a yearlong process, but it's been awesome," Martens said. "Getting to work with another group of undergraduates and having the ability to be a part of some- thing that is tangible for us was honestly super-empowering. I think it was just a good exercise in team building and collaboration, and it was just a great opportunity through a really cool class that I took." — Anthony Broome MICHIGAN'S TOP PERFORMERS Volleyball junior Morgan Burke: The Omaha, Neb., native and U-M standout setter recorded her 2,000th ca- reer assist in a straight- set loss to No. 7 Wiscon- sin Oct. 5, becoming the 10th Wolverine to reach t h e mi l esto n e. Wi t h 2,128 assists through the match against Northwestern Oct. 16, Burke stands 10th in program history but is in reach of passing No. 9 Lisa Vahi (2,139; 1984-87), Scottee Johnson (2,367; 2020- 23) and Tarnisha Thompson (2,619; 1989- 92) this season. Men's basketball graduate student Yaxel Lendeborg: The UAB transfer is one of 10 players in the confer- ence to be named pre- season All-Big Ten ahead of the 2025-26 cam- paign. He became the 24th Wolverine in his- tory to earn the honor and first since Hunter Dickinson (2022-23). In the "official unofficial" Big Ten media poll put out by The Columbus Dispatch, Lendeborg was selected as the Transfer of the Year. Men's tennis senior Nicholas Steiglehner: The New York native was named the Big Ten Player of the Week Oct. 8 after he and partner Bjorn Swenson went 4-0 in doubles, including a win over a ranked Notre Dame duo, while he also went 4-0 in singles in the Hope RSM Dominant Duo event. Ice hockey senior T.J. Hughes: The Ham- ilton, Ontario, native has been selected to participate in the 2025 Spengler Cup, joining the United States Col- legiate Select Team, made up of 25 student- athletes from across NCAA hockey, with each conference being rep- resented. It will be held Dec. 26-31, with six participating teams, including HC Davos, Team Canada, HC Fribourg-Gotteron, Sparta Praha and IFK Helsinki. — Clayton Sayfie Martens, a senior in U-M's Ross School of Business, is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY