The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543210
12 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MARCH 2026 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS U-M ALUM EVAN BATES CAPTURES OLYMPIC GOLD Evan Bates, an Ann Arbor native and 2013 U-M graduate, and his partner, Madison Chock, earned Olympic gold medals in the figure skating team event on Feb. 8 at Mi- lano Ice Skating Arena in the Winter Games. The two finished in first place the previous two days in an effort that helped Team USA defend its gold medal from four years ago. Bates and Chock hit season-highs in both the rhythm dance (91.06) and free dance (133.23) to earn Team USA the maximum 20 points it needed. They skated to a medley of Lenny Kravitz songs in the rhythm dance on Feb. 6, scoring top marks for the pattern dance type step sequence and grabbing 52.77 points for their efforts in the technical elements portion. In the free dance the next day, the pair earned Level 4s on four elements, with a curve combination lift that helped tally 14.74 points, the highest-scoring element of the competition. Bates and Chock, who were married in 2024, also won team gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2022 due to the Russians be- ing disqualified amid a doping scandal. The medal was officially awarded in 2024 after two years of litigation. Bates is now the first American figure skater to compete in five Olympics. He and Chock are three-time defending ice dance world champions. Chock was born in California and is a grad- uate of Novi High School, about 30 minutes northeast of Ann Arbor. DAVE DILANNI NAMED U-M WOMEN'S SOCCER COACH Dave Dilanni was announced as U-M's new women's soccer head coach on Jan. 27, mak- ing him the fourth program leader in school history. He replaces Jen Klein, who stepped down to pursue other opportunities. Dilanni spent 12 years at Iowa from 2014- 25 after an 11-season stint at Grand Valley State and is 19th among active women's soccer head coaches with 346 wins in his career. His career .749 winning percentage is third among active head coaches, and he was inducted into both the Spring Arbor Hall of Fame and Grand Valley State Hall of Fame in 2024. During his time at Iowa, he compiled a 125-82-30 record with five NCAA Tourna- ment berths, headlined by a Round of 16 appearance in 2024 plus a pair of Big Ten Tournament titles in 2021 and 2023. "We are excited to bring Dave and his fam- ily back to the state of Michigan," athletics director Warde Manuel said in a release. "He is a proven national championship- winning coach who has been successful at every level he has coached. He brings a wealth of experience to Michigan, and we look forward to his leadership of our women's soccer program." Dilanni helped 23 players earn All-Big Ten honors during his time in Iowa City, includ- ing 14 players honored in 2021, 2024 and 2025. Prior to his time at GVSU, Dilanni was the head coach for seven years at Jackson Lumen Christi High, followed by his col- legiate coaching debut with the men's and women's programs at Hillsdale College. In his first coaching role, Dilanni spent seven years working with the Olympic Develop- ment Program in Michigan. "I want to take a moment to thank Warde Manuel and [assistant athletics director] Lisa Savoury for their help in navigating this process in the search for the next University of Michigan head soccer coach," DiIanni said. "My family and I are very excited to be coming home, where we've spent the bet- ter part of our years raising our children. I'm excited for the opportunity to lead this pro- gram as we chase the standard of success that the University of Michigan is known for. We will be process-driven, growth-minded and relentless in the pursuit of achieving the Michigan standard of success by win- ning on and off the field." MAIZE AND BLUE NOTEBOOK BY ANTHONY BROOME Michigan graduate Evan Bates and his partner, Madison Chock, earned Olympic gold medals in the figure skating team event on Feb. 8 at Milano Ice Skating Arena. PHOTO COURTESY U.S. FIGURE SKATING Dilanni, who spent the last 12 years with Iowa, ranks third among active college wom- en's soccer head coaches with a career .749 winning percentage. PHOTO COURTESY IOWA ATHLETICS