The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/315684
BY ANDY REID E very year, rookies step into their respective sports and make an immediate impact, like Adam Coon, who earned the starting spot in the heavyweight division for the Michigan men's wres‑ tling team this season and posted a 32‑5 overall record and reached the round of 12 at the NCAA Championships. These are the top Olympic sports in‑ coming freshmen who are hoping to make a splash during their first seasons in Ann Arbor. 1. Ahinga Selemani, men's soccer: When Michigan men's soccer coach Chaka Daley first moved to Ann Arbor in the winter before the 2012 season, it wasn't long before he picked out one potential recruit who could be the cor‑ nerstone of his development plan for the future of the program. That player was, after all, just across the street from the Wolverines' athletic campus. Selemani was a four‑year standout forward for Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Mich., which sits kitty corner from Michigan Stadium across the intersection at Stadium and Main. "It certainly was a challenging re‑ cruiting process with Ahinga," Daley said. "When I first got here two years ago, he was the guy we identified, as soon as we walked through the door, as one of the key guys, locally and nationally, that we felt would be a great addition to our program." The Wolverines, with their im‑ proved facilities and commitment to Daley as the coach of the future, were an early favorite for the 5‑8, 160‑pound Selemani, who is perhaps the most highly regarded recruit in Michigan soccer history. Selemani, who was invited to par‑ ticipate in the U.S. National Under‑17 Residency Program (2012‑13) before earning a spot on the U.S. Under‑18 National Team this summer, is the No. 3 player in the country accord‑ ing to CollegeSoccerNews.com and is ranked as the No. 12 player in the IMG Academy 150. "We were very close when we got here, when he was a sophomore," Daley said. "Then he went into the national team residency program in Bradenton, Fla., and he got a lot of interest from all over the country. Notable Newcomers Men's Olympic Sports Freshmen To Watch In 2014-15