The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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They were all special, but what re- ally separated them was that extra will to win. Our sport is exhausting physically and emotionally. Over the course of their careers, they figured out that you had to grind and have guts because it is tough to win a soc- cer game. "They really established that cul- ture of 'This is how you have to com- pete in practice, and on game day, to be successful.'" It wasn't just the seniors, though. They may have set the tone and the expectations, but Toohey can list off a dozen underclassman teammates that have been crucial to past success and were instrumental to the perfor- mance of the team in 2013. "We wanted to have that great final year, but our juniors wanted to win a Big Ten title as bad as we did, and our sophomores, and even our fresh- men," said Toohey. "We got together as a team before we met with the coaches in the pre- Best Of The Rest While the soccer team earned top billing for its success on the field this sea- son, there were plenty of other teams that achieved at a high level in 2013-14. Here are more of the best. 1. Cross Country — If Michigan was disappointed with its second-place team finish at the 2013 Big Ten Championships, the Wolverines made up for it in a big way, placing first at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional and taking fourth at the NCAA Championships — U-M's highest national placing since finishing third in 2006. The fourth-place effort was the top NCAA mark by a women's sport at Michigan in 2013-14. 2. Softball — Carol Hutchins continues to make the case that she is the top female coach in Michigan athletics history, leading U-M to its 17th conference title in her 30 seasons. The Maize and Blue were 47-15 overall, won a third straight NCAA regional title and advanced to the Super Regionals. Michigan won its first game against Florida State, but dropped its final two to exit the tournament. 3. Tennis — Now that Ronni Bernstein has her machine rolling, there doesn't appear to be anything that can stop the Maize and Blue. U-M won its fifth con- secutive Big Ten regular-season crown and its third outright championship in five seasons. The Wolverines went 22-5, including an 11-0 mark in league play, and advanced to the NCAA second round for the ninth straight year. 4. Gymnastics — With an ever-improving Big Ten, winning the league title is no easy accomplishment. The Maize and Blue would edge out their com- petitors at the conference meet, snaring the program's first Big Ten crown since 2011, and the 19th under head coach Bev Plocki (1993-2014). U-M went on to claim the regional championship and placed a respectable 10th at the NCAA Championships. — Michael Spath