The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/418536
within the Michigan program think- ing that they could surprise some people in the conference this year. The foundation has definitely been laid and now it's time to build upon it. "I feel like we have kept that bar high," Goree said. "We didn't drop from what the class of Jenny Ryan and Rachel Sheffer did. They left the program in such a good place and we have been able to be as successful because of what they helped build." Elmblad echoed the sentiment. The seniors on this team are all singing the same tune, and soon enough, she be- lieves the freshmen and future classes will be too. "I think the biggest thing is really instilling a sense in our younger team- mates that Michigan women's bas- ketball is meant to be at the top," she said. "From the last few years and the culture we have established and still strive for every day, that is how we want things to be from here on out. We want to be competing for champi- onships for a long time." While Barnes Arico starts to figure her team out, she'll get a chance to blend the veterans and youngsters to- gether in a way that leads to wins on the court. She has things heading in a direction that people are happy with and that players want to be a part of. "My time at Michigan has been interesting because each season has been so different," Barnes Arico stated. "My first year was incredible, and I didn't know what to expect, but I had a great group of seniors that were so welcoming. "Last year was a big unknown, but we had people step up and did some Senior guard Shannon Smith was the Wolverines' leading point-producer last sea- son, scoring in double figures 25 times en route to 13.8 points per contest. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS