The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS MAIZE AND BLUE NOTEBOOK DETOUR • Michigan fans traveling to Yost Ice Arena, Crisler Arena or any other venue on campus should be aware that bridge-replacement construction on Stadium Blvd. is greatly affecting the flow of traffic. The project on East Stadium began Nov. 28 and will not finish until Nov. 14, 2012. All vehicular and pedestrian lanes from Kipke Drive to South Industrial are closed. Access to the parking lots surrounding Crisler Arena and Michigan Stadium will be maintained from Main Street to Kipke Drive along Stadium. South State Street also closed Nov. 28 but is scheduled to reopen Dec. 13. De- tour signs are posted on Ann Arbor streets but expect slow traffic and backups for U-M's home hockey game against Michigan State Dec. 9. For more information, visit the project site at annarborbridges.org LETTERS OF INTENT ROLL IN • In addition to announcing the recruiting classes for men's and women's basketball, and ice hockey, Michigan announced classes for baseball (seven signees), men's golf (three), men's lacrosse (18), men's swimming and diving (eight), women's golf (one), women's gymnastics (two), softball (two), women's swimming and diving (seven), women's tennis (one), volleyball (three) and water polo (eight). The rest of the classes will be announced in the spring. YEAR'S BEST • Michigan junior golfer Jack Schultz was recognized as the 2011 Wisconsin State Golf Association (WSGA) Player of the Year Nov. 16. "This is a great honor for me and my family," said Schultz. "I am excited to be named the Wisconsin amateur player of the year. It shows the results of hard work and is something I'll be proud of for the rest of my life." Schultz won the WSGA Match Play Championship June 13-16, advanced to the Sweet 16 of the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship in early July and then took medalist runner-up honors at the Wisconsin Amateur Championship late that month. Finally, in August, he placed 12th overall at the Wisconsin State Open. • Mike McGuire was named the Region Coach of the Year and fifth-year senior DANIELLE TAURO the Great Lakes Re- gion Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year after the two led the Wolverines to a team title at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Nov. 12. Tauro won the individual title and led the Maize and Blue to their eighth re- gional title in program history and their 10th consecutive NCAA Championships automatic berth. In his 20th season, McGuire has earned six regional Coach of the Year accolades and led U-M to 14 top-two regional results, including seven first-place performances. • Marcia Pankratz has been recognized as the Big Ten's Field Hockey Coach of PHOTO COURTESY U-M SPORTS INFORMATION the Year. She led U-M to its second consecutive regular-season title in just her third season with the program. EARLY FORECAST • Michigan's men's gymnastics team will begin the season ranked third nation- ally behind Oklahoma and Illinois. The Wolverines are two seasons removed from winning the 2010 national championship. STEVE BURNS RESIGNS AS HEAD COACH SOCCER'S After 12 seasons, a 122-98-22 overall re- cord, a berth in the NCAA Final Four and the program's first-ever Big Ten Champi- onship (both in 2010), Michigan men's soccer coach Steve Burns has resigned. "As a Michigan alum, I'm proud of ev- erything we've been able to accomplish within the soccer program," said Burns. "I will forever cherish the relation- ships that I have developed over the past 12 years with players, assistant coaches, support staff and fellow coaches within the department. How- ever, it's time for a new direction in my life and leadership for Michigan soccer." Burns had been U- M's coach since the varsity program's in- ception in 2000 and led the Wolverines to their first win- ning record in 2001 (10-7-1). Michigan posted winning records from 2001-04 while reaching the NCAA Tournament in 2003-04; the Maize and Blue qualified for the Elite Eight in 2003 and advanced to the second round in 2004. After enduring two rebuilding years, Burns, a Michigan alumnus, posted a 122-98-22 record in 12 seasons and led U-M to a Final Four berth in 2010. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN Burns directed U-M back above .500 in 2007 (10-7-2), guided Michigan to the Sweet 16 and a 13-6-3 mark in 2008, and reached the program's pinnacle with a 17-5-3 campaign, a Big Ten Tournament title and three NCAA wins en route to the national semifinals during the 2010 season. For his efforts a year ago, Burns was named the Division I Coach of the Year by FieldTurf and was a finalist for the NSCAA honor. This past fall was the most difficult sea- son of Burns' career. The Maize and Blue won a program-low five games, going 5-14-1 for a program-worst .275 winning percentage. The Wolverines were severely ham- pered when two top underclassman performers from 2010 — brothers Ham- oody and Soony Saad, who combined for 23 goals — left the program to pur- sue professional aspirations. Overall, 94.3 percent of Michigan's goal scoring from 2010 graduated or departed early. DECEMBER 2011 THE WOLVERINE 13