The Wolverine

June-July 2015

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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  WHERE ARE THEY NOW? BY JOHN BORTON T wenty years down the road, Michi- gan assistant softball coach Bonnie Tholl will be hearing from the Wol- verines who just claimed yet another Big Ten title. They'll talk about wins, clutch situations, and the ecstasy and agony along the way. But they'll talk about so much m o r e . T h a t ' s what makes Tholl smile, sitting in her office, a soft- ball throw away f r o m A l u m n i Field. T h e y ' l l t a l k about families, and accomplish- ments, and shared memories. They'll swap stories gen- erated away from the field. T h a t ' s w h a t makes her job, and her Michigan jour- ney, special. "I say this to my mom all the time — I wouldn't trade what I do for any- thing," Tholl reflected. "It's pretty fun." It's been fun around Michigan soft- ball for a long, long time, through 31 seasons of a dynasty built by head coach Carol Hutchins. Those years include 18 Big Ten regular-season titles, 16 NCAA regional champion- ships and eight Big Ten Tournament titles. The Wolverines have been to 22 NCAA Tournaments, winning it all at the Women's College World Series in 2005. Tholl helped lay the foundation, becoming a four- time first-team All-Big Ten per- f o r m e r f r o m 1988-91. Her own Michigan experi- ence set the stage for a career in Ann Arbor that has now stretched to 22 seasons as a coach. The Tinley Park, Ill., native grew up on the out- skirts of Chicago, the youngest of seven children, in- cluding five older brothers. Her dad served as one of the founders of the Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation. He also coached grade school foot- ball, and Tholl grew up on the football field and wrestling mat. Eventually, she began playing baseball on the boys' teams. While 12-year-old boys quietly whispered about the newcomer, they soon wished they could throw like that girl.   WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Bonnie Tholl Found A Home At Michigan Tholl was a four-time first-team All-Big Ten performer for the Wolverines from 1988-91, becoming the first player in conference his- tory to achieve that feat. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

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