The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OLYMPIC SPORTS "We knew, strategically, that we had a good shot to win if we did what was supposed to happen on pa- per. That's what we told the kids and they did what they needed to do." That 5,000-meter race proved to be key, and junior Erin Finn won it (15:37.31) while breaking her own program record set earlier this month en route to a team-high 20 points as an individual scorer for the Maize and Blue. Even though she led the way, Finn refused to take much credit, instead turning the spotlight on her teammates. "In my tenure here, we've been sec- ond in cross country twice and sec- ond in indoor twice so to get another second place would've been heart breaking for us," Finn said. "Every single person was 100 percent com- mitted. It was really a team effort. "When you say the team, the team, the team, that's really what this championship was about. It took ev- eryone. We only won by seven points so everything mattered from the top finisher to the eighth-place finisher bringing in one point." Like any true teammate and leader, Finn was humble when asked about her own performances, but Henry was quick to talk about his standout after she helped bring home the title. "Erin is one of the best distance runners ever at Michigan," he said. "For someone to do the things she's doing — and she's still getting better — she is one of the greatest athletes we've ever had. We're just so excited that she's not a senior. "She's done some things and has broken some records that former athletes set as All-Americans and as Hall of Famers. She's setting up some performances that will have her men- tioned as an all-time great. She's the littlest thing on the team but has the biggest heart." The Wolverines claimed the third- best team finish at the indoor na- tional meet in program history with a sixth-place showing over the week- end of March 11-12 in Birmingham, Ala. Senior Cindy Ofili captured the 60-meter hurdles crown with a time of 7.89, besting her older sister Tiffa- ny's program record by 0.05 seconds. Her time ranks among the top five in the world for the event in 2016 and is also the 10th fastest time in NCAA history. Junior Erin Finn took second place in the 3,000- and 5,000-meter races. She ran the fastest-ever runner-up time in meet history in the 5,000 me- ters, clocking a 15:23.16. Her time destroyed her own program record and qualified her for the USA Olym- pic Trials in the event. The women's distance medley re- lay squad placed fourth at the NCAA meet, giving the Wolverines an All- America finish in the event for the 13th consecutive year. WRESTLING (13‑3 OVERALL, 8‑1 BIG TEN) No. 8 Michigan finished sixth at the Big Ten Championships March 5-6 in Iowa City … The Wolverines placed four individual wrestlers in the top three of their weight classes, with junior heavyweight Adam Coon fall-