The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Senior designated player Alycia Ryan and junior third baseman Amanda Chidester combined for five of the Wolverines' seven RBI, while junior outfielder Bree Evans pushed her hit- ting streak to a career-high 15 straight games. 1 0 Ye a r s Ag o, 2 0 0 6: M i c h i g a n wrapped up spring football practice un- der head coach Lloyd Carr with a special determination to improve. The Wolver- ines slumped to a 7-5 record the year before, in a season marred by injuries and various disappointments. U-M ushered in a change of coordina- tors on both sides of the football that year, seeing longtime defensive coor- dinator Jim Herrmann move on, giv- ing way to former secondary coach Ron English. Offensive coordinator Terry Malone also went elsewhere, with spe- cial teams coordinator Mike DeBord stepping in to call the shots on offense. Michigan had plenty to be encour- aged about in the spring. Junior running back Mike Hart was getting healthy after being slowed in 2005, and classmate quarterback Chad Henne also had two years of starting under his belt. Plus, Michigan's defense — led by vet- erans such as LaMarr Woodley and Alan Branch, who both played up front — ap- peared on the verge of a special season. The Wolverines went on to go 11-2 (7-1 Big Ten) and finished the year ranked in the top 10 of both polls. 25 Years Ago, 1991: Michigan senior shortstop Bonnie Tholl kept her streak alive, not striking out once in an April contest for the Wolverines. In fact, she maintained that distinction the rest of the year, posting the fewest strikeouts ever in a Big Ten season with zero. She also built up her numbers such that she became Michigan's first player ever to be named first-team All-Big Ten in four consecutive seasons. She capped the year by winning Michigan's 1991 Maize and Blue Award. After finishing up her senior season and spending two years at Indiana, she returned to Michigan to coach and has been a part of Hutchins' staff from 1994 to the present. — John Borton THEWOLVERINE.COM POLL RESULTS Each month, TheWolverine.com runs a new poll for its readers to vote on. If you would like to vote, go to www.the- wolverine.com. The poll is located on our premium message board, The Fort. Based on everything you've seen, read and heard, who has been the most pleasant surprise of spring practices? LB Mike McCray — 56 percent CB Channing Stribling — 31 percent TE Tyrone Wheatley Jr. — 4 percent QB Shane Morris — 4 percent LT Grant Newsome — 3 percent DE Chase Winovich — 2 percent 926 votes