The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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mindset of a ferocious competitor." Russell went 32-7 in his rookie year, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors after capturing the 141-pound conference title with a perfect 4-0 mark at the championship meet. He was 31-4 in his second season, again going 4-0 at the league meet while earning his first All-America honor with a seventh-place finish at nationals in 2009. Battling multiple staph infections that would require a pair of knee surgeries, and a torn ligament in his thumb, Russell sat out the 2010 cam- paign while resting and rehabbing. Though he anguished on the side- lines, Russell benefited from the men- tal and physical break, and returned stronger as a redshirt junior, eager to advance his career. "Getting my timing back and my Russell is one of six wrestlers in program history to capture two national titles and is the only Wolverine ever to win four Big Ten championships. PHOTO COURTESY U-M MEDIA RELATIONS conditioning back I knew would take awhile, but I always believed I had the talent and drive to get back to where I was before I got hurt, and even ex- Michigan first announced a Male Athlete of the Year in 1982, bestowing the honor on football player Butch Wool- folk. Every June since then, the Wolverines have declared one individual performance above the rest. The Maize and Blue recognized two athletes in both 2000 and 2011, and vacated Chris Webber's distinction in 1993. Here is a rank of the eligible athletes based on their achievements the year they were recognized (an overall career is not a factor). Rk. Athlete Became the first primarily defensive player to win the Heis- man Trophy while leading Michigan to its first national title since 1948. 2. Tom Dolan 1. Charles Woodson Football Sport Captured individual national titles in the 400-yard individual medley, 500-and 1,650-yard freestyle, and as a member of the 800-yard freestyle relay. 3. Glen Rice Swimming Led Michigan to the program's only NCAA title, earning MVP honors for the tournament while setting the U-M single-sea- son record for points (949). 4. Desmond Howard Basketball Became the Wolverines' second Heisman Trophy winner, set- ting a U-M single-season record with 23 touchdowns scored (19 receiving). 5. Brendan Morrison Football Became the first Hobey Baker Award winner in school his- tory, setting a record with 57 assists en route to the third-best single-year point total (88). 6. Kellen Russell Ice Hockey Won his fourth consecutive Big Ten title and his second straight Wrestling 24 THE WOLVERINE AUGUST 2012 2012 1997 1992 1989 1995 Year 1998 Ranking Michigan's Male Athletes Of The Year: 1-32 Swimming Named the Big Ten Player of the Year and a first-team All- American a year after being named the Golden Spikes Award winner as the nation's top player. 9. Kevin Porter Continued his dominance in the 100-yard freestyle, winning his third of four national titles in that event, while also placing first in the 200-yard freestyle. 8. Jim Abbott 1994 1988 Became the program's second Hobey Baker Award winner, racking up 33 goals and 30 assists in captaining Michigan to the Frozen Four. 10. Steve Luke Ice Hockey Capped the program's first perfect season to conclude with a national title with a win in the 174-pound weight class at the NCAA Championships. 11. Kellen Russell Wrestling Went 38-0, including a win at 141 pounds at the NCAA Cham- pionships, to record the second perfect season in program history resulting in a national title. 12. Anthony Carter Wrestling Became just the second Wolverine in school history to garner first-team All-America honors three times, and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. 13. Sam Mikulak Football Believed to be the first true freshman in NCAA history to earn the national title in the all-around while earning four All- America honors. 14. Tom Dolan Gymnastics Repeated as national champion in the 400-yard individual medley, 500- and 1,650-yard freestyle, and 800-yard freestyle relay (third win in this event). Swimming 1996 2011 1983 2011 2009 2008 Baseball national title while going 33-1 overall with 12 major decisions. 7. Gustavo Borges