The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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Sophomore Sam Mikulak won the national championship in high bar and also finished second in the NCAA all-around competition. PHOTO COURTESY U-M MEDIA RELATIONS The Year's Best Michigan's Top 10 Athletes In 2011-12 E and dominant performers. The 2011-12 school year was no very season, there are certain Wolverines who stand out: national champions, late- game heroes, senior leaders BY ANDY REID sell to freshman point guard Trey Burke, the Michigan athletic depart- different. From senior wrestler Kellen Rus- YEAR IN REVIEW Top 10 Athletes ment enjoyed terrific seasons from athletes in every sport. Here are the 10 best from the year. 1. Fifth-Year Senior Kellen Rus- sell, Wrestling: One of the most ac- complished individual Michigan athletes in recent memory went out on a high note. In his last match for 36 THE WOLVERINE AUGUST 2012 the Maize and Blue, Russell defeated Iowa's Montell Marion, 6-4, with a takedown in overtime to win his sec- ond consecutive national champion- ship in the 141-pound division. Russell stormed through his senior season, recording a perfect record at the NCAA Championships (5-0) and at the Big Ten Championships (3-0), becoming just the 11th wrestler in history to win four Big Ten titles in his career. He lost just one match all year. Russell leaves the program with two NCAA titles, four conference crowns, three NCAA All-America honors, the 2012 Big Ten Most Out- standing Wrestler Award, the 2008 Big Ten Freshman Of The Year Award, a career record of 134-12 and a career winning percentage of .918, which ranks second in Michigan history. 2. Senior Felice Mueller, Rowing: boat to a Big Ten title and a second- place finish at the NCAA Champion- ships, which boosted the Wolverines to a runner-up showing as a team and equaled the program's best fin- ish (2001). Along with senior Emily Eiffert, Mueller garnered first-team All- America honors. Mueller was also named the Michi- gan Female Athlete of the Year, be- coming the first rower to be awarded that distinction. 3. Sophomore Sam Mikulak, Rowing is one of the most team-ori- ented sports out there, but Mueller stands out as an excellent leader and team captain. She helped the first varsity eight Men's Gymnastics: Mikulak is well on his way to becoming one of the most decorated gymnasts in Michi- gan history.