The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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Wolverines' defenseman corps in 2011-12. He led the entire team in assists (25), and he ranked first among defensemen and third on the team in points (32). He also notched seven goals. After the season, his teammates voted him the most improved player on the Male Breakthrough Performances In 2011-12 Junior Lee Moffie, Ice Hockey: Moffie emerged as an offensive threat from the team. Freshman Tyler Arnone, soccer: In a season of flux for the Wolverines — who lost several key players after their 2011 run to the semifinals of the NCAA Tourna- ment — Arnone worked his way into the starting lineup in time for the opening game. He started all 20 games as a midfielder, playing at least 70 minutes in each contest. The rookie finished the season with two goals and tallied a shot in all but five games. Sophomore Connor Jaeger, Swimming: At the NCAA Championships, Jae- ger obliterated his personal-best time in the 1,650-yard freestyle by posting a 14:35.14 (which ranks fifth in program history), just less than eight seconds faster than his previous personal record. The swim was good enough for third place in the event, earning him All-America honors. Jaeger also claimed two Big Ten titles, winning the 1,650-yard freestyle and the 800-yard freestyle relay. Sophomore Ali Arastu, Track and Field: Arastu established himself as one of the most promising underclassmen on the team. At the NCAA Championships, he earned second-team All-America honors in the 4x400-meter relay (indoor) and the 400-meter hurdles (outdoor), finishing just 0.05 seconds short of advanc- ing to the 400-meter hurdle finals. He also earned second-team All-Big Ten in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing second at the conference meet with a time of 49.43 — a U.S. Olympic Trials au- tomatic 'A'-qualifying time. Redshirt Sophomore Fitzgerald Toussaint, Football: Toussaint became the of the carries, Toussaint ripped off a string of extremely productive outings in the second half of the year, rushing for at least 120 yards in four of the last five regular-season games. first Michigan running back since Mike Hart (2007) to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season, compiling 1,041. After battling with Vincent Smith, Michael Shaw and others for the majority — Andy Reid Rachael Mack led U-M field hockey in 2011 with 17 goals (six more than any other player) and 37 points (12 more than any other player). PHOTO COURTESY U-M MEDIA RELATIONS tallying five game-winning goals — second-most among Big Ten play- ers — including the deciding goal in the Wolverines' 5-4 win over New Hampshire in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. She had two other goals in that game, marking her second hat trick of the season. She earned third-team All-Amer- ica honors for the second straight year. Mack was also a first-team All- Big Ten selection and started all 22 games. 7. Fifth-Year Senior Craig Forys, Men's Track And Field: Forys be- came the Wolverines' 10th All-Amer- ican in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, finishing second at the NCAA Out- door Championships with a time of 8:40.66. Forys is the first Wolverine All- American in the event since John Mortimer in 1998 (Michigan also has one NCAA champion in steeple- chase: Brian Diemer, 1983). Forys also won the 3,000-meter As a junior in 2011-12, Lee Moffie led Michigan in assists (25), and he ranked first among defensemen and third on the team in points (32). 38 THE WOLVERINE AUGUST 2012 PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL steeplechase at the Big Ten Cham- pionships, running a personal-best 8:28.90, well ahead of the U.S. Olym- pic Trials automatic 'A' standard (8:32.0). His league-meet time ranks second in program history, behind Diemer's NCAA-winning 8:22.13. Forys earned first-team All-Big