The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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sweet. Led by senior Dan Madwed, the Big Ten Swimmer of the Cham- pionships, U-M dominated wire to wire. The Wolverines outscored second-place Ohio State 738.5-552.5. Michigan boasted 11 individual con- ference champions, and head coach Mike Bottom earned his second Big Ten Coach of the Year honor. 8. U-M softball advances to regional Marion. Russell, who was named the university's Male Athlete of the Year for a second straight year, be- came the sixth U-M grappler to cap- ture multiple NCAA championships and capped his career with a record of 134-12. 4. The Wolverines top the Buckeyes for the first time since 2003: Finally, it was over. A throng of Maize and Blue flooded the Michigan Stadium playing surface Nov. 26 in a mixture of adulation and relief following a 40-34 victory over rival Ohio State that finally ended the Buckeyes' seven-year reign in the "The Game." Junior Denard Robinson contributed five total touchdowns to become the first Michigan quarterback to top the Scarlet and Gray since John Navarre lifted U-M to a 35-21 win in 2003, but it was a struggling Wolverines defense that mustered one last stand on the Buckeyes' final drive of the game to preserve the victory and send the Michigan Stadium crowd into victorious hysterics. 5. Women's rowing wins 2V8 na- tional championship: The rains poured down upon the Michigan women's second varsity eight rowing team, but the future was bright. On the final day of the NCAA Champion- ships May 27 at Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J., the Wolverines cap- tured the second varsity eight (2V8) national title for the second time in school history (2001). Although U-M ultimately finished as runner-up in the team standings, behind Virginia, the 2V8's first-place, 6:37.04 time, was a moment those eight rowers and one coxswain will never forget. 6. Sam Mikulak best in the nation on high bar: The sophomore phenom earned a second national title in as many years, this time in the high bar competition at the NCAA Cham- pionships April 21. With a score of 14.45, the 2011 NCAA all-around champion, and 2012 Olympic quali- fier, became only the seventh gym- nast in Michigan history to capture multiple NCAA championships, while also earning the program its 30th overall national title. 7. Men's swimming wins Big Ten title: It was all but a formality head- ing into the final day of the Big Ten Championships Feb. 25, but that did not make the Wolverines' second consecutive league title any less Wolverines celebrating a last-sec- ond Buckeyes victory? It is certainly an unlikely scenario, but one that helped the Maize and Blue hoops team earn a share of the Big Ten title on the final day of the regular-sea- son conference slate March 4. John Beilein's squad, which had done its part earlier in the day with a 71-65 road victory over Penn State, re- turned to Ann Arbor just in time to watch Ohio State defeat Michigan State 72-70 on a last-second rainbow buzzer beater, which gave Michigan a share of its first Big Ten title since 1986. 10. Lacrosse caps off inaugural final in unusual fashion: It may not have been exactly how head coach Carol Hutchins would have drawn it up, but a bases-loaded hit by pitch gave the Michigan softball team an extra-inning 2-1 victory May 19 over No. 9 Louisville and secured a trip to the NCAA regional final. Sopho- more catcher Caitlin Blanchard took the proverbial bullet for the Wolver- ines following a stellar performance by freshman left-hander Haylie Wagner, who pitched a complete- game three-hitter for the Maize and Blue. Michigan shut out the Cardi- nals the following day, booking a ticket to an NCAA Super Regional. 9. Men's hoops viewing party: The season against Ohio State at The Big House: The result may have not been ideal against rival Ohio State, but the spectacle of the matchup, in front of more than 4,400 fans at The Big House, proves just how much progress the Michigan lacrosse pro- gram has made since U-M athletics director David Brandon announced the move to the NCAA Division I level in May 2011. The Wolverines fell 12-9, but the "Battle at The Big House" April 14 helped lay the foun- dation for the future of the program, which had captured three of the past four Men's Collegiate Lacrosse As- sociation national titles prior to the promotion to varsity status. ❑ AUGUST 2012 THE WOLVERINE 45