The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JANUARY 2018 THE WOLVERINE 67 OLYMPIC SPORTS UPDATE "But we do have a mixture of some vet- erans and youth. I think that's going to be a perfect mix for us to be competitive in the conference and watch the kids grow and turn into high-level competitors. "Our overall philosophy is and has al- ways been our bread and butter is our middle-distance and distance program. They've been very successful year in and year out." Top Athlete: Fifth-year senior Jaime Phelan is a five-time first-team All- American and is the 2017 national champion at 1,500 meters. She's also a three-time Big Ten champion. Athlete To Watch: Graduate student Erin Finn has an incredible list of ac- complishments while at Michigan. She is a school record holder in the indoor 3,000 (9:01.25), indoor 5,000 (15:23.16), outdoor 5,000 (15:26.08) and outdoor 10,000 (32:00.46). She is also a nine- time Big Ten champion and four-time runner-up at the NCAA Championships. Don't Miss: The Power Five Invi- tational Feb. 2-3 in Ann Arbor, Mich. Because the men's and women's team are now considered one program, both groups will be at every meet. WOMEN'S WATER POLO First Game: Jan. 20 vs. UCLA (Santa Barbara, Calif.) Big Ten Predicted Finish: First NCAA Best-Case Scenario: NCAA champions Coach's Expectations: "I like where we're at, we have a nice blend of our re- turning core from last year's conference championship run and we added some talented freshmen," head coach Marcelo Leonardi said. "We've got a core group that has a balance of a senior starter, a couple juniors, a couple sophomores and two freshmen, so it's a nice balance. "The one thing that probably stands out is our versatility. We have several players that are able to play multiple positions in the water." The program has a high standard after years of repeated success. "We always want to shoot for national championships, but it's always a pro- cess to get there," Leonardi said. "For the last two years we've been back-to-back conference champions, two year ago we went to the Final Four and last year we lost in the first round. So, expecta- tions for this year are winning the con- ference and making a Final Four run." Top Athlete: Sophomore Maddy Steere was third on the team in points last year with 100 (51 goals and 49 as- sists). She was first-team all-conference, honorable mention All-American and is one of two freshmen in program history to score 100 points. "She had an All-Big Ten, All-American year last season and she plays on the se- nior national team for Australia, so she's pretty legit," Leonardi said. "Her size, ath- leticism, intelligence and playmaking skills — she's an exceptional shooter and has the ability to play multiple positions." Athlete To Watch: Senior Caroline An- derson led the team in points last season with 113 (45 goals and 58 assists) and is back for another year. She was an honor- able mention All-American as well. Don't Miss: Jan. 20 vs. UCLA in Santa Barbara, Calif., and Jan. 21 vs. Arizona State at the UCSB Tournament in Santa Barbara, Calif. UCLA finished last sea- son ranked No. 2 nationally and ASU finished No. 6, so it's a pair of stiff tests to begin the season for Michigan, which ended last season No. 7. ❏ Updates On Winter Sports In Progress WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: 10-2 OVERALL, 0-0 BIG TEN Senior guard Katelynn Flaherty set the program's all-time scoring record in a loss against Louisville; she has scored 2,161 points — topping the 2,076 that Di- ane Dietz scored from 1978-82 … Michigan has lost to No. 2 Notre Dame (83-63) and No. 3 Louisville (74-49), but swept every other team on the schedule … U-M was ranked No. 23 in the Associated Press poll that was released Dec. 11. MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING: 5-0 OVERALL, 3-0 BIG TEN Sophomore Jake Herremans took second on platform with an NCAA Zone Diving qualifying score of 354.05 on the final day of the Minnesota Diving Invite Nov. 11 … The Wolverines finished second out of six teams at the Georgia Fall Invite Dec. 1-3 … Sophomore Felix Auböck and senior PJ Ransford finished one-two in the 1,650-yard freestyle … Auböck and freshman Ross Todd were named the Big Ten swimmer and diver, respectively, of the week Dec. 6 … U-M dropped to No. 8 in the College Swimming Association of America (CSCAA) poll released Dec. 6. WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING: 5-0 OVERALL, 3-0 BIG TEN Three Wolverines reached the finals and had top-10 finishes on platform to close the Minnesota Diving Invite Nov. 11 … Freshmen Christy Cutshaw and Nikki Canale each had two finals appearances during the three-day meet … Michigan won the UGA Fall Invitational after posting 991.5 points, 158 more than second place Georgia … Junior Siobhán Haughey lowered her previously held school record in the 100-yard freestyle (47.20) … She was also a part of the record-setting 400-yard freestyle relay (3:12.21) and was named Big Ten Swim- mer of the Week … Michigan was ranked No. 4 in the CSCAA poll released Dec. 6. WRESTLING: 2-1 OVERALL, 0-0 BIG TEN Michigan beat then-No. 11 Arizona State (21-18 Nov. 10), but lost to then-No. 10 Lehigh (27-8 Nov. 19) … Michigan claimed second place at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational with two champions and six total place-winners … Redshirt junior Alec Pantaleo and fifth-year senior Adam Coon captured individual titles at 157 pounds and heavyweight, respectively; it was Coon's second career CKLV crown … Both Pantaleo and Coon have been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week (Nov. 14 and Dec. 6) … Michigan shutout Oregon State 48-0 Dec. 10 … Michigan was ranked No. 9 in the USA Today/NWCA Coaches poll released Dec. 18. — Andrew Vailliencourt Fifth-year senior Erin Finn did not have cross country eligibility this fall, but is one of the most decorated runners in school history and should have another outstanding season on the track in her final go-round at U-M. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS