The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1111798
MAY 2019 THE WOLVERINE 9 BY ANDREW HUSSEY A s the spring season for Mich- igan athletics begins to wind down, all teams were honored April 15 at the Student-Athlete Recognition Celebration. This event is designed to rec- ognize varsity student-athletes who have distinguished them- selves in their sport, the class- room and in the community. More than 500 student-athletes were honored with U-M Athletic Academic Achievement awards for cumulative grade-point aver- ages and achievements during the 2018 winter, spring and fall semesters. Senior swimmer Siobhán Haughey and senior men's soc- cer midfielder Robbie Mertz were each awarded the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor, which is the most prestigious honor a student-athlete can re- ceive. It is given annually at each Big Ten school to one male and one female student-athlete in the graduating class who has demonstrated proficiency in scholarship and athletics. Haughey was a 15-time Big Ten champion, 14-time All- American, 11-time All-America honorable mention and was named to first-team All-Big Ten all four years at Michigan. Outside of the pool, she was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, including a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar in 2018, and will soon be a three-time College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association Scholar All-American. Mertz started in 55 games, racking up nine goals and 12 assists in 76 appearances. He was named to the All-Big Ten Tournament team in 2018 and was second-team All-Big Ten in 2017 and a first-team choice in 2018. In his final two years as a co-captain, he helped the team win its first-ever Big Ten title and reach back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. Off the pitch, he was one of 10 finalists for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award. Junior swimmer Tommy Cope was given the Bates/De- skins Award, which goes to a junior student-athlete who ex- cels both academically and athletically. It is named in honor of Percy Bates, U-M professor of education, and Donald De- skins, U-M professor emeritus of urban geography and sociology. This past season, Cope was named second-team All-Big Ten and he then finished ninth at the NCAA Championships in the 400-yard individual medley. He also placed 11th in the 200-yard breaststroke and 20th in the 200- yard individual medley. Field hockey forward Kragen Metz was given the Sophomore Leader & Best Award, which goes to the top second-year stu- dent-athlete who demonstrates leadership qualities both aca- demically and athletically. Metz appeared in four games in 2018 and had one shot on goal. Freshman ice hockey goalie Strauss Mann and first-year gymnast Natalie Wojcik were given the Rookie of the Year awards. Mann played in 21 games this past season, finishing with a 6-8-4 record, 2.91 goals-against average and .895 save percentage. Wojcik, meanwhile, won an NCAA champion- ship on the balance beam and was a two-time All-American (first team on balance beam, second team in all-around). She was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was a Big Ten champion in the floor and all-around. Sophomore basketball forward Isaiah Livers and senior volleyball setter Maddy Abbott were awarded the Raeder's Raiders Spirit Award, which is named in honor of the Raeder Family. This award has been presented annually since 2006 by the Letterwinners M Club to a student-athlete who posi- tively impacts the team coming off the bench. Livers came off the bench for the Wolverines in 32 games and averaged 7.9 points per contest, with 11 double-figure games. He nearly doubled his rebounding clip from his freshman season, going from 2.3 to 3.9 per game, and shot a team-best 42.6 percent from three-point range. Abbott was a team captain in 2018 and was the Big Ten Conference Sportsmanship Award Winner. She appeared in all 34 games with two starts and totaled 24 service aces on the season. ❏ Inside Michigan ATHLETICS Big Ten Medals Of Honor Among Awards Given To U-M Student-Athletes Senior men's soccer standout Robbie Mertz (left) and senior All- American swimmer Siobhán Haughey were bestowed the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor April 15. The award, presented for achievement in scholarship and athletics, is one of the most pres- tigious honors a conference student-athlete can receive. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY