The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1123063
JUNE/JULY 2019 THE WOLVERINE 9 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS WRESTLING'S MASON PARRIS SECURES HIS SPOT ON THE U.S. JUNIOR WORLD TEAM Michigan wrestling heavyweight Mason Parris, who just completed his freshman campaign, solidified his spot on the U.S. junior world team May 18 when he won the final two bouts to secure the 125-kilogram (approximately 275.6 pounds) freestyle title at the United World Wrestling (UWW) Junior World Team Trials in Raleigh, N.C. The freshman registered two victories in emphatic fashion (a 10-0 technical superiority and a 39-second fall) in the best-of-three championship series after he dropped a 7-6 decision to Wisconsin's Trent Hillger, a 2019 All-American on the college level as a redshirt freshman, in the first bout. Parris earned two early takedowns (one of which took Hillger to his back for four points) to jump out to a 6-0 lead in the middle match, before tacking on two exposure points in a second-period scramble and a late takedown to seal it. The Indiana native wrapped up the rubber match when he went from a fireman's carry to a seatbelt in the initial 10 seconds, before forcing the Badger wrestler over to his back and picking up the fall early in the first period. The 2019 Junior World Championships will take place in Tallinn, Estonia, from Aug. 12-18. Parris' appearance there will actually be the first for a Wolverine on a junior world team since Alec Pantaleo — the recently graduated three- time All-American — in 2016. WOMEN'S BASKETBALL'S NAZ HILLMON LANDS ON USA WORLD CUP TEAM On May 19, Michigan freshman forward Naz Hillmon be- came one of 12 players named to the USA Basketball U-19 World Cup Team, after she took part in a three-day tryout at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Hillmon enjoyed an outstanding debut campaign in Ann Arbor, averaging 13.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, both of which led the team, while also recording eight double-doubles. Her efforts earned her the Big Ten Fresh- man of the Year award from the media and the league's Sixth Player of the Year honor from the coaches, while also becoming the first frosh in school history to garner All-Big Ten first-team status. The Cleveland native was actually a part of last year's U-18 FIBA Americas squad that took home a gold medal, averag- ing 10.3 points (third most on the team) and 5.7 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per outing in six contests. The next step for the U.S. club will be to return to Colorado Springs July 5-10 to train, before heading out to Tokyo, Ja- pan. Once there, the crew will scrimmage against the Japan U-19 National Team July 13-15, before participating in two more scrimmages against Argentina and Germany July 17- 19 in Bangkok, Thailand. The 2019 FIBA U-19 World Cup will run from July 20-28 in Bangkok, where the U.S. will be seeking to win its eighth gold medal. JORDAN BREWER NAMED BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR, EIGHT MORE WOLVERINES HONORED Junior outfielder Jordan Brewer earned the league's top honor May 21 when he was tabbed the Big Ten Player of the Year. He racked up quite the stat line during the 2019 regular season, leading the conference in batting average (.358), while checking in second in slugging percentage (.637), runs batted in (52), hits (69) and stolen bases (19). Brewer also ranked third in the league in runs scored (51) and doubles (14), fifth in home runs (12) and ninth in on-base percentage (.415). Unsurprisingly, each of the aforementioned statistics led Michigan's team. The 2019 campaign was actually the first in Ann Arbor for the native of St. Joseph, Mich., after he spent the first two years of his career at Lincoln Trail Community College in Illinois. Brewer was also joined on the first-team All-Big Ten club by two of his teammates — sophomore designated hitter Jordan Nwogu and sophomore pitcher Jeff Criswell. Sopho- more shortstop Jack Blomgren, meanwhile, was pegged to the second-team All-Big Ten unit, while sophomore catcher Joe Donovan, senior first baseman Jimmy Kerr, sophomore outfielder Jesse Franklin and junior pitcher Karl Kauffmann all garnered third-team recognition. Finally, rookie closer Willie Weiss landed on the league's All-Freshmen unit, while Kerr was recognized as Michigan's representative for the conference's Sportsmanship Award. — Austin Fox Junior outfielder Jordan Brewer is the first Wolverine to earn base- ball's Big Ten Player of the Year honor since 2008. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY MAIZE AND BLUE NOTEBOOK