The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 55 BY BOB MILLER S enior field hockey midfielder Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort earned the 2019 Big Ten Player of the Year award for her high-quality performance this season to become the sixth Wolverine to earn that dis- tinguished honor. Heading into the NCAA Tournament, she had posted three goals and 12 assists for 18 points, which tied for the team lead. The Buenos Aires, Argentina, native was one of three unanimous first-team picks, and one of two U-M players se- lected to the league's top unit. Junior back Halle O'Neill also earned a spot on the top All-Big Ten squad, while three others were honored with sec- ond-team accolades. Senior forward Meg Dowthwaite, sophomore mid- fielder Kathryn Peterson and sopho- more goalkeeper Anna Spieker were also recognized to give the Wolverines five All-Big Ten selections — no other program had more than three. After being eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament in the quarterfinals, Michigan — ranked 10th in the Nov. 5 coaches poll with a record of 13-6 (5-3 Big Ten) — was one of 16 teams selected for the NCAA Championships. U-M opened at No. 4 Louisville Nov. 15. UPDATES ON OLYMPIC SPORTS IN PROGRESS Women's Basketball (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten) National ranking: No. 24 in the pre- season USA Today coaches' poll After a 97-46 exhibition win against Northwood, Michigan opened its regu- lar-season schedule with a pair of non- conference wins by nearly the exact same score, 76-55 over Western Michi- gan Nov. 8 and 77-57 over Bradley two days later. Senior forward Kayla Robbins led the scoring parade for the Wolverines against Western Michigan with 17 points and also contributed eight re- bounds and three steals. Sophomore point guard Amy Dilk chalked up a dou- ble-double in the opener with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore forward Naz Hillmon, last season's Big Ten Freshman of the Year, took over the scoring mantle against Bradley with a double-double of her (16 points and 12 rebounds). Dilk fell just short of a second straight double-dou- ble herself with 13 points and nine re- bounds. Freshman guard Michelle Sidor chipped in 11 points off the bench. However, Dilk has been the MVP through two games thanks to the way she has been able to control the game tempo with a very confident and ag- gressive approach, showing a much- improved version of her freshman self. Freshman 6-4 center Izabel Varejao has been able to give a glimpse of what she can add to the Wolverines' attack, enter- ing both games as a sixth player off the bench. The Brazilian native, who played high school basketball in North Carolina last season, totaled 12 points and 11 re- bounds over the first two contests. The always-tough Notre Dame Fight- ing Irish visit Crisler Center Nov. 23 for a game that will give Michigan head coach Kim Barnes Arico a good reading on her squad by facing one of the most iconic programs in the sport. Men's Cross Country National ranking: No. 16 in Nov. 5 coaches' poll Michigan opened its postseason by using its depth to finish third at the Big Ten Championships Nov. 3 in Colum- bus, Ohio. The Wolverines were the only team with six top-25 finishers in the competition. Using a tight pack and team tactics, all of Michigan's top five finishers finished within just less than 21 seconds of one another. Redshirt junior Devin Meyrer and ju- nior Jack Aho paced the Wolverine effort. Meyrer posted a ninth-place finish over the eight kilometer course in 24:10.9, his best time of the season, while Aho fin- ished five spots behind in 14th (24:23.7). Meyrer and Aho earned a spot on the All-Big Ten team for the first time. Next up for the Wolverines is the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Nov. 15 at Madison, Wis. A strong performance in Wisconsin could earn U-M a bid to the NCAA Cham- pionships Nov. 23 in Terre Haute, Ind. Women's Cross Country National Ranking: No. 11 in the Nov. 5 coaches' poll Ericka VanderLende became the 11th Michigan female to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year after a sixth- place finish at the six-kilometer Big Ten Championships Nov. 3 in Colum- bus, Ohio. VanderLende's result was six OLYMPIC SPORTS UPDATE Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort Named Big Ten Field Hockey Player Of The Year Fernandez Lacort set career highs with three goals and 12 assists this season en route to her second straight All-Big Ten first-team nod. PHOTO BY SAM JANICKI/COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY