The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/246097
MEN'S TRACK PROFILE Cody Riffle Is Ready To Lead The Wolverines Last year, Riffle earned second-team All-America accolades in the shot put at both the indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS The Michigan men's track and field team is undergoing a big transition, welcoming in first-year coach Jerry Clayton and focusing on building a consistent championship contender. When a team jumps into a new era like the Wolverines are currently doing, strong leadership is critical for as smooth a transition as possible. Luckily, Michigan has just that from an experienced cast of veterans, including redshirt junior thrower Cody Riffle, who was voted cocaptain by his teammates this season. "With all of our top returning individuals, we have been very lucky," Clayton said. "Not only are they the ones who have been making it to nationals, but they are great leaders. Sometimes, the top athletes on the team may not always be the top leaders. In this case, we have been blessed with some good leaders who are also our top guys. That is always a component that you like, because it makes the transition a little easier. They help get the team to buy into what we're trying to do. "And he was a guy who showed that right from the beginning, and not only in his group area, but within the team at large. Every group has its own personality types, but Cody has the respect across the board on the team." Riffle had a breakout season as a redshirt sophomore last year. After a promising freshman season in which he finished 26th in discus at the NCAA East Regional prelims, Riffle took a redshirt season in 2012. But he bounced back last year, garnering second-team All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships, taking 12th place in shot put with a