The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/813087
MAY 2017 THE WOLVERINE 19 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Senior outfielder Kelly Christner is one of the Michigan soft- ball team's veteran leaders, and she sets the pace for the team on the field. This season, Christner had scored 34 runs and was tied for the team lead with five home runs through 37 games. The Tinley Park, Ill., native had also been walked a team-high 23 times. Here are a few things you didn't know about Christner: Nickname: "I actually don't have one. It's just Kelly." Favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor: "I'm going to have to say Pizza House, because I go there a lot on home week- ends with my family, and they have a lot of options. "We've gone there the past couple times and watched basketball." Best meal she can cook by herself: "I am terrible at cooking. My masterpiece is grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup. That's what I would say I make the most." Sports she plays besides softball: "Softball, soccer and basketball. I grew up in Pennsylvania and then moved to Illinois when I was 11 and I had to kind of choose one major sport, so that's when I chose softball. I still played basketball a little bit. "I'm still not sure why I chose softball because soccer was always my favorite growing up. I think part of it was because my sister chose softball. I kind of wanted to do the same thing as her, but soccer was always one of my favorite sports too." Hobbies: "Probably just hanging out with my housemates. I live with the three other softball seniors and then two of the volleyball seniors, and we're all really close. We all hang out and go to movies and stuff. "We like doing puzzles a lot. We've done like 15 puzzles this year." Favorite TV show: "Probably 'Game of Thrones.' I love that show. I just started watching it last summer because my fam- ily was really into it, and I completely caught up and then watched the past season live. "It's insane and I love it." Favorite movie: "Any of the Harry Potter movies. I'm ob- sessed with Harry Potter, and I've seen all eight movies count- less times." Dream vacation: "My family goes on vacation every year to New Jersey and Ocean City, and that's my favorite place that I've ever been to. "For my dream vacation I'd probably say Hawai'i. One of my roommates' dad was just there, and it just looks gorgeous. I'd love to check that out." Favorite sporting venues she's been to: "I've played at the [Chicago] Bandits stadium once before, just for a couple of high school all-star games. My favorite events are the football games here. Just being in The Big House. "I'm also a Steelers fan, and I love going to games there." Favorite professional athlete: "Prob- ably Antonio Brown. I just think he has so much swag, and he's insanely athletic. I love his dance moves." Role Model: "My sister is my role model. She's only a year and a half older than me. She just acts in the same way I would want to act, treats people the right way and has a good outlook on life. She's definitely my biggest role model." What she hopes to do after softball: "I'm planning to apply to physical therapy schools and then attend somewhere next fall." Her overall U-M experience: "It's been amazing. I look back on when I was deciding where I wanted to go to college, and I'm so grateful that I chose here. Everything here is way above average — the academics, the athletics softball-wise and other sports, just the atmosphere on campus. "Our team really is a family, and that starts with our coaches. They've created that culture, all 40 seasons. I'm just very grate- ful that I chose here." — Leland Mitchinson Of the Michigan players with more than one plate appearance through 37 games this sea- son, Christner led the team in batting average (.447) and on-base percentage (.558). PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP Getting To Know Softball Senior Kelly Christner TWO GRADUATE TRANSFERS LEAVING MICHIGAN BASKETBALL Redshirt junior Mark Donnal has three options as a graduate transfer, he said at the April 12 banquet — Creighton, Vanderbilt and Clemson. He turned down overtures from a few Big Ten teams. "I thought that these three schools, just by talking to them on the phone and research- ing rosters and everything, and seeing how I fit in the system … I think are the three best candidates, as of now," he said. The 6-9, 240-pound Donnal appeared in 101 games during his Michigan career. He started 35 times, but has not started since the 2015-16 campaign. He appeared as a reserve in 38 contests this past year, and averaged 12.2 minutes, 3.9 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. His best campaign came in 2015-16, when he started 25 of his 34 appearances and aver- aged career highs with 19.4 minutes, 7.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Former walk-on guard Andrew Dakich, who was put on scholarship for the winter semester in a viral video, will also utilize a graduate transfer after the conclusion of the semester. The son of ESPN analyst and former Indiana standout Dan Dakich redshirted this past season after playing in 24 games during the 2015-16 campaign, when he averaged 4.6 minutes, 0.7 rebounds, 0.6 points and 0.6 assists per game. He saw action in 49 U-M contests during his career. Redshirt junior forward Mark Donnal is transferring as a graduate to Creighton, Vanderbilt or Clemson with one year of eligi- bility remaining. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN