2015-16 Season Previews -- Part Two
8/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | General
Aug. 26, 2015
On periodic Wednesdays throughout the season, MGoBlue.com will release season previews for upcoming sport seasons. After field hockey, football, men's and women's soccer and volleyball opened the preview series, cross country and golf are featured this week.
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
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2015 OUTLOOK
U-M returns six of its seven runners from the NCAA Championships last fall, including four of its top five. Leading the way for the 2015 edition of the Maize and Blue is fifth-year senior Mason Ferlic, whose 13th-place finish in Terre Haute last fall made him the first back-to-back All-American in Maize and Blue since Nate Brannen (2002-03). He is coming off a strong track season which saw him capture the first two Big Ten titles in his career, the indoor 5,000-meter run and outdoor 3,000m steeplechase. The St. Paul, Minnesota, native was first team All-Big Ten for cross country in 2014, using a fourth-place individual finish to solidify U-M's runner-up showing, and he led U-M in all six scored events in which the varsity team competed, including a seventh-place run at regionals.
In 2015, he will be looked at to be a leader on and off the course with fellow fifth-year seniors August Pappas and Nick Posada, who have seven and five career postseason races under their respective belts. Pappas was U-M's third scorer at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional meet and NCAA Championships last fall, earning all-region honors.
Another important piece to the U-M puzzle will be junior Ben Flanagan, a 2014 co-captain returning with leadership and big race experience. Flanagan was a second team all-conference (13th) and all-region (10th with a new PR) performer as a sophomore, and he was among the first three Wolverines to cross the finish line in each race he competed in. That record of steady performance will be important -- U-M expects its top three runners to include Ferlic and Flanagan each weekend.
Though the Wolverines are heavy with experience in Ferlic, Flanagan, Pappas, Posada and senior Tony Smoragiewicz, the future is also bright. Junior/sophomore Aaron Baumgarten had a breakout season last year as a rookie, earning five top-25 finishes, including a pair of top-five showings. He was three places shy of a second team All-Big Ten honor, finishing 17th. His continued improvement, along with that of fellow redshirt sophomore Micah Beller and several of his classmates, will be pivotal for U-M this fall.
Meanwhile, a group of seven Wolverines come off a redshirt freshman season looking for an opportunity to crack the squad's top group. All this experience and the new blood that consists of a half-dozen distance freshmen, including national-caliber recruit Ben Hill, will have to come together when the Wolverines head to camp at the U-M Bio Station this week.
ATHLETE TO WATCH
Fifth-year Senior Co-Captain Mason Ferlic -- There is no question Ferlic is the leader of the Maize and Blue in 2015, with a pair of All-America honors already to his credit. His top-10 conference finishes over the last two seasons are padded by a pair of Big Ten titles on the track from this past spring, and he will have his eyes on the individual conference title amongst a tough field this November. With Ferlic leading the way, U-M figures to be in the mix at the top of the Big Ten again in 2015.
Last year, Ferlic became Michigan's first back-to-back cross country All-American in a decade with a 13th-place finish. He is also an All-America steeplechaser for the track and field team, and he won his first two conference titles this past spring (indoor 5K and outdoor steeplechase).
From left: August Pappas, Mason Ferlic, Ben Flanagan, Aaron Baumgarten
KEY COMPETITION
Wisconsin Adidas Invitational (Oct. 16), Madison, Wis.
U-M will get their spikes down early at the site of the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, hosted by the Badgers for the fourth consecutive year. Despite most of the potential postseason lineup having seen the course over the last few seasons, it will be valuable for the team to see the course just five weeks before they return for the regional meet. Some of the Big Ten's best travel to Madison for this event, and the Maize and Blue will be among them this fall.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Kevin Sullivan
On the difference in preparation for his second season, and how familiarity helps the process of welcoming newcomers to the team ... "Now that we have a year under our belt and the upperclassmen know what the daily routine is like, they can help lead these guys instead of me having to coach everybody through warmups and drills and that has been helpful for me. We will be strong again this year. We are coming off a great year in 2014 and we return four out of our top five, which is nice, but we know a lot of other teams have gotten stronger throughout the country. To be successful, we are going to require a couple of our underclassmen to step up and fill a couple of gaps this year. It's important for us to take a little bit of time to evaluate where newcomers are; for the most part they did their work over the summer and are coming in at a good spot."
2014 RECAP
The Wolverines responded tremendously well to first-year coach Kevin Sullivan last fall, earning the team's best finish at the NCAA meet in a decade (11th). They surged higher in rankings throughout the season, peaking at No. 11 (Oct. 3). Now the Maize and Blue return all their key contributors from last year's team, led by Mason Ferlic, Ben Flanagan and August Pappas. Other key contributors should include Aaron Baumgarten, Tony Smoragiewicz and Nick Posada with the rising junior/sophomore class expected to contribute significantly. The Wolverines should build on an excellent 2014 and be among of the top teams in the conference.
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
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2015 OUTLOOK
Now healthy, the team's top two of Erin Finn and Shannon Osika return to competition for the Maize and Blue, aided by the leadership of fifth-year seniors Devon Hoppe, Anna Pasternak and Laura Addison.
Finn was the top-finishing Wolverine in three of her four races a year ago, and both she and Osika are coming off strong outdoor track seasons. Both are historically strong starters -- Osika has won the last three Michigan Opens (2012-14), which have kicked off the U-M seasons in recent years, and Finn only has one non-top-five finish in seven career regular-season races.
Returning juniors Gina Sereno and Jaimie Phelan, who both scored for U-M in the postseason last fall, also bring depth and a competitive edge to this season's lineup. Sereno had a breakout 2014 with five finishes in the top 31, and along with her classmates Phelan, Corinne Florie, Courtney Munley and others, she will be expected to strengthen the bottom half Wolverine lineup.
Michigan always maintains the middle-distance and distance areas as a focus in recruiting, and McGuire has pulled in another strong class to add depth this year. Princeton graduate-transfer Erika Fleuhr joins the mix with postseason experience at the Ivy League level, and more than a dozen middle-distance and distance athletes join her as freshmen.
STUDENT-ATHLETE TO WATCH
Junior Erin Finn -- Coming off a spectacular freshman season in 2013 that saw her claim the individual Big Ten Title and finish runner-up at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, Finn was poised for a big 2014 until injury kept her from competing in the postseason. Now healthy once more, the four-time conference champion in track and field will seek her second All-America finish in Louisville in November.
Her final race of the 2014 season came at Pre-Nationals in mid-October, and Finn returned during the outdoor track season to defend her 10,000m title at the Big Ten Championships. She secured her third career USTFCCCA All-America honor at the NCAA Championships, this time at 5,000m.
From left: Erin Finn, Shannon Osika, Gina Sereno
KEY COMPETITION
Greater Louisville Classic (Oct. 3), Louisville, Ky. -- The NCAA Championships migrate from Cross Country Town U.S.A. (Terre Haute, Ind.) to the University of Louisville this year, and U-M has made a point to get its feet on the course early with the Greater Louisville Classic. After what figure to be cold races on hard terrain near Lake Michigan at the Big Ten Championships (Evanston, Ill.) and in windy Wisconsin for the NCAA Great Lakes Regional (Madison, Wisconsin), it will do the Wolverines good to return to Louisville for the NCAA Championships knowing they have already run the course.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Mike McGuire
On his message to this year's team as the preseason winds down ... "We are going to focus on finishing this season. Last year the expectations were high, coming off of a fourth-place finish (at the NCAA meet) the year before. I think we have a good mix of veteran leadership and talented newcomers, plus we made a few additions through transfers, so we are excited to get going. Now we have an opportunity to come closer together as a team at camp this week and next week, and we will need to train with focus to come back and start off on the right foot."
Senior Shannon Osika
On her excitement for this season to begin ... "I am really excited for these coming seasons, starting with cross country. I have talked to some of the girls, and everyone seems very motivated so far. There are a lot of new people, with freshmen and transfers coming on board, but I think I have met almost everyone. Having everyone give off that competitive feeling makes us all motivated and it lets us create an encouraging environment. There is a lot of positive energy."
2014 RECAP
U-M was the top-ranked team for the first time in program history at the start of the 2014 preseason, but head coach Mike McGuire was adamant that it was only a projection and not a coronation. Still, U-M showed talent with the best teams in the nation, winning two of its three scored meets during the regular season.
The team remained at the top of the polls for five weeks through mid-October until injury hampered the Wolverines' top seven in the postseason. Behind the guidance of senior co-captains Alexandra Leptich, Megan Weschler and Brook Handler, U-M took fourth at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional. The Maize and Blue looks forward to this coming November, when the team will have the opportunity to improve on its 18th-place finish at the national meet in 2014.
WOMEN'S GOLF
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2015-16 OUTLOOK
As the Michigan women's golf program enters the third season of the Jan Dowling era, the Wolverines are looking to capitalize on their late-season successes to guide them into 2015-16 with a consistent mindset of development and execution.
With five players returning from a year ago who combined to start 40 of 44 events, U-M has an experienced core group leading the charge. Adding European newcomers Elodie Van Dievoet and Maria Alzueta Garcia, the Wolverines hope to have a stable lineup from top to bottom throughout their eight regular-season events.
Opening with a balanced fall schedule, including two September and two October events, U-M will look to get out of the gates early with three stroke-play events, including a trip to Charleston's Cougar Classic, and one match-play event at Wisconsin. An additional four spring events, including a trip to the Bryan National Collegiate, give the Maize and Blue ample opportunities to prepare for a run at both the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA postseason.
STUDENT-ATHLETE TO WATCH
Grace Choi -- Choi enters her third season in Ann Arbor primed for yet another strong year. Last season, she recovered from an offseason shoulder injury to lead the Wolverines in scoring for the second straight year. She has started 19 career events, finishing as the top Wolverine in nine of those events, and carries a 75.65 career average. Off the course, she was honored as a Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American Scholar as well as a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
KEY COMPETITIONS
East & West Match Play Challenge (Sept. 20-22) -- Partnering with Wisconsin, U-M hosted the inaugural event at Radrick Farms last year and now heads to University Ridge for this year's event.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Jan Dowling
On what she is looking forward to the most with the upcoming 2015-16 season ... "The anticipation of a new season is always very exciting. As a coach, there isn't anything better. Discovering the identity of our team with the returning players, and our freshmen is always a fun and rewarding process. The team will also define their goals for the upcoming season, which gives us a very determined direction. Having the team back on campus, and working on our process of improving and getting into a consistent and effective routine is wonderful. We can't wait to get started."
2014-15 RECAP
The U-M women's golf team continued to make strides in 2014-15, capping off the season with a fifth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships -- the program's highest since 2008. U-M was guided by Grace Choi, who led the Wolverines in scoring for the second straight year with a 75.65 per-round average, and newcomer Megan Kim, who started the final eight events and was second with a 76.04 scoring mark. Fellow newcomer Kathy Lim was the only Wolverine to start all 10 events, and she closed with the second-lowest freshman scoring average at 76.88. Junior Catherine Peters had a strong year, posting career bests for scoring (76.76), a single round (71) and a 54-hole tournament (222).
MEN'S GOLF
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2015-16 OUTLOOK
With seven of eight players returning from last season, depth and healthy competition will help provide U-M head coach Chris Whitten the ability to bring the best five-man lineup to U-M's 10-tournament regular-season schedule. U-M will be led by six upperclassmen, including a trio of seniors -- Chris O'Neill, Brett McIntosh and Andrew Yeager -- who have combined to play in 87 career events. Add in a trio of juniors -- Bryce Evon, Reed Hrynewich and Tom Swanson -- and the Wolverines have enough veterans to guide them back to their 39th NCAA postseason appearance. The Wolverines lone sophomore, Kyle Mueller, will look to capitalize off his stellar freshman campaign, when he led U-M in scoring average (72.86), finished as the top Wolverine in nine of 13 events and closed with an individual trip to the NCAA Championships. The Wolverines welcome one newcomer -- Nick Carlson from Hamilton, Michigan. He is a four-time Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Associations (MIGCA) Super Team selection.
STUDENT-ATHLETES TO WATCH
Chris O'Neill -- O'Neill enters his final season in Ann Arbor having yet to miss a tournament in three seasons, starting 36 straight events. After an individual invitation to the 2014 NCAA Regional, O'Neill helped U-M to its first team appearance in 2015. Carrying a career average of 73.34, O'Neill has led U-M in scoring in two of three seasons. A two-time Ping Division I All-Midwest Region selection (2014, '15), he was an All-Big Ten second teamer in 2014. Off the course, O'Neill, who is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, was honored with the prestigious Golf Coaches Association of American (GCAA) Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar award. He is just the 12th Wolverine to earn the academic honor.
Kyle Mueller -- Mueller enters his second season after a stellar freshman campaign. He finished off his first season leading U-M in nine of 13 events, capping off the year with an individual invitation to the NCAA Championships, after closing as the medalist runner-up at the NCAA Regional. He won his very first collegiate event at the Wolverine Intercollegiate with a career-best seven-under 206. He was awarded All-Big Ten second team honors as well as selected to the PING Division I All-Midwest Region team. He guided U-M to a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Match Play Championship with a perfect 4-0 record. He was just the fourth freshman to lead the team in scoring with a 72.86 per-round average -- the eighth-best single-season mark of all-time.
Left: Kyle Mueller // Middle: Chris O'Neill with Mueller // Right: O'Neill
KEY COMPETITIONS
Inverness Intercollegiate (Sept. 21-22) -- The Wolverines return to the site of U-M's near run to the national title in 2009.
Big Ten Match Play Championships (Feb. 12-13) -- After winning the event in 2014, the Wolverines were the runner-up in 2015 after dropping a back-and-forth championship match to No. 1 Illinois.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Chris Whitten
On what he is looking forward to the most in 2015-16 ... "I'm most looking forward to watching the guys work together. We've been through a lot as a group the past few years and the guys have really become close through it all. We talk about attitude and being 'team-first' a lot and these guys live it. With three seniors and three juniors on a team of eight, it will be fun to watch them play for each other - for their team."
2014-15 RECAP
Led by freshman All-Big Ten second teamer Kyle Mueller and junior Chris O'Neill, the U-M men's golf team reached the NCAA postseason as a team for the first time in four years. A seventh-place finish at the NCAA Washington Regional saw the Wolverines miss advancing to the NCAA Finals by just nine shots. Throughout the season, U-M posted five top-five finishes, including an opening win at the Wolverine Intercollegiate and runner-up finishes at the Big Ten Match Play Championships and the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate. Mueller, who led U-M in nine of 13 events, paced U-M with a 72.86 scoring average, with O'Neill just behind at 73.15. Both were PING Division I All-Midwest Region selections.
