Welcome to the fun

The busiest time of year is upon us, with virtually all U-M teams competing in venues far and wide. Your nationally ranked baseball and softball programs started their seasons with an impressive series of wins. This past month also saw the start of men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s lacrosse, field hockey, rowing, and water polo.

As of Friday, Michigan was the only Division I school with a team still active in the women’s basketball, men’s basketball, and men’s ice hockey tournaments.

Kim Barnes Arico takes the No. 6-seeded women’s basketball team to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the first time in program history today, March 27. In addition, the Wolverines have a men’s hoops Sweet 16 game against Florida State on Sunday (March 28). And while the ice hockey team was set to open NCAA play March 26 against Minnesota-Duluth, the team was forced to exit the tournament due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests.

Championship season

We are proud of all of our student-athletes and the success they find in the classroom and on the field. Given the current challenges they face, we would like to point out our Big Ten championships and NCAA success stories.

Big Ten championships

Men’s swimming and diving celebrated its 100th year of varsity competition in a big way, overcoming a final-day deficit to capture its 42nd Big Ten championship on March 6 in Columbus, Ohio. The men also earned three individual and relay championships.

Women’s swimming and diving finished runner-up at Big Tens behind seven individual and relay titles, led by three event wins for Swimmer of the Championships Maggie MacNeil.

Men’s basketball clinched the 2020-21 Big Ten Conference championship with a 69-50 victory over in-state rival Michigan State on March 4. It was the 15th regular-season championship.

Myles Amine defeated top-ranked Eric Schultz (Nebraska), 7-3, to capture the 197-pound Big Ten wrestling title after previously taking second twice at 174 pounds (2018, ’19).

Women’s track and field finished runner-up at the Big Ten Indoor Championships as two individuals won event titles: Ziyah Holman (400 meters) and Jessica Mercier (pole vault).

NCAA Championship updates

The No. 4-ranked men’s basketball program secured the No. 1 seed in the East Region of this year’s NCAA Tournament and is currently competing in the Elite Eight.

The No. 16-ranked women’s basketball team received its best NCAA Tournament seed in program history. The women secured their first-ever trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 under veteran coach Kim Barnes Arico.

Devin Meyrer claimed All-America honors to represent the men’s cross country team at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, while the women’s team finished 17th.

At the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, 10 Wolverines earned All-America honors. Heptathlete Ayden Owens crushed the school record in a third-place finish, and John Meyer (shot put) and Tom Dodd (mile) both finished seventh to lead the men’s team to a tie for 18th. The women’s distance medley relay team of Alice Hill, Ziyah Holman, Lauren Fulcher and Katelynne Hart placed fifth.

The men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams both headed to the NCAA Championships with sizable rosters as the women qualified 11 swimmers, one diver, and all five relay teams for the week’s events. The men sent 12 swimmers, one diver, and all five relays to Greensboro, N.C. So far, so good!

Wrestling put in a good showing this week, highlighted by Myles Amine earning the top seed at 197 pounds and Mason Parris earning the No. 2 seed at heavyweight for a second consecutive year. The team finished fifth.

Football season tickets

Final guidelines regarding Michigan Stadium capacity are still pending, but Michigan Athletics hopes to welcome fans back to the Big House this season.

Fans can join the season ticket list by contributing $150. New season ticket offers will be communicated in May. Based on past projections, new season ticket holders could be offered two tickets and if availability permits, up to four.

Athletics will make every effort to offer season tickets to those who make a contribution but if renewals exceed expectations, new season tickets are not guaranteed. Season tickets are based on availability and are allocated according to priority points.

The deadline to join the 2021 interest list is April 30, 2021.

Go Blue, baby!
 
 
See more Michigan sports coverage at mgoblue.com.