University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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Popping up as she slides, Mary Conner swipes third base. On the season, Conner was successful in allthreeof her stolen base at- tempts, photo courtesey of Ath- letic Media Rela- tions Afteradii Regional 200! sea: nation H pressyre; sie- ' leaningon J r -IT experience in the IICIQ setting, outscori theAlU teami seven yi theeigf Diet into TheSoo fyfte series;!, earn keepingSCOre 1 Stanford 2 ||| 1 1 Sacramento State ||| Stanford 2 ||| 4 Long Beach State ||| Fresno State 1 || 5 San Diego State 6 ||| 5 Georgia 8 ||| 6 Fresno State 1 || 1 Missouri ||| Alabama 1 ||| 3 Louisiana State 1 ||| 2 Alabama 7 ||| 3 Mississippi State 1 ||| Massachusetts 1 ||| 3 Maryland ||| 2 Troy State 1 ||| 2 Iowa State ||| Nebraska 5 ||| 1 1 Toledo 5 ||| 7 Butler 3 ||| 5 Western Michigan ||| 3 Western Michigan 3 ||| 2 DePaul 4 ||| 2 DePaul 5 ||| 10 Illinois 2 ||| 2 Illinois O ||| 7 Oakland ||| 2 Oakland 1 ||| 5 Bowling Green 2 || 4 Purdue 3 ||| 6 Purdue 1 156 I Softball :

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Shaking their pom-pons, the cheerleaders fire up the student section during the game against Western Michigan. The women cheerleaders painted a patriotic USA on their faces in support of the country as well as the Wolverines, photo by TosinAkinmusuru cheerleadina liftingup 9 Thefan ' sSplTltS With spirited smiles, the cheerleading team sprang the sidelines of Michigan Stadium to life. Leading the crowd with enthusiasm and energy, the Varsity cheer team performed stunts and dances to cheer the Wolverines to victory. Most easily identified from their performances at football games, the varsity cheerleaders also cheered for men ' s basketball games. With the revamping of the Wolverine basketball program, the cheerleaders helped to spark student interest and initiative in rooting the Maize and Blue basketball team to triumph. Practicing drills three times a weekfor two and a half hours each time, the cheerleaders perfected their performances. They also supplemented their gymnastic practices with twice-weekly weight-lifting sessions, proving that their sport was as athletic as any other. The cheerleaders performed a variety of athletic stunts, including a move called a Cupie, wherein a male cheerleader supported a female cheerleader in the air with just one arm. We not only represent the University of Michigan at numerous events, we also compete at the national level every year through the Universal Cheerleaders Association, said senior business administration majorTheresa Chen, a four-year veteran of the Varsity team. And cheerleading is a great way to meet people and be right in the middle of the action. In addition to the varsity cheerleaders, the Athletic Department also supported a Varsity Reserve team, which cheered for women ' s basketball, and an All-Girls ' team, which cheered for men ' s soccer. Moreover, the cheerteams participated in the Universal Cheerleading Association ' s National Cheerleading Competition, which was televised on ESPN. Story by Caelan Jordan Sports | 1 55

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Softball After a disappointing 3-0 loss to DePaul University in the 2000 NCAA Regional Championship, the Wolverine softball team entered the 2001 season with the pressure of being the 1 1 th ranked team in the nation. However, the Wolverines did not lack in experience under pressure; they returned 1 5 letter-winners, including 1 starters and six seniors, from a squad that finished second in the Big Ten. Despite their experience and depth, the Maize and Blue began the 2001 campaign by stumbling through their first 14 games with a 6-8 record. The season-opening funk sent the Wolverines tumbling through the national rankings and by the midpoint of the season, the team found itself out of the national rankings altogether. By the time the Wolverines began their Big Ten Conference schedule they were hitting just .264 as a team and averaging just over three runs a game. However, the Wolverine bats came alive and the pitchers became even more dominant once Big Ten play began. The Maize and Blue tore through the Big Ten, finishing with a 1 7-3 mark and their seventh Big Ten Conference regular-season champi- onship since 1992. The red-hot Wolverines entered the 48-team NCAA tournament field for the seventh consecutive season, but found themselves in the unusual position of having to travel to a Regional Champion- ships. For the first time since 1992, the program ' s first trip to the tournament, the Wolverines did not host one of the eight six-team regionals. Instead, the Wolverines were forced to travel to the Region 4 Championship hosted by Alabama. Despite the unfamiliar setting, the Wolverines dominated the Regional Championship, outscoring their opponents 22-9. Four Wolverines earned a spot on the All-Tournament team led by MVP Melissa Taylor. Kelsey Kollen, Marie Barda, and StefanieVolpejoinedTaylor on theall-tournament team. After claiming the program ' s fifth Regional Championship in seven years, the team traveled to Oklahoma City to participate in the eight-team Women ' s College World Series. The Wolverines entered the World Series as the fourth seed, and in their first game they faced the fifth seeded Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners ' pitching proved to be too tough forthe Wolverine bats as the Maize and Blue managed only three hits and no runs.The next day the Wolverines needed to defeat California to stay alive in the series; however, the team played sloppy defense and allowed three unearned runs, falling to the Golden Bears by a score of 5-2. by Jon Hommer Gunning it home, junior Stephanie Volpe forces a play at the plate. Volpe earned first team Big Ten honors for her play at third base. photo courtesy of A t hi? tic Media Re- lations Staying fo- cused, true freshman Monica Schocksetsup on the outside corner. Schock im- proved her batting aver- age by 28 points in the last 12 games of the season. photo courtesy of Athletic Media Relations Sophomore M e 1 i n d a M o u 1 d e n chops the ball up the middle. M o u 1 d e n was one of four Wol- v e r i n e s named to the All-Big Ten team, photo courtesy of Ath- letic Media Rela- tions 2 Indiana ||| 15 Indiana 3 ||| 8 Central Michigan 1 ||| 3 Central Michigan ||| 1 Minnesota ||| 2 Minnesota 1 ||| 4 Wisconsin 2 ||| 8 Wisconsin D ||| 10 Penn State 1 ||| 3 Penn State 1 ||| 2 Ohio State 1 ||| 2 Ohio State 3 ||| B Northwestern ||| 5 Northwestern 1 ||| Iowa 1 ||| Iowa 1 ||| 8 Eastern Michigan ||| 7 Eastern Michigan 6 j| 2 Detroit 1 ||| 5 Michigan State | 2 Michigan State 1 ||| 2 Penn State ||| B Iowa 1 ||| 1 Iowa 2 ||| 1 Chattanooga ||| B South Florida 2 ||| 3 Alabama 2 ||| 12 South Florida 5 ||| Oklahoma 2 ||| 2 California 5 Sports | 157