FILE PHOTO/Daily
Emina Bektas set the school record with 124 singles wins and was Big Ten MVP.
10
Thursday, July 30, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS
Emina Bektas reflects
on her storied career
By LELAND MITCHINSON
Daily Sports Writer
When
Emina
Bektas
was
looking for a college to continue
her tennis career, the most
important factor was a tight-
knight team atmosphere.
At Michigan, she found exactly
what she wanted.
“I went to a team dinner and I
could just kind of tell that it was
such a team and such a family
atmosphere,” Bektas said. “You
could just tell that the girls got
along so well.”
Bektas
attended
the
John
Newcombe
Tennis
Academy
in Texas, where she focused
on
individual
development.
However, her participation in an
academy didn’t mean she didn’t
get to experience the team aspect
of the game.
“We had team (competitions)
in our region and district,”
Bektas said. “Every time I had
those tournaments, they were
always the most fun,” Bektas
said. “Just being around a group
of girls that love being there,
that love being around each
other and with the coaches.
“I knew that that’s what
I wanted. I loved the team
atmosphere.”
One thing Bektas didn’t need
coming into college was time
to adjust. Bektas immediately
competed in the No. 1 position
for the Wolverines in every
dual match her freshman year,
going 32-10 overall. She also
excelled in doubles, finishing
the season with a 33-10 record
playing in the No. 1 doubles
position, paired with then-
sophomore Brooke Bolender.
“I thought she would really
blossom in the college tennis
format,”
said
Michigan
coach
Ronni
Bernstein. “She
stepped in and
played No. 1 all
four
years
and
was
dominant
there, which, to
have
somebody
up top like that
that’s
winning
and competing so hard and giving
us that point almost every match,
was huge for our program and she
made a huge impact.”
That success carried over into
her sophomore year, when she
finished the season ranked No.
33 individually, and fourth in
doubles with Bolender.
Though
she
stepped into a
big role in her
first two years,
there was still
room to grow as
a leader on the
team.
“I remember
going back home
for
Christmas
break
(junior
year), and I sort of started figuring
things out,” Bektas said. “I knew
that since I was finally able to
help myself, I was able to pull the
other girls with me as well. I mean,
obviously it wasn’t perfect along
the way, I still had my moments,
but (that realization) helped me out
a lot.”
Coming
off that break
in her junior
year,
she
took her play
up
another
level,
setting
a
Michigan
record
for
singles
wins
in
a
season
with 38. She kept it going in her
senior year, going 33-8, leading
Michigan to its first Big Ten
Tournament title and winning
her second straight Big Ten Player
of the Year award.
She also helped to usher in the
next generation of Wolverines,
taking her new doubles partner,
freshman Alex
Najarian, under
her wing on the
way to a 30-9
record with her
new teammate.
Bektas
finished
her
college
career
with
more
accolades than
she could keep
track of. She ends her career as
Michigan’s all-time leader in
singles wins and overall wins.
On top of the team wins record,
Bektas was unanimously voted
first team Big Ten all four years of
her time as a Wolverine.
“I
think
Emina,
through
her four years, matured in that
(leadership) role and understood
it more,” Bernstein said. “I don’t
think she understood it when
she first came in, so definitely
by her senior year it was really
important to her, and she did a
great job in that role making sure
everybody was (comfortable) in
the team.”
Bektas
came
to
Michigan
looking for a close team, and she
found one. In return, she gave
them more than they could ever
ask for.
FOOTBALL
Notebook: Legends jerseys to be re-retired Nov. 28
By ZACH SHAW
Summer Managing Sports Editor
After two years of controversy
and
awkward
numbers,
the
Michigan
football
team
announced that its “Legends”
jersey program would be retired.
The program — which honored
Michigan’s five retired numbers by
giving them to current Wolverines
— unretired the jersey numbers of
Gerald Ford (No. 48), Tom Harmon
(98), Ron Kramer (87), Bennie
Oosterbaan (47), and Albert, Alvin
and Whitey Wistert (11). The
program drew controversy from
fans and program alumni.
“During the search process
for our new football coach, I had
a meeting with the Michigan
football team and they expressed
their feelings associated with
wearing these legendary jerseys,”
said Interim Athletic Director Jim
Hackett in a released statement.
“At one end of the spectrum they
are awed by the legacy of the men
who wore them and at the other
end of the spectrum, and as part of
a team sport, they wondered why
we would call attention to one of
our team members.
“I brought this issue to our new
head coach Jim Harbaugh. He
agreed with me that it needed a
review. I then talked to the families
of these great Michigan players. I
called them directly and laid out
the paradox of seeing players as a
team and the due respect to these
individual great players.”
All
five
numbers
will
be
retired in a joint ceremony before
Michigan’s game against Ohio
State, Nov. 28. 1991 Heisman
Trophy winner Desmond Howard
will also have his No. 21 retired in
the ceremony.
“The right plan is to retire
them and display them in Towsley
Museum which is connected to
Schembechler
Hall,”
Hackett
said. “Because we don’t have the
display area inside the stadium,
we have found an area on the
concourse where fans can see and
honor these retired jerseys.”
Peppers a three-way player?
After
having
his
much-
anticipated
freshman
season
cut short due to injury, redshirt
freshman safety Jabrill Peppers
may have a chance to return in a
big way.
Regarded as one of the nation’s
best athletes from his recruiting
class,
Harbaugh
indicated
Tuesday that Peppers may be
used on offense, special teams and
defense.
“There’s three ways that you
can contribute,” Harbaugh said.
“You can contribute offensively,
defensively and on special teams.
It’s rare that someone does offense,
defense and special teams.
“It’s exciting when someone’s
capable of doing that, it means they
have some real gifts athletically
and they’re really smart and
sharp enough to understand three
different systems.”
At Paramus Catholic High
School in New Jersey, Peppers
rushed for 3,059 yards, passed
for 92 yards and tallied 883 yards
receiving. He also scored 60
touchdowns in three seasons on
offense.
“If you have the capability
athletically of doing that and
you have the desire to do that,
then we’ll explore it,” Harbaugh
said. “Jabrill’s never struck me as
someone who has ever (had) his
head spin (on the field). He’s not
one of those type of youngsters.
He has a very tight grip of his
mind, he’s very sharp and very
focused.
“Nor
have
I
seen
him
unconfident. He’s very confident
in his abilities.”
Ball is in Norfleet’s court to
return
Another potential three-way
player is still considering if he’ll
join the Wolverines at all in the
fall. Former return man Dennis
Norfleet was reportedly kicked off
the team in June.
Though he has been granted
permission
to
speak
with
Tuskegee
University,
among
others, Harbaugh hopes Norfleet
can return to Michigan.
“A plan was put into place for
Dennis so he could accomplish
all his goals athletically and
academically
(at
Michigan),”
Harbaugh said. “Our desire is that
he gets his Michigan degree, and
that plan hasn’t changed from our
viewpoint.”
“I could just
tell that it was
such a team and
family.”
Bektas finished
with more
accolades than
she could track.