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.

