8A — Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Choi, Peters help 
‘M’ finish fourth

By BILLY STAMPFL

For the Daily

It 
was 
a 
record-setting 

performance for the Michigan 
women’s 
golf 
team, 
which 

finished tied for fourth place 
at the Las Vegas Collegiate 
Showdown on Tuesday.

The Wolverines shot a school-

record 275 (-13) in the first round, 
and junior Grace Choi soared 
in the second round — tying 
Ashley Bauer’s school-record 
mark of 65, set in 2010. Though 
significant in retrospect, Choi 
was hardly thinking about her 
individual 
triumphs 
during 
tournament 
play.

“I 
wasn’t 

thinking 
about that at 
all,” Choi said. 
“I was so in 
the 
moment, 

it was such a high. I wasn’t 
worried about breaking school 
records. … It was an incredible 
experience.”

Michigan 
played 
with 
a 

mental edge throughout the 
tournament, notching scores 
of 275, 279 and 281 in the three 
days, ultimately finishing nine 
strokes behind the champion, 
UNLV.

The 
tournament, 
the 

conclusion to the Wolverines’ 
successful fall season, followed 
a third-place finish at the Yale 
Intercollegiate two weeks ago.

“The team’s been gaining 

confidence 
throughout 
the 

fall,” said Michigan coach Jan 
Dowling.

Some of the improvement 

can likely be attributed to Choi 
and senior Catherine Peters, 
the team’s only upperclassmen. 
Peters put up scores of 68, 68 and 
69 en route to tying Choi for fifth 

in the individual standings this 
weekend. Yet beyond their golf 
skills, the two lead in ways that 
can’t be recorded on a scorecard.

“(Choi and Peters) both lead 

by example in so many ways,” 
Dowling said. “You couldn’t 
ask for better upperclassmen. 
They’re 
encouraging 
and 

positive, and really want to leave 
their mark on this program.”

In addition to influencing 

underclassmen, Choi and Peters 
have a great impact on each 
other on the golf course. After 
spending three years playing 
together and two years living 

with 
each 

other, the two 
friends 
have 

built a unique 
bond.

“She’s 
one 

of 
the 
most 

positive people 
I 
have 
ever 

met,” 
Choi 

said of Peters. 

“That’s something that I’m not 
as good at, so she just radiates all 
this really good energy.”

Teamwork and cooperation 

have long been building blocks 
of Dowling’s model for winning 
tournaments and improving as a 
unit. After a strong fall season, 
Michigan will look to continue 
getting better before returning 
to tournament play in February.

The Wolverines expect to 

work primarily on strength 
and conditioning, while also 
studying individual tendencies 
to 
identify 
strengths 
and 

weaknesses.

“We stay pretty busy (during 

the winter),” Dowling said. “We 
really take advantage of those 
months to (review) the season a 
little bit better.”

Michigan plans to remember 

the record-setting weekend for 
the time being, but knows it still 
has plenty to prepare for.

WOMEN’S GOLF

“I was so in the 
moment, it was 
such a high.”

Minor shines at 
ITA Regionals

By NATHANIEL CLARK

Daily Sports Writer

The 
legendary 
Brazilian 

soccer player Pelé once said, 
“The more difficult the victory, 
the greater the happiness in 
winning.”

Freshman Brienne Minor of 

the Michigan women’s tennis 
team discovered that wisdom 
firsthand, as she rallied from a 
5-1 hole in her final set to win a 
singles title over Northwestern’s 
Maddie Lipp at the ITA Midwest 
Regional Championships. This 
was the third consecutive year 
— and the fourth time in the last 
five years — that a Wolverine 
has come away with a singles 
victory in the tournament.

After Minor erased her deficit 

and took a 6-5 edge, Lipp won 
the next game to tie the set at 
six, which set up a tiebreaker. 
Minor rose to the occasion, 
going on a 3-1 run en route to a 
7-3 victory to capture the title.

“It 
was 

amazing 
to 

see (Minor) 
compete like 
that,” 
said 

Michigan 
coach 
Ronnie 
Bernstein. 
“I think she 
just believes in herself and has 
such a big game where she can 
win a whole bunch of points in 
a row.”

Minor dropped the first game 

of the final set to Lipp, 6-3, but 
quickly took a 4-0 lead in the 
second. Lipp found her groove, 
however, and evened the score 
at 5-5. The pair split the next 
two sets before Minor won the 
tiebreaker, 7-5.

“It was really good tennis for 

both of them,” Bernstein said. 
“Both wanted (the match) a lot. 
(Minor) really hung in there and 
that was the difference.”

Minor also had a strong 

doubles 
performance. 
She 

teamed up with sophomore 

Mira Ruder-Hook to top Ani 
Gogvadze and Maria Paula 
Ribero of Eastern Michigan, 8-2. 
They also defeated Michigan 
State’s duo of Erin Faulkner and 
Lexi Baylis, 8-3, before losing, 
8-5, in the quarterfinals to Ohio 
State’s pair of Sandy Niehaus 
and Ferny Angelez Paz.

“(Minor 
and 
Ruder-Hook) 

complement each other pretty 
well,” Bernstein said. “I thought 
they communicated well.”

But Minor was not the only 

freshman to have an impressive 
showing. Kate Fahey defeated 
Michigan State’s Lexi Baylis 
and 
Ohio 
State’s 
Anna 

Sanford in two and three sets, 
respectively. Fahey faltered in 
the singles play quarterfinals 
to Lipp.

Ruder-Hook, 
too, 
came 

up 
with 
a 
solid 
singles 

performance. She notched wins 
over Western Michigan’s Melina 
Lyubomirova, 6-4, 7-5, and 
Illinois’s Louise Kwong, 6-4, 

4-6, 7-6 before 
succumbing 
to 
DePaul’s 

Yuliya 
Shupenia.

“She’s 

starting 
to 

understand 
what 
she 

needs to do 

on the court,” Bernstein said. 
“I was really happy with her 
performance 
and 
how 
she 

competed.”

Building on an impressive 

outing, Michigan still has more 
tennis to play this fall. The 
Wolverines will travel to the 
UNC Invitational Nov. 6-8, 
before moving onto the ITA 
National Indoor Championships 
and the ASU Thunderbird Nov. 
13-15.

“I just want (the players) to 

compete,” Bernstein said. “I feel 
like come January, with the kids 
we’ve added and our returners, 
that we’ll be ready and hopefully 
we can have another great 
season.”

WOMEN’S TENNIS

“It was amazing 
to see (Minor) 

compete like that.”

Harbaugh’s manners pay off

By MAX COHEN

Managing Sports Editor

Jim Harbaugh does not always 

give the appearance of someone 
who asks for things nicely.

During his final year with the 

San Francisco 49ers, rumors 
circulated that Harbaugh wore 
his players down with his high 
demands 
and 
dogged 
work 

ethic. Even now, on the sidelines 
of Michigan Stadium, it is not 
an uncommon sight to see 
Harbaugh yelling a referee’s ear 
into oblivion.

But 
sometimes, 
when 
it 

comes to asking things of his 
players, Harbaugh minds his 
manners. He brought up the 
subject during his weekly press 
conference Monday, when a 
reporter questioned the coach 
about the emergence of senior 
tight end A.J. Williams.

The natural inclination is that 

Williams’ success is the result 
of Harbaugh’s tight end-centric 
offense and that Williams has 
improved in the same manner 
many 
of 
Michigan’s 
other 

players have.

Monday, Harbaugh said there 

was more to it. He realized 
Williams needed to run faster, so 
Williams did what was natural: 
He lost some weight. But that 
wasn’t 
all 
that 
has 
fueled 

Williams’ increased role in the 
offense.

It came down to an innocuous 

question — a very polite one 
at that — that Harbaugh asked 
Williams:

“Please, will you run faster, 

A.J.?”

And so far, Williams has. He 

has had two receptions of more 
than 20 yards this season. His 
previous career long was 12 yards.

Through seven games this 

season, 
Williams 
has 
more 

catches (nine) than he did in 
his first three years at Michigan 
combined (five). He ranks fourth 
among Wolverines in receptions 
and receiving yards (99).

Harbaugh’s 
methodology 

of asking politely has paid 
dividends so far.

“Sometimes 
that 
works,” 

Harbaugh said. “I’ve seen it 
work before. ‘Will you please 
run faster?’ And then they do, so 
hope (Williams keeps) going in 
that direction, because he’s got 
it in him.”

Even 
the 
other 
part 
of 

Williams’ success, the one that 
didn’t have to do with Harbaugh 
minding his p’s and q’s, was the 
result of another soft-spoken 
comment from the fiery coach.

It 
came 
during 
spring 

practice, one of Harbaugh’s 
first, after Williams ran what 
he remembers as a stick rout. 
Harbaugh 
then 
commented 

on what he thought caused 
Williams’ lack of speed.

“He was just like, ‘A.J., I think 

you need to lose some weight,’ ” 
Williams said.

Williams, even as a senior 

who had established himself in 
the program, did not question 
the rhetoric of his new coach. He 
responded immediately.

“I was like, ‘Yeah, I probably 

do,’ ” Williams replied.

So Williams did. He currently 

weighs 10 pounds less than his 
listed weight of 285 pounds.

Harbaugh arrived at Michigan 

with a great deal of success in 
developing tight ends, from 
Zach Ertz and Coby Fleener 
at Stanford to Vernon Davis in 
San Francisco. Well aware of 
this, Williams was willing to do 
whatever his coach asked.

In the past, Williams had been 

almost exclusively a blocking 
tight end, even in high school. 
He played offensive tackle his 
senior year and did not catch a 
single pass.

But now, in his senior year of 

college, Williams has caught the 
ball more than he ever has. Not 
just in college or his senior year 
of high school, but in his entire 
life. Having the ball in his hands 
did not feel natural at first, 
particularly after his 22-yard 
reception in the home opener 
against Oregon State.

“I was like, ‘This is weird,’ ” 

Williams said. “I was like, ‘Oh 
man, I can’t believe I just did 
that.’ ”

Four weeks later, when the 

Wolverines played Northwestern, 
Williams was Michigan’s leading 
receiver, with four receptions for 
48 yards.

Williams, 
because 
of 

Harbaugh’s requests and the 
team’s success, says he is having 
more fun playing football than 
he has in his entire life. 

But while Williams enjoys 

increased success, other players 
are still working on fulfilling 
the things Harbaugh requests of 
them.

The coach’s request of redshirt 

junior offensive lineman Kyle 
Kalis is lofty:

“Get all your blocks, don’t 

miss any blocks,” Kalis said 
Harbaugh tells him.

With just a slight hint of 

sarcasm, Kalis said he believes he 
has fulfilled Harbaugh’s wishes.

“Never miss any (blocks),” 

Kalis said. “Never. I’m always 
perfect.”

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Senior tight end A.J. Williams has broken out as a receiving threat this season, catching nine passes for 99 yards.

GRANT HARDY/Daily

Senior linebacker Joe Bolden was confined to the locker room after being ejected for targeting in Michigan’s game against Michigan State on Oct. 17.
Joe Bolden’s loneliest view

By MAX BULTMAN

Daily Sports Editor

It wasn’t the day’s most jarring 

moment, and it didn’t happen 
in front of 111,000 people, but 
the moment Joe Bolden walked 
into the locker room was surreal 
nonetheless.

The senior linebacker had just 

been ejected for targeting from 
the Michigan football team’s 
game against Michigan State on 
Oct. 17, and after taking a half-
lap around the edge of the field, 
slapping hands and trying to get 
the crowd fired up, he arrived at 
the locker room to find the only 
person in the entire stadium 
who could relate to him in that 
moment.

Senior linebacker James Ross 

III was already standing at the 
door waiting for him, serving 
his punishment for the same 
penalty the prior game.

“I told him, ‘Hey, it’s your 

turn,’ ” Bolden recalled Tuesday. 
“So we kind of (traded) spots. 
Not sure that’s the ideal situation 
where you want to trade spots, 
but we watched the end of the 

second (quarter) together, and 
you could tell that he was ready 
to go, he was ready to come out 
and play as well.”

In the second quarter, Bolden 

appeared to be pushed into 
Spartans’ quarterback Connor 
Cook. And while his helmet-to-
helmet contact with Cook looked 
unintentional, he was ejected, 
and thus relegated to watch 
the 
second 

half from the 
locker 
room. 

In his senior 
year, it was his 
last shot at the 
Spartans.

A year ago, 

Bolden 
found 

himself 
at 

the 
center 

of 
a 
minor 

controversy 
surrounding the rivalry game 
after he planted a stake in the 
Spartan Stadium turf. Michigan 
State coach Mark Dantonio later 
termed the act disrespectful and 
cited it as his reason for adding 
a late touchdown after the game 
was already decided.

But his shot at redemption 

this season was cut short by the 
ejection. So as he went off the 
field, he implored the crowd 
to stay invested in the game, 
as if they needed any further 
incentive to cheer.

“I think it was important (for 

the crowd) to know that life goes 
on,” Bolden said. “Even though 
you’re gonna lose a guy, the No. 

1 defense is 
still out on the 
field, and you 
guys need to 
stay 
behind 

them.”

As 
Bolden 

paraded 
the 

perimeter 
of 

the 
stadium, 

he 
jumped 

up and down, 
waving 
his 

arms, especially in front of the 
student section.

“(Michigan 
recruiting 

coordinator 
Chris 
Partridge) 

was pulling me off the field,” 
Bolden said. “I probably would 
have made it a couple of laps if it 
wasn’t for him.”

Ross, of course, returned to 

the field for the second half, 
since his carry-over suspension 
only lasted the first.

That left Bolden to either 

watch the game in the locker 
room, or seek another option.

“I actually went ahead and 

got on my phone and read every 
rule in the rulebook as soon as 
it happened, just to make sure 
there wasn’t any loopholes that 
could get anywhere else, other 
than a 10-by-5-foot room to 
watch the game,” he said.

Bolden 
was 
referring 
to 

finding another way to watch the 
game, preferably on the field. But 
he didn’t find one. So when Blake 
O’Neill’s fumble landed in the 
arms of Jalen Watts-Jackson, 
who returned it for a touchdown 
in an ending that shocked the 
nation, Bolden experienced it 
differently from the rest of his 
teammates. The TV was on a 
delay, and he couldn’t share his 
shock with any of them.

“Crickets,” he said. “I couldn’t 

hear anything. Just crickets. 
And then I walked out of the 
room.”

“I think it was 
important to 
know that life 

goes on.”

