The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Wednesday, January 18, 2017 — 7A

Zach Nagelvoort organizes book drive to benefit local students

Forty-two days from now, it 

will officially be March — or 
as grade school students know 
it, National Reading Month. All 
across the country, schools are 
dedicating the entire month to 
providing quality reading time 
to students, regardless of the 
school they go to. It’s an annual 
educational tradition.

But for Martin Luther King 

Jr. Education Center Academy 
in Detroit, things will be a little 
different this year.

A 
public 
charter 
school 

located 
37 
miles 
from 
the 

University of Michigan, MLK 
Education Center Academy is an 
institution that caters to around 
400 students in kindergarten 
and up. It’s a school that 
also 
offers 
early 
childhood 

programs, and a school looking 
for 
additional 
resources 
to 

compliment all 400 students’ 
educations — a school that could 
greatly benefit from donated 
books for this year’s National 
Reading Month.

Enter Michigan hockey senior 

goaltender Zach Nagelvoort.

Nagelvoort, with the help of 

his friend Katie Stepnitz, has 
streamlined the organization of 
a book drive put forward by the 
Michigan hockey community 
for 
MLK 
Education 
Center 

Academy. Last year, Stepnitz — 
a first-year teaching assistant 
at the time — asked Nagelvoort 
to read at a school where 
she 
was 
assistant 
teaching. 

Nagelvoort brought along a few 
teammates — senior forwards 
Justin Selman and Cristoval 
‘Boo’ Nieves and current junior 
forward Tony Calderone — and 
casually stepped in to read to 
the children.

Afterwards, Nagelvoort and 

Stepnitz looked to transform 
the one-time experience into a 
regular reading program. But 
it wasn’t as easy as it initially 
seemed.

“We had this idea, ‘Why don’t 

we make this a regular thing?’,” 

Nagelvoort said. “She’s now 
teaching at Logan Elementary 
in Ann Arbor, and we thought — 
we didn’t know at the time — we 
thought, ‘Whatever school she 
goes to, we’ll set up a reading 
program, we’ll come in and 
read.’ We tried 
to start doing 
that and then 
we 
realized 

it 
was 
going 

to be way too 
much work to 
do in one year, 
so what could 
we do to help 
impact a school 
around 
us? 

Let’s do a book 
drive.”

So the search began for a 

school that could genuinely 
benefit 
from 
their 
support. 

Stepnitz reached out to some 
fellow 
student-teaching 

assistants, and the duo was 
ultimately set up with a visit 

to the MLK Education Center 
Academy. And after touring 
the school, meeting with the 
principle and spending time 
with a classroom of students, 
there was no doubt that it was 
the perfect school for the book 

drive. 

While 
the 

administrators 
of 
the 
school 

were 
proud, 

the 
students’ 

enthusiasm really 
sealed the deal for 
Nagelvoort 
and 

Stepnitz. 
They 

began 
planning 

the book drive, 
but 
Nagelvoort 

brought 
it 
to 

another level. He pitched the 
idea to the Michigan hockey 
coaches, 
and 
the 
ensuing 

support from the staff of the 
entire program has now resulted 
in a full-scale book drive.

The book drive will start as 

early as Wednesday, with boxes 
located at Yost Ice Arena and 
the Stephen M. Ross Academic 
Center. Anyone is encouraged 
to drop off books, and while 
new books are appreciated, 
they aren’t required. Nagelvoort 
plans to donate books 
from his childhood, 
and 
hopes 
many 

others will do the 
same.

The 
ultimate 

goal 
is 
to 
collect 

500 donated books 
by February 4th so 
that 
they 
can 
all 

be delivered by the 
start 
of 
National 

Reading Month. But 
Nagelvoort believes 
the Michigan community can do 
even better.

“If we get 500 books, I’m 

going to be thrilled — I think we 
can do more than that, I think 
Michigan can do a lot more 
than that …. The platform that 

we have here at Michigan as 
student athletes, and as students 
in 
general, 
but 
particularly 

as student athletes, I don’t 
think is used nearly enough,” 
Nagelvoort said. “And that’s 
part of my motivation at the end 

of last year, 
when Katie 
reached out 
to me about 
reading, 
I 

was 
like, 

‘That’s 
awesome.’

“I 
have 

tried to get 
as 
involved 

as 
I 
can 

in 
things, 

going out to 

(C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital) 
on 
Thursdays 
and 
working 

with Athletes for Community 
Transformation. But I didn’t 
feel like I was doing enough 
with the platform I had, and 
like I said, here at Michigan, 

athletes are great about doing it, 
but we can never do it enough. 
There’s never a limit. That’s 
kind of what motivated me to 
get out and make this happen.”

The 
amount 
of 
work 

Nagelvoort and Stepnitz have 
put into organizing the book 
drive goes beyond what typical 
college athletes tend to do. In 
addition to schoolwork and 
a Big Ten hockey schedule, 
Nagelvoort has now added a 
new slew of responsibilities to 
his to-do list.

But he doesn’t see it that 

way. Instead of watching NHL 
highlights while relaxing in 
the evenings, he’s organizing 
social 
media 
content 
and 

scheduling with Stepnitz. He 
even sent out an email to other 
student athletes asking for their 
participation, and is looking to 
start a group that will attend 
readings with students once a 
month.

He’s also hoping that this 

experience will make such an 
impression on fellow student 
athletes that they will keep 
the tradition going after he 
graduates.

For fellow goaltender and 

freshman 
Jack 
LaFontaine, 

none of Nagelvoort’s actions in 
the book drive surprised him.

“Honestly, the type of guy 

(Nagelvoort) 
is, 
it 
doesn’t 

surprise me,” LaFontaine said. 
“He’s just a very sympathetic 
young man, and I think he holds 
a lot of integrity. Just doing 
something 
like 
this 
doesn’t 

surprise me at all.

“I don’t know how he does 

it. Between hockey, school and 
now this book drive, it’s pretty 
crazy. But he puts 110 percent 
into everything he does, he’s a 
very passionate guy and I know 
he’s going to do this book drive 
to the fullest of his abilities. 
It’s probably going to be very 
successful, so fingers crossed.”

The book drive will extend 

until 
February 
4th, 
when 

Michigan plays in a two-game 
series against Ohio State at Yost 
Ice Arena.

ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily

Senior goaltender Zach Nagelvoort has partnered with MLK Education Center Academy to provide books for children during National Reading Month in March. 

Wolverines off to strong conference start

Five games into Big Ten 

play, the Michigan women’s 
basketball team has lost only 
once — against Ohio State on 
Jan 7. 

The Wolverines are ranked 

third in the conference, with the 
Buckeyes and No. 3 Maryland 
— according to both the AP Poll 
and the USA Today Coaches 
Poll — notching second and 
first, 
respectively. 
Michigan, 

Northwestern 
and 
Michigan 

State have received votes in the 
USA Today Coaches Poll, too. 

Though Michigan (4-1 Big 

Ten, 15-4 overall) isn’t having 
an 
unprecedented 
start 
to 

conference play, it is shaping up 
to be one of the most competitive 
rosters the Wolverines have 
recently seen. Hopes were high 
after last year’s performance, 
but Michigan did not receive a 
bid to the NCAA Tournament 
and instead headed to the WNIT 
for the third season in a row. 

This year, the Wolverines 

are determined to fight their 
way to a — rightful — position 
in the NCAA Tournament, and 
the next stop on the road to 
redemption is an away game at 
Maryland on Thursday. 

“(Maryland’s) 
a 
great 

program,” said Michigan coach 
Kim Barnes Arico after Sunday’s 
win against Minnesota. “One 
of the top programs in the 
country. We’re going to go in 
with nothing to lose. We’ve 
played them in some real tough 
games in the last couple of years. 
I think we have a certain level of 
confidence.” 

But 
even 
without 
an 

upset against Maryland, the 
Wolverines are on their way 
to 
a 
substantial 
season 
if 

powerhouses sophomore center 
Hallie Thome and junior guard 
Katelynn Flaherty continue to 
dominate the court. 

Thome and Flaherty have 

been consistent starters, along 
with 
junior 
guard 
Jillian 

Dunston and senior guard Siera 
Thompson. Pushing her way 
into the lineup this season has 
been freshman guard Kysre 
Gondrezick — who’s been named 
Big Ten Freshman of the Week 
three times — who typically 
trails just Thome and Flaherty 
in points per game. 

The Big Ten season isn’t even 

halfway over, but the conference 
is turning into a battle with few 
wildcards. The Daily breaks down 
the most threatening upcoming 
competition for Michigan. 

No. 3 Maryland (5-0, 17-1)
Terrapin coach Brenda Frese 

recently earned her 50th Big 
Ten victory against Iowa on Jan 
14. It was just her 57th career 
conference game, earning her 
the title of third-fastest coach 
to win that many games in 
conference history.

Adding to the impressive 

team is senior center Brionna 
Jones, who was just named the 
espnW and USBWA National 
Player of the Week —as well as 
being named the Big Ten Player 
of the Week for the third time 
this season. Jones averaged 
33.5 points and 12.5 rebounds 
per game with a .727 field-goal 
percentage and two double-
doubles over the past two games. 

Though 
Maryland 
seems 

slightly invincible, they aren’t 
undefeated 
— 
though 
the 

loss was to No.1 University of 
Connecticut. What the game 
does 
show, 
though, 
is 
the 

Terrapins’ vulnerability once 
their 
shooting 
percentage 

dips. If Michigan can promote 
its presence on defense, the 
Wolverines could pull this one 
out. 

Northwestern (3-2, 14-4)
The Wildcats are grappling 

with the death of one of their 
teammates, Jordan Hankins, 

who passed away a week ago. In 
Northwestern’s first game back 
after the shock, they fought hard 
against Indiana and walked 
away with an emotional 80-67 
win. 

Guard Nia Coffey has notched 

10 double doubles this year 
— second in the Big Ten and 
12th in the nation. Supporting 
Northwestern is guard Ashley 
Dreary who broke the Big Ten 
all-time steals record on Jan. 3 
against Ohio. In total, Dreary 
holds 383 — something the 
Wolverines will need to be 
wary of in their contest with 
the Wildcats at the end of the 
month. 

Michigan State (3-2, 13-5)
Adding 
to 
the 
turbulent 

turn of events for certain Big 
Ten teams, Spartan’s coach 
Suzy Merchant announced on 
Tuesday that she will be taking 
a medical leave of absence after 
Saturday’s game at Rutgers. Her 
symptoms were similar to the 
ones she had on Jan. 1, when she 
collapsed during a home game 
against Illinois. 

The coach’s record is 116-13 

when reaching at least 70 points 
in a game. 

Michigan will have to defend 

against the Spartans reaching 
this marker. Michigan State 
will lead the charge with guard 
Tori Jankoska, who is just 127 
points away from becoming the 
first Spartan player to reach the 
2,000-point mark in program 
history.

EMMA RICHTER/Daily

Senior guard Siera Thompson and the Wolverines are playing their way into the NCAA Tournament conversation.

LANEY BYLER
Daily Sports Editor

I think 

Michigan can 
do a lot more 

than that

It’s probably 

going to be very 
successful, so 
fingers crossed

SYLVANNA GROSS

Daily Sports Editor

Massa dominates again 

Maryland’s Josh Ulgade found 

himself on the ground, clutching 
his left knee and desperately 
attempting to catch his breath 
in a match against Michigan 
redshirt freshman Logan Massa.

But against the mercilessness 

of the country’s second-ranked 
wrestler in the 165-pound weight 
class, those recovery attempts 
proved to be futile as Massa 
completed seven takedowns to 
win by a technical fall, 20-5.

It was the 17th consecutive win 

for the Wolverine, continuing his 
undefeated streak for the season 
thus far.

“He just stalks his opponents,” 

said Michigan head coach Joe 
McFarland. “He goes out there 
with the thought that he’s going 
to dominate these guys. You can 
just see how hard he competes 
when he’s out there — I mean 
he wrestles every second. He’s 
constantly 
thinking 
about 

scoring that next point.”

And 
true 
to 
his 
coach’s 

words, Massa completed three 
takedowns in the third period via 
ankle picks, singles and doubles 
to earn five team points for 
Michigan.

“He didn’t want to tie up with 

me. He wanted to wrestle me 
from space,” Massa said. “I knew 
he couldn’t hand fight, and he 
wanted to keep away and get in 
shots from space. So if I could get 

in ties with him, I knew I could 
score from there.”

After the Wolverines forfeited 

the 125-pound class due to 
injuries, 
Massa 
watched 
as 

his team trailed the Terrapins 
heading into the locker room, 
before they took a four-point 
lead heading into his 165-pound 
match — the last of the night. 
With a possible six-points on the 
line, the overall result of the dual 
was still undecided before Massa 
hit the mat.

But 
the 
wrestler 
was 

unaffected by the pressure of 
the meet’s results resting on 
his shoulders. He entered his 
normal routine prior to his 
match, bouncing up and down on 
Michigan’s sideline with a stern 
demeanor and Drake streaming 
through his headphones.

 “I just go out there and wrestle 

every match — I don’t think about 
that,” he said. “Obviously, if you 
need to get the pin, you need to 
get the pin. But that’s what you 
go for every match, so you just go 
out there and wrestle and score 
as many points as possible.”

Coming off a decisive loss to 

Iowa to open 2017, Massa and the 
Wolverines earned a confidence 
boost with its 25-16 victory over 
Maryland before heading to 
Lincoln for a dual against No. 6 
Nebraska.

WRESTLING

MARK CALCAGNO

Daily Sports Writer

Read more at 
MichiganDaily.com

