The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
April 10, 2017 — 3B

Hudson leads the way in VIPER competition

Entering the 2017-18 season, 

replacing Jabrill Peppers is the 
undisputed top priority for the 
Michigan football team.

The 
redshirt 
sophomore 

took ‘making an impact all 
over the field’ to a whole new 
level last year, spending time at 
linebacker, safety, nickelback, 
running back, slot receiver and 
wildcat quarterback. Peppers 
more than lived up to the hype 
he brought with him to Ann 
Arbor as the No. 2 player in the 
2014 recruiting class, and the 
accolades poured in.

He earned Big Ten Defensive 

Player of the Year, Linebacker of 
the Year and Return Specialist 
of the Year honors — and 
that’s just on the conference 
level. Peppers, a Unanimous 
First Team All-American, also 
received 
the 
Paul 
Hornung 

Award for his trademark quality 
of versatility in his final season 
as a Wolverine.

But 
Peppers’ 
main 
role 

was the VIPER — a hybrid 
linebacker/safety in Michigan 
defensive 
coordinator 
Don 

Brown’s system.

The Wolverines caught a 

glimpse of life without Peppers 
in their 33-32 Orange Bowl loss 
to Florida State. That game 
pushed the question of who 
would replace him at the VIPER 
next season to the forefront.

Halfway through spring ball, 

the spot is still up for grabs, 
but sophomore defensive back 
Khaleke Hudson looks likely to 
be Michigan’s answer.

“It means a lot that Coach 

Brown trusts me enough to be 
the VIPER,” Hudson said. “... 
Everyone’s been working hard, 
but it just means a lot to be there. 
I feel that it’s a good fit for me, to 
be able to play in the box (and) 
play outside.

“It’s a position where you 

could be all over the field, you 
could be at safety, you could 
be at linebacker, you could be 
in the slot, so you have a lot of 

responsibilities.”

Hudson 
and 
fellow 

sophomore defensive back Josh 
Metellus have been taking reps 
at both VIPER and safety so far 
this spring, but Hudson seems 
to have the upper hand over 
his classmate. Despite minimal 
playing time on defense last 
year, Hudson did see action 
at 
safety 
in 
two 
games, 

contributing eight tackles and 
one pass breakup.

While 
splitting 
time 
at 

multiple positions could serve as 
a distraction for some, Hudson 
sees the experience as beneficial 
to his growth. As the VIPER, 
Hudson would have to balance 
pass defense and run stoppage, 
both of which require a different 
mindset and skillset.

“You see everything from a 

different perspective,” Hudson 
said. “You might see everything 
farther back (and) then you 
see it up close in the box. Just 

knowing what everyone else 
does makes your job even easier.

“One play, you could tackle 

someone who’s fast, the next 
you could tackle someone big 
and strong. You just have to be 
prepared for who your opponent 
is.”

Hudson made a name for 

himself on the special teams 
unit last season for his ability to 
see a play develop ahead of time. 
Blocking a punt against both 
Illinois and Indiana — putting 
him in a tie for the team lead — 
Hudson was named the special 
teams player of the game twice.

Guided by Michigan special 

teams coach Chris Partridge, 
who also heads the linebacker 
unit, Hudson carved out a 
role for himself on kickoffs, 
punt 
returns 
and 
returns. 

Interestingly, 
Partridge 
was 

the head coach at Paramus 
Catholic High School in New 
Jersey where he helped develop 

Peppers into the special teams 
threat that he is. 

“He coaches it well. He gets 

us prepared for each team,” 
Hudson said. “… I just worked 
hard, and good things happen 
when you work hard.”

With that strong work ethic 

on display in spring ball as 
well, Hudson has distinguished 
himself from the competition 
at VIPER. While the question 
of replacing Peppers will likely 
persist well into the fall, Hudson 
has begun to give the Wolverines 
an answer.

And with his new role starting 

to take shape, Hudson has begun 
to hear a different question.

“Everyone’s asking me about, 

‘How does it feel replacing 
Jabrill?’ ” Hudson said. “But I 
just take it as, ‘I’m gonna play 
the best I play and be the best 
Khaleke,’ and just work hard 
and do everything top notch and 
work 100 percent every day.”

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Sophomore defensive back Khaleke Hudson has been tapped to be the successor for former Wolverine Jabrill Peppers.

BETELHEM ASHAME

Managing Sports Editor

MEN’S GYMNASTICS
‘M’ struggles at Big 
Ten championships

At 
the 
Big 
Ten 

championships in Champaign 
this 
weekend, 
the 
No. 
9 

Michigan men’s gymnastics 
team competed with hopes 
of staying competitive in the 
stacked conference.

But out of the seven schools 

competing, 
the 
Wolverines 

finished in dead last, with No. 
3 Ohio State taking home the 
win followed closely by No. 4 
Illinois.

Michigan 
(3-5 
Big 
Ten, 

7-13 overall) was led in the 
all around competition by its 
top 
gymnast, 

sophomore 
Emyre 
Cole, 

who 
finished 

in sixth place 
with a score of 
80.650. 
Cole 

also 
offered 

an 
impressive 

performance in 
the floor event, 
taking 
third 

place 
with 
a 

score of 14.700.

The 

Wolverines 
had 
previously 

been in good form, winning 
two 
of 
their 
last 
three 

individual meets — a 409.200-
405.300 
loss 
against 
No. 

7 
Penn 
State 
sandwiched 

between a 402.10-386.80 win 
over No. 8 California and a 
414.950-368.600 victory over 
No. 17 UIC — coming into this 
weekend’s championships.

Michigan 
also 
received 

impressive performances on 
the vault, courtesy of Cole as 
well as sophomore Anthony 
McCallum. 
McCallum 

placed 
second 
overall 
for 

the 
second 
straight 
year 

with a score of 14.800, just 
behind Minnesota’s Yaroslav 
Pochinka, 
who 
scored 
a 

14.900. Cole tied for third 
with Minnesota’s Zach Liebler 
and Vitali Kan with a score of 
14.700.

The Wolverines didn’t score 

as well in the pommel horse 
as their top scorer, freshman 
Mack Lasker, finished in ninth 
place with a score of 14.000 — a 
far cry from the winner of the 
event, Illinois’s Brandon Ngai, 
who paced the competition 
with his score of 14.550.

Despite the tough finish in 

the pommel horse, Michigan 
bounced back in the high 
bar. Sophomore Adam Dean 
finished tied for second with 
Minnesota’s Jalon Stephens 

with a score of 
14.500. 
Dean 

tied, and was 
close 
behind 

Illinois’s Tyson 
Bull, who won 
the event with a 
score of 14.550.

The 

Wolverines 
also failed to 
impress on the 
rings. 
Their 

best finisher in 
the event was 

sophomore 
Ryan 
Dunning, 

who was 13th with a score of 
13.700.

The 
final 
event 
of 
the 

weekend was the parallel bar, 
where the Wolverines were 
once again carried by Cole. 
Cole finished tied for seventh 
with 
Nebraska’s 
Anton 

Stephenson and Ohio State’s 
Jake Dastrup with a score of 
14.200.

Michigan has to bounce 

back 
quickly 
after 
its 

disappointing 
last-place 

finish, as the Wolverines will 
compete next weekend at the 
NCAA Championships next 
weekend, hoping to improve 
upon their ninth-place finish 
from last year.

Michigan claims weekend sweep

Confidence 
seemed 
to 
be 

radiating from the Michigan 
men’s tennis team on Sunday 
as it defended its home court to 
continue climbing up the Big Ten 
leaderboard.

The energetic Wolverines (6-1 

Big Ten, 16-4 overall) surged into 
sole possession of second place in 
conference standings after two 
home wins against Minnesota 
(4-3, 15-6) on Friday, 5-2, and 
Wisconsin (4-2, 14-4) on Sunday, 
4-0. 

Strong doubles play was crucial 

for the Wolverines to find success 
against the Badgers. On the No. 1 
doubles line, senior Jathan Malik 
was paired with freshman Connor 
Johnston — a potentially daunting 
place for such a young player.

But not for Johnston.
After being up 5-2 and having 

the opportunity to seize the 
match, 
Johnston 
and 
Malik 

squandered the game, giving 
Wisconsin hope. But that didn’t 
faze Johnston, as he and Malik 
took the next game and the 
match, 6-3, to secure the doubles 
point for Michigan.

“I definitely use energy to my 

advantage,” Johnston said. “I try 
to win points and just go as crazy 
as I can and I feed off of that. The 
crazier I go, the better I play.”

Johnston’s role is strictly in 

doubles play for now, but the 
energy he creates clearly benefits 
his team.

The Wolverines are 15-0 on the 

season when securing the doubles 

point, and senior Kevin Wong 
stepped up to make sure they 
wouldn’t suffer their first blemish 
Sunday.

Capitalizing 
on 
an 
early 

opportunity, 
Wong 
found 
his 

groove to break his opponent 
and take a 4-1 lead in the first 
set. Although things seemed to 
be smooth for Wong, Wisconsin 

freshman Chase Colton fought 
back to win three straight games 
and lock up the first set at four 
all. However, Wong’s experience 
proved to be too much for Colton, 
as he surged to a 6-4, 6-4 win to 
give the Wolverines one of three 
singles wins to take the match, 4-0.

“I was proud of him today,” said 

Michigan coach Adam Steinberg. 
“He’s had an injury and the last 
few weeks he hasn’t really played 
much singles, and to come out 
in these conditions with a win 
against a really good player from 
Wisconsin, that was a big lift for 
us. I thought if we gave out an 
MVP for today, it’d be him.”

Michigan has been dominant 

in Big Ten play, but it doesn’t want 
the train to stop chugging.

“Obviously it’s not our goal,” 

Steinberg said. “Our goal is to be 
number one, so that’s what we are 
trying to do and what we are really 
focusing on.”

With just four matches left 

before the Big Ten Tournament, 
Michigan’s play has been stellar 
enough to potentially take the 
top spot, but the Wolverines must 
continue to bring a high level of 
energy if they want their goals to 
become results.

‘M’ remains unbeaten in Big Ten

The No. 8 Michigan women’s 

tennis team rebounded from 
a tough match against North 
Carolina on Thursday to notch 
two conference road wins this 
weekend against Rutgers and 
Maryland.

The Wolverines (8-0 Big Ten, 

16-4 overall) — who had their 
six-match win streak snapped by 
the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill — 
came away with two convincing 
victories this weekend, taking 
down the Scarlet Knights (1-8, 
6-12) 6-1, and the Terrapins (3-4, 
12-5) 4-1.

“Maryland was really tough,” 

said 
Michigan 
coach 
Ronni 

Bernstein. “We got off to a slow 
start in doubles, and we had 
to rely on the singles to come 
through. I’m proud of our playing. 
We had our backs against the wall 
today.”

Sophomores Kate Fahey and 

Brienne Minor — the No. 1 and 
No. 2 singles players — led the 
Wolverines. Fahey won her match 
handily, emerging with a 6-3, 
6-0 victory over the Terrapins’ 
Alexandra Stanova. Minor had 

a much tougher match, battling 
back after losing the first set to 
win 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 over Ekaterina 
Tour.

Fahey and Minor also won 

their singles matches Friday 
against Rutgers, proving that the 
two continue to be the driving 
force behind Michigan’s success 
this season.

“Those two, being sophomores, 

playing up high like that, it gives 
everyone else confidence all the 
way down the lineup,” Bernstein 
said. “We need to put six people 
out there that are fighting and 
competing for the win.”

The Wolverines also received 

support from the other singles 
lines 
Sunday, 
as 
freshman 

Chiara Lommer brought home 
a victory at No. 4 singles against 
Kate Yemelyanenko, 6-1, 6-2. 
Freshman Valeria Patiuk also 
produced a strong effort, winning 
her match at No. 6 singles, 6-3, 
6-0 over Caroline Williams. The 
other two singles matches were 
abandoned before they were 
completed once Michigan had 
clinched the match overall.

Maryland did have success 

against Michigan in the doubles, 
as they took two out of the three 

matches. Fahey and junior Alex 
Najarian took the No. 1 doubles 
match, 6-2, over Stanova and 
Kristina Hovsepyan. However, 
the Terrapins captured a victory 
in the No. 2 doubles match, 
where Tour and Williams took 
down Minor and junior Mira 
Ruder-Hook, 6-2. Maryland also 
took the deciding No. 3 doubles 
match, with Cassandre Thebault 
and Arnelle Sullivan defeating 
Lommer 
and 
senior 
Annie 

Wierda, 6-1, to win the doubles 
point. 

“I think the biggest takeaway 

is that we need to figure out our 
doubles and get to where we 
need to be in May over the next 
couple of weeks,” Bernstein said. 
“We’re not even giving ourselves 
a chance. We need to change it up 
a little bit, maybe give people new 
looks in partners.”

The Wolverines will return 

home this weekend with matches 
against conference foes Iowa 
and Nebraska after the solid 
performances on the road.

“It was good, we had a tough 

weekend just being on the road,” 
said Bernstein. “I just think these 
tough matches are only gonna 
make us better moving forward.”

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Freshman Connor Johnston parterned with senior Jathan Malik to win the doubles point at the No. 1 spot for Michigan.

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Sophomore Kate Fahey, the No. 1 singles player for the Wolverines, won her singles matches Friday and Sunday.

ALAN SELZER

For the Daily

JAKE KARALEXIS

For the Daily

“I thought if 
we gave out an 
MVP for today, 

it’d be him.”

JAKE KARALEXIS

For the Daily

The Wolverines 
had previously 
been in good 

form.

