 10 — Wednesday, January 18, 2023
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports

Michigan women’s track and field posts a strong showing at the 
Michigan Invitational

Although the Michigan Invi-
tational was a non-scoring per-
formance, Michigan displayed 
both dominance and need for 
improvement. The track athletes 
were successful but the Wolver-
ines faltered in their field events. 
The track athletes took first in 
seven of the nine events, while 
the field events earned first in 
just one of its six events. 
Although the scoring of the 
invitational wasn’t cumulative, 
Michigan’s performance proved 
that it has the potential to be 
dangerous in upcoming events. 
While the field event results are 
not perfect, the early success 
indicates a high ceiling, given 
that this is only their second 
event of the season.
“I think the women’s team 
had a great day today,” fifth year 
distance runner Samantha Saenz 
said. “There was a lot of personal 
bests.”
Saenz ran one of those per-
sonal bests, finishing first in 
the mile run at 4:46.39. She had 
to earn that victory as the sec-
ond place finisher, Toledo’s Lou 
Trois, clocked in just 52 mil-
liseconds behind her. Saenz’s 
close win accounted for one of 
two Michigan victories decided 
by milliseconds. Sprinter Ziyah 
Holman won the 600 meter run 
in 1:31.22, edging out unattached 

runner Nikki Stephens by 34 mil-
liseconds.
“The time wasn’t what I was 
expecting, to be frank,” Holman 
said. “I really appreciate the 
win.”
These close finishes bode well 
for the Wolverines as they pre-
pare for competitive meets later 
in the season. The non-scoring 
meet gives Michigan chances to 
compete and pulling out neck-
and-neck victories is great expe-
rience early in the season.
Although most of the track 
events resulted in dominant 
performances, Michigan came 
up short in the 60 meter run. 
The event was still close, senior 
sprinter Hannah Hearn took sec-
ond running a 7.70. However, she 
lost to Michigan State sprinter 
Amani Nuels who finished at 
7.59. 
Despite 
the 
strong 
track 
performances, the Wolverines 
left themselves lots of room 
for improvement in the field 
events. 
Its singular victory in the field 
events came from junior Corinne 
Jemison in the shot put where 
she threw 15.29 meters. Junior 
Mia Manson saw some success, 
tying for first in the pole vault, 
vaulting 3.96 meters. Beyond 
these two performances, how-
ever, the field events left a lot to 
be desired. 
While the near perfection that 
the running athletes exhibited 
can’t always be expected, plac-
ing higher in the field events is 

essential moving forward. 
Michigan did not place above 
fourth in any of the other four 
events. Senior Theresa Mayanja 
finished ninth in the long jump, 
freshman Gabi Newman placed 
sixth in the high jump, freshman 
Emma Jungeberg was seventh 
in the weight throw, and junior 
Morgan Flynn finished fourth in 
the pole vault.
The Wolverines’ finishes on 
Saturday were not optimal, but 
it leaves them hope for perfor-
mances ahead. In the Wolver-
ine Invitational on January 7th, 
Michigan had a top three finish 
in five out of the six field events. 
It had multiple athletes com-
pete at that event that did not 
compete in the Michigan Invi-
tational, showing that when the 
Wolverines have their strongest 
athletes, they find more success.
The questions about Michi-
gan’s true strength in the field 
events will soon be answered as 
they continue into the season, 
but the Michigan Invitational 
showed that the field athletes 
have to pull their weight along-
side the already strong runner’s 
performances.
“We’re getting ready for later 
in the season,” Michigan director 
of track and field Kevin Sullivan 
said. “This is all in preparation 
for those late season meets.”
The Michigan Invitational is 
a stepping stone for the team as 
the season progresses — now, the 
question is whether Michigan 
can build on its performances.
GRACE BEAL/Daily

Michigan goes undefeated in the ASU 
Cross Conference Challenge

With 45 seconds left on the 
clock in overtime, sophomore 
attacker Ashley O’Neil had a 
chance to give the No. 7 Michi-
gan water polo team the lead in 
the last game of the ASU Cross 
Conference Challenge. Her shot 
from 10 meters out found the back 
of the net, clinching an 11-10 win 
over No. 10 Arizona State. 
The seventh-ranked Wolver-
ines (4-0 overall) opened their 
season in the challenge with a 
new head coach, but that didn’t 
hinder Michigan’s performance 
as it beat all four teams it faced.
Through 
their 
first 
three 
games, the Wolverines did as 
expected, beating three unranked 
opponents by a wide margin 
before facing greater adversity in 
their win against the Sun Devils 
(3-1 overall). 
“I think its resilience… every 
single quarter they got better and 
better,” Michigan coach Cassie 
Churnside said. “Our mindset 
was definitely to stick to our game 
plan and trust the process.” 
That development was evi-
dent in the first two days of the 
three-day event as the Wolverines 
dominated on both offense and 
defense. 
In 
Michigan’s 
first 
game 
against Biola (0-3), back-to-back 
goals by graduate center Erin 
Neustrom and junior attacker 
Lola Ciruli less than a minute into 
the game gave the Wolverines 

an early lead. While the offense 
continued to generate open shots, 
Michigan’s suffocating defense 
forced turnovers and steals, lead-
ing to a 14-0 shutout. 
On Saturday, the Wolverines 
faced California Baptist (2-2) for 
their first matchup of the day and 
this game was no different. With 
three of its players scoring a hat 
trick, the offense — led by Ciruli 
and junior attacker Kata Utassy 
— gave Michigan a commanding 
16-5 win over the Lancers.
“Kata Utassy is one of the best 
all-around players on our team,” 
Churnside said. “She’s going to be 
critical to us and our success this 
season.” 
Later that day, Utassy followed 
up her first hat trick of the season 
with another complete perfor-
mance, racking up two steals and 
leading the team with five goals 
in Wolverine’s 18-6 win against 
Azusa Pacific (0-3).
Despite its undefeated start, 
the hardest challenge still lay 
ahead of Michigan and its new 
head coach, Churnside — in the 
form of the only other ranked 
opponent in the event, Arizona 
State. 
The Wolverines once again 
opened the game with a lead, but 
the momentum soon shifted. Late 
in the second quarter, Michi-
gan struggled to find open shots 
against the Sun Devil’s stifling 
defense, giving Arizona State a 
5-4 lead heading into the second 
half. 
“The trick for us is just being 
open-minded and just talking 

through the whole process,” 
Utassy said. “It was definitely a 
challenge, but I think it brought 
out the best of us.”
Facing a deficit for the first 
time all season, the Wolverines 
maintained their poise. A deep 
shot from junior attacker Sammi 
Monroe followed by back-to-
back goals from Utassy tied the 
game at 7-7 with two minutes 
left in the third quarter. By the 
sixth minute in the fourth quar-
ter, they took a 9-7 lead.
Just as it seemed Michigan 
had settled into a groove that 
gave it the lead, the Sun Devils 
responded. A penalty shot by 
Arizona State attacker Juliette 
Dhalluin with a minute and a 
half left in the game ultimately 
sent the game into overtime. 
“I looked at them and I said, 
‘We’re gonna win this game’, ” 
Churnside said. “We’re playing 
to win and ASU was playing not 
to lose.” 
After each team scored a goal 
in overtime, the Wolverines 
had the last possession. With 
the shot clock winding down, 
O’Neil was forced into taking 
a deep shot that found the net, 
securing Michigan’s undefeated 
start to its season. 
The offensive and defen-
sive 
consistency 
throughout 
the challenge increased confi-
dence in the new coaching staff 
and the Wolverines’ depth, but 
whether they are able to main-
tain an all-around performance 
against high-ranked opponents 
will be their true test.

WATER POLO

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

SARAH BOEKE/Daily

SAMUEL NOVOTNY
Daily Sports Writer

Jack Medley rides momentum in 125-
pound upset victory

JOSHUA BROWN
Daily Sports Writer

The No. 3 Michigan wrestling 
team entered Sunday’s dual at Cliff 
Keen Arena against No. 14 Wiscon-
sin expecting to easily handle its 
competition in its conference home 
opener. But few outside 125-pound 
wrestler Jack Medley expected the 
Wolverines to start out so strong.
The graduate wrestler entered 
Sunday’s match looking for his 
fourth straight dual win after his 
6-3 decision over Michigan State’s 
No. 25 Tristan Lujan Friday night. 
But Sunday’s dual as an underdog 
against No. 5 Eric Barnett posed a 
stiffer challenge.
“Coming into the match, I was 
pretty 
relaxed,” 
Medley 
said. 
“Another opponent, another guy. 
(I) had a good match Friday night. 
I feel like I’m getting better every 
match. I don’t look at the rankings 
or anything like that. I just focus on 
myself.”
Medley, now in his sixth sea-
son, was tasked with monumental 
shoes to fill: Replacing last sea-
son’s NCAA 125-pound champion 
Nick Suriano. As a result, Medley 
only appeared in 10 duals last sea-
son and had to wait in the wings 
behind his championship-winning 
teammate.
As Medley waited his turn, 
he continued to be a team player 
throughout his long journey at 
Michigan. 
Now in the spotlight, Medley 
began the first period down 2-0 
after an early takedown by Barnett, 

but he scored a key reversal to knot 
the score and turn the tides before 
the end of the period.
“After that reversal at the end of 
the first period, I felt the momen-
tum swing in my direction,” Med-
ley said.
And that momentum was pal-
pable inside Cliff Keen Arena, with 
both the crowd and team buzzing 
for Medley’s early effort against 
such a talented opponent.
“You could see about halfway 
through that match momentum 
was shifting,” Michigan coach 
Sean Bormet said. “Jack’s really 
good in all three positions, so when 
he got that reversal I could see the 
momentum shifting.”
But the turning of the tides 
did not fully manifest itself in the 
scoreline until the third period. 
He earned a reversal, which led to 
a riveting four-point near fall after 
putting Barnett on his back as well 
as two takedowns in the period, 
powering him to a 12-6 decision.
“He stayed in a lot of tough posi-
tions, wrestled through every-
thing, and he made the Wisconsin 
kid continue to wrestle the entire 
match,” Bormet said. “… He did a 
great job staying dominant in that 
third period, and he’s just continu-
ing to gain confidence and con-
tinue to build his wrestling attacks 
back up.”
Sunday’s win, in multiple ways, 
serves as a culmination of the work 
ethic and fortitude Medley has 
displayed over his six seasons for 
Michigan. 
Despite his individual accolades 
such finishing fourth in the Big 

Ten at 125-pounds in the 2019-
20 season and qualifying for the 
NCAA Tournament before it was 
canceled due to Covid-19, his 
team-first attitude stood out the 
most.
“Jack Medley’s a guy that’s like 
a backbone to a team,” Bormet 
said. “Just incredible work ethic, 
incredible consistency, incredible 
commitment to the team: team 
first. And he’s been that way from 
the time he got here as a fresh-
man. So he’s so well-respected by 
the entire team, doesn’t matter 
what grade, so well respected.”
Having the respect and sup-
port of one’s teammates can go 
a long way. Taking that enthusi-
asm into meaningful results that 
set the tone for a team goes even 
further.
This year, relishing his valu-
able role on the team, Medley is 
enjoying defining moments like 
his upset against Barnett.
“I’m just staying present in the 
moment, not really focusing on it 
being my last year,” Medley said. 
“Just being present and being 
grateful for every time I can rep-
resent the University of Michi-
gan and step on that mat.”
The season is still relatively 
young, and Medley and the Wol-
verines realize that all of their 
goals still in front of them. Head-
ing to State College on Friday to 
battle No. 1 Penn State, they’ll 
hope to keep their undefeated 
record intact.
And for Medley, it will provide 
another chance to prove himself 
on a big stage.

WRESTLING

KEITH MELONG/Daily

TASMIA JAMIL
For The Daily

In the Michigan Invitational, the Wolverines showed their strength on the track, but struggled in field events.

In his sixth year at Michigan, Jack Medley delivered an upset win to open the team’s dual with Wisconsin.

After breezing through its first three games, the No. 7 Michigan water polo team defeated No. 10 Arizona State in overtime to 
complete an undefeated weekend.

