College Preview: Univ. of Michigan Women
By Tom Wywrot
After arguably the greatest season in Michigan women's golf history, coach Jan Dowling's Wolverines return virtually their entire roster from last season's Big Ten championship squad. U-M highlighted last season winning four events and earning three runner-up team finishes, while grabbing five individual medalist honors. The capper was winning the program's first Big Ten Championship led by Big Ten champion Monet Chun. U-M followed hosting, and advancing out of, the NCAA regional and making a second straight trip to the NCAA Finals -- the fourth under Dowling.
U-M is led by 2022 Big Ten Player of the Year and first team All-American Ashley Lau. After winning three events last season, Lau set the program record with four in her career as well as the lowest single-season scoring average (71.84) by nearly a shot and a half. She highlighted her summer play finishing third as an invited amateur at the Epson Tours stop in Ann Arbor, while also helping the International team win the Arnold Palmer Cup in Switzerland.
Anchoring the lineup is senior Hailey Borja, who became the first Wolverine to earn All-Big Ten honors three straight years. Big Ten medalist Chun returns for her junior season as one of the mainstays in Dowling's lineup. After earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors in 2021, she was an All-Big Ten selection for a second straight season. She continued her strong play in the summer, winning the Canadian Women's Amateur to earn a spot in the U.S. Women's Amateur. Making an inspiring and valiant run to the final match before finishing as the national runner-up.
Fellow seniors Mikaela Schulz and Anika Dy helped the Wolverines bring an experience level to each event. Schulz won the gold medal at the 2022 Maccabi Games in Israel, while Dy was the Michigan Amateur's runner-up losing to her sister, Anci, in the championship match. After not having any signees last season, Dowling welcomes in three newcomers to the program -- Mara Janess and twins Lauren and Sydney Sung.
"This season, we will defend the Big Ten Championship for the first time in program history, and we are honored to do so,” Dowling said. “Having come off such an historic season the goal is to make small incremental improvements, while competing in our strongest tournament schedule yet.
