ANN ARBOR, Mich. — This 2017 water polo senior class had the option to leave after their freshman season at the University of Michigan, but the famous Bo Schembechler statement “Those who stay will be champions” rings true for the class that stuck it out in a difficult time.
Seniors Emily Browning, Kaitlyn Cozens, Kimberly Graziano, Danielle Johnson, Heidi Moreland and Allison Skaggs will be honored Saturday, March 25, during Senior Day after giving their all to build Michigan into a national powerhouse.
However, their career did not get off to the start they had dreamed of as recruits. As freshmen they finished with a 21-13 overall record but sputtered at the end with a 4-4 record in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) and a first-round loss to Hartwick in the CWPA Championship. The end results led to a coaching change.
The players on the team, including this year’s seniors who were freshmen at the time, had a choice to make. Would they look to transfer to another school or would they stick with the place they fell in love with on their recruiting visit?
“Freshman year was very difficult, but we were motivated with a clean slate to stick it out,” said Moreland. “Our class really bonded over the whole experience. We now live together or are neighbors. We are a really close-knit group and are all best friends.”
Enter Dr. Marcelo Leonardi. The new head of the program came from California State University-Northridge and brought with him a new culture and a new system of play. It was hard at first for all the returning team members, but Leonardi challenged them in the water, with their schedule and to succeed academically.
In 2015, the team showed vast improvement in conference play, going 8-1 with a two-goal loss to No. 10 Princeton. The team was 19-13 overall and made it to the semifinals of the CWPA Championship before losing to rival Indiana University in overtime, 9-8.
The culture and system of play Leonardi brought to Michigan really came to life last season. The Wolverines surpassed even their own expectations, finishing with a 30-8 record, a 7-0 conference record, a CWPA championship-game win over Indiana, 9-2, and a fourth-place finish at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship.
For those who stayed, they became champions.
The seniors will play their last game at Canham Natatorium, a place they all proudly call home, on Saturday, March 25 against No. 15-ranked Indiana University.
“Michigan means family and a home,” said Skaggs. “I always feel like Canham is my home and Michigan water polo is my family. My senior classmates are my sisters. It will be a great day reminding me of all that, having Kim Graziano zip me up and giving DJ a high five on the starting line. I’m really excited.”
“It has been really rewarding to be able to contribute back to a community that has done so much for me,” said Graziano, an Ann Arbor native. “Being able to get my education here was a dream come true. It is surreal being a part of it.”
Over four seasons, the 2017 senior class has turned the program into one of the nation’s best. They have compiled 87 wins to date and are 19-5 in the CWPA, including a 15-1 mark since their freshman year.
“I’m getting really sentimental with it being our last home game and feeling nostalgic walking around campus,” said Cozens. “I met Allison and Emily on our recruiting trip so it has now come full circle, I feel like.”
Release courtesy Univrsity of Michigan Athletics Communications
