Who are the best athletes at Michigan right now?

Michigan’s athletic programs have once again been among the strongest in the Big Ten, but who are the best athletes fueling the success? Here are some of the lesser known, but still great athletes in Ann Arbor right now:

The University of Michigan certainly gets its fair share of praise for its accomplishments in athletics. Wolverine programs have dominated national headlines in recent years, particularly with the football team’s national championship in 2023 and the men’s basketball team’s current run through the NCAA Tournament.

However, Michigan should be known for far more than just its traditional revenue sports, as the school has a total of 58 national championships and 419 conference championships in its history across all sports.

Today, we’ll take a closer look at who some of these athletes are that are fueling Michigan’s success. In no particular order, here are some of the best lesser-known athletes at the University of Michigan who have been competing during the 2024-25 academic year.

Men’s Gymnastics

Lais Najjar, Fred Richard, Paul Juda

Juda and Richard made their debut on the world stage last summer during the 2024 Paris Olympics. During the games, Juda and Richard both played a pivotal role in the bronze medal finish for the United States team. Back at home, they both helped Michigan earn a Big Ten title during the 2024-25 season. Additionally, Juda won the individual National Championship in 2024 in the floor event.

Najjar was also an olympian this past summer competing for Syria. He was a team captain for Michigan this year and was an Academic All-Big Ten selection each of the last two years as well.

Women’s Gymnastics

Carly Bauman, Sophia Diaz, Jahzara Ranger, Kayli Boozer

Bauman was a team captain and first-team All-Big Ten selection in both 2024 and 2025. She was the only first-team selection for the Wolverines this year, but the future looks bright for the program, as All-Freshman team members Diaz and Ranger, and Boozer were second All-Conference selections.

Baseball

Mitch Voit

Voit was Michigan’s best player during the 2024 season and is on a tear to start 2025. He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection as a two-way player as a sophomore. He hasn’t taken the mound this season, but is still mashing at the plate with a .412 batting average, six homers and an OPS of 1.304 while primarily playing second base. If he keeps it up, he could be popular name in the 2025 MLB Draft .

Softball

Lauren Derkowski, Ella Stephenson, Lauren Putz

Michigan’s pitching staff is currently led by Derkowski, who has a 1.71 earned run average in 98.1 innings pitched so far this year. She also won first-team All-Big Ten honors as a junior last year.

Michigan has two underclassmen leading the way at the plate this year in Stephenson and Putz. Stephenson was second-team All-Big Ten last year, while Putz is due for some honors of her own, as she’s currently leading the team with nine homers and a .411 batting average.

Men’s Swim and Dive

Eduardo Moraes, Gal Groumi, Jon Jøntvedt, Eitan Ben-Shitrit, Yousuf Al-Matrooshi, Lorne Wigginton

The Wolverines sent six members from their men’s swim and dive team to the summer games in Paris. Wigginton (Canada) and Jøntvedt (Norway) are freshmen, just starting their time in Ann Arbor. Ben-Shitrit and Moraes were second-team All-Big Ten selections last season, while Groumi was a first-team All-Big Ten selection. Al-Matrooshi represented the United Arab Emirates in the 2024 Olympics.

Women’s Swim and Dive

Natalie Kan, Rebecca Diaconescu, Letita Sim, Stephanie Balduccini

The women’s swim and dive team also sent a handful of representatives to Paris for the Olympics last summer. The most experienced of the bunch were Kan and Sim, a pair of seniors that both won second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2023 and represented Hong Kong and Singapore, respectively. Balduccini, a sophomore, represented Brazil in each of the last two Olympics, while Diaconescu, a freshman represented Romania.

Field Hockey

Abby Tamer

Tamer was one of the best field hockey players in the nation in 2024, earning NFHCA first-team All-American honors, as well as unanimous first-team All-Big Ten honors. Additionally, she was the first olympian in the history of Michigan’s program, representing the United States in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her goal in the Olympic qualifiers helped send the United States to the games.

Ice Hockey

T.J. Hughes, Ethan Edwards, Michael Hage

While Michigan’s hockey team fell short of expectations this year, there were still some great individual performances. Hughes and Edwards were both second-team All-Big Ten selections, while Edwards also could be headed to the AHL next season in the New Jersey Devils organization. Hage represents one of Michigan’s future stars, as he was the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year this year.

Men’s Basketball

Danny Wolf, Vlad Goldin

The Twin Towers, Area 51, whatever you want to call them, are currently leading the way for Michigan through the NCAA Tournament. Wolf and Goldin are both transfers that have made the most of their time in Ann Arbor, averaging 13.0 and 16.8 points per game, respectively. The big men were both second-team All-Big Ten selections and have helped turn the tide of the program.

Women’s Basketball

Olivia Olson, Syla Swords, Jordan Hobbs

Michigan’s women’s basketball program is in good hands going forward, as a pair of freshman guards, Olson and Swords, helped pave the way to the NCAA Tournament this year. They were both second-team All-Big Ten and All-Freshman selections. Hobbs, a senior, earned All-Big Ten honorable mentions this year as well.