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Hall Of Famers
N
ikki Wald was a 2014 Jewish
News High School Athlete of
the Year, honored for excelling
in volleyball, basketball and softball at
North Farmington.
Last week, the Farmington
Hills resident was playing in
the NCAA Women's College
World Series for the second
consecutive year with the
University of Michigan soft-
ball team.
"It was an honor to win
the Athlete of the Year award
and be recognized for all the
hard work I've put into the sports I love,"
she said by phone from Oklahoma City,
Okla., after the Wolverines' World Series
opener against LSU at ASA Hall of Fame
Stadium was postponed because of rain
and a wet field.
Wald said she's proud to be a Jewish
student-athlete, representing her faith
and religion on college softball's biggest
stage.
This is the 26th year for the High
School Athlete of the Year program,
presented by the Michigan Jewish Sports
Foundation in conjunction with the
Jewish News.
Male and female athletes of the year,
high school seniors, have been chosen
annually since 1991 based on career
accomplishments. Athletes can nominate
themselves or be nominated by a coach,
parent or the foundation's selection com-
mittee.
The deadline to apply for the 2016
awards is Monday, June 20. The applica-
tion form can be found on the founda-
tion's website, michiganjewishsports.org.
Questions should be directed to David
Blatt, the foundation's executive director,
at (248) 592-9323 or dblatt@
michiganjewishsports.org.
Athletes of the year are recognized
each fall at the Michigan Jewish Sports
Hall of Fame induction dinner.
Wald has an interesting role on the
powerhouse U-M softball team, which
came into the World Series with a 51-5
record and the No. 2 overall seed for the
NCAA tournament.
The speedy 5-foot-1 outfielder is the
team's pinch-running specialist. Wald got
into 40 games last season and scored 20
runs. She was in 30 games this season
heading into the World Series and had
scored 12 runs. She had three at-bats as a
freshmen and none this year.
Wald made an impact at last year's
World Series, scoring runs in back-to-
back games against LSU and Florida.
Michigan made it to the best-of-three
finals last year against Florida but lost
4-1 in Game 3.
"Being in two World Series my first
two years at Michigan has been incredi-
ble," Wald said. "I'll have these memories
for a lifetime."
Even though it wasn't the
World Series, Wald played at Hall
of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma
City several years ago. It was with
the Michigan Lookouts travel
team.
"I think it was between my fresh-
man and sophomore years in
high school," she said. "I know it
was long before I committed to
Michigan."
Wald was in the National Honor
Society at North Farmington and
made the honor roll all four years. She's
continued to excel in the classroom at
Michigan, earning an academic achieve-
ment award last year.
A list of past recipients of the Athlete
of the Year honor also is on the founda-
tion's website. Several former winners
besides Wald went on to play college
sports, and there are a few pro athletes
sprinkled in there, too.
Jon Radner, a 2015 winner, was a
basketball star at Berkley who gave up
opportunities for playing time at smaller
colleges to be a walk-on at Syracuse
University, which played in the Final
Four in April. Radner got into a game
last season as a freshman, playing for
one minute against Boston College.
Max Kollin was a 2012 winner.
The North Farmington golfer won
the Michigan High School Athletic
Association Division 1 individual state
championship in 2011 and had a solid
four-year career on the links for Indiana
University.
Hockey player Jason Zucker from Ann
Arbor Pioneer was a 2010 winner. The
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
Rookie of the Year in 2010-2011 for the
University of Denver now plays in the
NHL with the Minnesota Wild. He had
13 goals and 10 assists in 71 regular-
season games this season.
Athletes of the year also have become
business leaders.
Birmingham Seaholm basketball
standout Mat Ishbia, a 1998 winner, was
a backup guard at Michigan State. He's
now the president and CEO of United
Shore Financial Services, based in Troy.
United Wholesale Mortgage was the top
wholesale mortgage lender in the U.S.
last year, according to Inside Mortgage
Finance Publications, with $12.96 bil-
lion.
*
Send sports news to stevestein502004@yahoo.com.
Nikki Wald
metro » s p o r t s
50 June 9 • 2016
Steve Stein | Contributing Writer
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