Michigan freshman Christina Murillo has made the final roster for Team Mexico’s women’s soccer club. The midfielder was selected to the final roster this week and will be a part of the squad that competes in the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Mexico is one of eight teams in the tournament that will be held in Vancouver starting Jan. 19. If Mexico can advance out of group play, it heads to the knockout round for a chance to qualify for the Olympics in London.

Even if Murillo’s team does not make it to London, her coach at Michigan, Greg Ryan, said last week that he thought Murillo would be asked to play for the U-20 Mexican national World Cup team this summer.

Michigan water polo team to open season

After losing seven seniors from its squad, the Michigan women's water polo team will look a little different in the pool this season. With four games this weekend, including the opener against rival Indiana, the team will get a good idea of where it’s at early. And coach Matt Anderson thinks his team is ready for the challenge.

“This is nothing more of a measuring stick as to how much more improvement we need to get to where we want to be,” Anderson said. “I think what you’re looking at, this is the first time that we’ve opened up with our arch rival Indiana. It will give us an idea of where our intensity is at.”

Seniors Meagan Cobb and Claire Ivry will be counted on to lead the team, according to Anderson. He also said goalie Alex Adamson has grown as a leader.

“Alex is definitely ready and capable,” he said. “She is feeling more comfortable as a teacher of what she would like them to do. She’s able to interject, and I’m giving her more responsibility to dictate what they need to do.”

Adamson is a junior and ranks fourth in school history in career wins and saves.

While youth will be a concern for the Wolverines, Anderson feels they will be able to grow more as a team as they gain experience playing in big matches.

And an opening game at home against Indiana is as big of a game as Michigan will play all season. Anderson, a former Indiana assistant coach, said he doesn’t use his past as motivation, but the fact that the two schools have been playing each other for years in the Big Ten should be enough to get his team fired up.

“I bet if you were to ask our freshmen, not all of them would even know that I coached there. The motivation is, it’s Indiana, and this is the Big Ten,” he said.

Five athletes win weekly conference awards

Four athletes from Michigan and one from Eastern Michigan earned weekly awards.

Michigan swimmer Connor Yaeger won his third Big Ten Swimmer of the Week award this season for his performance in the 500-yard freestyle. The sophomore posted a time of 4:19.17, good enough for NCAA consideration.

The U-M women’s swim and dive team had two winners, as seniors Alexa Mehesan and Amanda Lohman we named Co-Swimmer and Diver of the Week. For Lohman, this marks the second consecutive week she has won the award.

Finally for Michigan, women’s track and field junior Rebecca Addison earned a Big Ten Co-Track Athlete of the Week for her performance against Ohio State at “The Duel.”

Addison won both the 800-meter and mile races over the weekend. It is the third time in her career she has won the award.

Tavelyn James was the lone Eagle to earn an award as she was named the MAC West women’s basketball Player of the Week. James averaged 25 points in two games last week for the Eagles. Her squad won both of those games.

Upcoming Home Schedule:

Thursday:

EMU women’s basketball - 7 p.m. vs. Central Michigan at Convocation Center

Friday:

EMU men’s and women’s swim and dive - 5 p.m. vs. Wayne State

Saturday:

U-M men’s track - 11 a.m. Simmons Harvey invitational vs. CMU, EMU and Detroit Mercy at Indoor track facility

U-M water polo - noon vs. Indiana at Canham Natatorium

EMU women’s swim - 1 p.m. vs. Akron

U-M women’s track 1: 45 p.m. Simmons Harvey invitational vs. CMU, EMU and Detroit Mercy at Indoor track facility

EMU men’s basketball - 2 p.m. vs. Toledo at Convocation Center

U-M men’s tennis - 6 p.m. vs. Duke at Varsity Tennis Center

U-M men’s gymnastics - 7 p.m. vs. Penn State at Cliff Keen Arena

U-M water polo - 7:35 vs. Colorado State at Canham Natatorium

Sunday:

U-M water polo - 10:45 a.m. vs. UCLA at Canham Natatorium

U-M women’s tennis - noon vs. Western Michigan at Varsity Tennis Center

U-M wrestling - 2 p.m. vs. Central Michigan at Cliff Keen Arena

U-M women’s basketball - 2 p.m. vs. Indiana at Crisler Center

U-M water polo - 2 p.m. vs. Colorado State at Canham Natatorium

EMU wrestling - 4 p.m. vs. Northern Illinois at Convocation Center