Tom Dolan and Sara Griffin Named Michigan Athletes of the Year

Dolan, who will compete for the United States swimming team in the 1996 Olympic Games, overcame chronic fatigue and exhaustion to win and qualify for three individual Olympic events at the early March U.S. Olympic Trials: the 200-meter individual medley, 400-m individual medley and 400-m freestyle. He earned the Performance of the Meet award after nearly breaking his own 400-m individual medley world record. Internationally, Dolan is ranked No. 1 this year in each of the three events he will swim at the Olympics.

Following the Olympic Team Trials, Dolan competed at the NCAA National Swimming & Diving Championships, becoming the first man since Matt Biondi (1986-87) to repeat as a triple individual event winner at the NCAA meet. Dolan won the 500 freestyle (4:12.77), the 1650 freestyle (14:38.37) and 400 individual medley (3:41.44). He anchored Michigan's winning 800 freestyle relay team (6:20.89) which broke the 12-year-old American record as well as the U.S. Open and NCAA records in the event. Dolan finished the NCAA Championship with six All-American citations. For the second consecutive season, Dolan tied for the NCAA High Point Award with a perfect 60 points.

Afflicted with exercise-induced asthma and a restricted windpipe, Dolan serves as a spokesperson for the American Lung Association and works with asthmatic children. He is enrolled in Michigan's College of Literature, Science and the Arts pursuing an individualized concentration degree with focus on economics, psychology and communication. Dolan, who will forego his final year of collegiate eligibility, was the 1994-95 Michigan and Big Ten Jesse Owens Athlete of the Year.

Griffin, a utility player who started as both a pitcher and designated player for the 51-14 Big Ten Conference and NCAA Regional champion Wolverines, was named the Big Ten Softball Player of the Year and selected First-Team All-Big Ten for the second consecutive season. She was twice selected conference Pitcher of the Week. Griffin earned second straight First-Team All-America (utility) and First-Team All-Great Lakes Region designations from the National Softball Coaches Association, becoming the only U-M softball player to be twice named to the national first-team.

The two-hit and 11 strikeout pitching and 6-for-11 batting performances over Michigan's Big Ten title-clinching May 4-5 Minnesota series earned Griffin her second career NSCA National Player of the Week award. In the circle this season, Griffin compiled a 35-7 record with 184 strikeouts over 266.1 innings of work, all single-season U-M softball records. She tossed a pair of no-hitters and recorded only the second perfect game in Wolverine softball history with a 6-0 victory over No. 10 Oklahoma March 8. At the plate, Griffin led all Michigan hitters with a .408 average, including a season record 24 doubles among her 86 hits. Her .420 career batting average is a Michigan career-best.

Griffin is majoring in communications in Michigan's College of Literature, Science and the Arts.