Where Are They Now: Michigan's 2005 NCAA Champions
6/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Ten years ago, on June 8, 2005, Michigan became the first school from east of the Mississippi River to claim the NCAA Division I softball championship, defeating UCLA, 4-1, in 10 innings. It was the first year for the best-of-three championship final at the Women's College World Series, and the Wolverines rallied from a game-one loss to take the next two from the Bruins.
That year's team finished the season with a 65-7 overall record. The Wolverines won 27 of 28 games to start the year and ascend to a No. 1 national ranking they carried the rest of the way. They claimed the Big Ten title with a 15-2 mark, hosted and won the Big Ten Tournament and an NCAA regional, then took two of three from Washington in a super regional at Alumni Field to earn the WCWS berth.
Some of the key figures in that memorable season and postseason run were back in Oklahoma City last week to cheer on the 2015 team as it battled to the championship game before falling one win shy of another title. Others followed from across the country and, for at least one alumna, around the globe.
Here's a look at what some of the 2005 Wolverines are doing now, 10 years after making history.
Stephanie Bercaw
On the 2005 Roster: #8 | Outfield | Junior | Wooster, Ohio (Hillsdale)
Where is she now? After hanging up my softball cleats in 2006, I moved to Chicago, where I am now an account executive at Yahoo. (Insert yodel here!) I now spend free time playing slow pitch (it happens), wheeling around with my off-road Jeep pals, and playing downtown with my puppy Lou. Although I now live in the corporate world, Hutch's voice and lessons have affected my life beyond the diamond. Those were the best years of my life, with my very best friends, and lessons that continue to propel me through life. Go Blue!
Notable: Bercaw was a Women's College World Series all-tournament selection in 2005 after batting .286 and knocking out a two-run home run against Tennessee that helped lift Michigan into the championship series. A four-year letterwinner (2003-06) and 2006 co-captain, she started 54 games in 2005 as U-M's primary rightfielder and finished with a .291 batting average and seven homers.
Samantha Findlay
On the 2005 Roster: #16 | First Base | Freshman | Lockport, Ill. (Lockport East)
Where is she now? I currently reside in Chicago, Illinois, with my husband, Louis Barak, and son, Logan Jacob Barak (1.5 years old). We named him after the Wolverine! In the comic "The Wolverine," when he loses his memory his name is Logan. Since I was a Wolverine and my husband's favorite comic growing up was "The Wolverine," we saw it only fitting we name our son after the Wolverine, hence, Logan. Now he is always a little part of both mom and dad. I work as the human resource assistant at a fourth-generation family-owned concrete company, 85 years in business, called Ozinga. I enjoying spending time with my family and watching my son grow. GO BLUE!
Notable: Findlay capped her freshman season with the most famous home run in program history, hitting a three-run shot in the 10th inning to clinch Michigan's 4-1 win over UCLA and give the Wolverines their first national championship. Findlay batted .409 in the WCWS and was named Most Outstanding Player. She hit .361 that year with a team-high 77 runs batted in and 43 walks, and she smacked 21 homers to share the school single-season record with Jessica Merchant. A second team All-American as a second baseman in 2008, Findlay set career marks (since eclipsed by Sierra Romero) for home runs (62), RBI (219) and slugging percentage (.677).
Alessandra (Giampaolo) Braun
On the 2005 Roster: #17 | Centerfield | Freshman | Pasadena, Calif. (Polytechnic)
Where is she now? I live in in Monrovia, California, with my husband, Stratton. We just celebrated our one-year wedding anniversary with a trip to Iceland. After teaching English in Thailand and traveling throughout Southeast Asia for nine months, I decided to go back to school and pursue a career helping people heal. I received my master's degree in social work from Smith College in 2013 with a passion for clinical work, and I'm currently a psychotherapist for children and adolescents at a private practice in Sierra Madre specializing in play and expressive arts therapy for children with anxiety, depression and behavioral/emotional regulation issues. I'm also passionate about promoting health/wellness/fitness and love to travel.
Notable: Giampaolo was an impact freshman in 2005, starting all 72 games in centerfield and batting .329 with 76 hits, 63 runs scored and 15 doubles as the No. 2 hitter in the order. A second team All-American in 2008 as a senior and a two-time All-Big Ten choice (2005, '08), she started 251 consecutive games in the outfield and shares the school career record with 61 doubles.
Tiffany (Haas) Ellis
On the 2005 Roster: #22 | Second Base | Junior | North Tustin, Calif. (Foothill)
Where is she now? I am married to Lloyd Ellis, a firefighter and triathlete, and am a proud parent to Maddie, an eight-year-old cocker spaniel and Charlie, a three-year-old golden retriever. I work at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, California, as a registered nurse on a medical-surgical/oncology unit. (Hoag Hospital is Magnet facility, recognized for its quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice.) I have remained well-connected with University of Michigan alumni and play for the U-M Alumni Association of Orange County coed softball team when not working or pursuing a second bachelor's degree.
Notable: Haas was U-M's leadoff hitter and starting second baseman in all 72 games during the 2005 championship season and batted .360 with a school-record 91 hits and team-best 16 doubles to earn first team All-America honors. A four-year letterwinner (2003-06), she was a second team All-American in 2004 and a three-time All-Big Ten honoree (2004-06).
Grace (Leutele) Hughes
On the 2005 Roster: #12 | Third Base | Junior | Sierra Vista, Ariz. (Buena)
Where is she now? I am living in Japan just outside of Tokyo with my husband, who serves in the United States Navy. I am the visual merchandising manager for the Navy Exchange in Atsugi, Japan. Upon graduating from Michigan in December 2006, I played pro softball in the Italian A1 league for two seasons, the first one with Nicole Motycka. I met my now husband, Jared, who was stationed in Naples, and we married in August 2010. I entered the pro racquetball circuit in 2011, received Rookie of the Year for the LPRT 2011-12 season, and gained a world ranking of No. 7 in 2012-13. I have only played in a few tournaments since we moved to Japan, most recently winning a silver medal while playing on Team Japan at the Asia Racquetball Championships in Goyang, South Korea, in March 2015. I still love sports and competing, but nothing will ever come close to how special winning the Women's College World Series in 2005 was. I am just so proud to be a Wolverine and to have learned from the most incredible coaching team ever! Go Blue! Forever, Go Blue!
Notable: A four-year letterwinner (2003-06), Leutele started all 72 games at third base in 2005, batted .313 with 12 home runs, and ranked fourth on the team with 49 runs batted in. She earned All-Big Ten first team honors in 2004 and 2005 in addition to second team selection in 2006 when she was a team co-captain. Leutele was Michigan's female Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient in 2006.
Becky (Marx) Keough
On the 2005 Roster: #25 | Catcher | Junior | St. Joseph, Mich. (Lakeshore)
Where is she now? After receiving my bachelor's degree in math education and physics, volunteer coaching for Hutch from 2008-11, earning my master's degree in sports management from Michigan, and coaching two years at Indiana University, I have been the assistant softball coach at the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) for the past two years, and we recently won the Horizon League championship. My husband is a fellow Michigan grad and we have two wonderful children together, Evelyn (age 4 going on 14) and James (every bit a two-year-old boy). We live in downtown Chicago but are moving in July to Iowa, where my husband will begin his Ph.D. in classics at the University of Iowa. Michigan continues to be a huge part of my life and softball in particular. In fact, whenever my son sees a block M he says, "Softball game!"
Notable: A transfer from Loyola (Ill.), Marx did the bulk of the catching in 2005 with 57 starts. She hit a two-run home run in game two of the WCWS championship series against UCLA to tie the game in an eventual 5-2 Wolverines win. Marx was a third team All-American as a senior in 2006, when she led U-M in batting average (.327), home runs (13) and RBI (49).
Jessica Merchant
On the 2005 Roster: #24 | Shortstop | Senior | Wayland, Mich. (Wayland)
Where is she now? I am currently living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I am the assistant softball coach for the University of Minnesota. It is an absolute dream come true to be coaching in the Big Ten. I am very fortunate to still be involved with softball every day. My time as a Michigan softball player changed my life, and I am forever grateful for every moment. Even though I am now in the other dugout, I could not be more proud of Team 38 and what they have accomplished. I am a Gopher now, but I will always bleed maize and blue.
Notable: A co-captain of the 2005 squad and a WCWS all-tournament team pick, Merchant had a huge senior season as she hit .378 with what were then school records of 21 home runs (shared with Samantha Findlay) and 67 runs scored. She was a third team All-American in 2005 after second team honors the previous season and finished her career with 49 home runs and 155 runs batted in.
Rebekah (Milian) Clementson
On the 2005 Roster: #21 | Outfield | Sophomore | Grand Blanc, Mich. (Grand Blanc)
Where is she now? I am now married to my husband, Chris Clementson, and teach middle school health and P.E. in Midlothian, Virginia. I am an ACE certified personal trainer and health coach, and I'm working on my nutrition consulting degree at WCU. I am still an athlete, now with Team Bombshell. I compete in NPC (bodybuilding) competitions, and do some fitness modeling. I am working toward becoming an IFBB pro, keeping the same mentality/dedication/discipline I had playing for Michigan.
Notable: A four-year letterwinner (2004-07), Milian was a sophomore on the 2005 team and became the team's primary leftfielder, starting 49 games without an error on defense and batting .246. She was a third team All-Big Ten selection the following season and a three-time academic all-conference honoree (2005-07).
Jennie Ritter
On the 2005 Roster: #15 | Pitcher | Junior | Dexter, Mich. (Dexter)
Where is she now? I played softball on the PFX Pro Tour and the USA National Team until 2007 and professionally in Japan in 2008. I retired after a shoulder injury kept me from pitching 100 percent healthy. I moved to Florida in 2007 and started Jennie Ritter Elite Softball Training, where I ran clinics and taught pitching lessons in the central Florida area. From 2007 until now, I've been a color analyst on the Big Ten Network and ESPN. In 2011, I met my now husband, Matt Meinrod, an Florida State football alum (now converted into a HUGE Michigan softball fan). We got married on Nov. 12, 2013 in Northern Sonoma (California), the most beautiful place on earth. Just before the wedding, I accepted a position as the Fastpitch Business Manager at Louisville Slugger and we moved to Louisville, Kentucky. We currently reside in Louisville and love it!
Notable: A two-time first team All-America pitcher (2004-05), Ritter had a school-record 38 wins in 2005 and was a workhorse during the postseason as she started 12 of 13 NCAA games, including all seven at the WCWS. After going 38-4 with a 0.92 earned run average and 16 shutouts in 2005, Ritter was named the Big Ten Conference Suzy Favor Female Athlete of the Year, and she repeated as U-M's Female Athlete of the Year in 2006.
Tiffany (Worthy) Deering
On the 2005 Roster: #7 | Catcher | Sophomore | Yorba Linda, Calif. (Lutheran)
Where is she now? Since graduating, I married Jesse Deering in 2008 and we have a daughter, Abby (4.5 years old), and a baby boy due in August. Abby loves gymnastics and softball. We reside in Troy, Michigan, where my husband works for a bank and I own an indoor softball facility called Premier Softball. All of our instructors either coached or played college ball, and former Wolverines Nicole Sappingfield (recent grad) and Lauren Talbot (2004-05) are currently a part of our team of instruction staff. My love is still softball and helping empower young women to be confident, strong softball players.
Notable: A four-year letterwinner (2004-07), Worthy started 14 games behind the plate as a sophomore during the 2005 season and hit .214 with a pair of home runs. She was one of three team captains as a senior in 2007, when she received second team All-Big Ten recognition and was an academic all-conference honoree.
Additional Team Members
32 Angie Danis, P/UT, Fr., Manchester, Mo. (Parkway West)
14 Lauren Holland, C, Sr., Grand Blanc, Mich. (Grand Blanc)
2 Jennifer Kreinbrink, C, Sr., Aliso Viejo, Calif. (Aliso Niguel)
20 Nicole Motycka, P/UT, Sr., Sarasota, Fla. (Cardinal Mooney)
4 Lauren Talbot, 3B/OF, Fr., Walled Lake, Mich. (Western)
10 Michelle Teschler, RF, Sr., Casco, Mich. (Richmond)
23 Michelle Weatherdon, IF, Fr., Marquette, Mich. (Marquette)
1 Lorilyn Wilson, P, So., Salem, Ore. (Sprague)
11 Stephanie Winter, IF, So., St. Charles, Mo. (St. Charles West)
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• Kornacki: 2005 Softball Champs 10 Years Later
• Wolverines Get Encouragement from 2005 Champs
• MGoBlueTV Time Machine: 2005 WCWS Champs 
• MGoBlueTV Time Machine: 2005 WCWS UCLA (Games 1 & 2)
• MGoBlueTV Time Machine: 2005 WCWS vs. Tennessee
• MGoBlueTV Time Machine: 2005 WCWS vs. Texas
• MGoBlueTV Time Machine: 2005 WCWS vs. DePaul
• 2005 Season: Results | Statistics (PDF) | Roster | News Releases
