2020 Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor
The University of Michigan Athletics Hall of Honor welcomed six new members on Friday, Oct. 22, 2021. Members of the 2020 class: Sarah Cain (women's gymnastics), Kelli Gannon (field hockey), Ty Law (football), Jim Paciorek (baseball), S.A. Tripp Welborne III (football) and Lexi Zimmerman (volleyball).
Note: The 2020 induction was postponed due to COVID-19.
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SARAH CAIN | WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS (1997-2000)
- Cain was a 12-time All-American with eight first-team honors, a six-time Big Ten Conference champion and seven-time NCAA Regional champion.
- She was the 2000 Michigan Female Athlete of the Year as well as the Big Ten Gymnast of the Year in 1997 and 2000 and Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 1997.
- She recorded 11 perfect 10.0 routines in her career and is tied for the record all-around score in program history with a 39.825.
- A native of Grand Island, Nebraska, Cain helped lead Michigan to three Big Ten championships and three NCAA Regional titles during her tenure.
- She was a member of three teams that reached the NCAA Super Six, including the 1999 team that finished as the NCAA runner-up to tie for the best finish in program history.
- A two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, Cain graduated in 2000 with a degree in organizational studies and was a volunteer assistant coach for the Wolverines for the 2014 season.
After visiting Michigan and meeting the girls on the team, and the coaching staff, and just the university itself, I felt it was an opportunity I just couldn't pass up. It felt like the best fit for me ... Michigan was still the Midwest and felt like home. And the whole combined package was exactly what I was looking for."- Sarah Cain
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KELLI GANNON | FIELD HOCKEY (1997-2000)
- Gannon was Michigan field hockey's first three-time All-American, earning first-team honors as a midfielder during her junior and senior seasons, and played a major contributing role in the Wolverines' rise to national prominence.
- Over Gannon's tenure, U-M captured two Big Ten regular-season titles, a pair of Big Ten Tournament titles and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, including a national runner-up finish in 1999 -- all firsts in program history.
- A 2000 Honda Broderick Award finalist and the 2001 Michigan Female Athlete of the Year, Gannon bracketed her career with prestigious conference honors, earning the 1997 Big Ten Freshman of the Year award before claiming the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Year award in 2000.
- She was also a two-time All-Big Ten first team selection and was named the 1999 Big Ten Tournament MVP after leading U-M to the program's first tournament crown.
- She was the team's leading scorer in each of her final three seasons, accumulating 49 goals, 28 assists and 126 points for her career.
- After graduation, Gannon played four years with the U.S. Women's National Team, earning 60 international caps and 12 goals.
When I went to Michigan to visit, you have to believe in the people that you're going to spend four years with. But, then again, the team as well. They are your family, and I just meshed really well with all of them. I felt like I was at home.- Kelli Gannon
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TY LAW | FOOTBALL (1992-94)
- Law led Michigan's secondary in the early 1990s, recording 161 tackles, 19 pass breakups, eight interceptions and one forced fumble in 30 career starts over three seasons.
- Law posted a career-best 10 tackles on three occasions and set his career high with three pass breakups against Illinois in 1994.
- His six interceptions during the 1993 season list tied for seventh in school history, while his 19 career pass breakups rank 16th.
- Law was a two-time All-Big Ten first team selection (1993-94) and earned first team All-America honors in 1994.
- The Wolverines posted a 25-8-3 record during his time in Ann Arbor, including the 1992 Big Ten championship and three postseason bowl games with victories in the Rose, Hall of Fame and Holiday bowls.
My college experience was great. It was a real journey, and I was always willing to compete. I had an unfearful willingness to compete. I didn't win every battle, but I won most of my wars. I set the bar high and shot for the moon.- Ty Law
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JIM PACIOREK | BASEBALL (1979-82)
- Paciorek capped his career by being named the 1982 Big Ten Player of the Year, Michigan's 1982 Big Ten Medal of Honor winner, and a first team All-American by both the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Baseball America.
- Paciorek ranks in the top 10 in career numbers in five offensive categories while sitting in the top 10 in six individual season hitting categories.
- He is second all-time in career batting average (.375) and triples (14), is fourth in runs batted in (183), sixth in home runs (32) and 10th in runs scored (162).
- During his four years as a Wolverine, Paciorek was a part of two Big Ten championship teams as well as leading the team to a Big Ten Tournament championship in the tournament's first season.
- Paciorek earned a spot on the All-Big Ten first team three times (1980, 1981, 1982) and was an All-Big Ten Tournament team honoree twice (1981, 1982). Michigan won 143 games in the four-year span.
- Paciorek returned to Michigan after being drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 14th round of the 1981 MLB draft. Upon his return, he was named team captain and was then drafted in the eighth round of the 1982 draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. He made his MLB debut for the Brewers in 1987.
We went to the Rose Bowl my freshman year, and my sophomore year we went to the Gator Bowl. Then we went to two College World Series. I think that and just the whole experience at Michigan is something I'm really proud of, what means the most to me. Not many guys were able to experience all that in football and baseball. My whole time at Michigan was just fabulous.- Jim Paciorek
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LEXI ZIMMERMAN | VOLLEYBALL (2007-10)
- Zimmerman was a four-year letterwinner and is the only player in Michigan volleyball history to earn American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America recognition in each of her four seasons in the Maize and Blue.
- The setter earned a first-team selection in 2009, second-team honors in 2008 and 2010, and honorable mention in 2007, when she was the AVCA Mideast Region Freshman of the Year. Zimmerman was a four-time AVCA All-Mideast Region member.
- Zimmerman became the first Wolverine freshman setter to start an NCAA Tournament match, setting the program record for most assists in a single season along the way (1,685).
- She led Michigan to the program's first NCAA regional final appearance in 2009 as a junior, following the Wolverines' first regional semifinal berths the previous two seasons. During her career, Zimmerman led the Wolverines to 100 wins and a .714 winning percentage.
- The Barrington, Illinois, native was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and remains the program's all-time leader in career assists (5,903) and matches played (140) as well as ranking second all-time in assists per set (11.60).
I knew after 10 minutes on campus at Michigan, after talking to the coaches and getting to know Ann Arbor. I knew this was where I wanted to be. I was hooked. This was home, and I cancelled the rest of my visits.- Lexi Zimmerman
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S.A. TRIPP WELBORNE III | FOOTBALL (1987-90)
- Welborne was a four-year letterman and three-year starter at safety for the Wolverines, recording 238 tackles, eight pass breakups, nine interceptions, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries during his career.
- Welborne had six double-digit tackle efforts to his credit, including a career-best 16 at Purdue during the 1990 season. In addition to his success in the secondary, Welborne returned 67 punts for 773 yards (11.5 avg.) in his career. He started 34 consecutive games at safety prior to an injury during the 10th game of his senior year.
- He was a two-time consensus All-American (1989-90), the only Wolverine in history to earn unanimous selection twice, and is one of just 21 players in school history to be named first-team All-American at least two times during their career.
- Welborne was a two-time All-Big Ten first team selection (1989-90) and won the 1990 National College Defensive Player of the Year Award presented by the National Athletic Awards and Dodge. He also was a finalist for the 1989 Jim Thorpe Award, presented to college football's top defensive back.
- Welborne was voted the Bo Schembechler Most Valuable Player of the 1990 team by his teammates. He was an integral member of three consecutive Big Ten championship teams (1988-89-90), and he helped the Wolverines win three bowl games during his four seasons -- 1988 Hall of Fame Bowl, 1989 Rose Bowl and 1991 Gator Bowl.
- A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Welborne was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings and played one season for the organization before a knee injury cut short his professional career.
To be voted the Most Valuable Player was a huge accomplishment, and I cherish that. And I'm so thankful for all the teammates, classmates I had, and the great advisors and counselors, and the great fans we had. So many people gave of themselves so a kid from Greensboro, N.C., could represent the University of Michigan in the best way possible.- S.A. Tripp Welborne III
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2020 Hall of Honor Inductees recognized at the Michigan vs. Northwestern football game on Saturday, Oct. 23