Benched Stories

Kragen Metz: University of Michigan Women's Field Hockey Player. Kragen has won three Big Ten Team titles and has made it to the Final 4 in the NCAA Championships. She is also a two time Academic All Big Ten & NFHCA National Academic Team Member. On this episode we talk an experience that most athletes go through but don't often talk about which is that of being on the bench. We talk about its physical and emotional toll, the difficulty in being patient with yourself, and the importance of being your own biggest advocate.  

Jacque Young: University of Michigan Women's Golfer. Jacque is a two time Academic All-Big Ten Member and was on the Singapore national golf team for 4 years. She represented Singapore in the 2017 South East Asian Games and the 2016 Queen Sirikit Cup. On this episode, she talks about her pillars of self-esteem, how growing up International affected her views on gratitude and connection, as well as the creation of Benched Stories. 

Adam is a six-time Tennessee state all-around champion and finished fourth in the all-around at the Junior Olympic National Championships in 2019. He also competed in multiple meets on floor, still rings, high bar and vault during his freshman campaign.On this episode, we talk about include his journey with music while being a high level athlete, his experiences competing as a biracial athlete in a sport that is predominantly white, and the importance of diversity in both the world and the gymnastics setting.

Giulia Pairone: University of Michigan Tennis Player (2018-2020).  This year (2020),  Giulia finished the season ranked 30th in singles by the Intercollegiate tennis association, making her the second highest ranked player in the Big ten. She won the singles title at the ITA Midwest Regional Championships and earned All-Big ten honors for the second time in her Michigan career.  On this episode we talk about how she dealt with her mental health after a traumatic event, the concept of shame and its influence in elite sport, and how empowering it is to share one’s story.

Hailey Borja: University of Michigan Golfer. Hailey made it to the round of 32 in the 2019 US Womens Amateur, she was All-American in 2017 and 2019 on the AJGA ranking, and she recently earned a spot on the All Big Ten Second Team, making her the first freshman in UM history to make it onto an all-conference squad.On this episode, we talk about her journey to becoming the first person in her family to go to university, an insane freshman year that included a top 5 finish in her college debut, how she stays in the moment, and how staying connected to her Mexican roots has allowed her to keep things in perspective and stay grounded.

Sophia Trombetta: University of Michigan Women's Golfer. In her sophomore season, Sophia led UM by placing third individually at the Glass City Invitational. She won the 2018 Memorial Junior and in 2017, with an individual 2nd place finish, she led Independence to its first ever OHSAA Division II State Title. Also, the day this podcast was recorded, she won the 99th Spring Lake Invitational, the second oldest women’s match play tournament in the US. On this episode, we talk about the emotional rollercoaster that comes with elite sport, her experience with burnout in softball, the importance of the process and how that burnout led her to college golf.

Ally Eggleton: University of Michigan Women’s Rower. Ally is an Academic All Big Ten and in 2019, Ally helped Michigan to their first Big Ten Championship in 6 years. On this episode we talk about how she grounds herself in the word, ‘be’, mental health medication in the world of collegiate sport, and how she found her 'why' – her team.

Adam Wooten: University of Michigan Men's Gymnast. Adam Is a six-time Tennessee state all-around champion and finished fourth in the all-around at the Junior Olympic National Championships in 2019. He also competed in multiple meets on floor, still rings, high bar and vault during his freshman campaign.On this episode, we talk about include his journey with music while being a high level athlete, his experiences competing as a biracial athlete in a sport that is predominantly white, and the importance of diversity in both the world and the gymnastics setting.

Giulia Pairone: University of Michigan Tennis Player. This year, Giulia finished the season ranked 30th in singles by the Intercollegiate tennis association, making her the second highest ranked player in the Big ten. She won the singles title at the ITA Midwest Regional Championships and earned All-Big ten honors for the second time in her Michigan career. On this episode we talk about how she dealt with her mental health after a traumatic event, the concept of shame and its influence in elite sport, and how empowering it is to share one’s story.

Abby Brenner: University of Michigan Gymnast. In 2020, Abby was a WGCA regular season All-American as well as an Academic All Big Ten honoree. She also made it onto the All Big Ten First Team for the second time in her collegiate career.On this episode we talk about the pressure that came from the idea of unfulfilled potential, the importance of her A circle, and the ripple effect started by a previous Michigan gymnast and how that has inspired her to try create her own impact.

Hailey Borja: University of Michigan Golfer. Hailey made it to the round of 32 in the 2019 US Women's Amateur, she was All-American in 2017 and 2019 on the AJGA ranking, and she recently earned a spot on the All Big Ten Second Team, making her the first freshman in UM history to make it onto an all-conference squad.On this episode, we talk about her journey to becoming the first person in her family to go to university, an insane freshman year that included a top 5 finish in her college debut, how she stays in the moment, and how staying connected to her Mexican roots has allowed her to keep things in perspective and stay grounded.

Kragen Metz: University of Michigan Women's Field Hockey Player. Kragen has won three Big Ten Team titles and has made it to the Final 4 in the NCAA Championships. She is also a two time Academic All Big Ten & NFHCA National Academic Team Member.On this episode we talk an experience that most athletes go through but don't often talk about which is that of being on the bench. We talk about it's physical and emotional toll, the difficulty in being patient with yourself, and the importance of being your own biggest advocate.