Annual Meeting featuring John U. Bacon and the Sigler Awards

Mon Sep 27 2021 at 06:30 pm

Fatpour Tap Works | Chicago

University of Michigan Club of Greater Chicago - UMCGC
Publisher/HostUniversity of Michigan Club of Greater Chicago - UMCGC
Annual Meeting featuring John U. Bacon and the Sigler Awards
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All Chicagoland Wolverines are invited to celebrate another incredible year of UMCGC! This year, we proudly welcome guest speaker, New York Times best-selling author John U. Bacon! A Michigan alumnus, John U. Bacon has worked nearly three decades as a writer, a public speaker, and a college instructor, winning awards for all three. He will be discussing his latest book, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America’s Worst High School Hockey Team. This is a fast-paced, feel-good book about John’s experience turning around the Ann Arbor Huron high school hockey team from one of the worst to one of the best, despite never scoring a goal in his three-year Huron hockey career! It’s an uplifting story that leaders of all kinds can embrace to motivate their teams to work harder, work together, and take responsibility for their own success. It’s also a really fun read! This true story is filled with unforgettable characters, stories, and lessons that apply to organizations everywhere. The book will be available for purchase at the event.
We will also be awarding the 2021 Ernest T. Sigler Awards for the top male and female University of Michigan student athletes from the Chicago area to former Men's Basketball player Mike Smith and Women's Soccer player Nicki Hernandez! After graduating from Columbia, Smith joined the Wolverines with a graduate transfer year for the 2020-21 season. One of two Wolverines to start all 28 games, Smith averaged 9.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and led U-M and the Big Ten with 5.4 assists per game. He recorded 16 games with 5+ assists as well as the first two 10+ games of his career -- 10 at Minnesota (Jan. 16) and a career-high 15 vs. Maryland (March 12), which set the Big Ten Tournament single game record (Derrick Walton, Jr., 12).
Despite a covid-19 shortened season, Smith was instrumental in leading U-M to its 15th Big Ten regular season title (14-3) as well as No. 1 seeds for the Big Ten Tournament as well as the NCAA Tournament. After a heartbreaking, 68-67, loss to Ohio State in the semifinal, the Wolverines headed to the NCAA's and reached the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight year. Moving on to the Elite Eight, U-M just missed the Final Four following a 51-49 loss to UCLA.
For his collegiate career, he played in 120 career games, starting 119 including his last 75. He scored 1,906 points with 43 20+ point games and seven of 30+, with 542 career assists (4.5 apg). With an option to return to U-M with a covid-exemption, Smith opted to begin his professional career and is currently playing with the NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks in Summer League play.
Hernandez is the second women's soccer player to earn the award and the first since Therese Heaton in 2004. The fifth-year senior has returned for one final season on the pitch for the Wolverines and has appeared in 68 career matches with 66 starts prior to this season. Hernandez is a two-time All-Big Ten honoree, earning first team honors in the 2020 season, and is a two-time United Soccer Coaches All-Region second team honoree. She will graduate with a degree in psychology after finishing up her playing career in the 2021 season.
In the 2020-21 spring season, Hernandez led U-M with a team-best six goals while also tacking on two assists. The Naperville, Illinois native had 24 shots on goal and netted two game-winners for the Maize and Blue. Hernandez was instrumental in the Wolverines 2019 run to the third round of the NCAA Tournament after producing one of the best seasons since 2016.
The award is named after Ernest T. Sigler, who served as the executive director of the U-M Club of Greater Chicago for 35 years.
UMCGC is excited to offer our Annual Meeting as our first official hybrid event! If you are unable to attend in person, there is a virtual option for the meeting via Zoom. Cocktails and light hors d'oeuvres will be available for those attending in person. If you have any questions please contact Jennifer DeGeus at [email protected]
Note: Our alumni club, in accordance with the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan, agrees to adhere to all federal, state, local, and individual business COVID-19 safety guidelines, and by registering for and attending this event, you accept the inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 and agree to abide by all federal, state, local, and individual business COVID-19 safety guidelines. Following updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and based on Chicago's current local COVID-19 data, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) now recommends that everyone over the age of 2, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks in public indoor settings. Additionally, you agree that you will not attend the event if you are sick or have been exposed to someone who is sick. The U-M Club of Greater Chicago will not issue a refund if a ticket holder fails to follow the venue's specific requirements and is not permitted by the venue to attend an event.
Cost: $10 for AAUM members, $20 general admission, $5 for virtual (zoom)
Questions or registration issues? Contact contact Jennifer DeGeus at [email protected]
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Fatpour Tap Works, 2005 W Division St, Chicago, United States

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