'age 8-Wednesday, February 8, 1978-The Michigan Daily MINNESOTA CONNECTION Frosh i By BRIAN MILLER Minnesota has produced its share of hockey players and Michigan's coach Dan Farrell picked up a couple of the better ones when he convinced Gordie Hampson and Jeff Mars to play their collegiate hockey in Ann Arbor. Hampson, a high school All-Ameri- can forward and a two time All-State selection, led his high school, Edina- East, to a second place finish in the Minnesota State Championships with a 24-2 record last year. cers hustling Mars, the other half of the Minne- sota connection, was also a high school All-American and a Minnesota All-North selection. He scored 46 points in only 21 games for Duluth East last year. BUT STATISTICS are relative and hundreds of others around the coun- try can boast of similar accomplish- ments. What makes Hampson and Mars so special is the tremendous po- tential they possess in order to play quality hockey for the Wolverines. to learn the business I r "We look for a lot of things when recruiting," explained Farrell. "We look at the way a kid skates, shoots and passes as well as his attitude and academic ability. Thos two are fairly solid in all those categories." If the old adage "like father like son" holds true, the 6-3, 195-pound Hampson and the 6-0, 190-pound Mars will have a bright future in hockey. Mars' father, Robert, starred for Yale's squad in the late 40's and Hampson's father, Ted, played for the Detroit Red Wings and a few other teams in the NHL. JUST LOOKING at the two, you'd never guess that they are hockey players. Quiet, shy and polite to a fault, Hampson and Mars seem almost out of place on a big college campus. "But I've been able to adjust to living away from home fairly eas- ily," said Mars. "One of the reasons I chose Michigan was because I want- ed to go away to a big school." Hampson cited different reasons for coming to Ann Arbor. "I think I would've liked to play hockey in Minnesota," he said. "I would have played for the Gophers if I didn't play here. But I liked the coach when I first met him and I like the people I've met here." MANY OTHER colleges were after the two but for the most part, they are satisfied with their choice of Michigan. "Even though I play hockey," said Mars, "I'm also here for an educa- tion. I'd accept the chance to play professionally if it were offered, but I'd like to be best prepared for what- ever I do." "I came here," explained Hamp- son, "to go to school and also play college hockey. I'd like it if the oppor- tunity comes to play pro later, but right now, I'm just concerned with the present." Hampson, who takes a regular shift, has only eight goals and 14 points while Mars, who injured his wrist last month against Minnesota, has only two assists in 17 games playing in a part-time capacity. IT WOULD BE easy for many to get discouraged and maybe even give up, but not for these two. They just work harder. "Things aren't going as bad as they seem for Gordie," noted Farrell. "He's only a freshman, but he'll come around. He's learning from three of the best centers in our league (Dave Debol, Kip Maurer and Dan Lerg) and he is improving a lot. Jeff will score some too. These guys are tremendous workers." And though the two hard working freshmen don't talk a lot, they really don't have to. Their hustle and desire shows in the way they play hockey - and for them. that says it all. WHAT TO DO' AFTER COLLEGE . . is a question a lot of young people in high school and college are asking. Then, even i you get the finest college degree, where con you use it meaningfully? Perhaps the answerlies in becoming on Air Force officer through Air Force ROTC. We have many different career areas in which specialists of oil kinds are needed. And as an Air Force commissioned officer you con have unequaled opportunity for leadership and management experience, plus an excellent starting salary and benefits package. Consider Air Force ROTC as a gateway *to a great way of life for you. Find out about the benefits of a four, three or two-year scholarship that pays MOOa month, tuition, book costs and lob fees. Couple that with what will be waiting offer gradua- tion, and you hove the answer to what you've been looking for. CONTACT: Captain Terry luettinger 764-2405 North Halt TODAY at THE UNION FREE Pocket Billiards Instructions 3:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. ROTC Gateway to a great way of life. I I SEND VALENNE'S DAY CLA SSIFIED ADS To f/he Secret Sweethearts In Yourtife Ads will be printed Tuesday, Feb. 14 VALENTINE MESSAGE. . WORDS I All Valentine's Day ads must be pre- paid at 420 Maynard, 2nd floor. t LINES Deadline is Feb. 13, Noon - I 1 I 1 Only 7 words to a line I NAME PRICE 70C PER LINE I ADDRESS CITY PHONE No obscenities please the wire By Don MacLachan "Briggs always believed he could compete with the best, and now he proved it- Karl Briggs. You probably don't think of Briggs when names like Phil Hubbard, Dwight Hicks, Mark Johnson, Rob Lytle or other Michigan captains are brought up. Even though you don't hear much about him, Briggs captains the 1978 Michigan wrestling team. While reporting for the Daily, I became acquainted with various athletes from different sports. But Briggs impressed me in a special way. To follow Briggs' career through Michigan, you've got to wonder just how he made it. An even tempered guy, Briggs had more than his share of ups and downs both on and off the mat. Instead of giving up, Briggs con- tinued to fight and now has nearly achieved his goal - to put in four good years at Michigan. Things started out nicely his freshman year when a shy 132-pound high school state champion appeared on the Michigan campus and found himself wrestling big time. The small grappler from the little town on Linwood step- ped into the starting lineup due to an injury and won almost all his matches. His teammates voted him a Champion of the Week and he went on to post a 7- 1 season record. Briggs could have gotten cocky, but he didn't. He knew it wouldn't be an easy chore earning the starting spot at 142 pounds the following year. One thing Karl didn't know was that he would continue to grow physically. Briggs came back for his sophomore year, winning challenge matches against his teammates and establishing himself in a starting role. Lost weight; strength At the time, Briggs weighed around 155 pounds and cutting those 13 pounds to make weight became quite a task. Briggs won four of his first seven matches before Christmas, but after a disappointing road loss at Nor- thwestern, Briggs began to struggle. He cut weight - he vowed never to be overweight for a weigh-in - but drained most of his strength in the process. He lost matches by the scores of 2-1 and 3-2 against opponents he knew he could defeat. Briggs could have packed it all in and quit at this point, but he stuck with it. Rather than frustrate himself, Briggs decided to go up a weight. Well, Mark Churella was already there and Briggs only wrestled two more times that season. It was tough for Briggs to sit on the sidelines and watch his teammates wrestle in the Big Ten tournament and move on to the nationals. Not a quitter, Briggs decided his junior year would be the turning point. Over the summer, Briggs, doesn't have time to wrestle in tournaments like a lot of his opponents. The blond grappler came from a family of 13 kids, so he worked for a family friend and helped around the house as much as he could. When he came back in the fall, then he put his mind to wrestling. Something was different in his junior year. Briggs made weight at 142 pounds whether he liked it or not. He went out anddidn't run out of steam anymore - in fact, he held on to beat some opponents in the last period. Wrestling became fun for Karl Briggs once again. The highlight of his season was at Indiana where he upset eventual Big Ten champ Sam Komar 11-5. Briggs always believed he could compete with the best and now he proved it. Briggs was seeded fourth in the Big Tens that season and lost the remat- ch with Komar but defeated Joe Amore of Iowa 5-2 to earn fourth place. Earlier in the year Amore decisioned Briggs, but in the tournament, the Wolverine grappler held on to win - wrestling his third match of the day. This meant that he had to watch his weight for two more weeks so he could wrestle in the nationals at Norman, Oklahoma. Briggs lost there, but just being in the competition was enough impetus to push him on for his final year. The affable Briggs spent the summer back in Linwood, working eight hours a day preparing for his final year at Michigan. The coup de gras, as he might say! Win with aggressiveness Briggs finally moved up in weight and felt very comfortable at 150 poun- ds. He wrestled well and won 13 of his first 17 matches earning him a national ranking in the country. As the tenth best wrestler in the country at 150 poun- ds, Briggs will be forced to move up a weight class so Mark Churella can defend his national title. In wrestling against bigger opponents, Briggs hopes to beat them with his aggressiveness. Desire and determination can go a long way towards the captain's success. Having this year's Big Ten Championships in Crisler just spurs Briggs on that much more. After pondering what wrestling was worth to him many a time, his career has come down to one final month of competition. Briggs will give it his best at 158 pounds, but one figure stands out in that class - defending champion Lee Kemp of Wisconsin. In the meantime, Briggs has a chance to get some of the recognition he hasn't received during his career. He wrestles in the shadow of Churella, much like his roommate Ed Neiswender did last year when Mark Johnson gained most of the attention. The lack of acclaim never bothered him, but like anyone else he would like to get some recognition when he earns it. For Briggs, the chance is right here. And for a guy with as big a heart as Briggs - don't count him out of the race for the 158-pound title. He's been counted out before and has come back to surprise various people. One thing is for certain - after all he has gone through, Briggs won't =leave anything on the mat. Gyordie 11anpson SANS SOUCI large furnished 1 and 2 bed- room apartments available for fall occupancy Located across from U of M stadium Bus Service every 15 minutes from Hoover St. to State St. call 995-3955 visit resident manager at apartment K-1 DON'TWAIfTToo lATE-SUBLET NOW -- -- - IIA uPrint or Tpe legiblin P 1 idtgan ublot the space provided, 1 I I upplenieot the copy as you would like it to appear.1 (ACTUAL SIZE OF AD) I ' NAME__ I ADDRESS _ I PHONEI 1 Mail or Bring in Person with payment to: 1 420 MAYNARD STREET , t MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: THE MICHIGAN DAILY 1 1 1 ONLY $8 before 5:00 p.m. March 3.1978I 1 ($10 from March 4 to March 20) STUDY IN GUADALAJARA, MEXICO The GUADALAJARA SUMMER SCHOOL. a fully accredited UNIVERSITY OF ARILONA program, offers July 3- August 11, anthropology, art, bilingual education, folklore, history. political science, Spanish language and litera- ture. ntensive Spanish. Tuition: $245; board and room with Mexican family: $285. For brochure: GUADALAJARA SUMMER SCHOOL. Alumni 211, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721. (602) 884-4729. Hockey Poll Team Record 1. Boston U. (7)...........19-0 (tie) Denver U. (3)......23-4 3. Wisconsin ............. 20-6-3 4. Cornell................ 13-4-1 5. Michigan Tech ....... 18-10 6. Minnesota........... 19-8-L 7. Boston College..........15-5 8. Bowling Green.........19-7 9. Clarkson ............... 14-8 10. St. Louis .............. 18-11-1 Pts. 93 93 80 61 57 47 40 36 20 13 INTENSIVE JOURNAL