Wednesday, Februdry 18 1976

THE MICHIGAN DAILY

Pcge Sever

Wednesday, February 18, 1976 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Sever

Churella controls college foes


LOWN
DEAD

By RICK BONINO 1
When Mark Churella was aj
Farmington High freshman, he
heard others speak in awed
tones of a formidable senior
wrestler named Steve Rodri-
guez. "I'd like to have a go at
him," Churella thought.
Four years later, as a Michi-'
gan freshman, Churella niade
his home and Big Ten debut
against Michigan State after
pinning two of his first three
collegiate opponents. His foe:
Steve Rodriguez.
After three minutes, a prone
Rodriguez saw the referee's
palm pound the mat to indicate
another Churella fall.
Churella and the former
Michigan wrestling captain's
son tangled again in East
Lansing two weeks ago. This
time, Rodriguez stayed off
his back a mere minute long-
er.
Between hearing of Rodriguez!
and facing him, Churella had
establishedhimself as onehof
the nation's outstanding highI
school grapplers. By their sec-
ond meeting, the Wolverines'
smallish 150-pounder had prov-
en he could continue his suc-
cess at the college ,level.
Relaxing in the Georgetown
subdivision residence he shares"
with his brother, Churella, an
avid television watcher, discus-
sed his wrestling career be-
tween the Three Stooges' slap-
stick antics.

"I was confident coming into
school or I wouldn't have won
any matches this year," Chur-
ella said. "The transition from
high school to college is usually
pretty big, but I wrestled a lot
of matches against college guys
in summer tournaments.
"High school credentials
alone mean nothing," he con-
tinued. "If you come out of
high school in any sport and
expect to tear up the world,
yot're in trouble."
While he's shredded ' his
share of foes, Churella hasn't
torn up the wrestling world
yet. Despite his forcefulness
and control on the mat, he stilli
has problems on his feet, par-
ticularly with takedowns.
Once Churella gets his man
down, though, his skill anal
s t r e n g t h become
evident. During duller dual
meets, much of the already
meager crowd depart after
his usual high-scoring, fast-
paced performances.
Statistically, C h u r e 11 a ' s
record speaks for itself - 17
i aln w nt :'i;. n v.t.~c

pionship in his final season.
Michigan won the recruiting
war for reasons of convenience
(45 minutes from Farmington),
an off-campus freshman living
option and the low-key ap-
proach of Johannesen and as-
sistant Cal Jenkins.
Now, Johannesen and Jenkins
are counting heavily on Churel-
la to help them win another
battle, the Feb. 28-29 Big Ten
tournament hosted by defending
conference and national cham-
pion Iowa.
Churella, who prefers tourna-
ments to dual meets and large
crowds to the Michigan variety,
will get a taste of both - as
well as opportunities for some
timely revenge - at the confer-
ence championships.
"I want to beat Iowa's
Chuck Yagla," Churella said,
competiveness bubbling be-
neath his normally subdued
exterior. "I'm not intimidat-
ed by Yagla just because he's
a defending national cham-
pion."
t "I'd likebto wrestle (Minne-
, sota's Bob) Schandle again,
too," Churella said of his other

'NCAA

R ARA 'HARA.
tournaments

ommmm

S

... who's best?

YES, IT'S JUST what you were afraid of, NCAA Tournament
Time! That's when 32 teams, whose identities must remain
secret until revealed, fight it out for the National Basketball
Title in a single elimination tournament. Qualifying for this
tournament is something of a hit-or-miss proposition but most
conference champions automatically gain a berth. Independents
and second-place teams are invited to fill the field.
Who'll go this year? And who'll win? Well, since you asked,
what follows is the inside scoop.
The eight team Mid-East regional will be the toughest 9f the
four.- Big Ten kingpin Indiana will join powerful independents
Marquette and Notre Dame as well as the SEC champion to
dominate this regional. Alabama is considered the favorite to
capture the SEC crown, though Tennessee still has a chance.
Indiana will probably escape this lion's den 'though not un-
scathed.
How about Rutgers?
The second-strongest regional will be the Eastern entry, due
to the intimidating presence of the ACC title holder and the
Scarlet Knights of Rutgers. Yes, Rutgers. The Knights have a
perfect record and although they seldom play any powerhouses
they seldom have a close game either.
They will run afoul of the North. Carolina Tar Heels, however,
if the Carolinians don't get torpedoed by the Maryland Terrapins
in the ACC tournament. Despite this menace, North Carolina
should prevail as the Eastern region champ.
The Mid-East and East will send their excess strength to
the Western regions via invitations to second-place teams. NCAA
rules provide that two teams from the same conference may

Suai meeut win in 2uImatches,I conference conqueror. "I'd give
including four superior deci- him a little different showing
sions (eight point margin), four this time around."
m a j o r superior decisions "I like the competition of
(twelve point margin) and sev- s,
en falls. wresling the big guys,"
- sad - Churella concluded. "If you
po nts give Chure-l n ave don't beat the guys with the
age of slightly over four big names, you have nothing
points - a superior decision- in the sport."

Doily Photo by STEVE KAGAN
MICHIGAN FRESHMAN WRESTLING sensation Mark Churella (dark uniform) grinds Illi-
nois' Mark Furlong into the mat en route to a 13-1 major superior decision. Churella, who fin-
ished with seven wins in nine Big Ten match es, stands as the probable second or third
seed at 150 in the upcoming conference tourna ment.

every time he steps on the mat.

PRE-MEET FAVORITE:

"Thincladsj
By ERNIE DUNBAR verines are a heavy pre-meet
favorite. Competing against
Michigan's track team travels mainly CCC schools at the
to Eastern Michigan this week- Spartan Relays, the Wolver-
end to compete in the 50th an- ines won eight of sixteen
nual Central Collegiate Confer- I events, and placed second in
ence Championships. The meet three others.
will be held at Eastern's Bowen , Michigan's team depth should
Field House beginning with pre- be overpowering. "We'd like to
liminaries on Friday at 4:30 score in every event," said
p.m. and concludes Saturday Michigan head coach Jack Har-
with the finals at 11:30 a.m. vey. "And if things go right we
Michigan will be competing should be able to do that."
against. Michigan State, Air The Wolverines s t r o n g e s t
Force,' Bowling Green, Kent event will be the 2 mile dis-
State, Kentucky State, Penn tance medley. Dave Furst, Dave
State, Pittsburgh, Western Il- Williams, Steve Elliott and Greg
linois, Central Michigan, West- Meyer -will combine for an all -
ern Michigan and two-time de- out assault on the world record
fending CCC indoor champion of 9:39.8 currently held by Pitts-
Eastern Michigan. burgh.
" burgh. .
Although the Hurons are the Abe Butler will be tested in
defending champions, the Wol- 'the triple jump, as the field is
'Women tum blers Make
first local appearance

face

CCCls

spotted with several performers I the two mile.
who have equaled Butler's sea- Coach Harvey explained h
sonal best of 49'21". 'reasons for running in the mee
Michigan's contingent of "It's a quality meet, so it prc
hurdlers will include Charles vides good competition for us
Crouther, Arnett Chisholm Harvey stated. "Since it's tw
and Don Wheeler. The group weeks before the Big Te
of freshmen will get strong Championships it gives us;
challenges from Air Force's good chance to see how we reac
T. G. Parker and Ahart Pow- to a two day meet, whichi
ers, who finished 1-2 at the what we'll run in the Big Tens.
Spartan Relays.
I he competitors will lhax

"The team almost expects
Mark to get a fall or a su-
perior decision every time
out," said Michigan coach
Bill Johannesen. "He has a
good shot at breaking a lot
of (Michigan career dual
meet win leader Jerry) Hub-
bard's records."
Originally, Churella w o u 1 d
is have preferred penetrating re-
t. cord books more appropriate to
o- Michigan basketball center
, Phil Hubbard. An aspiring
o guard in a school with no sev-
n enth grade basketball program,
a Churella turned to wrestling
ct "just for fun" and won only
is two of eleven matches.
" The next year, Farmington's
eight-grade cage program was
ve cancelled and an improved
on Churella took to the mat more
d seriously. His efforts paid off
f with a national junior shigh
championship.
Churella's high school ca-
reer showed steady progress,
with 3-2-1 state finishes his
last three years, a national
runner-up berth as a junior
I and another national cham-

Aterfeasting on his fellow 'not play each other in the tournament until the final game.
Chellegians for three more years, Since the Mid-East champ will play the Western titlist and
bhirelaplans to ms ntake ton 80the
world's big names in the 1980 the Eastern winner will play the Mid-West survivor, my corn-
Olympics - which will also be puter-mind tells me that second-place Mid-East teams will find
Mark Churella's swan song. a home in the Mid-West bracket while the loser of North Caro-
"Wrestling takes a toll on lina vs. Maryland will travel West.
your body," Churella said. Given that situation, I expect to see Maryland jousting with
"Earlier this year, I tore up UCLA and Nevada-Las Vegas for the Western region berth.
my knee and it kept bothering Since the finals will be at UCLA, the winner seems obvious.
me. If it were not for the fact that N-LV and Maryland are both
"When I asked a trainer if better teams, the Bruins would be shoe-ins.
there was anything he could As it stands, however, Lefty Driesell will probably bring
do abolut it, hetsaid, 'Welcome his Terps to the final four for the first time. UCLA is too slow
Sto, college athletics."' TepIotefnlfu o hefrttm.UL stoso
and N-LV too dependent on sympathetic officiating to wrest the
... .... ....I top spot from Maryland.
The Top 20 ,N.C. will be No.I

211n c;UIII t:LILOr.5 will

nav

Doug Hennigar will be the more than individual titles .
Wolverines threat in the 60 yard their minds. "There's an adde
dash. Hennigar qualified for the incentive of trying to quali
NCAA indoor championships last for the NCAA championships.
week with his time of 6.1 against rcomenteCA hmet director an
Michigan State. EMU head coach Bob Parks.
Harlan Huckleby and Henni-_
gar will team up in'thi' 300, and
in the 440, James Grace and C e
Jeff MCLeod will get a tough SCORES
race from Pittsburgh's Karl ----
Farmer. a

r[

By The Associated Press
1. Indiana (60) 21-0
2. Marquette 19-1,
3. North Carolina 20-2
4. Rutgers (1) 21-0
5. UCLA (1) 19-3
6. Nev-Las Vegas (1) 24-1
7. Maryland 18-4
8. Notre Dame 17-4
9. Tennessee 17-3
10. Alabama 17-3
11. Washington 19-3
12. N. C. State 18-4
13. Cincinnati 18-3
14. Missouri 20-3
15. MICHIGAN 16-5
16. St. John's 18-3
17. W. Michigan 19-1
18. Virginia Tech 19-4
19. Louisville 17-4
20. Centenary 20-4

1,254 The weak sister Mid-West will see all of its home teams
1'64 eliminated in the first round. Second place entrants Washington,
g95 Michigan, Utah and the SEC runner-up (Tennessee, Alabama or
758 Vanderbilt) will fight tooth and nail for the title. The best shot,
601 at 50-50, is possessed by Michigan which has come within a
403 referee's whistle of winning at Tennessee and Indiana.
348 Marylandwill run Indiana ragged in one semi-final and
333 Mrln u
310 Michigan will nearly upset the Tar Heels in the other but I
219 expect an Indiana vs. North Carolina final. Indiana's headaches
165 with Michigan's assorted defenses are well-documented. Against
134 Carolina the Hoosiers will face a variety of offenses as well.
35 When not running like crazy the Tar Heels can slow to a snail's
31 pace in their famed fourcorners offense. The combination will
19 I bring North Carolina an NCAA title.

Michigan's distance entries
are loaded with talent. Jack
Sinclair, Bill Donakowski and
Jay Anstaett will compete in
the three mile, Mike McGuire
and Elliott in the mile and
McGuire and Greg Meyer in

Cleveland 112, Atlanta 92
Golden state 104, New York 96
Butalo 116, Portland 113
Los Angeles 115, New Orleans 101
Kansas City 125, Philadelphia 107
Chicago 114, Phoenix 111 OT
Washington 113, Milwaukee 112
NHL
NY Rangers 3, NY Islanders 1
Pittsburgh 6, Kansas City 1

By MIKE WILSON and Jill Slater.
After competing for over a * Uneven parallel bars-Chris
year in opposing team's gyms, Van Raalte, Sandy Laatsch,
the Michigan women's gym- Vickie Grant, Debbie Green-
nastics squad makes its first span, Shelly Harris, Burek and
local appearance ever this Sa- Summers.
turday when they stage an ex-, « Floor Exercise-Sue Rey-,
hibition 'meet at the Coliseum. nolds, Laatsch, Burek, Ginger'
According to coach Newt Robey, Kurland, Summers and
Loken, the meet is for the sole Ross.
purpose of introducingathe pub- Vaulting - Prokurat, Sue
lic to women's collegiate gym-Satn uek a ale
nastics. "It's strictly exhibition,, Stanton,RBurek, Summeaalte,
Loken said. "The women have The exhibition begins at 4 p.m.
have been working h.rd any right after the men's basketball !
" bgame and admission is free.
improving every week."
Women's gymnastics finally
became intercollegiate last fall
after being considered a club What type of people
sport the previous year. In this
1975 season the Maize and Blue
tumblers finished seventh at the
Big Ten meet last December,
second in the Western Ontario
Invitational in January and first
in the Northwestern Invitational (
two weeks ago. !
In another week, the Wolverine\
women face Eastern Michigan
in a dual meet at Crisler Arena,W "
while the men face Indiana at
the same time and place.
Particilfating in the exhibition
meet on Saturday will be:
* Balance beam-Nancy Kur-
land, Lisa Prokurat, Sue Rey-
nolds, Sandy Burek, Linda La-
atsch, Dot Summers, Laura Ross

i

Sexuality

& Special
A WORKSHOP

People-

DR. MATT TRIPPE-Facilitator
Friday, Feb. 20 at 1:30

A. B.C. room
Washtenaw Intermediate
School District
1819 S. Wagner Rd.
Ann Arbor

U.M.C.E.C.
sponsored
FREE REFRESHMENTS
Info: 763-2374

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