Tfie Michigan Daily. SPORTS Thursday, October 7, 1982 Page 9 FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT FOR WOMEN LINKSTERS Cherney leads freshman golf crop By TAM BENTLEY What happens when a team starts the season with only three returnees, seven freshmen and a new coach? Answer: The team can only get better. , "I'm sure we'll improve a lot next year, but it might be hard because we'll lose Karyn (Colbert) and she's really good," said Luanne Cherney, one of the squad's new freshmen. "But the rest of us will be together for awhile so in two years we should be really strong." Cherney, who consistently shot in the low eighties this season, alternated with Sandy Barron playing spots two and three on the team. "She's valuable to the team because her score counts every time, it's just a matter of her getting confidence in her ability," said rookie coach Sue LeClair. "She's played well but not up to her potential because at the start everyone was nervous. They (the freshmen) hadn't been faced with that type of competition before." THE GIRLS are much more competitive in college golf, since the caliber of players is much higher, ac- cording to Cherney, who was a standout for the Birmingham Marian high school team. "There's more of an importance on competition in college," she said. "But for me, this year has been a learning experience. I'm happy with the way I'm playing-of course I'd like to play better-but con- sidering all the adjusting with school and everything else, I think I'm doing okay." The Bloomfield Hills native says her goals for the next year are simply to break an 18-hole score of 80 consistently. "I don't really want to be number one, I want to keep the team attitude we have now where we all play together instead of for the individual;" said Cherney. "I just don't want to go into a slump or go backwards." Other than golf, Cherney holds a great importance for education, which she claims comes before her golf. Undecided as yet on a major, she feels she has too many interests now to decide, but thinks the Business School or a Communications major are possibilities. A CAREER in golf also holds an interest for Cher- ney. "I would like to pursue golf and tour pro but I don't know if I'm good enough. It's going to take summers hacking away in the pits!" said Cherney. "But you never know until you try, and I'd like to try." A brand new coach and a team full of freshmen would seem to present problems, but not for Cherney. "The majority of the team is freshmen but we're all coming in new, so we go out and try to do the best we can and try to keep it all in perspective," Cherney said. "There's more to life than golf." As for the new coach, she seems to be getting nothing but rave reviews. "If you need help she'll of- fer you advice and all," said Cherney. "She's really a lot of fun though, almost like one of the kids." Although a varsity sport takes up a lot of time, ac- cording to Cherney, there is room to work other things in too. "Golf hasn't been around too long at Michigan like at other schools, but each year, as more and more people find out about it, the team will get better," she said. "It's a commitment but I usually have time for everything. You just have to learn to balance your time effectively, and besides," joked Cherney "bread and golf-that's what I live on!" Zahn faces Brewer bats Daily Photo by JEFF SCHRIER Luanne Cherney displays intense concentration as she pitches out of a san- dtrap. Cherney is a freshman on the women's varsity golf team. Mercer not among missing Wolverines. By BOB WOJNOWSKI Contrary to reports that surfaced e'sterday, Michigan running back rian Mercer says he has not quit the Wolverine football team. An article in yesterday's Detroit News said that Mercer, a 6-2, 200-pound sophomore out of Cincinnati, was disgruntled over his lack of playing time and had gone home. But Mercer was in practice yesterday and said that he was still a member of the squad and that he had no intentions of quitting. .MERCER joined the Wolverines last ear as a highly-touted tailback, , but Ws slowed by a kidney injury and carried the ball only once for two yards. He has yet to carry the ball this season. Another promising tailback, fresh- man Thomas Wilcher out of Detroit, is apparently being given a try in the Michigan defensive secondary this week. Wilcher was considered the best prep tailback in the state last year, but the Wolverines' wealth of running backs has forced the Michigan *oaching staff to give him a shot at cor- nerback. "He has not been switched, we're just taking a look at him," said defensive back coach Lloyd Carr. It was also discovered yesterday that the, following players had left the foot- eers to test. new 'D' tonig t The Michigan hockey team will test its new defense tonight-against the Michigan hockey team. The annual Blue-White game will showcase coach John Giordano's reconstructed defense against a stronger offensive team than the fans saw last season. This year's squad returns last season's top two scorers in center Ted Speers (23 goals, 16 assist, 39 points in 89 1-82) and left wing Brad Tippett Q14- 2-36). The defense, however, will have only three players with Michigan ex- perience, and is therefore out to prove itself tonight. Mike Neff and John Hawkins will spearhead the defense along with Michigan-Dearborn transfer Al DiMar- tino and a group of untested freshmen. Jon Elliott, last year's most colorful rookie, and sophomore Mark Chiamp, who played well during the preseason, ill share the goaltending chores. ball team sometime during the first four weeks for various reasons: Sophomore offensive tackle Bruce, Brown and junior defensive back Harry Gosier (both academically ineligible), with receivers Earl Allen and Ricky Davis and linemen Robert Dana and Mike Odioso (quit for personal reasons). By JIM DWORMAN What will it take to beat the powerful Milwaukee Brewers in the American League playoffs? "A lot of luck and a lot of runs," says the California Angels' Geoff Zahn. "To pitch against them you really just try to keep it in the ballpark." AND ZAHN should know. The Michigan graduate has the unenviable task of pitching against the hard-hitting Brewers tomorrow night in Milwaukee. Paul Molitor, Robin Yount, Cecil Cooper, Ted Simmons, Ben Oglivie and Gorman Thomas batting one after another is enough to instill fear into any pitcher, but the man who really frightens Zahn is Don Money. Who? "DON MONEY," repeats Zahn. "He's been tough for me all along. I don't know why. If I did, I wouldn't have so much trouble with him." Fortunately for Zahn, Money is not a full-time Brewer starter. When in the lineup, he bats seventh in the order. Money aside, Zahn is confident California can overcome Milwaukee's potent offense. "All year long we've just pulled together and picked each other up," says Zahn of his teammates. "If our pitching goes bad, our hitting picks us up. When the hitting went bad, our pitching came through." INDEED it did. California's well-traveled (Zahn's with his fourth big-league team), veteran starting rotation developed into one of the league's finest and it was Zahn who led the way. Going into the 1982 season, -Zahn had managed only a 69-78 record in his nine-year Major League career. This year, his record skyrocketed to 18-8, tops on the Angels and fourth in the American League. "A good portion of it (the turnaround) is the team behind me," explains the 35- year-old. Zahn does, however, give himself some credit for the sudden suc- cess. "I did start to throw a slider this year and it's helped me a great deal. I also throw a lot more change-ups." ONE THING is certain-Zahn doesn't overpower any hitters with his fastball.. Teammate Don Baylor jokingly calls the control-oriented pitcher "a soft- throwing lefty." , Zahn refers to himself as "an off- speed, sinkerball pitcher. I move the ball around and rely on keeping it on the ground." also finds his name listed next to a 12-2 career record in the Michigan book. But school books, not record books, was the reason Zahn came to Michigan. "I was dreaming of pro baseball but I wanted the education so I would have a profession if baseball didn't work out," recalls Zahn. "I was a realist. I knew the odds of making the majors weren't good." So he left his hometown of Toledo for Ann Arbor on the advice of high school friend Jim Detwiler, then a football player at Michigan. "I DIDN'T know a whole lot about the school except for its academic reputation," says Zahn. ° "But I really like Moby (Benedict, former baseball coach) when I met him. I turned down a pro contract so I could= get an education." Zahn earned his degree, a major in physical education with minors in biology and health, in 1968 and joined the professional baseball ranks shortly thereafter. He still follows Michigan athletics and hopes to attend the homecoming football game versus Minnesota. But that's a long-range plan. Zahn's more immediate concerns involve a dif- ferent game, tomorrow's baseball playoff in Milwaukee. Occasionally, however, the ball leaves the turf. Zahn's 3.73 earned run average - solid but by no means out- standing - attests to that. IRONICALLY, ERA is the statistic which earns Zahn his most prominent place in the Michigan record book. In 1967, his last year wearing the Maize and Blue, he compiled an ERA of 1.19, ranking him second on the all-time Wolverine charts. The 6-1, 175-pounder Zahn faces Brewers tomorrow ;t I At TRW it's what we're all about. We've createdan environment encouraging people like you to define and go after -ur individual professional gt- So when you work with us, you'll get a personalized approach to your technical growth. An approach that includes . . An informal atmosphere that encourages insightful thinking. Co-workers who value the free interchange of ideas. Responsive managers who look out for your advancement. 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