The Michigan Dily - Friday, October 26, 1984 - Page 11 'M' ruggers in select tourney 0 b r t t t R b r r a t ! r 9 4 W t r 4 i i N i 6 1 A k d R 9 4 A Eight competing for spots on All-Midwest rugby squad By DOUGLAS B. LEVY Riding high are eight members of the Michigan men's Rugby Club. These eight men have been selected by a state rugby committee to represent the state of Michigan this weekend at the Midwest Select-Side Tournament. THE SELECT-Side tournament is a round robin event, pitting 20- member teams from each of 14 Midwestern states against one another. All the Big Ten states are included in the event. Of the 20 players representing the state of Michigan this weekend in Milwaukee, Wis., where the tournament is to be held, eight play for Michigan's club. They are forwards Ken Hawk and Dan Masalino; backs Jeff Hagan, John Hartman, Dale Tuttle and Mike Lisi; half Dave Weber; and Walter Bodden. The other 12 members of the state squad come from Michigan State and Northern Michigan and the city clubs from Detroit, Traverse City and Flint. THE OBJECT of the Select-Side tour- nament is to find a final group of 20 superior ruggers to represent an all-Midwestern team, "It's really tough playing in this kind of The Club Sports A Midwest committee will select the top 20 players from the 280 who participate. "The team that wins will get the most attention," said Hawk. Last year the team representing Michigan finished in third place. ACCORDING TO Hawk, all eight from Michigan's club have a good shot at making the all-Midwest team. Michigan's top player is, perhaps, Hartman who has made the National team for the last two years. Weber, the captain of the team, and backs Hagan and Tuttle are also top notch competitors. The 20 ruggers who emerge from this weekend will represent the Midwest in a later tournament which will consist of teams from the East, South and Pacific Coast. From that tournament a National team will be chosen, consisting of 20-25 players. The U.S. National team tours during the summer months. Last summer the National team competed in England, Ireland and France. In summers past, the U.S. rugby team has also traveled to Australia and South Africa. "We're pretty psyched," admitted Hawk. "We've got some excellent players. I. situation," said Hawk, who is the president of the Michigan club. Michigan's eight players have never played with the others. "We'll have to run real basic plays," said Hawk. Photo courtesy of NATHANIEL ABRAMSON Dick Wiener, Bill Silver and John Tayer look to smother Shareef Mahdavi in a rugby scrimmage last spring. Eight of Michigan's top ruggers will be in Milwaukee, Wis. this weekend at the Select Side Tournament. 'M' RUNNER FINDS STAMINA: Schroeder knocks down walls By MARK BOROWSKY Sue Schroeder vividly remembers her first Big Ten Cross-Country Cham- pionships. The memories, however, are not pleasant. "I was expected to finish in the top ten, but I hit a wall with about 400 yards to go. Everyone passed me ... I wasted for a week." THE "WALL" Schroeder referred to is the long distance runner's nightmare; it is the point of sudden and complete physical exhaustion. Schroeder was in ninth place when she hit the wall and fell to finish 22nd. Michigan, the favorite in the '81 Championships, came in third. But these days Sue Schroeder is crashing walls, not crashing into them. With a summer of vigorous weight training, the junior from Napoleon, Ohio has left her problems (not to men- tion opponents) in the dust. Schroeder's problem was that she would fade dram- tically near the end of a race - indic- tative of a lack of strength. "In the past she had been a weak type of runner," says Women's Cross- Country coach Sue Parks. "Her fresh- man and sophomore years she pretty much stuck with the leaders until the end. Her strength was her weakness." COMBINE Schroeder's newfound physical strength with a half-miler's speed and fierce competitive drive, and you have the recipe for a standout distance runner. Schroeder will have the opportunity to prove the formula tomorrow in West Lafayette, when Purdue hosts the 1984 womens' Big Ten Cross-Country Championships. Schroeder has been virtually un- beatable in the short cross country season, finishing second only in the opening meet, the Western Ontario In- vitational. Last week at the Bowling Green Invite, she was told by coach Parks to "take it easy," which she did - and won by 49 seconds. Earlier, at the Purdue Invite (site of the Big Ten meet), Schroeder came in at 17:04, only four seconds off the course record. Successes Such as these came naturally to Schroeder before college. The first time she ran the half mile (in seventh grade), she broke the school record. Between her sophomore and senior years in high school, Schroeder was All-State, finishing second in the Ohio state Cross-Country meet her senior year. Schroeder was All-State in track her sophomore and senior year, setting school records in the mile and half-mile. UP UNTIL now, her two years in college had been a different story. Besides fading away in the Big Tens her freshman year, Schroeder suffered a heel injury her sophomore season and was out for most of the season. When she tried to come back that year it was too soon; she finished 42nd out of 60 in the Big Ten Championships. Things began to turn in the spring of '84, as she finished third in the Big Ten in the 1,500 meters. She continued her success by qualifying nationally in the 1,500 and 3,000 meters. "Most people from the other schools didn't exnect me to do well because of one of the favorites to place in the top five in the conference. The odds-on favorite is Wisconsin senior Cathy Branta, who is the defending champ and nearly made this year's Olympic squad. To upset Branta, Schroeder will have to run her type of race, staying up with the leaders for the first mile (of 3.1 miles), then slowly pulling ahead and away. Purdue's hilly course is well suited for this type of tactical race - "It's not a fast course," said Schroeder. "If they (the other runners) try to run a fast race, I'll be surprised." If it does turn out to be a fast race, count on Schroeder's competitive desire to take over. Although quiet and self-retiring, she admits to letting her emotions sometimes getting the better of her. "Once I get into a race, it's like an instinct. When I see someone ahead of me I feel that I have to get ahead of them." "Sue is really quiet," says coach Parks, "but once she gets into a race she's a different person. She lets her running speak for herself." S AT.OTf "4 MAP kLEY S IVLL+. Purpose CAST CouarYAD* (A gD tott Schroeder ... goes for Big Ten title my injury and because of my strength," said Schroeder, who, at 5-5 and barely over 100 pounds, is more likely to be mistaken for a college jour- nalist rather than a college athlete. EVERYONE now will be taking notice this weekend, as Schroeder is I'e Eiipn s at. Sa Datig Eita Make a real difference in your final draft.... with aSmith-Corona Typewriter Rental The electronic portable with one touch memory correction ! Rental fee is only $20 per week or $45 per month. bw 2 Exceptional Smith-Corona models at reasonable rates! J( --__. . ,--. O The Coronomatic correctable electric rents at only $14 per week or $35 per month. The Official Student Bookstore of the Universitvof Michigan