The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 5, 1985 - Page 3C
Harriers
expect
'successful
fall
effort
By STEVE HERZ
Men's cross country coach Ron
*arhurst is a realist.
Prior to last year's Big Ten cham-
pionships, he said first place was out
of the question. Wisconsin, NCAA
runner up in 1983, would be too tough
for this team, Warhurst surmised.
THE COACH was correct; his team
finished second. The realist was not.
Michigan beat a depleted Wisconsin
squad but was felled by Illinois, which
surprisingly walked off with the title.
Heading into the NCAA finals, the
*ealist took over once again. "All we
can hope for is the top ten," Warhurst
said. No hope was needed as the
Wolverines glided in with a strong
eighth-place finish.
Warhurst, like any coach, will be
quick to note that last season is
nothing more than a piece of history.
And a big piece of that team is history.
GONE TO graduation are Bill
Brady and Dave Meyer, who finished
*ourth and seventh respectively, at
the Big Tens last season. Their shoes
will be tough to fill, but there will be
several sophomores vying for the
open spots. Among them will be Rollie
Hudson and John Scherrer, both of
whom are heavily recruited from out-
side the state. Hudson, an Ohio native
and Scherrer, a Maryland product,
have a year of conditioning behind
them and could emerge as tough
competition.
0 Even with the graduation losses,
assistant coach Mike Shea isn't
labelinig '85 as a rebuilding year. "I
think we'll be just as strong this
year," he asserted.
Shea is cautious to label his team as
the favorite, however. "I still think we
have to run against Wisconsin," he
said. Wisconsin is still the team to
beat." At least this year Michigan can
focus solely on the Badgers without
worrying about the Fighting Illini. As
Whea acknowledged, "Illinois is pretty
much decimated (by graduation)."
LAST YEAR the key to success for
the team, Shea noted, was together-
ness. "Last year we were the only
team that finished in the top ten
without an individual All-American . .
Stickers'
future is
promising
with
newomers
By JOE DEVYAK
"It's getting better all the time.
Can't get much worse." Maybe Paul
McCartney and John Lennon were
singing about the Wolverine field
hockey team.
Head coach Karen "K.C." Collins
knows after last year's disappointing
1-13-5 record things must get better.
With a strong group of incoming
freshmen and a number of experien-
ced players returned, things should be
looking up.
COLLINS, along with assistant
coach Andrea Wickerham, inked four
fine prospects. "We're pleased (with
our recruiting)," said Collins who is
heading into her second year as head
mentor. "We were disappointed at
first - we lost our number one recruit
- but we found another kid who filled
that spot."
A New Jersey native by the name of
Sara Clark should see some playing
time right away. "Personality-wise,
she should fit right in with the team,"
said Collins. This inside forward's for-
tes are her quickness and stick work.
Angela Thompson, another inside
forward, hails from Toledo. Always
aggressive, she has been known to let
her temper get the best of her.
Wickerham says that "her temper
can be turned into a strength" if it
is used in the right way.
ANOTHER Ohio native, this one
from Columbus, should help the
Wolverines in the scoring departmen-
t. Robin Ives, an outside forward, led
her team in scoring her senior year.
After last season's poor offensive
showing, it is no wonder that Collins
said "we're looking for her to improve
our offense."
The final recruit secured by Collins
played her high school hockey just a
stone's throw away from Ferry Field,
where Michigan hosts its opponents.
Joanne Green, a product of Ann Ar-
bor Pioneer, will provide a possible
replacement for departing goalie
Jonnie Terry, who was more often
than not the only bright spot on the
field last year. Green was heavily
recruited, according to Collins, who
added, "we're happy to have got-
ten her."
THE NUCLEUS of next year's team
will include Joan Taylor (junior-
. .'^".'Moto"y y , ","" HI
Since the sport was brought back to the University in 1971, the men's
cross-country team has consistently been one of the nation's best. This
year should be no different for the Wolverine harriers as they challenge
for the Big Ten crown.
. which means we run well together,"
he explained.
Whether or not this year's team can
run as well together remains to be
seen. But, unlike last year's team, this
season's edition should have a star in
its midst. After an ankle injury as a
freshman, Chris Brewster bouneed
back last year to finish sixth in the Big
Tens. The junior from London, On-
tario showed dramatic improvement
in his long distance running by
making the NCAA finals in the 10,000
meters on the outdoor track scene last
spring.
"Chris is our number one man,"
Shea noted. His chances to be an All-
American-seemingly improve by the
day. And barring an injury, he should
be one of the Big Ten's toughest
athletes. But one star won't bring the
team overall success. Warhurst's
ability to mold a unit has made him a
consistent winner. The twelve year
Michigan veteran boasts a perfect
dual record, four Big Ten champion-
ships and has placed in the top ten
nationally three times, all in this
decade.
WARHURST'S ability to train
athletes has been the key to his suc-
cess. Cross Country is not a sport
where talent can carry an athlete.
"There's definitely a whole lot of
coaching that goes on," said Shea.
"Bob Vandenburg is a prime exam-
ple of a guy who didn't set the world
on fire in high school," Shea said. But
after three years of Warhurst's
tutelage, Vandenberg will be a key to
the team. Last season Vandenberg
took 19th place at the Big Tens,
showing the most improvement of any
runner. And with Warhurst's contin-
ued work, Vandenberg can only ex-
pect to get better.
It's hard to predict success for any
team. But looking at Ron Warhurst's
history, success for his team this fall
should be a reality.
Sports Information
Coach Karen Collins' squad will need some solid recruits, a little magic
and a whole lot of determinaton to reverse last year's 1-13-5 debacle.
forward), Jane Nixon (junior- MATH (MAJORS/MINORS!
forward), Maryann Bell (junior- APTITUDE) ...
goalie), and Katrina Warner You're Needed
(sophomore-link). These returners
along with the incoming freshmen All Over the
have Collins beaming. "We're going
to have a lot more depth. Physically, W orld.
we're as strong as any team around,"
Collins says. Ask Peace Corps Moth volunteers
"On paper, we should beat every why their degrees are needed in
On pper we houd bet eery the classrooms of the world's de-
team (that we play)," she said. "We telo oms of the w y
need to overcome our mental dif- veloping nations. Ask them why
ficulties and the players understand ingenuity and flexibility ore as
this and they're working hard at it." vital as adapting to o different
culture. They'll tell you their stu-
Practice begins August 26. All walk- dents know Moth is the key to a
ons are welcome. All those interested solid future. And they'll tell you
should contact the women's athletic that Peace Corps adds up to a
department for more information. career experience full of rewards
and accomplishments. AsK them
Look for this year's edition of the why Peace Corps is the toughest
team to feature more offense and job you'll ever love.
aggressive play. Both are trade-
marks coaches Collins and
Wickerham hope will become the PEACE CORPS
hallmarks of Michigan field hockey.
SCHROEDER TAKES AL L-AMERICAN HONORS:
Women harriers tough
By STEVE HERZ
Sue Schroeder is no Jesse Owens.
But blame that on her
chromosomes and not on her running
ability.
LAST YEAR Schroeder led the
Wolverines to a third-place Big Ten
finish and earned All-American
honors. Then, in the track season,
running the cross country distance,
5,000 meters, Schroeder finished
second in the nation and walked off
again as an All-American.
Believe it or not, her corss country
performance was a disappointment.
Schroeder's coach Sue Parks ex-
iained: "Sue suffered from heat
exhaustion in the Big Tens and she
never fully recovered."
Now that she has recovered, what
can Michigan expect? "Sue Schroder
has always been a better cross coun-
try runner than track. She will be one
of the premier runners in the coun-
try," Parks asserted.
EVEN WITH Schroeder's immense
presence, Michigan will still have to
*ompete against 1984 NCAA cham-
pion Wisconsin.
" "They had better watch out for us,"
Badger coach Peter Tegen warned,
"because we're not going to sit out on
our butts resting on our laurels."
Wisconsin's top runner, Katy Ish-
mael, who tied for the Big Ten cham-
pionship last season, is recovering
from a car accident. She suffered in-
ternal bleeding, but Tegen said,
"She's healing fine."
EXCEPT FOR the departed Judy
Yuhn, the Wolverines have their en-
tire squad returning. Cathy Schmidt,
in her last year, has focused her
summer on cross country training.
Also back are juniors Melissa Thom-
pson and Kelly Burt. Both came on
strong in their sophomore year and
will play a vital role in this year's
team.
Last year Michigan failed to qualify
from Michigan's district. This year,
three teams will come from the
district. And with the Wolverines
hosting the Big Tens this fall,
Michigan should find itself making a
journey to the NCAAs in a few mon-
ths.
With the Badgers coming off two
straight Big Ten titles, they must be
considered the favorite. But Tegel
refuses to label his team the best. "I
don't think you can pick a favorite in
our conference," he said.
Tegel is concerned about the
Wolverines and Sue Schroeder in par-
ticular. "I feel that she has improved
tremendously," he said. "I don't
think Sue Schroeder is going to roll
over and play dead. She may well be
the Big Ten champion."
Nobody is handing a Big Ten cham-
pionship to the Wolverines, least of all
Tegel, but with Sue Schroeder ador-
ned in Maize and Blue, Michigan
could very well run out and capture
the championship itself.
L "
Schroeder
. long-distance ace
i
" Two convenient campus locations
" Eleven NBD 24-hour Banker
locations
" Experienced help with
Guaranteed Student Loans
" No-service-charge checking with
$299 minimum statement
balance; $5 monthly service fee
if below minimum balance