q
Page 6 - The. 1 Mi 'c(h ie-.r rhay ...- x, 4 , c , y;F.- Q V t
M'tankers seek nationalprominence
By DEBBIE deFRANCES
Lastsseason the men's swimming
team stopped a 25-year drought by
winning the Big Ten Championships.
This year, the Wolverines intend to
defend that title, and pursue NCAA
prominence.
"I think we should be able to move
up in the NCAA (Championships),"
said head coach Jon Urbanchek. "We
finished 25th, and we should be able to
replace all the people we've lost to
graduation."
MICHIGAN, which finished with a
perfect 9-0 dual meet record, lost
seven swimmers to graduation. Five
competed on the winning conference
team. Urbanchek, however, is con-
fident that a new shipment of talented
freshmen will easily replenish the
Wolverines' stock.
"Our number one recruit is Brad
Urbanchek's gang wants
two straight.
Lenge," said Urbanchek. "He is an
outstanding student, majoring in
engineering, and an all around great
swimmer."
Lenge comes to Michigan from Por-
tland, Ore. and specializes in the
sprinting and backstroke events.
TOP RETURNERS for the
Wolverines include seniors Joe
Parker and Dave Kerska, and
sophomore Greg Varner. These three,
and John Andres, who graduated
teamed to record the highest
Michigan finish in the National
Championships last year. They placed
Big Ten titles
ninth in the 400 yard freestyle relay
with a school record-breaking time of
2:57.29 minutes.
Urbanchek believes Indiana and
Iowa will give Michigan its biggest
challenge this season. The Hoosiers
finished 24th nad the Hawkeyes
finished 19th in the National Cham-
pionships.
"We edged out Indiana for the Big
Ten (last season) and they seem like
they'll be a top contender again this
year," Urbanchek said. "We still will
have a well-balanced team with good
strong swimmers so we should be able
to repeat our performance (in the Big
Tens) this year."
Urbanchek said one key to
Michigan's success will be the ad-
dition of a couple of strong divers to
the squad. Last year, lone diver Lee
Michaud had to carry the Wolverines
through the diving portion of every
meet.
a
I
Since Urbanchek, now in his fifth
ear at Michigan's helm, was a mem-
er of the squad that last won the Big
en title in 1960, last year's win was
ven sweeter for him.
With a list of skilled returnees and
ncoming freshmen, Urbanchek
nows it will not be another quarter of
i century before the Maize 'n Blue
ake another conference Champion- ... relay leader
.hip.
Urbanchek
... recruited well
.................
outlh movement leads
optimistic grapplers
... . . ..... ... . . . .
....~~~...... . . ...... .. . .. .
By PETE STEINERT
"We'll be a young team, but I
think we'll be a very talented
team," said Michigan head coach
Dale Bahr on his outlook on the
1986-87 wrestling season. "In fact,
by the end of the year, I could see
us possibly doing better in the
NCAAs than we did last year
(10th)."
Thoseare the high expectations
for a coach who lost six of 10 star-
ters to graduation, including All-
Ameicans Kirk Trost (national
champion) and Scott Rechsteiner,
but Bahr has good reason to be op-
timistic.
FOR STARTERS, junior 134-
pounder John Fisher will return to
the lineup after sitting out most of
last season with a shoulder injury.
The Flint native was 45-10 as a
freshman and finished fourth at
the NCAAs, earning him fresh-
man-of-the-year honors.
Bahr believes that Fisher's ab-
sence in the lineup last year cost
the Wolverines at least three wins
during the dual meet season where
Michigan went 8-7.
While Fisher's loss had to be low
of the season, the wrestling of
Doug Wyland ranks as one of the
highs. The Pittsburgh, Pa. native
went 35-14 his freshman year, and
he qualified for the NCAAs. His ac-
complishments made him a well
deserving recipient of the coun-
try's freshman-of-the-year award
in the 126-pound weight class.
WYLAND will probably move
down to 118 pounds for this season,
his normal wrestling weight. Bahr
thinks that Wyland definitely has
All-American potential.
Another wrestler who saw con-
siderable action as a freshman was
Joe Pantaleo at 158 pounds.
Although Pantaleo was a modest
15-13, Bahr feels he will continue to
improve.
The biggest task for the ninth-
year coach will be to shore up a
shaky middle-weight class and to
find some way to compensate for
the loss of Kevin Hill, Rechsteiner,
and Trost who combined for 118-31-
1 record in the three heaviest
weight classes.
LAST YEAR'S main weakness
came form the inconsistent middle
weights and Bahr hopes to have
solved that problem with some
heavy recruiting in that area
during the off-season.
Bahr landed Dave Dameron (126
pounds) of Plymouth Salem, as
well as Sam Amine (142) of Warren
Lincoln (142) - the younger
brother of 167-pounder Mike Amine
- and Zac Pease (150) of Bay City
Western.
Bahr is counting on hold-overs to
fill the gaps in the upper weights.
James Dye and Justin Spewock
are the front runners for 177 poun-
ds, and Jerry Curby will step in at
190 pounds.
BAHR IS high on his new
heavyweight, Bob Potokar, who is
similar in build to the departed
Trost. "I just don't think you're
going to see a big drop off with him
in there," Bahr said. "The kid is a
talented wrestler, and we look for
him to do an outstanding job."
This heavy turnover of wrestlers
will have bearing on the Wolverines'
performance in the Big Ten where
they finished third behind un-
touchable Iowa and Wisconsin in
'86.
"Usually at the Big Ten level,
you're going to have to have
juniors and seniors to win con-
sistently," explained Bahr.
"However, we feel that even
though we're going to be primarily
a freshman-sophomore team,we're
going to be a quality team."
Women
tumblers
look to
rebound
from 85's
injuries
By DOUGLAS VOLAN
"It takes time to heal old wounds," is a saying that
women's gymnastics coach Dana Kempthorn can't help
but keep in mind. After being decimated by injuries to top
performers Angela Williams, Janne Klepek, Alexandra
(Klass, and Joan Lybrook, the team finished a disappoin-
ting sixth in the Big Ten last season.
But with a new season, there is new optimism. "I'm
very excited about the team for the 86-87 season," said
Kempthorn. And she has good reason to be optimistic.
Returning for the upcoming season are sophomores
Klepek, Klass, and Amy Meyers. All three had excep-
tional freshman seasons despite injuries that hampered
them.
MEYERS WAS particularly impressive. "We relied
heavily on her this year, and she pulled through many
good all-around performances," said Kempthorn.
"Without Amy, we wouldn't have done half as well as we
did."
Lybrook, the fourth member of last year's outstanding
freshman class, has to have reconstructive knee surgery
and will probably miss the upcoming season.
Also returning for the Wolverines is senior Heidi Cohen.
"I think that Heidi will have one of her strongest years at
Michigan," said Kempthorn. "She has the talent, but she
needs to work on her confidence and her consistency."
COHEN WILL also provide the team with experience
and leadership. "She's one of my hardest workers," said
Kempthorn. "She sets such a good example in the gym."
Junior Angela Williams will try and come back from a
shoulder injury that plagued her most of last season. "I
know Ang has her sights on coming back and being
ready," said Kempthorn. A healthy Williams could mean
big things for the Wolverines, since she was their top per-
former as a freshman.
Rounding out the list of returnees is junior Karen
Ghiron who did not have a good 85-86 season. "I think
she'll come back," said Kempthorn. "The potential is
there, it just hasn't been tapped."
Freshman Jeni Hescott and Julie Duckworth will also
boost the Wolverines. Hescott was the Michigan high
school state champion of gymnastics for 1986. "She's a
very impressive gymnast," said Kempthorn. "A real per-
former."
Both Hescott and Duckworth graduated high school
with four-point averages. "I see good things for then,
both athletically and academically," said Kempthorn.
"I'm very excited about team enthusiasm and the types
of girls on the team. They are hard working and dedicated
girls. There is good team chemistry and I'm looking for.
ward to coaching them. With the talent we have, we
should finish in the top three of the Big Ten. That's our
goal."
CAGERS 14-14 IN '86:
Things only getting
better for cagers
By JEFF RUSH
The way the ball bounced in 1985-86
was upward and onward for the
women's baseketball team. Coach
Bud Van De Wege's squad showed
marked improvement, going from a 1-
17 record in the Big Ten two years ago
to an 8-10 record last year.
The team accomplished several fir-
sts in compiling an overall record of
14-14. Michigan beat Big Ten rivals
Indiana and Minnesota for the first
time ever, and also defeated
nationally-ranked Iowa.
GONE ARE STARTERS Wendy
Bradetich (16.3 points per game),
Orethia Lilly (7.7) and Sandy Svoboda
(6.5) Forward Lorea Feldman (16.2)
and guard Kelly Benitendi (6.0)
return, as does super sub Sarah
Basford, a guard.
Juniors Feldman, Benitendi and
Basford will form the nucleus of the
young Michigan team. Returning
twin towers Valerie Hall and Sharon
Sonntag, both 6-3, will provide ex-
perience in addition to their heighth.
Experience among the starters will
be lacking, but talent won't. Feldman
rebounds as well as she scores, and is
not a bad ball-handler either. Both
Benitendi and Basford
running the offense.
are adept at
i
COUPLED WITH impressive
recruiting classes from the last two
years, Michigan's returnees should
enjoy their second productive season
in a row.
Van De Wege signed five im-
pressive recruits, led by All-Stater
Lisa Reynolds, a 6-1 forward from
Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills. Reynolds
averaged 27 points and 15 rebounds
per game during her senior cam-
paign.
Reynold's high school teammate,
Tonya Powell, also will attend
Michigan. The 5-11 forward averaged
14 points and 11 rebounds per game.
Van De Wege also signed All-Stater
Joan Rieger from St. Clair Shores.
The 6-2 front-liner attended Bishop
Gallagher.
Leslie Spicer of Albion High School,
and Tempie Brown of Denver round
out the recruiting class. The 5-10
Spicer and the 5-8 Brown each
averaged 18 points and ten rebounds
per game last year.
Daily Photo by STU WEIDENBACH
Junior forward Lorea Feldman leads a young but experienced group of
players for coach Bud Van De Wege. Feldman is a talented rebounder as
well as scorer.
ROSE, ORWIG RETURN FOR 86-87:
Men tumblers out to regain glory of past
By GREG MOLSON
Under former coaching great,
Newt Loken, Michigan's mens
gymnastics program was
traditionally one of the best in the
nation. Now after three years of-
rebuilding, current coach Bob
Darden is looking for his team to
return to the glory days the
Doily Photo by JOHN MUNSON
Although the wrestling team lost ten seniors to graduation. head coach
Dale Bahr expects improvement from his squad. Here, junior William
Waters handles hisopponent against Indiana last season.
program enjoyed during Loken's
36-year reign.
Following two sub-par seasons,
Darden's young squad improved
drastically during the 1985-86 year.
Coming off a 2-7 season, the
Wolverines took their first step
toward climbing back to the top by
finishing at 9-4.
A SIXTH PLACE finish in the big
Ten Championship could have put
a damper on what was otherwise a
successful season, but Darden took
heart with the fact that his team
267.44 season average was the 20th-
best in the nation.
Darden, a former All-American
under Loken, said, "Overall I was
pleased with the season. We kept
improving with every meet and I
expect to see a lot of good things
from these guys in the future."
Darden's squad only lost two
seniors to graduation, John Ross
and Gavin Meyerowitz.
Meyerowitz was the team's top all-
around performer and was selec-
ted as one of the three Wolverines'
most valuable performers.
MEYEROWITZ will be sorely
missed, but there are plenty of
tumblers looking to fill his void.
Brock Orwig and captain Mitch
Rose were also named most
.. - A h .. ____ ____h ____ ____ ____ Ambb d ____
.4
L
! &. -d-h, -.1, Z ]'M Mdh '-'w- 7M' 'M' 7Y -Y -7' 7=7 '-'w' 'm M mdh m M 'I
T
T -qwpp'
s
valuable gymnasts for last year
and are expected to lead the team
as excellent all-around peformers
once again.
Other top contributors should in-
clude Scott Moore, the Big Ten
Champion in the vault, and Greg
Nelson, who excelled in the floor
exercise. Nelson was also
Michigan's only representative in
the NCAA Championships. Darden
also expected strong years from
Craig Ehle, Steve Yuan, and last
year's Most Improved Gymnast,
Nick Lanphier.
With the same team of steady
performers returning intact, the
Wolverines should continue to im-
prove this season.
Darden said: "The guys realize
now that they have to reorient
themselves for this year. With a lit-
tle more hard work, we should be
competitive with anyone we go up
t6
I
R UNN ERS. 3
WE WANT TO BE YOUR RUNNING STORE Y
9 Ann Arhnr's cnmnI A \ t'
"Voted Best Breakfast in Ann Arbor
k
Ak
I