Women's Basketball
vs. Northwestern
Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Crisler Arena
rhe Michigan Daily

SPORTS
_Thursday, January 22, 1987

Synchronized Swimming
Saturday, 1 p.m.
CCRB

Page 7


V i

SOPHOMORE DEFENSEMAN GAINING CONFIDENCE

0' onnor

making

his presence
By ADAM SCHEFTER lain Duncan of Bowling Green. threat
What a difference a year can Head coach Red Berenson feels Beren
make. that it's more than confidence that out o
Myles O'Connor can certainly has led to the drastic improvement offens
testify to that. in O'Connor's play. De
Last year at this time, O'Connor "WE HAVE a demanding more
was more of a liability than an summer program that we expect all body
asset to the Wolverines. On the players to follow. I know impor
defense, he was consistently vic - Myles did. He worked hard this He ha
timized, frequently coughing up the summer to improve physically. impro
puck in his own end of the ice. On He's not a big defenseman (5-11, pivotr
top of that, his offensive play (6- 175 pounds) by college or even pro way a
19-25) didn't exactly rekindle standards. He improved his strength it wor
memories of Bobby Orr. and was in much better physical oppor
BUT THIS year is a different condition than he was a year ago. A overm
story. O'Connor has showcased the lot of the results that we are seeing "TI
talents that made him a blue-chip now were accomplished in the when
prospect coming out of Notre Dame summer time." Calga
Academy in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. Whether his improvement is a at No
"Last year was a maturing year result of his rigorous training or his was a
for me, a learning experience," confidence level, the difference in the m
O'Connor said. "Overall my play his play has been highly noticeable watch
was not very good. This year I have at both ends of the rink. Hi
been playing with a lot more Offensively, he has become a learni
confidence and that has been the force to be reckoned with. He is O'Con
key." making timely end to end rushes, exper
That newfound confidence shooting the puck better and he can had th
enabled the third round draft choice no longer be ignored on the power to bel
of the New Jersey Devils to score play. All this adds up to more to bec
four goals this past weekend against offensive output which is clearly can b
Ferris State and share player of the shown in his statistics (14-20-34). WI
week honors in the CCHA with "He has become much more of a jinx a

felt
t this year on offense,"
son said. "His presence is felt
n the ice. He is just a better
ive player."
fensively, he is playing with
authority. He is taking the
effectively and more
tantly clearing his own zone.
as been greatly aided by his
ved skating and his patented
move in which he fakes one
nd spins the other way. When
rks, as it often does, it leaves
cents looking as if they were
atched.
hat's a move I used to do a lot
I was growing up," the
ry native said. "When I played
tre Dame High School, there
another defenseman who had
iove down pretty good..Just
ing him do it helped me."
s days of watching and
ng are far from over though.
nnor knows this and after
iencing the success that he has
his season, there is no reason
ieve that he will stop working
come the hockey player that he
e.
ho ever heard of a sophomore
nyway.

Daily Photo by JOHN MUNSON
Defenseman Myles O'Connor sets up to take a slap shot in a recent game. O'Connor is Michigan's third leading
scorer with 14 goals, and 20 assists.


Lanphier not horsing around

051, Hopson take out

By JIM DOWNEY
In an age where legislation such
as Proposition 48 is necessary and
the idea of the student-athlete heads
toward mythical status, the story of
Nick Lanphier is refreshing.
Lanphier, a Wolverine gymnast, is
one of those rare breeds who excels
at both.
Lanphier, an LSA honor student,
is an all-around performer who
specializes on the pommel horse.
"It unintentionally became my best
eyent," said Lanphier. "I tend to be
conservative in{ my style, meaning
that on events such as the high bar,
when I'm 12 feet up, I lay off a bit.
'But on the pommel, which is lower
to. the ground, I don't hold back at
all."
Coach Bob Darden attributes
Lanphier's success to his work
ethic. "It's Nick's tenacity," said
Darden. "It reflects both in his
approach to academics and athletics.
Everybody has some natural talent,
but Nick has had to work at it. He
garners a lot of respect on the team
because he works so hard."
THE OPINION is echoed by
team members. "I was his
roommate as a freshman," said all-
around performer Ken Haller, "and
believe me, Nick keeps late hours.
He's very self-motivated."
Darden added that intrasquad
competition has helped develop
Lanphier's confidence. Asked if he
agreed, Lanphier said, "Definitely.
For example, on the high bar,
which I approach with caution,
when guys like Brock (Orwig) and
Scott (Moore) keep telling me I can
make it, and the coaches are telling
me I can make it, it gives me the
confidence to do the tricks."
In the spirit of team
competition, Lanphier and
sophomore Steve Yuan regularly
place sidebets of Coca-Cola on who
will score highest on the pommel
at competitions. Yuan explained
that it was a ploy started by Darden
to help push the team's top
pommel horse performers.
"It's something to get us a little
riled up," said Yuan. "It helps

motivate us to get that extra tenth."
Yuan has gotten the better end of
the deal thus far this season, but
Lanphier vows it won't continue. "I
haven't performed like I feel I can,"
said Lanphier. He added with a
laugh, "I not going to let it keep
happening."
DARDEN STRESSES that
Lanphier is an invaluable role
player. "Nick's always pulling for
the team score," he said. "He's just
a great team competitor." This is
evident when Lanphier speaks of
his hopes for the season.
"Ihonestly believe everybody on
the team. thinks we've got the
potential to hit the mid-270s," he
said. "We've had some injury
problems and we're just starting to
come around. The idea is that we
continue to improve so that we
peak in early April. By the Big
Ten's, we'll go for the win."
The soft-spoken native of
Omaha, Neb. became involved with
the sport back in the seventh grade.
Lanphier continued to develop as a
gymnast in high school under the
tutelage of Phil Cahoy, Sr., the
father of the Olympian gymnast,
Phil Cahoy, Jr.
In 1984, he captured the
Nebraska state all-around
championship and proceeded to the
regional finals in national
competition. When the time came
to choose a college, he decided on
Michigan.
Lanphier is working on an
Honors Mathematics degree, but is
not ruling out the possibility of a
non-Honors Philosophy degree as
well.
"It's tough taking graduate level
math courses plus all of the
practice, but math and philosophy
are two things I enjoy," he said.
When warned by a reporter about
the celebrity status that would
follow in the wake of this
interview, Lanphier laughed. "Oh, I
don't have time for that," he said
with an embarrassed grin. "After
this I've got to eat and get to the
library."

Gophers in
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Den -
nis Hopson launched in a half-
court three-pointer at the halftime
buzzer to put Ohio State ahead for
the first time since the opening
minutes and then scored 20 of his
34 points in the second half last
night, carrying the Buckeyes to a
93-78 Big Ten victory over
Minnesota.
The Gophers, 9-7 overall and
2-4 in the Big Ten after their
fourth straight loss, used nine
points by Kim Zurcher and 13-for-
19 shooting to pull ahead 31-18
with 6:24 left in the first half.
But Jerry Francis scored eight
points and Curtis Wilson hit two
three-pointers as Ohio State, 12-6
and 3-3 after its third consecutive

93-78 win
triumph, outscored Minnesota
22-8 to close out the half.
The spurt was capped in the
closing seconds when Hopson, the
second-leading scorer in the
nation, stole a Zurcher pass at
midcourt and let fly with a 50-
footer that swished through the
net as the horn sounded for a 40-
39 OSU lead.
Hopson then scored eight of
the Buckeyes' first 10 points of
the second half and assisted on the
basket he didn't score as Ohio
State jumped to a 50-43 lead and
slowly pulled away.
Wilson added 22 points, Jay
Burson 14, and Francis 10 for
Ohio State.


Tv UEe S & T n Ui R S


(Gymnastics Room)
When: 6:30 pm
Informative meeting on tryouts for the
1987 Football Cheerleaders Men's
Squad. For more information call Don
Triveline 763-6870

Daily Photo by JOHN MUNSON

The Michigan Student Assembly
is accepting applications for
Treasurer
Associate Treasurer
to conduct MSA's financial activities for 1987-88.
w .r - -_ t ,. .,. ... ..l it'A r f ,a5rr~~£. f...iii

Gymnast Nick Lanphier runs through a routine on the pommel horse in
preparation for a meet against Wisconsin this weekend. Lamphier, an
LSA honors student, hits the books as hard as the mats.
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