Softball
vs. Michigan State
Today, 3 p.m.
Varsity Softball Diamond
SPORTS
Men's Tennis
vs. Notre Dame
Today, 2:30 p.m.
Track and Tennis Building
The Michigan Daily
WAdnesday, April 15, 1987
Page 10
Bouncing
back:
Basle rebounds from injury to
become tennis team 's top player
4
-----
I
By ROB LEVINE
A year ago, tennis player Tina Basle was in
pain, suffering from a hamstring injury. After
missing 90 percent of last season, today she
plays number one singles for the women's tennis
team, and has compiled an impressive record of
16-9 for the improving Wolverines.
That's a far cry from 1986, when Basle and the
rest of the women's tennis team, hit hard by
injuries, limped to a tenth-place finish in the Big
Ten.
"IT WAS the weirdest thing," said Basle of
her injury. "I pulled it (the hamstring) against
Western (Michigan) the beginning of March and
it wasn't that bad - I didn't even realize it. We
played them on a Saturday and we didn't have
practice on the next Monday. I came back
Tuesday and I felt a little strange. I went into the
training room and they said, 'Don't practice
today'.
"I rested it a couple of days, then played again,
and it was still bothering me. They didn't think
it was serious and I didn't think it was serious
either. But it just kept getting worse and worse
and worse." Finally, she played against Michigan
State, skipped a week, and then played doubles
the next time against Michigan State.
"That's when I really hurt it," she said. "After
that, I was on crutches for about a week."
LUCKILY for this year's team, Basle made
a more-than-adequate recovery. Paula Reichart, an
all-Big Ten standout last season, graduated,
leaving a gaping hole at number one singles.
Basle was expected to fill the position.
Head coach Bitsy Ritt said, "I thought Tina
would have to change some things in her game
to move up to number one - be a little more
patient, add topspin on her strokes, and continue
to move the ball around as she had. I think she
has made those changes to make her a much
better player."
Basle has won 11 of her last 13 matches, with
nine of them coming in straight sets. Among her
biggest wins were over Kelly Mulvihill of
nationally ranked Indiana and Linda Pursel, an
all-Big Ten performer last season as a freshman
at rival Michigan State.
"She handles pressure well," said Ritt. "And
with each win I think she's gaining more and
more confidence."
THE SARASOTA, Fla., junior played
tennis at the Nick Bolliteri Tennis Academy in
Florida, which has turned out pros Jimmy Arias,
Carling Bassett, and Grosse Pointe native Aaron
Krickstein. There Basle met Kathy Krickstein,
Aaron's sister, who worked on getting
scholarships for the academy's students. Kathy
had gone to Michigan, and recommended the
University to Basle.
"I came up here to Michigan and I really liked
it a lot," said Basle.
But unlike the other tennis players mentioned,
Basle has her sights set on continuing her
education, not on a pro career, which she
considers too hard a life for the top players.
So what does the future hold for Tina Basle?
"I really want to go to graduate school in
psych," she said. "Another thing I was I thinking
of doing is maybe working for a racquet company
or for someone like Nike.
"My education is really important to me," she
said. "That's first and foremost. I love to play
tennis in college - it's fun and everything -
but it's too iffy. If I had a secure future in front
of me, I'd probably just take that."
4
SPORTS OF THE DAILY
Williams named alternate for NCAAs
By JULIE HOLLMAN
Despite traveling to unfamiliar
territory, two sure-footed
Wolverines emerged among the
ranks of the nation's top gymnasts.
Michigan gymnasts Angela
Williams and Janne Klepek traveled
to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to take part in
the Central Region Gymnastics
Championships. The two qualified
at the Big Ten Championships for
Saturday's individual competition.
Michigan did not qualify as a team.
Williams turned in a fine
performance against the toughest
field of competitors she has seen
this year. "I was kind of surprised
by the level of competition. It was
very high- national level
definitely," she said. Nevertheless,
Williams was very pleased with her
performance, which earned her
fourth place on the vault (9.4),
eighth on the balance beam (9.3),
eighth on floor (9.3), and a tie for
tenth in the all-around with a final
score of 36.70. ~
With these scores, Williams was
named an alternate for the NCAA
national competition. If Williams
participates in nationals, she will
be fighting for a place on the U.S.
Olympic team.
Although Klepek did not fare as
well as her teammate, she also
delivered a fine performance. She
copped ninth out of 46 competitors
on the beam, with a 9.2 routine.
Three teams supplying tough
competition were Michigan State,
LSU, and host Alabama, all of
which will continue on to
nationals. The Spartans will be the
only Big Ten team at nationals.
Blue to face MSU
After a disappointing four-game
split with Minnesota last weekend,
the Michigan softball team returns
home for a doubleheader today with
Michigan State, and a series with
division-leading Indiana this
weekend.
The Wolverines (15-10, 5-3),
have been led throughout the season
by the dominant pitching of Vicki
Morrow. This past weekend was
no exception as Morrow, despite a
continued lack of offensive support,
earned both victories against the
Gophers. She pitched two complete
game shutouts, lowering her ERA
to 0.50.
Michigan's leading hitter, All -
American catcher Alicia Seegert, hit
.400 in the Minnesota series, while
Jenny Allard continued to improve,
raising her average to .320.
Michigan head coach Carol
Hutchins was satisfied with her
team's performance at Minnesota,
but realizes that it must
consistently beat the weaker teams
in the division for any chance to
win the Big Ten title.
"We expected a better outcome at
Minnesota," she said. "It was a
good series, but I think we're still
taking ourselves out of the games
with mental mistakes. This is a
key week in the Big Ten race. It
will really determine what type of
team we have."
Michigan's Morrow is scheduled
to face the Spartan's top pitcher,
Colleen Barry (2-3, 0.83 ERA.)
-BILL ZOLLA
Daily Photo by DANA MENDELSSOHN
After missing most of last season due to injury, Tina Basle has returned
to play number one singles for the women's tennis team.
Men Fetters set to
face Fighting Irish
THE PROGRAM ON CONFLICT
MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES
PRESENTS
ALFIE KOHN
"The Myths of Competition: Why We
Lost in Our Race to Win"
A scholar, teacher, and journalist who has become a leading
critic of America's obsession with competition. Author of
the highly praised book,
No contest: The Case Against Competition
Wednesday, April 15
4:00 P.M.
Lorch Hall Auditorium
Summer Jo S
for the
Environment
*Work with PIRGIM in Ann Arbor
GUS'S PIZZERIA
310 MAYNARD - (INSIDE DOOLEY'S)
665-5800
By JULIE HOLLMAN
The Fighting Irish of Notre
Dame will have quite a battle on
their hands today at 2:30 when they
challenge the men's tennis team at
the Track and Tennis Building.,
Michigan (18-2) is coming off a
four-match sweep of Big Ten
opponents, defeating Illinois,
Purdue, Wisconsin, and 25th-ranked
Minnesota. The Wolverines strong
lineup will be led by number-one
seed Ed Nagel. Nagel, ranked ninth
in the country, suffered a major
upset last Monday when Purdue's
Jim Gray surprised him by taking
the match in straight sets.
The number one singles could
again end unexpectably. Sophomore
Brian Kalbas heads the ladder for
Notre Dame and boasts a successful
career. Kalbas finished his first year
of college competition with a 19-9
singles record and an Eastern
Collegiate Championship Class A
singles title.
AT THE number two singles,
30-year Fighting Irish coach Tom
Fallon will play Tim Carr. Fallon
believes that because Carr is a left-
hander he usually has an advantage
over opponents. Against Michigan,
however, Carr will not be able to
capitalize on this characteristic, as
his match will be the battle of the
left-handers. Wolverine Dan
Goldberg, one of the team's most
consistent players and ranked 58th
in the country, will use his steady
baseline play in his attempt to
defeat Carr.
- X-L ARGE 16'
with 3 item
AND 2 QUARTS
$6.9'
OPEN UNTIL 3 A.M. ON FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS
0
" PIZZA
7s
OF POP
19 plus tax
1 exp 6/1/87
If the singles are close,
Michigan will probably have an
advantage going into the doubles.
The Wolverines have not given up
more than one doubles match
against any one team this season.
Nagel and fourth singles player Ed
Filer team up at first doubles and
bring to the court a No. 36 ranking.
Following not far behind in the
national standings are Jon Morris
and John Royer, who combine to
make the number two tandem.
If there are any question marks
about Michigan's attack against the
Fighting Irish, they lie in
conditioning. Last night the
Wolverines traveled to East Lansing
for a late match against Michigan
State, from which results were not
available by press time. Today they
will have to test their endurance and
play without a break from the road
game.
The Office
of Major
Events
presents
An Eveninc
g with
4
The Roches
Tuesday
May5
7:30 p.m.
Power Center
I
* Earn
* Learn
$200/week
grass roots lobbying
N
ll.b4
A
4)
4
Arlo Guthrie
Wednesday
Join 50 college students from across
the country in PIRGIM's campaign for /
JO STENS
A M ER I C ASCOL L E GE R IN G
May 6
7
Is
i