The Michigan Daily - Sports Monday -December 11, 1989- Page 7

WRESTLING NOTEBOOK
Bahr pleased with
Wolverine progress
by Jeff Sheran
Daily Sports Writer
As the open tournaments wind down and the Big Ten season
approaches for Michigan, coach Dale Bahr likes what he sees. "If you
look at our team right now, we'll have four or five guys winning 80
percent of their matches," Bahr said. This is one team goal he cited before
the season. While Bahr said the remaining wrestlers need to develop more
consistency, he added that in the open tournaments, they have shown the
necessary ability to excel this season. In addition, no Wolverine starter
possesses a losing record.
Particularly pleasing to Bahr is the performance of 134-pound rookie
Joey Gilbert. Gilbert captured the Eastern Michigan Open and Ohio Open
titles, helping him post a 16-4 record.
Sophomore heavyweight Phil Tomek has also impressed Bahr this
season. Tomek has compiled a 21-6 record thus far, quelling any fears that
Michigan could not find an adequate replacement for Bob Potokar, who
opted not to return for his fifth season. At the Las Vegas Classic, Tomek
convincingly decisioned summer training partner Kirk Mammen of
Oklahoma State, 10-3. Amateur Wrestling News ranks Mammen at third
in the nation.
CONTINUED SUCCESS: Michigan graduate assistants John Fisher
and Joe Pantalco wrestled in the competitive Arizona Sunkist Invitational
Tournament last month. Fisher won the tournament at 136.5 pounds,
while Pantalco finished third in the 163.5 division. By virtue of his
victory, Fisher earned an invitation to the prestigious post-collegiate
Tibilisi Tournament, where he will be accompanied by Wolverine
assistant coach and former national champion heavyweight Kirk Trost.
Both Pantalco and Fisher are currently working with the Foxcatcher
Club, a privately sponsored Philadelphia group that trains wrestlers for
the Olympics.
STRIKING IT RICH: Wrestling isn't the only thing Pantaleo and
Fisher have excelled at of late. During the Las Vegas Classic earlier this
month, the two met with great success at the blackjack tables. Pantaleo
pulled in $400, and Fisher won $350, after which each handed the money
to head coach Dale Bahr to prevent themselves from squandering their
winnings.
134-pounder Jeff McCollum was not as fortunate. At the Northern
Open in Madison, Wisconsin, McCollum's travel bag containing $850
worth of personal belongings was stolen from the arena. After receiving a
fair amount of ribbing for his misfortune, McCollum tried to reverse his
luck at the blackjack tables one week later in Las Vegas. At the table, a
pleasant-looking elderly woman tried to steal from him a stack of five
dollar chips. She was promptly escorted out of the casino.
THE RECORD LIES: Sam Amine (158 pounds) has compiled a 22-4
record thus far this season. But according to Amine, two of his losses
don't count. One loss came to a member of the Swedish National team
during the Eastern Michigan Open. The other came to a graduate assistant
from Northern Iowa University.
But right these to remind Amine that every loss counts was Lehrke,
whose 18-5 record also include.; two losses to ineligible collegiate
competitors who may only compete in open tournaments.
The NCAA lists Amine's official record at 22-2.

WANG
Continued from page 1
job entailed were supervising the
team, making travel arrangements,
driving the team van, and doing the
team's laundry on road trips.
But now the coaching duties have
changed. There is a travel agent who
coordinates road trips. There is a bus
driver who chauffeurs the team from
opponent to opponent. The emph-
asis has shifted towards developing a
successful squad that can remain
competitive in the constantly
improving Big Ten.
However, Wang states that the
qualifications for the job eventually
transcended Davis' own capabilities.
"She worked real hard. She has a
basic knowledge of volleyball. But
with the development of volleyball,
she fell behind the tough
competition," Wang said.
Wang credits Davis for her
tenacity in lobbying for the
construction of the Varsity Arena.
He also praises her for spearheading
the creation of full-time assistant
coaching positions in women's ath-
letics. He feels she is a capable
administrator, handling paperwork
and organizational duties very well.
But where Davis fell short is in
her preparatory coaching. "She
knows how to put six people on the
court, andpossibly knows how to
call a time-out," Wang said, but "she
has no knowledge in volleyball
technique.
"Some of her technique is wrong
and she got sensitive when I tried to
change the kids, because that relates
to her reputation, so I tried to be
very careful," Wang said.
Davis' reputation as a poor
technician created difficulties in
recruiting. Many players showed
initial interest in Michigan, but
according to Wang, their lack of
trust in Davis led them to attend
college elsewhere.
Former standout scorer Wendy
Raber, who left the team in her
junior year (1988), agrees. Several

,v~. P
Wang
months before Davis' resignaijopy
she conceded, "I feel bad telIing!
potential recruits that I know,who,
want to come here that the,
shouldn't come to Michigan,
because Davis is coach. I tk4ink
Michigan is a great school. BptLI
don't want them to play volleyba l1
here," Raber said.1%
Davis had difficulties relating toy
many of her players. During, her
coaching tenure, several students quit.
the team for "personal reasons," such;
as Raber, Laura Melvin, Ciiidy
Maloney, and Sally Mrozinski..:,.
"She's such a negative forge,'
Raber said in October. "She gives,
the team such a horrible feeling."
Wang recognized this dissenstop
between Davis and much of Ahe
team. "To a point, there's no way,
she could communicate with tle
athletes," he said. "Her credib ilily,
was gone."
Now that Davis has resignjed,,
Wang sees genuine opportunity, for
improvement. "It's very easy to .ur
the program aroundat a schoolie
Michigan. I told Jack (Weidenbiiyh,
Senior Associate Athletic Directo,
that we have good facilities, we haye,
money, and we have a good acaderqi
reputation. Then why should we be
the worst team in the Big Ten?
There's no reason,
"I know Jack cares about
volleyball very much," Wang adlc.
"He's taking the search very
seriously. This job is much more
attractive than it was five years a6."

JOSE JUAREZ/Daily
Michigan senior forward Leslie Spicer dribbles in the first half against
Ohio University. The 5' 10" Spicer amassed 10 points for the Wolverines.

BOBCATS
Continued from page 1
"Leslie has been exceptional off
the bench," VanDeWege said. "She
deserves a lot of credit. Leslie and
Tempie are kind of my Rodman and
Salley. Tempie is instant offense-and
Leslie gives you a lot of other
things as well. It's great to go to the
bench. I think our depth is really
paying off."
The Wolverines trailed only once
throughout the game. Ohio scored
first to start the game, but was
quickly pummelled by a 10-0
Michigan run. Yet the game was
never a blowout. The Lady Bobcats
clawed and scratched their way back
into striking distance whenever
Michigan could put togethera run,
much to the distress of VanDeWege.
"It seemed like every basket they
had to make down the stretch to
hang in, they made," VanDeWege
said. "We could not pull away.
That's where my jacket went flying
at one time where we had a chance to

go ahead by 12 and we gave it
away."
VanDeWege tried several things
hoping to break the game open and
get some breathing room.
"We used three different defenses
today and we used a press,"
VanDeWege said. "I think we threw
a little bit more at them than we
usually do. I think that helped. We
had to find different ways to defend
their inside game. (Ohio U. forward)
Dawn Heideman (13 points, 11
rebounds) is a great player in
anybody's league."
They did finally break away in
the final minutes of the game.
Michigan sealed away it's fifth
straight victory and isn't planning
on stopping the streak any time
soon.
"I think its a big motivator,"
sophomore Char Durand said. "In the
beginning of the season it was
important to us to start out better
than ever like this. Now that we've
already reached that goal we just
have to realize that we can't let
down."


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