The Michigan Daily - Sports Monday- October 28, 1990 - Page 3
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Mills
1988 bronze medalist talks of switch from
Mike Gill
gyrmna
In the 1988 Summer
Olympics in Seoul, South
Korea, gymnast Phoebe
. ills claimed the bronze
edal on the balance
beam. She became the first
U.S. female gymnast to win
an Olympic medal in a
non-boycotted Olympics.
in the spring of 1989, Mills
retired from gymnastics
and moved back from her
raining site in Houston to
er home in Northfield,
'llinois. Mills has since
taken up competitive div-
ing and this summer
moved to Boca Raton,
Florida to train. Daily
Sports Writer Ken Sugiura
caught up with Mills last
week to discuss her new
life out of the gym and in
,fze pool.
Daily: You've been diving for a
little over a year. How is that going?
Mills: It's going well so far.
Like you said, I've been doing it for
about a year and since I've moved
down to Florida, I've really learned a
lot of new things that I think are def-
initely going to help me.
And I've started to dive some
Ilatform now too, and basically ev-
rything is going real well and I'm
excited about it.
D: Have you met any major diffi-
culties yet?
M: I guess the biggest difficulty
I've had so far is I injured my
thumb. I sprained a ligament a little
bit. But I'm pretty much recovered
from that and that's the only setback
've had so far.
D: Obviously, college is the next
step (Mills is a high school senior).
Following that, the '92 Summer
Games in Barcelona and the '96
Games in Atlanta are also future
possibilities. .
First, what schools are you con-
sidering and second, what are your
s tics to diving
feelings about your chances of get-
ting to the Olympics again?
M: First of all, I'm looking for a
college scholarship. The schools I
sort of have in mind are Stanford,
USC, and maybe Texas; I'm not
quite sure yet what I'm going to do
about that.
As for the Olympics, I think that
the '92 Olympics may not be in my
reach as of yet.
'I'm getting to travel
around the world to
meet athletes from all
over the world'
I'm looking more towards '96,
because that will give me more time
to be involved in diving and to im-
prove.
D: This summer, you decided to
leave home to rigorously pursue div-
ing in Boca Raton, Florida. What
made you decide to make such a big
commitment?
M:mWell, I went down to Boca
Raton originally just for a two week
camp. I wasn't really planning on
getting serious, or at least this seri-
ous.
But I really enjoyed myself, and I
liked the coaches that I was working
with. I liked the atmosphere of div-
ing, so I decided to stay through-out
the entire camp.
Then the coaches sort of sug-
gested about me having potential and
maybe possibly moving down here.
I went back home after the camp and
talked it over with my parents.
I decided that this kind of oppor-
tunity doesn't come to very many
people, and I thought I might as
well go ahead and try it, and go for it
and see how much I could do.
ally have anything to do with (the
fact) that we're all in sports and ev-
erything. That just sort of happened.
I don't think my parents ever got
together and (said) like, 'we're going
to have everybody excel in sports.'
But they exposed us to a lot of
and of future plans
different sports and we all took to
them very naturally.
We all decided what we wanted to
do, what sport we liked the best, and
just stuck with it. I think it's a neat
thing.
I get along with all of my broth-
ers and sisters very well. It's difficult
not being with them all the time,
but I talk to them a lot on the phone
and we really cherish the moments
when we're all together.
D: After you decided to stop
competing in gymnastics, you had
to come home to go to high school
and had to make a transition to a dif-
ferent lifestyle. What was that like?
M: That was probably the
biggest transition I've had to make,
going from gymnastics, gymnastics,
gymnastics to no gymnastics and
school.
I hadn't been in a full day of
school for awhile because of my
training, so that was a pretty big
change.
Learning that there are other
things in life, and makinga lot of
new friends, just going into a big
school like that (New Trier High
School), it's really a big change. But
I think it was nice that I experienced
that part of high school.
'It's a lot more of a
relaxed atmosphere
and I think that's one
reason why I'm
enjoying it so much'
D: Ten years from now, where do
you see yourself, and what do you
see yourself doing?
M: Ten years from now.... Hope-
fully, I will be out of school by
then, out of college.
Either that or just finishing up
graduate school and getting into the
law business. I want to be a lawyer,
so I guess that's where I see myself
in ten years.... no serious sports.
D: Both gymnastics and now div-
ing have taken, and still take up
much of your time and effort. Where
does this drive come from?
M: I think a lot of it comes from
my family, my parents. They've al-
ways helped my brothers and sisters
and myself be very focused in what
we do,
That's just helped us learn how
to be very disciplined, how to use
our time wisely. And all of that
helps when you're training in a sport
like this.
You have to learn how to be very
focused and you have to take on a lot
of responsibilities.
Moving away from home is a
pretty big responsibility that you
learn at a young age, and (so is) be-
ing disciplined with your training
and your studying.
So basically I think it stems
from the way I've been brought up.
D: As both sports require big sac-
rifices, you have had to miss out on
things the typical kid gets to do. Do
you ever think about that?
M: I think most kids miss out on
a lot of things that I'm getting to
do.
And I don't really think of it too
much as a sacrifice because I'm get-
ting to travel around the world to
meet athletes from all over the
world.
And diving isn't as time-consum-
ing as gymnastics was. (With) gym-
nastics I had to be in the gym all the
time: (It was) eat, sleep gymnastics.
(With) diving I can go to school,
a full day of school. Right now, I
just work out once a day; I'm going
to start working out twice a day.
It's a lot more of a relaxed atmos-
phere and I think that's one reason
why I'm enjoying it so much.
D: Your sisters Hilary and Jessica
and your brother Nathaniel have also
made their mark in the sporting
world, not to mention the exploits
of your adopted brothers Whitaker
and Lucas, leading Sports Illustrated
to label your family "Team Mills."
Tell me, what is it like being a part
of this family?
M: I've really loved being a part
of such a big family. It doesn't re-
Mo stars in his own
game of Jeopardy
This week's Jeopardy answer: I don't know.
This week's Jeopardy question: Why be a college head football coach?
Gary Moeller might answer the same way.
After losses to Michigan State and Iowa, the man has begun to feel the
heat. After all, he still needs 190 victories to match Bo Schembechler's
Michigan win total.
He'll sit and tell you that he doesn't feel the pressure, that he doesn't
worry about what the press, alumni, fans, and students are saying about:
him. But you can't be a human being and not feel a little sting in the
heart when people become merciless when using your name.
Frankly, the downplaying is probably all an act. Make no mistake,
Gary Moeller has confidence in his ability, confidence in his players,
confidence in the program he's instituting - but he's losing.
And that's what hurts. People question losing and losing coaches. And
that simple fact will take you off the top of so many people's Christmas
card lists.
Today, like every Monday, Moeller will appear at Weber's Inn. He'll
speak to supporters who have thrown down a pile of money to hear, over
lunch, the coach's thoughts on the previous game. He'll then move to a
smaller room to answer journalists' questions while picking away at his
own meal. He'll answer the same questions again for the radio
microphones. Then he'll be herded off to answer the same questions three
more times for each major television station in Detroit.
The past two Mondays have not been Ruby Tuesdays. The questions
have not been kind. But they're repeated over and over. That has to wear
on you. The last two weeks, Moeller has picked at his food, barely eaten.
He says food is too hard to stomach after such losses. He might be
joking, but there's a hint of sincerity there too.
Why be a head college football coach?
Why not live a life of counseling high schoolers, or owning a
hardware store, or working a 9 to 5 desk job?
The answer: I don't know.
Here are the benefits of being a head college football coach:
1. You get your name in the paper every day. ,
2. You can read comments you made like, "Indiana's a fly-around
team," or admire the poetic parallel structure of this recently-coined
masterpiece: "Just don't throw it. Don't throw it. Don't throw it."
3. On game day, the cameras might give you the chance of getting
caught picking your nose while on national TV.
4. And if you win all your games, everyone will love you.
Now, here are the negatives:
1. Work Expectations. You cat football, you sleep football, some
people might think you make love to football. You can do nothing else.
After Michigan lost to Michigan State, Moeller grabbed a bite to eat with
his family. Then he watched movies. At the office. Of the past game. No
jukebox Saturday night there. Same thing every week. Every day. Every
hour. "Do you remember your wife's name?" becomes a pertinent
question.
2. Extra Expectations. Remember about getting on TV? After
Michigan lost (the word seems to be popping up frequently today) to
Notre Dame in the darkness of the night, Moeller and the team flew back
to Detroit. From the airport in the wee hours of the morning, Moeller had
to drive to Channel 2's studios to film "Michigan Replay"-so it could be
sent out on satellite to other stations at 8:00 a.m. that morning. He drove
home and soon began preparation for the upcoming week.
The glamor of a college football coach: Film at 5:00 a.m.
3. Expectations. Pure Expectations. Michigan will not go to the Rose
Bowl this year. It just doesn't happen every year. This season, Michigan's
defense has been bruised and beaten by opponents. It also has been
decimated by injuries.
The Wolverines have not gotten the breaks. Two losses by a'point and
a referee? That's tragic. It might seem soft, but Gary Moeller does not
deserve all the blame that's been thrown his way in the past week.
Why is everyone so worried about him?
Sure, he's made mistakes. But the mistakes are not uncorrectable. The
losses are not all his fault. And if anyone believes the inane words
coming out of some peoples' mouths, that Michigan football is now dead
because Bo is gone - they should transfer out of this school.
This is not Ohio State. This is not Alabama. There is no cause for
alarm just because Michigan is no longer No. 1. In the long run, Gary.
Moeller's Michigan teams will enjoy great success.
It's not fair to the man to criticize and mount more pressure on him.
Just question his choice of careers.
Lemont wins slam-dunk
title for 2nd straight year
Mike Lemont successfully
defended his inter-fraternity slam- The day, however, belonged t
dunk championship Saturday on the Lemont, who overcame some con-
Diag in front of a crowd estimated to troversy in the final round to walk
be between 75-100 people. away a two-time winner.
Lemont, a member of Alpha In that final round, a tie-breaking
Epsilon Pi fraternity, outjumped, dunkoff was ordered even though a
outleaped and outslammed competi- ZBT dunker missed one of his
tors representing roughly 15 campus dunks. Judges felt Lemont's straiglht
fraternities. dunk to win wasn't worthy of'a
"It's always tough to repeat," game-ending dunk.
Lemont said. "But I felt good. I felt " Forced to dunk again with his
springy." championship in the balance,
Competitors were allowed two Lemont approached the 9 foot net
opening-round dunks before judges from the right side, did a 180 degree
of Sigma Alpha Mu, which turn in midair, and tomahawked the
sponsored the event, pared the field ball through as he floated backwards
down to the final round of four. by the net.
Besides Lemont, Evans Scholars, "I just took off and created. I just
Sigma Nu, Zeta Beta Tau also landed let it happen," Lemont said.
in the final four. -from Staff Reports
INM
.Two more shutouts for rugby team
Women finish season with five-game winning
streak
by Charlie Wolfe
Chalk up two more blow-outs
and a perfect ending to an outstand-
ing season for the Michigan
Women's rugby team.
The team journeyed to Athens,
hio Saturday where Ohio Univer-
ty was hosting Michigan and Day-
ton University. The Wolverines
soundly thrashed both squads by a
combined score of 60-0, culminating
4 five-game winning streak.
The first contest featured a spir-
ited rivalry between Dayton and
Michigan. According to Michigan
team president Erika Wolf, the
Wolverines were especially inspired
@ecause of a previous loss to their
Opponent.
"A year ago, in the spring, we
lost to them," Wolf said. "We had a
bunch of inexperienced rookies then,
and they basically ran all over us."
But this time the outcome was
much different. Dayton entered the
game undefeated, yet that did not
stop the Wolverines. Michigan (6-2)
won virtually every scrum-down and
ardly let the Flyers touch the ball.
"We just kind of came in and
trounced them," Wolf said.
Wolf led the way in the first
game by scoring three tries, worth
four points each. Lisa Brown, Emily
Kohner, and Melanie Jimenez ac-
counted for the other 12 points by
running in tries of their own.
The second game, however, did
not possess the same intensity as the
first one. The contest served more as
a chance for all the Wolverines to
partake in the scoring, instead of
more serious competition, as Ohio
was mainly composed of rookies.
"Ohio was a more friendly
game," Wolf said. "They were a
fairly inexperienced team anyway."
Lisa Brown won the scoring
crown in the Ohio game, tallying
three tries for Michigan. Wolf fol-
lowed with two tries, while Allison
Combs, Mena Colucci, and Sarah
Keech each scored one. Colucci and
Kohner both kicked two-point con-
versions as well.
In eight games this season,
Michigan has outscored its oppo-
nents 140-28, including six shut-
outs. The team has taken special
pride in its "brick wall" defense -
tall and unyielding and hitting you
just as hard.
Captain K.C. Bemish offered a
generous evaluation of her squad's
performance this weekend. "I think
we played outstanding," she said.
"What I was most pleased with,
though, was the fact that in the past,
we'd play down to the level of poor
teams. We didn't do that yesterday."
Bemish had especially high praise
for the rookies, who composed 12 of
the 15 players who went on the trip.
She noted the forwards had some
very well executed scores, the de-
fense was wonderful as it has been
all season and it's the best rookie
squad she's seen yet.
"That (the season-ending victo-
ries) really brought our whole season
together this weekend," Bemish con-
cluded.
Blue water polo beats
Michigan State, 11-5
by Ken Sugiura
Daily Sports Writer
Ann Arbor isn't quite Kansas,
but the Michigan water polo team
would certainly agree that "there's no
place like home."
As the club hosted its first home
match in ten years, roughly 100
people witnessed the Wolverines (8-
11 overall, 3-4 in Big Ten) paste
Michigan State 11-5- Saturday night.
Playing a variety of positions,
sophomore Paul Murray's four goals
led a balanced attack which saw six
different players tally scores for-
Michigan.
"It was a team effort. No one
carried the team," senior co-captain
Keith Cox said.
Behind Michael Winkelman's
goaltending, the Michigan defense
dominated throughout, holding the
Spartans scoreless for the entire first
half.
"Our defense was fairly solid,"
Murray said.
Playing in Pioneer High
School's pool instead of in Canham
Natatorium provided an added chal-
lenge for the Wolverines. The pool
at Pioneer has both a deep and a
shallow end, while Canham Natator-
ium's is all deep.
"It's a new game. You've got to
worry about pushing off the bottom
and getting called for it," Murray
said.
In addition, because the shallow
end allowed the players to stand and
rest, it negated theiWolverines'
decided advantage in swimming
talent and conditioning.
The Big Ten Championships this
weekend in Indianapolis provide the
Wolverines with their next chal-
lenge. The team expects to be seeded
third behind the Wisconsin and
Northwestern. Coach Scott Russell
expects a wide-open tournament.
D*O INIC
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SOCIAL WORK DAY
Thursday, Nov. 1, 1990 3-6 PM
Amphitheatre, 4th Floor,
Rackham Building
Alumni, professors, and administrators will
speak on career opportunities in social work
fThan .0 Iun~io. nn ThA Tr~avpl Panel
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