Page 10-The Michigan Daily - Friday, November 9, 1990
X-country
heads for Districts
Men runners shoot for Badgers, NCAA
by Kevin Sundman
What a difference a year makes.
Last year, the Michigan men's
cross country team suffered through
a disastrous ending to their season.
In their two biggest meets of the
year, they finished eigtth in the Big
Ten meet and an embarrassing 18th
in the NCAA District Champion-
ships.
"I told them after that race last
year that they weren't an 18th place
team," coach Ron Warhurst said,
"and that if they wanted to be
champions, they had to think like
champions."
Throughout the 1990 campaign,
the Wolverines have heeded these
words on their way to becoming one
of the nation's best squads. The team
has fared well all year against ranked
competition, compiling three invita-
tional victories. These wins should
give the Wolverines the confidence
they need going into their biggest
meet of the season.
Thirty-five teams will toe the
line for the NCAA District IV
Championships this Saturday in
West Lafayette, and only three will
advance to the NCAA Champi-
onships next weekend.
"We have faced good competition
and done very well, so I don't foresee
any problems competing at this
level," Warhurst said.
The Wolverines main competi-
tion for the title will come from Big
Ten champion Wisconsin, MAC
champion Eastern Michigan, and Big
Ten powers Michigan State and Illi-
nois. But, in essence, this is a two-
team race between the Badgers and
the Wolverines, who were separated
by just three points at the Big Ten
meet.
"Two weeks ago, we thought we
could beat them," said Warhurst.
"Then, we came so close to
winning. Now we know we can beat
them."
Warhurst and his runners also
noted that the length of the course
could play in their favor. The race is
being runat a distanceof 10,000
meters instead of the usual 8,000
meters. Because of the team's prior
success at the increased distance,
they feel the longer race could be to
their advantage.
Representing the team will be
senior Brad Barquist, who placed
third at the Districts two years ago,
junior Tony Carna, and senior Jeff
Barnett. This trio is key if the team
is to avoid a repeat of last year's dis-
appointment. Rounding out the
lineup will be junior Matt Smith,
junior Dan Oden, frosh Shawn
Mackay, and sophomore Jason
Colvin.
"This week, we are running more
relaxed," Barquist said, "and because
of this, I feel we will race more re-
laxed. This should result in stronger
performances."
When asked what words of wis-
dom he had for his team this week,
Warhurst had only one thing to say:
"Champions don't choke."
Badgers stand between women and
by Jim Foss
Daily Sports Writer
The University of Michigan
women's cross country team is
looking to settle a little score. The
only obstacle between the squad and
an automatic berth in the NCAA
Championships is a Wisconsin team
that narrowly defeated the Wolver-
ines the Big Ten Championship
meet two weeks ago.
With that third-place finish in
mind, Michigan heads to West
Lafayette, Indiana this weekend to
compete in the District IV Meet. Big
Ten teams traditionally dominate the
5000-meter course, and Michigan
coach Sue Foster feels that this year
will be the same.
"Indiana is expected to take first
just like at the Big Ten's," she said.
"We are hoping for second or third
place. We were only ten points
behind Wisconsin at the Big Ten's,
and if we run well, we are certainly
capable of second place. Wisconsin
is beatable."
Coach Foster described the course
as comparable to the one in Minne-
sota which served as the Big Ten
Championship site. Because the size
of the field is increased with the
addition of Eastern Michigan and
Central Michigan, along with teams
from Illinois and Ohio, the course
should be a factor in the race strategy
which the Wolverines will employ.
"We hope to get out a little faster
than the Big Ten meet," Foster said.
"But when we look at the course, if
it seems tough, we might have the
runners sit back and then move up
like we did at the Big Ten meet."
'We hope to get out a
little faster than the
Big Ten meet
-Coach Sue Foster
The top two teams in the meet,
plus the top three individuals who
are not on those teams, qualify for
the NCAA National Championships
in Knoxville. Though hoping that
TCAA bid
the team itself could qualify by
taking second place, Foster is also
optimistic about the chances of
Michigan's top runners taking the
individual slots.
"Molly (McClimon) and Amy
(Bucholz), depending on the course
and the weather, could be in the top
five overall with about the same
times they had at the Big Ten meet,"
Foster said. "They could end up
qualifying themselves."
The Wolverines are still in good
shape if they take third place at the
District meet. Ranked 13th in the
nation, Michigan has shown the
NCAA Bid Committee it is worthy
of strong consideration for an at-
large bid to run in Knoxville.
by David Kraft
Daily Sports Writer
Michigan men's water polo coach
Scott Russell points to the hardships
of sleeping on hotel room floors
every weekend.
Sophomore Paul Murray men-
tions the difficulties of studying on
seven hour car trips.
These are only two of the many
hindrances the Michigan men's water
polo team will face this weekend as
they travel to Evanston, Illinois to
defend their title at the Midwest
Regional Championships.
The match will mark the 23rd
time in 24 games the Wolverines (6-
5-1 Big Ten, 11-12-1 overall) have
competed on the road.
Coming off a third place finish at
the Big Ten Championships last
weekend, Michigan will enter the
eight team, single-elimination tourn-
ament as the No. 3 seed. Only
Wisconsin and Indiana, the top two
finishers respectively at the Big
Ten's, are ranked ahead of the Wol-
ANN ARoRl2 1
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Michigan water polo coach Scott Russell leads his squad in defense of
the Midwest Regional Championship title this weekend.
Michigan water polo
looks to defend title.
WEEKEND
MAGAZINE
Fridays in The Daily
763-0379
Ware visits
Ann Arbor
From Staff Reports
GOODRICH QUALI
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READ
DATLY
CLASSIFIEDS
Just two days after being named
the Lions' starting quarterback,
Andre Ware will make a cameo
appearance in Ann Arbor. Ware and
his agent, attorney Leigh Steinberg,
will speak on the sports law field in
Hutchins Hall room 150 at 4:00.
nutty
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November
MALCOLM
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verines.
The first opponent awaiting
Michigan is seventh-seeded Miami
of Ohio. Although the two teams
have yet to meet, Michigan feels
confident of an easy first-round vic-
tory.
"We haven't played them
(Miami, Ohio), but considering their
perfomances against Big Ten teams
that we have faced, they are not a big
concern," coach Scott Russell said.
Should Michigan defeat the
Redskins, it would in all likelihood
meet Indiana in a semifinal grudge
match. Last weekend, the Hoosiers
narrowly defeated a lackluster Wol-
verine squad in Bloomington by a
controversial 12-11 count.
After the match was over, the
victorious Indiana squad shouted,
"Nobody beats us twice"- referrin,
to a regular season rout at the hand@
of the Wolverines.
"We look foward to a rematch
with Indiana. This time, there will
be no problem getting psyched"
Russell said.
The weekend's competition will
also conclude the playing careers of
seniors Keith Cox and Dan Varner.
"We have relied on Keith and Dan
tremendously," said Russell. "I hope
they end their careers on a high
note."
MSU
Continued from page 1
Ron Mason.
The Wolverines (6-2-0) are off to
a quick start after being ranked
second in the CCHA preseason poll.
Last weekend the team showed signs
of struggle though, splitting a seniesWF
with perennial underdog Ferris State.
"We want to be sharper on of-
fense this weekend," said Berenson,
"but I think the important part of
our game is the defense. If we're
doing a good job defensively, the
offense usually kicks in."
The Spartans, who were ranked
first in the preseason CCHA poll,
have displayed a few chinks in thei,
armor this season, most notably
losing a pair of home games last
weekend to Bowling Green.
"We started the season real flat,"
said Mason. "We're just trying to
work hard, and we're coming up
short. That's been our Achilles' heel
so far."$
The toughest competition the
Wolverines have faced so far this
season has been a split series against
third-place Bowling Green. Four of
the team's wins have come in
sweeps over eighth-place Miami and
Illinois-Chicago, who are
floundering in last place.
Berenson, who cites the favorable
schedule and a few good outings as
reasons for the Wolverines' first
place standing, is taking nothing for
granted this weekend.
"We have a lot to prove," Beren@
son said. "In a month from now, if
we're in first place, we'll deserveto
be there. Right now, I don't think
we've earned it, in the sense that we
haven't beaten Lake Superior or
Michigan State.
"Not that I don't think we car.
contend," Berenson added. "It's jst
that we can't become comfortable in
first place."
Only four points separate the
is coming.
0 0
fovember 30, 1990
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