Page 26-The Michigan Daily- Friday, September 6, 1991

Swimmers welcome 11 recruits VAUGHN


from staff reports


The Michigan women's swim-
ming and diving team welcomes 11
new squad members for the start of
the 1991-92 season. Eight swimmers
and three divers comprise the incom-
ing recruiting class.
Specializing in the sprint
freestyles are Jennifer Abell and
Melissa McLean. Abell is a three-
time All-Northern Virginia Re-
gional and All-Metropolitan hon-
oree, while McLean is a four-year
Michigan High School Athletic As-
sociation Class A All-State selec-
tion. Kirsten Silvester, a transfer
from Northern Michigan Univer-
sity, is immediately eligible to
compete for Michigan in the dis-
tance freestyle events. Two-time
NCAA Division II Swimmer of the
Year, Silvester won four individual
national titles in each of her two
seasons at NMU.
Adding depth to Michigan's
backstroke corps are Jennifer

Almeida and Alecia Humphrey.
Almeida earned MHSAA Class B
All-State honors three seasons at
Alma High School. Humphrey was
200 backstroke champion at the
1990 Olympic Sports Festival and
claimed the 200 individual medley
title at the 1991 Junior Nationals.
Top incoming breaststrokers are
Melissa Harris, Lara Hooiveld and
Karen Todd. Harris' prep career in-
cludes three-time All-American and
All-Michigan State honors, as well
as a 1989 state title in the 200 indi-
vidual medley. Hooiveld is Aus-
tralia's second fastest competitor in
the 100-meter breaststroke and is
currently ranked 34th in the world
in that event. Todd is a two-time
high school All-America who fin-
ished fourth in the 100 breaststroke
at the YMCA Nationals.
Adding talent to Michigan's div-
ing corps are Jill Malarney, Erin
O'Connor and Jennifer Rotondo.

Continued from page 22
in the door,"' he said. "But I still
have some doubters, so there's still
things I have to do to improve as a
football player."
MacPherson was one of those
doubters. With Russell and last
year's starter, John Stephens, hold-
ing out at the beginning of training
camp, Vaughn was given his oppor-
tunity. As impressive as he was in
practice, MacPherson was reluctant
to praise his rookie too much.
"Jon Vaughn had better take ev-
ery chance he can get. Jon Vaughn
needs it," he said. "There's no doubt
in my mind that he needs an awful
lot of work. He's a very talented
young man, but he hasn't had the ex-
perience that's necessary to perform
in this league and he has to feel it
every day. What I'm saying
shouldn't be earth-shaking to any-
one."
However, after witnessing
Vaughn's first two preseason per-
formances, MacPherson had changed
his tune.
"He's very, very exciting, works
hard, is very talented, and has over-
achieved as far as the Patriots and
their expectations go," MacPherson
said. "You couldn't ask for any-
thing more out of him.
"He's in the hole, on deck. He
will get some playing time. He's
not going to be put in the tank for a
year. No way."
With Stephens set to rejoin the
team, Vaughn will fall further

down the depth chart, getting even
fewer snaps. But he understands he
is a rookie and is willing to wait his
turn.
"My job is to spell John and
Leonard when they need a rest, to go
out wide and catch the ball, to re-
turn kicks and do all that," he said.
"So it's just to contribute to the
team. If it comes down to I only get
four carries a game, I've got to make
the most of those four carries.
"I do feel that I am a big part of
this team, so I don't look at it as,
'Damn, I don't get the ball enough,'
or anything like that. I'm just glad
we're winning right now, and I'm
getting the chance to show what I
can do."
His coaches are certain he will
continue to get his opportunities.
"He's returning, he's going to
come out of the backfield and catch
the ball, run some routes for us,"
running backs coach Bobby Grier
said. "And he'll still get a chance to
run. He's got unusual quickness and
running ability, so we'll have to get
him into the game carrying the ball
some. He's got a good future. He can
do a lot of things."
Questions remain about why
Vaughn left school so early. He
blasted Michigan coach Gary
Moeller after announcing his inten-
tions to leave, but said at Patriots
training camp that he did not have
any problems with Moeller.
He also was not having trouble
with school. Despite earlier com-
ments by his agent to the contrary,
Vaughn will pursue his degree,

through a continuing education pro-
gram at Northeastern University.
He has much to shoot for - both
his parents hold Master's degrees.
"It's not a secret or anything
that football is also like a job, and
there were times when I felt,
'Damn, I'll be glad when school can
be on my time, and I don't have to do
football and school - the two.
"Now when I go back to school,
it's on my time, it's my money, and I
can take it at my pace, and get in-
volved a lot more, and I can take
some more classes that I would like

PRESEASON TOTALS: 4 GAMES

No. Yds.:
rushing 26 118-
receiving 6 50
KO returns 7 122
REGULAR SEASON:
No. Yds.
rushing 4 9

Avg. TD
4.7 1
8.3 1
17.4 0
1 GAME
Avg. TD
2.3 0

the offense around me, and I feel I'm
that type of player. As many times
as we rushed the ball a game, I felt I
could carry the ball a lot more. I
thought I could have the ball in my
hand a lot more, and I could be pro-
ductive a lot more than I was get-
ting the opportunity."
"He was ready to go," Vaughn's
mother, Irene, said. "It was his deci-
sion totally. I'm of the belief he
was 20, 21, and I hope I've taught
my children to think for them-
selves, and it was something he de-
cided to do.
"I questioned him to make sure
that this was what he wanted to do,
and it seemed to be, and it seemed toO
be something he had thought about a
lot before he came to that decision."
So Jon Vaughn has arrived in the
NFL, sooner than anyone would
have anticipated. And if he continues
to progress as he has, he will remain
in New England a long time. While
that may not be like playing for the
Super Bowl champs, it's alright by
Vaughn. 0
"It's been pretty positive," he
said. "The team is really tight ...
It's more like we're a family, and
everyone's just trying to win some
games this year.
"First, I want to make this team
and help it any way I can, and then I
figure there's going to be a time
when my athletic abilities will be
highlighted.
"During the year, something spe-
cial's going to happen."

receiving

0

KO returns 1

23 23.0 0


C L

to take, because I could only take
classes up to 1 or 2 o'clock."
His final decision was acceler-
ated by the emergence of Ricky
Powers, which reduced his involve-
ment in the offense.
"I just didn't understand where
at the beginning of the season, I'm
getting the ball 20-25 times a game,
and then all of a sudden I dropped to
5-10 carries a game. I didn't under-
stand that.
"I couldn't see them building


cial's going to happen."

.

1985 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER
7 PASSENGER - A/C - STEREO