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Page 6-The Michigan Daily - Sports Monday- October 7, 1991

Blue runners leave
MSU eating dust

by Kimberly DeSempelaere
Fresh off a second-place finish at
Dartmouth last week, the Michigan
women's cross country team came
back strong this weekend to defeat
Michigan State. The Wolverines
captured the top six places, racing to
a 15-49 victory in their only home
dual meet of the season.
Michigan also defeated MSU in
the teams' first matchup this year at
the Michigan State Invitational. The
Wolverines were expecting tougher
competition because of the Spartans'
improvement in their last few
meets.
If we continue to
pace each other and
stay together in a
group, we should do
really well at
nationals'

place, respectively.
"We are all up there, running to-
gether and helping each other out,
Harvey said. "If we continue to pace
each other and stay together in a
group, we should do really well at
nationals."
Racing at home tends to have a
positive effect on the outcome of
the home team's race, especially
when the course is hard to run.
Michigan's course is more difficult
than most because it has long hills.
MSU's course is much flatter, so
the Michigan State team was at a
great disadvantage coming into the
meet, coach Sue Foster said.
"There are a lot of hills, but I
think training on it helped a lot,"
Harvey said. "We knew it would be
hard but it helped to have the course
marked up really well. We knew
when we hit the mile marks, and
when we had a mile to go."
The dual meet took place on the
Michigan Golf Course early Satur-
day afternoon in ' front of parents
and friends of the Wolverine run-
ners, who were asked to come out
and cheer the team on. Foster
planned a luncheon for the runners
and their families following the
meet.
"It will give the team a boost of
support," she said.
Michigan competes next in the
Michigan Intercollegiates meet in
Ypsilanti. The competition will
not feature another team of Michi-
gan's strength, so the team's main
concern right now is to make sure
everyone stays healthy. Harvey
missed last week's race because of a
viral infection, but was feeling well

VOLLEYBALL NOTEBOOK
Thompson sets pace
for Indiana disgrace
by Ryan Herrington
Daily Sports Writer

7
>X
a
X
t

- Karen
'M' cross-country

Harvey
runner

Following a disappointing loss
to Georgetown, the Wolverines
bounced back, with junior Amy
Buchholz capturing first place with
a time of 18:28, nearly a minute
faster than Michigan sophomore
Jessica Kluge, who finished second.
Capturing third through sixth place
were Kelly Chard (19:16), Karen
Harvey (19:21), Carrie Yates
(19:28), and captain Megan Nortz
(19:34).
Other Michigan runners placing
in the top 10 include sophomores
Kristi Wink (19:44) and Chris Sz-
abo (19:55) in eighth and ninth

As in basketball with the ally-oop lob or hockey with the cross-ice
assist, the set in volleyball often goes unnoticed and unheralded. Yet
without the steady play of junior setter Tarnisha Thompson, the
Michigan volleyball team might be looking at a 4-10 record rather than
10-4.
Thompson was on top of her game again this weekend as she tallied 30
assists in Michigan's loss to No. 11 Ohio State Friday and 37 more in a
sweep over Indiana Saturday. Thompson's impressive numbers allowed
her to pass the 1,000 career assist plateau in Friday's match against the
Buckeyes. As if that was not enough, during the third game against the
Hoosiers, Thompson surpassed Marie Ann Davidson (sister of current
Wolverine Fiona Davidson) and moved into third place on the all-time
Michigan assist list.
"I have never really focused on (the assists)," Thompson said. "That
hasn't been my main focus this season. I looked at it as 'if it happens, it
happens' and that's great, but my main concern is keeping the team up and
doing my job with the team."
As of Saturday's match, Thompson has 1,058 assists in her two plus
seasons as a Wolverine. Only Lisa Vahi (2,139) and current senior
Autumn Collins (1,230) rank ahead of Thompson for the Wolverines.
Michigan coach Peggy Bradley-Doppes had only high praise for her
talented captain.
"She's coming along," Bradley-Doppes said. "I think she gets better
with each and every match. I think as long as Tarnisha stays focused on
every set, she's playing a good game."
IF AT FIRST YOU DO SUCCEED ...: Taking advantage of a ball
handling error by the Indiana defense, the Wolverines won the first gameb
in its match Saturday night against the Hoosiers. Not surprisingly,
Michigan won the match.
The end result was in line with Michigan's recent pattern of victory
In all but one of the ten matches the Wolverines have won this season;
Michigan has gained the early advantage by taking the first game.
Likewise, in Michigan's four losses, the Wolverines have lost the
opening game of each match.
However, Bradley-Doppes is not convinced that she can rest easy if her
team wins its first game.
"You know, I don't know because I always take the first one (game),
as a 'look see' and so it's great if we win it, but if we don't win it, I amn
not real concerned, because we can make adjustments," Bradley-Doppes
said. "I like us to stay aggressive from point one on. If they (opponents)
get a better jump, I want us to make adjustments."

DOUG KAN I Iz/Lally
The Michigan women's cross country team rebounded from a second-
place finish last week to defeat Michigan State this weekend.

0
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enough to return this week. Other
team members have been plagued by
illness, especially colds.
"It doesn't help at all to run
when you get sick. In fact, it makes
it much worse," Harvey said. "I
learned that the hard way."
The Wolverines hope to qualify
for the NCAA Championships at

Tucson, Ariz. But their goals don't
stop there; Michigan also hopes to
place in the top 15 during Novem-
ber's season-ending race.
"We will do anything to go to
nationals," Harvey said. "And once
we are there, we will have to set our
goals and then do everything in our
power to meet those goals."

Men runners tie Spartans, thrash Buckeyes

by Bruce Inosencio
The men's cross country team raced into this
weekend's Michigan Invitational ranked sixth in
the nation. If there was ever bad weather for
running, Saturday's was it.
The Invitational, held at the Michigan Golf
Course, covered a very hilly five miles. Add in
dark clouds, high winds, and quickly-falling
temperatures, and you have the ideal setting for a
classic race between rivals Michigan, Michigan
State, and Ohio State.
The Wolverines tied Michigan State, 29-29,
and easily defeated the Ohio State runners by a
score of 29-78. Senior Matt Smith led the way
for Michigan with a 25:32 on the five-mile
course. However, Smith failed to beat Anthony
Hamm, the 19th-ranked Spartans' No. 1 runner.
Hamm, who placed 18th at last year's
NCAA cross country championships, covered
the course in 25:25. Smith ran with Hamm until
the race's halfway point, when Hamm steadily
pulled away. Smith, running at an average pace of
5:06.4 per mile, was left to run between Hamm
and the pack for the last half of the race.
"I was hoping that Smith could hang in there

longer and not get stuck running in no man's
land," Michigan coach Ron Warhurst said. "But
he ran well and didn't get too far back."
Smith was followed by teammate Dan Oden,
who finished at 25:34. Oden ran a strong race as
'I was hoping that Smith
could hang in there longer
and not get stuck running in
no man's land. But he ran
well and didn't get too far
back'
- Ron Warhurst
Michigan cross-country coach
well, closing the gap between himself and Smith
while finishing six seconds ahead of State's No.
2 runner, Ian Smith.
After Oden crossed the finish line, the Spar-
tans filled places four through six. However,
the Wolverines captured the next three places, as

Jim Finlayson placed seventh in 26:03, Joe
McKown finished eighth in 26:04, and No. 5
runner Shawn MacKay placed ninth in 26:06.
Robert Gary, the first runner to cross the line
for the Buckeyes, finished 10th in 26:07.
Warhurst was pleased with such a small gap
between the first and fifth runner, but admitted
it may have been even less had Tony Carna com-
peted.
"We only had a gap of 32 seconds between
No. 1 and No. 5, but more importantly we had a
gap of only two seconds between our No. 1 and
No. 2 runners," Warhurst said.
Ahead for Michigan lies the Central Colle-
giate Championships Friday in Ypsilanti. Be-
cause of the many consecutive weeks of difficult
meets, Warhurst plans on holding back his first
five to seven runners to allow more opportuni-
ties for the younger runners to prove them-
selves. In addition, Michigan's Carna will most
likely run, after sitting this weekend out.
The Wolverines will continue with high-in-
tensity practices until two weeks before the Big
Ten Championships, the meet at which Michigan
hopes to reach its peak.

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SMITH
Continued from page 1
now, for instance, I'm very happy
because everything in my life is
going well, my religious life is
going very smooth, and I'm
running well. Like most people, I
run better when I feel better
about what I'm doing."
The transition from a high
school standout to a nobody at a
major university was difficult.
But motivating Smith to give
running another try was his uncle,
his high school coach.
"The first and second years
here were very tough because I
wasn't getting anything out of
my running." he said. "People

feels as though their efforts are
important."
Smith attributes his recent
success to several factors.
"Well, this year I've been
sleeping regularly and eating
really well - surprisingly well
compared to last year. Even
though I'm pre-student teaching
this term and I am extremely
busy, my life is more organized
now than it has ever been."
Because Smith's schedule is so
full, he can only run with the
team once a week during its
regular 3:30 p.m. practice
sessions. Instead, he runs with
teammate Chris Childs at 9 a.m.
every morning. Though not
practicing with the team, Smith
sticks to Warhurst's prescribed
distances, running 65-70 miles per
week.
The break in classes allows
Smith to take a short break from
running until late June, when he
usually starts off running about
50 miles per week, building up to
70 miles per week just before
season's start.
Haunted by Michigan's three-
point loss to Wisconsin at the Big
Ten Championships last season,
Smith is determined to push
harder this year.
"I want to get into the top
five at the Big Ten
Championships, but first and
foremost we need to win the Big
Ten as a team," he said. "I still
have nightmares of being passed
by four people in the last quarter
mile of the Big Ten meet last year.
Two of those runners were from
Wisconsin, and I felt like I was
responsible for our loss."
Thnrh cmin th hslofty

national ranking, there would
seem to be added pressure on
Smith and the rest of the squad.
However, Smith feels that
everyone on the team has been
running for so long that pressure
doesn't enter into the picture.
"I know I don't feel any
pressure," he said. "I'm not on
scholarship. Whatever I do, I do
for the team."
Warhurst likes what he sees in
Smith, citing his consistency
throughout the season.
"Matt is a good incentive to
the younger runners because he is
running so well right now after
sticking it out for four years,"
Warhurst said. "I think he was a
little unsure of himself in this
weekend's meet because he knew
he would be running against
(Michigan State's) Anthony
Hamm. Hamm was 18th in the
country last year and I think that
intimidated Matt just a little.


But he hung in there and ran with
him for most of the race. After
Saturday's meet, I think Matt can
run with Hamm at the Big Ten
Championships and maybe even
beat him; we'll have to wait and
see.
Smith knows he is capable of
more and is striving to get the
most of his ability.
"As a team, we know we can
win every race," Smith said. "But,
within myself I think there's
something that still needs to be
untapped. I still feel Hamm is a
better runner, but I'm getting
over it and I feel I can beat him.
"I think the key for the team's
success is to remain focused.
When we go to away meets, the
team warms up and stretches
together. We're a tight-knit group
and we like it that way."
But if Smith ends up with an
individual title, he'll also like it
that way.


MICHELLE GUY/Daily
Hayley Lorenzen and a teammate while going for the save of an Ohio
State kill Friday night.
MOMENTUM FOR THE RACE:, Saturday's conference victory over
Indiana was important to the Wolverines for many reasons. In addition
to evening Michigan's Big Ten record at 2-2 and giving the Wolverines
their first Big Ten home victory of the season, the victory also marked*
the first time Michigan has defeated the Hoosiers since Nov. 30, 1985.
However, Bradley-Doppes was not concerned as much with which
team Michigan defeated as with the fact that Michigan defeated another
Big Ten team. With two wins, the Wolverines have already equaled or-
surpassed their Big Ten victory totals of the last three years. Any league
wins are nice according to Bradley-Doppes, but you can't help but notice,
that she is also eyeing something more than a few victories.
"In looking at this schedule, I had looked at what we needed to do and
I thought that we needed to come out playing good against everybody,
Bradley-Doppes said, "but in order to really be in the (Big Ten) race, I
wanted to win three of the four (season-opening matches)."



Smith
need to be praised for their efforts
and that was missing in my first
few seasons."
Smith feels Warhurst has
made some needed alterations to
his approach toward the younger
athletes.
"There are so many guys that
come down here and work out day
nfA rio ...:.hnnt h :in

SPIKERS
Continued from page 1
with 30 assists and 13 kills, respec-
tively.
Michigan was visibly more re-
laxed the following evening against
the Hoosiers (1-3, 4-11). Bradley-
Doppes correctly predicted a
Wolverine victory if her players re-
peated the Ohio State performance.
It didn't hurt that Indiana played
noticeably sloppy. The visitors did
not cover the court well, and they
committed numerous technical vio-
lations.
"I think Michigan played real
well throughout the entire match
and never let up the intensity, and
that just wore us down," Indiana
coach Tom Shoji explained. "I told

Autumn Collins attempts a dig Friday
Buckeyes, 15-9, 15-5, 15-7.

MICHELLE GUY/Daily.
night against Ohio State. The women's volleyball team's lost to the
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I