Men's Basketball Men's Swimming
vs. George Washington at NCAA Championships
Tomorrow, 8:05 p.m. (CBS) Today, Tomorrow and Saturday
Seattle Indianapolis
The Michigan Daily Thursday, March 25,1993 Page 8
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BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Distance limits amount
of students making trip
by Adam Miller
Daily Basketball Writer
Coaches upset over
cuttin g fgymnasics
Let us do the math for you.
The Seattle Kingdome - site of tomorrow night's Michigan men's bas-
ketball West Regional semifinal vs. George Washington -- seats an even
40,000 spectators in its basketball configuration. There are four schools at
the site. Figure on at least half of those withdrawn for VIPs and regional
sales, and you get 5,000 seats per school.
So how many students are following the Wolverines to Seattle? Only 37.
No, there's no zero missing. While there was a lottery held to determine
the recipients of Michigan's 400 student tickets, Jan Pearen, assistant ath-
letic ticket manager, said the turnout was "very low ... so everybody gets to
go.
You may be wondering what's keeping the students home. LSA senior
Wendy Stein said it's simple economics.
"Seattle was just out of the question," Stein said. "(It's) an impossible
drive and too expensive a flight.".
David Siegel, an LSA sophomore who went to Lexington, Ky., last year
for the Southeast Regional, agreed with Stein that the distance was
prohibitive. However, Siegel did enter the Final Four lottery before
yesterday's 5:30 p.m. deadline.
Siegel went so far as to suggest that those who did purchase Seattle
tickets should be rewarded.
"The people who applied for Seattle shouldn't have to enter the lottery
for the Final Four," he said. "If you're going to follow (the Wolverines) all
the way to Seattle you deserve Final Four tickets."
Pearen said that there will not be a general ticket sale for the remaining
363 seats.
"We can not at this point offer them now," Pearen said. "We just don't
have the time and the means to put another plan into effect."
Instead, the tickets will be going to the Seattle chapter of the Michigan
Alumni Club, according to chapter president John Hatley.
"I'm not aware of the precise numbers," Hatley said. "But I can tell you
that we have orders for in excess of 300 tickets ... so it appears we will be
buying a substantial portion of (the remainders)."
Student ticket applications have dropped significantly from last year. For
the two games in Lexington, Pearen said 350 students applied for seats and
all were able to attend since the University was given a 400-seat allotment.
DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY: Contrary to rumor, Michigan forward
Chris Webber has not suffered a serious injury that will keep him out of
Friday night's game. Webber, who left with the team yesterday for Seattle,
merely has a sore left hamstring.
"It's nothing serious," Webber said. "I just need to take it easy."
Softball hopes to hit it
big in Califorma invite
by Bryn Mickle
Daily Staff Reporter
The Athletic Department's deci-
sion to drop the men's gymnastics
program in favor of women's soccer
has sent shock waves through the
Big Ten. Coaches from across the
conference expressed anger and dis-
belief that Michigan would make the
decision to eliminate a "successful"
program.
"It's very disappointing," said
Yoshi Hayasaki, coach of the Illinois
men's gymnastics team, "to think
that a nationally-recognized program
like Michigan would drop gymnas-
tics."
Coaches surveyed across the Big
Ten acknowledged that the lack of a
participating Michigan team could
threaten the future of their programs.
Rick Atkinson, coach at
Michigan State, said, "We're going
to be in trouble. Who's next? MSU?
Iowa? Where does it stop?"
"We feel we can survive in the
conference if we lose the NCAA
sponsorship," Tom Dunn, coach at
Iowa, said. "The bottom line is that
if the (Big Ten) conference champi-
onship disappears, then it will be
hard to justify our sport."
Mike Pearson, Illinois' sports
information director, said, "Michi-
gan's decision could affect U of I's
thoughts on whether or not to drop
our program."
Mark Rudner, assistant commis-
sioner for communications for the
Big Ten, would not comment on
Michigan's press release, but did say
that "these are tough institutional
decisions that have to be made."
Not everyone, however, agreed
the decision would have a far-reach-
ing effect.
"I'm sure (Michigan) had their
reasons (for cutting the program),"
Iowa Athletic Director Robert
Bowlsby said. "It has no effect on
us."
The coaches' biggest concerns,
with the decision were the reasons
given in the Athletic Department's,
press release - the issues of gender,,
equity and the decline of boys' par-
ticipation on the high school level.
"The purpose of gender equity is
to increase women's opportunities,k
not decrease the number of men's
opportunities," Atkinson said.
He added that 30 percent of all
girls participate in high school ath-
letics, compared to 75 percent in-
volvement by boys.
"We're not going to be able to
find enough good women's athletes
to fill these spots," he said. "Let's
fix the high school inequity first and
then address the collegiate issue."
Minnesota coach Fred Roeth-,
lisberger, criticized the decision,
based on his belief that Michigan ad-'
ministrators' seem to think recruit-
able athletes are not available and
challenged the Michigan Athletic
See REACTION, Page 10
KRISTOFFER GILLETT
Ray Jackson goes up for two of his 19 points in Michigan's win over
Coastal Carolina. Jackson repeated his point production against UCLA.
Golfers leave Michigan for some southern comfort
Women seek to improve on early
season performances in S. C.
by Rachel Bachman
Daily Softball Writer
Like Luke Perry look-alikes hop-
ing for their own "90210," the
members of the Michigan softball
team travel en masse to California
today, in search of a.hit series.
For four days, the town of Sun-
nyvale will be home to the 16 teams
competing at the National Invita-
tional Softball tournament. It is the
Wolverines' final in-season tourna-
ment before they begin conference
play Apr. 3 against Minnesota.
The hot-hitting Wolverines (11-5
overall) are ranked No. 9 nationally
and No. 1 in the Mideast Region. It
is only the second time that the team
has cracked the nation's top 10.
"Being ranked this high puts
pressure on us," sophomore pitcher
Kelly Kovach said. "If we play an
unranked team, we're expected to
beat them."
The squad is led at the plate by
senior outfielder Patti Benedict,
currently batting .511, and junior
shortstop Mary Campana, who
needs just two home runs to break
Michigan's season record in that
category.
Benedict is third on the all-time
triples (18), doubles (27) and RBI
(93) lists. She needs just four RBIs
to surpass Michigan's career RBI
total, now held by 1986 All-Ameri-
can Alicia Seegert.
Even the six freshmen are pro-
ducing. Utility player Tracy Carr,
who has already hit her first home
run, carries a rookie-best .375 bat-
See SOFTBALL, Page 10
by Tyler Rheem
The difference between attending
Michigan and going to a school in
the South is the five or six extra
months of warm weather those for-
tunate southerners enjoy. The differ-
ence between golfing for the
Wolverines and playing at another
college is the amount of time avail-
able for practice.
While Michigan's women golfers
bundle up and trod around like Mus-
covites, other teams are practicing.
While this weekend's tournament at
the Woodland Country Club in
Columbia, S.C. will be the team's
second of the year, it will be the_
third, fourth or even fifth for many
others.
The Michigan squad is coming
off of a 10th place finish out of 20
teams last week at the Northern Illi-
nois Snowbird Intercollegiate in
Tampa, Fla. The team managed to
play well, considering some adverse
conditions.
"Most schools were on spring
break and had been practicing that
whole preceding week," coach Sue
LeClair said. "We didn't even get
the chance to see the last four holes
before having to compete.
"This time, at least we'll be able
to get a full round of practice in,"
she continued.
LeClair takes with her this week-
end senior golfers Wendy Bigler,
Tricia Good and Maura Hawkins as
well as sophomore Jenny Zimmer-
man and freshman Shannon McDon-
ald.
Consistency is the team's goal for
this tournament.
"We need to get the scoring aver-
ages down from the mid- and upper-
80s to around 80," LeClair said.
"Our players have the ability to do it,
it's just a matter of actually doing
it."
For the most part, McDonald and
Bigler have been "doing it" all year.
Of the five tournaments thus far
(four were held last fall), either
Bigler or McDonald has placed first
individually for Michigan. It is their
play that is the key.
Also traveling to Columbia this
weekend are Big Ten foes Indiana,
Minnesota and Ohio State. Wiscon-
sin and Illinois both performed im-
pressively in Tampa last week, fin-
ishing second and third respectively.
This weekend's field will allow
Michigan to gauge the rest of the:
conference's talent.
"We're trying to practice and
place better in Big Tens this year," 1
McDonald said. "The top four is
very realistic."
With tournaments coming up ev- r
ery weekend for the next month, the;
Wolverine golfers should finally be,
getting the regular practice they'll,
need for the conference tournament.
"We're just trying to get back
into the swing of it," LeClair said.
That should be a lot easier without
having to golf in mittens and boots.
0
A
Men golfers return to action following layoff
~.#
by Elisa Sneed
Following two weeks away from
competition, the Michigan men's
golf team will again see tournament
action this weekend. The Wolverines
will be playing in the Kentucky-
Johnny Owens Invitational, a two-
day, 54-hole event at Kearney Hills
in Lexington, Ky.
Among the tournament's 22-team
field are Kent State, Miami (Ohio),
Kentucky and Ball State, which will
provide tough competition for the
Wolverines.
"They've been strong teams for
the past couple of years," Michigan
coach Jim Carras said. "You've got
to expect that they'll have some-
thing again this year."
Traditionally a difficult event for
'Last year we got snowed out on Sunday, this
time of year it's a tough tournament. Hopefully,
the forecast will be right.'
I
the Wolverines, Carras expressed
hope that this year's finish would be
better than the 638-stroke team total
that placed Michigan 14th last year.
"I like to think that we could fin-
ish in the top five," Carras said. "If
we play decently, we'll finish in the
top five."
But as always, the weather will
play a big role in the Wolverines
ability to perform.
"It's usually difficult because we
never have good weather," he said.
"Last year we got snowed out on
Sunday, this time of year it's a
tough tournament. Hopefully, the
forecast will be right."
- Bob Carras
Michigan men's golf coach
Last year's Michigan line-up in-
cluded three team members who will
be returning to the tournament this
year - senior co-captains James
Carson and Anthony Dietz, along
with senior Bob Henighan. Joining*
them will be sophomore Bill Lyle-
and senior David Hall - one of
Michigan's medalists at Fripp Is-
land.
Both Hall and Dietz are fifth year
seniors, staying on to finish out-
their last year of NCAA eligibility.
They have been able to maintain.
their status as student-athletes by
taking one credit hour, a light load'
that has enabled them to travel t;4
Florida for some extra practice.
LOVE
3 It seems to come
only when you least
expect it.
In these comical
one-act operas love is
discovered in some
very surprising ways.
I
La Serva Padrona & The Boor
The Princeton Review
by Giovanni Pergolesi
by Dominick Argento
is sponsoring a FREE full-length practice
LSAT for all Michigan students. Partici-
Conducted by Martin Katz
1.. . AA--, .