q&A #
D p/c
sw Pa6 a
The Michigan Daily-Sports Monday- April 12, 1993 -Page 3
John Niyo
Blame It nNi&
Morales
Olympic medalist in '84 and '92
reflects on his career
Pablo Morales became something
of a national hero this past summer
when he completed a rigorous come-
back to swimming and won the
Olympic gold medal in the 100-me-
ter butterfly in Barcelona. The medal
was a culmination of a lot of hard
work and many years of training.
Morales had been a member of
the 1984 U.S. Olympic team in Los
Angeles where he won two silver
dals (100 butterfly and 200 indi-
vidual medley) and a gold in the 400
medley relay. However, four years
later at the Olympic trials for the
1988 Games, Morales would fail to
qualify in any events. After a
tremendous college career where he
won 11 NCAA individual titles in
four years, Morales' swimming
career looked like it would end on a
sour note. He would go on to retire
qrom swimming and finish his
schooling at Stanford.
Morales then started law school,
but he decided to make a comeback
in July of 1991 and try to make the
1992 Olympic team. As he was
making the comeback, his mother
passed away. She became an inspira-
tion to Morales as he won the
Olympic trials in the 100 butterfly
with his father holding a picture of
er in the stands. Everyone who
watched the Olympics knows that
his dad and that picture traveled to
Barcelona to give Morales any extra
inspiration that he might need.
While there, he won that elusive
gold in the. 100 butterfly, and he
took home another gold in the 400
medley relay.
Daily sports writers Brett
Johnson and Antoine Pitts talked
@with Morales at the 1993 NCAA
swimming championships where= he
presented the awards to the 100-yard
butterfly finalists.
Daily: What are you currently
doing?
Morales: I'm currently training
with the Stanford team. I have na-
tionals at Nashville. I'll be training
this year through the summer and go
back to law school (at Cornell) in
the fall.,
D: What are your future plans in
swimming?
M: It looks like, at this point,
for sure it will be this year. And af-
ter that, I really can't say. It doesn't
seem likely I will continue given the
fact that I will be back in law
school. This appears to be the last
year I could give it a real, real good
effort.
D: What was your biggest mem-
ory from the Olympics other than
winning the gold medal?
M: I have so many great memo-
ries from Barcelona. The Opening
and Closing ceremonies were just
fabulous. The thing that was most
impressive to me is just being in an
area that hosts the Games. Barcelona
had so much to offer.
There was so much electricity, so
much excitement, the interest in the
so-called amateur sports. It was like
a festival of sports. It was just so
fun to be a part of that. We were so
fortunate that swimming was held
during the first week. We had a
whole week to just relax and enjoy
the village and really take in the
atmosphere of Barcelona.
D: What about your swims, es-
pecially the 100 butterfly and then
the relay?
M: Images that come to mind are
ones that I will never forget. I re-
member the moments before the
race, the moments during the race,
and after. Everything went as I
dreamt it would go. I must have
imagined my race thousands of time
during the year. I went over and over
in my head how I thought the perfect
race would go and it happened. It
happened.
D: What types of differences
were there between 1992 and 1984 as
far as competition?
M: The competition was differ-
ent. The names changed. I don't
know if there was anybody in the
field that was also there in '84. The
quality was and will always be the
same.
D: What about the way the two
countries handled things? Were there
distinct differences?
M: I think in terms of being able
to adequately put on the Olympic
games, Barcelona was certainly on a
par with the Games in Los Angeles.
They did a great job in hosting the
Olympic games.
They did a great job in hosting
with all the potential problems there
could of been in terms of congestion
of the traffic and transportation. I
think everything was done very
professionally and very much to the
convenience of the athletes. The
village was great, the food was great,
in my opinion.
D: What about some of the
complaints about the village not be-
ing air-conditioned?
M: That is something that every
athlete has to expect at international
competition. We have a very good
situation here in the United States.
Whenever we compete within the
United States, we have very good ac-
commodations, good food. We don't
have to worry about anything.
But any competitor at this level
knows that at any international
world championship-type
competition that takes place
overseas, you can't always expect
the best conditions. I think going
into the Games we were very well
prepared mentally to deal with the
accommodations and situation.
Frankly, I didn't think it was that
hot. It was humid, but as long as
you stayed hydrated, stayed in shape,
you were fine.
D: How did the team try to han-
dle the situation with Ron
Karnaugh's dad dying during the
Opening Ceremonies?
M: I don't think there was any
sort of handling. I think everybody
felt that it was just a tragedy. I think
we were all very supportive of Ron.
We all realized at that point that Ron
was going to have to take care of
other things in his family and be on
his own schedule. We wanted to give
him the space he needed to allow
him to come back and swim the race
which is what he wanted to do.
D: What was your comeback like
after not making the '88 team?
When did you decide and how diffi-
cult was it?
M: I made the final decision the
summer prior to the Olympic year.
Late July is when I decided I would
do it. Up to that point I had been
toying with the idea of a comeback.
I didn't know for sure whether I
wanted to with law school.
But after swimming a little bit
during the summer, I realized that
the only way I was going to find out
for sure whether this was something
I wanted to do was if I committed
myself 100 percent to the training
and enter some competitions. To
really see if I had the fire to make
the comeback. I knew that anything
less than 100 percent commitment
would be a terrible mistake.
I found out pretty soon that it
was something that was definitely
still within me and that I wanted to
do. At that point it really wasn't
easy. Sure I was out of shape and I
had some obstacles to overcome in
terms of getting back into condition
and back into a stage where I could
compete again. But once I had the
goal firmly set in mind, everything
was fine. I was making really good
progress on a daily basis and was
having fun.
D: What type of role did your dad
and the death of your mom play in
your comeback? You had decided be-
fore she passed away, but before and
after that.
M: In my career they've always
been very supportive, and I've al-
ways felt tremendous emotional
support from my mom. She always
came to these NCAA meets and was
very supportive in whatever I did.
She really was with me spiritually
through my disappointments and
through my successes over the years.
Her support was tremendous and the
same with my father.
My decision to come back was
really made independently of their
desires. I got the impression after I
made the decision that it was
something they expected that I
would make the comeback. And, in
fact, a lot of my friends expected it.
They expected it more than I did.
I really didn't know until really late
in the game. They were certainly
happy. I think it was something that
they were quietly wishing for all
along that I would give it one more
try. Just to know that my mom was
in full support of it really gave me
my strength.
D: If not your parents, who has
been the most influential person in
your swimming career?
M: Well, I've had the good for-
tune of having really great coaches
throughout my career. I think every
coach at every level really inspired
me to improve, to try to become the
best. I felt that every coach at every
level has been a great influence on
me. I've expected a lot from my
coaches and have put a lot of faith in
my coaches.
They've expected a lot from me
in terms of working out and training
hard. I think just faith and a lot of
superb coaches has inspired me into
really trying hard to be the best.
They gave me the confidence that I
could be the best in the world.
D: What type of contact have
you had with Michigan coach Jon
Urbanchek over the years?
M: Jon and I have spent many
weeks together in the summer be-
cause he was the Olympic coach.
I've seen Jon at big meets like (the
NCAA). I see him quite often. I
think he is one of the most tremen-
dous people in the coaching world. I
didn't really train with him.
As a coach though, I get the
impression that he is an exceptional
coach. Michigan is having a great
meet here (at NCAAs) so that's
certainly an indication of that. But
aside from that, he's been a great
coach over the years. But I know
him on more as a person. He was
nothing but supportive to me and a
lot of people at the Olympic Games.
Hope springs eternal
as 'M' breaks camp
S pring forward. Fall back.
They teach you that when you're a kid in school, trying to
explain how we help the days grow longer and the nights grow
shorter this time of year.
It also offers some insight into this rather inane little get-together
college football holds each year: Spring Practice. They take a couple
months off after the bowl games - to heal the bumps and bruises -
and then they get back to knocking heads.
March 13th was the first day of the 1993 football campaign for the
Michigan Wolverines, and Saturday they held their springtime show-
case, the Blue-White game, at Michigan Stadium in front of 16,000
fans.
The game, as it were, was a close one. The White team won, 21-20,
on a last-second field goal by Pete Elezovic. It should be noted, though,
that Elezovic kicked a 41-yarder in the third quarter for the Blue squad.
So much for team loyalty, huh?
Of course, this was also a game which saw an on-side kick on the
opening kickoff, a double reverse and Trezelle Jenkins playing defense.
But spring intrasquad games are not so much about final scores, as
they are about learning, about moving forward to another year. An
annual stepping stone between the past and the future.
This was my fourth Spring Game at Michigan. The fourth time I've
had the chance to walk through the gates, with no usher and no ticket,
and watch Michigan come out of the tunnel. Every year you see
something new. Every year you see something old.
Four years ago it was Tripp Welbourne, now with the Minnesota
Vikings, chasing Jon Vaughn, now with the New England Patriots, all
over the field. Vaughn finished the day with 165 yards on 26 carries, as
Spring intrasquad games are not so much
about final scores, as they are about
learning, about moving forward to another
year.
the White overpowered the Blue, 31-6. A kid named Peter Elezovic
accounted for the Blue squad's only points, booting field goals of 47
and 36 yards.
Elezovic. Hmm, the name sounds familiar. It all comes full-circle.
It wasn't long ago that a rather anonymous fellow wearing a No. 21
jersey started to make a name for himself in the Spring Game. In the
fourth quarter on Saturday, that same guy - Desmond Howard - was
mingling with the players on both sidelines, shaking hands and laugh-
ing with old friends and teammates, while a mob of young kids
screamed for autographs from the stands. Between now and then,
Howard has won a Heisman Trophy, signed a multi-million dollar
contract, and worked his way into what will probably be a starting
position with the Washington Redskins next fall.
all. Spring is, of course, only a preview of fall. A snippet, a
glance at what might happen next September, when the leaves
turn, when it all counts.
Todd Collins, in case anyone doubted he would, looked strong on
Saturday. He threw long. He threw short. He fired several frozen ropes
over the middle in traffic for completions. He engineered the winning
drives. He even scrambled 12 yards for a first down once.
"I think he's in pretty good shape," Gary Moeller said of Collins
after the game, though he admitted he hadn't seen much of the action
- he was busy with the dozen or so recruits (players for future Spring
Games, no doubt) - who were on hand.
More than anything, though, Collins looked calm in the pocket.
Looked like a returning starter. Granted, it was only a Spring Game.
But that patience, that leadership, is what will be sorely needed from
him, because his offensive line is uncertain, at best. Except for Jenkins,
they will all be relatively new faces protecting him from Notre Dame
blitzes in the fall.
Behind Collins, and flanking him, everything is solid. Tyrone
Wheatley, Moeller says, is working harder than ever. Ricky Powers
looks like he wants to be the No. 2 back in the lineup, judging from his
performance on Saturday, matching Wheatley's 71 yards with 71 of his
own. Jesse Johnson wasn't far behind with 67.
The receiving corps is teeming with talent. Everyone is back.
Alexander, an all-America candidate, along with Felman Malveaux,
Walter Smith and last year's freshman duo of Mercury Hayes and
Amani Toomer, will provide Collins with plenty of targets to choose
from. As long his offensive line gives him the time he needs next fall.
They have time to work out the kinks. It is, after all, only spring.
Spring. It is supposed to be synonymous with youth. And there
was plenty of that Saturday.
You see Ty Law, already a seasoned veteran as a sophomore,
making a touchdown-saving tackle against Alexander, then start jawing
with him on the way back to the huddle, and you know that, yes, the
hard-nosed defensive secondary is here to stay at Michigan.
Then you see Eric Boykin, a fomier Parade All-American, drop
back in the pocket, roll to his right, then throw a bullet to Mercury
Hayes for 11 yards and a first down, and you know that, yes, Michigan
football will be just fine in the coming years.
There will be more Rose Bowls, more Augusts filled with hopes of
undefeated seasons and more Septembers spent mapping out national
title possibilities.
And of course more Spring Games filled with a little bit of both.
The past and the present. Convening, ready to embark on the future.
California squeezes
epast Detroit, 7-6
Associated Press
J.T. Snow's suicide squeeze
scored the tiebreaking run in the
fifth inning as California edged De-
troit 7-6 Sunday.
Snow's bunt to the left of the
mound protected Gary Gaetti's dash
home from third base, and snapped a
5-5 tie. After Tim Salmon singled
0with one out, Gaetti walked to set up
Rene Gonzales' run-scoring single,
which sent Gaetti to third.
The Angels made it 7-5 in the
dighth on an RBI single by Chad
Curtis, his fourth hit of the game.
Detroit cut it to 7-6 when Scott
Livingstone homered with two outs
;in the ninth off Joe Grahe. But
Grahe got Kirk Gibson on a ground-
tout for his first save.
Chuck Crim (1-0), who relieved
Mark Langston, picked up the vic-
tory after holding Detroit to an un-
earned run in two innings.
Bill Krueger (0-1), rocked for six
runs in 4 2-3 innings, was the loser.
A wild pitch by Krueger with the
bases loaded in the first inning re-
sulted in two runs. Curtis scored
}from third and Gary Gaetti came
home from second when catcher
He barely got out of the third,
when the Tigers tied it at 4-4 on RBI
doubles by Dan Gladden, Cecil
Fielder and Mickey Tettleton.
Detroit took a 5-4 lead in the
fourth, when Dan Gladden's sacri-
fice fly off Chuck Crim scored Milt
Cuyler, who reached base on second
baseman Damino Easley's error and
moved to third on a stolen base andk
Tony Phillips' infield grounder. z
Royals 2, Twins 1
Kansas City won its first game of
the season after five losses, beating
Minnesota 2-1 Sunday behind the
hitting of rookie Phil Hiatt.
Hiatt singled home a run in the
second, singled in the fifth, and
homered off Kevin Tapani (0-2) in
the seventh to break a 1-1 tie.
It was the first career homer for
Hiatt, who leads the Royals with six
RBIs. The third baseman was called
up when Keith Miller was hurt on
opening day.
Tom Gordon (1-0) got the win
with two innings of two-hit relief of
Hipolito Pichardo, who gave up
three hits and one run in five in-
nings. Jeff Montgomery pitched the
final two innintm for his first save.
AP PHOTO
The Detroit Tigers fell to the California Angels yesterday, 7-6. The loss
dropped Detroit to 2-4 on the year.
GET SERIOUS!
WEST.
i
L
Spring/Summer Special
$129
(regular $169)
677-1315
w . ..