The Michigan Daily/New Student Edition-Sports - Thursday, September 9, 1993 - Page 9
Harriers, runners enjoy seasons
wWomen's cross-country wins Big Ten; track takes trophy too
by Tom Bausano
Daily Sports Writer
The women's cross-country and
track teams have made huge strides
toward making Michigan a force in the
Big Ten.
The women's cross-country team
won the Big Ten championship by up-
setting defending champion Wiscon-
sin. The Wolverines placed fourrunners
in the top seven finishers overall on
their way to capturing the title. Chris
Szabo led the team with her third place
performance.
Winning the title was very special
because the team ran without its num-
ber one runner. The week before the
championships, Amy Buchholz was
sidelined by a knee injury. The team
was motivated to run its best because of
the mental and spiritual leadership of
Buchholz.
Another factor that made this vic-
tory so unique was the fact that this fall
.was Mike McGuire's first season as the
head coach of women's cross country.
McGuire is a former Michigan track
standout, and previous to taking the job"
had held both coaching and recruiting
positions at Kansas and Eastern Michi-
gan. McGuire was voted Big Ten Coach
of the Year for his guidance of the
Wolverines.
'I think we added,
optimistically, 25 to 40
points to our team from
last year. We are much
more experienced, and
I'm very excited about
the team we have.'
-James Henry
Michigan track coach
The intensity and winning spirit from
the cross country season carried over
into the track season. The Wolverines
produced their best Big Ten finish under
head coach James Henry. Michigan fin-
ishedthird overall in the B ig Ten regular
season and won the conference meet.
The Wolverines sent senior Molly
McClimon and sophomore Courtney
Babcock to the NCAA National Cham-
pionships.
The teamhas improved tremendously
inthe sprints and field.RichelleWebband
Collete Savage provide the speed for the
team.Bothhaveproventheircompetitive-
ness within the conference.
Julie Victorand Ronda Meyers have
been consistent point scorers in the
throwing events thus far. MonikaB lack
and Linda Stuck have lived up to the
high expectations placed on them by the
coaching staff.
"I think we added, optimistically, 25
to40 points to our team from last year,"
Henry said. "We are much more expe-
rienced, and I'm very excited about the
team we have."
EVAN PETRIElany
All-American junior wrestler Sean Bormet battles during the 158-pound Big Ten title match at Ohio State. Bormet
won the match and also finished third in the country in his weight class.
Blue's Bonnet, King shine during
mconsistent season for wrestlers
Men's cross-country is fifth at NCAAs; track led by MacDonald
by Michael Rosenberg
Daily Sports Writer
Michigan's wrestling team had an
up-and-down season in 1993. Ranked
12th in the nation before the season
started, the Wolverines jumped up to
eighth early in the year, spent most of
the season at No.5 and finally dropped
down to 11th at the NCAA tournament.
SixWolverines qualified for nation-
als: seniors Jason Cluff, James Rawls
and Lanny Green, and juniors Sean
Bonnet, Brian Harper and Steve King.
Green, Bormet and King each earned
All-American honors.
"We wrestled real well, but you al-
ways wish you did better," said King,
echoing the sentiments of the other
Wolverines.
'Sean (Bormet) showed
great determination.
He's one of the
toughest competitors
I've ever seen. He
couldn't even walk and
he was still wrestling -
and winning.'
-Dale Bahr
Michigan wrestling coach
A seventh Wolverine, sophomore
Jehad Hamdan, almost certainly would
have qualified for the NCAA touma-
ment if he hadn't torn cartilage in his
knee against Minnesota. Hamdan un-
derwent arthroscopic surgery and will
return for his junior season.
"I maybe could have wrestled,"
Harmdan said, "but I didn't want to mess
it up even more. It's not worth really
screwing up your knee just to wrestle."
Michigan's best wrestler, 158-
pounder Bormet, was plagued by inju-
ries all year long.After missing the 1992
postseason due toknee surgery, Bormet
was slowed by a back injury and a
pinched nerve.
"Sean showed great determination,"
Michigan coach Dale Bahr said. "He's
one of the toughest competitors I've
everseen. He couldn't even walkandhe
was still wrestling - and winning."
Despite his setbacks, Bormet did
have some sensational performances.
Hescoredarecord28teampointsatthe
Cliff Keen National Team Duals in Lin-
coln, Neb., a feat that earned him Most
Outstanding Wrestler honors. Bormet
also won the Big Ten title and finished
third at NCAAs.
"I've had some tough luck all sea-
son,"Bormetsaid. "Butthat'sjustsome-
thing you have to deal with."
King, a heavyweight transfer from
Notre Dame, finished seventh in the
country. Two years ago, he finished one
win shy of becoming an All-American,
anaccomplishmentheachievedin 1993.
"I'm really happy to make All-
American after falling one match short,"
he said.
Cluff and Green both had fine fin-
ishes to their stellar careers. Cluff de-
feated fifth-seeded David Hirsch of
Cornell at the NCAAs, and Green fin-
ished in seventh place.
"Those two guys have worked ex-
tremely hard for four years," Bahr said.
"I'm very proud of them."
Bahr red-shirted sophomore Jesse
by Brent McIntosh
and Antoine Pitts
Daily Sports Writers
The Michigan men's cross country team made history as
it recorded its best finish ever at the NCAA Championship
meet.
The Wolverines finished fifth to surpass sixth-place fin-
ishes in 1991 and 1982.
Senior Matt Smith and freshman Scott MacDonald led
the Michigan attack and gave the Wolverines two All-
Americans for the first time since 1982.
Michigan overtook Notre Dame and Eastern Michigan
-teams that had beaten the Wolverines earlier in the year-
but was unable to catch Big Ten champion Wisconsin at the
NCAA meet.
The Badgers finished second at the NCAAs in a season
that saw them win their eighth consecutive conference
championship. The margin of victory was 31 points over
Michigan - down from 37 in 1991.
MacDonald was the first freshman to cross the finish line,
recording a ninth-place time of 24:25, to earn Big Ten
Freshman of the Year honors. Theo Molla, Michigan's other
freshman, was not far off the pace in 20th.
"It was in the back of my mind during the race,"
MacDonald said. "I knew going in that Theo and I both had
a chance for it."
Perhaps one of the greatest cliches in all of sport says that
rookies just need a little time and experience to become star
performers - this is something in which Michigan men's
track coach Jack Harvey whole-heartedly believes.
"It's important for the freshmen to get big-meet experi-
ence so they know what's up," Harvey said as the 1993.
outdoor track season began. "That experience can only help
in the long run."
And the recently-promoted sophomores did gain valu-
able experience this year, just as the cliche states.
First and foremost was MacDonald, whose consistently
high placing paced theWolverines. MacDonald won the one-
mile run at the Big Ten Indoor Championship meet on his
way to being named Indoor Track and Field Freshman of the
year.
Another freshman who stood up to be counted this year
was high jumperJon Royce, who Harvey called "our unsung
hero." Royce was a provisional qualifier for the NCAA
Championship meets both indoors and out, and his topjump
of 1993,7'11 /2", established him as a solid contender for a
high place in any but the most competitive meets.
The emphasis on freshmen does overlook the contribu-
tions of senior pole vaulter Toby Van Pelt, whose top height
of 1993, 17' 4 1/2", established him as one of the Big Ten's
top vaulters.
"He's the most consistent vaulter we've ever had - and
he's consistent at high heights," Harvey said. "He set a good
example for the younger guys."
And the freshmen parade doesn't end this yearas always,
it begins again with the start of a new season.
Next season promises to be a year full of freshman
cliches, especially due to the addition of 800m/one-mile man
Kevin Sullivan. Sullivan - who like MacDonald, 1993's
rookie miler, hails from Ontario - was ranked third in the
world for the junior 1500m last year with a time of 3:39.11.
So the Wolverines can anticipate another freshman phenom
and possibly another Freshman of the Year award in 1994.
King
Rawls and All-American Joey Gilbert
in 1993, with the hopes that the Wolver-
ines could contend for the national title
in 1994. IfMichigan isto win the NCAA
title, it will have to overtake Iowa, which
won its third straight crown in 1993.
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