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. 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