The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, December 13, 1994 - 15

.Women
tankers
head for
Hawaii
By MARC DILLER
Daily Sports Writer
As the sun sets in the west and the
vacation draws near, students are mak-
ing their mass exodus home for the
holiday season. Not the women's
swimming and diving team.
The No. 4 Wolverines head to the
Aloha State Dec. 17 for two weeks of
fun, practicing and competition in the
r blazing sun.
The closest Michigan will come to
a white Christmas this year is the sun
glistening off the white sand. Butnot to
worry; many of the Wolverines' par-
ents will be joining their daughters in
Hawaii.
"In the past we've gone on win-
ter break to establish a good train-
ing base, but this year we already
have it," Michigan co-captain Alecia
Humphrey said.
That won't stop the Wolverines
from honing their racing skills. In the
first week, Michigan takes on Hawaii
and Harvard in dual meets. Just before
they leave, the Wolverines compete in
the Hawaiian Invitational. Themeet is
capped by a ten member swim relay
where the winner takes home a case of
pineapples.
"The case of pineapples is our in-
centive in this meet," Humphrey said.
The trip's itinerary consists of
intense training, twice daily, with
only Christmas, New Year's Day
and Sundays off for leisure. During
the idle hours, the team will host a
canoe trip, a brunch and the swim-
mers will bask on the beach and
snorkel in the sea.
After a promising first half of
the season, Michigan embarks on
an eventful, arduous second half
beginning Jan. 7. The Wolverines
face arguably their toughest regular
season schedule ever.
Michigan meets four consecu-
tive top twenty teams all within three
weeks of the other. Michigan trav-
els to UCLA, No. 1 Stanford, Cal-
Berkeley and returns to Ann Arbor
to race Auburn.
"This is by far the toughest compe-
tition I've had to face in the regular
season since I've been here," Humphrey
said. "I think it's great for the team to
get a chance to race such good compe-
tition.
"This way we have a whole lot of
practice when we get to the NCAAs."
The NCAAs are still three months
', away, but the Wolverines have ac-
quired early confidence by defeating
the likes of Texas, Southern Method-
ist, UCLA and Northwestern already.
This year's squad has been propelled
by a total team effort.
"Everyone knew the freshmen
would be a productive addition to the
team, butno onerealized thateveryone
on the team would step up also,"
Humphrey said. "The team has worked
really well together. We've done a lot
better than expected."

'M' cagers ready for Big Ten
Women's basketballset to take on Wisconsin and Iowa

By DAVID ROTHBART
Daily Basketball Writer
The Michigan women's basketball
team is fired up and raring to go as they
near the start of the Big Ten season.
After two non-conference games
against Ohio University and Kansas
State, the Wolverines take on confer-
ence foes Wisconsin and Iowa.
Michigan (4-4) has already tallied
more wins than it did all last season.
The Wolverines were 0-18 in the Big
Ten last year, but hope to gain revenge
with a squad bolstered by the addition
of eight freshmen.
The young Wolverines have shown
tremendous improvement this season
in wins over Georgetown, Georgia
State, Eastern Michigan and Wiscon-
sin-Milwaukee. Rebounding has been
Michigan's greatest strength. Led by
the inside play of junior Jennifer
Brzezinski and freshman Pollyanna
Johns, the Wolverines have pulled
down more boards than their oppo-
nents in seven of their eight games.
CoachTrish Roberts said that she is
pleased with her team's effort crashing
the glass, and thrilled that the Wolver-
ines' outside shooters have started to
heat up. She expressed concern, how-
ever, that herplayers are not looking to
attack the basket.
"We have to penetrate," Roberts
said. "We have to get (opponents) in
foul trouble."
Roberts is also looking forimproved
play from her guards.

"We need to put more pressure on
(opponents') ball-handlers to wear them
down," she said. "If there's not enough
pressure, the other teams are able to.
execute on the offensive end."
Michigan plays three straight games
at home - Ohio tomorrow night, Kan-
sas State next Tuesday and Wisconsin

Brzezinksi warned that the Wol-
verines' early victories do not guaran-
tee similar success in the Big Ten.
"We're not over the hump yet,"
the6-foot-I forward said. "We'rejust
starting out."
Michigan nearly defeated Wiscon-
sin last January at Crisler Arena. The
Badgers emerged victorious in a 64-63
heartbreaker that broke the Wolver-
ines' spirit andstarteda 19-game slide.
When the teams met again in February,
even a 31-point offensive explosion
from Amy Johnson could not stop the
Badgers from winning, 75-64.
Johnson leads the Wolverines in
scoring this year, but she'll need help
from her teammates for Michigan-to
defeat Wisconsin. The Badgers, picked
by conference coaches to place fourth
in the Big Ten, have waltzed through
their non-conference schedule.
When Michigan plays Iowa, they
will face a Hawkeye team that bears a
great resemblance to themselves. Iowa,
which had the No. 1-ranked recruiting
class in the country, is a team also
dominated by freshmen. TheHawkeyes
have suffered the same lack ofconsis-
tency as the Wolverines and experi-
enced difficulty meshing new and vet-
eran talent.
"Their freshmen are used to being
superstars," Roberts said. "It's hard for
them to play as part of a team. They
have to learn a new system. Hopefully,
they will not have jelled by the time
they meet us."

Johnson
on December 28, before facing Iowa at
Carver-Hawkeye Arena December 30.
Roberts said although her team
has some kinks to work out, the Wol-
verines are ready to give their confer-
ence rivals fits.
"I'm excited about the Big Ten
season," forward Silver Shellman said.
"We have more players this year, and
we can really match up."

Michigan begins Big Ten play during break when it goes head-to-head with
the Badgers and Hawkeyes. The Wolverines enter the conference, 4-4.

I I

'M' swimmers train over holidays

' Groceries

By DAN McKENZIE and
MICHELLE LEE THOMPSON
Daily Sports Writers
After its final exams are over, the
men's swimming and diving team will
board a plane and fly far, far away from
academics - and snow.
They are headed to Oahu foratrain-
ing trip and the Rainbow Invitational
against the University of Hawaii.
"We're all looking forward to get-
ting away from the cold," sophomore
Tom Dolan said. "Last year, (the train-
ing trip) was in Colorado Springs."
While the therapeutic benefits of
the trip are not being overlooked by the
team, the Wolverines do have some
challenging goals in mind. The trip has
been described by some team members
and coaches as the hardest training
session of the season.
"We'll be hurting pretty bad,"
Dolan said. "Probably, we'll be
swimming in a meet where we'll be

the most worn down of all season,"
he added, in reference to the meet
with Hawaii, which is combined
with the women's team.
The Wolverines will need to stay in
shape over the holidays due to a meet
with Stanford nine days after their re-
turn.
"It's a real important time of the
season," freshman Derya Buyukuncu
said. "When we come back, we are
entering a difficult part of our sched-
ule."
Michigan will use the time in Ha-
waii to work on the intangibles as well.
Assistant coach Alex Braunfeld said
team unity is an important benefit of
the training session.
Freshman Jason Lancaster agreed.
"Swimmers are different in that the
bonding happens because we beateach
otherdown," he said. "We respecteach
other for working our asses off. The
bonding comes because of the train-

ing."
So are the Wolverines happy about
their upcoming vacation despite the
fact that they will be missing the chance
to go home?
"It's one of the sacrifices you make,"
freshman Owen Von Richter said.

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