12 - The MichiganDaily - Tuesday, October 4, 1994 Tough conditions dictate fourth- place finish for men's cross-country By EUGENE BOWEN and DOUG STEVENS Daily Sports Writers The Michigan men's cross coun- try team travelled to Colorado last weekend and battled both high alti- udes and a tough, experienced field enroute to a fourth-place finish in Saturday's Rocky Mountain Shootout. With a score of 119, Michigan ranked fourth in the standings behind Colorado (40), Idaho State (66) and Adams State College (118). Thirteen schools participated in the meet. This past weekend was Michigan's first true look at top national compe- tition. The experience should prove to be invaluable in helping the team prepare to defend its Big Ten title and ultimately to compete in the NCAA Championships. "We got to see what's out there and what to shoot for," captain Ian Forsyth said. The meet was posted as an eight kilometer (five miles), however, Forsyth said, the course was closer to 5.2 miles. Before the meet, many runners wor- ried how the high altitude of over 6,000 feet would affect their performances. Although the Wolverines did finish a respectable fourth place, the three teams that defeated them all hailed from loca- tions based above 5,000 feet. "The altitude affects you. It defi- nitely made us feel weak. It played a part," Forsyth said. Sophomore All-American Kevin Sullivan was Michigan's top finisher, placing ninth with a time of 26:21. Forsyth, a senior, finished quickly behind Sullivan with a 10th-place time of 26:25, and junior All-American Scott McDonald finished 16th with a time of 26:45. Sullivan and McDonald were both 'The altitude affects you. It definitely made us feel weak. It played a part, not a huge part.' - Ian Forsyth Michigan cross-country competing in their first meet of the season after taking Septemberoff from competition. The duo spent the sum- mer preparing for the Commonwealth Games, where they competed for their native country of Canada. Head coach Ron Warhurst pre- dicted that Colorado would "not be Michigan's only concern at altitude!' He also mentioned that Adams State College and North Carolina State would do well in the meet. Michigan did, however, place higher than the Wolfpack, which placed sixth (141). Other Michigan placers included sophomore Dave Barnett, who fin- ished 39th (27:39); freshman Don McLaughlin, 45th (27:56); sopho- more Ryan~ Burt, 50th (28:11); and junior Kris Eggle, 60th (28:32). "We weren't overly happy. We went there to win. Even though we didn't run great, we ran well," Forsyth explained. JONATHAN LURIE/Daily Michigan right wing Mike Knuble (an alternate captain) joins Steven Halko (also an alternate) and team captain Rick Willis to provide leadership for the Wolverines this season. Blue wars un after sumdmaer M' hockey skates into first da.Iy of official practice MOLLY STEVENS/Daily BY MELANIE SCHUMAN Daily Hockey Writer Like trying to fit into a tight pair of jeans, you ease your way in. A little at a time, each step gets you closer. A week after captain's practices - minus the official coaching staff- the Michigan hockey team suited up 3:00 p.m. practice yesterday, ready to chase thenational title thateluded itsix months ago. And like that tight pair of jeans, it takes Michigan a little time to smooth out the wrinkles. "(Captain's practice) definitely works out some of the rust," captain Rick Willis said. "A lot of guys don't play over the summer and you need those two weeks to get your timing back and get good feeling on the ice." Each player is vying for a position on the top lines. Even though there are initial indications of who may play to- gether, no single line remains intact from last year. Despite the seven lines selected for yesterday's practice, those trios will only temporarily plug up holes on the depth chart. While the Wolverines do return their CCHA championship-defensive corps and 13 forwards, there is still a question mark in goal as the team continues to climb the latter of stability. Yesterday was Berenson's first look at a Michigan squad without the offen- sive talents of Brian Wiseman, Mike Stone and David Oliver and goalies Steve Shields and Chris Gordon, all members of last year's highly-skilled senior class. In addition, Berenson must cope with the last-minute departure of junior Ryan Sittler, who signed with Philadelphia, Sept. 2. "I really don't know what our lines are going to be," Berenson said. "We thought about it all summer. Because of the changes in our team, the losses and additions, we don't have one set line from last year that I know is going to play together." Berenson believes the learning ex- perience for the coaches will be to fig- ure out where the freshman fit into this puzzle. One of the five freshmen who stood out among the practice squads yesterday was Matt Herr who scored three goals in the bump-and-grind scrim- mage. With ease, Herr shook the jitters of his debut for Berenson, now that he has officially left Hotchkiss and joined the Wolverines. "Each day I'm trying to step it up a notch and hopefully by the first game I'll be ready," Herr said. "Every day a practice it is competitive for spots, but overall everybody is out foreach other.' By Friday's Blue-White intrasquad scrimmage, Berenson hopes that the freshmen will have gelled and condi- tioned with the team. Perhaps then, they will only stand out as a result of strong performances, not for which of theseverl colors of practice jerseys they wear. "We want to be in a position where we can go out and play hard for close to 60 minutes, without breaking down physically and without making mental errors," Berenson said. "We need to get a game mentality under our belt." There were eight walk-ons whq skated an hour before the team took tho ice, and two were chosen to join thq squad in practice yesterday. For the time being, those eight prospects will return throughout the week. But by Wednesday, the coaches will decide who will play with the Wolverines in the Blue-White game, and dependent on their performance, who will permaz nently join the squad. Wolverine senior Ian Forsyth finished in 10th place last weekend. Innovation Opportunity ZS Associates is a rapidly grdwing, entrepreneurial management consulting firm driven by creativity and enterprise. Just 10 years old, we work in 49 countries, employ 125 professionals, and have offices on both sides of the Atlantic. We combine our knowledge of sales and marketing with sophisticated analytical techniques and innovative software tools to provide clients with real-world solutions. ZS offers career opportunities to talented people who want to make a difference. If you want the challenge of early responsibility, significant client contact, and an environment that rewards motivation and ingenuity, then consider joining our team. " Business Associates work as integral parts of the ZS consulting team to address a client's sales force or marketing issues. As a BA, you will be involved in collecting and analyzing data as well as developing creative client solutions. BA's typically have bachelors degrees in Business, Economics, Political Science, Mathematics or History, though other majors are also considered. " Operations Research Associates build mathematical models and optimization algorithms to develop creative solutions for sales and marketing problems. As an OR Associate, you will perform statistical analysis and design simulations using workstations and personal computers. Qualifications include a bachelors or masters degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, Statistics, or Mathematics. " Programmer Analysts work interactively with project teams on all aspects of database development. As a PA you will be responsible for maintaining ZS' systems, as well as creating new internal processes and tools. n~i ir Hlf iitnin-rh ~irI i 'c ,h,rvhadr'rc Ar1P~rPcP inC(nrnm i Ar r Qi ?r~r' nr 11111 I A 3 FACT : Bivouac carries over 100 styles of footwear for all kinds of outdoor activities: hiking, walking, trekking, climbing, kayaking, watersports, adventure travel... and more! WHY: Our goal is to help you select footwear that has the best possible fit. We carry a full range of men's and women's sizes up through size 15. s