SPORTS CALENDAR
The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - Monday, February 12, 1996 - 78
COMMUNRTYSERVICE
STUDENr-ATHLETEOFTHEWEEK
Who: Matt Hyde Sport: Baseball
Eligibility: Junior Year: Senior
Hometown: Cape Cod, Mass. High School: Phillips Academy
a Why: Hyde has been active in the community during this school
year. He has been a participant in the S.H.A.R.E. reading program
and has made a number of visits to Mott Children's Hospital. This
past Wednesday, Hyde helped to organize the visit of more than 20
of his teammates to Mott. Players spent time with patients,
autographed baseball hats and posed for pictures.
Background: This is Hyde's first year as a roster player. He is,
Hyde however, a three-year letter winner, having served as the team's
senior manager during previous seasons.
IIE mdiian UId
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Who: Matt Herr Sport: Ice Hockey
Eligibility: Sophomore Year: Sophomore
Hometown: New Windsor, N.Y. High School: Hotchkiss -
Why: The sophomore forward, who has played on the third and fourth lines all
season, competed on the second line this weekend. Herr scored a goal Friday at '
Notre Dame in the Wolverines' 4-1 win. Then the next night, he scored three .
goals and one assist in Michigan's 12-0 pasting of Illinois-Chicago. Herr was
named CCHA offensive player of the week today for the first time in his career.
Background: Herr was named to the Great Lakes Invitational All-Tournament team
in 1994 and was selected by the Washington Capitals in the 4th round (93rd
overall) of the 1994 draft ... was a member of the U.S. select 16 team ..
competed on the United States National Junior Team in the 1996 World Junior H
Hockey Championship in Massachusetts ... drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the
29th round as a pitcher... enrolled in College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
... born May 26, 1976.
Women gymnasts beat Buckeyes
Triumph over Ohio State moves Wolverines' conference record to 1-2
By Kevin Kasiborski
For the Daily
The Michigan women's gymnastics' team needed its sec-
ond-highest point total of the season to beat Ohio State
194.425-192.575 in Columbus Saturday night. Ohio State's
score was its best showing of the season, exceeding the
school's previous high by more than a point and a half.
The win was the Wolverines' first in the Big Ten against
two previous defeats, and raises their overall record to 7-2.
With the loss, Ohio State drops to 7-2. The Buckeyes are 2-
2 in the conference.
Assistant coach Brian Raschilla was pleased with his
team's performance on the road.
"It's a tremendous confidence booster (to win on the road),
especially at Ohio State. They want to beat Michigan no
matter what sport it is."
The Wolverines managed the victory despite winning only
one of the four events. Junior Andrea McDonald took first in
the beam and also placed first overall. Raschilla said she has
been a steady performer all year.
"Andrea hits when we need her to hit," Raschilla said.
"She has done a good job of stepping up and being a leader."
McDonald said it was satisfying to get the win.
"We've been working real hard the last couple of weeks
and had some bad luck with injuries," McDonald said.
"Finally, we feel like we are getting what we deserve and
what we have been working for."
Senior Wendy Marshall finished third overall with the
help of a 9.950 score on the vault. That impressive score was
only good enough for second place in that event, though,
because Ohio State's Susan Eckman recorded a perfect 10.
Michigan's younger players continued their recent strong
showings. Freshman Beth Amelkovich contributed a second
place in the bars and was third on the beam. Sophomore
Heather Kabnick was third in the vault and freshman Nikki
Peters was third on the bars, despite the fact that both were
still bothered by injuries.
"I think the injuries have brought us closer together,"
Amelkovich said. "We were confident going to the meet
because we had good practices all week."
Another injured Wolverine, senior Dianna Ranelli, was
still out of the line-up due to injury. Raschilla said he
hopes to have her back in a couple of events this coming
weekend.
Michigan assistant coach Beth Wymer was pleased with
the way all the healthy Wolverines stepped up their per-
formance, and she said the victory was a total team effort.
"We needed to pull together, and everyone rose to the
occasion. No one stood out in my mind," Wymer said.
McDonald says that one of the keys was focus.
"At times, the freshmen have worried about the injuri$,
who's going to be in and out of the line-up, things that (coach
Bev Plocki) worries about. We try to get them to just worry
about the meet," McDonald said.
This is the third week ina row that a Big Ten opponent has
scored a season high in points against Michigan. As defend-
ing conference champs, the Wolverines have to expect that
other teams will rise to the occasion against them.
"People look forward to competing against Michigan. It's
a challenge for us," McDonald said.
Wymer says that some teams might also view Michigan as
vulnerable this year.
"People might think that Michigan is down this year, that
they canget us. Butthey haven't seen the real Michiganyet"
The Wolverines now await the arrival of Utah for ameet
next Saturday night at Cliff Keen Arena. It will be-a
rematch of last year's NCAA meet in which Utah won the
national championship and Michigan finished second.
LANCASTER
Contimed from Page 1B
If you aren't caught off-guard by
his spiked hair, you may be taken by
,his eyebrow ring or the holes in his
s adorned with studs and hoops.
Thethere is his tattoo.
A gpyone who has a tattoo will tell
-you, X lot of thought goes into the
.design of the art. Some people see it
.as an expression of individuality or a
declavation of independence.
From his appearance, you may ex-
pet Json to don an elaborate serpent
.or Ostntatious design. But again,
Lanspaler defies all expectations.
;"My,,;tattoo reminds me of who I
n,"he said defiantly, showing his
gteNcep donning the blue 'M' with
"swtmming" across it. "It says where
I -,ent and what got me there- Michi-
gan -an swimming."
If you haven't realized by now,
Lancaster isn't an easy guy to read.
,One ypu think you have him figured
out, he says or does something to
brealklfrom this mold.
"(A lot of people) have said a num-
*er ofdifferent things about me, none
ofth mnbad. But basically, (they've)
sajd, j'm out there.' Yeah, I'm out
there,, ut I know what I'm doing.
?pein off-kilter helps me keep in per-
.spective what I'm supposed to do."
To understand Lancaster is to un-
d rstand far more than his appear-
ne. '
Lanpaster's swimming career be-
n n a stereotypical way.
"The water has always been in our
lives,t"Lancaster said.
His" father was a good high school
swimmerandhismotherwas involved
in synchronized swimming. His older
sisters'were also water-bound, taking
interest in both swimming and div-
ing.
Desite the fact that his family
swam, Lancaster took to the water for
bother reason.
"I started swimming because I had
asthma," Lancaster said. "I was al-
ways athletic, but I really became
focused on swimming because of the
asthma. I couldn't run because I
couldn't breathe, so the water was a
good'place for me."
In his early training, Lancaster re-
alized'there was more to the water
than competition.
"When I was 11, I began to learn
*at training with my friends was re-
ally enjoyable," he said.
He seemed surprised that he could
achieyt greatness in the pool and still
have pgood time, until he became the
fastes in the 100 butterfly in the 12-
year-old age division.
Hisfather then received a job offer
in England, and the family relocated
across-the Atlantic.
Latecsster continued to swim and
considers the move a catalyst in his
success.
He quickly adjusted to the change
from U.S. yards to the English meters
in the pool.
Buthis curiosity andneed for friend-
ship didn't receive equal conversion.
"It was a good move for me, both
swimming-wise and socially. At 12, I
was really getting to know people. It
was interesting to see how (the En-
glish kids) reacted at that age."
So Lancaster began defying stereo-
types at an early age.
"A lot of the (English) kids thought
I was a good swimmer just because I
was American," Lancaster said. "It
was good that they could get to know
me and see my swimming abilities
and say, 'He's not good just because
he's American."'
Eu.
Upon moving back to the United
States, Lancaster had not escaped ste-
reotypes.
His family moved to Carmel, Ind.
A priority in their decision was
Lancaster's swimming career.
The Carmel swim club had been
ranked among the nation's best clubs.
Carmel High School also had a repu-
tation for competitive swimming. The
boys' swimming team won the state
championship the year prior to
Lancaster's arrival.
"My parents chose Carmel because
it had good academic and athletic repu-
tations in the state," Lancaster said. "I
am blessed with parents that cared
about my sports."
Carmel went on to win four con-
secutive state championships while
Lancaster swam as a Greyhound.
Despite its winning reputation in
the pool, Carmel had been given a bad
rap.
"In high school, no one in the state
liked (Carmel). They thought we were
snobs, but this was really a false per-
ception."
Lancaster's greatest moment in his
high school swimming career was
breaking this stereotype.
"At the state meet, ifsomeone broke
a state record, people would clap," he
said. "But if someone from Carmel
won, there was no clapping. It was
almost expected. When I broke the
national record, people clapped and
they stood. I laughed because I knew
these people who had stereotyped us
cared. It made me fee' really good.
Actually, it made me feel great."
U..
Jason's parents have continued to
be inspiring forces in their son's life.
"My parents and I have a strange
relationship," Lancaster said. "My fa-
ther and I are distant but then not at
all. He's really business-like. But
don't get me wrong, I know he cares.
My mom and I can talk forever. Just
today, I spoke to her for about an hour
and a half about nothing."
The youngest of three children,
Lancaster credits his older sisters with
preparing his parents.
"After raising my sisters, my par-
ents really learned how to handle ev-
erything. I think they've really given
me the opportunity to handle things
for myself."
Their support for Lancaster's swim-
ming hasn't blinded their desire for
his happiness in life.
After a disappointing performance
in the 1994 World Championship Tri-
als the summer before his freshman
year, Lancaster was reassured of this.
"My parents said over and over that
I had surpassed their expectations and
they would understand if I quit. They
never put too much pressure on me,
but they never put too little pressure
on me either."
U..
Lancaster's swimming resume dur-
ing his college career is loaded with
distinctions.
In his first year as a Wolverine,
Lancaster was a six-time All-Ameri-
can, five-time Big Ten Champion and
the 1995 Big Ten Freshman of the
Year.
At the 1995 World University
Games in Fukouka, Japan, Lancaster
won gold medals in the 100-meter
butterfly and the 400 medley relay, as
well as taking bronzes in the 200 back-
stroke and 200 individual medley.
In addition to the hardware that
reminds him of his successes,
Lancaster keeps an armoire of memo-
ries.
"Just thinking about Big Ten's and
the NCAAs, the whole spiel makes
me numb."
Another great swimming memory
for Lancaster occurred while in Ja-
pan. But while at the championships,
the swimmer didn't mind being cat-
egorized. He was proud to be an
American.
"I didn't swim until the last three
days of the championships. I watched
the rest of the team fly, and I cheered
while people told me to sit down to
save myself for my races. I couldn't
help it. There was so much camarade-
rie. I was so proud to be part of the
U.S. When my first swim came, I was
ready because of this pride."
Lancaster soon hopes to add Olym-
pian to his characteristics. The swim-
mer is preparing for the Olympic Tri-
als in early March.
Strained tendons in his shoulders
have kept Lancaster's Olympic hopes
in perspective.
"It is not really an injury that scares
me. I was out (from full training) for
about six weeks, which really killed
my aerobic base. Some people may
find it easy to say I have not trained
well. Really, I had trained well until
Dec. 10."
Despite the nagging injury, which
has kept him from working out in the
pool as much as he would like,
Lancaster has been working on his
advantage out of the water.
"My focus is not the swimming
aspect. It is keeping my psyche in a
frame of mind. I know I can do it. I've
done it before. Can I do it again? That
is the question ... I can do it, that's my
focus."
®.
To really figure out Lancaster is to
look past the hair, body art, medals
and accolades.
"Swimming is a priority in my life,
but it is not my life. There is a lot more
to me than that."
Lancaster plays guitar and sings in
a band called Drink and the Worm.
Fellow swimmer Jeff Flermoen
adds his talents as a drummer, as well
as his nickname, "Flerm the Worm,"
to the group.
"(With swimming and school), I
really don't have time, but I manage
to squeeze the band in," Lancaster
said. "It's difficult to maintain sanity
with school and swimming, but the
band helps me do this."
As if his schedule wasn't already
busy enough, add another priority -
eating.
"Cooking is fun. I love my food."
Some of his meals read like a menu
from an eloquent restaurant. Among
his culinary creations, Lancaster is
happiest about orange-honey fish and
a recent attempt at elk chili.
Despite his attempts at distraction,
swimming is never far from his mind.
When eating or cooking, Lancaster
removes his national championship
ring from his right hand.
"I don't want to get anything messy
in it," he said.
U..
Ifyou really could categorize people
based on their appearances, a lot of
people might be stereotyped incqr-
rectly. Lancaster wears a letter jacket,
but he's not just a jock. Lancaster has
an eyebrow ring, but he's not a freak.
Lancaster likes to cook, but that
doesn't make him Julia Childs.
If image were everything, Lancaster
might look a little silly. But it isn't.;A
Speedo and an apron with a guitar
strapped around his neck - that just
makes him Jason Lancaster.
Read the DAy#
Recyce the Daiy
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