LOA - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, February 15, 1996 Utah comes to Keen Men search for win By Kevin Kasiborski For the Daily Last April, the top ofthe scoreboard at the 1995 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships in Athens, Ga., read: 1. Utah 196.65, 2. Michigan 196.425. Utah is no stranger to the top of the scoreboard in championship meets. The '95 title was the Utes' second consecu- tive national crown, and the 10th they have won since 1981. For the Wolverines, though, second place was their highest finish ever, and an important step in their rise to national prominence. In every year since 1989, Utah, Geor- gia and Alabama have constituted the top three teams in the nation, until Michigan's No. 2 finish last year broke that streak. The Wolverines get a chance to re- new acquaintances with last year's champs when they host the Utes at 7p.m. Saturday in Cliff Keen Arena, in one of the most anticipated match-ups in women's gymnastics this year. "Having the opportunity to host a team that has won 10 national championships is a wonderful way to introduce our fans to the highest level ofgymnastics andget them hooked," Michigan coach Bev Plocki said. No. 4 Michigan has a record of 7-2 and is coming off a 194.425-192.575 victory over Ohio State in Columbus last weekend. Utah is 4-0 and ranked No. 3. Their last meet was Monday, when they came from behind to defeat No. 7 Oregon State, 195.60 to 194.85. Michigan is probably glad to have this meet in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines are currently on a 46-0 win streak at home, dating back to 1990. Utah coach Greg Marsden, the only coach the Utes have ever had, expressed concern about taking his team on the road. "Unless we can find a way to step it up a notch -and I don't know how we'll do that in two days of practice - it will be very hard for us to beat Michigan,"' Marsden said. "They're at home and they're avery good team ... they're fourth right now and we are struggling." Plocki and her team appreciate the generous praise and respect shown to thembyoneofthetopcoachesin America. But Marsden's comments sound suspi- ciously like something out of a Lou Holtz press conference. Pump up the other team and lament your own problems. "A burden we carry is that we make everybody's season if they beat us," Marsden said. "This meet is going to be a real tough and interesting challenge for us." Some of Marsden's other burdens in- clude an undefeated team, a No. 1 na- tional ranking in the balance beam event, and three 1995 All-Americans. But the biggest factor in Utah's favor this weekend is that they are healthy. "We will give them the best run for the money we can, but we are hampered very badly by injuries right now," Plocki said. "I was hoping we could field our stron- gest lineup and have an opportunity to beat theudefending champions on our home court." The team is hoping that this weekend will mark the return to action for senior DiannaRanelli andtwo freshmen, Kristen Duff and Lisa Simes, from injuries. However, it has recently lost senior Tina Miranda to injury, possibly for the year. Freshman Nikki Peters and sopho- more Heather Kabnick have both been competing hurt the last few weeks, but Peters will have to sit out on Saturday. Kabnick's status will be decided later in the week. by John Friedberg For the Daily In many sports, the University of Minnesota is not seen as much of a threat to the mighty Wolverines. Michigan's open display of the Little Brown Jug symbolizes football domi- nation. However, the Michigan men's gym- nastics team tells a different story. Michigan is looking for their first win of the season when they take on the defending Big Ten champion Golden Gophers Sunday at 2 p.m. at Cliff Keen arena. This will be the first home meet of Michigan's young season. Minnesota is currently ranked sixth in the country and fourth in the Big Ten. Coach Fred Roethlisberger's Golden Gophers are coming offa 225.45-219.25 loss to No. 4 Iowa. Minnesota brings in stars Heath Wall (all-around), Andrew Weaver and Chris Harrington. Wall scored a 9.85 on the rings in winning that event against the Hawkeyes and posted a 53.95 in the all-around. Weaver put up a 9.5 on the high bars to place second in the Iowa meet. Harrington showed his versa- tility in scoring a 9.65 on the floor exer- cise and a 9.85 on the rings in winning both events. The Gophers will be keyed up and looking to rebound from the lossto Iowa. The 16th-ranked Wolverines will try to build on last Saturday's solid effort against the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes. Michigan stayed with the Buckeyes for most of the meet, but ended up falling 228.925-209.750. The Wolverines posted team season-highs on the still rings (35.7) as well as the high bar .(36.7). The Wolverines were led by Flavio Martins who posted season-bests on the pommel horse, still bars and the all around. Martins finished third in the all-around, missing second by 1.5 points. He was Michigan's top scorern the meet. "Minnesota is always strong, espe- cially their vaulting team. They wonthe Big Ten last year and we expect a tough competition on Sunday," Martins said. Martins also indicated that Michigan will attempt to improve on the pommel horse against the Gophers. The h* has been a weakness forthe Wolvennes this year. Martins said he is looking to give his all-around score a boost this weekend. Captain Chris Onuska also achieved season-bests on the still rings and high bar. The senior from Manalapan, N.J., scored a fourth-place finish in the all- around against the Buckeyes. Onuska is comingback from an Achilles tendon injury that sidelined him for the st month ofthe 1995 season. He is reg- ing the form that has made him one o Michigan's top tumblers, as evidenced by his top-15 ranking on the pommel horse. Onuska is on track to becom just the 41st gymnast in school histo to win letters all four years. Teammate and fellow senior Kri Klinger will become a four-year lette winner as well. Klinger is coming of his season-best performance on the allel bars against the Buckeyes. one of three Wolverines who have high national ranking in an individua event. Klinger hopes to improve on hi No. 15 rank on the high bar. Another gymnast who has earne national respect is sophomore Tim Lauring. Lauring is ranked 16th in the vault and hopes to improve on his im- pressive performance against Illinois- Chicago. Ifthe Wolverines are to cause an upset on Sunday, though, they l need to keep improving on their previ- ous meets. No. 4 Michigan hosts No. 3 Utah Saturday at Cliff Keen Arena. Women's tennis will get its first real test in Virginia V By Pranay Reddy For the Daily After two relatively easy matches against Penn State and Western Michigan, the Michigan women's tennis team hits its first real test of the season this weekend in Williamsburg, Va. The 7-0 sweeps previously attained by the Wolverines won't be as easy to come by as they face Maryland and William and Mary. The Terrapins, whom Michigan plays Saturday at noon, are somewhat of a mystery to the team. The Wolverines haven't faced Maryland in coach Bitsy Ritt's entire 12-year tenure. What Ritt does know about the Terrapins, though, is their lack ofexperience, with three ofthe top four starters being freshmen. "It is a program that is relatively inexperienced," Ritt said, "but they have improved a lot from last year." Maryland has had trouble in the past with recruiting due to lack of scholarships, but with the influx of more scholarships into the program in recent years, all that has changed. "Recruiting has really improved for them," Ritt said. "(The Terrapins) are much more talented than in the past." Playing No. 1 singles for Maryland is freshman Thea Ivanisevic, the cousin of highly ranked professional men's singles player, Goran Ivanisevic. Senior Bresha Byrd returns for the Terrapins, playing No. 2 singles, while freshman Meg Griffin will play No. 3 singles. Freshman Adrian Pavelko rounds out the freshmen for Maryland, playing No. 4 singles. The real challenge for Michigan comes Sunday at I I a.m. when it faces William and Mary, the 13th-ranked team in the nation. The Wolverines, currently ranked 33rd in the nation, lost 5-1 to William and Mary in last year's meeting. Michigan hopes to give a better effort this year. Last year's contest was won by William and Mary after singles play, since the match was already decided. "They're a tough team, with quite a few top-notch players," junior Sarah Cyganiak said. "It's definitely amatch in which we have nothing to lose and everything to gain." Sophomore Lauren Nicholas, William and Mary's No. 2 singles player from a year ago, returns to play No. I singles. Currently ranked 20th in the nation, Nicholas is her team's strongest asset. Going into the weekend, the Wolverines may have to shuffle their lineup a bit due to the injury of freshman Jennifer Boylan. Boylan has a swollen knee, which caused her to miss the Western Michigan dual match on Tuesday. As of yesterday, her status was still up in the air. "I'm going to an arthroscopic surgeon (today) to find out what's wrong," Boylan said. "We'll see what happens from there.". If Boylan can't make the trip, Ritt is prepared to bump senior Angie Popek into the No. 5 single slot, while sophomore Sibyl Smith plays No.6 singles. Smith, who primarily played doubles for Michigan last year, has Ritt's approval going into the weekend. "Sibyl gained a lot of experience this fall," Ritt said. "She's ready to play." With two wins under its belt, the entire team heads into Williamsburg prepared to play, Ritt said. "We've been playing each other over and over again," Ritt said. "We've practiced enough, so now we need to see some strong competition." SWIMMERS Continued from Page 8A where I am. It should give me insight into what I need to work on. Freshman Tom Malchow, who is making his Big Ter Championships debut this weekend for the Wolverines, is strong candidate for the Olympic team in the 200 butte and is also keeping this meet in perspective. "(This weekend) will be an indication of where I am nation- ally both in terms of the NCAAs and the Olympics," he said. "It is just a tune-up; it will not reveal the whole picture." Despite the relative lack of importance placed on this meet by many of the Wolverines, there is still an air of excitement and importance heading into the three-day event. "I'm psyched to wear the Michigan cap," said freshman Andy Potts, perhaps the Wolverines' most versatile swim- mer. "It means something extra to swim for both the school's history and for myself." The meet will be held at Canham Natatorium each o next three days.I Preliminaries will be held at noon and finals at 7 p.m. eaci day. I a I Celebrate Spring Break In Any SI iValuJet Sun Spots. OQ4 rf QL/IZ L 1~~t4/ r" Whether you'd rather water ski, sunbathe, or hang-out at an unnamed but well-known theme park, there's no better place for Spring Break than Florida. And Valujet J VA 40 s I .. '' has great low fares to seven of Florida's hottest Sun Spots. And to make things even easier, Valujet never requires Fares shown are for O-Peak travel a roundtrip purchase or a Saturday night stay and require a2Way adance Call for reservations today. 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