The Michigan Daily - Thursday, February 22, 1996 - 11A
M' runners face Big Ten's best
By Mark Snyder
Daily Sports Writer
Columbus has rarely been a location
that Michigan looks forward to visiting,
but this weekend, it holds a lot of promise
for the Wolverines.
The Michigan men's track and field
team holds a distinct advantage heading
into this weekend's Big Ten Champion-
ships - it is well-rested. Most of the
Wolverines' best runners are ready to
take on top competition after sitting out
last weekend's EMU Classic.
Kevin Sullivan rested his injured
achilles tendon and is nearly 100 per-
cent. The defending Big Ten mile cham-
pion will run his specialty as he eyes yet
another crown to add to his long list of
credentials.
Sullivan is the only Wolverine ranked
first in his event headinginto the meet, but
Michigan coach Jack Harvey is not fazed.
"Neil (Gardner)'s second, and (Jon)
Royce is second (in their respective
events)," Harvey said.
Gardner and Royce are Michigan's
other shots at strong finishes. Royce has
been consistently clearing seven feet in
the high jump, and Gardner is one of the
conference's top hurdlers.
There are limits as to the number of
Wolverines permittedto travel,and Harvey
has pared down his roster accordingly.
"We'll take our top 28 guys (to Colum-
bus)," Harvey said.
The decision on who travels to the meet
is not based on any quota system, just on
quality performances, Harvey said.
Those quality performances are plenti-
ful on the Michigan squad. The Wolver-
ines overall strength in a variety of events
makes them strong candidates to secure a
second-place finish among the eleven
conference teams. Wisconsin is expected
to win the meet.
Points in the conference meet are
awarded on a scale where even a sixth-
place finish is rewarded. Points for
the first through sixth positions will
allow the Wolverines to compile a
large score without victories in indi-
vidual events.
"We'll have entries in every event,"
Harvey said.
Harvey is planning on makingmultiple
entries in the field events, where good
performances are less likely to depend on
the competition.
"We'llhave two in the long jump, three
in the high jump, three in the (pole) vault,
one in the shot (put) and one in the triple
jump," he said.
Each event has one outstanding runner
whom Harvey looks to as important to the
team's fortunes. In the distance events,
Michigan's best hope is John Mortimer in
the 3,000-meter run.
Themiddledistanceeventswill seeTodd
Burnham and Dwayne Fuqua in the 600,
Trinity Townsend in the 800 and Scott
MacDonald aiding Sullivan's cause in the
mile.
With Felman Malveaux sitting in the
bleachers with abroken foot,the Wolver-
ines see the sprint events as their weak
link.
"We're weak in the 200 and we're
weak in the 55, although Damon
DeVasherisstartingto nfaster,"Harvey
said. "Those are probably the two weak-
est events for us now."
The Wolverines will get a fresh look
at most of the teams from the Big Ten,
not having competed against them yet
this season. Michigan has faced off
against Michigan State a number of
times, as well as Purdue and Indiana
once, but that is the extent of their
experience.
"We don't see Minnesota or Iowa until
the Big Tens, but it seems that way every
year," Harvey said.
The two-day event is broken down
with some of the field events on each day,
while the running preliminaries are on
Saturday with the finals on Sunday.
This is what the runners look forward
to throughout the indoorseason and this is
where Harvey thinks they can shine..
"What we're counting on is having
some really good performances," he
said.
TONYA RObAD/UY
Thq Michigan men's track and field team will compete in the Big Ten Championships this weekend in Columbus.
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4 Clemson
athletes
arrested
for raping
student
*CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) - Two
Clemson football players were released
from jail Wednesday and two others
remained behind bars after a judge set
tifir bonds at $20,000 on charges of
ra ibg a student on campus.
If convicted on the charges of crimi-
nal-sexual conduct and conspiracy, each
man could receive as many as 35 years
in prison.
The players have been suspended
definitely from the team. Coach
ommy West said Tuesday he would
not comment further while the charges
ate pending.
"Eric Bernard Williams, 18, of
Blenheim and Adrian Kennell Dingle,
I8, of Holly Hill posted bond to get out
of the Pickens County jail.
Still there are Christopher Rice, 19,
of Starkville, Miss.; and Bennie K.
Zeigler, 18, of St. Petersburg, Fla.
*Dingle, a linebacker, played in all 12
ganjes last season. Zeigler, a linebacker;
Rice, a defensive back; and Williams, a
defensive lineman, all sat out as
redshirts.
{lhe woman, also a freshman, was
rapedby fourmen on Feb. 15 in Mauldin
Hall, an all-male dorm on the campus,
police Chief Lonnie Saxon said. Will-
iams and Dingle live in the room where
the woman reported the assault oc-
WUAll four players have cooperated in
the investigation, Saxon said.
Police have not served any of the
men with a notice of trespass, which
would prohibit them from returning to
campus.
A decision on whether the students
remain in school would be up to a three-
member hearing committee, Clemson
;pokesperson Joy Smith said.
PENN STATE
Continued from Page 9A
cent) and leads the nation in 3-point-
ersnmade per game (3.2).
>"Pete brings a great deal to the
table," Dunn said. "Certainly, he will
be a factor. We could have used him
the first game."
If Penn State's long-range bombers
get going, the
evening will be a
long one for the
Wolverines. The
Nittany Lions lead
the nation in 3-
point shooting
(43.1 percent).
As far as the
Big Ten is con-
cerned, Lisicky
ayior trails only team-
mate Glenn
Sekunda (49.3 percent) in 3-point
shooting.
Dan Earl (43.7 percent) gives Dunn
a third player averaging over 40 per-
-crIt from beyond the arc.
==
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