- - p I_ .
Magic's penalty: Three games, $10K
Magic Johnson was suspended three games and fined $10,000 for
bumping an NBA referee during yesterday's Los Angeles-Phoenix game.
The Laker forward will miss regular season games against Dallas, San
Antonio and Minnesota, and then will be eligible to play in the team's
final regular-season game against Portland. Johnson apologized to the
referee he bumped and to the league.
Tuesday
April 16, 1996
9
.Sprig tempessyar~ -
Michigan looks to fill big holes in offensive lineupy
By Ryan White
Daily Sports Writer
Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr
had just one goal going into spring prac-
tice:
"We wanted to take each player and
~diidually improve as much as each
~ud inprove," Carr said." I think we did
that."
Of course, a few answers about the
team he'll have this fall wouldn't be bad
either, and Carr seemed to get those as
well, especially at quarterback.
Sophomore Scott Dreisbach returned
to practice for the first time since he
injured his right thumb in a practice at the
beginning of last season.
"Scott started off very tentative," Carr
said. "The last week he really looked like
the Dreisbach of old, though."
Carr was also impressed with redshirt
1freshmen Tom Brady andDiAlloJohnson.
"I think Brady is going to compete very
well because of the improvement he
showed," said Carr.
Dreisbach's solid spring appears to
'have cleared up one foggy area for Carr,
but he's got others to deal with.
On offense, Michigan lost its top run-
*ng back (Tshimanga Biakabutuka), two
'of its top linemen (Joe Marinaro and Jon'
Runyan) and its top two receivers (Mer-
cury Hayes and Amani Toomer).
To make matters more difficult on the
offensive line, neither Joe Reis or Rod
Payne practiced because of injuries.
Still, Carr said the Wolverines have the
making of a strong offensive line. He was
happy with the spring performances of
guards Zach Adami and Damon Den son,
and tackle Jon Jansen.
At running back, Carr was especially
impressed with sophomore Clarence
Williams, who appears to have the inside
track to replacing Biakabutuka as
Michigan's No. 1 back.
While Can- said he was happy with
receivers Todd Brooks, Tyrone Butterfield
and Tai Streets, he noted the possibility
that a freshman could step in at that posi-
tion this fall.
The strong point for the Wolvernnes
should again be the defense. Michigan
returns all but two starters.
Jarrett Irons, one of last season's co-
captains, returns as the heart of a strong
linebacking corps. Irons said last season
that he wouldn't head to the NFL if Carr
was given the head coaching job, and he
kept his word.
"I see myselfas not playing football the
rest of my life," said Irons, who will
graduate in May and is applying forgradu-
ate school. "The NFL will always be
there."
Irons also has another reason for com-
ing back - a Big Ten championship. It
has been three years since Michigan won
the conference and went tothc Rose Bowl,
a fact not lost on any of the players.
"It always bumns inside," Irons said.
"Especially since we've fallen short since
I've been here."
So with spring ball over, the Wolver-
ines begin to concentrate on Aug. 31,
when they open up the 1996 season agai nst
Illinois at Michigan Stadium. And they
do it with their spring goals achieved.
THE CRIESE SITUATION: Carr wouldn't
comment on the punishment handed to
quarterback Brian Griese, but did say it is
consistent with the Student-Athlete Code
of Conduct.
"It's a penalty he has to pay for show-
ing poor judgment," Can- said. "I'm cer-
tainly not going to turn my back on him.
The college experience is a learning ex-
perience, and I think we all learned some-
thing from this."
THlE DRATr: Can- offered his thoughts
on where two of last year's Michigan
players would go in this year's NFLdraft.
From talking to scouts, Carr felt Runyan
would go either late in the first round or
early in the second. He felt Biakabutuka
would go early in the first.
"I think he'll be the second back picked,
or for sure the third," Can- said. "Maybe
he'll take us all to dinner."
MARK FRIEDMAN/Daily
The Michigan football team finished spring practice with some unanswered questions, but with its main goal fulfilled.
Blue icers honored for their efforts at postseason banquet
By Nicholas J. Cotsonika
'ails Sports Editor
Michigan's last hockey coach to win a na-
tional championship put the 1995-96 season
into perspective last night.
Al Renfrew, who guided the Wolverines to an
NCAA title 32 years ago, looked out at the
hundreds packed into the ballroom at the Michi-
gan Union, and he remembered the way it used
to be.
"When we won the championship in 1964, we
had about three tables," Renfrew said.
Now, the Wolverines could use about three
Soms. 'Michigan's hockey program has gone
from a fledgling former champion to the best in
the nation.
"It used to be that you didn't have to buy it
ticket (to come to our games)," Michigan coach
Red Berenson said of his early years at the helm.
"If you hung around long enough, somebody
would give you a ticket."
Last night, the Wolverines, their friends. fami-
lies and fans celebrated their rise and their
national championship at the Dekers Club awards
banquet.
Seniors gave tearful goodbye speeches, com-
memorative videos were shown, and the impact
of the program's finest hour in over three de-
cades was felt.
"People have called and written," Berenson
said. "You players don't see that, but you've
touched a lot of people...
"We've won the past few years. but we didn't
get the last goal. This year. we got the last goal.
And it feels good."
The annual awards were presented to the
players who helped get that last goal.
Brendan Morrison, the man who scored it in
overtime to beat Colorado (Col lege for the chamn-
pionishiip, won the "D)oc" I .osh Award (scoring
leader) and the Hal Downes Award (most valu-
able player).
"This is really a team award," Morrison said,
holding the Losh trophy. "This is a great group
of guys ... In the past, we were just happy to be
one of top four teams in country.
"Not this ye,:r.'
The Alton Simms Award (most improved
player) went to defenseman Chris F=escoi.
Bobby Haves won the Dekers Club Award (most
colorful rookie), and the Vic Heyliger Award
(outstanding defenseman) was given to Steven
Hal ko.
Jason B~otterill took home the Carl Isaacson
Award (academic athlete) for the second year in
a row.
"I'm a full-fledged nerd now," he said.
Kevin Hilton followed, winning the Howard
Colby Award (sportsmanship).
"If Jason's a nerd, I guess this means I'm a
pansy," Hilton said.
Next season's team leaders were announced
as well. Morrison will wear the "C." and Botterill
and Blake Sloan will serve as assistant captains.
Even Josh Richelew. a student manage? who
was with the program for rive years. received
some attenti or last night. Equipment manager
Ian Hlume choked back sobs to give Richelew a
plaque in appreciation .of his service.
"This is at team, and a lot of different people
put at lot of effort into this," Berenson said. "On
and off' the ice, people in this program have
worked hard to take it where it is."
Senior John Arnold. a Michigan workhorse
who battled for ice time in his four-year career,
summed up the feelings of his classmates, his
teammates and Berenson in his farewell address.
"Michigan means so much to me, 1 have it
tattooed on my leg," he said. "We've come a
long way."
'M'softball hopes to
,' heat up versus Boilers
By Mark Snyder
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan softball team has a great
legacy to live up to - its own.
Early-season no-hitters by Kelly
Holmes and Sara Griffin, as well as a 25-
run outburst, set a difficult standard of
achievement to match. Although the thor-
oughness of victory is not the same, the
Wolverines keep on winning.
After a weekend where the Wolverines
(11-2 Big Ten, 34-10 overall) needed
extra innings twice to defeat the first-year
Wisconsin Badgers, they arc looking to
get back on their game in today's 2 p.m.
twinbill against Purdue.
The Boilermakers are yet another
young team - in their third year of
existence -- but have not had any suc-
cess against Michigan. Purdue (6-6, 23-
15) has not won in four attempts against
the Wolverines.
Michigan has dominated teams with
its pitching this season behind start-
ers Holmes and Griffin. Things have
not been as successful recently, how-
ever.
Holmes has experienced ups and downs
this season and is presently searching to
regain her early season form. In the past
few games, Holmes has been hit hard, and
has failed to pitch acomplete game in two
of her last three starts.
Bitt Michigan coach Carol Hutchins
doesn't see a problem developing.
"All players go through (slumps)," she
said. "(Holmes) has to focus on funda-
mentals of pitching, and keep her confi-
dence up."
Hitting is also something that Michi-
gan must improve upon this afternoon.
Wisconsin held the Wolverines' usu-
ally powerful offense to only one run
through the first seven innings in Sunday's
game. Michigan stayed close in the cold
weather by turning aggressive on the
basepaths.
Purdue will be hard-pressed to repeat
the Badgers' pitching success, and
knows the Wolverines won't be hitless
for long.
Michigan is hitting .339 as a team and
has nine regulars hitting over .300. Con-
sistency breeds results, as shown by Traci
Conrad and Griffin, who have hitting
streaks of 13 and 12 games, respectively.
Michigan has won 13 of its last 14,
and when things aren't going well,
the team finrds ways to pul l games out.
The ability to find answers to prob-
lems is a virtue that Hutchins saw this
weekend.
"We were very good defensively, and
got key people out," she said. "We stayed
around until we could get something and
then broke things open."
Hutchins is treating Purdue as it would
any other Big Ten opponent - with
respect.
"Every game in the conference is im-
portant," Hutchins said. "(But) it only
matters what we do."
WARREN ZINN/ Daily
Pitcher Kelly Holmes will try to return to early season form today against Purdue.
4
G'ardner tops Blue showing at ilinois festival
By Carl Schwartz cross country last fall. Mahler finished ninth. Lengemann placed third in the javelin
For the D~aily Michigan gave a strong team effort in Michigan also placed well in the field ( 153-4) and junior Brian Wil dfong
The Michigan men's track and field the sprints. The Wolverines placed see- events. Senior pole vaulter Bryan placed third in the shot put (47-9) and
~am competed in its first full outdoor ond in the 4 x 400 relay, finishing in Happel led agroup of four Wolverines, fourth in the discus (10 1-8).
~eet of the season Saturday at the Spring 3:14.79 - only 0.23 seconds behind all of whom finished in the top seven. "We had some good performances in
Sports Festival at Illinois. Illinois. In the individual 400, Brian Happel cleared a height of 15-foot-5, Illinois, and we can build on those perfor-
The Fighting Illini literally ran away Renaldi placed fourth and Todd earning him second place. Junior Alex mances for future meets," Mortimer said.
with most of the events at the festival,
-but Saturday's performance was high-
lighted by Michigan junior Neil
Gardner's victories in the 1 10- and 400-
Burnham finished fifth.
Five Wolverines brake into the top
14 in the 200 dash, led by Ezra Gibson's
sixth-place finish. M ichiigan placed four
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