The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday, December 9, 1996 - 3
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BARRY
JONATHAN SUMMER/Daily
The Michigan women's swimming team qualified for the NCAA Championship in five events this past weekend at the Miami Invitational. As a team, the Wolverines blew
their 10 opponents away with 1,157 total points, almost 700 more than any other team.
Wolverines sink com etition in
season s first invltational meet
SOLLENBERGER
Sollenberger in Paradise
Underachievers? Not
this group of Wolverinest
Michigan 13, Ohio State 9. Two weeks later, the memory of this incredible
upset - one of the greatest in Michigan history - still remains. And no
one is likely to forget about it anytime soon.
Who could forget about it?
You could argue that the victory salvaged the Wolverines' season.
You could argue that it made up for bitter defeats. Heck, you could even argue
that the stunning upset made up for another Rose-less season.
But if the memory of the upset hasn't dimmed, the euphoria of it has, allowing
one to take an objective look at Michigan's season.
How will the Wolverines' season be remembered? As good or bad, or some in
between?
In reality, many fans are disappointed with Michigan's 8-3 record. At first
glance, they have reason to be.
They watched the Wolverines blow a game at Northwestern. They watched
Michigan lose to Purdue, one of the Big Ten's worst teams. And they watched the
Wolverines fall apart and lose to Penn State.
With these losses in mind, many fans believe that Michigan has underachieved
this season.
But they are wrong.
Two years ago, the Wolverines had Tyrone Wheatley and Tshimanga
Biakabutuka in the same backfield and were still out of the Rose Bowl race by
Nov. 1.
That Michigan team underachieved. This year's has not.
To put the ball in the end zone, a team needs talent at the offensive skill posi-
tions, and Michigan has little of it. In fact, Michigan hasn't had less talent at the
skill positions this decade. To put this in perspective, the Wolverines' best offen-
sive player is their cornerback, Charles Woodson.
Then there is the quarterback situation. Or as far as the Wolverines are con-
cerned, the disaster situation.
Scott Dreisbach has not improved much between his freshman and sophomore
seasons, and one could argue that he has, indeed, underachieved.
But he really wasn't that good to begin with.
Sure, he led Michigan to a 4-0 start last year before a season-ending injury, but
the Wolverines wouldn't have finished 13-0 if he had played the entire year. They
probably would have ended up 9-4, like they did with Brian Griese at quarter-
back.
Then there is the Michigan defense, the team's strength.
It has been ranked among the nation's best in most statistical categories all sea-
son. But there's a key word there - among.
Michigan's defense is not ranked near the top nationally in any category. The
Wolverines have a good defense, but not a great one. Their defense doesn't com-
pare to, say, Florida State's.
All of this aside, how can the loss to Purdue be explained?
The fact of the matter is that when you're a good but not great team - like
Michigan - you beat some teams you shouldn't and you lose to some teams you
shouldn't.
According to the oddsmakers, the Wolverines should have beaten
Northwestern, Purdue and Penn State and should have lost to Colorado and Ohioa
State.
But as we all know, the oddsmakers aren't always right.
Sure, it would have made sense for Michigan to be 9-2, with losses to
Colorado and Ohio State. But then again, little in the college football world ever
makes sense.
So, could the Wolverines have gone, say, 10-1 or 11-0?
Perhaps, but they needed a super coaching job by coach Lloyd Carr, and they
See PARADISE, Page 98
By Afshin Mohamadi
Daily Sports Writer
Some people say that the
ianksgiving holiday is a time when
physical conditioning is ruined by
pounds of food and hours of inactiv-
ity.
The Michigan women's swimming
team would disagree.
In their first invitational meet of
the season, the Wolverines showed
no signs of post-Thanksgiving
malaise by steam-rolling the rest of
the I I-team field at the three-day
Miami (Ohio) Invitational.
Michigan viewed this meet as the
most important one of the early sea-
son, and did not fail to please its
fans by finishing with 1,157 points,
more than double the number of the
second-place team, host Miami.
Senior captain Anne Kampfe said
that the rest and relaxation during
Thanksgiving only helped the
Wolverines.
"I think it was good," she said.
"People got to go home. It's always
good to get out of Ann Arbor for a
little while."
Besides winning the meet, the
Wolverines went into Oxford, Ohio,
with the goal of qualifying as many
swimmers as possible for the NCAA
championship.
They succeeded, automatically
qualifying in a freestyle relay and
three individual races and getting
numerous teams and individual
swimmers consideration for the
NCAAs with fast times.
Overall, Michigan was pleased
with its effort in the important meet.
"We went in there trying to quali-
fy for the NCAAs and win the
meet," Kampfe, who earned NCAA
consideration in four individual
We had some
of the.fasest
times we've had
this season"
- Anne Kampfe
Michigan swimmer
races, said. "We had some of the
fastest times we've had this season."
Freshman Shannon Shakespeare
dominated the meet, automatically
qualifying for the NCAAs with
times of 23.06 seconds in the 50-
yard freestyle and 1:46.66 in the 200
free.
Sophomore Jen Eberwein also
earned an automatic NCAA qualifica-
tion when she finished just .02 seconds
behind Shakespeare in the 50 free.
The Wolverines' 400 free relay
team of Eberwein, Shakespeare,
junior Talor Bendel and senior
Melisa Stone is assured of a spot in
the NCAAs with its victory Friday,
as is the 400 medley relay team of
junior Linda Riker, Stone, senior
Jodi Navta and Shakespeare.
Despite the Wolverines' domina-
tion of the field at Miami, Kampfe
said the competition gave Michigan
a push.
"(The opposition) stepped up and
raced us," she said. "I think we
responded by swimming a good
race. I think we represented
Michigan well."
After swimming well and holding
a 371-point lead after the second day
of competition, the Wolverines went
on a tear Saturday, failing to place
first in only one swimming event.
The end result was a 692-point cush-
ion over the field.
While the swimming team was
enjoying its success, the Michigan
diving team found its stay in Oxford
less pleasant.
The Wolverines could not muster
a top-three finish in either the one-
or three-meter diving event.
Freshman Hannah Shin placed
fourth for the Wolverines in the one-
meter dive.
The swimming team, with its last
meet of the term complete, will now
prepare for its trip to Coronado,
Calif., over winter break. While
most people would get caught up in
California's warm sun, Kampfe
insists that the Wolverines will get
down to work out west.
"We want to get some hard train-
ing (in California)," she said. "I
think we're going to be ready for
(the crucial) Big Tens (in
February)."
'M' Standouts
Shannon Shakespeare
Qualified for NCAA Championship in
50 yard freestyle and 200 free.
Jen Eberwein
Qualified for the NCAA
Championship in the 50 free, and
gained NCAA consideration in the
100 free.
Ann Kampfe
Won the 200 back, 500 free, and
400 Individual Medley, gaining
NCAA consideration in all three.
400 yard medley relay
The relay team, made up of Linda
Riker, Melisa Stone, Jodi Navta and
Shakespeare, placed first and quali-
fied for the NCAA Championship.
400 yard free relay
The relay team of Eberwein,
Shakespeare, Talor Bendel, and
Stone placed first and qualified for
the NCAA Championship.
M' tankers qualify for NCAAs in
five events at Miami Invitational
i
f1.
INTRAMURAL
SPORTS
PROGRAM
By Josh Kleinbaum
Daily Sports Writer
The NCAA Women's Swimming
d Diving Championship is still
almost three months away. But this
past weekend, at the Miami
Invitational, that was all the
Michigan women's swim team
thought about.
The meet itself was a rout.
Everybody knew it would be
Michigan running away with the
event. But while the Wolverines were
y to win the meet, that's not why
i ey travelled to Oxford, Ohio. They
went to qualify for the NCAA
Championship.
And qualify they did.
Freshman Shannon Shakespeare
stote the show, qualifying for two
individual events, the 200 yard
freestyle and the 50 free. She was
also a member of both the 400 med-
ley 'relay and the 400 freestyle relay,
wich both qualified. In addition,
&akespeare swam consideration
times in the
200 individual
medley and the
100 breast-
stroke.
'It's good to :. :
got those quali-
fications out of
the way,
akespeare
id. "I was
expecting to Shakespeare
swim better at
this meet than
at the dual meets because I was more
rested for this one. I was happy with
how 'I did."
limit. She would therefore be
allowed to swim the maximum three
events, as long as she had considera-
tion times in those events.
Sophomore Jen Eberwein also had
a good meet for the Wolverines.
Eberwein qualified for the NCAAs in
the 50 free, and was also a member of
the 400 free relay. Eberwein swam a
consideration time in the 100 free.
While the Wolverines earned
NCAA qualifying times in only five
events, 15 swimmers earned 28 con-
sideration times in individual events,
and two relay teams also earned con-
sideration times. Last year, the
Wolverines sent 17 swimmers to the
NCAA Championship.
The relays have been very strong
for the Wolverines. All four relay
teams earned at least consideration
times, with two of them getting qual-
ifying times.
"We've got a really strong team, so
it gives (coach Jim Richardson) a lot
of people to choose from,"
Shakespeare said. "Qualifying this
early in the season should help our
relays, because everyone will push
harder to be on the teams."
Michigan also looked very good in
the sprints, particularly the 50 free,
where two swimmers earned qualify-
ing times, and three others swam for
consideration times.
Kampfe also swam well for the
Wolverines, winning three events,
the 200 back, 500 free and 400 IM.
While she did not gain qualifying
times in any events, she did Pet four
consideration times.
"I wanted to go a little stronger in
this meet, because I was well-rested
and thought I could do really well,"
Kampfe said. "I didn't qualify, but
my times should be good enough to
get me into the NCAAs."
Other standout Wolverines were
Melisa Stone, who swam four con-
sideration times, and Linda Riker
and Talor Bendel, who each had
three consideration times.
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
WINTER TERM
Ice Hockey, Basketball, Team Racquetball , Team Badminton,
Swimming & Diving Meet, 3-Point Shootout, Free Throw Contest,
Pre-Season Volleyball, Relays Meet, Volleyball, Mini-Soccer, Broomball,
Racquetball - Singles and Doubles, Table Tennis
7,
e
OFFICIATING OPPORTUNITIES
WINTER TERM
e., ..:
The Nation's
Ice hockey
Basketball Volleyball
Mini-Soccer
Broomball
THANKS!!t
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