-- The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 11, 1996 A second chance at first place for Blue Large returning crop revives title hopes By TJ. Berka Fr the Daily In golf, a common request for the average duffer is to ask to take a Tulligan, or a second chance at a shot. The Michigan men's golf team looks to take a second chance this season, as they try to advance into the golfing elite with nine out of ten 4f their main tournament players returning. * This situation is similar to last yar, as the Wolverines returned nine of 10 players from the team that earned a 12th-place regional finish ii 1994-95. i However, Michigan never got on tuack last season, with its highest regular-season tournament finish being a fifth-place showing at the lorida Atlantic/PGA Invitational tournament last October in Palm Ieach, Fla. 7"I thought we would have a very good team last year, so our season vas somewhat disappointing," I ichigan coach Jim Carras said. With nine out of 10 players return- ing, our expectations were signifi- dantly higher." However, there was a silver lining 4t the Big Ten tournament last spring, when Michigan tied for furth place and narrowly missed the central regional tournament. This finale has lent optimism for the 1.996-97 season. _ "With nine out of 10 players once again returning, we should be very gompetitive this season," Carras said.. FILE PHOTO/Daily The Michigan men's golf team returns nine of its 10 members for the second year in a row. This time, Wolverine coach Jim Carras hopes that the Wolverines' experience will result in more victories. Michigan State to conduct internal probe DETROIT (AP) - Michigan State's athletic department has paid more than $650,000 for an internal investigation of alleged violations of NCAA rules, according to a published report. That sum represents cash payments to Bond Schoeneck, a Kansas City. Mo., law firm hired by the university to conduct the internal probe, The Detroit News reported in yesterday's editions. The billings cover the 16 months between December 1994, when ex-Spartan Roosevelt Wagner's allegations of wrongdoing became public, through March of this year. Michigan State officials said they did not know why they haven't received any bills from Bond Schoeneck since then. The payments were made from the athletic department's emergency fund, Athletic Director Merritt Norvell said. He told the News on Monday that he did n't know how much money was in the emergency fund, but that it was not "dan gerously depleted." The payments nevertheless represent nearly half of the athletic department's 1995 profit of about SI.4 million, Norvell said. "If I had it, I could better support my athletes, coaches and facilities and get, a lot farther toward the goals we're trying to accomplish," he said. Several attorneys from Bond Schoeneck joined Michigan State officials at a June I hearing before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions. The committee is expected to announce soon whether penalties already imposed by university President M. Peter McPherson were sufficient or if Michigan State should be, punished further. McPherson led the school's defense at that hearing. He hoped to head off tougher NCAA sanctions in April by voluntarily 'for- feiting all five of the Spartans' 1994 football victories because of rules viola- tions. The NCAA, in a letter of inquiry, cited claims that an academic adviser press; sured faculty to change players' grades and urged a student to feign mental ill ness to get an extension for course work, and that a Florida man gave gifts to recruits. McPherson has denied other allegations, including a claim that the universi- ty demonstrated a lack of institutional control and monitoring between the 1989-90 and 1994-95 school years. Ann Arbor's Salmeen a finalist for NCAA honor OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) - Ann Arbor's Annette Salmeen, who swims at UCLA, was one of 10 finalists for its 1996 Woman of the Year Award, announced Monday by the NCAA. Salmeen, the first American-born female Olympian out of UCLA in 20 years, finished fourth in the consolation final of the 200-meter butterfly at Atlanta. She also won the 200 butterfly in the NCAA championships held in her hometown in March. The Woman of the Year Award recognizes intercollegiate female athletes for outstanding achievements in athletics, academics and community leadership. + The other finalists are: Mary Alice Brady, track and field, Boston College; Amy DeVasher, swimming, University of Alabama; Billie Winsett Fletcher, volleyball, University of Nebraska; Kristi Kloster, track-cross country, University of Kansas; Marya Morusiewicz, volleyball, Barry University; Nikki Nicholson, volleyball, University of Georgia; Jenni Rademacher, bas- ketball, North Dakota State University; Samantha Salvia, field hockey, Old Dominion University, Katie Smith, basketball and track and field, Ohio State University. The 10 finalists were selected by a special committee of athletics adminis trators from National Collegiate Athletic Association member schools. A The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select the winner. The award will be presented Oct. 6 in Kansas City, Mo. Two luminaries returning to the links are junior Keith Hinton and redshirt freshman Michael Harris, who competed in the U.S. Amateur in August. Other Wolverines returning to the team this season include seniors Adam Anderson, Kyle Dobbs, Justin Hicks, Brent Idalski and Dave Jasper, along with junior Isaac Hinkle and sophomore Mike Emanuel. Chris Brockway, the only player to exhaust his eligibility last season, is still around as the undergraduate assistant coach. Even with the talent that has accu- mulated in Ann Arbor the past few seasons, the Wolverines have their work cut out for them in the Big Ten. A big challenge is sure to come from Ohio State, a national power that has been the home of golfing greats such as Jack Nicklaus. The Buckeyes, who won the Big Ten title a year ago, look to improve on last season, when they came within one stroke of the NCAA finals. Also sitting near the top of the Big Ten is Indiana, the only team in the conference to make it to the NCAA finals. The Hoosiers also return Big Ten Player of The Year Randy Leen. Minnesota, 12th place in the central regional last year, boasts individual regional champion Rob Kerr. Northwestern, which finished 13th in regionals, also looks to stake its claim to the Big Ten title. Michigan gets an early indicator of where it stands this weekend at the Falcon-Cross Creek Invitational Tournament in Colorado Springs, Colo. The 24-team tournament, host- ed by the Air Force Academy, was won last year by Rice, who returns to defend its title. California, which lost to Rice last year in a tiebreaker, returns from a season in which the Golden Bears finished 50th in the nation. Nebraska and Iowa State, Central regional qualifiers last year, will also join the fray in Colorado Springs. However, of more relevance to the Wolverines, conference rivals Illinois and Purdue will also be in tourney, giving Michigan an early indication of its place in the Big Ten hierarchy. The Wolverines received good karma during their last trip to Colorado Springs two years ago, when they finished third and Brockway came away with the indi- vidual title. SPI KERS continued from Page 10 "Linsey did a nice job blocking," Qiovanazzi said. Sophomore outside hitter Jeanine Szczesniak tied her career high with four total blocks, to go along with her r) kills and had 13 digs. The Wolverines were the better team defensively, outdiging the Rockets 70-55, and outblocked them 12-10. Outside hitter Karen Chase, anoth- er sophomore, contributed 15 kills, and had a .423 hitting percentage. Senior outside hitter Colleen Miniuk had six kills and six digs. In all, twelve Michigan players saw action in the match. Wendy Nicholson led Toledo with 17 kills but her hitting percentage was only .079. Amy DeLong had 49 assists for the Rockets, Lauren Waldrop had three blocks and Angie May had 11 kills and 16 digs. The Wolverines will return to action this weekend at the Spikeoff Spokane Tournament in Spokane, Wash. On Friday Michigan faces Gonzaga at 7 p.m., and then they have to come right back and play two matches Saturday. The Wolverines play George Mason at 10 a.m., and then will see Wyoming at 4:30 p.m. Michigan doesn't return home to Cliff Keen Arena until Sept. 20 when they will host Notre Dame. I BRAND NEW LOCATION Grand pening WHEAT LEY Continued from Page 10 Still, the idea of Wheatley peddling designer threads may have been a bit dis- concerting for rough-and-tumble Wolverine football fans who remember him as the hard-nosed, physical running back who led Michigan to its only post- Schembechler Rose Bowl victory. Nonetheless, Wheatley sported the snazzy duds while he signed autographs and talked with fans. And while he was clearly in town on business, he couldn't help but be reminded of the old days, when he went to Michigan Book and Supply to pick up his textbooks, not sign autographs. "It feels good (to be back on cam- pus)," Wheatley said after the autograph session. "Things haven't changed. It's nice to see that everything is still the way it was when I was here." Well, not everything. The football program has slipped into a pattern of second-tier bowl appear- ances since Wheatley made his move to the pro ranks. But the former All-Big Ten running back thinks that this year's squad has a chance to take the maize- and-blue back to the Rose Bowl. "(The Wolverines) have a strong team this year," Wheatley said. "They just have to stay healthy. "It's hard to predict the Big Ten, but whoever stays healthy throughout the season is usually who comes out on top. It's a very physical conference, so you've got to stay healthy." Staying healthy has been a bit of a problem for Wheatley, who had his rook- ie campaign cut short due to injury. But he says he feels healthy, and he's ready to do some damage to NFL defenses.. In fact, Wheatley said the switch to the NFL hasn't been that much of an adjustment at all. "The NFC East is just like the Big Ten," he said. "The weather is usually terrible - especially in Giants Stadium - there's very little passing, and it's just tough, hard-nosed football. Whichever team runs the ball best is gonna win. "The biggest difference in the players is with the interior linemen, the big guys up front. They're a lot quicker, a lot faster than at the college level. But the other positions -- quarterbacks and wide receivers - they're just about the same." Although Wheatley says the football is what he expected, the Big Apple is a different story entirely. "It's ... well, it's an experience' he says, rolling his eyes. "You think Ann Arbor is a diverse city? This is nothing compared to New York." Wheatley's rookie season was one that he'd rather forget. A preseason holdout cost him training-camp experience, and injuries raised questions about his dura- bility. This season, Wheatley has been used to spell Rodney Hampton, who gets most of the carries at running back for the Giants. New York media have begun to question the wisdom of drafting the Michigan alum. Wheatley, however, says he has no problem with the media. Instead, he hints that not all is fair and just within the Giants' organization. "In college ball, the best eleven guys are always on the field," Wheatley said. "In the pros, it doesn't work that way all the time. There's so much more politics at work in pro ball - things like money, and other things. "I had an outstanding camp, and -a great preseason. I've gotten to the point where my teammates know, and some of the coaches know ... that I should be the guy out there. But all I can really do is keep working hard" - he smiles - "and keep my mouth closed." Does Wheatley feel like he's being cheated in New York? "It's like going to the bank, and depositing a thousand dollars," he say. "Then when you go and check you account, there's only 600 in there. That's exactly how I feel." Of course, Wheatley is aware that the Michigan football team will hav'e prob- lems of its own when it visits Colorado this week. His only advice to the current Wolverines is to learn from the last meeting between the two teams. "We rested a little bit at the end of that game'" Wheatley says, referring to thY now-famous prayer-like touchdown by the Buffaloes that shocked Michigan in 1994. "We thought we had it won, and you can't do that - especially when you're playing a team with great athletes, like Colorado. "When you see highlights of college football, you always see two things," Wheatley says. "Doug Flutie's Hail Mary and Michigan versus Colorado.' ofthe WORLD'S LAROGEST University of Mich igan CLOTH ING STORE (14,000 sq. feet) PLUS! rUIR Council Travel, the nation's student travel specialist, is looking for an outgoing and highly motivated person to distribute our Student Travels magazine, promotional flyers and other student discount information on campus at the University of Michigan .. , E'U E~ ~ EVU3E5-?h.U