The Michigan Daily - New Student Edition - September 3, 1996 - 9F .Swimmers claim 9th crown By Will McCahill aly Sports Writer Another season, another Big Ten title. "That's how the 1995-96 season went for the Michigan women's swim team. The Wolverines won their 10th con- secutive Big Ten crown behind a mix of ipperclass experience and new blood. yMichigan finished third at the NCAA championships at Canham Natatorium. r Michigan began its conference title '.fense by trouncing Michigan State at "st Lansing, continuing its dominance U the Spartans with a ninth consecutive -Vklverine victory. Freshman Jenny Kurth's victory in the 400-meter butter- flyhighlighted Michigan's romp. ;Although the top-ranked Wolverines ewe still in their early season training 4yie - which aims to have the team in top- form for March's NCAA champi- oiships - Michigan hosted national powerhouse Stanford in its home open- rat Canham Natatorium on Oct. 21. The Cardinals, further along in their training cycle, dropped the Wolverines, 174-126. The first weekend in November found Michigan facing more national powers deep in the heart of Texas. Only host Southern Methodist finished ahead of the Wolverines in the six-team field. Several mid-winter road trips took the team to Texas, Hawaii, California and Alabama. Michigan won the Rainbow Gymnasts cope with C p Winless season By Sharat Raju Daily Sports Writer A mere glance at the 0-12 record post- ed by the Michigan men's gymnastics team this past year is enough to make most people wince. However, the record alone cannot accurately relate what went in this eventful season. : ddly enough, the most memorable event of the season didn't occur in the g. On March 21, Wolverine head coach Bob Darden announced his resig- nation, effective at the end of the season. "I'm departing at a time when I feel it is appropriate," Darden said, following the announcement. "I've seen the team through 13 building years, starting from a period of real lean, and built it up to *eventh in the nation (at one point)." With a 76-109-1 coaching record in 13 seasons, Darden has been a corner- stone of the Michigan coaching com- munity. He coached five Big Ten cham- pions and, in 1992, a national champion, Brian Winkler. In 1994, Darden was named Big Ten Coach of the Year, the same year the Wolverines ended the season ranked No. 7 nationally with a record of 12-5. So why did his squad go winless this st season? There may not be a single answer, but the most legitimate stems from several years ago. In 1994, the program was in danger of losing its varsity status. To save the pro- gram, several benefits were sacrificed, including scholarships. l(The lack of scholarships) makes recruiting difficult," assistant coach Tim O'Connell said. "But if we put a lot of pergy into it and convince the kids ey'll be part of the team, we'll get some good athletes." Combining the difficulty of recruit- ing top gymnasts and performing in the Big Ten, arguably the toughest gymnas- tics conference in the nation, the dismal record is more understandable. Soon after Darden announced his res- ignation, the Wolverines hosted the Michigan Invitational at Cliff Keen Arena. This meet was the last home ppearance by Darden and the three seniors - Brad Terris, Kris Klinger and team captain Chris Onuska. The team's 217.75 point total was a season high - nine of the 11 Wolverines had season highs, while six had career highs. The team also scored season bests in four events - floor exercise, pommel horse, rings and parallel bars. "The meet was very emotional for me d the other seniors," Onuska said. hen you see your parents and your mmcrying, it really hits home.' The clear team leaders were Klinger, Onuska, junior Flavio Martins and junior Jason McDonald. Klinger and MacDonald performed well on the high bir-and floor exercise, while Martins Men spikers improve despite injuries, little experience File photo The women's swimming team captured its ninth consecutive Big Ten title and scored a record number of points at the meet. Most of the squad returns this year. Invitational and clobbered UC-San Diego, but fell to Southern Cal, Auburn and Alabama in the course of the journey. Sophomore Kerri Hale starred during the trip, winning the 200-meter butterfly against USC and the 1,650-meter freestyle in the Auburn-Alabama meet. Michigan wasted little time when it returned, facing Indiana and Ohio State in its final regular-season meets. After beating the Hoosiers, the Wolverines laid the Buckeyes to waste, more than doubling Ohio State's score. At Big Tens on Feb. 22-24, the Wolverines were undeniably the most- prepared squad to hit the pool. Michigan left the rest of the conference in its for- midable wake on its way to scoring the most points ever at a conference cham- pionship meet and taking its 10th straight conference title. "It was a total team performance," Michigan head coach Jim Richardson said. "Our freshmen stepped up and did a great job:' In the season finale, the Wolverines hosted the NCAA championships, but couldn't quite live up to their own expectations, placing third behind neme- ses Stanford and SMU, both of whom made Michigan a regular-season victim. The 1996-97 Wolverines look to be able to maintain the winning ways of its predecessors, as the team lost only four seniors to graduation. The bulk of the squad will be juniors and sophomores, to be complemented by the addition of another good crop of recruits. By Mark Snyder Daily Sports Writer Who says consistency is the key to success? The men's volleyball team came into the season with little experience and even less direction. It dealt with contin- ual changes in personnel, which made the up-and-down season even more of a roller-coaster ride. The squad voted Jamie Reynolds as its captain and president and put the dis- sension, which had characterized the previous season, behind it. Throughout the season the Wolverines were determined to improve - and did just that. After an early-season loss to Michigan State in Ann Arbor, Michigan had its back against the wall. The team was having trouble coming together and was looking to gain confidence - anywhere. To make matters worse, middle block- er Suresh Pothiraj came down with mononucleosis and was sidelined for about a month. Pothiraj's return coincid- ed with the activation of Chad Stilstra from the bench.Stilstra, who played for Michigan for four years while an under- graduate, had been serving as an assis- tant coach for the Wolverines. The team began to gel as the season progressed, but there were still missing pieces. Ernesto Rodriguez joined the team mid-season, instantly improving the squad's fundamentals. Nearly all the OUTFITTERS 1 players agreed that Rodriguez's addition to the team was significant. Rodriguez has played competitive volleyball nearly all his life - a fact which raised the con- fidence of the team. Michigan gained momentum heading into the Big Ten tournament in early April, but injuries hit. Andy Spitser was downed with a broken thumb and Pothiraj twisted his knee. Michigan overcame those setbacks to defeat the Spartans and advance to the tournament round of the championships. The Wolverines were knocked out in the first round. Michigan extended its winning atti- tude to the national championships for club teams. The Wolverines entered the tournament ranked 31st and finished 17th in the nation. Michigan should enter next season with confidence from its late-senasop rush of victories - if the players know who their teammates are. 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