The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, November 13, 1996 - 13 .Varsity status brings about changes for 'M' By Tracy Sandler For the Daily The transition from a club-level sport to a varsity sport has run pretty smooth- ly so far for the Michigan women's crew team. Not only has the team acquired improved facilities and more school support, but it has also performed extremely well. "They've been training extra hard this year, and they have shown a lot of maturity," Michigan coach Mark Rothstein said. "They've had a great work ethic, which has been pretty steady throughout the fall. I think that they have improved each week." The team attributes a lot of its suc- cess to regular weight training and ,fewer outside worries. "We've had great academic and med- ical support from the Athletic Department," Rothstein said. "This sup- port has allowed the athletes to focus on training hard with less peripheral issues to deal with, such as fund-raising. "If someone gets injured, she can go to the trainer, as opposed to waiting to see her own doctor," Rothstein said. "The athletes are also able to go to Atudy table. They set high standards for hemselves, both in the classroom and in training" As the fall season has progressed, Nazema Siddiqui, a senior coxswain and four-year team member, has emerged as a leader. "Nazema exemplifies the kind of kid you want in your program; she is a great leader and has a great attitude," Rothstein said. "She's always encourag- ing her teammates. She takes her role well. She's tough on the rowers when needed, because they respect her abili- ties. Several people on the team provide leadership by example. It's a really good group." The leadership role is one that Siddiqui enjoys. "I've been a part of the team's growth from club to varsity," Siddiqui said. "I like having people coming to me, if they have problems. The coxswain is the natural leader, because she has to take care of things the rest of the team doesn't think about." The team's new-found varsity sup- port has been an inspiration for the row- ers. According to Stawski, the team's competitors remain the same. The only difference at the meets is the increased level of achievement and competitive- ness. "The change has been nothing but positive," rower Jeannette Stawski said, "Everyone is raring to go. There is a lot of energy and enthusiasm that's getting tapped into. It's hard not to feel any- thing but good, when everyone is pulling for you." One aspect of being a varsity sport that was extremely new to the this year's team was recruiting. It worked out well, however, largely due to the behavior of the team. "We're getting a lot of good recruits" Rothstein said. "We have a very enthu- siastic, classy group. When recruits come in, I think it's very appealing" Michigan gained many motivated, new rowers by holding tryouts this year, Rothstein said. The Wolverines look forward to both the challenge of fierce competition and to winning expectations. They are going to be a tough team to compete against. "Michigan will no longer be viewed as an underdog because of the advan- tages we're getting now," Siddiqui said. "We're going to be viewed as the team to beat, and along with that comes the pressure of being the team to beat:' Although they have performed well during the fall season, the Wolverines say it is due to preparation, hard work, enthusiasm and dedication. The Wolverines look forward to a successful spring season. "We are continuing to improve and have put ourselves in a position to be very fast this spring;' Rothstein said. "We still have a long way to go, and we still have winter training before our first spring race in late March." The Wolverines are in control of their own destiny. They believe they will per- form at a high level by working togeth- er. "Doing well is ours for the taking; we rowers are ready to move water and win some races." Stawski said. "We've gained a lot of trust in each other. It's exciting to look into everyone's eyes and see how hard we're working now. It's all going to pay off." FILE PHOTO/Daily The Michigan crew team was elevated from club to varsity status after the University signed a $7 million contract with Nike in 1994. The newest Wolverines have benefltted from scholarships and Athletic Department funding. Men's golf can't wait for spring Michigan soccer sets sights on next season By Mike Rubi 4 For the Daily The Michigan soccer team has come a long way in a short time. In the span of one season the Wolverines (4-4-1 Big Ten, 10-7-3 'verall) have progressed from a group of talented individuals into a cohesive team. This transformation was the driving force behind their success in the sec- ond half of the year, which included a seven-game unbeaten streak. They also were able to battle No. I l Wisconsin to a scoreless tie in Madison and notch a Big Ten tournament win over Ohio State. * The season had many high points, but there were some in particular that stood out to some of the Wolverines. "I would have to say that the game against Northwestern which we won was the turning point for the season," Michigan coach Debbie Belkin said. "That was the start of our (unbeaten) streak, and it marked the point at which we started to really play as a team?' Freshman Mari Hoff, who became n integral part of the 1996 Wolverines, recalled other moments off the field. "I really remember our trip to Seattle," Hoff said. "We didn't do that well in our games, but that was a great opportunity for us to bond as a team." Belkin goes into each year expecting a lot from her players, but sometimes a particular member of the team shines a little brighter than the rest. "Stephanie McArdle did a great job Ilkr us adjusting to a defensive role which was really new to her," Belkin said. "And Michele Brach really stepped up her play and turned in steady defense all year." With the loss of only two players to graduation, the Wolverines will have a great deal of experience back next year. In the meantime, there will be some fine tuning. Michigan is constantly on the look- out for the next "Great Wolverine,"and the recruiting process is a tireless job for the Michigan coaching staff. "Feb. 8 is the signing date, but we are constantly looking around the country for prospective recruits," Belkin said. "The Midwest and the East Coast have been particularly good areas." Just because the season is over does not mean the work is over. The Wolverines will start their offseason conditioning program on Monday. Junior Karen Montgomery helped the Wolverines win half of their Big Ten games this season and put together an impressive seven- game unbeaten streak that culml- nated in a victory over Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament. DAMIAN PETRUSCO/Daily "If we want to get better, hard work in the strength and conditioning areas will be key," Belkin said. With the experience and talent that the Wolverines bring to the table, it is realistic to expect a high level of play from them in the future. When asked if Michigan can join the elites of women's soccer, Belkin said, "Hard work and good recruiting are key. The better we do, the better the players that come here will be." Junior forward Karen Montgomery said, "Overall, the season went really well, but with the talent we had we could have gone much farther." The Wolverines will be back next year, trying to do just that. By T.J. Berka Daily Sports Writer With the season's first snowfall, the Michigan men's golf team has come to its midseason break. Unlike many sea- sons in the past, this fall will be looked back upon with pride for the Michigan golfers. "We have had a very, very good fall, especially in regards to the strength and sizes of the tournaments we have com- peted in;' Michigan coach Jim Carras said. "In fact, this ranks among the top three fall seasons since I have been at Michigan." Carras' optimism about this season was enhanced by the lineup of Isaac Hinkle, David Jasper, Michael Harris, Brent Idalski and Kyle Dobbs. These five players, who made up the lineup in four of the five tournaments, led the Wolverines to top-seven finishes in every event, including a victory at the Wolverine Invitational on the weekend of Oct. 6. "We have five solid players that we could go out with day after day and compete with anyone" Carras said. Carras has tried to convince his team that it can compete with anyone, a con- cept to which the team has responded. This was evidenced by last week- end's Nelson Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., where Michigan took seventh out of 17 teams. While the numbers weren't impressive, the Wolverines fin- ished six shots out of second place and bettered national powers such as Duke, Colorado, Kansas and Auburn. "We proved that we are capable of competing with schools you hear about in the paper," Carras said. "(The Nelson) had the strongest field we faced this fall, with seven nationally ranked teams, and we were competi- tive." The high point of the season came at the Wolverine, where Michigan won its first tournament in two years. In win- ning the tournament, the Wolverines finished 20 shots ahead of runners-up Marshall and Miami (Ohio), a differ- ence almost unheard of in college golf. Hinkle took second individually. Jasper also garnered individual hon- ors, taking second in the Falcon Invitational in September and fighting for a third-place tie in the Kroger Invitational in Memphis last month. Jasper's strong play in the Falcon helped the Wolverines take third in the tournament, which was the first event of the season. Despite the individual honors that Michigan golfers have received, it has been a team effort that has pulled the Wolverines through this season. In both the Wolverine and the Kroger, all five golfers finished in the top 25 indi- vidually, allowing Michigan to take the Wolverine title and finish fourth in the Kroger. "The key to success is good balance, which we have had so far this season," Carras said. "You just can't have two players have bad days in the same round and hope to compete." Carras also wants to instill a killer instinct in the team, which seemed to be lacking in the final two tournaments this fall. Michigan was tied for first with eventual champion Auburn going into the final round of the Kroger before falling to fourth. The Wolverines were also in contention for the Nelson title before faltering on the back nine in the final round, pushing them down to seventh. "We had a darn good fall, but we need to learn how to close the door on the last day," Carras said. "We didn't do that well at all in the last two tourna- ments." Another thing Carras looks to do in the spring is to establish more depth among his substitute golfers. When Ildalski and Dobbs were unable to compete in the Northern Intercollegiate Tournament in Columbus on the weekend of Sept. 29, the Wolverines found that their back- ups could not compete on the level of the rest of the field. As a result of this, Michigan fell to eighth out of 15 teams, by far its worst performance of the sea- son. There is hope for spring, as the Wolverines boast a wild card in junior Keith Hinton. Hinton had a great sum- mer, competing in the U.S. Amateur Championships, but he was unable to; get going this fall. "I really expected Keith, after the summer, to be one of our top players,' Carras said. "I don't know whether he was burned out (from the summer), but if he can find his game, that will be very good for us:' Other players who could help out in, the spring include the improving Kevin Vernick and Mike Emanuel, a highly- touted recruit last year who has been unable to get his game together due to health problems caused by a case of mononucleosis last year. Michigan starts its spring season in Myrtle Beach, S.C., after spring break. Between now and then, the team will be working to improve strength and conditioning. 1 i , RM-1 Catch Up.'Get ahead. 199 shae V 4 leSS Get away. Over 1,200 courses for credit: humanities. social sciences and Learn with, .h e t Pursue your oals, 'Fidtfl cour'se you need. Meet the professor3 of a lifetimes K'now New Yo& eat Columbia. Discover t he inM60 Reach yur potential. natural sciences, anti our post-aac prenusiness program! O ER ~Columbia It's not too early to think about summer in The Cit Ct-graduates and undergraduates alike! When can we expect you? Be sure to speciy Spring, Summer and/or Fall Terms! sp-irif umbia.edu Aterm rmbla.edncu r A torn or longerdV IU bia he Psychology Peer Advisors Present FOCUS GROUPS Fall Term 1996 OPPORTUNITIES IN PSYCHOLOGY Are You Interested In Majoring In Psychology? Thursday, November 14, 1996,7:00-9:00 PM, 4th Floor Terrace, East Hall " Refreshments will be served at all events. * Faculty Members and Graduate Students will be available to answer your questions and discuss these issues. * RSVP to the Peer Advising Office at 647-3711 " 1346 East Hall http://www/personal.umich.edu/-hsy/PeerAdvising.html ALL ARE WELCOME!! Enter East Hall by the Psychology Church St. entrance. The elevator is to the left. Go to the fourth floor and follow signs to the Terrace. « Lecture Notes Course Packets .Resume Services * Copy & Bindery * Fax Services - mm - i il o m COPIES gn eat scores... Law School Business School Dental chool 8.5x11,-20# white, one-sided Grade A Notes at Ulrich's Bookstore Second Floor " 549 E. University " 741-9669 ENI0 PORTRAITS November 15, 18-20 SOPHIA B. JONES ROOM First Floor, Michigan Union K