The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, April 22, 1997 -25

.Crucial' tourney not
kind to men's golf

By Ivan Braunstein
Daily Sports Writer
In hopes of solidifying its place as
one of the top six teams in District IV,
' Michigan men's golf team traveled
obtranklin, Ind., last weekend.
Unfortunately, the team's play was as
cold as the weather.
The Wolverines closed out the
Legends of Indiana tournament with a
total of 891 strokes, an eighth-place
finish. Northwestern continued its
strong play of recent weeks to capture
the title. The Wildcats posted a total of.
858, 20 less than their closest opponent.
The cold and windy weather Friday
*emed to put a damper on the
Wolverines' play, as they struggled
early. Sophomore Michael Harris led
the squad with a first-round score of 73,
but his teammates could not match the
effort as Brent Idalski, David Jasper
and Adam Anderson produced scores
of 75, 76 and 76, respectively. Senior
Kyle Dobbs began the tournament in an
unfamiliar fashion, posting a dismal
irst-round score of 85.
"We definitely were not satisfied
with our performance," Idalski said.
"We were not consistent. We were only
able to produce one or two low scores,
and too many 75s and 76s.
As the weather improved Saturday,
so did the play of the Wolverines.
Jasper finished with a third-round 70
and Idalski rallied to a 71. but it wasn't
enough to carry the Wolverines to the
front of the field.
* a asper's late charged earned him a
16th-place finish, while Harris and
Idalski each tied for 28th.
The top fix teams in each district
SOF1TBALL
Continued from Page 22
clad squad from East I ansing. She
Nees a team that, although finishing
Ocar the bottom of the Big Jen her
freshman year, took one game from
the Wolverines. She sees a team tired
of playing second-fiddle to
Michigan. She sees a team that is
always pumped up to play against the
Wolverines.
"Everyone gets fired up for the
game," Holmes said. "They all come
out pretty excited, because they
know it's a big rivalry and bragging
ghts within the state" are at stake.
the two teams did meet once car,
)ier this season, and the Wolverines
heat the Spartans soundly, 5-0.
But the circumstances were differ-
ent.
It was not a conference game, and
it was not played in East Lansing or
Ann Arbor. It was played in Tampa,
Fla., in the semifinals of the
Speedline Invitational.
i3She

qualify for the NCAA Central Regional
on May 15-18, and the Wolverines felt
they could have clinched a spot with a
good showing in Indiana.
"This was a crucial tournament for
us, and we did not respond as well as I
had hoped," Michigan coach Jim Carras
said. "Coming into this tournament, we
were probably about fourth (in the dis-
trict), and now we are about five. The
Kent State tournament is very impor-
tant now."
The team travels to Ravenna, Ohio,
on May 2-4 to compete in the Kent
State Invitational. The tournament will
feature all the top teams in District IV
and will give the Wolverines a chance
to move up in the rankings.
"Our main competition will be
Miami (Ohio), Indiana, Toledo and
Kent State," Carras said. "We will most
likely have to knock off three out of
those four teams to guarantee a spot" in
the NCAA regionals.
With spring finally arriving and the
weather warming up, the team will be
able to practice outside all week to pre-
pare for the tournament. Chipping,
pitching and putting will be at the top of
its practice list.
"We haven't been able to practice on
grass in a while," Idalski said "We will
be able to practice outside all week
before the tournament. I think we can
finish in the top three" at Kent State.
Carras believes the key to his team's
victory will be balanced play.
"We can't afford to play with a four-
man team," he said. "We don't have one
guy that's going to shoot a 68 or 69. We
have five guys that ... need to play
well'

'M' senior,
ready for
By Kim Hart
Daily Sports Writer
The spring season for the Michigan
women's golf team has had its highs and
lows, but the Wolverines are far from
discouraged as they head into the Big
Ten championships.
Throughout the five tournaments of
the season, the Wolverines have seen
steady improvements and a lot of consis-
tency, even if the final standings are not
reflective of it.
The team gave its best performance of
the season at the Boilermaker
Invitational. Michigan finished second
(630), only four strokes behind host

women
lig Tens
more potential than we display, but we
all need to play well to have a solid fin-
ish."
Three other seniors have been solid
competitors for the Wolverines this sea-
son. Jodi Smith, who shot 175, Ashley
Williams, who shot 162, and Molly
Vandenbark -- who shot a season-low
73 on the first day and an 85 on the sec-
ond for a total of 158 in West Lafayette
-- have all contributed.
"The seniors have been instrumental'
in changing this program around."
Teichcrt said. "They are all getting to the
next level of play, and I hope they leave
with good feelings about their play while

Purdue (626).
Michigan coach
she is pleased
with the effort of
the team and is
very optimistic
for a strong finish
for the season.
"Everybody is
b e e o i n g
stronger and
stronger, and
we've steadily
im p r o v e d
throughout the
season," Teichert
said. "'Right now
we are working
on the mental
aspects of the

they were here."
The play of junior

Kathy Teichert said

"our goal IS to
finish in the upper
level of the Big
Ten, so everyone
has to be ... on
top of their
game."
Kathy Teichert
Michigan women's golf coach

Nicole Green
has steadily
i mproved
and has
been a key
part of the
Wolverines'
t 0 t a I s
Green had a
hole-in-one
at the patf
three sixth
hole to help
her total of
164 at thi .
Invite,
T h.-
Wolverines
not only ha
the momen-
tum fmm the
carry them into

JONATHAN SUMMER/Daily
Tough lies like this one led to an eighth-place finish for Kyle Dobbs and the
Wolverines at the Legends of Indiana tournament last weekend.


"When we played them in Florida,
it was in a tournament," Holmes
said. "Those games are always very
important, but there's always a fun
atmosphere to them."
There was another major differ-
ence in that game. The Wolverines
werg playing with All-American
pitcher Sara Griffin.
Griffin, who is sidelined with a
broken arm, not only pitched a com-
plete-game shutout against the
Spartans but helped her own cause
with a two-rim single in the first
inning.
Today, it will be Holmes who will
bear the brunt of the pitching duties.
The senior has performed masterful-
ly since Griffin's injury, keeping the
Wolverines in the Big Ten race. She
picked up all three wins against
Minnesota and hasn't lost since April
6, the date of the first game after
Griffir's injury.
Michigan will face Indiana for
three games at home this weekend,
concluding a 12-game homestand.

There will be a I p.m. doubleheader
Saturday and a single game the same
time Sunday.
Michigan will then hit the road for
its final Big Ten series of the season,
at Ohio State on May 3-4.
BASEBALL
Continued from Page 22
business coming here," Zahn said
"It's a great rivalry. I don't care what
the sport is. It should be a lot of fun,
because it will be pretty intense."
Michigan will get a chance to face
its other two rivals in the weeks to
come. The Wolverines have a four-
game series with Michigan State the
first weekend in May. On May 2 and
4, the Wolverines and Spartans will
play at Oldsmobile Park in Lansing.
The two teams will play a double-
header on May 3 at Fisher Stadium.
Last year, Michigan def'eated
Michigan State. 5-4, in the first
baseball game ever played at
Oldsmobile Park.

The Wolverines will likely have to
win all eight of their remaining con-
ference games to have a shot at the
Big Ten regular season title.
Iowa, which is undefeated in con-
ference play, has the inside track.
The following weekend (May 9-
II), the Wolverines will host Ohio
State for a four-game set that ends
the regular season.
If the standings remain they way
they are now, the final weekend of
the season would be a head-to-head
showdown for the Big Ten title.
Michigan is currently in first place
at 12-6, and Ohio State is second
with a record of 13-7. Minnesota
also has a good shot at the confer-
ence crown. owning an 8-5 confer-
ence mark.
"We are in first place," Zahn said.
"If we do what we need to do, we
don't have to worry about what any-
one else does.
"Our destiny is still in our own
control.!

game, and we are
also focusing on
our short game as well. Our goal is to
finish in the upper half of the Big Ten, so
everyone has to be focused and on top of
their game. Every shot is critical."
The team relies on strong perfor
mances from senior Wendy Westfall and
sophomore Sharon Park, who are poten-
tial members of the All-Big Ten team.
Westfall and Park have been alternating
in the role of top finisher for the
Wolverines throughout the spring sea-
son. Westfall tied for second place over-
all at the Invite, with a two-day total of
156.
"I've had a rough spring," Park said.
"I am making some changes, because I
want to improve from last year's Big Ten
tournament. As a team, we have a lot

the Big Ten championships, they also
have overwhelming support foir each
other.
"We have great team chemistry and
the girls are supportive of each other out
there on the course," Teichert said. "We
are looking forward to Big Tens, and
with solid play and our great unity at
can do well
The Big Ten championships will e
May 2-4 in East Lansing, with the tog
four of six scorers compiling eachteam'
total. The six Wolverines in the contat.
will be Westfall. Park, Vandenbark.
Green, Williams and Laura Hess, who
just recently clinched the final spot cys
the roster.

Boilermaker Invite to

SPECIAL RAT ES*
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Today
Softball vs. Michigan State, Alumni Field, 1 p.m. (DH)
Baseball vs. Notre Dame, Grand Rapids, 7 p.m.
Thursday
Women's tennis at Big Ten championships, West Lafayette, all day.
Men's tennis at Big Ten championships, East Lansing, all day.
Women's track and field at Penn Relays, Philadelphia, all day.
Men's track and field at Penn Relays, Philadelphia, all day.
Friday
Women's tennis at Big Ten championships, West Lafayette, all day.
Men's tennis at Big Ten championships, East Lansing, all day.
Women's track and field at Penn Relays, Philadelphia, all day.
Men's track and field at Penn Relays, Philadelphia, all day.
Saturday
Softball at vsIndiana, Alumni Field, 1 p.m. (DH).
Crew at Midwest Championships, Madison, all day.
Women's tennis at Big Ten championships, West Lafayette, all day.
Men's tennis at Big Ten championships, East Lansing, all day,
Women's track and field at Penn Relays, Philadelphia, all day.
Men's track and field at Penn Relays, Philadelphia, all day.
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