The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - February 3, 1997 -,78
Michigan women's swimmers
honor 'phenomenal' senior class
By Josh Kleinbaum
Daily Sports Writer
Friday night, the seniors on the
Michigan women's swimming team
were kidnapped.
Saturday, they helped propel the
sixth-ranked Wolverines to victories
over Notre Dame, 82-58, and Eastern
Michigan, 122-17, snapping a three-
meet losing streak.
It was Senior Recognition Day at
Canham Natatorium on Saturday, and
the Wolverines have been celebrating
all week.
"They've done things special
everyday during the week for the
seniors," Michigan coach Jim
Richardson said.
Those special things included the
abduction, in which the seniors were
"kidnapped" by the rest of the team
and taken out to dinner.
"Sometimes I wonder about task
focus versus relationship focus,"
Richardson said. "With women, they
tend to be wonderful in the area of
focusing on the quality of relation-
ships. I keep telling them at this time
of year, it's not that you don't care
about these kinds of things, but you
really have to step up and task focus."
The Wolverines did swim slower
than in the past. Not a single
Wolverine swam an NCAA qualifying
or consideration time in the meet,
showing that they were not at their
peak.
"There were some swims for us that
were really good, but there were other
swims that we were still really tired,"
Richardson said. "We've been having
very good workouts, some of the best
workouts we've had in a long time.
When you train that way in the
week, it's a little tougher to step up
and swim fast on the weekends."
Melisa Stone, a senior captain
swimming in her last home meet of
her Michigan career, had an excellent
day, winning the 100-yard backstroke
and the 100 freestyle. Stone was also
part of the 400 medley and 400 free
relay teams that finished first.
But other than Stone, it was mostly
the non-seniors that led Michigan (3-
0 Big Ten, 6-3 overall) past Notre
Dame and Eastern Michigan.
Freshman Shannon Shakespeare
finished first in the 100 and 200
breaststroke. She was also a member
of the 400 free relay team that took
the top spot.
Kerri Hale and Talor Bendel, both
juniors, also won events for the
Wolverines.
Hale won the 400 individual med-
ley with a time of 4:24.04, while
Bendel took the 50 free in 24.12 sec-
onds.
Notre Dame's Linda Gallo did her
best to put a damper on the
Wolverines' celebration, winning
three individual events. In all three
events, second place went to a
Michigan senior. In the 1,000 free,
Gallo beat out Michigan's Lidia
Szabo. In the 200 free, Gallo defeated
Michigan's Jodi Navta. In the 500
free, Gallo finished ahead ,of
Michigan's Anne Kampfe.
In the diving competition,
Michigan freshman Hanna Shin had
one of her best meets of the season.
Shin won both the one- and three-
meter competitions, with scores of
245.18 and 254.20, respectively. E
At the beginning of the meet, the
nine seniors were honored, and
Richardson presented each of them
with a flower and a hug.
"They've done things that no
women's swimming senior class has
ever done in the sport," Richardson
said of the senior class. "They fin-
ished second and third in NCAAs,
and that's pretty phenomenal."
The senior class includes Kampfe,
Navta, Stone, Szabo, Leigh Bassler,
Lisa Butzlaff, Wendy Gendler, Rachel
Tustin and Melissa Sullivan.
Although Butzlaff will return next
season as a fifth-year senior, and
Gustin was red shirted this year for
medical reasons, both were honored
as part of the recruiting class.
MARGARET MYERS/Daily
T' Michigan women's swimming team dedicated this week to its seniors, a class that has finished second and third at the
NCAAs. Several of the seniors were responsible for snapping the team's three game losing streak this weekend. Despite wins
over Notre Dame and Eastern Michigan, the Wolverines were not totally pleased with their effort. No Wolverine managed to
swim an NCAA qualifying or consideration time.
MI' men's swimmers say C-Ya to flu problems
By TJ. Berka
ySports Writer
,With the Big Ten championships less
than -a month away, the Michigan men's
swimming and diving team is looking to a
new ingredient to find success.
*imost seasons, the Wolverines would
look-to the experience of their countless
Olympic swimmers, their impeccable tra-
ditien or the knowledge of coach Jon
Urbanchek. Due to the flu epidemic that
has hit the team in the last month, howev-
er, -the key ingredient this season can be
found at the local drug store.
"I have been buying quite a few Vitamin-
C ~tablets in the past few weeks,"
Urbanchek said. "The flu is a tough thing
ight. It takes a week to get over if you
.nothing and seven days if you use med-
icine. It won't hurt you mentally to try to
figovit, however."
The worst is over for the Wolverines
healthwise. For the first time since the new
year, Michigan had a full practice work-
loqd. With the exception of Chris Rumley,
who is suffering from cold-like symptoms,
the team is healthy and swimming at full
strength.
While that is a positive step toward the
upcoming Big Ten and NCAA meets, the
morale of the recovering swimmers is
something that concerns Urbanchek.
"The toughest thing in a situation like
this is to convince the swimmer that the
season isn't over," Urbanchek said. "After
missing up to two weeks with the flu and
the recovery that comes with it, many of
the guys feel that their season is over."
Lost in the ongoing hospital saga is the
improvement of junior distance swimmer
Steve Williams, sophomore David
Stephens and sophomore breaststroke spe-
cialist Jeff Flermoen, who took advantage
of their teammates' absence and performed
well in the past month.
"Jeff has really stepped it up in the last
few weeks," Urbanchek said. "We are
weak in the breaststroke events. We did not
score in the breaststroke at last year's Big
Ten championships."
Last year's Big Ten meet also serves as a
rallying point for the Wolverines, as they
saw Minnesota break Michigan's 10-year
winning streak. With the Golden Gophers
returning much of their championship
team, Michigan will return without
Olympic standout Tom Dolan.
That loss, combined with the strength of
Minnesota, will make a Big Ten champi-
onship tough. However, Michigan boasts
Tom Malchow, silver medalist in the 200
butterfly at last year's Olympics, 1996 Big
Ten Swimmer of the Year Derya
Buyukuncu and captain John Piersma.
"Our main goal is to bring the (Big Ten)
trophy back to Ann Arbor," Urbanchek
said. "It will be very tough, though. The
entire Big Ten has stepped it up this season,
which forces us to swim our best to win."
Michigan will continue the quest to
regain the title this weekend with meets at
Michigan State on Friday night and at
home against Ohio State on Saturday.
While the Wolverines can ill afford to
look past anyone in their quest for a Big
Ten championship, they are battle-hard-
ened, as they have fought the most threat-
ening adversary they will face this year.
The flu.
-k
PARADISE
Continued from Page 363
In time, Bahr's frustration gave way to satisfactiqoi.
Nobody in the Big Ten has beaten Iowa in the tourn4-
ment. He came the closest.
And it appears that one day soon, somebody in the Big
Ten may actually unseat Iowa. There are rumors that, dde
to a variety of health problems, Gable's days at Iowa ate
numbered. He is plagued with knee problems and receh -
ly had a hip replaced.
"The end of the empire usually comes with the death
of the emperor," Bahr said. "Not that Gable's going to
die, but he's supposedly going to retire this year. That's
what he's told everybody."
The Ottoman empire crumbled. The Soviets are gon$.
One day, perhaps soon, Iowa will fall.
And maybe then, with an experienced team - poss)-
bly as soon as next season - Bahr will make a seriops
run at the two championships that have eluded him dur-
ing his illustrious career.
He shouldn't really need either.
Bahr will soon join the 200-100 club. Even Keen, the
"father" of Michigan wrestling, didn't win 100 Big Ten
meets.
And he's a coaching legend.
Bahr isn't a legend, but he's had a terrific career. That
won't change.
Even if he doesn't win a Big Ten or national title.
- Barry Sollenberger can be reached over e-mail at
jsol@umich.edu.
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INTRAMURAL
SPORTS
PROGRAM
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
SWIMMING & Entries Taken: until Weds 2/5 4:30pm IMSB (Main Office)
DIVING MEET Entry Fee: $5 for individuals/$25 for teams
Manager's Meeting (Mandatory): Weds 2/5 6pm IMSB
Meet Date: Thursday 2/6 at Canham Natatorium
FREE THROW Entries Taken: Now and through the event Friday 2/7
CONTEST & Entry Fee: $5.00 per individual
3-POINT
SHOOTOUT
Format: Free Throw (50 FT's); 3-Point (25 shots/75 seconds)
Free Throw & Shootout Date/Times: Fri 2/7 11 a - 8p
VOLLEYBALL Entries Taken: Mon 2/17 - Thurs 2/20 11am - 4:30pm
(Pre-Season)
RELAYS
MEET
Entry Fee: $30.00 team
Manager's Meeting (Mandatory): Weds 2/20 6pm IMSB
Tournament Date: Saturday 2/22 at IMSB
Entries Taken: until Tues 2/25 4:30pm IMSB (Main Office)
0
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Entry Fee: $25.00 per team
Events: 2-
Meet Date:
MY
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Wednesday Feb. 26 at Track & Tennis Bldg
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Remember to get your teams together and start practicing for the
IM activities that take place following Spring Break --
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