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By Rick Freeman
Forthe Daily
Going into this weekend, Michigan
women's cross country coach Mike
M'uire ventured that the firm, flat
fairways of the Forest Akers Golf
Course in East Lansing might help the
~vernes improve on their individual
times. But he also expected them to
produce a good effort in the first road
meet of the season.
The Wolverines got the best of both
worlds. A fast course combined with a
team that came ready to run helped the
Wolverines grab the top three spots in
the Spartan Invitational this weekend,
led by junior Katie McGregor, sopho-
more Elizabeth Kampfe, and redshirt
freghman Julie Froud. The Wolverines
dated second-place finisher Ball
state by 18 points as well as outlasting
Toledo, Ohio State, Macomb
Community College and host
Michigan State.
McGregor set an example for her
team on Saturday, establishing a course
record with a blistering pace of
17:20.1.
"Katie really made a statement
t y," McGuire said.
nfortunately, no one was close
enough to hear it, because she finished
20 seconds ahead of teammate
Kampfe, and 45 seconds ahead of the
nearest non-Michigan finisher -
Shannon Dye of Ball Sate. Junior
Eileen Fleck and redshirt freshman
Lisa Ouellet rounded out the
Wolverines' top five, finishing seventh
and ninth overall.
.McGuire was pleased by both indi-
al efforts and the team as a whole.
Across the board, I thought we
improved," he said. "Going into this
race we needed to improve and we did."
He still feels that there is plenty of
room for improvement, but is confident
about the team's chances at the Big Ten
Championships as well as at NCAAs.
McGuire's team shares his confi-
dence.
"As far as we're concerned, we're
Aiy to win the Big Ten,' McGregor
said, "If we keep focused, keep doing
what we're doing, we'll definitely get
there."
McGuire agrees, but softens his
enthusiasm by noting that the differ-
ence in times between first and fifth
place was 1:10. In cross country, only
the top five runners' places count
towards the team score, so it is impor-
tant to have as many high finishers as
sible. McGuire feels that his team
uld reduce this gap to 45 seconds or
less, in order to achieve that goal.
Nevertheless, room for improvement
is a good thing this early in the season.
McGuire pointed out that many of his
runners are still improving. Ouellet, a
middle-distance runner who normally
runs the 800- and the 1500-meter races
during both track seasons finished fifth
for the Wolverines in Saturday's five-
meter race.
'(Ouellet) could be a big-time cross-
country runner" said McGuire who is
looking to Ouellet to contribute this
'season. MGuire also pointed out the
improvement of redshirt junior
Michelle Slater, who finished 15th, as
the biggest improvement on the team
from the prior race two weeks ago.
"She'll only continue to get better"
McGuire said.
The entire team looks prepared for a
Eat season. The Wolverines are
focused, confident, and despite being a
young team with no seniors, can rely on
See SPARTAN, Page 8B
U
Michigan has
no problems,
whp BSaylor
I4
0
By Danielle Rumore
Daily Sports Editor
It turned out that a letdown was not a worry for
Michigan. After beating up Colorado last week, there was
-. talk of a possible letdown against a lesser opponent, talk
of playing down after a big win. It had happened so many
times in the past, but it was not to be this weekend.
The eighth-ranked Wolverines (2-0) played with a sim-
ilar defensive intensity from last week and corrected
some of the mistakes that ailed
{ t : Michigan 39 them against the Buffaloes,
mainly the running game, to
Baylor 3 roll to a 38-3 victory over
Baylor (1-2) in front of 106,041
" ~at Michigan Stadium.
Baylor quarterback Jeff Watson ran the option over and
over again which kept the Wolverines' defense at bay
early on. But the Wolverines' defense adjusted, especial-
ly along the line of scrimmage, and dominated an under-
sized Baylor team for the rest of the game.
* "Our goal was to improve this week," Michigan coach
Lloyd Carr said. "We were, as coaches, concerned about
a letdown. It is the kind of game where we knew we had
the better team, but sometimes when you have the better
team you play to the level of your competition. I am very
pleased that we played very hard."
Michigan's defense has not given up a touchdown or
100 yards rushing in either of the first two games. The
Wolverines were just too big and too fast for the Bears,
especially along the sidelines where they were stuffed on
almost every drive.
The Wolverines'defense gave up just 92 yards on the
'm< ground, 43 more than last week, and 62 yards in the air.
In fact, Michigan's defense limited the Bears to just 52
3 offensive plays; the Wolverines ran 89 plays. Baylor only
converted three of 14 third down opportunities - com-
pared to Michigan's eight of 14 - and was forced to punt
WARREN ZINN/Daily nine times.
Michigan tailback Chris Howard ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 38.3 blowout of Baylor. Howard, along with Clarence Williams "I think they're a great football team," Baylor coach
and Anthony Thomas, led a rushing attack that piled up 344 yards on the ground. See BEARS, Page 58
Cante capccn an hlofonte Pwr
top it. Please. If there is anything
Michigan fans should know from expe-
rience, it's that cappuccino stands
don't belong at a football stadium and that a
couple of early-season victories - no matter
how big or impressive - do little more than
make SportsCenter fun to watch.
This is not the time to be looking at the
polls, and it's surely not the time to be talking
about Rose Bowls and Pasadena and - gulp!
- contending for the national championship.
Whoever held up that sign in the stands
Saturday that had the P-word on it ought to
put down his mocha and have the frappe
kicked out of him.
For a school so steeped in tradition, it is
amazing how poor people's memories are
around here.
Last year, the Wolverines began the season
ranked 12th. They beat Colorado, which was
ranked fifth at the time, and jumped to eighth
afterward. A few weeks later, they were 4-0
and ranked sixth entering a game against
Northwestern no one thought they could lose.
Then came the P-word.
And they lost.
We all know what hap-
pened after that. They
1' bounced around, the
bandwagon got square
wheels, the cappuccino
got cold, and after they
crept back into the top
NICHOLAS J. 10, pesky Purdue stung
COTSONIKA them to expedite the slide
to another four-loss sea-
The Greek son.
Speaks So here we are again.
The Wolverines began
the season ranked 14th. They beat Colorado,
which was ranked eighth at the time, and
jumped to eighth themselves afterward. Then
they beat Baylor on Saturday, and now find
themselves ranked sixth in the nation. Here
comes the P-word.
Cornerback Charles Woodson said Saturday
that the Wolverines "will be up - way up -
to play" a downtrodden Notre Dame team this
weekend. And if they do play well and win, it
is possible that this whole thing could get out
of hand. Again. And it is possible all the hype
could collapse on itself. Again.
Here's the deal: A month ago, the consen-
sus across Ann Arbor was that the
Wolverines' played far too difficult a sched-
ule to be successful this season, no matter
how much they had improved as a team. Now,
that talk has been twisted, and people are say-
ing Michigan is the toughest team on its
schedule, as if only the Wolverines can beat
themselves.
There is some truth to that. The Wolverines
are sometimes their own worst enemies, as
they were last year in their losses to
Northwestern and Purdue. But at least for one
game, they seemed to have learned their les-
son. After the game Saturday, coach Lloyd
Carr and his players supported with words
what they have shown on the field.
So far, they haven't given up a touchdown,
have allowed their opponent in the red zone
once (once!), haven't made any costly errors,
have been able to cover up problems (kicking
game) by being so dominant, three points
don't make a difference. And the best part,
the greatest improvement, has been attitude.
This is a methodical, machine-like football
team that has not stopped rolling. There was
no letdown against Baylor, and that killer
instinct the Wolverines said they lacked last
year seems to be back. There is almost a
champion's serenity about them, an even-keel
confidence that will be critical to keep if they
are to survive the weeks to come and finish
the season with a better record than 8-4.
Carr acknowledged that his players' emo-
tions will fluctuate this year like the hormones
See COTSONIKA, Page 48
'M' soccer topples conference rivals in opener
By Jacob R. Wheeler
Daily Sports Writer
To be the best you've got to beat the
best, and knocking the king off the throne
is a pretty good start.
Only two years after finishing at the
bottom of the Big Ten standings with a
lone conference victory, the Michigan
women's soccer team finds itself at the
head of the pack, cruising to what could
be Michigan's first-ever Big Ten champi-
onship.
The Wolverines, 2-0 in conference
play, are sitting pretty after disposing of
defending-champion Indiana, 1-0, on
Friday, and Ohio State, 4-1, yesterday.
"Friday's victory was huge, it was a
great feeling" Michigan leading-scorer
Amber Berendowsky said.
Michigan (7-1) strutted into
Bloomington and dethroned upstart
Indiana, 1-0, behind senior Karen
twice as many shots on goal and control-
ling the game's tempo.
"Our team dominated the whole
game," Berendowsky said. "Everyone
was on and we came out strong."
Yesterday's home matchup presented
another important conference battle,
although Ohio State didn't quite fill the
giant shoes of the Hoosiers.
Michigan dominated from the begin-
ning, tallying two goals before the match
was 15 minutes old. Freshman Kacy
Beitel delivered on a centering cross
from Berendowsky just six minutes into
the match.
Berendowsky then netted her own goal
to put the Wolverines out of reach.
All in all, 90 minutes of relentless
pressure from the left side of the offense
resulted in two more second-half goals in
the Michigan victory.
Shannon Poole and Ruth Poulin deliv-
forward assisted Beitel and Poole's scores
in addition to her own goal.
"Our game plan was to get one early
and take advantage of our team speed,"
Michigan coach Debbie Belkin said. "We
were trying to take control of the transi-
tion and once we did that, we just kept the
pressure on."
Once again, Michigan dominated the
game's tempo from start to finish, using
team speed and Berendowsky's creativity
to subdue the Buckeyes.
"It's hard to control the tempo for all
90 minutes," Belkin said. "We try to
eliminate the letdowns and today we did
that, except for the goal we allowed at the
end."
Their won't be much room for errors
in the coming weeks, either. This week-
end was Michigan's' orientation session.
for the season-long dogfight that will
eventually determine a Big Ten champi-
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