8B- The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - January 26, 1998 After seeing so much in 4 years, the reason for doing this job becomes clear. o Schembechler wrapped his strong fin- gers around his golf club a couple of years ago, wound up and smacked a drive off the tee with a gruff grunt. SPLASH! The ball went straight into a water hazard about 15 feet away. Though it was a charity tourna- ment, Bo was in no mood for smiles after that shot. His face contorted into a sour expression - until I said hello. Then, it got worse. Let's face it: Hitting a horrendous golf shot is bad enough, but turning around to find a sports writer waiting for you afterward just makes it worse. I tried to butter him up by telling him I worked for The Michigan Daily, thinking his fierce stare might soften a bit for someone from his school. But he was unmoved. I might as well have been a referee who had just made a bad call. "You work for the DAILY, huh?" Schembechler barked. "So I guess you want to be a JOURNALIST." "Yes, sir!" I said proudly. "Why would you want to do THAT'?" Schembechler said, only half-kidding. "Didn't your mother hope for better for you?" "Urn," I said. I tried to force a laugh, but all I could do was squeak out a question at that point. Bo didn't hurt my feelings or anything -- you learn to build a thick skin for this job -but he did make me think. Why would I want to do this? The pay is bad, the hours are long and the athletes dislike you almost as much as the coaches (and the general public). But I kept at it. Now, as I conclude my 3 1/2-year Daily career, its time to give an answer. My answer has been long in coming, but that might be because the reason for it has been long in com- ing, too. When I walked into the Student Publications Building the week before my first class as a freshman, writing was little more than an escape. My athletic hopes had been dashed by a hand injury not long before, and I had nowhere else to go. It seemed to me at the time that, in the sports world, most people have the ability to perform great athletic feats - or the ability to describe them. That way, everyone has something to do. Without one ability, I thought I'd see if I had the other. And I'm glad I took the chance. Most people think sports writers are wannabe jocks; they're right to think so. There is no doubt that I would rather be hitting home runs or scoring touchdowns for my school, wearing the winged helmet and singing that valiant fight song with distinction. The Michigan tradition is important to me. It is something I cherish, and I respect and admire all those who uphold it. But what I didn't real- ize until late in my , ' - , junior year was this: There is more than one way to carry on the Michigan tradition. Being a part of that great NICHOLAS J. Michigan pride means COTSONIKA more than stepping into some athletic arena. It Has Spoken means pouring yourself H___s__p__k__ into whatever it is that you do and doing it with care and selflessness. It means pursuing excel- lence. I've made my share of mistakes in this paper. Just ask Lloyd Carr. I said he didn't belong in his job and that his team would finish fifth in the Big Ten in 1997. Well, he showed me. But then again, I've seen a lot here, and I've had many more good times than bad. On the job, between classes I've attended and classes I should have attended. I've seen three teams from this school win national championships. I was there in Indianapolis with the men's swimming team in 1995, there in Cincinnati with the hockey team in 199%, there in Pasadena with the football team earlier this month. I've seen other huge victories. I was in Sault Ste. Marie with the hockey team in 1995 when it beat Lake Superior in the final minute. I was in Ann Arbor for two upsets of Duke in men's basketball. I was in Boulder, State College and Columbus when the football team did the impossible. I've seen some of the nation's best athletes perform in their prime, and I've gotten to know some of them. I chilled with Tom Dolan while he mixed some rap tracks at home, then watched him win a gold medal in Olympic swimming. I talked hockey with guys like Jason Botterill, Brendan Morrison and Marty Turco, then watched them perform magic on the ice. I sat on Brian Griese's couch and laughed at him during an interview when he said he'd quarterback the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl. then stood in awestruck silence as I watched him do it. I've seen the work of three top coaches, who taught and developed me as much as they ever did their players. Jon Urbanchek was so nice to me when I covered swimming, I learned to love my job. Red Berenson demanded so much of me during hockey season, I was ready for the big time afterward. Carr questioned me so often, I fine-tuned nyv craft and learned to be more fair. Seeing those things alone made this job worth doing, and I owe an immeasurable amount of thanks to all who made them possi- ble. But those things weren't the end of it. After I saw them, I sat down and typed them into a computer. Tradition was translated into words for my fellow students to read, putting the Michigan spirit to paper, carrying it on to a place where it will reside forever. This is where history begins - on newsprint - and I can only hope the moments and mem- ories my words contain never fade. But then again, somehow, I know they won't. - This is Nicholas J. Corsonika s final colunmn. He can be reachedl via e-mail at cotsonik ;, umich.edu. Longe goes a long way in leading Michigan women Friday Unscored invitational meet served as a warm-up, let stars shine 40 By Chris Duprey Daily Sports Writer Philosopher Grantland Rice once said, "It's not whether you win or lose; it's how you play the game." The Michigan women's track team can take this state- ment at face value after hosting the Red Simmons Invitational on Saturday. The invitational wasn't scored, allowing individual performances to shine brighter than e usual. But the nature of the meet didn't douse the competi- tive fire of the Wolverines. Michigan showed the com- petitiveness and the tenacity that has many picking them to finish in the top three of the Big Ten this year, cap- turing seven events. Senior Tania Longe turned in a stellar performance in the 55-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 7:89. She beat out all other collegiate competitors, but finished second behind an unattached runner. Longe broke the school record by one-hundredth of a second with her perfor- mance. "I had a lot more speed on my last three hurdles," Longe said. "I just let my speed take over." It was business as usual for distance runner Katie McGregor. McGregor followed up her NCAA provision- al qualifying performance at Indiana last week with another provisional time, winning the 3000 meters in LLORY S.E. FLOYO/Daily 9:32. rce to contend But McGregor is still in pursuit of the perfect race, "I nis Building. was hoping to run faster to qualify for an automatic bid." Freshman Tamika Craig proved her victory at Indiana was no fluke by winning the 400 meters again in a time of 57:15. The presence of Craig and fellow freshman Regine Caruthers in the lineup have solidified the long sprints for the Wolverines. Lisa Ouellet led a big Michigan pack in the mile run. Ouellet captured the mile in a time of 5:01, and three freshmen tagged along. Erin White (5:04), Lena VanHaren (5:07) and Katie Ryan (5:10) helped the Wolverines win four of the top five spots. "The freshmen are really stepping it up," McGregor noted. "Everyone's starting to get sharper." Michigan combined solid performances in the running events with a strong field events showing. Nicole Forrester bettered her NCAA provisional qualifying height, clearing the 5-foot-10 bar to earn her the victo- ry. Nicole Keith led a sizable Michigan force in the shot put. Three of the top four spots belonged to Wolverines, led by Keith, who threw a distance of 46-8 3/4 for her first victory of the season. Sophomore Brandi Bentley closed out a fine team per- formance in the field events with her victory in the long jump (18-7). Bentley, a sprinter, has shown versatility by doubling in the 55 meters and the long jump. Bentley made it clear where the team's concentration rests in 1998. "Every time we get on the track, we think about win- ning the Big Ten championship," she said. MA Blue women ran past competition in a day when the individual shined. Freshman also proved they will be a for with in years to come when Michigan played host to the Red Simmons Invitational at the Indoor Track and Ten McGregor said. p 800- -ieSVP nrcY1Pw I i~jLLY~~ CiL/ i [L.* (I" Calligraphy Learn the basic calligraphy strokes. Three styles of writing will be taught: Basic Italic. Uncial. and Gothic. Participants should purdiase at lease one calligraphy marker or kit prior to class (price $1.79 and up). SUPER BOWL Continued from Page 1B The Packers hurt themselves with three critical penalties late in the game. They included a holding call and a false start on rookie left tackle Ross Verba that bottled Green Bay deep, and a face mask on Darius Holland that gave the Broncos 15 key yards on their game-winning 49-yard drive. But nonetheless, it was Elway's game. "In kind of a strange way - John Elway, I've always enjoyed him," Packers coach Mike Holmgren said. "I just wished he hadn't done it against me." Elway scrambled 8 yards to set up a touchdown, and scored on a 1-yard run - a lot like the young Elway. He finished 12-of-22 for 122 yards and threw one end-zone interception. If this wasn't the best Super Bowl ever, it was close to it, despite a lot of sloppiness -- 15 penalties and five turnovers by the two teams. Elway's mistake came at the Green Bay 22 when the Broncos had a chance to go ahead by more than a touchdown late in the third quarter. But otherwise, it was two heavy- weights going punch for punch - Favre threw for three TDs, two to Antonio Freeman, and Davis ran for three. 1. Instructor: Betsy Sundholm Jan.29 & Feb. 5 Thursday, 6:00-8:00 P.M. Conference Room 4 Fee: $12.00 ®r., -V Handwriting Analysis Learn about graphology, which is the scientific term for handwriting analysis. In this workshop, you will learn about your personality, emotional disposition, talents, interpersonal relationships, job suitability, and others through your handwriting strokes analyses. Avery interesting and fun workshop. Instructor: Liza Mills (nationally recognized lecturer and teacher of graphology) lwl ..Feb.1I1 & 18 Wednesday, 6:00-8:00 PM. Conference Room 4 Fee: $12.00 The "ABCs" of Astrological Chart Reading This workshop will teach you the basics of astrological chart reading.,Also, you will learn the necessary requirements of astrological interpretations. Find out where your sun and moon are located in order to make you better understand yourself. Bring notepad and pen and you may also want to bring a small tape recorder if you are interested in taping the sessions. I The Gentlemen of Pi Kappa Alpha Invite You to RUSH PIKE The Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity 1601 Washtenaw Avenue Mon, Jan 26 - Thurs, Jan 29 6:0.pm-10:00pm "We got behind 17-7 and battled back. We used so much energy. It was like a basketball game," Holmgren said. "They got us at the end." Each team scored a touchdown on its first possession, the first time* that's ever happened in a Super Bowl. Then Denver jumped to a 17-7 lead before a 17-play, 95-yard drive by the Packers, second longest in Super Bowl history. That cut it to 17-14 at halftime and Green Bay seemed to have momentum. But Elway engineered a 92-yard drive of his own to give the Broncos a 24-17 lead. Then, after Elway threw the interception, the Packers went 85 yards in just four plays to tie it. 9 The third quarter did not start well for Denver. Davis fumbled on his first carry of the second half, and Brian Williams recovered at the Denver 26. That led to Ryan Longwell's 27- yard field goal that tied it at 17. An offside penalty on a successful 39- yard kick had given the Packers a second chance at a TD, but they couldn't take advantage. Late in the third quarter, the Broncos moved nearly the length of the field on 13 plays for a touchdown on Davis' I-yard run. Elway combined with Ed McCaffrey on a 36-yard play and helped set up the score with an 8-yard scramble that ended when he was sandwiched by tacklers and spun around in the air at the Green Bay 4. Then came a bizarre sequence. Freeman fumbled the kickoff and Denver's Tim McKyer recovered at the Green Bay 22. But on the next play, Elway's pass into the end zone was intercepted by Eugene Robinson and returned to his own 15. Instructor: Robin Johnson Mar. 12& 19 Thursdav. 6:00-8:00 PM. Room A Fee:$12.00 Wild Bird Sketching Explore the basics of sketching birds and creating a nature jdurnal. Award-winning nature watercolor artist Susan Falcone will share her techniques and experience. Field and detail sketching will be presented, along with exercises on learning to observe and note birds' shapes and habits. Bring any sketchbook (or sketch pad or plain paper), pencil, and eraser. Pens, colored pencils, and crayons are optional. I Pori L,. Instructor: Susan Falcone Apr.2&9 Thursday, 6:00-8:00 PM. Conference Room 4 Fee: $12.00 4m REGISTRATION FORM Register early...space is limited! All Workshns are held in the Michigan League. I