8A -- The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 12, 1998 TRACK AND FIELD This weekend at the NCAA Track and Field Championships, Michigan athletes will be ... 0 Tracking down the title Sullivan, Mortimer lead 'M' men's team By Rick Harpster Daily Sports Writer ,'For most of the Michigan men's track and field team, the indoor half of the season ended with the Silverston Invitational on March 7. But for five of the Wolverines' stars, this week- end marks the most significant point of the season the NCAA Indoor Championships in Indianapolis. "Personally, this is the most important event of the season," All-American John Mortimer said. "We seemed to focus and { concentrate a little more thisx week." Michigan hopes to be well- represented, with five competi- tors who qualified in four sepa- rate events. Three-time NCAA Sullivan champion Kevin Sullivan qual- ified in both the mile and 3,000-meter runs, while teammate Mortimer has qualified in the 3,000 and 5,000 meter runs. Sullivan, Jay Cantin, Dwayne Fuqua and Don McLaughlin will also represent the Wolverines in the distance medley relay. Sullivan, the most experienced of Michigan's Headin' to indy The following Wolverines will try to capture an NCAA title in Indianapolis this weekend: runners, boasts the best times in the nation this season in both the mile and 3,000. He posted a memorable time of 7:51.65 in the 3,000 at the Red Simmons Invitational on Jan. 24. The performance broke the old Michigan 3000 record (7:54.87), which was set in 1986 by Chris Brewster. Two weeks after his feat at the Red Simmons Invitational, Sullivan posted his season-best time (3:56.88) in the mile at the Meyo Invitational. While this will be Sullivan's fourth trip to the NCAA Championships, fellow All-American Mortimer will be making his first. The sophomore takes the nation's fourth-best time in the 5,000 (13:48.47) and third-best performance in the 3,000 (7:56.11) to Indianapolis. Mortimer wasted no time earning his spot in the 5,000 - he qualified at the Michigan Open on Jan. 10, the first weekend of the indoor season. NCAA rules do not permit competition in both the 3,000 and 5,000 runs. Because of this rule, Mortimer will just run in the 5,000. Mortimer thinks that previous experience in the NCAA Championships is an advantage that some of his opponents will have over the rest of the field. "There's a lot of pressure and hoopla surround- ing this event," he said. "Anyone who has been there before will know how to handle it." While Sullivan and Mortimer have received most of the attention this year, the Michigan dis- tance medley relay team is also a serious contender for a national championship. Michigan holds the nation's third-best time (9:37.59) in this event and hopes to post its top performance this weekend. Cantin runs the opening leg of 1,200, followed by Fuqua in the 400 leg, McLaughlin in the 800 leg, and Sullivan, who anchors the final mile. The Wolverines head to Indianapolis ranked fifth in the Trackwire Publications' Top 25, despite their underachieving sixth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships. Because- the NCAA Championships only host the nation's elite athletes, Michigan's lack of depth - which was detrimental in the Big Ten Championships - should not be very costly this weekend. Still, the Wolverines think a top-five national finish is within reach. "We're only entered in a few events, but we have a chance to do really well in those competitions," Mortimer said. "We could finish in the top five, and that would be great to show we can compete with the best (teams) in the country." LOUIS BROWN/Daily Michigan men's track stars Kevin Sullivan and John Mortimer will both be repre- senting the Wolverines at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Indianapolis. Women shoot for national success McGregor, Forrester headline seven Wolverines at NCAA Championships Men Mile 3,000 meters 5,000 meters Distance medley relay Women Mile 3,000 meters 5,000 meters High jump Triple jump Distance medley relay Kevin Sullivan Sullivan, John Mortimer Sullivan, Mortimer Sullivan, Jay Cantin, Dwayne Fuqua, Don McLaughlin Katie McGregor McGregor Elizabeth Kampfe Nicole Forrester Tania Longe McGregor, Sarah Hamilton, Lisa Oullet, Adrienne Hunter The Michigan women's track team will try to follow its Big Ten championship per- formance last week at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Indianapolis this weekend. FILE PHOTO II ii Ii ii Applications for Applications for :49 I : z. "t . I' are now being accepted are now being accepted. The Gargoyle is a magazine of humor with commercial publishing goals produced by stu- dents at the University of Michigan. Funding is available and approved for the production of a spring, 1998 edition for those who apply early. Future funding is also available. The offices of the magazine are located at the Student Publications Building, 420 Maynard Street. Interested students may apply by submitting a brief biography and an essay on why they would like to be editor and why they would be suc- cessful. Candidates will be evaluated on the basis of talents in humor writing and editing and evidence of organizational skills. On the basis of the written application, candidates will be invited to an interview. The successful candi- date will be eligible for a $500 merit-based scholarship. Applications should be delivered or mailed to the Board for Student Publications, Room 210E, 420 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48109-1327. A non-discriminatory, affirmative action institution. Students with business and organizational talents are invited to apply for the position of business manager of the Gargoyle. The Gargoyle is a magazine of humor with commercial publishing goals produced by students at the University of Michigan. Funding is available and approved for the production of a spring 1998 edition for those who apply early. Future funding is also available. The offices of the magazine are located at the Student Publications Building, 420 Maynard Street. Interested students may apply by submitting a brief biog- raphy and an essay on why they would like to be business manager and why they would be successful. Candidates will be evaluated on the basis of talents and emerging skills in business and evidence of organizational skills. On the basis of the written application, candidates will be invited to an interview. Applications should be delivered or mailed to the Board for Student Publications, Room 210E, 420 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48109-1327. A non-discriminatory, affinnative action institution. By Kevin Rosenfield Daily Sports Writer Concluding a dominating indoor season that saw their team capture a Big Ten title two weeks ago, seven athletes from the Michigan women's track team will set their sights on individual success this weekend at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Indianapolis. Only those athletes who have post- ed one of the top 15 times in the country are eligi- ble for participa- tion tomorrow and Saturday. Leading the way for the' Wolverines will be 1997 All- American Katie McGregor, who McGregor has qualified in three distance events. McGregor will compete in the mile and the 3000- meter, in addition to anchoring the final leg of Michigan's distance med- ley relay. The medley relay posted the fastest time in the nation this season and is widely considered the Wolverines' best bet for an NCAA title. McGregor's three- teammates in the event will be Lisa Oullet opening in the 1,200, Adrienne Hunter second in the 400 and Sarah Hamilton in the 800 leg. "We've been looking forward to this weekend for a long time," Hunter said. "We'll be up against a top field, but we're definitely there to win. We feel we can compete with anyone." Another member of Michigan's tal- ented distance group, Elizabeth Kampfe, will represent Michigan in the 5,000. Kampfe is currently ranked 13th nationally, with a time of 16:38.30. One Michigan field athlete, Nicole Forrester, is assured a spot in thD NCAA field, while the status of a sec- ond, Tania Longe, remains unclear. Forrester qualified in the high jump, posting a leap of 6-feet-2 that ranks fourth nationally. Longe, a three-time Big Ten champion, is still hoping to qualify in the triple jump. Her season-best jump of 41-10 3/4 places her 16th overall in the country. The Wolverines' balanced squad was the key to their dominant perfor, mance at the Big Ten Championships, but Michigan coach James Henry said he believes the format of the NCAA Championships will likely hamper their hopes for team honors in Indianapolis. Teams win conference champi- onships, but they don't qualify for the NCAA meet as an entire squad. As a result, teams that rely on a few highly talented individuals fare much better than more balanced squads such as Michigan. Henry looks for his team to finish in the top 10 at NCAAs but said the more team-oriented con- ference titles are much more signifi- cant. "That's why I emphasize the Big Ten so much," Henry said. "That is our party. The NCAAs are icing on the cake." Henry, in addition to Longe, gar nered Big Ten honors this past week. Henry was named the Big Ten's indoor coach of the year after leading Michigan to its first Big Ten title since 1994. It was his second such honor. Longe, a senior, was honored as the Big Ten indoor athlete of the year, boosted by a stellar performance in the Big Ten Championships. She won.. conference crowns in three events long jump, triple jump and the pen tathlon. Coverage of the NCAA Indoor Championships will be shown on ESPN at 1 pm on March 19. + . 4 4 Tell mom most of what Vo 1r in to( } r II