2 - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - September 14, 1998 Mortimer, Snyder to return for last run Defending Big Ten title at home without Sullivan is Warhurst's highest priority By Chris Duprey Daily Sports Wrter Michigan cross country coach Ron Warhurst must think pretty highly of his team's chances in 1998. In perhaps his most difficult decision of last spring, Warhurst, after consulting with captain John Mortimer, decided that Mortimer would not redshirt the '98 season, and instead would return for his final year of eligibility. The decision caused Warhurst to weigh his options: would his chances be better in '98 with Mortimer and a core of emerging seniors such as Todd Snyder and Don McLaughlin, or would the team be best served by putting Mortimer on hold for a year so he could teach and lead a younger team? Maybe the glory of last season's Big Ten champi- onship and fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships swayed Warhurst a little, prompting him to go for the short-term glory now and think about the future later. Adding to the motivation is that Michigan will defend its Big Ten title in Ann Arbor on Nov. 1 - a responsibility that the Wolverines don't take lightly. "Our No. I goal is to defend the Big Ten champi- onship at home;' Warhurst said in a writen statement. "Our home course is the most challenging in the Big Ten. It's up and down, you can't get any rhythm. We're hoping that the home course advantage will help us. Either way, it is Mortimer's team to lead. The grad- uated Kevin Sullivan is around to serve as an unoffi- cial assistant to Warhurst, but he won't be in uniform when the Wolverines toe the line for their defining meets. "In the absence of Sullivan in 1996, Mortimer led us and he won Big Ten and regional individual titles. So we're in good hands," Warhurst said. Some things won't change. Snyder, the All- American and team captain, is back for his final cam- paign and will push Mortimer for the top spot, both in practice and on race days. The middle positions should be a rotating arrange- ment, with senior Don McLaughlin as the leading candidate to be Michigan's No. 3 man. A muscle strain late in the '97 season may have kept McLaughlin from being as effective as he could've been at NCAAs, but he is 100-percent entering this season. Juniors Jay Cantin and Steve Lawrence will also contribute. Cantin came out of relative obscurity last season to become a regular scorer for the Woverines, while Lawrence is quiet, but steady. In his 25th season coaching Mchigan, Warhurst has always tapped a steady pipeline of talent, and must produce some depth this season as well. A fresh infusion of youth should help him fill out the lineup. Sophomore Mike Wisniewski surprised everyone with his finish at the Michigan Open in '97, making Warhurst's traveling roster as a walk-on, Wisniewski's year of varsity experience will benefit him as he hopes to maintain a spot in the top seven. Mark Pilja is another new name hoping to make his mark in Ann Arbor. Pilja has already given Warhurst something to be excited about, virtually tying McLaughlin for second place at the Michigan Open on Sept. 5. If Pilja can adjust to the physical demar' of collegiate training, he should also be one of the contenders for the up-fIr-grabs No. 6 and No. 7 spots. Warhurst, the crafty general, will try to shield his team for as long as possible. After running the Open, basically a glorified intrasquad scrimmage, the Wolverines will not see competition until the Sundodger Invitational next Saturday. LOUIS BROWN/Da Michigan men's cross country coach Ron Warhurst had to face a tough decision: whether or not to redshirt John Mortimer this season. ATTENTION FOREIGN MASTERS AND PHD STUDENTS: Current Immigration laws may allow you to obtain permanent residence without a job offer! To learn how, attend the free seminar: Presented by Goldman, Shihab & Shihab, Attorneys at Law Topics: * National Interest Waiver * Extraordinary and Exceptional Ability Aliens . H-1B Visas Presented September 27th, 1998, 11:00 am to 1:00pm At the Michigan League, 911 North University, Third Floor, Henderson Room Foreman: American hockey is 'different' FOREMAN Continued from Page 38 giant robots. The result'? Lots of bumps and bruises. And lots of fast-paced action. But in this country, it doesn't get much - or any - attention. Still, that wasn't enough to deter Foreman, who says she had the idea of playing in America before she heard from Pankratz. The coach's call simply cemented the deal. In recent weeks, the rest of Michigan's field hockey team made the trip to Australia, where they met up with Foreman and played some games in the field hockey hotbed. It gave the team a chance to embrace its newest member, Foreman, and as Pankratz says, it gave the American-born players a chance to witness firsthand the weight their sport carries on the other side of the world. "They were like, 'Wow, it really is a big sport,"' Pankratz says. "It really validated it in everyone's mind." At the same time, the trip did won- ders for Foreman. It made her trip to Ann Arbor easier, since she "at least knew 22 faces coming in." And now, she's just one member of an entire team of little-known field hockey players., But she doesn't mind it so much. Field hockey in America isn't worse, she says. Just different. Very different. - Jim Rose can be reached at jwivsea uniich.edu. Catherine Foreman, a native of Happy Valley, Australia, is get- ting used to the Idea of field hock- ey being an unno- ticed sport. JOSH KLEINBAUM/Oaily McGwire exits game homerless,* injured HOUSTON (AP) - With Mark McGwire already out of the game, St. Louis delayed the Astros' clinch. ing party for another day. McGwire went 0-for-2 and left with minor back spasms after four innings yesterday night in the Cardinals' 3-2 come-from-behind win over Houston, which stopped the Astros' winning streak at eight. McGwire, who hasn't homered in five games since getting No. 62 on Tuesday night, is 1-for-14 since con- necting off Steve Trachsel to break Roger Maris' mark. Chicago's Sammy Sosa homere twice Sunday against Milwaukee to tie McGwire for the record. Fernando Tatis, batting in McGwire's No. 3 spot, hit a two-run double off Doug Henry in the eighth inning as St. Louis rallied from a 2- 1 deficit and prevented Houston from clinching its second straight NL Central title. Jeff Bagwell went 4-for-4 for th* Astros, who would have clinched if the Cubs had lost to Milwaukee either on Saturday or Sunday. Sean Bergman (12-8) took a 2-1 lead in the eighth, but walked Eli Marrero and J.D. Drew. Henry then gave up Tatis' liner to left. St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa was ejected from the game in the seventh inning for arguing balls and strikes. Kent Mercker (11-11) allowed tw& runs and eight hits in seven innings. Hard-throwing closer Juan Acevedo pitched the ninth inning for his ninth save in 11 chances, getting the final out on pinch-hitter Dave Clark's flyout to the warning track in center field. WANT TO WRITE FOR NEWS? MASS MEETINGS: _. ....U 0 ,I