Scoreboard CAPS
q EN'S NCAA MIAMI (FL) 84,
ASKETBALL (9) St. Johns 79
(1) Connecticut 91, (10) North Carol
BOSTON COLLEGE 78 Florida State 5a
Georgia Tech at (23) WISCONSII
(2) DUKE, Inc. (12) Michigan St
(3) CINCINNATI 87, (14) AUBURN 8
DePaul 64 (18) Arkansas 6
t (7) Purdue 70, (16) Kansas 66
:PENN STATE 67 BAYLOR 62
9
lina 72,
IN 66,
tate 51
3,
66,
a,
Northwestern 58,
(17) MINNESOTA 55
(22) Oklahoma St. 64,
TEXAS A&M 59
WOMEN'S NCAA
BASKETBALL
(7) TEXAS TECH 93,
Oklahoma 69
(19) NEBRASKA 90,
Colorado 49
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Tracking 'M' teams
Check out the Michigan men's and women's track and
field teams as they begin their seasons this weekend.
They host the Wolverine Invitational on Saturday, with
events beginning at 9:30 a.m. and running all day.
Thursday
January 7, 1999
11
E 1 . F
n i r,
The
Grind
Sharat Raju
AP PHOTO
The Michigan State hockey team proved too much for Michigan goaltender Josh Blackburn as the Spartans won the Great Lakes invitational over the holiday
break. In the absence of another Blackburn in net - the Spartans' Joe Blackburn - Michigan State's title run was spurred by reserve goalie Mike Gresi.
Spartans don't miss a step without keeper
Blackburn to return to starting role after stint with U.S. Junior National hockey team
By Chris Duprey
Daily Sports Writer
Welcome back, Joe Blackburn. Just in case
you didn't get the chance to catch up with your
Michigan State teammates while you were in
goal, enduring the struggles of the U.S. Junior
National hockey team, here's a recap.
Your Spartans are doing just fine without you.
That's not to say that you'll be taking the
backup's seat behind Mike Gresl upon your
return, though.
Yes, Gresl was the MVP of the Great Lakes
Invitational. Yes, his sterling performance in net
did help Michigan State capture the title for the
second straight season, beating Michigan -
something you weren't able to do at Yost Ice
Arena back in November.
And yes, it was Gresl who helped the Spartans
Wo a trio of wins over Alaska-Fairbanks, holding
the Nanooks to a total of just two goals over the
three-game span.
Granted, Alaska-Fairbanks has the hockey
skill level equivalent to the academic aptitude of
a remedial high school math student, but it's still
quite a task to beat any team three straight nights
in its own building.
So it's likely that Ron Mason will remember
your face and insert you back into the starting
lineup anyway tomorrow night at home against
Miami. You do still wear number 30, right?
Still, Joe, even when you return between the
familiar pipes of Munn Ice Arena, you owe a
small debt of gratitude to the junior, who has
turned over to you a better situation than he was
given when you left the team before the holiday
break.
Gresl took a team that was still finding itself
heading into the midway point of the CCHA
schedule, and helped put five victories into the
win column. None were within the friendly con-
fines of Munn, and three were on the road, mak-
ing this a real baptism by fire for a backup goal-
tender who was just supposed to be seeing spot
action this season.
He also saved you the trouble of a less-than-
thrilling New Year's weekend jaunt to Alaska-
Fairbanks, a CCHA hockey player's least
favorite excursion of the season.
They say that the sun barely shines there this
time of year and that temperatures are, to say the
least, frigid. Gresl and the rest of the Spartans
could probably vouch for that. Thanks to Gresl,
you won't have to make that trip to the polar
north until next season.
Just make sure that, if the Spartans end up
raising the any championship trophies this sea-
son, you don't hog it all to yourself, Joe.
Filbizg out an early wish
litfor the year 'iM sports
When the new year starts, even those who are the most skeptical and
pessimistic among us show signs of optimism for a new year.
Some of us even decide that, while we're nailing a new calendar
to the wall, we might as well resolve to improve the condition of our life.
Apart from making resolutions for a new year, the change in calendars
affords everyone an opportunity to reminisce and look back at the previous
12 months.
In sports, last year was truly unique. Some magazines have even specu-
lated on whether last year was the greatest sports year ever. I don't know if
that's necessarily true. But I do have some ideas for how next year should
pan out.
With that said, here is my sports wish list for the new year:
The NBA is canceled. No, not just the season - the entire league. Or at
least return to a 10 or 12 team league.
The women's softball team become the first women's team at Michigan to
win a national championship. Finally.
Mark McGwire hits 100 home runs, but one is taken away because he
misses second base while circling the diamond, leaving him officially with
a mere 99.
Women's basketball coach Sue Guevara doesn't worry about filling seats,
but worries about keeping her team together.
Bobby Knight's son inks a job as an NCAA referee and works in the Big
Ten.
Someone else wins the Stanley Cup.
Justin Fargas regains his health and becomes an All-America tailback
eventually.
The Chicago Cubs win the World Series and Mark Grace is the Series
MVP, over the Yankees.
The Athletic Department recognizes former volleyball coach Greg
Giovanazzi in some way, be it a scholarship in his name or a training room
dedicated to him. Something.
The NHL and Major League cut the four worst teams from the league.
Lloyd Carr actually tells the media when someone is injured and will not
play that week.
The rest of the hockey team plays as well as freshman Mike Comrie.
Comrie stays at Michigan for four years.
Michigan baseball coach Geoff Zahn convinces Drew Henson that col-
lege baseball is definitely the way to go. Forget about the Yankees.
Henson convinces Carr that there is a quarterback controversy.
See RAJU, Page 12
The John D. Evans Distinguished Lecture Series on the
Social Consequences of New Media Technology
presents a public lecture by Sherry Turkle, Professor
of the Sociology of Science at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology
Monday, January 11, 1999 at 5:00 P.M.
Pendleton Room - Michigan Union
Dr. Turkle's work on computers and people has been widely
written about in both the academic and popular press, including
Scientific American, The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, US
News and World Report, People, and USA Today. In 1997 Time
Digital Magazine named her one of the top 50 Cyber Elite.
Please contact the Department of Communication Studies (764-0420)
for more information.
Michigan wrestlers
recognized nationally
By Chris Grandstaff
y Sports Writer
The early season success of the
Michigan wrestling team has the
Wolverine grapplers accumulating
national respect faster than snow on
Ann Arbor's streets.
Amateur Wrestling News has
.ranked four Michigan wrestlers in the
top 10 of their weight class. Junior
Joe Warren was ranked seventh in the
-pound weight class, sophomore
zion Logan eighth in the 141-
pound class, sophomore Otto Olson
eighth in the 174-pound class and
senior Chris Viola ninth in the 125-
pound class.
" "These are the guys who we expect
to lead the team," Michigan assistant
coach Kirk Trost said. "They're all
doing a great job, both wrestling and
bring the others guys along."
The Wolverines as a team have
b no light snow dusting them-
ses. The Amateur Wrestling News
has Michigan ranked inside the top
20 nationally.
Over winter break Michigan con-
tinued to prove the experts right as
they stormed into Ft. Lauderdale,
Fla., where the grapplers placed first
at the Sunshine Open.
"It was a good tournament for us,"
Trost said. "It was a good chance to
tgur conditioning."
T oe Warren earned his first cham-
pionship of the season in the 133-
pound class, defeating John
Marchette of the Augsburg College
White squad in the finals.
Damion Logan earned top honors
nnnr rP nr
CALL FOR.FREE
teams, but we still need to capitalize
on our opponents mistakes, and
improve on our scoring. We're trying
to do our best wrestling as we get into
the Big Tens and prepare for the
NCAAs."
Michigan's first opponent at the
Virginia Duals will be announced
upon the team's arrival.
STOP GAMBLING AND START INVESTING
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