The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 11, 1999 - 17A
*Blue 24th at NCAAs
By Jon Zemke
Daily Sports Writer
At the end of the NCAA indoor
track meet the Michigan women's
track team found themselves out in the
cold.
The Wolverines found themselves in
a tie for 24th place. Surprising, since
Michigan entered the meet as one of
the top 10 teams in the nation.
Michigan only mustered a meager
eight points, 53 behind Texas' meet-
leading 61.
"It's not quite what we anticipated,"
Michigan distance coach Mike
McGuire said. "It's not what we
planned at the start of the season."
Junior Nicole Forrester scored most
of Michigan's points, taking third in
the high jump with a leap of six feet-1
1/2 inches. Forrester's jump was only 2
@1/4 inches below the winning leap.
The Big Ten Athlete of the Year also
added another All-America honor to
the two outdoor and one indoor All-
America honors that she had already
collected.
But that was one of the few bright
spots for Michigan, as the team battled
sickness and fatigue, McGuire said.
This lack of energy led to under-
gachievement by the Wolverines in the
distance events.
"We didn't get it done in the distance
events," McGuire said. "Katie
McGregor wasn't at the same fitness
level that she was earlier in the year
and neither'was Lisa Ouellett. Our first
(Ouellett) and fourth (McGregor) legs
of the distance medley were slower."
As out of shape as they might have
been, McGregor, Ouellett, Sarah
Hamilton and Adrienne Hunter went
on to finish seventh in the distance
medley relay. That finish was good
enough to earn the team All-America
honors for the second year in a row.
The relay won the national champi-
onship in the distance medley relay last
year.
"We need to get them healthy,"
McGuire said.
Also not performing to her normal
expectations was Michigan long
jumper Brandi Bentley. After making a
personal best of 20 feet, 6 1/2 inches
earlier this season Bentley only leaped
18 feet, 9 inches. The jump landed her
in 17th place.
McGuire explained Bentley's per-
formance by citing anxiety.
"Brandy suffered from sore nerves,"
McGuire said.
Hunter also competed in the 800-
meter run that Friday. Her time of
2:12.29 earned her sixth place in her
heat but was not fast enough to earn a
spot in the finals.
With the rash of illness, along with
fatigue and the early start to the indoor
season, Big Ten champion Michigan
watched Wisconsin finished 16 spots
ahead of the Wolverines at eighth place
by scoring 22 points.
Assistant coach
mong to choices
Goldberg candidate for men's tennis post
By Raphael Goodstein
Daily Sports Writer
Replacing a legend can be a diffi-
cult task. But that is the challenge
Dan Goldberg might face.
Goldberg, the Michigan assistant
tennis coach, appears to be the front-
runner to replace retiring men's ten-
nis coach Brian Eisner next season.
"I am a candidate," Goldberg said.
"I feel my record as a player and
assistant coach speaks for itself. I've
been an assistant for the past six
years and I feel that I would be ready
for the job."
Goldberg is "an outstanding and
very deserving candidate," Eisner
said.
But Eisner also said the Athletic
Department will have to make the
decision, and they will likely make a
national search.
Goldberg, a three-time All-
American, is Michigan's all-time
career victories leader. He has been
an assistant to Eisner for the past six
years.
Whoever becomes the coach, his
job will not be too difficult next sea-
son.
Michigan only loses two players
from this year's team: co-captain
Will Farah and senior Jake Raiton.
The Wolverines are young and tal-
ented - this year's freshmen are 19-
2 - and will likely have three high-
ly touted recruits coming in.
And the other traditional Big Ten
powers will be losing big classes to
graduation next year.
All of this factored into Eisner's
decision to announce his intention to
retire this season.
Announcing now gives the
(Athletic) Department enough time
to find the right coach, Eisner said.
"The team will be in good hands
-next year. I have talked to our
recruits about it, and with our new
facilities.
"I think we'll be in good hands.
The team is young and is going to
continue to keep getting better, so it
was the optimum time for me to step
down."
A big factor in the Wolverines'
recent good fortune on the recruiting
trail has been their new tennis, facili-
ty - the Varsity Tennis Center.
"The future looks bright here. The
facility will enhance recruiting and
seven out of our nine starters return,"
Goldberg said. "Other Big Ten
schools are losing most of their play-
ers.
"I would guess that we would be a
Top 15 or Top 20 school and a
favorite to win the Big Ten next
year," Goldberg said.
Junior Brad McFarlane also
praised Eisner.
"I think that he would be very
capable, and a good candidate."
McFarlane said.
Before Eisner leaves there is the
possibility that he could still receive
the ultimate sign of recognition.
Becoming immortalized by having
the Varsity Tennis Center named
after him.
There is sentiment to rename the
$5 million facility after the man that
was instrumental in getting the
facility built and putting Michigap
Tennis on the map.
"People equate Brian Eisner with
Michigan Tennis and all of the con-
ference titles and Top 10 finishes
that he has brought to Michigan,"
Goldberg said.
LOUIS BROWN/Dal
The Michigan women's track team fumbled away its chance at a top-l0 NCAA
position, finishing 24th.
Michigan dvers look to stay afloat
Five divers travel to Bloomington to compete for berths in the NCAA Championships
By Ryan C. Moloney
'Daily Sports Writer
National placement, as well as
pride, are on the line this weekend
for the Michigan diving team as they
travel to Bloomington to compete in
the NCAA Diving Zone Meet.
The men's and women's teams
will be sending a combined five
*divers-Brett Wilmot and Josh
Trexler from the men's team and
Hannah Shin, Jill Unikel and
Amanda Crews from the women's.
But the competition will be
fierce as most of the opposing divers
hail from competitive, Big Ten rival
teams-only five women and six
men will advance to the NCAA
finals from the zone meet in the
combined events.
*-. The Michigan representatives
have, at the very least, one advan-
tage over the competition-the
expert tutelage of coach Dick
Kimball.
Kimball is celebrating his 40th
year of at the helm of the Michigan
diving program. While the team this
season has not been overpowering,
Kimball hopes to mine the potential
of the team during the weekend.
"Brett and Josh are both diving
well and they have a shot at a high
placement," Kimball said. "Jill
Unikel also has a good chance of
advancing."
Though the Michigan team are
viewed by many as underdogs going
in, Kimball thinks the team possess-
es a key intangible-experience.
"In diving, the more times you go
through a big meet, the better,"
Kimball said referring to seniors
Wilmot and Unikel.
"For Brett, the zone meet is right
at his level," Kimball said. "In the
tower dive, he might get top eight or
higher. He is one kid who can con-
tinue to dive after his career here is
over. He improves every year."
On the theme of improvement,
Trexler has progressed faster than
anyone else in the program this year.
"Josh has been a real eye-opener
in terms of improvement," Kimball
said.
But personal achievement is not
the sole motivation for the diving
teams this weekend-an entry into
the NCAA meet guarantees the
potential of a higher meet score for
the men's aiid women's teams com-
peting in the NCAA Championships
in Indianapolis and Athens, Ga.,
respectively.
"This meet is strictly just about
getting to the next level," Kimball
said. "You need to score pretty high
to make it, but diving is the type of
sport which allows anybody on a
given day to do well."
A strong performance would be a
fitting tribute to the Father of
Michigan Diving.
THIS WEEKEND
NCAA Diving Zone Meet
Where:
Bloomington
When: Tomorrow and Saturday
The Latest: FW Michigan divers
will compete for spots in the NCAA
Championships.
DAILY PORTS KNOWS TENNIS.
Tourney pools popular
POLLS
Continued from Page 12A
*ears.
"This is my fourth year running
it," Ryan said.
That, according to the NCAA
Director for Agent and Gambling
Activities William S. Saum, is one of
the problems.
"You see seventh and eighth
graders getting involved with these
pools for money," Saum said. "And
that's a problem."
The NCAA encourages use of the
brackets for fun only, Saum said.
Saum also said the NCAA is very
worried about student-athlete gam-
bling, especially at the tournament
sites.
In addition to the normal precau-
tions taken against student-athlete
gambling, the NCAA takes special
steps to prevent gambling directly
related to the tournament.
"We have an FBI agent on site (at
he Final Four) and we make the
players sign affidavits about gam-
bling," Saum said.
"We also meet with the referees
twice during the Final Four to talk
about gambling."
Jay,an LSA first year student, who
is participating in a pool this year,
said that he does it for the chance to
win money.
"I don't really care that it's ille-
gal," Jay said. "The chance of win-
ning a lot of money is why I do it."
Those sentiments were echoed by
Adam, an LSA first year student.
"You can make an exorbitant
amount of money," Adam said.
"Everyone does it too, so people
don't really care about the fact that
it's illegal."
Whether it's between a group of
people in an office, or hallmates in a
dorm, the NCAA Tournament gives
people the opportunity to cheer for
teams like Gonzaga and Penn, not
just Duke or Stanford.
And most people think that if they
get lucky enough or cheer the loud-
est, they may be celebrating at the
end of tournament.
Not with a trophy, but with a large
wad of cash.
Time's
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