6B- The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - March 22, 1999
Plenty of'M' in team at NCAAs.
Swimmers gain more than a seventh-place
By Ryan C. Moloney
Daily Sports Writer
ATHENS, Ga. - After visiting the town
which spawned Rock Gods, REM and the
B-52's, it's easy to play the name game with
songs and the teams that competed at the
NCAA women's swimming and diving
championships.
For example, "Love SWIMMING
Shack " obviously fits
the newly crowned Commentary
national champion ---------
Georgia after watching its enthusiastic cel-
ebration in the pool at Gabrielsen
Natatorium.
"Losing my Religion" just about sums it
up for Stanford - so long the dominant
team in the NCAA, the Cardinal suffered
defeat for only the second time in seven
years, but their days of dominance may be
over.
Even the ESPN television team is fair
game.
The network subjected the crowd on hand
to numerous, monotonous "90-second time-
outs" during the diving competitions -
looking more like "Channel Z" than the
"World Wide Leader in Sports."
The song which best sums up Michigan,
however, demonstrates the attitude which
guided the team throughout the season -
season - "Shiny, Happy People."
There is no doubt as to which team is the
best in the nation this year. But in terms of
the best team in the nation, the Wolverines
can stake their claim among the country's
elite.
In contrast with last season, this year's
Wolverines were reminiscent of a rag-tag
cinderella basketball team - under-sized
and under-estimated, but full of hustle,
hope and attitude.
And though their magical streak of 12
Big Ten titles in 12 years finally came to an
end, most of the swimmers emphasized the
drastic difference in what is perhaps the
most important aspect in team sports -
togetherness.
"Last year, this team was really more of a
group of individuals," senior Cathy O'Neill
said. "This year we were a team in and out
of the water."
What happened specifically in the past is
known only to the members of those teams.
As in life, relationships, jealousy, cliques
and egos have a way of destroying the
potential of even the most invincible of cre-
ations.
But the greatest accomplishment for the
Wolverines this year had nothing to do with
achievements in the pool.
Their ability to survive these potential
finish in Georgia
cancers, as well as injury, lack of depth anid
sickness, will build the foundation for a
very good team to achieve greatness.
"I think this team has more of a sense of
mission now," Michigan coach JiM
Richardson said in the early morning hc#
after the meet. "There was a lot of uncer-
tainty here, a lot of unsettledness ... we've
come out of this meet with a sense of
resolve for what we want to accomplish
next year."
And instead of tears and sullen looks
after close defeats, the women's swimmers
- from stars like Shannon Shakespeare
and Jennie Eberwein, to the lesser known
- exchanged smiles and hugs.
In the age of big-money athletes, it is
refreshing to see this philosophy in amg
college program.
The fact that it is a low-revenue sport
only lessens its range of influence, while at
the same time, raises the issue of money in
big-time college athletics. But that's for
another time.
The approach taken by the proud
Wolverines this season is comparable to a
large breath of Georgia air - refreshing.
"If you swim a bad race, hey, it's only a
race. There are more important thing
life," O'Neill said.
Refreshing indeed.
Shannon Shakespeare paced the Wolverines in the NCAA Swimming Championships, finishing fourth in
the 100-yard backstroke, but finished a disappointing ninth in the 100 freestyle.
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SEVENTH
Continued from Page 16
a little disappointed with my time, but I
gave it all I had in the morning just to get
into the top eight."
Shakespeare also earned All-America
honors by swimming to a fourth place
finish with a time of 1:46.44, tying her
personal best. Senior Martina
Moravcova of Southern Methodist set a
pool record in the event against the
fastest final eight in history.
"It was really fast and I was hoping to
go a little bit faster" Shakespeare said. "I
just wanted to stick with the pack, and
I'm happy with fourth."
The third and final day opened with
disappointment for the Wolverines but
ended on a strong note that could set the
tone for Michigan's summer training.
After a top eight finish in last year's
100 free, Shakespeare finished a disap-
pointing ninth this year. A slow start in
the preliminaries cost her a chance at the
finals, but that didn't stop her from turn-
ing in a strong showing that evening.
Shakespeare blew away the competi-
tion in the consolation final by over half
a second and turned in the sixth fastest
time of the evening.
"It was disappointing to me that I did-
n't make the finals, Shakespeare said.
Michigan coach Jim Richardson "told
me to treat it like the final and that's what
I tried to do. It will give me motivation
for next year."
In the last and most exciting race of
the evening, the Wolverines turned in
their finest performance of the meet. In
the 400 free relay, the team of senior Jen
Eberwein, sophomore Missy Sugar,
Crisman, and Shakespeare finished
third, just .09 seconds behind first place
Arizona.
"I told them all year that on a given
day they could be as good as anyone in
the country, Richardson said.
Overall, the Wolverines totaled 16
All-America and seven honorable men-
tion All-America honors. Seven of those
belonged to Shakespeare, setting the
stage for an outstanding senior season.
"We swam a good meet and finished
with a great relay," Richardson said.
"But we can swim faster."
NCAAs a fitting end
for seniors' careers
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By Ryan C. Moloney
Daily Sports Writer
ATHENS, Ga.- It was the end of an
era in more than one respect at the
Gabrielsen Natatorium on Saturday.
Georgia had just dethroned defending
national champion Stanford and was
reveling in the glory. While loudspeakers
blared Ray Charles' "Georgia," Bulldog
swimmers and coaches took turns play-
fully throwing each other into the pool.
But on the other side of the deck,
Michigan's two senior entries in the
NCAA Championships - Jen Eberwein
and Cathy O'Neill - quietly packed
away their things and made plans to
meet up with loved ones.
It was the last time either of the two
would wear the block 'M' across their
chests. But instead of tears, there were
smiles and hugs - appropriate for
careers well done.
"This is such a happy team, in spite of
being so small," O'Neill said. "I'm jeal-
ous of the people coming back next
year."
Most loyal spectators of the Michigan
team recognize the deeper meaning
behind this sentiment. For much of her
career at Michigan, O'Neill struggled to
fulfill the potential of a heralded high
school career.
"There were times when I wondered if
it was really worth it all," O'Neill admit-
ted.
Finally, in a performance which pro-
pelled her into the national meet - and
in doing so ignited Michigan's spirit -
O'Neill captured the 400 yard individual
medley title at the Big Ten meet.
Though she failed to crack the conso-
lation heats at nationals, the experience
was pure gold for O'Neill.
"I had never been to this meet, sq
competing was enough for me," O'Neill
said.
In terms of established success,
Eberwein followed a different path.
The 17-time All-America will leave
Michigan as one of the most prolific
freestyle swimmers in Big Ten history
and will represent the United States at
the Pan American games in Winnie
Manitoba, this summer.
In the last race of her college career,
Eberwein led off a 400 free relay which
garnered a third-place national finish.
"We gave it everything we had today,'
Eberwein said. "Just being here brings
out my emotions, but I'm really sad to be
ending this."
Eberwein was able to break free froW
a mid-season bout with Epstein-Barr
syndrome and provide the 400 rj
team with an opening leg which exc
ed her individual time in the event by
nearly a second.
"It was tough to watch her go through
the mono" Michigan coach Jim
Richardson said. "But she had a great
Big Ten meet after that.
"Most importantly, she handled
everything that happened to her with
tremendous grace."
O'Neill will enter the job market a
her May graduation and Eberwein
continue to train in Ann Arbor until her
commencement in December. But both
will continue to share their fondest
memories of their collegiate careers=
the Big Ten championships. ,
"I'll remember the past Big Ten charnr
pionship," Eberwein said, "it was amaz-
ing for me."
.4
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