c e I[icl i m ttilg PORTS rtm mieh18# IHdllld Ap13 a Page 16 I Men on to finals ...' >. after drought By Dan Dingerson Daily Sports Writer CHAMPAIGN -- It's been a long time. In fact, 25 years have ' passed since Michigan sent its men's gymnastics team to the KNCAA Championships.. "' .. Saturday night, the Wolverines broke that streak. The top-ranked Wolverines entered Huff Hall in an unusual ~ position. They were Big Tenschampions for the first time in a generation, and they were the favorites to win the East Regional. In sharp contrast, last year, Michigan finished sixth in the Big L Ten, barely qualifying for regional competition. In the NCAA , Regional that season, the team finished fifth, more than 3.5 points behind the top score, and almost two points behind third place. To qualify for the NCAA Championships, which will be held April 22-24 in Lincoln, Neb., Michigan needed only to finish in the top three in the East region. Finishing that high seemed likef a lock for the reigning Big Ten champions and the top-ranked team in the country. But it wasn't that simple. Facing the Wolverines in the East Regional were the top teams in the country. Six of the next eight spots in the national rankings were occupied by teams who competed here, including the top four. Penn State, Ohio State, Iowa and Michigan have all beaten each other this year, and have all moved around each other in the rankings. All four teams had a legitimate chance to win the East regional, and could've won a national championship. One would have to be eliminated, though. Michigan drew Olympic order for last year's meet, and because of the team's ranking it got to choose where it wanted to start. Michigan coach Kurt Golder chose to begin on the floor exercise - the part of the rotation that the team has had success DANA LINNANE/DaIy with all year. TOP: Lisa Simes and the Michigan women's gymnastics team took the NCAA Region iI Championship this weekend. ABOVE: Josh Levin per- See GYMNASTICS, Page 6B forms on the pommel horse as the men's team secured its first NCAA Championships appearance since 1975. Women one step away from NCAA triple crown Softball sweeps Gophers at home By Stephanie Offen Daily Sports Writer All personal records aside, the Michigan softball team's weekend series shutout of Minnesota was a team effort. On Saturday, Traci Conrad set a Big Ten record for hits and yesterday Michigan softball coach Carol Hutchins captured her 600th victory. But it was the team which extended its unbeaten streak to 31 games, taking three straight from Minnesota. Yesterday, Michigan provided the faithful fans who sat through a constant drizzle at Alumni Field with a convinc- ing 6-3 victory, but not without giving them a scare. The Wolverines gave up seven hits, and that, added to infield errors, left Minnesota with many scoring opportu- nities. But Michigan was able to hold the Gophers off, because Minnesota strand- ed 14 runners on base. Minnesota began the game by loading the bases. A hit, a walk and an infield error left the Gophers threatening to score with no outs. But pitcher Kate Eiland retired the next two batters before Minnesota third- baseman Michelle Bennett knocked in a runner, scoring one before the Wolverines came up to bat. And Michigan responded. With run- ners on first and second, Michigan third- baseman Pam Kosanke singled to cen- ter, sending both runners home. Eiland was able to hold the Gophers scoreless through the next two innings. But with the bases loaded in the fourth, Eiland was replaced by Marie Barda, a pitcher with more speed and power. "I felt that Kate pitched well but we weren't getting it done behind her,: See GOPHERS, Page SB Baseball drops thiree to Buckeyes By Chris Grandstaff Daily Sports Writer The Michigan baseball team walked off of a rain-soaked Fisher Field yesterday with thoughts of what could have been. To add insult to injury, it also endured the excessive celebratory cheers coming from the Ohio State dugout as they made their way through the crowd to the locker- room. The Buckeyes took three of four games from the Wolverines this weekend and now sit atop the Big Ten standings, tied with Minnesota. Ohio State (7-1 Big Ten, 22-7 over- all) took the first two games 7-4, and 13-6 respectively before Michigan (6-6, 18-16) stormed back for a 7-4 victory of their own. The Buckeyes took the final game of the series, 13- 10. "I told our kids afterward to keep their heads up and to keep battling," Michigan coach Geoff Zahn said. Michigan and Ohio State started the series with a three-game, 21- inning marathon on Saturday, because Friday's series opener was delayed until Saturday morning after two innings of scoreless baseball were postponed because of rain. When they resumed play on Saturday, the two teams played to a virtual standoff until the ninth. Buckeyes' catcher Tom Durant then keyed a three-run fifth inning for the Buckeyes with a two-out, two-run homer to put Ohio State up 3-0. Michigan's own man behind the plate, David Parrish, got the Wolverines back on track in the sev- enth with a two-run single which, combined with an RBI single by Rnhhv Scales tied the name at three. By Vaughn R. Klug Daily Sports Writer LINCOLN, Neb. - If Michigan.women's gymnastics coach Bev Plocki could have scripted her squad's performance prior to Saturday's Region III Championship, her draft would have correlated well with the results delivered by the top-seeded Wolverines. Dominating the competition before 2,314 fans at the Bob Devaney Center Saturday night, Michigan won two of four events en route to a first-place finish, which earns the Wolverines their fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships. The Wolverines bettered second-place fin- isher and host Nebraska by a margin of 196.750 to 196.375 points and in doing so ended the Cornhuskers 26-home meet win- ning-streak. "We are peaking exactly when we need to peak," Plocki said. "This is the best time to be. at our best because the competition at nation- als is going to be at an elite level.", A crucial element of Michigan's confi- dence is the contributions of junior standout Sarah Cain and senior Lisa Simes. The talented duo finished in first and sec- ond-place, respectively, in the all-around competition with scores of 39.525 and 39.375. This marks Cain's seventh all-around victo- ry of the season, while Simes' strong showing complemented her all-around conference title. "It was fun and very satisfying to be able to compete well in front of friends and family," Cain said. "I am especially happy to be part of the team that came away with the title." Much to their dismay, the Wolverines opened competition on their weakest event - the balance beam. Despite a tainted past on the apparatus, Michigan performed as the fourth-ranked team in the nation should - well. "Our success on the beam was followed by a big sigh of relief," Plocki said. "It relaxed, the team because we knew that we could go out and hit our next three events." The Wolverines' beam performance was propelled by freshnan Shannon MacKenzie's score of 9.850, which tied her career high and contributed to an impressive team score of 49.025, the Wolverines' third-highest score of the season. Michigan then moved onto the floor exer- cise where it validated its No. 2 ranking when Sarah Cain paced the Wolverines first-place team score of 196.750. The Wolverines' consistency stems from the team's ability to "do what (they) do at practice, have fun and enjoy the event," sophomore Bridget Knaeble said. Michigan pulled away from the competition on the vault as Cain and Simes rose to the occasion and notched a second-place tie with scores of 9.900. "I just focused on sticking my landing and things worked out," Cain said. Finishing with the identical rotation they faced at the Big Ten Championship two weeks before, Nikki Peters cemented the Wolverines' lead with a first-place score of 9.925. Peters' effort marked her sixth win of the season, including a clutch 10.0 performance that led to a Big Ten title. Peters and the Wolverines both have a chance for the most coveted set of accom- plishments in gymnastics when they travel to Salt Lake City on April 22-24 to compete for the national championship and the triple crown. The triple crown is gymnastics jargon denoting a team, or individual athlete in Peters' case, which is capable of finishing first at the conference, regional, and national championship level. In the coming two weeks before NCAAs, the Wolverines realize that they need to work on becoming perfectionists. They will hold normal practices until next Tuesday, at which point they will fly to Salt Lake City and focus on "dotting all their 'Is' and crossing all their 'Ts,' Plocki said. Boilers spol Boylan's senior day By Dan WHIams Daily Sports Writer Thanks to the rainy weather, the Michigan women's tennis team returned to the cozy con- fines of the Varsity Tennis Center's indoor courts yesterday. But the warmth of an indoor court wasn't enough to slow down a hot Purdue team. Yesterday's match provided a sharp contrast to Saturday's 4-3 loss to Indiana in which the cold wind and sun overhead resulted in a lower spec- tator count and conservative play against the Hoosiers (3-2 Big Ten, 8-9 overall). Against Purdue (3-3, 7-11) a large collection of fans showed up to cheer on the Wolverines (3- 4,4-13) on Jen Boylan's senior day. Boylan won both her singles match (6-0, 2-6, 7-5) and her doubles match with her partner, senior Danielle Lund (8-4), but it wasn't enough to prevent the Boilermaker's 4-3 victory. After a disappointing straight-set loss to Indiana, Boylan wouldn't be denied in the first set of yesterday's match at No. 4 singles. But her opponent, Purdue freshman Missy Wright, cut d.,«- - U- frl ur--- ..A tn mc a r managed a break in the 1Ith game, and then hit a perfect dropshot to set up match point. An errant forehand by Wright secured a Boylan vic- tory in her last home meet. "Jen just played inspired tennis today," Michigan coach Bitsy Ritt said. "She really turned her play around from yesterday." But the play of Purdue's No. I player, Jen Embry, kept Michigan from breaking their five dual match losing streak. Embry, perhaps the best Big Ten player to visit the Tennis Center this year, won in both singles and doubles to assure Purdue's victory. In No. I doubles, Embry overshadowed the steady play of Wright, her partner, with electri- fying winners that got the crowd into the match. Embry and Wright beat junior Brook Hart and freshman Jen Vaughn, 8-3. "Jen (Embry) has an aggressive style of play," Ritt said. "Her ability to play the net keeps her opponents on their toes." In singles, though she lost, Lund appeared comfortable in the hard-hitting match with - P.r AI.fal ,ali nh id b +cct i n A hevn ing out victorious. "Against Indiana, the weather conditions forced me to play with a lot of patience which isn't my style," Lund said. "I played better today because I served better and played more aggres- sively; but, (Embry) is one of the better oppo- nents I've faced in the Big Ten." Though Boylan and Embry stole the show with their individual performances, the story of the match was a familiar one for the Wolverines. Michigan has yet to win a doubles point in Big Ten play, and that point was again the difference in the match against Purdue. "We keep putting ourselves in a hole when we don't get the doubles point," said Ritt, "and what's worse is today we weren't in the matches at No. I and No. 3 doubles." Besides Hart and Vaughn's loss, sophomore Szandra Fuzesi and sophomore Alison Sinclair fell, 8-3, as well. Fuzesi and Sinclair have lost four consecutive matches in Big Ten action. Lund and Boylan's win did improve their record to 4-0 though, and Ritt is considering mmnna them tn tn Nn 1 nIh1es. I