The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - February 14, 2000- 3B

Warren isses out on last match at Cliff Keen


By Ryan C. Moloney
Daily Sports Writer
It was a moment Joe Warren had wait-
ed for all day, and in the scope of his hal-
'owed career at Michigan. all year.
The last match at Cliff Keen Arena -
there would be no next times at the cor-
ner of Hoover and State streets.
Dutifully, Warren strapped on his
headgear and paced around the mat. It
wasn't so much who he was scheduled to
wrestle, Indiana's Gabe Cook, as much
as what the match meant in the grand
scheme of things.
Warren's favorite memory of
wrestling at Michigan?
"Wrestling in front of Michigan's
reat fans," he wrote in his profile for the
night's pre-match ceremony in honor of
the seniors.
A thousand or so of his closest friends
were there, waiting though Warren was-
n't flashing his usual fiery intensity in
the waning moments before the match.
Cook would soon know no fear like

the wrath of Warren, but where was
Cook and why wasn't Warren pumped?
All those cold winter nights at Cliff
Keen where Warren's electric style of
wrestling and "winning is the only
thing" attitude had enamored the
Michigan wrestling faithful had come
down to this moment.
But the crowd's suspicions were true.
"Joe Warren, winner by default;"
came the announcement. "Michigan six
points"
What happened?
"Nothing happened," .Warren said
afterwards. "They didn't have a guy in
my last meet. I was upset"
Warren found out about Indiana's
scratch before the weigh-ins at Crisler-
he relayed the information to coach Joe
McFarland.
Indiana enjoyed favorable rankings in
both their 125 and 141 pound weight
classes and it only made sense to default
Warren's 133 match, in light of Cook's
injury, instead of bumping weight class-
es.

All of which was little consolation for
Warren, who after six weeks of sitting
out because of an injury to his left knee,
again sat and watched like a caged lion.
The possibility of moving up to 141,
the spot normally occupied by the
injured Damian Logan, was discussed
between Warren and McFarland but con-
siderations for Warren's knee and the rel-
ative importance of the meet won out.
"I definitely wanted to be out therd
wrestling," Warren said. "I wanted to
bump up (to 141) and wrestle. But coach
said I haven't been in very many match-
es yet and he didn't want me to get hurt
accidentally"
As if Warren needed any extra incen-
tive, his Friday night win against
Minnesota's Brett Lawrence wasn't quite
up to his own personal standards.
Warren's six week hiatus from the mat
came out in the match's second and third
round as Lawrence took advantage of
Warren's fatigue to tie the score after the
third round.
Warren executed a takedown in the

overtime followed by a near-fall count to
salvage a 9-4 victory.
But the outcome didn't exactly satisfy
Warren.
"I'm a little upset with the way I wres-
tied - I'd like to apologize to everyone,
that's not the way I should wrestle,"
Warren said. "That's the way stallers
wrestle.
"This is my first match back, that's not
really an excuse. I won, but that's not the
way I like to win. It's hard to come back
- I guess I thought I was going to hit
everything like I was before I got hurt."
But McFarland knew the match was-
n't vintage Warren material even before
it started.
"Joe fought a tough match,"
McFarland said. "I've been in that situa-
tion before - and I knew what Joe was
going through because I could see he
wasn't feeling good. He wasn't even
feeling good in warm-ups, he was a little
frustrated.
"I was really proud of him, I really
was. Joe's not, but he's hard on himself."

T.J.
BERKA
Teeing Off

Ai

Pay notice: Women '
basketball worth a look

.Team effort the key in split weekend for wrestlers

GRAPPLERS
Continued from Page 18
was 32-6, the Wolverines did perform
better than the score indicated. They
came within two points in three sepa-
rate matches, which would have put
both teams at five wins. And while Joe
Warren wouldn't admit it, his first time
*ack on the mat after six weeks due to
an injury, did produce a solid, albeit
tired win.
Also, DeGain was able to trade in his
normally defensive attitude for an
attacking style, one that proved effec-
tive in his 11-9 overtime victory over
No. 10 Owen Elzen.
"Tonight I saw a lot of stuff happen
and I went with it," DeGain said after
s victor ir the last fight of an already
cided rmeet "It felt better not to have
any pressure on my shoulders."
But as the score evidenced, the nega-
tives outweighed the positives, and
close losses proved still to be losses
when the final tally was posted.
The lowpoint of the evening came
when 141-pound Damion Logan,
ranked sixth in his class, lost to No. 17
Chad Erikson of Minnesota. After the
fight, Logan, his neck hurting and atti-
4*de frustrated, got into a slight
exchange with team captain., Otto
Olson.
Things settled. and Logan and Olson
appeared to have put the whole matter
behind them while chatting next to each
other during Saturday's meet, which
Logan sat out due to a neck iniury.
"He was just frustrated assistant
coach Sean Bormet said. "I don't think
'e's real satisfied with his match.
"Emotions get high in situations like
that when you're not happy with vour
performance."'
Similar to the entire effart on Ftndav
night, Saturday's first matchup led the
way for Michigan's 23-18 over No. 23

Indiana, and set the tone for the entire
night's action on the mats.
Joe Warren, looking to continue his
ascent back to his usual form, won by
forfeit, as Indiana could not put anyone
up against him due to injury.
That is not to say that Indiana was a
pushover for the Wolverines - the
opposite is true. But it was a sign that
the Michigan wrestlers had it in them to
go the extra mile, and that Indiana more
often than not couldn't.
Such was clearly the case in the 184-
pound match between Andy Hrovat and
Indiana's Ty Matthews. After two peri-
ods, Hrovat, trying to avenge his loss
on Friday night which had ended his .
month-long winning streak, had
mounted an 11-3 lead, needing to main-
tain the eight point advantage to secure
the major decision.
But with Matthews starting the third
period in the upper position, the
Indiana freshman chose to ride out the
fight on top of Hrovat, rather than
releasing him and trying to record a
takedown.
In the end, Matthews was able to
hold the advantage throughout the peri-
od, but to no avail - it didn't give him
any points, and Hrovat won the majorI
decision.
"I don't think he was trying to do
anything," Hrovat said. "That's just theI
way it fet,. but my head was in the mat
so I couldn't really tell"
Another case where Michigan's abil-I
ity to persevere was in the 149-pound
matchup between No. 20 Mike1
Kulezycki, with stitches under a ban-
dage on his head after an elbow to the1
headgear on Friday night cut him, and
Indiana's Tim Myers.
With the score tied 5-5, Kulczycki
got the time advantage bonus with
eleven seconds remaining, putting him
up 6-5. But with only four seconds left,
Myers notched a reversal, putting him
ahead 7-6, and seemingly crushing

Be honest with me. When you
think of Michigan basketball,
what do you think of? Do you
think of six-game losing streaks,
overzealous boosters, and federal
agents?
I'm sure you do. Hell, that's what I
think of most of the time. During this
six-game losing streak, its been tough
to be a Michigan basketball fan. I had
a hard time watching yesterday's
slaughter at the hands of Indiana, as I
kept flipping the remote control to see
how Rocky Balboa was doing against
Ivan Drago on TBS.
But all is not lost when it comes to
basketball on campus. There is a pretty
damn good college basketball team
that resides here in Ann Arbor.
Don't act like your shocked. This
team is currently second place in the
Big Ten and happens to play at Crisler
Arena. Believe or not, the Michigan
women's basketball team not only has
a chance to make it to the NCAA
Tournament this year, but to win a few
games there as well.
I can see the surprise on your face. I
know that you had no clue that we had
a women's basketball team on this
campus. I really didn't have a clue that
we had a team either.
Well, I take that back. I had heard
rumors that there were 12 women who
played basketball at Crisler every once
in a while. But I didn't know we had a
team.
We definitely have some ballers this
season. With Stacey Thomas, Raina
Goodlow, Alayne Ingram and company
holding court this season, the
Wolverines have won nine games in
the Big Ten - three times.as many as
their male counterparts - and are 17-
6 overall.
Usually when a Big Ten team wins
75 percent of its conference games,
people stand up and take notice. But
with the women's basketball team, that
notice hasn't come too readily.
I'm not talking about getting respect
from students. In a market which is
saturated with high-profile sports such
as football, men's basketball, and
hockey, its hard for women's basket-
ball to get much love on campus.
But the lack of respect from the
national press is ludicrous. I honestly
don't think that the writers who vote in
the AP poll have any clue that-
Michigan has a women's basketball
team.
And why should they? It's not as if
Michigan's 17 wins have come against
quality opponents. It's not as if
Michigan plays in a quality conference
or beats teams that are ranked in the

top 25.
Oh wait. Michigan plays in the Big
Ten, traditionally one of the stronger
women's basketball conferences in the
country. The Big Ten sends at least
four or five teams to the NCAA tout-
nament each year.
The Wolverines find themselves in
second place in the conference, behind
No. 4 Penn State, meaning they are
probably pretty good.
The Big Ten also boasts the defend-
ing national champion in No. 17
Purdue. The Boilermakers are well-
known nationally, and for good reason,
due to that fact. But Purdue, in a fact
that is not as well known,'was beaten
by the Wolverines on national televi-
sion in January.
Although the game was on CBS,
there is no reason that the voters
shouldn't give Michigan props for that
victory.
But for good measure, Michigan
slapped around Illinois - a team that
has been ranked most of this season-
twice, including an 86-69 smackdown
in Champaign on Jan. 17.
Fulfilling these deeds would get
most basketball teams ranked. I even
think the men's basketball team would
get a ranking by beating these teams.
But for some reason, Michigan has-
n't gotten a ranking yet. They've done
everything that has been asked of
them, except for performing during the
halftime shows of their games, and
haven't gotten anything for it.
The Wolverines made their case
again yesterday, destroying Indiana 85-
58. You would think that the win over
the Hoosiers, their fourth straightk
would be enough to catapult Michigan
into the Top 25 and put them on
ESPN2's score ticker.
But I can't say that I trust the writ-
ers. That may sound a little strange,
considering that I'm a writer myself,
but the pollsters have given me no
indication that they have a clue about
women's basketball.
I really have no clue what they want
Michigan to do. Do they want LeeAnn
Bies to sell concessions when she's not
in the game? Do they want coach Sue
Guevara to dance after every three-
pointer?
I really have no clue. But I do know
one thing. If Michigan isn't ranked this
upcoming week, then I will have lost
all respect for national polls.
- Ti Berka thinks that the mens
basketball team s six-game losing
streak shouldnt keep them fioi being
ranked. Ifyou agree with that ridicu,
lous statement, email him at
berkat@ umich.edu

PETER CORNUE/Daity
Andy Hrovat of the Wolverines attempts to start a new winning streak against
Indiana's Ty Matthews after he had it broken on Friday night against Minnesota.

Michigan's hopes in the bout.
But somehow, Kulczycki was able to
reverse Myers one more time at the
buzzer and ended up the victor at 8-7.
Unlike Indiana coach Duane
Goldman, Kulezvcki wasn't shocked
by his buzzer beater - Goldman
fought the ruling for several minutes.
Kulczycki was more surprised by the
first reversal call with four seconds on
the clock.
"I didn't even know that he actually
got the reversal because I still thought
that I had control and then the match
was over," he said.
But Hrovat and Kulczycki were only
two examples of the Wolverines fight-
ing hard until the buzzer.
Brink, knowing that with 125-pound

A.J. Grant facing a possible pin from
No. 5 Pat Cassidy in the final matchup,
realized that with the score at 20-12, a
loss, if followed by the fall, would give
Indiana the mat. So, instead he fought
throughout, and ended up winning a 2-
0 decision.
Also, 157-pound Tony Holifield,
despite losing 13-6, staved off the
major decision after recording a take-
down with 21 seconds left, and not
allowing his opponent, No. 13 Kevin
Stanley, a chance to get the one-point
escape that would have clinched the
major.
"Tony did a good job," Hrovat said.
"This kid kind of gave up when Tony
got the takedown. He didn't want to
work for the major?'

Blue netters cruise past depleted Wolfpack

Joe Smith
ilySports Writer
It would have been easy for the
undefeated Michigan women's tennis
team to look past a rebuilding North
Carolina State squad last Friday.
Michigan came it aeh30
and momentu r aint h
against the Wolfpack. 'ho had only
one match under thei' bel
The Wolfpack were without wo
ey players. sisters Marissa and
Katrina Gildeneister. They were sus-
pended indefinitely for an undis-
closed reason.
Marissa ranks sixth i North
Carolina State history with 39 career
singles wins and teams with Katrina
in the No. I doubles spot.
It was possible that the Wolverines
had their minds on an upc-min-
encounter with No. 21 Ken ucky at
*e Varsity Tennis Center. Tha test
next Sunday will be the Wolverine'
first against a nationally ranked opp)-
nent this season.
But if Michigan was looking past
North Carolina State, they didn't
show it.
They dominated the Wolfpack, 9-0
- winning all 15 sets.
The Wolverines' 4-0 start is their
est since 1996-97, when they won
eir first Big Ten title.
Senior co-captain Danielle Lund
made her return from an injury in sue-
mamuE,,
*.UUUUUIU
-s -w eW - - UP

cessful fashion. But by the time she
took the court, the match was already
decided by the Wolverines' sweep in
singles.
The contest was set on only four
courts, which led to some players
waiting for more than an hour to actu-
ally begin their respective matches.
This- could have played to the
Wolverines' advantage as they had
,reat success in the singles portion,
pulLin out to a 4-0 lead.
"Sometimes when you see your
teammates playing well, or even dom-
inating, it gives you the momentum,"
Michigan coach Bitsy Ritt said.
Senioir co-captain Brooke Hart won
her team-leading 12th match of the
season at No. 1 singles.
Junior Szandra Fuzesi and the two

impressive freshmen, Joanne
Musgrove and Jen Duprez, took their
singles contests, respectively in the 2-
4 spots.
Sophomore Jen Vaughn and junior
Alison Sinclair completed the singles
sweep at the No. 5 and 6 spots,
respectively.
"Alison is a very solid and consis-
tent player," Ritt said. "She really
makes her opponents earn every
point"
After the match was clinched, the
doubles matches presented more good
news for the Wolverines.
Lund competed for the first time
since aggravating her stomach muscle
three months ago.
She teamed up successfully with
Brooke Hart in their usual No. I dou-

bles slot. The pair peaked at No. 8 in
the national rankings last year.
"It felt really good to be out there
again, traveling with the team, and
playing with Brooke," Lund said.
Lund didn't play singles because
coaches wanted to bring her back into
the lineup slowly.
"I felt no pain or sensations while
serving, and I hope to be ready this
weekend to play both singles and dou-
bles," Lund said.
Lund is ninth all-time on the
Wolverines with 69 singles victories,
leading her team in the past three sea-
sons, playing No. I and No. 2 singles.
Her presence should only help
Michigan as the Wolverines face the
nationally ranked Wildcats next
Sunday.

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