Women's basketball polls
Despite a disappointing showing in the
Big Ten Tournament, the Michigan
women's basketball team is still ranked
in both major polls. Head online to see
where the Wolverines are this week.
michigandaily.com /sports
IPO)RTS
6'
TUESDAY
MARCH 7, 2000
8
It's official: Blanchard
tops Big Ten frosh
Wrestler Olson shows -
his grit in many ways
By David Den Herder
Daily Sports Editor
Michigan forward LaVell Blanchard,
who started all but one of Michigan's 27
regular season games, was named Big
Ten Freshman of the Year yesterday.
Although he was the unanimous
choice of the
media, Big Ten BASKETBALL
coaches split the Notebook
honor between
Blanchard and
Illinois' Brian Cook.
Overall Big Ten Player of the Year
honors were shared by Indiana's A.J.
Guyton and Michigan State's Morris
Peterson.
After Michigan's terrible loss to the
Spartans Saturday afternoon, Michigan
State coach Tom Izzo called Blanchard
the league's top freshman this season.
"In my opinion, it's probably LaVell
Blanchard," Izzo said. "He has had an
MVP season."
Blanchard averages 14.5 points and
eight rebounds a game. He is thefourth
Wolverine to earn freshman honors from
the Big Ten. Maurice Taylor, Chris
Webber and Gary Grant were also fresh-
men of the year.
DIRECTIONAL MAYHEM: Yesterday
was a tumultuous day for the Mid-
American Conference brethren.
Eastern Michigan coach Milton
Barnes and Western Michigan coach
Bob Donewald were both fired.
Donewald's termination came just
three years after he led the Broncos to a
first-round victory over Clemson in the
NCAA Tournament. But a 10-17 cam-
paign this season dropped him out of
favor. He will be reassigned within the
athletic department.
Barnes led the Eagles to a tournament
appearance in 1998, losing to fourth-
seeded Michigan State in the first round.
Eastern Michigan Athletic Director
Dave Diles also fired football coach
Rick Rasnick before the end of the 1999
season.
FROM THE PROS: Ask your local
Gentry, and he will say the Pistons will
have a new coach. Third-year Detroit
coach Alvin Gentry was fired yesterday.
The Pistons are two games below .500.
- The Associated Press contributed
to this report.
KIMITSU VOGACHI/Daily
Michigan's LaVell Blanchard (30) was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year by the
media and Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year by coaches.
Spring break tear may leave. women atop poii
ST LAFAYETTE -
Michigan wrestler Otto
Olson probably didn't want to
be in West Lafayette this past weekend.
Cancun, Bangladesh, Siberia - any
place would have been better scenery
than Mackey Arena anid the Big Ten
Wrestling Championships.
Like a grounded child looking out the
window at his
friends having the
times of their
lives, the junior
All-American
couldn't bear to
watch the sport
he loves continue
without him.
It was Olson MARK
who was ranked FRANCESCUITI
No. I in the The Cutting
country this sea- Edge
son at 174
pounds.
It was Olson who was supposed to
pound every wrestler into the mats at
Big Tens, win the title and then set eyes
on the grand prize he was runner-up for
last season - an NCAA championship.
But instead, Olson sat in the stands
this past weekend, looking like no more
than a usual spectator in blue jeans.
The grappler suffered a season-end-
ing injury Jan. 8 in a match against
Randy Pugh of Northern Iowa.
In one sudden moment, Olson's
vocabulary of takedowns and rever-
sals was replaced by surgery and
rehabilitation.
His jeans hide a limb scarred by
surgery, with screws still bolted into his
tissue. But one look at Olson's face
shows the struggle of wrestling with-
drawal.
The doctors said "eight months" -
eight months without the sport he loves
more than anything.
Wrestlers are psycho. Well, in a good
way at least. No sport in the world takes
over the mind and body like wrestling
- where intensity is the appetizer and
brutal, all-out war is the main course.
When Olson felt and heard the first
pop in his knee, he tried to ignore it.
"I thought, 'My knee is blown
out,'" Olson said. But "I said to
myself, 'I gotta keep going, I've got
to get to the end."
When Big Ten Championships
neared, he pushed to find some excuse
to compete.
"I have a good knee brace,' he said.
"1 can go."
Since his injury in January, Olson has
talked little with some of his team-
mates. He could barely speak before a
match to his replacement at 174
pounds, Charles Martelli. The pain was
just too much.
This past weekend, when the choice
came up to go to Big Tens, Olson
fought back that pain. Knowing his
responsibilities as captain he packed his
bags and climbed on the bus.
Olson finally went up to Martelli,
gave him a few quick tips, and wished
him good luck. Good experience for a
guy who wants to be a teacher one day,
and maybe a coach too.
Martelli, an unranked sophomore,
then went on to upset two wrestlers,
including No. 5 Will Hill of Michigan
State and almost upended No. 2 Ben
King en route to a sixth-place finish -
good enough to qualify for the NCAA
Championships.
Screw pep-talker Vince Lombardi -
get Olson.
While it's too late this season to live
his dream through competition, Olson
learned a true benefit of a teacher or
coach - the miraculous results a little
time and encouragement yields for one's
students.
And if that's not living, what is?
Coaching experience in hand, Olson
will return to the weight room this
week, working as many hours as the
trainers will let him, striving to return to
wrestling form.
Eight months, 32 weeks, 224 days.
Any way you say it, it's a long time. But
the incredibly strong-willed Olson -
whose teammates call his eight-week
recovery thus far "unbelievable" -
plans on wrestling a little sooner.
"I can see myself wrestling in another
three weeks," he said.
But don't think that Olson, on crutch-
es or in a knee brace, with screws in his
knee hasn't tried already.
Just don't tell the doctors.
- Mark Francescutti can be reached
via e-mail at mfrances@umich.edu.
By Sarah Ensor
Daily Sports Writer
It's safe to assume that a week of
practice and intense competition is not
the average college student's idea of an
ideal vacation. But, based on the
results of the Michigan women's gym-
nastics team's last three meets, it's hard
to argue that the Wolverines' spring
break was anything but enjoyable.
Third-ranked Michigan defeated No.
20 Maryland at home, 197.275-193.0,
on Feb. 26 and No. 23 Arizona on the
road, 197.45-195.675, on March 3.
On Sunday, the Wolverines finished
second in the Bruin Classic in Los
Angeles, scoring 196.975 points to
defeat Illinois-Chicago and California-
Santa Barbara. Michigan fell just short
of second-ranked UCLA, which hosted
the event.
Michigan's record does little to tell
the story of the week. The Wolverines
put together one of their most consis-
tent three-meet performances of the
season.
"I'm extremely pleased with the
whole trip," Michigan coach Bev
Plocki said. "The goal is to perform on
the road like we did at home. We want
to bring that relaxed quality out on the
road, and we did. I'm 99 percent sure
that, come Wednesday morning, we
will be No. I in the country."
Michigan started the week strongly
with its victory over Maryland. Senior
tri-captain Sarah Cain won the all-
around with a 39.75, a season-best
score. She finished first in all four
events, while her teammates captured
second and third on each apparatus to
complete a Wolverine sweep.
Against Arizona, Michigan contin-
ued its all-around success. The 197.45
marked the Wolverines' second-high-
est team score of the season, and sev-
eral gymnasts set season and career-
bests. Cain scored a perfect 10 on the
vault, while junior tri-captain Bridget
Knaeble set a career-high in the all-
around with a 39.425 and tied a career-
high on the uneven bars with a 9.95.
Knaeble "was great in the all-around
against Arizona and competed in 3
events against UCLA," Plocki said.
"She'll probably be back in the all-
around spot in our home meet next
week."
Sunday's Bruin Classic signaled the
end of Michigan's West Coast road
trip. In their third meet in 10 days, the
Wolverines again acquitted themselves
admirably.
While they failed to top the 197
mark for the first time all week, they
maintained the consistency that had
served them well in their two previous
meets.
Cain scored her second straight per-
feet 10 on the vault - the 11 th perfect
10 of her career - en route to a first-
place tie in the event. She also tied for
second on both the balance beam and
the floor exercise, and finished fourth
in the all-around with a 39.65.
"It's always exciting to have some-
one who can get 10s," Plocki said.
"She was phenomenal. She only did
one vault against UCLA, because once
you get a 10, how can you possibly
improve? It was awesome -- she has a
gorgeous vault and she sticks it."
Michigan has only one meet remain-
ing - this Saturday's home matchup
against Florida and Bowling Green -
before heading into postseason compe-
tition. '
The Wolverines' success this past
week bodes well for the upcoming
regional and national tournaments.
Michigan demonstrated an ability to
perform consistently in a variety of
venues as well as the skill to stay
focused throughout a week of tough
competition.
The meets were "a sign that we're
peaking exactly when we need to
peak," Plocki said. "We can't go into
post season competition wondering if
we're going to hit - we have to know
that we're going to hit."
Runners regroup after "
5th place at Big Tens
i
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Qualifications include strong organizational skills, supervisory
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By David Edelman
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan women's track and field
team had its Big Ten Indoor title stolen
from its clutches on Feb. 26-27 in
Minneapolis.
As many students packed their bags
for spring break, the Wolverines were on
their way to the University Fieldhouse in
Minneapolis.
Despite Michigan's success in previ-
ous Big Ten meets - the Wolverines
were two-time defending champions --
Michigan could not pull off another vic-
tory.
The Wolverines finished in fifth place,
while Indiana ran away with this year's
title. Michigan had dropped its only dual
meet to Indiana, 84-77, earlier on this
season. The Hoosiers' strength in the
field events at that meet was an early sign
that Indiana was a force to be reckoned
with.
Although Indiana secured its victory at
the Big Ten Championships with 150
points, other strong teams stood between
Michigan and the top spot. Wisconsin
finished second, 32 points behind
Indiana, while Minnesota and Purdue
also finished ahead of the Wolverines.
All of these teams proved Michigan
coach James Henry prophetic.
"There is a lot more balance in the
league then there has ever been," Henry
said prior to the meet.
A fifth-place showing was a bit of a
shock for the Wolverines - Michigan
entered the competition with a lot of con-
fidence.
In previous meets Michigan demon-
strated its talent. The Wolverines domi-*
nated the Silverton Invitational and did
well against some of the best teams in the
nation at the prestigious Cannon Classic
in Indianapolis.
In spite of Michigan's disappointing
team finish, the Wolverines did have
some strong individual performances.
Middle distance runner Lisa Ouellet
claimed a Big Ten title in the 800 meters.
This came a week after she qualified for
the NCAA championships with a time of
2:08.73.
Ouellet led Michigan in what was the
Wolverines' best event overall. Junior
Erin White followed Ouellet with a third-
place finish, while senior Erica Murdock
placed fifth.
Success also came from the field.
Senior Brandi Bentley won the long
jump for the third year in a row with a
leap of 19-11 3/4.
Michigan's fifth-place finish in the
Big Ten Championship signals the end of
the indoor season for all but a few elite
performers. For Ouellet and Bentley, the
indoor season will conclude when they
travel to Fayetteville, Ark, to compete in
the NCAA Championships on Mar. 10.
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