12A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, April 13, 2000
DOUBLE
TROUBLE
By Joe Smith Daily Sports Writer
It was like a dream.
Cruising through its conference
schedule, the 1996-97 Michigan
women's tennis team shut out its final
three opponents en route to a 10-0 Big
Ten record and the team's first ever con-
ference title in its 23-year history..
In that season, Brooke Hart and
Danielle Lund dominated at the No. 4
and No. 6 singles slots, respectively,
while teaming up to form one of the
toughest doubles tandems in the nation.
And they were only freshmen.
But for someone watching the
Wolverines, it would have been difficult
to tell who were the rookies and who
were the All-Americans.
Lund led the team with 29 singles vic-
tories - the third highest single-season
total on the Wolverines all-time records
list. Not far behind was Hart, who
notched 26 singles wins of her own,
including a perfect 10-0 conference tally.
That's not all - the two Wolverines
formed an impressive doubles, duo,
going 19-10 at the No. 2 spot, including
an 8-2 record in conference play.
Hart and Lund had tasted early-season
success and were hungry for more.
With the conference title under its
belt, Michigan headed to the Big Ten
Tournament as the undeniable favorite
- even its opponents thought so.
"Players from Purdue told their school
newspaper that everyone knew the we
would win, and that we just had to do it,"'
Hart said.
And win it, they did. Top-seeded
Michigan blew past the Boilermakers in
the first round and then took care of
Northwestern before running into peren-
nial power Indiana. The Hoosiers had
won 15 of the last 20 conference titles
and were itching to knock off the
Wolverines.
But Michigan was relentless in its
pursuit, and Erryn Weggenman's victory
at No. 3 singles clinched the title.
"We just got used to winning," Lund
said. "It was a storybook season - like
a dream."
NEARLY'FHART'BREAKING
But this dream might not have been a
reality had it not been for a simple twist
of fate.
On the way to her recruiting visit at
Michigan, Hart had her doubts - and
wanted to turn the car around and go
back home to Cincinnati.
"It was raining on my way there and I
was thinking how people were constant-
ly telling me that I was not going to like
Michigan," Hart said. "But my mom
made me go through with it, and told me
that it would be disrespectful to .coach
(Bitsy) Ritt if I didn't go."
Mother definitely knew best - Hart
fell in love soon after and found that
Michigan had everything she wanted,
but a problem still remained.
Ritt had three scholarships at her dis-
posal, and had already offered them out.
Weggenman and Lund had already com-
mitted to the Wolverines, and the final
scholarship was in the hands of Annica
Cooper from Illinois.
Cooper was still deciding between
UCLA and Michigan, and Hart tried to
help her make up her mind.
than just a game."
Even though both are competitive, the
two know how to leave it on the court -
or the ping pong table.
They lived together their first two
years, sharing a house with six other
girls their sophomore year
"Freshman year was a fun, fun year,
Lund said. "We did everything together
and partied a lot"
From Brooke's birthday in December
when a male stripper, dressed in a cop's
uniform, was the hit of the party, to
when the seniors forced the freshmen to
sing New Kids On The Block hit
'Hangin Tough' on the traditional
karaoke night before the Wolverines'
victory in the Big Ten Championships
- freshman year was definitely one to
remember.
FROM DREAM To NIGHTMARE
Since Lund and Hart's successful
freshman campaign, the departure of
key players and injuries have taken their
toll on the Wolverines.
There has been no freshmen class
since that has been able to make the
same immediate impact.
"We were just a rare class," Lund said.
"Three players is a big number in tennis.
How much of an effect can just one per-
son have?"
That's one reason why instead of
merely adding depth, Lund and Hart
were forced to not only take over the
No.1 and No. 2 slots in the lineup, but
take control of the team as leaders as
well.
"It's a huge transition moving up to
the top two positions," Michigan assis-
tant coach Terry Ann Zawacki said.
"Having to beat the best players from
each school, they had to learn to deal
with the pressure from outside people to
Photos by DANA LINNA NE/Daily
Senior co-captains Brooke Hart and Danielle Lund have set the standard for the
women's tennis team, making their impact in both singles and doubles.
succeed. Being expected to win has
helped them mature to who they are
today."
Their sophomore year, Lund and Hart
stepped up their play and lead the
defending champions by example. Both
were All-Big Ten selections - Hart fin-
ished the year ranked No. 7 in the regk
and Lund again led the team with
wins.
After two successful seasons, ,Hart
and Lund's junior year and first year as.
co-captains seemed cursed from the
start.
Before school started, Michigan's No.
3 player, Tumeka Harris, decided to
forego her senior year and attempt to
enter the pro circuit. Injuries then threw
the season into total disarray, as Ha9
Weggenman and sophomore Maya
Canfield went down.
The result was a dismal 4-17 finish, a
dramatic change from the undefeated
Big Ten Champions two years earlier..
Now in their senior season, injuries
have once again played a major factor.
Absences to key players have restricted
the Wolverines from competing with
their full lineup.
Just one player can make a huge dif-
ference in the outcome of a match,.
most Big Ten teams are finding out the
hard way this season.
See DOUBLES, Page 15A
"I had already known Annica pretty
well, Hart said. "So I called her up and
pleaded with her to sign with UCLA."
When Cooper chose the Bruins, Hart
became a Wolverine at last.
Lund, a Massachusetts native, was not
as indecisive in her college choice. She
made many visits around the country to
different universities, but after catching
her first glimpse of Michigan, she knew
it was the perfect fit.
The signings of Hart and Lund broke
the hearts of many college coaches, who
would have loved to have the two stars.
"They're the total package," said
Indiana coach Lin Loring, the win-
ningest women's tennis coach in
Division I history. "They are everything
you look for in a recruit - great singles
players, doubles players and students as
well."
PING PONG TO STRIPPERS
Each player's competitiveness is a
major asset, something which Hart and
Lund have in common. This flare
appeared from the start when a friendly
freshman game of ping pong turned into
something more.
"We were in a tournament in
Vanderbilt and just playing to pass the
time;" Hart said. "But things began to
get a little heated - and it became more
,
NCAA proposals
limit coaches'
summer recruiting
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The
NCAA Management Council will rec-
ommend to the NCAA's board of direc-
tors that summer recruiting by men's
basketball coaches be cut to 14 days in
2001 and eliminated entirely after.
Coaches are currently allowed 24
days' recruiting during the summer.
The council also rejected a proposal
to reward Division I schools that
achieve graduation rates of at least 75
percent in men's basketball with one
additional scholarship, for a total of 14
per year.
The proposal on summer men's bas-
ketball recruiting would create two
seven-day periods in 2001, then none
the following year. Starting next fall,
coaches would be allowed to recruit 50
days during the academic year, an
increase of 10 days, and that would go
up to 70 days the following year.
The entire package will go to the
NCAA board on April 27. Leland said
it is likely the board will approve the
proposals as written.
The council also rejected a proposal
that required entering freshmen in
Division I basketball to successfully
complete at least 12 hours and achieve a
minimum grade-point-average of 2.00
by the end of their first semester
W"i
NHL Playoff Results
Yesterday's results:
TORONTO 2. Ottawa 0
DALLAS 2, Edmonton 1
ST. LOUIS 5, San Jose 3
Today's games:
Buffalo At Philadelphia, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Los Angeles at Detroit. 7:30 p.m.. ESPN
Pittsburgh at Washington. 7:30 pr.n
Florida at New Jersey. 7:30 p.m.
Edmonton at Dallas, 9 p.m.
Phoenix at colorado, 10 p.m., ESPN2
NBA Standings
E-ATLANTIC W .L PCT GB HOME AW
X-Miami 50 27 .649 - 317 19-
X-Mew York 4829 .623 2 31.8 17-
X-Philadelphia 45 32 .579 5 27-11 18-
Orlando 39 38 .506 11 25-14 14-2
Boston 31 46 .403 19 23-14 ^-3
New Jersey 3147 .397 19.5 22-17 93
AY
20
21
21
-24
32
3D
STK
Lost 1
Won 1
Won 1
Lost 1
Won 1
Lost 7
Washington 28 49 .364 22 17-22 11-27 Won 1
ECENTRAL W L PCT GB HO ME AWAY STK
" Y-lndiana 51 26 .662 - 34-5 17-21 Lost 2
a X-Charlotte 44 33.571 7 28-11 16-22 'Won 2
Toronto 43 34 .558 8 24-15 19-19 Won 3
Detrot 40 37 .519 11 .2513 15L24 .ost 2
Milwaukee 38 39 .494 13 22-17 16-22 Won 2
Cleveland 30 47.390 21 21-17 9-30 Lost 1
Atlanta 26 51 .338 25 19-19 /-32 Lost 7
Chicago 17 60 .221 34 12-27 5.33 Won I
W-MIDWEST W L PCT GB OME AWAY S K
X-Utah 52 25 .675 - 29-10 23-15 Lost 2
X-San Antonio 50 28.641 2.5 28-9 22-19 Won 3
XMinnesota 48 29 .623. 4 26-14 22-15 Won 4
Dalas 36 41.468 16 19-19.17-22 Won 5
Houston 32 46 .410 20.5 2117 11-29 Won 4
Deinver 3147 .397 21.5 2316 3-31 Lost 2
Vancouver 21 56 .273 31 12-28 9-28 Lost 3
WPACIC W LPCT GB HOME AWAY STK
Z-LA Lakers 65 13 .833 - 34-5 31-8 Won 1
X.Portland 5622 .718 9. 29-10 27-12 Lost 1
X-Phoenix 50 27 .649 14.5 30-7 20-20 Won 2
X-Sacramento 43 34.558 21.5 29-1014-24 Lost 3
X-Seattle 42 35 .545 22.5 23-16 19-19 Lost 3
Golden State 18 59 .234 46.5 11-27 7-32 Won 1
LA Clippers 14 63 .182 50.5 10-29 4-34 Lost 13
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