Thursday, October 21, 1999 - The Michigan Daily 19A

ABE AND

ANDY

Blue golfer Matthews mimics some of former president's most renowned ideas

elieve it or not, sophomore
golfer Andy Matthews and
Abraham Lincoln have a lot in
common. Of course, Lincoln couldn't
hit a golf ball very well, and Matthews
hasn't been President of the United
States, but certain characteristics are
unique to both men.
In the course of his lifetime, Lincoln
was known for the things he said, por-
ying how he lived and what he
WI ieved in. A/wavs bear in mind that
your own resolution to succeed is more
important than any other one thing.
"I started to play golf when I was
five years old," Matthews said. "My
parents, especially my dad, got me
interested. We had a membership to a
club, so I played tennis all morning,
swam all afternoon, and golfed the rest
of the time. I played non-stop."
, laying golf when most kids were
Srning to ride bicycles with training
wheels, Matthews improved his game.
Living in Ada, outside of Grand

By SAM DUWE * DAILY SPORTS WRITER

i

Rapids, Matthews attended Forest Hills
Central High School, where his ambi-
tion for the game of golf began to
show.
"I didn't play other sports, it was just
golf," Matthews said. "But don't think
golf is my whole life, it's just a big part
of it. I also enjoy fishing and flying."
Making a goal of being the best, and
fulfilling that to the end, Matthews
scripted out his high-school golfing
career. He finished second individually
in the State Division I Championship.
His level of play that attracted big
universities like Notre Dame and
Michigan.
"One of the things that Andy
brought with him to the team was a
serious commitment," said Michael
Harris, a fifth-year senior and
Michigan's top golfer. "He is a guy
who wants to play golf and get better in
the worst way. He has a great work
ethic."
"He's bent on being a better player,"

Carras said. He's got that natural desire
to be the best."
Upon the subject ofeducation, / can
on/y say that view it as the most
important subject which we as a people
must be engaged in.
Sometimes in college athletics, the
academic dimension is somehow for-
gotten.
"Our team emphasizes academics,
which is very important," Carras said.
"We want a program of student ath-
letes, not just athletes."
Andy Matthew's major is sports
business, a degree that can lead to a
successful future if playing golf does-
n't work out.
"I would like to become an athletic
director or an agent, something inside
sports," Matthews said. "I like to trav-
el, so that would be a definite plus."
When asked is he would consider
leaving his higher education to play
professional golf, not unlike Tiger
Woods, he grimaces.

"My parents would have some seri-
ous issues with that," said Matthews. "I
can see Woods do it with Nike coming
his way with S50 million, but for me,
I'll get my education."
Character is like a tree and reputa-
tion is like its shadow. The shadow is
what we think of it; the tree is the real
thin.
"Playing my hardest and receiving a
scholarship to a world class university
is my way of giving back to my par-
ents," Matthews said. "They have given
me so much, and this is how I try to
show my appreciation."
The best thing about a future is that
it only comes one day at a time.
The urge to rush life and start golf-
ing for a living is always preying on
Matthews.
"After the Buick Open last summer,
I played with the pros," said Matthews.
"It sure whetted my appetite to join
their ranks."
Matthews playing partner was

Charles Warren, a 1997 graduate from
Clemson who also won an NCAA
Championship,
"He told me 'to have patience and
enjoy the next three years of college,
You have the rest of your life to play
professional golf. Soak up all of your
college experience, you can only go to
college for the first time once,"'said
Matthews.
"As much as I wanted to play with
the pros, he settled me down. It really
helped me to refocus my life and where
I wanted to go."
As for his future after school,
Matthews hopes to qualify for the PGA
Tour, and if that doesn't work out, there
are the Canadian and Nike Tours to
play in.
And besides golf, Matthews can
always rely on his education in sports
business.
"He has the potential to go a long
ways, nothing is impossible," Harris
said.

Runners at crossroads

By David Nom
Daily Sports Writer
There comes a time in the season of
any team when expectation makes way
for reality. Time progresses, and the
promise of August becomes the despera-
tion of October. For the Michigan
women's cross country team, the time has
come for self-motivation and a late run at
national prominence.
Disappointment was the word after last
Sunday's Wolverine Invitational. The
hosts were too gracious, allowing nation-
al powers Washington, Nebraska, and
James Madison, as well as Montana
State, to take the first through fourth
places atop the leader board. A fifth place
finish last Sunday was a not what
Michigan was looking to accomplish.
"We really didn't improve," coach
Mike McGuire said. "We haven't really
improved in the last month. Some people
have and some people have gone back-
wards. Obviously we're missing some
kids. Our focus has got to be the people
who are in the lineup"
Coach McGuire and the rest of the
team are struggling through a difficult
year plagued by injury. Injuries to runners
such as junior Katie Clifford, senior Julie
Frowd, senior Angie Stanifer, and junior
Erin White have crippled the high expec-

tations of this Michigan squad. The team
has been working to bring their practice
intensity onto the course, but so far they
have been unsuccessful.
"You've got to dig down. You've got to
come to run. Every meet, whether it's a
medium-sized meet or a big meet, home
or away. You just have to have consisten-
cy. We need consistency," McGuire said.
The team was hoping that playing host
at last Sunday's meet would provide the
necessary boost in team spirit. On Oct.
30, the Big Ten Championships will be
run in State College. Over the next two
weeks, this team that had once dreamed
of knocking off Big Ten power Wisconsin
now must apply itself to competing with
the third, fourth, and fifth best teams in
the conference.
"We can still be number two. There are
some teams that we'll have to match up
well against - Minnesota, Michigan
St.ate. Our No. 2 and No. 3 runners will
be able to run with their number two and
three runners. We can do it with the peo-
ple who ran on Sundy, but not by run-
ning the way we did," McGuire said.
They may not have to, if their luck at
the doctor's office doesn't parallel their
luck on the course. Stanifer is expected to
return for Big Tens after struggling with
back problems over the past few weeks.

The better part one s life consist it
his friendships.
"Our team is really close," Matthews
said. "We hang out and enjoy each oth-
ers company. There is a real unity
among us."
The unity does not just include the
athletes, but also their coach.
"Coach Carras is a great guy,,
Matthews said. "We have so much fuA
with him because he relates to us so
well."
Although Carras is quick to praise
his promising player, he is just as quick
to humble him.
"In spite of my comments, I don't
want Andy's head to grow too large *
Carras said. "I want him to keep his hai
size at a seven, not an eight and a half
"In spite of all Andy's accomplish-
ments, we have yet to find that he cas
walk on water."
But if he continues have the spirit of
Lincoln, you can be sure he'll try, ands
be the best at it in the process.
of season
The team is hopeful that Erin White will
be able to fight through stomach prob-
lems and rejoin the team by season's end.
Running at State College is the prima-
ry focus of the team. A second place fin-
ish would put Michigan in position to
qualitv tor the NCAA championship, and
success next week followed again at the
regional championships in three weeks
would put the team where they want to be.
"The course is an honest test of cross
country," McGuire said. "It's not as diffi-
cult as ours, but the last mile is tough. If
you've got a lapse in concentration,4
you're going to lose several places.
"We need all our scorers in the top 20,
which will be harder this year than last'
year."
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14

LOUIS BROWN/Daily
The Michigan women's cross country team can breathe a sigh of relief, because it can steadily practice plenty before Big Ten
Championships on October 30.

....._

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m