The Michigan Daily - Thursday, November 30, 2000 - 9A 'M' nine picks tri- captains for 2001 The Michigan baseball team named its captains for the 2001 baseball season yesterday, selecting pitchers Bryce Ralston and Nick Alexander and infield- er Scott Tousa to lead the team. Ralston missed the entire 2000 sea- son, recovering from Tommy John urgery. In 1999, Ralston was consid- ered the ace of Michigan's rotation, recording an 8-1 record with a 3.54 ERA. Alexander was 4-2 during the 2000 season, leading the team with a 3.10 ERA. Tousa is Michigan's top returning hitter, batting .335 last season. - Staf'reports SPORITS BRIEFS . Pac-1O threatens . leave BCS LOS ANGELES (AP)--The Pac-10 monference could withdraw from the -Rwl Championship Series if No. 5 Oregon State isn't picked for the Fiesta -pwl, which is preparing for Sunday's jection of teams. 2No. 2 Miami and No. I 1 Notre Dame oVe the leading teams for the Fiesta 4owl. Oregon State (10-1), whose only loss was by three points at Pac-10 champion Washington, could lose out on the big payoff of a BCS bowl. Relegating the Beavers to the Holiday Bowl would cost the Pac-lO, which shares bowl revenues, about $4 million. The Pac-10 contract to take part in the BCS expires in 2006. "The Pac-10 may be better off going back to the Rose Bowl and forgetting he rest," Hansen said. "I wouldn't want o continually subject our teams to the anticipation of being selected and fairly considered when it just doesn't hap- pen." OThe Rose Bowl is in the BCS rotation to have a No. 1-2 game once every four years. But the No. 2 team in the Pac-10 has regularly been shut out of the other premier bowls in the BCS. Arizona was the only at-large selection for a major bowl in recent years, going G the 1994 Fiesta Bowl. Carruth allegedly admitted murder plot -CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - As his JV'Cgnant girlfliend lay wounded, Rae C, arruth confessed to planning her stiooting and said he wished she would die, a former girlfriend testified vester- day. "He said, 'I can't get in trouble, can because I didn't actually pull the trig- ;er?" Candace Smith said. Smith told jurors that the former NFL receiver also told her that he paid men involved in the shooting over time to -avoid raising suspicions and that he "saw the guys pull up and shoot into her car." Carruth is charged with first- legree murder in the Nov. 16, 1999, shooting of Cherica Adams. ACC/Big Ten Challenge ACC wins 5-4 Yesterday's games Purdue 79 No. 21 Virginia 98 No. 6 North Carolina 64 No. 3 Michigan State 77 No. 14 Maryland 75 No. 23 Wisconsin 78 (OT) Penn State 76 North Carolina State 84 Minnesota 76 Florida State 71 Tuesday's games No. 12 Wake Forest 71 Michigan 60 Northwestern 44 Clemson 57 No. 8 Illinois 77 No. 1 Duke 78 Georgia Tech 67 Iowa 85 State wins N.C. rematch EAST LANSING (AP) - The third-ranked Spartans beat No. 6 North Carolina 77-64 yesterday in an ACC/Big Ten Challenge game. The Tar Heels failed to avenge their 86-76 loss to Michigan State in last year's Challenge. Jason Richardson led Michigan State (4-0Y with 16 points, while Andre Hutson had 14 points and nine rebounds. Charlie Bell added 15 points as part of the Spartans' bal- anced attack. Kris Lang prevented North Carolina (3-1) from being routed by scoring a carcer-high 22 points on 1 l-of-16 shooting. Michigan State extended the nation's longest winning streak to 15 games and won its 32nd straight home game, second only to Utah's 54. The Spartans went on a 14-2 run late in the first half and never relin- quished the momentum. The sixth-ranked Tar Heels were the highest-ranked nonconference opponent ever to visit the Breslin Center. Arndt fights through harrowing comeback By Steve Jackson Daily Sports Writer Jennifer Arndt exits the pool and heads to the lock- erroom so trainers can cover her shoulders with two large bags of ice. This routine serves as a daily reminder of what the fifth-vear senior has been through. Last year's co-captain of the women's swim- ming team suffered from shoulder problems that ended her 2000 season before it really started. She went under the knife in August of 1999. Under the care of Dr. Pat McKenzie - surgeon for t a friend of the Arndt fami THIS WEEKEND . AUSTIN, TEXAS What: 2000 Texas Invitational When: 6 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday, and 3 p.m. on Sunday Latest: The team will split - four of the remain- ing swimmers will join the diving team for an invita- tional in Ypsilanti. lhe Green Bay Packers and lv - Arndt underwent an intensive rehabilitation program that included two- hour workouts each day. After four months, she was back training in the pool. The average person would require a full year after the surgery to recover. "It felt so good to get back in the pool and wear that M' again," said Arndt, who will next enter the pool this weekend with a group of Michigan swimmers at the Texas invitational. Michigan coach Jim Richardson "and all the girls have been so supportive," Arndt said. "I couldn't be here without them." Arndt considers her first home meet after the injury, an October meet against Iowa and Wisconsin, as one of her all-time favorite swimming moments. Not only did the backstroker return to action, but she also came close to her personal best in her very first race back. "I looked up and saw my parents and then my time. I started crying. It was all so emotional. I was a mess," Arndt said. "The whole process of getting back was so mentally draining. That moment made all the work worthwhile." Despite the daily ice packs, Arndt claims that her shoulder "feels good most of the time." This season will be a long one, but Arndt is dedicated to finishing strong. When she leaves Michigan, Arndt hopes to find a job in athletic administration. She currently helps to coordinate the Student Athlete Leadership Forum. "The forum brings student-athletes from atl the programs together to talk about the special issues that they face at Michigan," Arndt said. "It gives the administration and athletes a chane to discuss things like scheduling and facilities." A water-skiing and snow-skiing enthusiast, Amrtt is also one of the biggest Packer fans one will everncet. Everyone was quick to ask her about the Packers- Panthers Monday Night game at practice. "My boyfriend is coming with me to watch' the Lions game at Lambeau in a few weeks. I'm working on getting him to wear a Cheese I lead," Arndt said. j~ " i HOCKEY Continued from Page 8A impressive when considering some of the teams Michigan has already played. "If you look at how we've played in the tough games so far, we're right there," Berenson said. "We played North Dakota, we played Michigan State, Minnesota, Wisconsin -- all these teams have been No. I or close to it" Michigan is 2-1-1 in those "big games." The Wolverines tied North Dakota 5-5 and lost to Michigan State 1-0 in a game in which they heftily outplayed the Spartans. On the other side of the equation, Michigan is 6-3 in the conference. Besides the loss to Michigan State, the Wolverines have also fallen to Ferris State and Alaska-Fairbanks -- two teams picked to finish in the bot- tom third of the 12-team CCHA this season. "It's unacceptable. We shouldn't be doing that," Michigan captain Geoff Koch said. This year, the CCHIA has just one automatic bid to the NCAA tourna- ment, compared to the two the league has been granted in the past. While there is little question that at least one more team from the confer- ence will find its way into the 12- team field with an at-large bid, the best bet is to succeed in the confer- ence and remove all doubt. To do that, the Wolverines have to get in gear for the rest of the confer- ence season. "We couid be in fifth place before Christmas if we don't have a good weekend," Berenson said. Biggest meet' next for men s swimming By Mike Bloom Dal Sprts Writer JEFF HURVITZ/Daiyv Michigan is taking care to ensure it doesn't make any more special moments for bottom-feeders. Gfames against nonconfercice fces - particularly ranked opponents - do help teams secure at-large bids. But if Michigan had lost to Minnesota this weekend in the team's "big game," it would have done far less damage than the losses to Ferris State and Alaska-Fairbanks. "Every game is a huge game," sophomore Mike C'ammalleri said. "At the end of the season, the smaller games cost the most. You need to win every game that you possibly can. We haven't won gaiiies that we have to win, and are supposed to win, and that bothers us." For the men's swimming team, this weekend's trip down south to Austin is a chance for revenge. Two weeks ago, Michigan hosted Texas at Canham Natatorium, only to fall 15 points short in a meet where the victor was never in doubt. Now it's Texas' turn to reciprocate the hospitality, as No. 9 Michigan flies south to compete in the Texas Invitational. It's appropriate that a tournament hosted by the nation's top team includes the most selective guest list of the year. Eight of the 25 ranked teams will make the trip to the Lone Star State, including No. 4 Arizona and No. 5 Cal. Over the weekend, 10 participants of the Sydney Olympics will grace the water, includ- ing Michigan's own Chris Thompson. "Other than the NCAAs, this is the biggest meet for the collegiate season," Michigan coach Jon Urbanchek said. The teams "are going to use this meet to make the cuts to get into the NCAAs." While virtually all teams attending will use the times obtained in this tour- nament to qualify, Michigan will be using their Big Ten championship times for qualification. With a spot in the postseason at stake for the iajority of swimmers, one caii expect those with any NCAA hopes to be focused and well-prepared. "They are going to shave and taper trying -to make the NCAA cuts," THIS WEEKEND AUSTIN, TEXAS What: 2000 Texas tnvitational When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday Latest: No. 9 Michigan travels to Austir to face the top-ranked Longhorns. Eight ranked teams will compete. Urbanchek said. "If you make the cut, then you get to go to the meet. If not, yuwatch it on T.V The strategy of tapering al be thought of in terms of a bicycle race. As the race progresses, the cyclist spends more and more energy. Tapering.is.ike cutting back by cruising downta hill. When the cyclist reaches the bottom of the hill he is refreshed and rejuvenated - ready to shoot out into a sprint. This is how the other team's swim- mers have trained, for this weekend. Each practice has been increasingly longer and more difficult until *a few days before the competition. By the tiiie the starting gun sounds, their bodies will be invigorated. Michigan will not enter the weekend with similiar preparation because of a number of ailments. Senior. Tim Siciliano's nagging shoulder injury and sophomore Garret Mangieri's dual car infections will prevent the team from being prepared to make a -rurn at NCAA-qualifying times. As unusual as it may sound coming from a coach, Urbanchek said "Michigan will not be fully prepared for the competition." .44 The University of Michigan museum of art .. ,k. ., ' 9 4 n 4 ' n5 +N '- 4 ,44 _ d 9 z .4