The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - November 27, 2000 - 7B
The 2000-0 1
Michigan wrestlers
A.J. Grant 125 pounds
Clarkston
1999-2000 record: 19-23
Big Ten finish: Fifth
Grant was the fifth-ranked 125-pound
rookie last season after qualifying for
the NCAA tournament.
Backup: Chris Rodrigues
Foley Dowd 133 pounds
Howell, N.J.
1999-2000 record: 6-1
Big Ten finish: N/A
A redshirt freshman, Dowd has shown
promise in the preseason, compiling
an 8-1 record.
Backup: None
Clark Forward 141 pounds
Archbold, Ohio
1999-2000 record: 18-3
Big Ten finish: N/A
An extremely aggressive wrestler,
Forward won the Eastern Michigan
Open in his bid to follow Damion Logan.
Backup: Jeremiah Tobias
Mike Kulczycki 149 pounds
North Royalton, Ohio
1999-2000 record: 17-7
Big Ten finish: Third
After a third-place finish as a freshman,
Kulczycki is one of the most promising
young wrestlers in the Big Ten.
Backup: Dan Seder
Pat Owen 157 pounds
olson, Mont.
999-2000 record: 19-5
Big Ten/NCAA finish: N/A
A questionable slot for the Wolverines.
Owen will start but has many team-
mates competing for the job.
Backups: Ryan Bertin, Tony Holifield
Wrestlers determined to
avoid late-season fade
'-
SEASON PREVIEW
By Nathan Linsley
Daily Sports Writer
Last season, Joe McFarland was a first-
year coach who watched his team fade at the,
end of the season, finishing 13th in NCAAs
when they were ranked No. 8 in the county.
With a summer of work and a year to fur-
ther instill his system, expectations are high
for the Wolverines.
With heavy reliance on young but aggres-
sive wrestlers, the Wolveines hope to use
their energetic, dominating style to contend
for a conference championship with power-
houses Iowa and Minnesota.
"That's the way the Michigan style of
wrestling is - in-your-face, every time, and
give 100 percent," said senior 174-pounder
Otto Olson.
Olson returns from injury last season
with national title hopes, buoyed by a pre-
season No. I national ranking. Heavyweight
Matt Brink is ranked third in the nation fol-
lowing his eighth-place finish at NCAAs
last season.
The ,p finishers from last season have
both dqperted - 133-pounder Joe Warren
and 144-pounder Damien Logan. Warren
was third and Logan sixth at NCAAs.
Olson may be the star of the team, but he
is certaiily not the only leader. Senior Joe
Degain and Brink, a junior have all begun the
season sytrong and assumed leadership roles.
"I thikok we're pretty cohesive and we all
feed off'e ch other, not particularly one guy"
Degain said.
Thougth the upperclassmen will provide an
example sand steady performances, the fate of
the teanr. will most likely rest in its trio of
young lg4htweights.
Sophomnore A.J. Grant had and up-and-
down season, but finished strong and quali-
ficd for nationals as a fieshman at 125.
Redshirt freshmen Foley Dowd (133) and
Clark Forward (141) will need to fill the
shoes of tIe two departed All-Americans.
Thus far, the three have been dependable,
compiling a 25-3 combined record in the pre-
saa:
NORMAN NG/0Ndy
157-pounder Mark Churella controls Tony Holifield at the Maize and Blue Intrasquad scrimmage
this past Wednesday at Cliff 'een Arena. The wrestlers begin their official season this weekend.
season. If they can maintain the level of
intensity of the upperclassmen for the entire
season, this year will be rewarding.
McFarland acknowledged that youngsters
must follow the example set by their elders.
"They see (that intensity) when we're in
the practice room," McFarland said. "That's
very important because it does rub off on the
other guys."
The team has been strong at its two unat-
tached meets, winning 8-of-10 weight class-
'es at the Eastern Michigan Open and four
classes at the Michigan State Open.
McFarland is redshirting one of his top
wrestlers - 184-pounder Andy Hrovat, who
was third in the Big Ten last season and won
his only preseason tournament.
Freshman Ryan Bertin will also redshirt,
despite his strong preseason at 157 pounds
Though they must wait to see if they cdn
improve on their finish last season, the team
can be sure that with the fiery leadership of
the upperclassmen, there will be no fade at
the end of McFarland's second campaign.
One
MAT MATTERS
2000-2001 SCHEDULE
Date
Dec. 1-2
Fri. Dec. 8
Sat. Dec. 9
Fri. Jan 5
Sun. Jan 7
Sun. Jan 14
Jan. 20-21
Fri. Jan. 26
Sun. Jan. 28
Fri. Feb. 2,
Sat. Feb. 3
Fri. Feb. 9
Sun. Feb. 11
Fri. Feb. 16
Sun. Feb. 18
March 3-4
March 15-17
Event
Cliff Keen Invitational
Michigan State
Central Michigan
Lehigh
Pennsylvania
Wendy's Classic
National Duals
Minnesota
Michigan State
Iowa
Wisconsin
Indiana
Ohio State
Penn State
Northwestern
Big Ten Championships
NCAA Championships
Site
Stateline, Nev.
Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor
Bethlehem, Pa.
Philadelphia
Ashland, Ohio
State College
Minneapolis
East Lansing
Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor
Bloomington
Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor
Evanston
Evanston
Iowa City
Charles Martelli
Naperville, Ill.
1999-2000 record: 5-12
Big Ten finish: N/A
165 pounds
Another class where
need o improve, Mar
from 174 to help this
Backup: Jason Rawls
Otto Olson 174 pounds
Everett, Wash.
E999-2000 record: 21-2
Big Ten finish: N/A
Ranked No. 1 in the nation, Olson
missed much of last season due to injury
after an All-American sophomore season.
Backup: Landon Greene
Kyle Smith
Butte, Mont.
1999-2000 record: 6-
Big Ten finish: N/A
Smith will fill in for Ar
redshirt after finishin
Ten last year.
Backup: None
the Wolverines
rtelli dropped
s season.
s
5
184 pounds
4
ndy Hrovat, who will
g third in the Big
HOW TO WATCH A WRESTLING MATCH:
DUAL MEETS
Each team pits one wrestler of each weight class
against the other team.
10 Weight classes: 125, 133, 141, 149, 157, 165,
174, 184, 197, and Heavyweight (184-285 lbs.). A
random draw before a dual meet determines order
of matches.
The match: First period, three minutes - second
and third periods, two minutes. If score is tied,
wrestlers will compete in a two minute overtime
and, if necessary, a 30-second sudden-death period.
HOW TO SCORE DUAL MEET POINTS:
Fall (6 team points): Wrestler pins opponent.
Technical fall (5 points): Occurs when a wrestler
has earned and been awarded a 15 point advantage
over his opponent.
Major decision (4 points): A wrestler leads by eight
or more points at the end of a match.
Minor decision (3 points): A wrestler leads by less
than eight points at the end of a match.
POINTS IN A MATCH:
Takedown (2 points): A wrestler takes his opponent
to the mat from the neutral position.
Reverse (2 points): The wrestler on the bottom
takes control and becomes the wrestler on top.
Escape (1 point): The bottom wrestler eludes the
grasp of his opponent.
Near fall (3 points): A wrestler exposes his oppo-
nent's back to the mat for at least three seconds
without pinning him.
Predicament (2 points): A wrestler exposes his
opponent's back to the mat for less than two sec-
onds without pinning him.
Stalling (1 point): A wrestler is accused by the ref-
eree of wasting time in attempt to avoid giving up
points.
"
De1win proves
to be enough
By Albert Kim
B~ally Sports WnVtcr
Saturday night was a night that reflected the entire season
for the Michigan volleyballjteam. In a roller-coaster season
that has hfd more than its share of highs and lows, the
Wolverines went through another emotional high and low as
they defead Northwestern but bid goodbye to the seniors in
their final miatch at Cliff Keen Arena.
"I think we've covered just about every emotion today,"
senior Shawna Olson said. "It was sad and exciting all at once.
We won, but it's a sense of loss.
Michigan took care of Northwestern for the 12th straight
time, 3-1 (15-10, 13-15, 15-3, 15-5), and it was the seniors,
Olson, Cobey Shoji, Alija Pittenger, Joanna Fielder and Sarah
Behnke, who came through. After dropping the second game
due to a plethora of unforced errors, the seniors came out and
dominated the next two games. Nothing was said in the inter-
mission aflir the second game, but there was a feeling among
the seniors that something lad to be done.
"We didn't talk about it, ut just knowing that it was our last
game was enough to make us play better," senior Joanna
Fielder said.
Led by timnely blocks arid kills by the three front-line seniors
Behnke, Pittenger and Filder, the Wolverines jumped out to
early leads in both the third and fourth games and never looked
back. Every time the teap needed a boost, the seniors came
through.
It was only fitting that the original class of Fielder, Olson,
Behnke, and Pittenger were on the floor at the end of the
match. It was a testament to what these seniors meant to this
program.
"This group was a group that really adjusted to us (the
coaches) when we came in," Michigan coach Mark Rosen
said. "We changed a lot, but they all accepted the changes and
really helped make this program better."
MIcHAEL HYNES/Daily
One victory was enough to get the Michigan volleyball
team into the NCAA Tournament. -
In her last regular-season match, Behnke, with a 22-kiW
formance, wrote her name into the record books, moving
a tie for second place on the all-time career kills list. Pitte
not to be outdone, moved into fifth in all-time digs.
"I wanted to do whatever it took for us to win," Behnke sai
But the season isn't over quite yet. Despite a loss to N
Wisconsin on Friday, the win against Northwestern nr qd
their record to 8-12 in the Big Ten, and 18-13 overall. Thy
moved into sole possession of seventh in the Big Ten
arguably the best volleyball conference in the nation and
that proved to be enough for them to get invited to the NCAA
Tournament. And there's no doubt they're ready.
"I'm pretty confident of our chances with the lineup "t
tonight," Fielder said.
For now, all anyone can do is wait and see. For the Wolvernnes,
they just hope that there are a couple more highs in store.
I -
Joe Degain 197 pounds
White Lake
999-2000 record: 14-19
Big Ten/NCAA finish: N/A
Degain is a fifth-year senior who will
be looked to for leadership as well as
results. He is 7-1 this season. ; .
Backup: Kyle Smith
Matt Brink Heavyweight
Muskegon
1999-2000 record: 27-14
Big Ten finish: Fifth
The lone returning NCAA finisher, Brink
$ is the No. 3 heavyweight in the country,
and has won both tournaments this year.
Backup: Aaron Walter
-.
REC
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The University of Michigan
Department of Recreational Sports
INTRAMURAL SPORTS PROGRAM
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