The Michigan Daily - SportsTuesday - January 16, 2001- 7B W erM' gobbles up Wendy's foes * Wrestlers perfect on weekend Wrestling records Wgt. Wrestler Record 125 A.J. Grant (4) 19-3 133 Foley Dowd 18-4 141 Clark Forward (18) 17-4 149 Mike Kulczycki (14) 23-3 157 Pat Owen 9-6 165 Charles Martelli (19) 21-6 174 Otto Olson (1) 16-0 184 Andy Hrovat (8) 18-1 197 Joe DeGain (19) 12-6 Hwt Matt Brink (8) 15-2 Star of the Weekend Joe DeGain , 197 Pounds The co-captain rallied from recent struggles to post two victories in Akron. Both of his wins were b fall in less than 90 seconds. By Nathan Linsley Daily Sports Writer Perfection. It is not often that a team can begin a full day of competition and expect to shutout three teams in a row, but that is exactly what happened Sunday for the Michigan wrestling team at the Wendy's Classic Duals in Ashland, Ohio. The Wolverines (7-0) did not surren- der a match in their three duals on the afternoon, defeating Binghamton, 45-0, Marquette, 50-0 and Cleveland State 48-0. All three of the victories saw the Wolverines score bonus points with nine technical falls and five pins total. "It gives us a lot of confidence going into next weekend," said sophomore AJ Grant, noting the National Duals which begin on Saturday in State College. The eighth-ranked Wolverines are riding a wave of confidence with the three victories improving their season dual meet record to a perfect 7-0. Senior co-captains Joe DeGain and Otto Olson led the charge with DeGain winning twice by fall and Olson record- ing three technical falls. Coach Joe McFarland had the oppor- tunity to mix up the lineup a bit with Katsuhiko Sueda (125), Mark Churella (157) and Daniel Seder (149), all com- peting in their first dual meets of the season. The lineup changes are important to build experience and confidence for the backup wrestlers as the Big Ten sched- ule begins on Jan. 26 when the Wolverines face Minnesota, the top- ranked team in the nation. In a grueling sport such as wrestling, the threat of injury makes it necessary for everyone on the team to be ready to step in immediately. "It's good that the other guys got a chance to wrestle," Grant said. "They got their confidence up, because they really wrestled well this weekend." 133-pounder Foley Dowd and 141- pound Clark Forward also won three times for the Wolverines, who took six matches by forfeit. While the competition this weekend was a step below the Big Ten, the team was able to take advantage of the oppor- tunity to refine its moves and sharpen its competitive edge. "You're still working hard because you are working all of your moves," Grant said. "It gives you a chance to work on your whole arsenal." Michigan will need its whole arsenal in the weeks to come with matchups against Minnesota, Iowa and hated rival Michigan State on the horizon. CYCLONE TIES RECORD: Iowa State Junior Cael Sanderson tied one of the most revered records in sports this weekend when he won his 100th-con- secutive match. The streak ties the record set by former Cyclones star and the legendary Iowa coach, Dan Gable. Sanderson is undefeated in his colle- giate career, posting records of 39-0 as a freshman and 40-0 as a sophomore. He is bidding to become the first ever undefeated, four-time NCAA champi- on. A win next weekend at the National Duals would break the record, which Gable set in 1970. . .. Finally Men win tourney for first time in 31 years WINDY HISTORY Windy City Invite results. Preseason rank in parentheses. 2001- First of seven teams (1) Michigan 207.550 (8) Illinois 207.200 (2) Ohio St. 205.400 (6) Iowa 205.150 (12 Minnesota 202.250 DANNY MOLOSHOK/Daly Senior Jennifer Crisman swims the 200-yard backstroke during the Wolverine Invitational. Seniors honored a Mts as t0- s 1ni i- By Adam McQueen DAIly Sports Writer Elusive titles are always the most coveted, and victory is sweetest when it yields a new prize. This was the case for the men's gymnastics squad on Saturday, when it claimed the Windy City Invitational team championship - its first in the event's 31-year history. Michigan justified its preseason No. I ranking by outmustering seven other top-15 opponents for the win. The Wolverines tallied a score of 207.550, good enough to edge No. 8 Illinois (207.200) and No. 2 Ohio State (205.400), who finished sec- ond and third, respectively. Senior tri-captain Tim Dehr and junior Scott Vetere keyed the Michigan victory. Dehr delivered a first-place finish in the parallel bars (8.800) and took second on the pommel horse (9.200). Vetere was equally impressive sharing first-place honors on the still rings (9.150), second on the parallel bars (8.750) and fifth on the high bar (8.800). The meet was marked by an impressive overall team effort. At least two Michigan athletes finished in the top five in four of the meet's six events. Strong showings in the pommel horse, the last event of the night, sealed the title for the Wolverines. Dehr placed second in the event, junior Daniel Diaz-Luong took fourth and senior tri-captain Kevin Roulston was fifth. Roulston was the only Michigan gymnast to compete in the all- around. He finished with a com- bined score of 49.650 - turning in a second place performance in the floor exercise (8.950) and placing fifth on the horse (8.750). Michigan coach Kurt Golder could not have been happier to take home the championship. "We have chased the elusive Windy City title for 31 years," Golder said. "It feels great to finally win." The Wolverines have steadily improved over the past four years at the invitational. A fourth-place fin- ish in 1998 was followed by third in 1999 and second in 2000. Last season Michigan entered the meet as the preseason No. 1, but was defeated by the No. 2 Buckeyes. They came into the meet this year in the same situation but were able to avenge years of disappointment by finally taking home the crown. The Michigan squad showed no sign of its preseason injuries in Chicago. It turned in a top-rate per- formance and avoided any further injuries. "It was our goal to come away healthy and to have a nice, consistent performance," Golder said. "We did both of those things." As a team, the Wolverines won three of the meet's six events - the floor exercise, pommel horse and parallel bars. The second-place finish to Illinois in the still rings, an event Michigan is traditionally very strong in, sur- prised Golder. "The rings are a strong event for us," Golder said. "It was a shock to be beat by Illinois. It was a real wake up call." No. 2 Ohio State received its wake-up call this weekend, finishing third. The Buckeyes will try to rebound when they visit Cliff Keen Arena this Saturday in a head-to-head match-up with the Wolverines. "By beating Ohio State, ranked No. 2, we really put a target on our (10)Michigan St. (14)lllinois-Chicago 2000 -Second of s (2) Ohio St. (1) Michigan (6) Illinois (7) Iowa (15) Minnesota (11) Michigan St. (14) Illinois-Chicago seven teams 225.750 224.900 223.450 221.175 219.325 218.800 217.075 1999 - Third of seven teams (1) Iowa 226.675 (3) Ohio St. 225.000 (9) Michigan 224.050 (6) Illinois 223.400 (12) Michigan St. 223.200 (17) Illinois-Chicago 221.050 (12) Minnesota 216.330 1998 - Fourth of seven teams Iowa 228.050 Illinois 223.800 Ohio St. 222,850 Michigan 220.800 Illinois-Chicago 217.900 Michigan St. 217.300 backs'" Golder said. "It should be real exciting to have the two top teams go at it next weekend." 201.350 196.250 By James Mercier Daily Spoilns Writer The Michigan women's swimming .team couldn't have been faulted if it had been unenthusiastic about the weekend's Wolverine Invitational. After spending the break competing in Hawaii, a return to dreary Ann Arbor weather couldn't have been enticing. In addition, a meet against Illinois - a Big Ten bottom-feeder - couldn't have pro- vided much extra motivation. But on the last home meet of the season and to the careers for the squad's seven seniors, those issues mattered little. Inspired by a ceremony for the senior class prior to the competition, the team came through, defeating the Illini, 182- 156. This came on a weekend in which two swimmers - freshman Samantha Arsenault and senior Jen Arndt - were out with shoulder injuries. "This meet wasn't all that important in the overall picture," Michigan coach Jim Richardson said. "Nobody will remem- ber the results of (the Invitational) two months from now. But we saw.some per- formances that showed that, despite the travel, we're a better team than we were." On Friday, the first night of the Invitational, the Wolverines sprinted out of the gate and never looked back - placing first in four of six events and sweeping both relays. Appropriately en'ough, two seniors-Jennifer Crisman and Missy Sugar -- led the way, taking first and third in the 50-yard freestyle. The duo continued to perform well on Saturday. Crisman won the 100-yard but- terfly, while Sugar captured first in both the 100- and 200-yard freestyle events. "It was nice to end on a good note, Sugar said afterward. "I don't think it's hit me that it's the last home meet. It was strange to go out there and be honored (in the pre-meet ceremony). During my first three years, I got used to watching it hap- pen to someone else." The team was given a cake with the words "We Love Our Seniors" following the competition. The prevailing mood among the team was jovial. The suspen- sions, levied following team violations on the lawaii trip, did not seem to pro- vide a distraction. Three teams - Michigan, Illinois and Notre Dame - took part in the Invitational, but the Wolverines and Fighting Irish did not compete against each other. Each team was scored head- to-head only against Illinois. The event gave a chance for Richardson's team to get an up-close look at Notre Dame, which will host the Wolverines on Jan. 26. Strength program powers 'M' to elite LEADING LADIES The updated Top 25 individual swimming times were recently released. Michigan has top 10 finishes in: By Rohit Bhave Daily Sports Writer While it may not be traditional, Kurt Golder's strength-training program has allowed the once- downtrodden men's gymnastics program to muscle its way into the nation's elite. Beginning at 7:45 a.m., the team staggers into its gym at the Intramural Sports Building, ready to undergo an intense one-hour strength session. Each gymnast works out twice a week in addition to his daily after- noon practices and meet competi- tions. The benefits have been obvious - the Wolverines have dominated in strength-based events like the still rings. But to some, the morn- ing is not kind. "I hate getting up to go to morn- ing strength," senior Kevin Roulston said. "It's still dark out- side and the gym is freezing. But it's a small price to pay to be a part of the nation's premier strength program." Golder has developed his unique techniques since his high-school gymnastics days. The strength program has evolved from Golder's coaching years at Iowa - it is now in its ninth year. "It's a combination of what I did in high school and picking peo- ples' brains," Golder said. "I use my philosophies and a lot of logic." Because gymnastics requires a precise combination of strength, balance and flexibility, the they train entirely on their gym apparatus. "There is nothing better for an Iron Cross (a skill on the rings event), than actually practicing an Iron Cross," Golder said. In addition to shunning the weights, Michigan's program dif- fers in other aspects from its com- petitors. For one, the coaching staff demands that each gymnast per- form a minimum number of repeti- tions, no matter how many sets it takes. Secondly, spotting the gymnast on an exercise is not allowed - only full unassisted repetitions from the gymnast are counted. Many other schools allow the assistance of their athletes on their final repetition, reasoning that it promotes more strength gain by pushing their bodies more. But Golder believes that strength gain must go hand in hand with the gymnast's confidence in himself. He feels that if Scott Vetere is accustomed to being aided on his final handstand pushup, he may not be able to duplicate the skill in a meet when he is severely fatigued. Along with muscular growth, "there is some psychological development that has to happen," Golder said. The last key distinction of the Michigan program is that it sepa- rates strength gain from endurance and conditioning. Athletes perform each set when their muscles are rested and recov- ered from the previous one. As a result, sets are performed Event 200 Freestyle 500 Freestyle 1,000 Freestyle 1,650 Freestyle 200 Backstroke 200 Backstroke 200 Breaststroke 200 Free Relay 800 Free Relay Place 10th 2nd 5th 7th 8th 10th 8th 9th 5th Time 1:48.19 4:42.91 9:52.33 16:34.51 1:59.33 1:59.71 2:14.51 1:33.34 7:23.93 Name Samantha Arsenault Samantha Arsenault Samantha Arsenault Jenay Karlson Lindsay Carlburg Erin Abbey Traci Valasco Team Michigan Team Michigan - 747-9400 1220 S. University Above McDonalds SPRING BREAKERS N® OUS~ hor ivztv QL&' ! --.ow- r~r ~SUPER YANS . - ----- - - - --.-:- - Tanning all semeste One month unlimited, 4 95$39.95 first 200 only+$1 per session C7 I No service fees. Expires 1/21101 C10 I --- -- - - -- - - ------ "''"" - "" "- """" "" J Peace Corps career opportunities await you! BRANDON SEDLOFF/Daily Like many Michigan gymnasts, senior tri-captain Kevin Roulston has improved his still rings routine since adopting Michigan's morning strength program. Business Advisor English Teacher It t. .__'t. T______ stockv. well-buiilt athletes Toman cessflistrength and conditioning CA W m C~ rA