The Michigan Daily - SportsIhursday -Thursday, January 4, 2001- 76 Fun in the sun for Blue swimmers, Hawaii-style MICHIGAN TRACK HOSTS JACK HARVEY INVITATIONAL SATURDAY, MICHIGAN INDOOR TRACK BUILDING e 'M' running into start of track season ByNaweed Sikora Daily Sports Writer Not many Michigan students can say they 4ke up at 6 a.m. every morning during their winter break and went surfing. But sophornore Erin Abbey of the Michigan women's swimming team did just that. Abbey, along with the rest of' the Wolverines, spent winter break surfing, rdlaxing and swimming in Ilawaii. Although it was in paradise, the trip was not all fun and games. The main focus was an intensive two-week training program that included at least four hours of practice each day. It also included a one-day exhibition meet against Eastern Michigan. *Coach Jim Richardson felt that the time spent Hawaii was very beneficial for the team. ':We went to Hawaii with some specific goals in mind," Richardson said. "We had great train- ing sessions at the pool, and I feel that our fitness level improved significantly" Richardson also saw individual improvements in many of his swimmers. "Andrea Kurrie performed very well in the pool, Lisbeth Gobel swam some excellent sets, 1d Traci Valasco is improving everyday," Wchardson said. Amidst all the practices, the swimmers did find some time to enjoy themselves. Before each morning practice, the team was taught to surf by Eddie, a friend-of Richardson. "I went out the first two mornings and it was fun," Abbey said. "But after I dropped the surf- board on my foot two days in a row, I stopped" After its morning practice, the team had free time to rest, shop or see the sights. "I liked to lay on the beach in the afternoons, but lots of girls visited tourist attractions like .marl Harbor or climbed the Diamondhead, which was a small mountain nearbv" Abbey said. Although they were tired out after their two- hour evening practice, the Wolverines managed to, sample the nightlife. On New Year's Eve, we went out to a couple of the local clubs to dance" Abbey said. "I had a wonderful time." The team also got a great deal accomplished the pool. feel that things went really well for us." cap- tatn. Melissa Sugar said. "We swam a lot of great team sets, and some people had their greatest practices of the season." BCS Continued from Page 113 tunities. Three times in the last five years, the Seminoles lost a bowl game that could have given them a championship. it was a good season, but we were lousy tonight," Bowden said. After the game, Stoops thrust his fist in the air and hugged players and assistants after Oklahoma clinched its seventh national title. "It's easy to say Oklahoma is back!" Stoops said. Surprisingly for two high-scoring offenses; the mistake-filled first half endWd with the Okahoma ahead 3-0 on Duncan's 27-yard field goal 7:44 'M' SWIMMING IN HAWAII "We had an ant problem in our room. We kept calling the hotel to get rid of them, but they never did anything." - swimmer Erin Abbey Despite minor problems, Abbey and the Wolverines enjoyed their two-week Hawaiian practice getaway. A typical day 6 A.M. Each morning, Eddie, a friend of Richardson's, takes the team out for a surf- ing lesson 9 A.M. After the surf, the Wolverines had a two-hour morning practice 12 P.M. Following lunch, the team had six hours of free time. Some of the most popu- lar activities were: - Relaxing on the beach - Local sightseeing (Pearl Harbor) - Shopping at local merchant stores - Climbing the Diamondhead, a small near- by mountain 7 P.M. The Wolverines hold a two-hour evening practice 9 P.M. Although most nights the Wolverines were exhausted, they did sample the nightlife on New Year's Eve, going dancing at a few local clubs Looking ahead to the second half of the sea- son, Sugar feels that the team should perform better in longer events. "We have a lot of yardage under our belts, and our endurance has gotten better' Sugar said. "We should be able to finish strong in longer events in the second half' The second half begins on .an. 12 with the Wolverine Invitational. Richardson feels that the team's biggest chal- lenge will continue to be its consistency. "This team does not have great natural chem- istry," Richardson said. "Our biggest challenge will be finding the chemistry that will allow us to excel in the future." into the game. The opening 30 minutes featured three turnovers, a missed 30-yard field goal by Florida State's Brett Cimorclli - wide right, naturally and eight penalties. Florida State, averaging 42.4 points per game, was shut out in the first half for just the second time this season. Miami led Florida State 17-0 at halftime en route to a 27-24 win over the Seminoles on Oct. 7. In the weeks leading to their game against Florida State, the Sooners were given little chance of winning. "We've been underestimated the whole sea- son"V Williams said before the game. "We're used to it. We're not worried about it. It's motivation.' By Kareem Copeland "aly Sports Witer Today marks the beginning of the end for many Michigan students. Seniors returning to campus are embarking on the end of their col- lege careers. It's their time to knock out those last few electives and cruise to the end of the year. The rest of the student body still has work to do, and the track team is no exception. Saturday will kick off the 2001 indoor track season. The Wolverines host Eastern Michigan, Toledo and the Athenian Track Club at the second annual Jack Harvey Invitational. Previously named the Michigan Invitational, the meet was renamed to honor the former coach who was active with the team -- as an athlete and then coach - for 30 years. The invi- tational will be the second and final meet before the Big Ten season gets under way at Indiana. "We'll see who's walking tall and trained over the break," Michigan coach Ron Warhurst said after practice yesterday. "The meet is a warmup to see where to put people for Indiana." Over break the sprinters took a trip to Florida to practice and should be ready to run. The fea- tured event should be the 3000-meter. Assistant coach and Olympian Kevin Sullivan will be par- ticipating in the event. Distant runners "Mike Wisniewski and Mark Pilia are going to have to be on their toes" Warhurst said. "Pole vaulter Charles DeWildt also should have some competition." The team will be without former football player Justin Fargas, who is expected to transfer fIom the university. Fargas came out of high school rated the No. I running back in the coun- try with eye-opening speed. A lesser-known accomplishment was the fact that he was also the top 100-meter sprinter in California. He was expected to run track in the offseason, following the path of Iowa's Tim Dwight and Wisconsin's Michael Bennett. After breaking his leg late in his freshman season, Fargas took nearly two years off from football to fully recover. In November of 1999 he began working out with the track team, but dropped out to prepare for spring football prac- tice. Looking to regain form this season, Fargas struggled to find playing time behind Anthony Thomas and Chris Perry. A midseason switch to defensive back did little for his playing time. Before the holiday break he announced his plans to transfer closer to home in California. Southern Cal, UCLA and California are all pos- sible destinations "We're going to miss Austin," Warhurst said. Even without the speedster, the squad plans to heat things up this weekend. If nothing else, it will be warm inside the track building as the Wolverines begin what looks to be a -very Spots still up in air for women s track opener By Rhonda Gilmer Daily Sports Writer After months of hibernation, the Michigan women's track team will compete in its season opener. Michigan plays host to the Jack Harvev Invitational, which takes place Saturday. The Wolverines face off in a dual meet against Eastern Michigan with field events starting at 10 a.m., and runnmig events at noon. Serving as the first meet of the season, the invitational will give the Wolverines a chance to get used to the highs and lows of competition. As of yet, the dynamics of the team are undetermined. "It's our first meet of the season," coach James Henry said. "I want to make sure everyone is eligible, in good academic stand- ing and healthy." Until now, the Wolverines have trained long and worked hard to pre- pare for the indoor season. "We've been practicing since September so many of the runners are over anxious and antsy to get out there and .onpete," Henry said. There are some runners who have experienced much more than just training this past season. Having competed during cross-country sea- son, senior Katie Jazwinski should be a strong runner during Saturday's competition. "Jazwinski is someone we expect to contiuuc to shine . Henry said. She also currently leads the distance program, is a two-time All American, and was last year's Big Tem champion for the 3000-meter outdoor event. Sophomore Jane Martineau follows in Jazwinski's foot. steps. "Martineau had an outstanding cross-country season," Henry said. Returning from last year are two sprinters whose strong perfor- mances during track-and-field season. Sophomore Carly Knazze made her mark by becoming the first Wolverine to win the 400-meters out- door. Knazze was also Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Senior Regine Caruthers may also play as a key factor in the Harvey meet. Last year Caruthers showed strength during best the 00-meter dash - placing fourth at Big Tens. Men say goodbye Hawaii, hello Stanford By Mike Bloom Daly Sports \ritcr After bringing in the New Year on beaches and eating coconuts, the Michigan men's swimming team wrapped up its training camp on Hawaii's main island yesterday. But before coach Jon Urbanchek returns his team to the blistering winds and frigid temperatures of Ann Arbor, they will have one more chance to bake in the Pacific sun. This weekend the ninth-ranked Wolverines tour the West Coast with dual meets at No. 3 Stanford and No. 5 California. It will be the last competition before their standard Big Ten schedule, but the annual Stanford-Michigan matchup is as common- place as a road trip to East Lansing. "Stanford has a 12-year arrangement, alter- nating home and away since 1987," said Urbanchek. "Last year Stanford came over here and this year we return the favor." When Michigan hosted No. 1 Texas at Canham Natatorium in November, it was a benchmark to gauge the improvement needed to reach the top. Swimming against consecu- tive top-five teams will be vet another mea- suring stick to how beneficial it was io exchange its Christmas for palm trees. When focusing on this weekend's head to head matchups, the California team's advan- tage lies in shorter distance events -- sprints and relays. "In some events Michigan will fare extremely well. But in the relays, we're going to be inferior," Urbanchek said. "Same thing with Cal-Berkeley. Thev have strength in the sprints but we have strength in the middle- distance and distance so it will ba*ance oua quite a bit." In an attempt to maintain their superiority in longer events, the Wolverines recently received a National Letter of Intent from Brendan Neligan. "Brendan is an awesome distance talen(ind incredible student. "He already won the U.S. Nationals in the 800-meter freestyle and is definitely going to make an immediate impact on the NCAA level," said Urbanchek. Neligan's achievements in the classvoon, may be even greater than what he is done iiin the water. "Ils academics are as attractive as- his swimming abilities," 'aid Urbanchek. "He's the number one high school scholastic All- American, meaning he has the highest GPA. of all high-schooi recruits COOPER Continued from Page 1B "Does there need to be more disci- pline on this football team? Absolutely," Cooper said Tuesday at the facility named after Ohio State coach Woody Hayes. The late Haves is the only Ohio State coach to serve l ager (28 years) and win more games 5-61-10). Cooper disputed the concerns men- tieded by Geiger, saying he could not think of an off-the-field problem that affected his team. Yet in the weeks leading up to the bowl game, team- mates criticized each other, the team MVP showed up late and missed the team's first practice in Tampa and one offensive lineman sued another for *,000 because of a fight on the field 4ist spring. Ohio State will pay Cooper S 1.8 Mjillion to buy out the last three years of his contract, which paid him more than SI million per season. The fall was precipitous for Cooper, ,63, whose teams went 111-43-4 and finished second in the final AP poll in }97 and again in 1999. But Cooper's Buckeyes also strug- g&ed -in big games. Cooper was just 2- 01. against archrival Michigan, and .bowl record was 3-8. Five times in hlis 13 years, the Buckeyes closed out tyeir season with consecutive losses against Michigan and in a bowl game. Ironically, Cooper was hired because a win over Michigan while coaching Arizona State in the 1987 Rose Bowl. Cooper could not lead the Buckeyes to a national title - its last one was in 1968 --- but he came close. "About 95 percent of these people have been great to me," Cooper said. "There's some people in this town that nobody's going to please. Coach Hayes didn't please them and coach Bruce didn't please them. And the next coach is not going to please them." The heat was turned up after a 6-6 season in 1999 in which the Buckeyes closed with three consecutive losses and then failed to make a bowl trip for the first time since-Cooper's first sea- soin. This year, the Buckeyes won their first five games to climb as high as No. 6 before losing four of their last seven. Despite losses to Minnesota and Purdue, Ohio State still had a chance at a share of the Big Ten title in the annu- al regular-season finale against Michigan. But Ohio State blew a 9-0 lead and failed on a 4th-and-I late in the game as Michigan took a 38-26 victory. Geiger said he had no answers for what went wrong with the program. "I wish I could explain it, but there has been a slide, and it's why we're here," he said. 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