9A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, February 8, 2001 Smth retires from ikings at age 28 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Once again, Robert Smith has eluded his Sursuers. The agent for the 28-year-old run- ning back confirmed yesterday that Smith is retiring after eight seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He is *eaving the NFL at the top of his game - much like a 31-year-old Barry Sanders did before the 1999 season - and at the height of his earning power as an unrestricted free agent. -Smith, who announced his deci- ,.sion in a brief statement Tuesday to The Cleveland Plain Dealer, let his reasons for leaving remain a mys- tery. In the statement, Smith thanked is family and friends, fans and the 'Vikings organization. "I also wanted to thank my team- mates and coaches for believing in me throughout my career," he said. Vikings coach Dennis Green said Smith will be missed. "Robert has always been a guy ,that the National Football League has been able to count on as a shin- ,ng example of quality character off ,he field and 100-percent effort on the field," Green said in a statement. UNLV wants another chance at postseason LAS VEGAS (AP) - UNLV asked the NCAA yesterday to let the universi- ty's basketball team play in the postsea- son this year. After a three-hour presentation *efore the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee in Chicago, UNLV presi- dent Carol Harter said she was hopeful the ban would be rescinded. "I feel we presented a compelling case before the committee and I do $ope they give us very serious consid- 4 ration on this matter," Harter said. 'The NCAA is expected to issue its decision before the Mountain West onference tournament in the first eek in March. UNLV (13-9) is banned by Mountain West Conference rules from playing in the conference tournament, too, because of the NCAA ban. j The postseason ban was part of a four-year probation handed down by the NCAA in December after UNLV was found to have violated rules in the recruiting of Lamar Odom in 1996 and orida State recruiting glass named No. 1 TALAHASSEE (AP) - Florida State is No. 1 - in Recruiting Wars 2001, that is. The Seminoles rebounded from their loss to Oklahoma in the national title dame with a recruiting haul that blew away the competition, Sooners includ- ,ed. Quarterback Joe Mauer, considered by some the nation's No. 1 prospect, is one of several top-100 players who chose FSU. With coach Bobby Bowden calling signals, Florida State signed three high school All-Americans in quarterback Joe Mauer, running back Eric Shelton and linebacker Chauncey Davis yester- day, then rounded out its class of 2005 With three other stars rated among the nation's top 25 players. "It's a slam dunk for Florida State Allen Wallace of Laguna Beach, Calif.- based SuperPrep Magazine said. "They completely dominated the state and that means they completely dominated the nation. Nobody else comes close." Ranked SEC foes challenge tennis Women hold lighthearted practices but expect no southern comfort By Seth Klempner Daily Sports Writer After practice one day this week, Michigan women's tennis coach Bitsy Ritt gathered the players and began to give them instructions of how to play a favorite childhood game of "pickle" or as Jennifer Duprez referred to it as, "stealing bases." LEXINGTON A Whatever the name Who: Michigan (3-0) of the jovial game and Tennessee they played, they when: Tomorrow 4 p laughed and enjoyed Latest: The Wolverin the team atmosphere. measure themselves Not what you teams. would expect from a coach whose team is about to face its first big test and two-match weekend of the season. Do not be confused - the team is well-aware of the task it has at hand this weekend. The Wolverines are going south to face some of the best opponents the SEC has to offer. Kentucky has all eight varsi- Big sae ty players back from a team that finished No. 22 in the nation last year, while Tennessee is presently ranked No. 17. If Michigan is to win, it is going to have to take advantage of the depth that allowed it to win last weekend. The Wolverines got key wins from No. 4 Jennifer Vaughn and No. 5 Kim ND KNOXVILLE vs. Kentucky (2-2) p.m., Sunday noon es travel south to against two top-25 Plaushines, both of whom are undefeated in singles dual play this season. Recognizing situa- tions where they can dictate play are impor- tant objectives for the Wolverines. "When you play you can't play on your opponents, Michigan will need to adjust to the fast pace of the southern courts. "We know the level of play is going to jump up," Ritt said. "And that to com- pete, our level a play will have to also jump up, but that is what makes this challanging and exciting for us." It's crucial for Michigan not to under- estimate the size of this jump. Kentucky is coming off two consecutive loses despite boasting the No. 10 doubles pair in the country, Carolina Mayorga and Sarah Witten. For its part, Tennesse blanked Purdue 7-0 last weekend. "I think we are ready for a challange like this," Michigan senior Szandra Fuzesi said. "We are close and support each other, which is important because everyone is going to have a tough match and we need to fight for every point." Fuzesi played a key role in last week's come-from-behind win over DePaul, winning the deciding match 7-6(3), 6-4, in a weekend where the Wolverines' top two players, Christine Nolan and Kavitha Tipirneni, both lost. good players, heels and wait for them to make a mis- take," Ritt said. "To be a good player you have to step up and take control whether that is using her forehand or going to the net more. " In addition to attaining preparation for a higher level of play than its previous BRANDON SEDLOFF/Oaity Charles Martelli has compiled the second-most wins, with 27, for the third- ranked Michigan wrestling team. Surprising Martelli leads'Minto Indiana for Blue By Nathan Linsley Daily Sports Writer iVegas By Swapnil Patel Daily Sports Writer With hopes of making the United States national gymnastics team, four members of the Michigan men's gymnastics team head to Las Vegas this weekend to compete in the Winter Cup Challenge. Senior tri-captain Tim Dehr, juniors Daniel Diaz-Luong and Brad Kenna and sophomore Kris Zimmerman will battle 100 of the nation's top male gymnasts for the three remaining spots on the U.S. national team. Unfortunately, Michigan's Scott Vetere and Kevin Roulston will not be able to compete as a result of injuries suffered recently. While Vetere will be taking the weekend off to nurse a pulled lateral muscle, Roulston will continue to undergo tests to diagnose his knee injury. Speculation thus far has not been positive, with most believing that Roulston suffered a torn ACL. In contrast to the team-oriented purpose of most meets, this week- end's competition will provide a forum for the male gymnasts to showcase their individual skills in front of their peers. "For me, competing in Vegas has always been an added bonus," Dehr said. "I have always done gymnastics in a team environment. In Vegas I can go out and just worry about myself. My gymnastics has come so far over the last five years that I still have trouble believing that I am at the level where I am now competing against Olympians. "It's always a great experience to go out there and compete against the best of the best." Last year, senior tri-captain Justin Toman and Zimmerman, who were two of six Wolverines to take part in Last weekend, the then-No. 5 Michigan wrestling team opened the eyes of the country by defeating then - No. 3 Iowa in Ann Arbor. This weekend, it will try to keep them open - and keep its three-match Big Ten winning streak alive. The Wolverines will travel to Bloomington to take on No. 22 Indiana on Friday night before returning to Ann Arbor for a meeting with No. 9 Ohio State on Sunday afternoon. Even with the impressive victory last weekend, the BLOOMINGTON team rmainsWho: No. 3 Michiga focused on the possi- Friday, and vs. No.9 bility of securing the When: Friday, 8 p.m second-most single- Latest: Last weeken season dual wins in was a national pow Michigan wrestling seek to maintain tha history. "There has been no let-up in their intensity," coach Joe McFarland said. "So hopefully we can go down there and have a good performance." One of the catalysts for the team's success this season has been 165- pound junior Charles Martelli. Last year, Martelli struggled during the regular season, finishing 2-8 in dual meets while filling in at 174 pounds for the injured Otto Olson. "When I first started at 174, I lost my first five matches," Martelli said. "It was hard to get adjusted." But Martelli ended the season strong, finishing sixth in the gig Ten championships to qualify for the NCAA meet. This season, back at a more natural 165 pounds, Martelli is second on the team in wins, with a 27-9 record, and is ranked No. 8 in the country. Along the way, he has wrestled the top two wrestlers in the country, giving him valuable experience as the season goes on. "The season is going better than I expected, I think," Martelli said. "But there are still a lot of things to work on in the room before Big Tens and nationals." While nine pounds may not seem like a lot, the style of wrestling in-each weight class is different than in other AND ANN ARBOR n at No. 22 Indiana, 9 Ohio State, Sunday . Sunday, 2 p.m. nd, Michigan proved it er. Now, the Wolverines at momentum. classes. M'rtelli noted that while the 174-pounders last season were"just as strong as he was, he now possesses 4-def- inite strength advan- tage at 165. "He's a big, strong it's every man for himself this weekend at the Winter Cup Challenge in Las Vegas. On the line: Spots on the national team. the Winter Cup Challenge, both advanced to the all-around finals. But unlike Toman, Zimmerman failed to qualify for a spot on the national team. Though he is a member of the U.S. national team, Toman is still recover- ing from last season's knee injury and will not compete. Zimmerman, on the other hand, expects to use his Winter Cup experience to his advan- tage in his attempt to qualify for the national team. "I am looking forward to compet- ing," Zimmerman said. "It has been a goal of mine to make the national team for a long time now. "Every opportunity I miss only reinforces that desire." For Daniel Diaz-Luong, the Las Vegas experience will be a new one. Diaz-Luong did not partake in last season's meet due to an ankle injury, but is hyped for a shot at represent- ing the U.S. "Making the national team surely LAS VEGAS Who: The top 100 gymnasts in the nation When: Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday, 7:45 p.m. Latest: In spite of losing Kevin Roulston to injury, the Wolverines still feature four gym nasts in this prestigious, individual meet. is a big dream for many including myself," Diaz-Luong said. "The main goal, for me and my team- mates, is to get out there and hit all our routines." kid," McFarland said. "He- has a lot of power, and he's wrestling well right now. He's hitting a lot of moves and he's attacking well - he's aggressive." This weekend, Martelli may have the most difficult matchups of. any Wolverine. Against Indiana, he faces No. 12 Kevin Stanley. Then .against Ohio State, Martelli will try to-avenge an early-season loss to John Clark. Even with his personal success, Martelli still remains focused- on the improvement of the team. "We're not lingering on that suc- cess,"he said. "We're taking it to heart, and realizing it's a great accomplish- ment, but it's time to get back-to the practice room and look forward to NCAAs." I { r I y I Guaranteed growth never looked so good! Yestelday's results No. 3 Duke 81, CLNSON 64 No. 20 BosTON CouEGE 65, Syracuse 63 ARKANSAS 82, No. 8 Tennessee NC. STATE 90, No. 9 Virginia 80 Ohio State 69, No. 16 IowA 68 M ISSSIPPI STATE 84, No. 17 Alabama 70 No. 18 WISCONSIN 73, Purdue 54 No. 21 0KLAHOMA 80, Texas Tech 72 No. 24 MissssPPi 50, Louisianna St. 33 No. 25 Texas 77, CowAo 72 -CAA women's basketball Yesterday's results No.1 NomE DAME 72, Pittsburgh 58 No. 3 Connecticut 90, VIRGINIA TEcH 38 No. 7 lowA STATE 83, Oklahorna State 54 No. 10 Texas Tech 67, BAYLOR 56 No. 11 Oklahoma 84, NEBRASKA 62 No. 13 RUTGERs 64, Syracuse 53 No.20 Texas 69, TExAs A&M 41 No. 24 Colorado 70, KANSAs 60 NBA Yesterday's results BosrON 94, Milwaukee San Antonio 107, CLEVELAND 89 Houston 112, PHIIADEPHIA 87 NEw YORK 96, Dallas 93 ORLANoo 107, Washington 98 MINNESoTA 117. Sacramento 88 No one knows what the market has in store. Which is why making TIAA's Traditional Annuity a part of your diversified retirement portfolio seems very smart indeed. 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