The Michigan Daily -- Tuesday, March 20, 2001-i: Crunch time now for Polo Indiana rivalry goes all the way back to the "womb" By J. Brady McColIougi Daily Sports Writer Indiana coach Barry King and the Indiana water polo team are dumbfounded by the CWPA poll, which ranks the 17th-ranked Hoosiers four spots behind No. 13 Michigan - they certainly aren't com- ing to Ann Arbor this weekend to rendezvous with friends. "We take (the rankings) with a good chuckle," King said. "We have some questions every week when we see (the poll). We're going into (the weekend against Michigan) to prove that we're not the 17th-ranked team." On Feb.18, when the first match between Michigan and Indiana ended, the Wolverines found themselves in a place they didn't want to be - tied 4-4. Michigan jumped out to a 3-1 advantage, but the Hoosiers exploded for three unanswered goals to take a 4-3 lead. Freshman Julie Nisbet saved the Wolver- ines from defeat, firing the ball into the net as the clock rolled down on the fourth quarter. But over a month has passed since the rivals have squared off, and the circumstances surrounding this weekend's matches will be much different. Before the first match with the Hoosiers, the Wolverines had just finished playing No. 1 Stanford. "We're not tired now, and we didn't just play Stan- ford two hours ago," Michigan coach Amber Drury- Pinto said. "They got us when we were down after we played a lot of games. They're going to see the true Michigan team this weekend." Not only will the circumstances change this week- end, but this is a much-improved Michigan team that welcomes Indiana and Slippery Rock to Canhamr Natatorium this time around. "Our defense has become much more tenacious," Drury-Pinto said. "They're after the ball a lot more and they're a lot more aggressive on defense." When Michigan returned from its California trip, Drury-Pinto put the Wolverines through a "hell week" unlike anything the players had ever experienced. "We hit it hard again;" Drury-Pinto said. "We were swimming hard, doing lots of weights, wearing weight belts in the pool. We've worked hard. I can't imagine anybody has worked harder than us." Even though Drury-Pinto feels that the Wolverines have made large strides toward where they want to be, she knows the two matches against Indiana this week- end will be a measuring tool of how far they've come. CANHLAM NATAToRIUM Who: No. 13 Michigan hosts No. 17 Indiana and Slippery Rock in Southern Division Tournament When: 3 p.m. Saturday, Noon Sunday Latest: Michigan needs to perform well this weekend to clinch the No.1 seed in the Southern Division championships. Improvement "is hard to measure," Drury-Pinto said. "The measure will be playing a team we haven't played in six weeks." Seeding in the upcoming Southern Division cham- pionships will depend on the results of the weekend. What makes the matches between Michigan and Indi- ana so exciting is the intense rivalry that has devel- oped between the only Big Ten varsity programs. "Whenever you play a team every year and the score is that close, you start to get a bitter taste in your mouth captain Delia Sonda said. "When you start playing a team many times, you know what they're going to do, and they know what you're going to do." Making this rivalry even more intriguing is the fact that many of the IHoosiers and Wolverines are very familiar with each other as competitors and friends. "A lot of girls on the Indiana team we actually know because they either went to our high school or our archrival, and a lot of us chose between Indiana and Michigan," said junior utility Mandi Hagedorn, who attended Huron High School. "Both groups have a number of girls who have known each other since the womb basically," King said. "RCUANQ'I NN Abb Rowe and the Wolverines look to slide past their lone Big Ten rival, Indiana tomor * Change of season brin gs women's track outdoors I MIKE LO:N(.; TRACK What: The Florida State University Relays Latest The FSU Relays marks the start of the Michigan women's outdoor season. Men's track goes Aztec .3 .. ". By Rhonda Gker Daily Sports Writer Cool temperatures and a ground still laced with trickles of snow are not ideal for the beginning of the outdoor track season. But the Michigan women's track and field team has to make a transition into a new season. Last week, the Wolverines started practicing outdoors again for their first meet. Today they will be in Tallahassee for the Florida Relays. "We're more prepared than the first meet of the indoor season," Michigan coach James Henry said. "Our goal is to take pressure off individuals and give them the chance to run in relays, given the good weather outdoors." During this two-day meet the team will gauge its fitness against other teams. Coming off a break from Big Tens, the Wolverines should be able to ease back into competition after this non- scoring meet. "It's been four weeks since they've compet- ed," assistant coach Mike McGuire said. "We're excited about getting started - we're making a little bit of a transition from a small 200-meter indoor track to going outside." Unique to outdoor season, some athletes are able to compete in field events which were not present during the indoor season. Discus, javelin and hammer are three events which the Wolverines will put contenders in for the first time. "In these events we'll be placing a mixture of veterans and new people," Henry said. "It's their chance to start the season. Although it's the third season overall it's the first season for them." Relays make up the majority of events at the meet. The 4x 100-meter relay is an added bonus to the fast-paced stimulus of track and field events. "It's a perfect meet to start out the season," McGuire said. "We'll have the opportunity to get some relays in. Most of our top and middle- distance runners will compete in relays." For the outdoor season, a more complete itinerary of relays are run, including the 4x 100- meter relay up through the 4x1,500-meter relay. Due to space limitations, in the indoor season only certain relays are run, including the 4x200-meter, 4x400-meter, and 4x800-meter events. Introducing longer relays could present a challenge to distance runners. With events such as the 4x1,500-meter relay, stamina is key. For this type of event careful preparation is required and proper conditioning shows up in these extensive runs. Also since the time span is longer, runners have to be smart and pace themselves through- out the race. Two Wolverines will represent Michigan for the distance portion of this meet. "Katie Jazwinski and Lisa Ouellet will just be running relays," McGuire said. "We've been down there the last three years previously and have always done well." By Shawn Kamp Daily Sports Writer It's home, sweet home for Ike Okenwa. The junior sprinter will travel with eight other members of the Michigan men's track team this weekend to Okenwa's home city of San Diego, for the Aztec Invitational. Okenwa, who recently competed in the indoor track NCAA Championships for the 200-meter dash, looks forward to competing in the familiar conditions he had as a high school athlete. "My first year (at Michigan) I had my hat, gloves and winter coat out in November," Oken- wa said. "After a while you just get used to it - you don't go outside unless you have to."' But staying inside throughout the Michigan winter is detrimental to some athletes. Assistant coach Fred LaPlante said javelin thrower Andy Derr can practice throwing steady javelins into a net while indoors, but the simula- tion takes time to adjust once outdoors. "It's the same thing with the 400-meter hur- dles;" LaPlante said. "We've been doing some drills (indoors), but they'll be a bit rusty." Derek Applewhite, who is coming off of an injury from the indoor season, will join ran- mates Josh Sellers and Andrew Oaks in the ,QQ- meter hurdles, while Chris Yee, Anthony BYl; Tony Wishart, Ravi Smith and Okenwa wilJl compete in the 200- and 400-meter dashes. Der is the Wolverines' lone representative inthe javelin. LaPlante said the meet is more like a workut for Michigan than a competition. "Training wise, we're on par with any -tl team - competition wise is where we're ruq " LaPlante said. While back in familiar territory, Okenwfa4so hopes to provide an example for high scbool recruits in the area. "I'm just showing these younger guys frp San Diego that you can survive in the Arp' Okenwa said. SI)SU STowrs DrE What: Aztec Invitational Latest: The men's outdoor track team kicks off their sea- son at this weekend's Aztec Invitational in San Diego. . Senior co-captain Andy Derr will lead the Wolverines in the javelin, while junior Ike Okenwa heads the sprints. M' nine opens Big Ten season in Iowa The Michigan baseball team opens its Big Ten season this weekend, but at a MAC field. With Iowa's Duane Banks Stadium retidered unplayable due to snow stbrms, the Wolverines (7-8) and Hawkeyes (8-5) called around the Midwest frantically looking for a place to play. With promising fore- casts in DeKalb, Ill. and the Huskies out of town, Northern Illinois was chosen as the battle grounds for the competition. The teams play a four- game series with a double-header on Saturday. Once it became apparent that Iowa, who cancelled its home opener, could not host the series, Michigan coach Geoff Zahn tried to take advantage by making the series home games. Iowa coach Scott Broghamer ini- tially agreed, but predictions for a chance of snow this weekend in Ann Arbor made both coaches decide against playing in Ann Arbor. "Now they've upgraded the weather report a little bit," Zahn said after Wednesday's win over St. Joseph's. "I told (Broghamer) this morning if it doesn't work out in Northern Illinois, we could certainly come here. He said, 'Well, I think we'll work it out in Northern Illinois.' " Benjamin Singer SOFTBALL Continued from Page 10 been on the bad end of it. "This is a team who has had some great cuts that don't turn into hits on the scoreboard because the other team catches them," Hutchins said. "We've had our share of luck that goes against us but I'm a big believer that over the course of the long hall you get 50 percent of the breaks. "I tell them don't worry about win- ning or losing, if they stay focused on the ball the consequences will turn out the way you want them to. Michigan can't control chance, but they can improve physically and mentally. " "We feel we can get better in an area of simply responding to adversi- ty and rising to the occasion, which is very difficult to practice," Hutchins said. This week the coach is making her team deal with tough situations and practice. She called her practices very difficult in the hope that when the team does meet the challenges, they learn a lot from them. "We have everything in front of us and we're very capable of winning the Big Ten," Hutchins said. "That's what we're all about." In order for Michigan to reach these expectations, they'll have to rely on standout catcher Kim Bugel and Melissa Taylor to keep up their outstanding efforts. Taylor is hitting over .400 and I'm really thrilled with Bugel." v LOWEST PRICES! H HIGHEST QUALITY! * FASTESTSERVWCE! * 1002 PONTIAC TR. U * 994-1367 F ® _ " tr ( -1 I\ L 1 \./ \ J 1 L L 1. 1 1 V V, V /-1 / . V a Y On M . r 11 m Medication free women suffering from depression between the ages of 18-48 are needed for treatment as part of a research project studying brain chemistry. Free medication and psychiatric visits-as well as possible compensation of up to $400. For more information call 936-8726. I . a Women's tennis eyeing .500 record 'The Michigan women's tennis team is at a cross roads at its season. After starting off the season on a 3-0 tear * and gaining confidence, the Wolver- ines fell into a slump which they have since removed themselves from - winning their last two matches. Michigan will head north this week- end to play Wisconsin (3-8) and Min- nesota (7-3). If the Wolverines swept their week- end matches they would improve their record to above .500 for the first time *since beginning their Big Ten season on February 24. They would also improve their Big Ten record to .500 with two of the top three Big Ten teams already behind them in the schedule, Men's golf tries to Two of Michigan's finest golfers dur- ing the 1999-2000 season, recent gradu- ates Michael Harris and Mike Affeldt 'took a break from their post-college lives to attend last weekend's El Diablo Intercollegiate Tournament in Citrus Springs, Fla. They could not have been too impressed with what they saw as Michigan finished 20th of 24 teams. Bolstered by Harris and Affeldt, the 'Wolverines qualified for the NCAA Cen- tral Regional Championships a season ago. If they don't improve on last week- end's outcome, they will not return to the *regional tournament this season. "This was a disappointment," Michi- gan coach Jim Carras said. "We now have an uphill battle if we want to go to the regional championships. In order to qualify for the regional tournament, Michigan needs to finish Michigan has played well as of late, getting key wins in singles and show- ing improvement in doubles and improved its ranking to No. 62 in the nation. Michigan has also been strength- ened by the return of Jen Duprez, who has won both her dual matches since returning from an off-season injury. The only remaining injury that Michi- gan still has is Kim Plaushines who has been labeled day-to-day for the weekend. Despite its 3-8 record Wisconsin holds a No. 75 ranking due to it play- ing many top ranked opponents while Minnesota, in spite of its outstanding record is No. 60. - Seth Klempner stay In the hunt the regular season among the top six teams in district IV Going into El Dia- blo, the Wolverines held the sixth spot in the district, but when the new rank- ings come out they could slip to eighth. "We need to be more consistent," Carras said. "I've never seen us missing so many three- and four-foot putts. We are better than that." The one bright spot this weekend was the play of junior Andy Matthews, who finished 13th in a field of 120 golfers. Michigan faced uncontrollable fac- tors such as weather and travel sched- ules. But Carras knows that adversity is part of the sport. "There is no question that the key to golf is mental toughness," Carras said. "You have to be resilient and accept failing as a challenge, not as a defeat.' - Jeb Singer 1 fi u aM I.-