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bZ Lrbigan &tilg
TUESDAY
APRIL 17, 2001
lB
ust around
the corner
CHRIS
DUPREY
Baseball and football
MARJORIE MARSHALL/Daily
Sophomore quarterback John Navarre hopes that the Michigan football squad will become his team to guide come September.
Long-awaited returns expected for Varsity
firsts
One Novemb
was six yea
home from
prise" in his briefca
two tickets to the u
Michigan football
nesota and asked if
I had never been
dium before - I cc
you whether Ann A
away from our Nov
but I knew the ticks
An afternoon with
could have him allI
brother, then a two-
demanded quite a b
this would be just u
Game day came,
was close to zero d
the way. Quickly th
into a survival miss
day of relaxation.
Breaks between4
were spent underne
the concession stan
chocolate, not to dr
our hands. Dad talk
long as possible be
heading to the car.
But I didn't want
Sure, the game was
wasn't the real reas
Going to the car be
over meant a return
return to routine, th
short. I wanted it to
sible, just me and n
With some coaxi
the finish. A determ
led the Gophers do
and Chip Lohmille
mid-range field goa
time wound down.'
and filed out, depre
thankful for salvati
Twelve years lat
1985 Michigan-Mi
one my father and]
Wolverines a shot a
pionship. We had b
the time.
I had never know
of my first Michiga
until I arrived on ca
because I wasn't th
that day; I was ther
my dad. He wouldn
heading home mid
ond half, but I thin]
importance of the a
stayed all 60 minut
Perhaps a year la
were out in the yari
courtesy of Dad
er evening when I for my first season of Little League.
rs old, my dad came We were tossing a tennis ball back and
work with "a sur- forth, dad providing occasional instruc-
ase. He pulled out tion on what to do.
pcoming Saturday's I was doing just fine catching the
game against Min- low ball, where I could cup my mitt
I'd like to go. and bring it in basket-style. When the
to a game at the sta- ball was thrown higher, I was baffled.
ouldn't have told Instincts kept telling me to continue
krbor was 30 miles catching it the way I had been before,
i home or 100 - lifting my wrist up to my eyes to catch
ets meant one thing: the ball underhanded. It felt extremely
my father, where I awkward, but I knew no other way.
to myself My "No, Chris, my dad said gently yet
-year old toddler, with a purpose, demonstrating.
bit of attention and "You've got to get your glove up, or
is. you're going to get hurt."
,and the weather He threw another one shoulder-high,
egrees, miserable all and one after that. I was still improvis-
ie afternoon turned ing, trying to catch it underhanded.
sion, rather than a Again, I was told that I wasn't using
the right technique. I could get hurt.
quarters and halves The next throw came up high, and I
eath the shelter of was too late with the glove. The tennis
ids. We bought hot ball struck me square in the nose, and I
ink, but to warm dropped to the ground having never felt
ked of lasting as more pamn.
fore giving up and I took my glove inside, crying, and
blubbered to my mom that Dad had hit
tthe day to end. me right in the nose. Mom began to
sclose, but that address my wound, and when my father
on I was there. opened the screen door to come inside,
fore the game was the day's game of catch obviously fin-
sto the house, a ished, she gave him a lecture.
ie afternoon cut Dad was unfazed by Mom's protec-
last as long as pos- tiveness, having known before he threw
ny father. the ball that she wouldn't understand
ing, we stayed for why he had to do it. "Chris,"he monot-
pined Rickey Foggie oned, "You have to learn to get your
wn that frozen field glove up, or that is going to continue to
r lined up for the happen. And next time it won't be a
al that beat us as tennis ball."
The crowd groaned Half an hour later, the pain was
ssed at the outcome, gone, the memory was not, and the les-
on from the cold. son had been learned. From then on, I
er, I learned that the got my glove up. To his credit, dad had
nnesota game, the made a perfect throw exactly when he
I attended, cost the needed to prove his point -right on
at the national chain- the nose.
een ranked No. 1 at These two stories paint my father:
Always sacrificing himself for the fam-
vn the significance ily, always teaching his sons the right
n football game way to do things. His lessons extend
ampus. That's far beyond the construct of sports.
ere for the football Those are just the ones that resonate
e to spend time with with me the most, a testament to a
n't have minded father that has never stopped doing his
way through the sec- job.
k he sensed the Thanks, Dad.
By Jeff Phillips
Daily Sports Writer
After waiting for over a year, safety Cato
June finally got back on the field this past
weekend at the annual spring game. June saw
some action at free safety in the scrimmage.
"It feels great (to be back)," June said. "A
year is a long time, but it went by fast."
June tore his anterior cruciate ligament in
July of last year and missed the entire 2000
season. He was expected to start at either
strong safety or free safety last year after start-
ing the final four games of the 1999 campaign.
June hopes to regain that position in the
upcoming season.
"When the year starts, I think I will be back
to where I was when I left - at starting free
safety," June said.
June's excitement to be back on the field was
obvious, and the feeling from the fans was reci-
procal.
When a fan said to June after the game:
"We've been missing you," June replied, "Yeah,
I've been missing you too."
Also making his first appearance of the sea-
son after missing last year is Markus Curry,
brother of junior strong safety Julius Curry.
Markus didn't see quite as much time as Julius
- who had two interceptions in Saturday's
game - but saw time at cornerback and return-
ing punts. Markus will likely be a backup
defensive back next season.
INJURY UPDATES: Fifth-year seniors Jake
Frysinger and Shawn Thompson, both of whom
missed the 2000 campaign with injuries, were
at the spring game but did not play due to
injuries. Both expect to be ready for the begin-
ning of the season.
"The trainers are very optimistic. Shawn is
making really good progress and Jake's foot is
good," Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr said.
Frysinger broke his foot and Thompson blew
out his knee against Bowling Green in the first
game of the season. Both had surgery on their
injuries over the past year.
"I just started running about two weeks ago,"
Thompson said. "Our goal is to get it back for
two-a-days."
Thompson is continuing his rehabilitation
and is anxious to get back out on to the field.
"I can't tell you how much I've missed being
out there with my buddies," Thompson said.
"Especially during spring ball - that is the
toughest time."
Thompson initially had a quick recovery, but
an infection in his foot prevented the tight end
from continuing his rehab.
Frysinger had a similar slow recovery from
his injury. After his foot failed to heal, the doc-
tors opted to have surgery on Jan. 19.
"We were just kind of playing the waiting
game, and it never healed up all the way, so
they figured instead of waiting around for
something to happen, they went the aggressive
route and had the surgery," Frysinger said. "I
feel good, but it is hard to sit out for so long. I
was getting antsy watching all these guys roll
around."
KICKIN' IT: At halftime of the spring game
Michigan brought out four kickers to .attempt
kicks at distances up to 45 yards. In addition to
the pressure of kicking in front of a crowd, the
kickers also had to deal with a large horseshoe
of players surrounding the kickers as they
attempted the kicks.
"That's something we did late in the spring
and the players really got into it," Carr said. "I
think it is a way of putting real pressure on a
kicker. I thought that would be a good thing to
do (at halftime). There was no sense going off
and taking a halftime break."
The players standing behind disrupted the
kickers' rhythm. Hayden Epstein struggled
under the pressure and perhaps showed the rust
of offseason a bit during this exercise as he
missed a kick of 41 yards.
afternoon to me. We
es.
ter, the two of us
d, getting me ready
This is Chris Duprey'sfinal columnfor
The Michigan Daily. He can be
reached at cduprey@umich.edu.
M' gymnasts
get another
crack at title
HawaW Sikora
Daily Sports Writer
It's that time of year again in women's college
gymnastics. The time when the cream of the crop
from around the nation will gather to decide which
one is supreme. The time when just .025 of a point
can mean the difference between glory and defeat.
Not surprisingly, Michigan once again finds
itself as part of the elite dozen which will compete
for the crown. And, not surprisingly, it will be fac-
g the usual contenders from the past few years.
e only apparent difference from last season is
that Michigan will not be carrying the burden of a
No. 1 ranking, which now belongs to UCLA.
Without this added pressure - which seemingly
hurt Michigan's chances of winning last year -
the Wolverines are looking to surprise the nation
and bring home their first national championship.
This year will be Michigan's ninth-consecutive
national championship appearance and 10th over-
ll. Although they have never won, the Wolverines
Onushed as runner-up twice - in 1995 at Georgia
and in 1999 at Utah. Last season they entered
nationals ranked first in the nation, but could man-
age just a sixth-place finish.
Talent has never been a problem for the Wolver-
ines. In the past decade, some of the finest college
gymnasts in the nation have passed through the
Michigan program under the Michigan coach Bev
/Daily
team
tie.
Premium draft
Former Michigan football players are expected to have a major
presence in the 2001 NFL Draft.
David Terrell
Caught 63 passes for 994
yards and scored 13 touch-
downs during his senior year
at Michigan.
A With size (6-3, 213
pounds) and quickness, he
has the ability to break
games wide open and
become an NFL superstar.
® Not shy about wanting the
ball in key situations and has
the ability to make the great
FILE PHOTO catch.
Other possible high picks
Players cite
coach as reason
* *
for quitting
By Benjamin Singer
Daily Sports Writer
When freshman Christie Schumacher quit the Michi-
gan women's basketball team in mid-February, it
marked the third player in three seasons that quit the
team.
Then freshman Michaela Leary and sophomore Infini
Robinson upped the tally to five when they told Michi-
gan coach Sue Guevara soon after the team's season
ended that they wished to pursue basketball careers
elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Schumacher is going to stay at Michigan
as a regular student. Ruth Kipping quit last year and
Mandy Stowe left Michigan the season before.
While Leary maintains that she merely wants to go
closer to home in New Hampshire and is leaving the
program on good terms, Schumacher and Robinson
both place blame on Guevara as their reasons for quit-
ting. Both are critical of her coaching tactics and inter-
action with the players on a personal level.
"This is about playing time, let's get real," Guevara
said. "Does it look bad, five kids in four years? Of
course it does. What's going on? Kids want to play."
Schumacher said more than just a lack of playing
time factored into her decision to quit. She became dis-
enchanted with the program and did not have any fun as
a member of the team.
Janessa Grieco and the Michigan gymnastics
will travel to Georgia in search of a national th
Anthony Thomas
with the pressure of a big meet in order to come
out on top.
"All we can do as a team is do exactly what
we've been doing," Plocki said. "Even though
this is the championship, we cannot treat it any
differently than a regular meet. We have to be
able to focus, relax and just give it everything
we've got."
Maintaining focus will certainly be difficult
considering the setting of this year's national
championship. The meet will be held at Stege-
Carried 287 times for over 1,500 yards
and scored 16 rushing touchdowns during
his senior season at Michigan.
Although he does not possess incredible
speed, he is considered to be a durable back
who can catch, block and pick up the blitz.
The thick Blue line
Three members of Michigan's 2000 offensive line have an
excellent chance of going high in the draft:
Jeff Backus - First-team All-Big Ten in 1999 and 2000. He is
See SCHUMACHER page 28
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