SB - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - October 29, 2001
I
Freshmen make strong
debut against Eastern
Lowly Boilermakers
nearly upset spikers
By Courtney Lewis
Daily Sports Writer
After winning an intensely competi-
tive dual meet at Canham Natatorium
Friday against previously undefeated
Florida, the Michigan men's swimming
team showed signs of fatigue Saturday.
But that wasn't enough to prevent it
from'dominating Eastern Michigan.
The Wolverines (2-0), won the first 12
races on their way to beating the Eagles
174-115.
Dan Ketchum, Jeff Hopwood and
Garrett Mangieri led Michigan against
Eastern Michigan with two first-place
finishes apiece. Five other Wolverines
won races, and Michigan also took first
in the 400-yard medley relay.
Michigan wasn't thrilled with the way
it swam Saturday; but after opening the
2001-02 season with two wins in two
days, the Wolverines weren't complain-
ing.
"A lot of us didn't swim as well as we
did (Friday), but it was great to come
back and do a double like that," senior
Tim Siciliano said.
The short-course format of the East-
ern meet was a big adjustment for Cana-
dian freshmen Andrew Hurd and Chuck
Sayao, who were swimming in yards for
the first time.
"It's a totally different strategy," Hurd
said. "I didn't know my times, I didn't
know exactly how fast I was going."
Despite the change, Hurd still man-
aged a first-place finish in the 1000-yard
freestyle on Saturday, and Sayao won
the 200 backstroke.
Friday's meet was a smooth transition
into NCAA swimming for Hurd and
Sayao because it featured the long-
course style they are accustomed to.
Long-course races are measured in
meters, and swimmers race the entire
50-meter length of Matt Mann pool.
Collegiate events are normally short-
course, but Michigan and Florida have a
running agreement to compete in
meters.
Michigan was much stronger on Fri-
day than it was on Saturday. The Florida
contest remained close until Brendan
Neligan, Hurd and Siciliano took the top
three spots, respectively, in the 400-
meter freestyle and boosted Michigan to
a 17-point lead.
The Wolverines went on to win 137-
106, marking the 34th consecutive time
they have won its opening dual meet.
Michigan's highly touted freshman
class made its debut against Florida and
lived up to the hype. Neligan was tops
amongst the rookies, winning his first
two collegiate races - the 800-meter
freestyle and the 400 freestyle.
Zayd Ma was equally impressive. Ma
came within .05 of a second of winning
the 200-meter butterfly, but was beaten
By Eric Chan
Daily Sports Writer
If it weren't for the play of fresh-
men Carrie Ritchie and Jennifer
Gandolph, last-place Purdue might
have upset the Michigan volleyball
team in Ann Arbor on Saturday. But
Michigan (7-5 Big Ten, 11-8 overall)
beat Purdue (1-11 , 3-17) in five
games.
The final game was an exciting
and emotional one as the Wolverines
- down 8-5 at the switch - won
15-11. Big serves and timely digs by
Ritchie helped Michigan battle back
in the deciding game. Ritchie fin-
ished with 3 kills, 4 assists, 17 digs
and a block - all career highs.
"I thought Carrie played great
tonight. She came in for the first
time in the front row, and had some
huge jump serves and played some
nice defense for us in a pressure sit-
uation," Michigan coach Mark
Rosen said. "That's the kind of kid
Carrie is, though - she's a tough
competitor and she's very feisty."
Ritchie's extended playing time
was due to the fact that junior Katri-
na Lehman is currently nursing a
pulled muscle in her back. Despite
her injury, Lehman still came in
against Purdue and recorded an
impressive 18 kills.
"I've wanted to play front row all
season. I love playing defense, but I
knew going in (to the front row) that
I would have to get the job done,"
Ritchie said.
Early in the first game, errors by
Michigan gave the Boilermakers an
early 7-2 lead. Michigan battled
back with some key kills by
Lehman, and after trading blows for
the rest of the game, the Wolverines
took the 1-0 match lead by winning
30-27.
Michigan jumped out to an early
lead in game two, but couldn't hold
it. After leading 9-5, a streak of
untimely Michigan errors let the
Boilermakers back into the game.
The score remained close after Pur-
due tied it at 15, and the Boilermak-
ers squeaked out the 31-29 win in
game two.
In the third game, the Wolverines
looked like the team that swept No.
11 Penn State two weeks ago. Pur-
due kept it close at the beginning bht
Michigan jumped out to a 18-9 lead
sand never looked back, taking the
game 30-18.
The Wolverines looked to close
out Purdue in the fourth game, but
once again, miscues gave Purdue an
early lead from which Michigan
could not recover. Despite six kills
by Gandolph, Purdue forced a game
five by winning game four 30-24.
"I've got two emotions. I'm very
proud that the girls pulled it out in
the fifth game, but I'm not too
happy with the inconsistent play,"
Rosen said. "We can't afford to play
that way this late in the season if we
want to compete."
Michigan travels to Minnesota and
Iowa this weekend.
BKETT MUUNIAIN/Daily
Michigan hit the pool for its first home meet of the year against Florida on Friday.
out by Florida's Eric Donnelly, one of primarily on the Florida meet all week.
the best in the country in that event. Ma "We *ere all pumped up" Hurd said.
posted a personal-best 2:05.80. "You could totally tell we were all so
Ma predicted a personal best before- ready for Florida."
hand, but Michigan coach Jon Michigan knows it has to work on
Urbanchek had his doubts. sustaining that energy over two days, but
"I said 'okay we'll see. Talk is cheap was pleased overall with its opening
- you have to do it now,' " Urbanchek weekend.
said. "He did it. So, he lived up to what "It looks like the whole ball of wax is
he said." going in the right direction," Urbanchek
The Wolverines had been focusing said.
Michigan wms races, but Harvard secures meet
By Kyle O'Neill
Daily Sports Writer
Sometimes being first just isn't enough.
The Michigan women's swimming and diving team
found that out the hard way against Harvard on Friday.
Though the Wolverines won 11 of the 12 events, the
score still favored the Crimson 246-238 in the end.
Losing won't affect them statistically though, as the
event was an exhibition and all the events were relays
- most of which are never seen in actual dual meet
competition. They did get some regular competition in
an exhibition dual meet against Brown on Saturday,
but no score was kept to determine a winner.
The meet against the Crimson also gave them an
opportunity to evaluate their mechanics at the begin-
ning of the season.
"None of us had ever swam against Harvard and
Brown before, so we didn't know what to expect," sen-
ior Lindsay Carlberg said. "It was kind of weird swim-
ming all relays, but everyone did well on their strokes,
turns and dives."
Michigan also looked good with its times. Though
all the events were relays, many got to race their indi-
vidual events at Harvard. Amy McCullough, Emily-
Clare Fenn and Lori Eberwein continued their success
from earlier in the season in the 500-yard freestyle by
coming together to dominate the 1500 free relay with
an impressive 18-second victory.
Michigan diver Tealin Kelemen also preserved her
unbeaten streak when she teamed with Lindsey McEl-
roy to win both the three- and one-meter diving relays.
The weekend was also the first time the Wolveines
had to deal with the combination of the after effects of
traveling and a grueling weeklong practice. After its
meets with Florida last weekend, Michigan returned to
the pool and continued practice until it departed to the
East on Friday.
"It was hard because we had just got done traveling
and now we have to travel again next week (to Min-
nesota)," Carlberg said. But swimming coach Jim
Richardson "doesn't let us let up ever. Everyone is
pushing so hard, and we are working more this year
than in any other of my years here."
The hard work is necessary as Michigan has a large
class of freshmen, meaning that it is necessary for the
swimmers to get used to the schedule and pace of col-
lege life. So far the young class has responded well,
with most of them factoring into each race.
Katherine Peterson earned the first win of her career
swimming the second leg in the 300-yard breaststroke
relay and is currently No. 2 on the breaststroke depth
chart behind Kelli Stein. Two freestyle swimmers,
Tracy Egnatuk and McCullough, have each made their
mark on the team.
Egnatuk, who was sick with the flu for the weekend
meets, was vital in the 400 free relay victory over
Florida last weekend. McCullough was one of eight
Wolverines who won three or more events against Har-
vard.
"Our freshmen have done amazing at this point in
the season;' Carlberg said. "They've become an inte-
gral part of the team and have meshed well with every-
one."
With a week to get Egnatuk and all others battling
colds and influenzas healthy, Michigan looks to
improve on its 0-1 record against teams like Minnesota
and North Carolina in Minneapolis this weekend at the
Minnesota Invitational.
How much stamina Michigan has on the second day
of the Minnesota Invitational will be important as it
will set the tone for the three other invitationals the
Wolverines have in November - including the Geor-
gia Invitational, where many of the Wolverines will
look to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
DANNY MOLOSH
Michigan's Katrina Lehman and Jennifer Gandolph blocked the Boilermakers'
attempts at an upset on Saturday.
U U
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