2B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - November 5, 2001 CLUBSPOIRTSWEEKLY FdieejoksK fin reopeeauteti tmat /riber Form ecsfn creative outlet in ultimate frisbee ATHLETE OF THE WEEK By Josh Holman For the Daily It's true that most of the athletes on Michigan's ultimate frisbee club started out with little exposure to the game, but that doesn't mean they treat it like a day in the park. "I had some ideas about what I thought ultimate was," said senior Joe Bernard. "I thought it was just a bunch of guys running around with dogs. But the level we try to play on is very serious. There is lots of train- ing, -and we have a lot of real ath- letes out here." Bernard fits the general profile of many of the students who take up ultimate when they arrive on cam- pus. He was a former athlete who was trying to find a way to stay in shape. "Almost everyone out here has played some sort of high school sport, whether it be track or soccer," club president Dave Pohl said. "But 'M'sCuEULE only about one or two guys played ultimate frisbee competitively in high school. "Most people start not knowing much about the game." While Bernard was a baseball player, a number of soccer players have stumbled across the similarities between ultimate frisbee and their former sport. Much like soccer, the game is in continuous motion and the endurance factor always plays a role. The general appeal of the sport is very apparent on campus. Intramural and pick-up games are a frequent occurrence on any patch of grass that can be found; The popularity has greatly helped the club team. Each fall to club team opens up clinics to anyone who shows the faintest interest. The numbers have swelled large enough in recent years that the team found it necessary to slice itself up into "A" and "B" teams. The increased popularity the sport has seen at Michigan in the past five years has given the team a chance to take the program to a national level. The "A" team is composed of only those who treat the sport with the proper intensity needed to field a competitive team. The commitment is paying off. The team has advanced to the national tournament the past three years, placing eighth this past sea- son. Pohl is happy with the club's recent success, and is hoping for more in the future. "In the past we've always hoped to win regionals and make it to nation- als," Pohl said. "Now that we've done that the past few years, we hope to go all the way." Pohl is a veteran on the team and is expected to be one of the team's captains along with Mike Haley. This leadership is, in a way, the breath of the team. The energy they emit trickles down to anyone toying with a com- mitment to the sport. "The leaders on the team need to be very fiery and extremely compet- itive," Bernard said. "That will really charge up the younger guys and get them into the game." The veterans on the team, past and present, must be doing something right. They've already managed to pro- duce a nationally-prominent team in just a few years and are striving for that extra amount of respect the sport doesn't seem to get. They even manage to get the ath- letes out for a few weekend practices in the dead of winter. "To be honest, I don't know how much we get done in those prac- tices," Bernard said. "Your fingers are so cold you can't even hold the disc. It's just more fun than any- thing." Who: Josh Blackburn Hometown: Choctaw, Okla. Sport: Hockey Year: Senior Why: Blackburn stonewalled the opposition this weekend, allowing just one goal in the two game series against Alaska-Fairbanks. He is now just one shutout shy of the school record, which was set i y Marty Turco in 1997. Blackburn SPORTS BLRLFS Thursday, Nov. 8 W Soccer vs. Michigan State at Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals (West Lafayette), 1:45 p.m. M Soccer at Big Ten Tournament First Round (Madison), 2:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9 W Basketball vs. Latvia RTU Clondica, 7 p.m. (exhibition) W Soccer at Big Ten Tournament Semifinals (West Lafayette), 1 p.m. M Soccer at Big Ten Tournament Semifinals (Madison), 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Nov. 10 Football vs. Minnesota, 12:10 p.m. Volleyball vs. Northwestern, 7 p.m. M Tennis at Big Ten Singles Championships (East Lansing) M Cross Country at NCAA Great Lakes Regional (Terre Haute, Ind.), 11 a.m. W Cross Country at NCAA Great Lakes Regional (Terre Haute, Ind.), Noon Rowing vs. Eastern Michigan, 8 a.m. Sunday Nov.11 M Basketball vs. Nike Elite, 2 p.m. (exhibition) W Soccer at Big Ten Tournament Championship (West Lafayette), 1 p.m. M Soccer at Big Ten Tournanent Championship (Madison), 3 p.m. Field Hockey at NCAA Regional Final (Campus Sites) M Tennis at Big Ten Singles Championships (East Lansing) Runnin' down the dream Marlins exec will be Tigers' new president DETROIT (AP) - The Detroit Tigers are expected to hire Florida Mar- lins executive Dave Dombrowski as president, a source close to the situation told The Associated Press on Sunday. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said Tigers general manager Randy Smith and manager Phil Gamer would keep their jobs. Both have two years remaining on their con- tracts. The announcement is expected early this week. "We may have some things to say tomorrow," Dombrowski said in a tele- phone interview from his Florida home last night. "Anything I would say tonight would be preliminary." Steve Copses, a spokesman for the Marlins, said the team would have no comment. Dombrowski, the Marlins' president and general manager, would be replac- ing Tigers owner Ake Ilitch, who appointed himself team president when John McHale left the Tigers for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Dombrowski was a candidate for similar positions in Toronto and Texas. The Rangers decided to hire former Cleveland executive John Hart. Dombrowski is widely regarded as one of baseball's top executives. He has two years left on a five-year, S5 million contract, but owner John Henry gave him permission to talk to the Rangers and Blue Jays. Weir wins PGA finale in four-man playoff HOUSTON (AP) - Mike Weir sure knows how to finish off the year in style. In a thrilling conclusion to the PGA Tour season, Weir holed a five-foot birdie putt to win the Tour Champi- onship on the first hole of a four-man playoff Sunday, giving the Canadian his first victory of the season. It was the second straight year Weir won the final official event of the PGA Tour. A year ago, he surged past a world-class field at Valderrama to win the American Express Championship. This one was even sweeter. Weir, the first foreign player to win the Tour Championship, closed with a 67 and wound up in the playoff with hard-charging Ernie Els, the theatrical Sergio Garcia and PGA champion David Toms. Only Weir and Toms hit the fairway with their tee shots and only Weir had a decent shot at birdie. He ended it quickly. Els, desperate to keep alive his streak of at least one victory on the PGA Tour every year since 1994, was seemingly stuck behind the trees down the 18th fairway in the playoff when he hit over the branches to about 40 feet. His birdie putt grazed the right edge of the up. Former Michigan wide receiver David Terrell (83) watches as James Allen (20) catch- es a deflected Hall, Mary in the final seconds. The Bears won 27-21, in overtime. Cardiac Bears shock"I Kenyan triumphs in New York marathon Browns in OT, 27-21 NEW YORK (AP) - Tesfaye Jifar won the New York City Marathon in record time yesterday, pulling away from his lone challenger with three miles left in a race dedicated to victims of Sept. 11. Jifar ran the 26.2 miles in 2 hours, 7 minutes, 43 seconds to become the first Ethiopian to win the race. He broke the 12-year-old mark of 2:08:01 set by Tan- zania's Juma Ikangaa. The women's winner also set a race record. Margaret Okayo of Kenya won in 2:24:21, trimming 19 seconds off the mark set by Australia's Lisa Ondieki in 1992. Wolverine netters compete in Toledo The Michigan men's tennis team sent three members to Ohio this week- end to play in the Toledo Rocket Invita- tional. Sophomores Brett Baudinet and Anthony Jackson and junior ChriA Shaya, competed in the three-day event. In the A division, Baudinet lost to Bowling Green senior Vitek Wild, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. In the consolation bracket, the Wolverine sophomore rebounded to defeat Joost Hol of Northwestern. Jackson also competed in the A divi- sion, defeating Jimmy McGuire of Michigan State, 4-6. 6-3, 6-2. But he lost in the second round to Northwest- ern's Jackie Jenkins, 6-0, 6-. Shaya, rebounding from an off-sea- son wrist injury, advanced to the semi- finals of the B division by defeating Wildcat Russell Bennett and Robert Kurek of DePaul. The results of the junior's semifinal match were unavail- able. In the doubles bracket, Baudinet and Jackson fell to the Kurek and Andy Michael of DePaul in a close match, 8- 6. The Wolverines will head to East Lansing for the Big Ten Singles Cham- pionship Nov. 10-12. - Dan Rosen CHICAGO (AP) - The ball popped in the air, Mike Brown grabbed it and the Chicago Bears won in overtime. Again. Brown returned the interception 16 yards for a game-winning touchdown for the second straight week as the Bears stunned Cleveland 27-21 yester- day for their sixth straight win. This is one they'll be talking about for years. Trailing 21-7, the Bears scored two touchdowns in the final 28 seconds of regulation, forcing overtime when James Allen caught a 34-yard pass from Shane Matthews that the Browns (4-3) tried to bat down in the end zone on the final play. . As several Browns jumped up to knock the pass down, Allen caught the ball as he landed on top of teammate Marty Booker, sending Soldier Field into delirium for the second straight week. Chicago, which beat the 49ers 37-31 in overtime last Sunday on Brown's 33-yard interception return after trail- ing by 19 points in the second half, won the toss in overtime. The Bears couldn't move, and Brad Maynard's 52-yard punt pinned the Browns to their 12. Tim Couch completed a 16-yard pass and then was sacked. On a second down from the 23, Couch's pass was tipped by Bryan Robinson, and Brown was there again, carrying the ball 16 yards to the end zone and then all the way out of the stadium. The Bears cut the lead to 21-14 on Matthews' nine-yard pass to Marty Booker with 28 seconds left; and then Bobby Howard recovered an onside kick at the Browns 47 following, scrum that took awhile to unscramble. Cleveland looked in control, getting a fumble return for a touchdown from Courtney Brown on the second scrim- mage play of the game, intercepting three passes and sacking Matthews five times. Couch got untracked in the second half, throwing a pair of touchdown passes, one a tipped 55-yarder to Kevin Johnson late in the third quarter. Cleveland led 14-7 when Couc$ dropped back and threw to the middle for Johnson. The ball grazed off the fingers of Brown and went right into the hands of Johnson, who then beat Tony Parrish to the end zone with three minutes left in the quarter. The Browns moved 57 yards on their first possession of the second half. Gambling on a fourth-and-one fro the Bears 31, Couch lofted a 28-yar pass to Quincy Morgan. On the next play, he found Mike Sellers for a three-k yard touchdown for a 14-7 lead. Matthews was clobbered on a blitz by Wali Rainer on the game's second scrimmage play, fumbled and Brown - who'd missed the first six games with a knee injury- picked the ball up and rumbled 25 yards for the touchy down. Matthews struggled against Cleve- land's quick defense, throwing inteq ceptions on the Bears' next two possessions - one by Earl Little after the pass was tipped by Gerard Warren and the second by Brant Boyer. DAILY SCOREB(AIRD NFL STANDINGS AMERICAN CONFERENCE Eastern Division NHL STANDINGS AP PHOTO A participant in the 32nd New York City Marathon runs in patriotic gear along 4th Avenue, in the Brooklyn borough of New York yesterday. Miami Indianapolis NY Jets New England Buffalo Central Division Pittsburgh Baltimore Cleveland Cincinnati Tennessee Jacksonville Western Division Oakland San Diego Denver Seattle Kansas City w 5 4 4 4 1 W 5 4 4 3 2 W 5 5 4 3 2 L 2 3 3 4 6 T 0 0 0 0 0 Pct. .714 .571 .571 .500 .143 I.. Office of the Registrar Attention: Student Reservists and National Guard FZ " Te Ses J: o::amus .~ NATIONAL CONFERENCE Eastern Division W NY Giants 4 Philadelphia 4 Washington 3 Arizona 2 Dallas 2 T Pct. 0 .714 0 .625 0 .667 0 .571 0 .429 0 .286 T Pct. o .833 0 .714 0 .571 0 .500 0 .143 T Pct. 0 .500 0 .500 O .286 0 .333 0 .286 T Pct. 0 .833 0 .714 0 .429 0 .429 0 .000 T Pct. 0 .857 0 .667 O .667 0 .429 0 .125 PF PA 153 137 200 197 141 166 185 160 122 195 PF PA 120 78 141 129 132 118 120 136 129 180 114 115 PF PA 151 105 206 146 164 144 118 158 164 172 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W NY Islanders 6 NY Rangers 4 Philadelphia 3 New Jersey 2 Pittsburgh 2 Northeast Division Boston Buffalo Montreal Toronto Ottawa Southeast Division Carolina Washington Tampa Bay Atlanta Florida TF 1 1 3 0 0 RT Pts GF 1 14 30 0 9 22 0 9 27 1 5 18 1 5 16 PF 148 145 111 99 116 W 4 4 4 4 3 W 4 4 3 1 1 PA 140 98 193 166 147 T RT Pts GF 2 0 10 20 1 1 10 23 1 0 9 20 1 0 9 28 1 0 7 25 GAG 17 26 20' 22 21 GA 14, 22~ 18' 25.' 28 GA, 19, 18- 19 260 GA 21 18 22, 23, 20 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division W Detroit 7 St. Louis 3 Chicago 3 Columbus 1 Nashville 1 T 0 0 0 1 1 TF 0 3 2 4 2 RT Pts GFC 0 14 29 0 9 22 0 8 21 O 6 17 0 4 14 RTI 1 0 0 2 0 Pts GF 9 18 8 24 6 15 5 14 3 14 Central Division Chicago Green Bay Minnesota Tampa Bay Detroit Western Division St. Louis New Orleans San Francisco Atlanta Carolina W 6 5 3 3 0 W 6 4 5 3 1 L 1 2 4 4 7 L 1 2 2 4 7 PF PA 162 95 168 105 138 165 139 119 110 197 PF PA 207 115 139 118 174 155 135 151 118 169 Northwest Division Edmonton Calgary Minnesota Colorado Vancouver Pacific Division Dallas Phoenix San Jose Los Angeles Anaheim W L 6 2 6 1 30 4 3 2 5 T RT Pts GF GA- 1 0 13 30 19, 0 1 13 21 10, 3 1 10 20 17 0 0 8 19 19. 1 0 5 26 28 T RT Pts GF GA 2 1 9 17 18 4 2 0 8 18 20 " 3 1 8 16 20 1 1 6 20 21 1 0 5 15 25 W 3 3 2 2 2 L 2 3 1 4 5 NHL GAMES NFL GAMES Yesterday's games New England 24. ATLANTA 10 Indianapolis 30, BUFFALO 14 GREEN BAY 21, Tampa Bay 20 MIAMI 23, Carolina 6 NY GIANTS 27, Dallas 24 (OT} Baltimore 13, PITTSBURGH 10 Yesterday's games CAROLINA 1. PHOENIX 0 Edmonton 2, MINNESOTA 0 Detroit at CHICAGO, INC. Atlanta at ANAHEIM. INC. MLB PLAYOFFS World Series