10 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, January 25, 2002 -

FRIDAY Focus


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RYAN LEVENTHAL/Daily
Blue gunning for redemption
against top-ranked Minnesota

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By Rohit Bhave
Daily Sports Writer

quickly squashed Michigan's hopes
with early match victories.
Behind No. 1 Otto Olson, No. 4
Hrovat and No. 8 Charles Martelli,
Michigan hopes to upset Minnesota
with its own talent and depth.

Rarely in sports does a team
receive a second chance.
Last weekend, the powerful No.

Last time they met: Hahn beat
Hrovat 8-4.
Analysis: Hrovat didn't look like him-
self in the firstpart of their last
meeting. But he turned up his inten-
sity in the third period and brought
the score closer, but couldn't pull it
out. He'll need to maintain his
aggressiveness and intensity
throughout the match this to top
Hahn. Hrovat and Hahn, both return-
ing All-Americans have wrestled
each other a total of three times,
with Hahn leading the series 2-1.
Advantage: Minnesota
RYAN LEVENTHAL/Daily

1 Minnesota wrestling
team (11-0 overall)
routed No. 4 Michigan
(9-2), 26-6, at the
National Duals in
Columbus. Michigan's
chance for revenge
comes tonight at
Crisler Arena.
This meet, "is a
great opportunity to

CRISLER ARENA
Who: No. 4 Michigan (9-2)
vs. No.1 Minnesota (11-0)
When: 7:30 p.m
Latest: Michigan seeks to
make amends for last
week's 26.6 shellacking at
the hands of the Minnesota
Golden Gophers.

One handicap Michi-
gan must overcome is
eighth-ranked heavy-
weight Matt Brink's
knee injury. Against
No: 6 Garrett Lowney,
Brink must adjust.
"Matt has to realize
he's not going to be
able to do (what) he's
used to doing," Hrovat

The Wolverines need Olson to
dominate his gritty counterpart,
No. 7 Jacob Volkmann, and make
up for any major decisions they
suffer.
Last season, No. 3 Iowa charged
into town only to be beaten by an
emotionally charged Michigan
team powered by a deafening
crowd at Cliff Keen Arena.
Because of the high demand to
see the two wrestling powers,
Michigan will stage the high-pro-
file showdown at Crisler Arena this
year. With the lights focused on the
intense action on the mat, fans
should see Crisler transformed
from a cavernous basketball facili-
ty to a dramatic setting for
wrestling.
"We realized that this could be
one of the biggest dual meets we've
ever had in wrestling," Michigan
athletic director Bill Martin said.
Michigan will benefit tremen-
dously from wrestling Minnesota
in a familiar environment.
"Practicing in Crisler, we're in
that building everyday - that's our
turf," McFarland said. "I want our
guys defending our turf."

Courtesy Minnesota Athletic Department

i

..

- 184 Pounds

- No. 5 Damion Hahn

see where (my) team is," Michigan
coach Joe McFarland said.
Although the Wolverines must
wrestle Purdue on Sunday, the
Wolverines have been gunning for
Minnesota all week.
Led by No. 3 Leroy Vega, No. 5
Luke Becker and No. 7 Damion
Hahn, Minnesota boasts a top 10
wrestler in every weight class.
"They're a team that can malge
you look bad if you're not on top of
your game," McFarland said.
Last week, the Golden Gophers

said.
For the Wolverines to win, each
of Michigan's 10 wrestlers must be
ready to strike first blood.
"Each individual is going to have
to focus on their match," Michigan
captain Hrovat said. "You have to
go out and take on your guy."
Scoring early in the match will
put each wrestler on the offensive,
letting them shoot for bonus points.
"I want to score early in the
match so that I can take more
risks," Olson said.

No. 12 A.J Grant - 125 Pounds - No. 2 Leroy Vega
Last time they met: Vega won b major decision, 10-2.
Analysis: if Grant can't maintain hand control in neutral and avoid the tilt from bottom, he'll lose again. The
advantage should go to Vega - though it should be closer this time.
Advantage: Minnesota
No. 10 Foley Dowd - 133 Pounds - No. 1 Ryan Lewis
Last time they met: Lewis beat Dowd 8-4.
Analysis: He was a transfer Division 1i powerhouse North Dakota State, and was Minnesota's backup 133-
pounder last year. But he's the real deal, and Dowd is definitely going in as the underdog.
Advantage: Minnesota
Clark Forward - 141 pounds - No. 4 Chad Erikson
Last time they met: Erikson beat Forward 5-3.
Analysis: Forward looked superior from neutral, and they looked equally matched from bottom and top. At
home in Crisler, Forward should have the edge.
Advantage: Michigan
No. 5 Mike Kulczycki - 149 pounds - No. 3 Jared Lawrence
Last time they met: Lawrence beat Kulczycki 8-3.
Analysis: Only hours before his match against Lawrence, Kulczycki wrestled top-ranked Mike Zadick of Iowa.
Kulczycki's attack from his feet is usually very aggressive, but it didn't look like it in their last match.
Advantage: Minnesota
No. 5 Ryan Bertin - 157 pounds - No. 3 Luke Becker
Last time they met: Becker beat Bertin 7-5.
Analysis: This match could have gone either way. Both wrestlers were able to score on each other, so this time,
the wrestler who can maintain control will win the match. The advantage goes to the home team.
Advantage: Michigan
No. 12 Charles Martelli - 165 pounds - No. 14 John Hardy
Last time they met: Martelli beat Hardy 3-1.
Analysis: Martelli got off to a slow start this year, but at the National Duals, he finally looked like he's back in
top form. Martelli didn't look dominant in his match against Hardy, but he looked to be the better wrestler.
Advantage: Michigan
No. 1 Otto Olson - 174 pounds - No. 7 Jacob Volkmann
Last time: Olson beat Volkmann 6-4.
Analysis: Olson looked dominant throughout, but gave up some points at the end of the third period. Olson
needs to maintain full concentration throughout to win again.
Advantage: Michigan
No. 7 Kyle Smith - 197 pounds - No. 3 Owen Elzen
Last time they met: Elzen beat Smith 8-0.
Anayi: Smith didn't seem to have an answer for Elzen. Smith better find one if he hopes to stand a chance

0

RYAN LEVENI HAL/Daily
Michigan 157-pounder Ryan Bertin will need to come up big If the Wolverines hope to beat Minnesota tonight.
Wrestling takes over Crisler Arena

By Eric Chan
Daily Sports Writer
In wrestling, the key word has always been intensity.
When a wrestler loses his intensity, the referee might as
well give the match to his opponent. A wrestler's intensity
generates his speed, strength and emotion.
"You're just concentrating on getting intense," said
Michigan 197-pounder Kyle Smith of his pre-match
preparation. "You're looking to pour everything onto the
mat, and you don't want to hold any-
thing back." WRESTLING
Wrestling is one of the few sports Commentary
in the world that remains pure and
devoid of selfishness. Sports like
basketball, football and hockey are team sports, in which
the selfishness of one could lead to the downfall of every-
one else. One weak link, and all the training is worthless.
Wrestling, however, is mostly an individual sport. The
harder you train, the better you get - it's that simple.
"Wrestling is a great sport because it's not just training,
and it's not just technique - it's a combination of the two
plus intensity," Michigan's Otto Olson said.
Wrestling is a sport that dates back to ancient Rome.
The snort has thrived and lived on hecuse of its hasic

III combined. Today the number has dwindled to fewer
than 300. For those who aren't aware of the substance of
Title IX, it basically says that the number of male and
female athletes has to be proportional to the number of
males and females attending the school. Wrestling has
taken a big shot because it lacks a female equivalent at
most schools. While female wrestling programs do exist,
they are still few and far between:
"At the collegiate level, Title IX has really given
wrestling a big hit," Adams said. "I really don't know
what can be done - maybe a change in the law."
Wrestling may be a good target for elimination at
many schools because, except in a state with extremely
high interest like Iowa, it is mostly a low-revenue sport.
Much of this can be attributed to the lack of attention.
"I don't think the sport gets enough attention from the
media," Michigan coach Joe McFarland said. "I'd like to
see more."
The media has often focused on the negative aspects of
the sport as exemplified by the ongoing controversy of
cutting weight. When Michigan wrestler Jeffrey Reese
tragically passed away while working out in 1997, the
media was all over it. It was probably the most media
coverage that the Michigan wrestling program ever
received

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