The Michigan Daily - Thursday, February 14, 2002 - 13A Medal tracker Through 24 events Country Gold Silver Bronze Total Germany 4 6 2 12 United States 3 5 2 10 Austria 1 1 7 9 Norway 5 3 0 8 Russia 1 2 2 5 Finland 2 1 1 4 France 1 1 1 3 Italy 2 1 0 3 Switzerland 2 0 1 3 Canada 0 1 1 2 Tough start makes gymnasts go back to the grind By Evan Brown Daily Sports Writer Conventional wisdom says that the best way to get out of a slump is to bear down and work hard in practice. The Michigan men's gym-. nastics team has taken that CLIFF KEEN to heart due to it's lackluster Who: No. 5 Mid performance thus far this No. 15 Illinois-C season. When: 7 p.m. "I think the desire got Latest: The Wolv rekindled in a lot of peo- beat llinoischic ple's eyes," senior captain score of 206.85 Justin Toman said. "The onitan.12atthe upperclassmen are gunning t'i for (a successful season) because it's (their) last season or second to last season." This week, the Wolverines have had some fine performances in practice - par- ticularly on the pommel horse, which has served as their nemesis this year. "We had a couple super hits this week," Michigan coach Kurt Golder said. "Jamie (Hertza) and Daniel (Diaz-Luong) both got super hits today, and were the first two to ARENA higan vs. hicago verines ago by the a197.675 SWindy go (on pommel horse). That's big. Kevin George also had a super hit and he was adding some difficulty." A "hit" is a routine in which the gymnast doesn't fall off, and a "super hit" is a routine in which he is able to deliver the routine flawlessly. Michigan is ranked No. 9 in the country in the pommel change the whole outlook of a match. "When we turn pommel horse around, it will be a big boost to this team," Golder said. "It comes early in a meet. When we have a good pommel horse, we'll have a great meet." Injuries have been and continue to be a big hindrance for Michigan. For much of the year, the Wolverines have been going with a watered-down lineup in an attempt to get injured gymnasts back and keep the healthy gymnasts in good shape. "I feel like I've been playing it conserva- tive all year (with our lineup)," Golder said. "We're trying to get guys recovered from all of their problems. What it comes down to is playing your cards right to max- imize your chances at the NCAA Champi- onships." Michigan is a mediocre 5-4, but it still is ranked No. 5 overall in the country. The Wolverines' goal is to perform at the level of Oklahoma, which seems to be tak- ing charge so far this season. The Sooners are ranked No. 1 and are posting the best scores in the country, averaging almost six more points per match than the. Wolver- ines. "I think now, Oklahoma is the best," Toman said. "I think there are three or four teams that can challenge Oklahoma. These three can challenge if they are healthy." Is Michigan one of those teams? "Definitely, without a doubt," Toman replied quickly. "We need to get healthy, but that's the name of the game in this sport. Whoever does that best is going to win, I think." Golder will stay with a conservative lineup, and few gymnasts who are dealing with injuries will be coming back this week. horse, but it is usually much higher. The talent it has in that event should produce better numbers later in the season, espe- cially when some guys get healthy. A better performance on the pommel horse could Michigan building off perfect fall season By Courtney Lewis Daily Sports Writer The Michigan women's golf team established its game when it won four consecutive tournaments last fall. So in addition to conditioning and weightlift- ing, the Wolverines have also been working on their minds during the off- season. The Wolverines began meeting with University athletic, counselor Cookie Mankowski after they returned from winter break. Junior Kim Benedict said Mankowski's role, similar to that of a sports psychologist, has been to help the team get "back on the same page." Despite a little hesitancy, the Wolver- ines approached the sessions with an open mind. "We didn't question it, but we didn't know how it would help," Benedict said. "We just went because it was on the practice schedule." Michigan won't be sure of the results of these sessions until it begins the spring season, which opens this week- end at the Lady Aztec Invitational in San Marcos, Calif. But Benedict believes seeing Mankowski has been beneficial for the Wolverines. "It has definitely helped us refocus on what we need to do," Benedict said. "We had to get our heads in the right place." After setting school records for con- secutive wins and wins in a season, and placing two individual medallists (Bene- dict won the Shootout at the Legends and senior Misia Lemanski took the Wolver- ine Invitational) this fall, Michigan seemed to be in excellent position head- ing into the crucial spring season, whose tournaments are weighted more heavily than in the fall. But one of its bigger challenges this spring may be mental. Michigan has already won more tour- naments this season than in any other year in school history, and the Wolver- ines must guard against reveling in that success. After seeing Mankowski, the players think they can translate their fall achievements into motivation instead of complacency. "I can see how people would think we would get a little lazy. But we've won four, and we're ready to win more," Benedict said. A fifth title is one of the three goals Michigan established with Mankowski. The others are to win the Big Ten Championships and qualify for the NCAA Championships. Benedict, Lemanski, LeAnna Wicks, Cortney Reno and Laura Olin will vie for win No. 5 this weekend in the Lady Aztec. Sarah Kruer will also travel to Lake San Marcos Country Club to play as an individual. The Wolverines could be at a disad- vantage because Ann Arbor's winter weather forces them off the course and onto practice mats, while the southern and West Coast teams in the field can practice outdoors year-round. Benedict said rust always makes the first spring tournament more nerve- wracking. "It's like, 'do I even remember what grass feels like?"' she said. "It's kind of foreign, but after 20 minutes it's like you never left." Michigan, armed with its new, uni- fied mental strategy, hopes it can play during the spring season like it never left the fall. It used to be the end of a great night. It could soon be the start of a great day. FORTUNE 100 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR 'R At Ernst & Young, we believe that when you wake up in the morning, you should be excited about the day ahead. The challenges of the workplace should keep you stimulated, your SAN MARCOS, CALIF. Who: Michigan at Lady Aztec Invitational When: Sunday 3:30 p.m., Monday 11 a.m. Latest: After finishing the fall season with a per- fect 4-0 record, the Wolverines will look to defend their title at the Aztec Invitational. This capabilities should be stretched, and your horizons continually broadened. Because only when our people grow, both professionally and personally, do we grow as a company. Oh happy day! i I