2B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - March 25, 2002 A CLUBSPORTSWEEKLY April showers will send water skiers to practice Avalanche in net ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Who: Marissa Young Hometown: Santa Ana, Calif. Sport: Softball Year: Junior By Maria Sprow Daily Sports Writer competed, when hev love to wa April may just be another word for Those v "month of showers" to most people, hr ve thre but, to members of the University's Sslom, t water ski club, it signifies something women a to look forward to: Practice. against ea Though the club will not partici- a combina pate in any tournaments or competi- performan tions until its season starts again in Membe the fall, members said they are look- ments, th ing forward to getting back out to on winnin Lake Belleville, their official prac- The co tice site after winter. about ha The team has grown considerably other sch since its formation a decade ago and time at th is now ranked among the top schools Denner sa in its region. The region includes one was o teams from Wisconsin, Michigan ing, but ti State, Purdue, Ohio State and Illi- out with a nois State. don't nor Though the team is competitive, But De members said competition is just aspect of half of the team's purpose. to him tha "We're a two-fold club," club "My br President Bryan Maloney said. "We State and are a competition team and then we rivalry co are just people who like to ski." "Every w He said about half the team's 30- slalom to to-50 person membership can When i choose not to compete in any given team's sea year. ments. TI Since the team is multidimension- region go al, it attracts a variety of skiers - made by some who have never skied before or Though th have very little experience with the to go in 2 sport and others who have been return trip learning tricks since junior high ' Malone school. team's re "There's no talent requirement to season is join the club," Maloney said, adding fall, but i that when he joined he had never any time. The 'Perks' of s PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - Not many people knew about Craig Perks. Few will forget his theatrical finish yesterday that brought him an unlikely victory at The Players Championship and a trip to The Masters. In a roller-coaster round expected out of a new- comer to such a pressure-packed stage, Perks com- pleted a day of high drama with an eagle-birdie-par finish to become the first player to earn his first victory at the event, regarded as golf's fifth major. "You're unbelievable," defending champion Tiger Woods told him at the trophy presentation. "Absolutely unbelievable" Perks, 35, closed with an even-par 72, a score that doesn't even begin to reflect his wild adven- tuks on a firm, punishing TPC at Sawgrass. "That was the easiest 72 I ever shot in my life," Perks joked after his two-shot win over Stephen Ames. He made only two pars over his final 14 holes, none after No. 10. Perks easily could have seen his chances disap- pear when his approach from 199 yards on the par-5 16th came perilously close to the edge of the water. It hung up in the thick collar of rough just right of the green. With his feet pressed close to the wooden frame- boards, he holed the pitch from 21 feet for eagle to take a one-stroke lead. He handled the next test with ease, finding land on the island-green 17th and holing a 28-foot birdie putt for a two-stroke lead over Ames, who closed- with a 5-under 67 some three hours earlier. Breathing room? Forget it. Instead of playing it safe off the tee, Perks hit though he did start skiing was 10 years old. "If you ter ski, we'll take you." who do choose to compete e events to choose from: trick and jump. Though nd men do not compete ch other, the final score is ation of men's and women's rces. ers said even at tourna- e focus is not completely g. mpetitions "were mostly nging out with kids from pools and having a good e lakes," Club treasurer Jim id. "During the day, every- out to do their best in ski- he great part was hanging bunch of people that you mally get to see." nner said the competitive the team might mean more n to other members. other skied for (Michigan) I ski for Michigan - the uldn't be better," he said. week we fought hard in see who could beat who." t starts in September, the ason includes four tourna- he top two teams in the on to nationals, a trip last team members in 2000. .e club didn't get a chance 001, they are hoping for a in 2002. y said the majority of the cruitment happens as the gaining momentum in the nterested students can join improved to 0.85. What: Young was a Ca dinal-killer this weekend with ba.:k-to-back shutouts over t uisville. In yesterday's 3-0 win, she threw seven innings with -x strikeouts. Young (12-4) went the distance on Saturday, as well, in Michigans' 1-0 victory over the Cardinals. Her 14 strikeouts on the weekend upped her team-leading total to 141 while her E.R.A. . Young AEOITBRIEFS AP PHOTO Colorado's Patrick Roy (33) and Martin Skoula (41) pound on the Red Wings' Kirk Maltby. Detroit won the war and clinched the Western Conference title with a 2-0 win. Sndr1Im not COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Even Missouri though other schools might come a final fou calling, Quin Snyder says he is finals Satu staying at Missouri. After the During a rally early morning yes- doubt abou terday welcoming the Tigers from "I'm not1 the NCAA West Regional in San St. Louis P Jose, Calif., Snyder spoke of his Asked if1 long-term plans for the Missouri. der told th "More important than any single ise." game is the fact these guys have Missour built a program ... a program that Alden said will one day play in the Final Four," rally that S Snyder told about 200 fans at years rema leaving lost 81-75 to Oklahoma, ur team, in the regional rday. e game, Snyder left Lale t his future. leaving," Snyder told the ost-Dispatch. that was a promise, Sny- e paper: "That's a prom- i athletic director Mike in an interview after the nyder has more than four aining on a renegotiated signed last summer. Shanahan nets 500th, as Wings clinch West DENVER (AP) - Brendan Shana- han scored his 500th career goal, breaking a scoreless tie at 7:48 of the third period as the Detroit Red Wings beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-0 on Saturday, clinching the top spot in the Western Conference. Dorginik Hasek had 31 saves for his 61st career shutout, top among active goalies. Shanahan beat Patrick Roy from the left circle on a 5-on-3 advantage. He had gone eight straight games without a goal in pursuit of No. 500, a mile- stone that has already been reached by teammates Brett Hull, Steve Yzerman and Luc Robitaille. Mirer finds residence with sixth NFL tem OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Rick Mirer signed with the Oakland Raiders on Saturday, the former Notre Dame quarterback's sixth NFL team in nine seasons. Mirer, 32, spent most of the past two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers as a backup to Jeff Garcia. Mirer was the second overall pick in the 1993 draft by the Seattle Seahawks and went on to earn rookie of the year honors that season with 274 "comple- tions, 486 attempts and 2,883 passing yards. He spent four seasons with the Sea- 'M tSCHE3DULE hawks before joining the Chicago Bears in 1997. He played for the Green Bay Packers in 1998 and the New York Jets in 1999 before going to the 49ers. Mirer, a three-year starter for Notre Dame, has passed for 10,702 yards and 47 touchdowns over his career, includ- ing a career-high 13 touchdowns in 1995. Referee beaten by Greek soccer fans ATHENS, Greece - A referee was kicked and punched by fans after a Greek league game yesterday, with fighting at the stadium spilling into the streets. The referee was sent to a hospital with facial injuries following the game between Greece's two most popular teams. A prosecutor has begun an investi- gation. Fans of Panathinaikos Athens and Olympiakos Pireaus ripped out plastic seats, threw flares on the field and hurled coins and rocks at players. Several fans were hurt in the fighting at Apostolos Nikolaidis stadium, police said. At least 15 youths were detained and about 2,500 police officers were on hand for the game. "The league is a joke. I call on the prime minister to intervene," P. Athens chairman Angelos Philippidis said. Fans of Panathinaikos Athens stormed the field after the 1-1 tie. Ref- eree Ioakim Efthimiadis awarded Olympiakos a penalty kick in the last minute of injury time. M Hearnes Fieldhouse. contract he 1 .ccess: Free trip driver over the rough and behind the trees. He punched out to the fairway, then went over the green. Needing to get up-and-down to avoid a playoff, Perks pitched in from 29 feet. He raised his wedge as it trickled into the cup, then slammed his cap into the grass to celebrate. Perks, who finished at 8-under 280, became the first player since Hal Sutton in 1983 to win The Players Championship in his first try. No one in the 28-year history of the tournament had ever made it his first victory. Perks and Paulson both asked themselves Satur- day night, "Why not us?" The question after another day of drama and dis- aster was, "How did that happen?" The stunning finish came after Perks missed a 2- foot par putt on the 15th hole that dropped him out of a share for the lead. He showed amazing resilien- cy and no quit, the traits that belong to winners of The Players Championship. Perks won. $1,080,000, the richest prize on the PGA Tour, but the perks don't stop there. He earned a three-year invitation to The Masters and his exempt at all the major championships this year. Rocco Mediate, who lives on the TPC at Saw- grass, did his best to make in interesting by holing a 10-foot eagle putt on No. 16 to get to within one stroke of the lead. He had two long birdies chances, but couldn't convert and finished third after a 73. Carl Paulson, the 54-hole leader by one shot over Perks, bogeyed four straight holes on the front nine and closed with a 77 to finish at 284, along with Sergio Garcia (71), Scott Hoch (72), Billy Andrade (72) and Jeff Sluman (74). to The Masters AP PHOTO Craig Perks, with a 72, won The Players Championship - giving him a berth Into the Masters and a $1 million prize. Woods failed to become the first repeat winner in The Players Championship. He didn't make a birdie until the 10th hole and finished with a 74, the first time he has been over par in the final round since the Nissan Open two years ago. Given the swirling winds and brown patches on the dry, firm greens, Woods had a feeling that six- or seven-under might be enough. "I just wasn't able to get off to a good, solid start today and post some birdies," he said. "I made my share of mistakes." Today W Golf at Lady Seahawk Invitational (Wallace, N.C.) Tomorrow Softball vs. Bowling Green, 3 p.m. W Golf at Lady Seahawk invitational (Wallace, N.C.) Wednesday, March 27 Baseball vs. Western Michigan, 3 p.m. M Tennis vs. Notre Dame, 3 p.m. Thursday March 28 M Swim/Diving at NCAA Championships (Athens, Ga.), 11 a.m./7 p m. W Tennis at Michigan State, 6 p.m. Friday, March 29 M Swim/Diving at NCAA Championships (Athens, Ga.), 11 a.m./7 p.m. Baseball vs. Iowa, 3 p.m. Softball vs. Penn State, 3 p.m. M Track/Field at Raleigh Relays (Raleigh, N.C.) M Golf at Johnny Owens Invitational (Lexington, Ky.) Saturday, March 30 M Swim/Diving at NCAA Championships (Athens, Ga.), 11 a.m./7 p.m. M Golf at Johnny Owens Invitational (Lexington, Ky.) Baseball vs. Iowa (DH), 1 p.m. Softball vs. Penn State, 2 p.m. Rowing hosts ACC/Big Ten Double Dual M Track/Field at Raleigh Relays (Raleigh, N.C.) M Track/Field at Stanford Invitational W Track/Field at Stanford Invitational Sunday March 31 Softball vs. Ohio State (DH), Noon W Tennis at Wake Forest, Noon Baseball vs. Iowa, 1 p.m. M Track/Field at Stanford Invitational W Track/Field at Stanford Invitational DAILYSCO.E a 3A RD I Iverson wiO play with cast and avoid surgery, I I PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Allen Iverson had the option of surgery or a cast to repair a broken bone in his hand. It was an easy decision. "I didn't want them to cut me again,"Iverson said yesterday. Iverson, who led the NBA in min- utes, steals and scoring with 31.5 points a game, is expected to get his cast Tuesday and have it changed every week until he returns, probably in the playoffs. Surgery might have helped him get back on court quicker but Iverson said there were other factors. "With surgery, you have to deal with infection and they'd have to cut me open, put bones in, put screws in," he said in his first public comments since breaking his nonshooting hand Friday. "I think I'd come back faster with sur- gery, but as you know, I don't want to be cut on anymore. I got surgery on my elbow and I think it's worse than what it was before." The league's reigning MVP said he has to think long-term. "I'm just trying to do what's right," he said. "I don't want this to carry over into next year. Hopefully I just sit out these last 14 games and be able to play in the playoffs."' The 76ers are 0-8 this year without Iverson but held a five-game lead over a drive to the basket in the first quarter Friday. Iverson finished the half, scor- ing 22 points before going to the hospi- tal at halftime. "When he did it, I knew it was broke," Iverson said. "I could feel something wasn't right. I just didn't want to come out of the game. I guess I was just feuding with myself." The Sixers moved Iverson to the injured list yesterday, replacing him with Samuel Dalembert. The rookie has been off the roster for 12 games with bursitis in his left knee. Coach Larry Brown could use Dalembert to give Derrick Coleman more rest. The 76ers have been hobbled by injuries all season. Aaron McKie, the NBA's defending Sixth Man of the Year, had missed 23 of the last 26 games with an ankle sprain. He announced yesterday that he was returning to the lineup, partly because of Iverson's injury and partly because he was going to return this week anyway. Coleman has been battling a sore left knee and remains day-to-day. He first thought he had a cartilage or ligament tear, but team doctors have concluded he hyperextended it and that he needs to rest it, something that may not hap- pen until after the season. Iverson. who will be replaced in the NBA STANDINGS NHL STANDINGS EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W New Jersey 44 Boston 39 Orlando 37 Philadelphia 37 Washington 32 Miami 31 New York 26 Central Division W Detroit 41 Milwaukee 37 Charlotte 36 Indiana 35 Toronto 31 Atlanta 28 Cleveland 25 Chicago 17 WESTERN CONFERENCE Midwest Division W San Antonio 48 Dallas 48 Minnesota 42 Utah 38 Houston 25 Denver 20 Memphis 17 Pacific Division W Sacramento. 49 L.A. Lakers 48 Portland 43 Seattle 39 LA. Clippers 36 Phoenix 31 Golden State 17 Yesterday's games TORONTO 92, washington 91 DETRoIT 109, Boston 101 Charlotte 99, INDIANA 84 Pct .638 .557 .536 .536 .457 .456 .382 Pct .594 .544 .522 .507 .457 .412 .362 .243 Pct .696 .696 .609 .551 .368 .299 .246 Pct .731 .706 .623 .557 .514 .449 .250 GB 5.5 7 7 12.5 12.5 17.5 GB 3.5 5 6 9.5 12.5 16 24.5 GB 6 10 22.5 27 31 GB 1.5 7.5 11.5 14.5 19 32.5 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L Philadelphia 38 20 N.Y. Islanders 34 25 New Jersey 32 26 N.Y. Rangers 31 34 Pittsburgh 27 33 Northeast Division W Boston 39 Toronto 37 Ottawa 35 Montreal 29 Buffalo 29 Southeast Division W Carolina 30 Washington 30 Tampa Bay 25 Atlanta 19 Florida 19 L 21 21 23 28 32 L 23 31 32 42 40 Pts 88 79 77 70 65 Pts 90 87 84 73 68 Pts 79 71 63 50 50 GF GA 210 162 203 192 173 165 197 227 174 209 GF GA 209 174 206 176 217 184 183 191 183 176 GF GA 192 199 198 216 151 175 170 255 154 218 4 I WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division W L Detroit 50 14 Chicago 36 23 St. Louis 35 24 Nashville 26 34 Columbus 20 39 Pts GF GA 108 225 154 85 195 185 82 191 164 63 171 193 52 144 209 Northwest Division W Colorado 40 Edmonton 32 Vancouver 34 Calgary 27 Minnesota 23 L 25 26 29 31 30 L Pts 88 78 77 68 64 Pts GF GA 184 151 183 167 218 190 172 195 169 203 GF GA Pacific Division m W I VL 0 0 A