0

10B - The Michigan Daily - Special Graduation Section - Tuesday, April 15, 2003

'M' defeats Florida to
gain Outback crown

'U' calls timeout on
Webber and crew

6

By David Horn
Jan. 6,2003
TAMPA, Fla. - Michigan began
2002 as the victims of a central Florida
slaughter, courtesy of Tennessee in the
Florida Citrus Bowl. Fortunately for the
Wolverines, the first day of 2003 began
very differently. Michigan (6-2 Big Ten,
10-3 overall) survived six lead changes
and a late Florida charge to defeat the
Gators, 38-30, before a sold-out crowd
of 65,101 at Raymond James Stadium.
Trailing by eight with just over two
minutes remaining in the game, Florida
quarterback Rex Grossman engineered
a drive from his team's own 27-yard
line. Grossman, who was likely playing
in his final game for the Gators, com-
pleted two passes for 18 yards and drew
a 15-yard personal foul on a late hit
from Michigan senior linebacker Victor
Hobson.
But two plays after jeopardizing his
defense's chances at shutting down the
suddenly efficient Florida offense, Hob-
son made amends.
On 1st-and-10 from the Michigan
27-yard line, the Gators (6-2 SEC, 8-5)

called for a reverse option pass to wide-
out (and former high school quarter-
back) Vernell Brown. Brown rolled out
to the left and was pursued by defensive
end Alain Kashama, then forced a des-
perate, wobbly pass toward the sideline.
Hobson stepped in front of Grossman
(the intended receiver) and took the ball
42 yards in the other direction to ensure
victory for the Wolverines.
"They'd been getting man coverage
all that series, and Rex was going to be
open," Florida first-year coach Ron
Zook said. "When you're in man cover-
age you don't account for the quarter-
back, and at that point in time I thought
it was a good opportunity."
Hobson was one of several Michigan
seniors who made waves in his final
game for the Maize and Blue. In partic-
ular, captain Bennie Joppru set the
team's season-receptions record for a
tight end on the strength of eight catch-
es for 80 yards. That brought his season
total to 53, surpassing a 33-year old
record previously held by Jim
Mandich.
But it was truly a couple of juniors
who led the Wolverines. Tailback Chris

By Steve Jackson
Nov. 8,2002

DANNY MOLOSHOK/Daily
Freshman Jason Avant, left, celebrates with senior Julius Curry, right, following
Michigan's Outback Bowl victory over Florida on New Years Day.

Perry set an Outback Bowl record with
four touchdowns; the accomplishment
is also a Michigan bowl record. He fin-
ished the game with 85 yards rushing
on 28 carries, as well as 108 yards
receiving. Quarterback John Navarre
threw for a career-best 319 yards, going
a very efficient 21-for-36 with a touch-
down and no interceptions.
Despite Navarre's career perform-
ance, the Michigan offense stumbled
out of the gate and took some time to
find its rhythm; the unit's only score
until late in the second quarter came as

a result of a Florida miscue.
Deep in his own territory, Grossman
found himself scrambling after a high
snap. Kashama beat him to the ball,
recovered it inside the five-yard line,
and put his offense in position to grant
Perry his first touchdown.
After two Florida touchdowns, Zook
attempted the two-point conversion try.
Its failure seemed to swing the momen-
tum back to the Wolverines, who uti-
lized Perry via a number of screen
passes to get him, Navarre and the 10-
win Wolverines back on track.

Field Hockey national title a first for Blue

By Bob Hunt
Nov. 19,2001
KENT, Ohio - Years from now, people won't
remember that yesterday the Michigan field hockey
team played the consensus No. 1 team in the coun-
try. They won't remember that its opponent had six
senior starters. They won't remember that its oppo-
nent had beaten the Wolverines just two years earli-
er in the same game.
But they will remember that these women were
the leaders and the best.
Led by the incredible play of senior goaltender
Maureen Tasch and a great all-around defensive
effort, the Michigan field hockey team knocked off
top-ranked Maryland 2-0 to capture the NCAA
Division I National Championship and Michigan's
first national title in a women's sport.
"I'm happy to bring another one home for the
Wolverines," said Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz.
"Men's programs, women's programs, revenue,
non-revenue, it doesn't matter. We're just really
proud to be a part of the University."
This completes a resurgence to a program that
had never made the NCAA tournament until 1999,
when the Terrapins defeated the Wolverines in the
title game.
"It's pretty darn exciting," Michigan Athletic
Director Martin said last night. "Being the first of
anything is pretty historic."
Tasch pulled out the first shutout in a champi-

onship game since 1996. She stopped 13 shots
against the nation's No. 1 scoring offense, giving
the first field hockey title to a school west of Vir-
ginia since Iowa won in 1986.
"Obviously nothing could be better than this and
it still hasn't quite all processed in my mind," Tasch
said. "I haven't cried like everyone else yet."
Maryland controlled the play early, but with
two minutes remaining in the first half, Kristi
Gannon sent a crossing pass from the far right
side through the Maryland defense and Maryland
keeper Ashley Hohnstine and somehow found
Big Ten freshman of the year Adrienne Hortillosa
in front of a wide-open net to put the ball home,
giving Michigan the lead.
"The first five minutes, they really kind of came
at us, and I think then we kind of got our jitters out
and sold ourselves and got back in it," said Michi-
gan midfielder Jessica Rose.
Just after intermission, Michigan stunned the
crowd of 984 again as Gannon found Rose at the
top of the circle off a penalty corner. Rose blasted it
into the net to give the underdog Wolverines a two-
goal advantage.
Maryland dominated play for the rest of the
game, but the Michigan defense, led by Tasch,
Stephanie Johnson, and Catherine Foreman, staved
off the Terrapins.
"The last 20 minutes they really had us on our
heels, but we held on," Rose said.
Maryland fired eleven shots in the second half,

but Tasch made one incredible save after another.
Even after Michigan forward April Fronzoni was
called off the field with about 12 minutes remaining
for a yellow card for tackling a player from behind,
the constant adversity only made Michigan stronger.
"I felt like with each little new challenge they
were put with, I just knew that we would get even
stronger," Tasch said.
While they were not as highly ranked as the Ter-
rapins, the ups and downs that Michigan experi-
enced throughout the season gave them confidence
going in. The Wolverines were at one point ranked
No. 2 in the country but toward the end of the sea-
son dropped two conference games and lost in the
semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Meanwhile,
Maryland had rolled through its regional and came
into the game having won nine in a row.
"I felt like the number one team today maybe
didn't have the ups and downs and the adversity to
relish what we had been in," Johnson said. "So we
knew what sort of great opportunity we had been
presented with today."
In the semifinals Friday, the Wolverines used a
second-half surge with goals by Powers, Fronzoni,
and a penalty stroke by Stephanie Johnson to put
away Ivy Champ Princeton 4-2.
"We're doing so well in so many women's
sports," Martin said. "We've come so close in
gymnastics and softball. Crew was a boat-length
away last year. This will be the start of a wonder-
ful trend."

Fighting back tears, Michigan Ath-
letic Director Bill Martin told
reporters he had just ordered the
removal of four championship ban-
ners from Crisler Arena.
"It was like a dagger in my heart,"
Martin said.
While this may have been the most
symbolic and emotional action that
Martin and University President Mary
Sue Coleman took against the basket-
ball program yesterday, it was just one
small part of a shamefully sad yet
relieving day for the University.
In a morning press conference, Cole-
man announced that Michigan had
agreed to sanction itself for $616,000
of improper loans given by former
booster Ed Martin to four former bas-
ketball players - Chris Webber,
Robert Traylor, Maurice Taylor and
Louis Bullock.
In addition to dropping the champi-
onship banners and removing all other
references to the relevant players and
teams, Michigan chose to forfeit
games won while those four players
were on the team, including two trips
to the Final Four in 1992 and 1993.
The Athletic Department will also use
$450,000 from its discretionary fund
to pay back the money received for
postseason play during that time.
The current program will face a two-
year probation period and will be
banned from postseason this year -
the 2003 NCAA Division I Men's Bas-
ketball Championship Tournament and
the 2003 National Invitational Tourna-
ment. Michigan will still play in the
Big Ten Tournament because it's a reg-
ularly scheduled part of the conference
slate.
"There is no excuse for what hap-
pened," Coleman said. "It was wrong,
plain and simple. We have let down all
who believe that the University of
Michigan should stand for the best in
college athletics. We have disappointed
our students, our faculty, our alumni
and our fans."
Martin sympathized with the play-
ers, who will no longer have the option
of playing in the postseason this year.
"Even though this is the right thing
to do, I want to personally apologize to
our three basketball players who are
graduating seniors," Martin said.
"These students had nothing to do with
what happened, and I am sorry that
they have to pay the price."
Michigan submitted a report to the

NCAA yesterday with the self-,
imposed sanctions, the detailed find-
ings of its joint investigation with the
NCAA, and an outline of all corrective
actions the University has already
taken, including: Banning Martin from
the program, making major coaching
changes, limiting access to Crisler's
tunnel area and hiring new staff to
oversee compliance.
This came in direct response to an.
official NCAA letter of inquiry, dated
Oct. 25, 2002, which requested infor-
mation about the extra benefits that
Martin, a retired autoworker from
Detroit, gave to Michigan players.
Once the NCAA has finished review-
ing Michigan's submission, the next step
will be for University officials to meet
with the NCAA Infractions Committee.
At that point, the NCAA will present its
final decision in this case, which could
include new sanctions such as the loss of}
recruiting visits, television time or bas-
ketball scholarships. Sanctions that were
self-imposed could also be strengthened
at that time.
"We don't know what the NCAA
will do," Coleman said. "We certainly
hope they will (accept these sanctions)
because we believe that these are con-
sistent with their practice in the past as;
well as consistent with what went
wrong here at Michigan."
The NCAA letter of inquiry said
that the Committee on Infractions
anticipates hearing Michigan's case
during its Feb. 14 meeting, but there is
also a "remote possibility" that it could
be discussed at the Dec. 13 meeting.
After six years and three investiga-
tions, the University was finally able to
uncover the facts of the case this sum-
mer during an interview with Ed Mar-
tin's lawyers, which took place July 26. 4
The meeting was made possible
through cooperation with the Federal
Bureau of Investigation and the U.S.
Justice Department, which were inves-
tigating Martin on charges of conspira-
cy, money laundering and running an
illegal gambling ring.
"Because of the government's sub-
poena powers, we finally uncovered
all the facts," Martin said. "And once
we had the facts-we acted as soon as
possible."
The entire athletic department will4
meet today to discuss these issues and
answer specific questions from coach-
es and student-athletes.
"I'm very relieved to finally be put-f
ting this behind us," Martin said. "This
is not the last page of this story, but it
is the first page of the final chapter."


40

Voe AnAro'

~.: : E

Vot&d A-n Arbor's
B-st Packaging Store
eSmall moves, long or international

I
4

" Ship Freight

" Professional packing
" Fully Insured
" Boxes, tape, bubble wrap
and peanuts

4