NEWS: 76-DAILY
www.mtchlgandallycom Fal 2002
JOE 3
SMIT H
Football's still the
show, but don 't
neglect the others
hile wooing blue chip recruit Tom Dolan in
1991, legendary Michigan men's swimming
and diving coach Jon Urbanchek knew he had
to knock the All-American's socks off.
He brought Dolan, an eventual two-time Olympic
Gold medallist, into a small campus diner called Wash-
ington Street Station. At the same time, former Michi-
gan basketball coach Steve Fisher was enticing two
superstar athletes who would leave an undeniable mark
on Michigan sports, Chris Webber and Juwan Howard.
Dolan double-taked, then couldn't stop staring.
"Tom's eyes were just popping out," Urbanchek said
with a laugh.
Urbanchek admitted that the allure of such Michigan
basketball recruits helped Dolan sign with Michigan
and eventually become one of the University's greatest
athletes.
These same figures and images of the "Fab Five" are
reasons people around the globe with no affiliation to
the University wear Michigan memorabilia. They may
even be reasons that caught your eye when making your
college choice - even more so than the prestigious
academic reputation the University holds.
But with every Webber or Howard, there's a Dolan -
a swimmer who won national acclaim at the college
level before representing the United States valiantly in
winning two gold medals.
He excelled in the pool and in the classroom. And he
found time to give back, helping at Mott's Children's
'Hospital religiously.
He was a true "Michigan man."
But while he was one of the classiest and most suc-
cessful Wolverines, he was certainly not the most recog-
nizable.
He could definitely walk down the street and no one
would notice him.
Dolan is just one reason why you should remain
entertained with Michigan's football and basketball
teams but admire those in the non-revenue or Olympic
sports.
They are the sports that help make Michigan's sports
tradition one unlike any other.
You may not believe it, but it's true.
While you couldn't have picked out Dolan, any one
of you could find Webber in a crowd. This is the same
Webber who can now be remembered just as much for
the dirty money he took from "booster" Eddie Martin
and a scandal that has kept a dark cloud over the pro-
gram and the University over the past decade.
"It's may not be fair, but it's life."
That's exactly what Michigan athletic director Bill
Martin said last year at a speech in the Business School,
saying that "99 percent of the University's image comes
from athletics" and nearly all of that image comes from
football and basketball.
It's also no coincidence that nearly 99 percent of the
revenue and funding for most of the other 24 Michigan
sports that Urbanchek says are often jokingly labeled
"pain in the budget sports" - comes from football.
As an assistant for the U.S. Olympic swimming
teams, Urbanchek has been to several countries, notic-
ing that people around the globe don sweathshirts with
the block "M" proudly stitched on its chest.
And he knows they didn't pick their wardrobe
because of the 33 individual NCAA titles and 126 Big
Ten titles his swimming program has won since 1983,
or the first women's national championship this season
in field hockey, or the 11 Big Ten softball titles Michi-
gan has won in the past 14 years.
It's not just a clich6 when Urbanchek calls the 25
Michigan sports a "big family." He knows that football
is the providing father figure.
"We need 100,000 to fill Michigan Stadium to have
25 other sports and for those to be successful.
"And for me to keep my paycheck," he added with a
smile.
It's not fair. But it's life.
Just as football and basketball enhance the school's
reputation, several instances can also help tarnish it -
which makes the "pain in the budget sports" all that
more important.
You will enter your first year at the University with
the Michigan basketball program limping from two of
its worst finishes in its history and with possible pro-
bation looming. You will read in the newspapers about
how the Michigan football team has had nearly as
many arrests in the past year as it had Big Ten wins
last season.
That should never stop you from going to the "Big
House," or checking out Crisler Arena. But it should
make you think.
Sports "are not always about dollars and cents,"
Urbanchek said. "It's about the kids experiencing
Michigan - their success stories and the model citi-
zens they become."
Many students may go their whole University experi-
ence without realizing this.
It's not fair. But its true.
Don't let it happen to you.
Joe Smith can be reached at josephms@umich.edu.
The 2001-02 Michigan's women's golf team set new
standards with its 17th place finish at NCAAs. This
was the first year the Wolverines made it to NCAAs.
Page 5E.
Frosh class takes icers to FF...
By Naweed Sikora Against Minnesota on April 4, they to dominate the game at both ends
Daily Sports Editor had yet another opportunity to win a of the ice.
game in which nobody was ready to "From our perspective, we didn't get
ST. PAUL, Minn. - All season give them a chance. But after surpris- the kind of flow we needed," Michigan
long, the Michigan hockey team had ing so many people down the stretch coach Red Berenson said, "I thought
been accomplishing feats nobody with their success, the Wolverines just we struggled in finishing on (Minneso-
believed possible. With all its inexperi- didn't have enough left to do it again ta goalie Adam) Hauser. We knew it
ence, Michigan wasn't expected to and lost to Minnesota 3-2 in the nation- would be a big home-ice opportunity
reach the Frozen Four for a second al semifinals. The Gophers defeated for them and a challenge for us, and
straight year. But the Wolverines Maine 4-3 the following night to win they were a great team."
ignored the non-believers and focused the national title. It became an uphill battle very early
on their goals, as they fought their way Minnesota's speed, aggression and on for Michigan, as a turnover by
to a CCHA regular season title, a home-crowd advantage, combined defenseman Eric Werner in front of his
CCHA Tournament title and a berth in - with a lackluster all-around effort by own netled to Minnesota's first goal by
the Frozen Four. the Wolverines, allowed the Gophers See FINAL FOUR, Page 7E
...new freshman look to do same
By Charles Paradis
Daily Sports Writer
Following another trip to the Frozen Four, the Michigan
hockey team has signed a pair of incoming freshman, who
it hopes will contribute to a successful season this fall.
The Wolverines inked forward Brandon Kaleniecki and
goalie Alvaro Montoya to join the squad.
Kaleniecki, a proven goal scorer, led the Cleveland
Barons of the North American Hockey League with 52
goals, more than twice the amount of any other player
on the team. He was the league's leading point getter
with 89 points and garnered the league's Most Valuable
Player award this season.
"Kaleniecki hopefully will bring us some goals,"
associate head coach Mel Pearson said. "We expect
him to come in here and compete for a job, mainly
(because of) his goal scoring ability."
Kaleniecki will join an offense that tallied 3.53 goals
per game, third in the CCHA, this past season, but the
coaching staff feels the offense could improve.
"We feel we need to improve, we feel our offense is
adequate," Pearson said. "We went out and specifically
got (Kaleniecki) to add to our offense and push some
people we currently have here for a spot on our roster."
See FRESHMEN, Page 7E
DANNY MOLOSHOK/Daily
Sophomore Eric Werner was one of 11 freshmen who played
a key role in Michigan making it to the Frozen Four.
'New' 1eaders and 'best
Goalkeeper Molly Maloney hoists the NCAA Championship Trophy in Crisler Arena during the halftime of the Michigan/Boston College basketball game last December.
F Road to a repeat
Field hockey w ins If Michigan is going to re aim its NCAA Title, it is going Challen g a
to have to get through seven NCAA Tournament quali-
(' .7 tiers from last year, (All home games In bold) df n ; c a b
first women'OO ti15 aDate Opponent T egca p
23 U.S.National (exhibition) 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 31 @ North Carolina 12:00 p.m.
Daily Sports Writer Sept. 1 Wake Forest (@ North Carolina) 2:30 p.m. Wy o r et
Daiy pots rier. . .. ... .... A-.:.r.. 4 .f1sors e
KENT, Ohio - Years from now, people won't remember
that on Nov. 18, 2001 the Michigan field hockey team played
the consensus No. 1 team in the country. They won't remem-
ber that its opponent had six senior starters. They won't
remember that its opponent had beaten the Wolverines just
two years earlier in the same game.
But they will remember that these women were the leaders
and the best.
Led by the incredible play of graduated goaltender Mau-
reen Tasch and a great all-around defensive effort, the Michi-
gan 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,"
Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz said. "Men's programs,
women's programs, revenue, non-revenue, it doesn't matter.
See CHAMPS, Page 9E
College 1:00 P.M. When Ashley Reichenbach came to Michigan in 1996, the
cut 1:00 p.m. school was not even a blip on the field hockey map. The
10:00 a.m. Wolverines had never finished higher than third in the Big Ten
stem 2:00 p.m. and had never received a berth to the NCAA Tournament.
rte 3:00 p.m. Michigan's head coach had just resigned as an entirely new
University 2:00 p.m. staff was brought in to turn around the program.
n State 4:00 p.m. Times sure have changed.
3:00 p.m. Six years, three NCAA Tournament appearances and one
st Missouri State (@ Iowa) 12:00 p.m. national title later, that new coaching staff, lead by head coach
a 6:00 p.m. Marcia Pankratz, has turned the Michigan field hockey pro-
stern 1:00 p.m. gram into one of the nation's finest and a shining star of
State 3:00 p.m. Michigan sports.
union (@ Penn State) 2:00 p.m. While only a handful of Michigan high schools outside of
(@ Duke) 1:00 p.m. Ann Arbor play the sport, the program now attracts some of
1:00 p.m. the nation's best players. The Wolverines also play many of
n Tournament l@ Ohio State) their home games at Ocker Field Hockey Field, which is
Tournament (TB A) See REPEAT, Page 9E
Losing by just one run in each of its two Women's
College World Series games, Michigan was sent
home earlier than expected.
Page 9F.
The Michigan men's gymnastic team went into the
NCAA Finals No. 8 in the nation, but thanks to a great
all-around performance the Wolverines finished fourth.
Page 6E.
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