Blue ready to defend Big Ten title By Matt Silver For the Daily After capturing 12 of the last 20 Big Ten titles and top-10 finishes in 14 of the last 16 NCAA championships, it would seem reasonable for even the most powerful of athletic dynasties to descend into the doldrums of compla- cency. Such was hardly the case, how- ever, with coach Jon Urbanchek's men's swimming team. The Wolverines continued to grind out laps well into early Tuesday evening, as if they were approaching their season with something to prove - seemingly unaware of their leader's .869 winning percentage over his stel- lar 20-year career in Ann Arbor. Coming off a 2002-03 campaign in which they won their 12th Big Ten championship under Urbanchek and turned in a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas, the Wolverines will face one of the toughest schedules in the nation. With home dates against some of the nation's perennial powerhouses, including a Halloween showdown against Florida and nonconference dual meets with Stanford (Jan. 9-10) and NCAA runner-up Texas (Nov. 14- 15), the Wolverines are sure to have Canham Natatorium rocking, as they'll seek vengeance against three teams that placed ahead of them at NCAAs. Away from the friendly confines of Canham, Michigan will face the other two members of last season's final top-five, with dates against Georgia and defending National Champion Auburn, which the Wolverines meet for the first time in a dual meet. And, as always, they'll have no cakewalk through the Big Ten, taking on proven opponents in Purdue, Indi- ana and Northwestern. But, with just four conference losses under Urbanchek in the previous 20 seasons, it seems only fair to expect perfection. Despite losing both co-captains from a year ago in Jeff Hopwood and Heath Novak, along with the leadership of Garrett Mangieri and Tony Kurth, the expectations for this year's squad remain high in the eyes of associate head coach and two- time Olympic silver medalist Eric Namesnik. Affectionately referred to as "Snik" by team members, he believes that the leadership of captain and former Michigan Athlete of the Year Dan Ketchum, alongside the restof the upperclassmen, will guide the team in the direction of its ultimate goals. According to Namesnik, these include a repeat performance of the Wolver- ines' Big Ten title run from a year ago and a top-seven finish at the national championships. Yet another factor that promises to make this season even more intriguing is the upcoming summer Olympics, APARTMENT HOMES A ffordable! 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom Apartment Homes The Michigan Daily - Friday, October 24, 2003 - 9A Fall just warmup for 'M' rowers By Robert Herrera For the Daily The Head of the Charles drew almost 300,000 people to Cambridge, Mass. last Saturday - almost three times the crowd at the Big House. Sure, Michigan seniors Katie Reynolds and Heather Mandoli enjoyed their time at the Head (as the race is known), in fact, the Wolverines placed ninth overall in the women's eight race. But these two feel it is much more exciting to row for Michigan in the spring. The fall season is not as competitive, and results in the races are not as important as they would be in the spring. The regattas are more of a way for the team to work on its technique and have fun. It's a practice season in which the team gets to jell and work to be in sync for the spring sea- son. This Saturday, the Wolverines get another chance to prac- tice their technique at the Head of the Elk in Elkhart, Ind. When the races do count, Reynolds and Mandoli are more than excited for it. Last season, they led Michigan to a Big Ten title, and both earned second-team All-Big Ten and Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association All-Central Region. As two of only six seniors in a squad of 35, their focus this fall is to lead by example, work hard, have a positive attitude and have fun at the same time. "Since it is my last year, I would love to defend the Big Ten championship and finish my college career as national champions," Reynolds said. "I'm looking for my best year at Michigan. It's been an amazing experience so far," Mandoli agreed. That national championship run has to begin with waking up for 5:45 a.m. practice. The motivation behind doing it everyday for four years is the satisfaction of having done so much, so early before anyone else wakes up. Thirty-three other girls heartily agree, creating an instant friendship between them. That is important in order to succeed - all eight women need to trust each other all the way to the fin- ish line. The coaching staff has also been there for support. Reynolds and Mandoli consider coaches Mark Rothstein and Emily Ford to be friends they can talk to about any- thing. Mandoli considers Michigan a second home, almost forgetting that she's from Canada, and the coaching staff has helped both of them cope with missing their family. Both girls attribute their success to the staff. "Both Mark and Emily are amazing," Mandoli said, "We have an amazing team of coaches. This is the best coaching staff of any team in the nation." After graduating from Michigan, both plan on moving to London, Ontario, together and attending grad school at Western Ontario University. There they will continue row- ing and attempt to earn a spot on the Canadian National Team and qualify for the 2008 Olympics. Senior Dan Ketchum glides across the water like he's done so many times in his Michigan career. for which Namesnik hopes that a number of Wolverines will qualify, following in his footsteps of greatness on the international stage. "There have been about seven or eight guys representing the U.S. and Canada in individual competition," said Namesnik about the international experience of the Wolverines. In addition, this year's team will face opponents who have proven themselves on the international level, most notably the trio of Aaron Peirsol, Ian Crocker and Brendan Hansen from Texas, who comprised three of the four legs of a gold-medal-winning relay team in 2000. That being said, Namesnik is very excited about facing such worthy competition. "Most don't know that there are as many high-level athletes here as any- where around," said Namesnik, with the hope that the Michigan faithful will show up at Canham to take part in what promises to be a season full of athletic spectacle. The road to the NCAA Champi- onships begins tonight with a home contest against Eastern Michigan. East Lansing this weekend for the ITA fy for the ITA National Champi- Midwest Regional Championships. onship, which will be held in Ann Continued from Page 8A Teams from across the Big Ten and the Arbor on Nov. 6-9. admirably displayed pride and confi- Midwest region will go head to head Michael Rubin is the seeded Wolver- dence for his squad. for claims at a spot in college tennis' ine going into this weekend's competi- "I expect big things from Michi- individual "Big Dance" tournament. tion, but any player in the main draw of gan," Jackson said. "We will do well." 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