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8B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - October 11, 2004
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After passing Ocker Field (the field hockey facility), many students
assume they've traversed the extent of the university's athletic facili-
ties. Sadly, only few are truly enlightened. If you go just a little further
-- under the Stadium Boulevard overpass and on towards Briarwood
Mall, to your right you'll catch a glimpse of Michigan's temple of ten-
nis, the Varsity Tennis Center. Mounted upon a tiered series of mani-
cured hills of grass, the Preston Robert Tisch Building rises above the
William Clay Ford Outdoors Courts. The complex first opened for com-
petition in 1997, and has played host to many regional and national
NCAA tournaments, as well as the boys' and girls' Michigan high
school state championships. The Ford facility provides 12 champion-.
ship-caliber courts while the 632-seat Tisch indoor complex - named
after the current owner of the NFL's New York Giants - houses eight'
courts. Host of the 1999 Big Ten Men's Tennis Championships and the
2000 Big Ten Women's Championships, the relatively new complex is
constantly building its legacy.
- Max Kardon
Traditionally nicknamed "The House that Cazzie Built," in refer-
ence to Michigan basketball legend Cazzie Russell, Crisler Arena has
been the home to various Michigan sporting events for 37 years. Named
after Herbert 0. "Fritz" Crisler, a former Wolverine football coach, the
7.2-million dollar building was the architectural gem of Dan Dworsky,
a linebacker on Crisler's 1947 and 1948 national champion football
teams. In addition to being the home of the men's and women's basket-
ball and several wrestling and gymnastic events, Crisler Arena annu-
ally hosts many other community events. It has even hosted concerts
for Bob Dylan and the Boston Pops. Inside of Crisler, you can walk the
corridors and gaze at the accomplishments of past and present. Wol-
verine student-athletes, or glance upward towards the south rafters
in the arena and see the retired numbers of three Michigan basketball
greats: Russell, current Los Angeles Lakers coach Rudy Tomjanovich
and Phil Hubbard. No. 41 - worn by former Wolverine Glen Rice -
will rise to the ceiling of Crisler Arena this season at halftime of the
home game on February 20.
"It was Super Bowl Sunday and the atmosphere in Crisler was elec-
tric, a glimpse of the potential that Crisler has to be an intimidating
gym," said Michigan "SuperFan V" Ryan
Shinsk about the January 26 Michigan-
Michigan State game during the 2002-03
season. "It was a great game and (the fans)
rushed the court after ... I get goose-bumps
just thinking about it."
- Eric Ambinder
Yost Ice Arena was ~ ~
built in 1923 and was,
dedicated for Michi-
gan football coaching
legend Fielding Yost.
The building was origi-
nally home to the track and A
basketball teams before being
converted to an ice arena in 1973.
More than 6,600 people can fit inside,
and although this may not sound like a huge
crowd, when the arena is packed, the place really rocks
- including the student section, known for its loud and sometimes vulgar cheers. Michigan hockey coach
Red Berenson had many kind words for the place he has called home for the last 21 seasons. "Wait until
you go around the league and see the other rinks - then it's a no-brainer," Berenson said. "I mean, it's a
great venue. It's a players' rink - the noise in here, the environment, the combination of the band and
the students. The whole college hockey culture at Yost is pretty much one of the best in the country, if not
the best. When asked about his favorite memory from Yost, Berenson admitted that a whole book chapter
could be written on the subject. But one of the most memorable is the 1998 NCAA tournament regional:
"Regionals here in '98 were unbelievable. When we were playing North Dakota and they were the favorite
team. The noise level in here and the excitement - you couldn't script a better situation. People up in the
press box thought it was going to fall down. I mean, that's how it was. And we had that more than once,
but that's one example."
- Ian Herbert
Overlooking the Big House, downtown Ann Arbor, and the entire
Michigan campus, the 18th hole at the U-M Golf Course offers one of
the finest views around. Considered one of the most challenging and
best courses in NCAA play, it was designed by Alister MacKenzie in
the late 1920s and officially opened for play in 1931. The first event
took place when the Wolverines defeated Ohio State 15-3 in a men's
golf match on May 13th, 1931. Some of MacKenzie's other works
include Augusta National, home of the Masters, and the Ohio State
golf course. The course was renovated from 1992 to 1994 - the club-
house was refurnished and new lockerrooms were added. In addition,
the course itself was restored to its original luster through improv-
ing the bunkers and adding more landscaping. "By having the girls
practice here on a continuous basis it really prepares them for all of
the tournaments that we play in, and if they can play our golf course
well, they can play any course well," Michigan women's golf coach
Kathy Teichert said. Located across from Chrisler Arena, this par
71 golf course is open to all current students and is home to both the
men's and women's golf teams, as well as the cross country teams.
- Sara Livingston
Michigan Stadium. The Big
recognized sporting facility
than 35 million fans have g
and Stadium Boulevard to
usually leave happy: the W
During the early '20s, Field
at the time, realized that hi
play in. Though Yost was m
tually the stadium was bui
Stadium has seen its seatin
from 72,000 to 107,501, and
Though it has a reputation
place for opponents, when t
atmosphere unlike that of a;
is just a special place," line
there is just a great feeling.
times a season, and we wan
- Sharad Mattu
"With over 60 crazy students filling up 'the Zone; the atmosphere
couldn't have been better," LSA senior Jeff Gdowski said. The vivacious
crowd of 1,721 fans that showed up to Cliff Keen Arena Wednesday
night for the women's volleyball game against Michigan State was the
epitome of a Cliff Keen Arena experience. Built in 1956, the arena can
seat up to 1800 fans. It was named after long-time Michigan wrestling
coach Cliff Keen. "Whenever we play in Cliff Keen Arena, we protect
our house," Michigan volleyball team captain Sarah Allen said.
"Cliff Keen Arena not only has nice facilities and a good closed-in
area, but the student sections are new for us and the fans create great
energy for us to feed off of," sophomore Erin Cobler added. Cobler
and her teammates all agree that the facilities in Cliff Keen are
some of the best they've seen. During the summer of 2002, an expan-
sion and renovation of the volleyball lockerroom gave the team
the latest in digital video filming and editing equipment. They also
received a team room, which provides them with a homely atmo-
sphere. "We have the best arena in the conference and we want
that," Michigan coach Mark Rosen said. "If another place has a
better arena, then I'm sure they can't have a better student section
then ours. We actually can't thank the fans enough for their energy.
They're the other factor that makes Cliff Keen Arena so great."
- Jacqueline E. Howard
,
The Michigan Soccer Field was constructed
with Phyllis Ocker Field Hockey Field in 1995. It is
a little known fact that the roots of the two venues
stretch deeper into the history of Michigan athlet-
ics than any other. Used as a parking lot for foot-
ball games before its current formation, there was,
at one time, more than tires and tailgates rolling over
the hallowed turf. The site was once home to Regents
Field, the stomping ground of Michigan coaching leg-
end Fielding Yost's national champion "Point-A-Minute"
football teams near the turn of the 20th century.
. ;
This University is all about continuing A
tradition. So it's fitting that women's
cross country coach Mike McGuire
can watch his team practice in the
Indoor Track Building and recall his
glory days as a Michigan athlete.
"My favorite memory is when I
won a three-mile race in 1976,"
said McGuire as he remembered
the day he set a Big Ten record
for that race, just two years after
the facility opened as the Indoor
Track and Tennis Building in
1974. It was recently renovated
in 1997 when the tennis courts
were removed and the building
was dedicated entirely to Michi-
gan runners. When the weather's
nice, McGuire leads his team out-
doors to Ferry Field (pictured), right
next to the IM building. Originally
constructed in 1906 as the varsity football
field, Ferry turned in its goal posts to focus solely
on track and field in 1927. It wasn't until 1935 that Jes
three world records and tied one other at the Big Ten C
introducing the world to Ferry Field. Years later, McG
opportunity to meet the legend at this historical spot.
Ten outdoor meet there and they honored Jessie Owen:
"It was 39 years after he had broken four world record
a chance to meet him and get a picture taken with him
would always talk about the great day that he did tha
been broken, but the memory of his achievements remc
lete that steps onto the track at Ferry Field in hopes of
- Katie Niemeyer
Phyllis Ocker Field is not only the home turf of the Michigan field
hockey team, it is also where the team holds its practice. To coach Marcia
Pankratz, that is one of the field's biggest advantages. "The surface is very fast, and
very comfortable for us since we practice on it every day," Pankratz said. Yost's winning tradition has extended to
the field hockey team as it has earned a berth into the NCAA Tournament in each of the last five seasons. "We won on our home field (in 2001)
to go to the Final Four, beating North Carolina and Michigan State in overtime," said Pankratz of her best memory of the field.
The soccer field's perfectly conditioned grass reflects its short tenure as the home for the men's and women's varsity
teams. The women's team was the first to break it in, taking the field in 1995 after playing its first varsity season at near-
by Elbel Field. The men's program began playing at the field in its inaugural season in 2000. Today, the black iron gate
and classic red brick that encloses the field mirrors the entrances to Michigan Stadium. In the case of the Michigan Soc-
cer Field, football and soccer do seem to mix. In competition with more than 110,000 spectators that crowd Michigan Sta-
dium, the 1,500 fans that pack Michigan Soccer Field make up for their reduced numbers with increased enthusiasm.
- Max Kardon and Matt Venegoni