2B - The Michigan Daily - SportsTuesday - January 18, 2005 CLUBSPORTSWEEKLY Kayakers escape cold in NCRB By Kevin Wright Daily Sports Writer There's nothing more exciting than maneuvering through rapids, going off a 10-foot waterfall and then winding up in the North Campus Recreational Build- ing pool. That is the kayak club's situation every year as the harsh temperatures of the rivers during the winter force them to practice their trick moves and techniques inside. Every Wednesday night, a few members sprin- kle into the NCRB pool and enjoy the 70-degree water temperature and controlled environment. Even though club members are confined to the pool during the winter, their desire to kayak such rivers as the White Nile in Egypt and numerous others world- wide keeps them coming back to the tranquil waters of the NCRB to stay sharp until the spring and summer roll around again. During the fall and spring, the kayak club goes on various river trips in different states. It has over 200 members, including 30 Michigan students, some alum- ni and a large number of Michigan residents. Anytime a few members organize a trip, they send out an e-mail. Anyone else interested only needs to reply in the affir- mative for the club to travel. As graduate student and club member Brian Toth found out on his first kayak trip, anything can happen on trips. "My dad and I kayaked the whole Huron River, and, on the third day, we flipped over and we had to rescue my dad's stuff," Toth said. "It was really fun." As individuals, the club members can also partici- pate in competitions like the Ohio Pile Falls. There, kayakers maneuver through whitewater rapids and then perform tricks off a 20-foot waterfall. Other whitewa- ter tournaments use a "hole" - a whirlpool in the river. Then the participants try to stay in it as long as possible while performing a variety of tricks, such as cartwheels and back-deck and offside rolls. In these tournaments, different age and boat categories separate participants. "Competitions are a small thing here right now," senior Jack Conroy said. "It takes about 10 years before you get the professional level. It's an issue that many of us face. Do we want to become kayak bums living out of the back of a van? We go to the University of Michi- gan, and we have to consider that." While the club is funded by the University, the mem- bers still pay most of the expenses for trips. As for com- petitions, the University pays for any of the entrance fees or tournament expenses, but the members who compete pay for travel and food. In order to attract students, the club brings kayaks out to Festifall and, usually receives a great deal of interest. But as the year goes on, interest falters, main- ly because of the location of the club's meeting at the NCRB. Also, many new members leave the club after learning the basic safety standards and techniques. For first-time kayakers, the club members show them how to get into the kayak and "wet exit" from the kayak when it is flipped over and they are under water. New members also learn the basic paddle strokes - the forward and backward stroke. After that, the new members can learn different tricks and rolls for use in either competitions or a river. In the spring, the club takes many of the new mem- bers and at least 12 experienced club kayakers to the Huron River. If the new members make it through the trip and are still interested, the club takes them to Pennsylvania to paddle more difficult rivers. "I enjoy taking the new folks from the pool and going to the river," club member Jim Malinowski said. "After an hour into the paddle, they realize that the skills they developed in the pool actually work. It's nice to see them grow in their sport and achievement." With the dangerous nature of the kayaking, the club members always value safety as their No. 1 priority. Before paddling, Conroy tries to scout any river that is new to him in order to determine the location of the rapids and waterfalls. In addition, he never kayaks whitewater rapids without a helmet. Also, Malinowski always kayaks with a group in case he ever needs help. Many times, a person who knows the river will go ahead of the group and then, at a particularly tricky spot, wait for the group to go through to make sure no one has any trouble. While aware of the health risks of kayaking, club members still enjoy the serenity of nature and the adrenaline rush of navigating rapids and waterfalls. "Kayaking keeps you in shape," Toth said. "I love water and being in the pool. It's a good thing to do instead of playing on your computer. On the rivers, you can see things that you've never seen before because it's a totally different perspective. It's so much better than being in a car. You can sneak up on deer and stuff like that." Athlete of the Week Name: Lindsey Bruck Team: Gymnastics Hometown: Marietta, N.Y. Class: Sophomore Why: Bruck led the Wolverines to a wire-to-wire win over two ranked teams at Ohio State while capturing the all-around title with a score of 39.125. She also took the individual title on the balance beam with a score of 9.850. Bruck has won four titles on the balance beam and was named to the NCAA All-American first team last year. 'M' SCHEDULE Date Event 0 6 6 1/19 M Basketball at Indiana 1/20 W Basketball at Minnesota 1/21 1/21 1/21 M Swim/Diving vs. Northwestern Ice Hockey at Ohio State W Gymnastics vs. Penn State 1/22 W Track/Field at Red Simmons Invitational 1/22 W Tennis vs. Vanderbilt 1/22 M Basketball vs. Wisconsin 1/22 M Swim/Diving vs. Indiana 1/22 W Swim/Diving at Northwestern 1/22 M Gymnastics vs. Oklahoma 1/22 M Swim/Diving at California 1/22 Ice Hockey at Ohio State 1/22 M Track/Field at Red Simmons Invitational 1/23 W Basketball vs. Indiana 1/23 Wrestling at Cliff Keen/NWCA National Location Bloomington Minneapolis Ann Arbor Columbus Ann Arbor Ann Arbor Ann Arbor Ann Arbor Ann Arbor Evanston Ann Arbor Berkeley, Calif. Columbus Ann Arbor Ann Arbor Cleveland, Ohio Duals Time 8 p.m. 7 p.m. 6 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 9 a.m. 11 a.m. 12:17 p.m. 1 a.m. 2 p.m. 9 p.m. 4 p.m. 7:05 p.m. TBA 2 p.m. TBA 0 Youthful tankers re spond as hoped By Dan Ketchel Daily Sports Writer Step up. It may be a cliche, but ath- letes are often asked to do just that - to fight, work, compete and push themselves harder for their team. When there is a gaping hole in the lineup, an athlete has to step up and take on that role, no questions asked. The No. 13 Michigan women's swimming and diving squad has embodied this quality all season long. When the season began in October, coach Jim Richardson knew that his younger swimmers were going to have to step up into the roles left vacant by seven graduated seniors. Richardson knew then that by January, his team would be taking shape if his under- classmen met the task. With just two meets remaining until the Wolverines head to the Big Ten Championships, there is no doubt who the contributors are on this team. Michigan competed against both Notre Dame and Illinois over the weekend at the Notre Dame Invitation- al. They were only in official competi- tion against Illinois, winning 204-163, because of an upcoming dual meet at home against Notre Dame. Including her two victories over the weekend, sophomore Kaitlyn Brady has taken first in her previ- ous four races of both the 200-yard backstroke and the 50-yard freestyle. Sophomore Susan Gilliam blew away the competition in the last three long-adistance freestyle races she Moos, Churella hurt Penn State TOM MASO GOMEZ/Daily Sophomore Kaitlyn Brady won two events in Michigan's 204-163 win over Illinois. swam, and freshman Justine Mueller won her last four 200-yard individual medleys. Three underclassmen have success- fully stepped up and helped carry their team this past weekend and throughout the season. "Overall, for the team, I think we were pretty beat up this weekend," Richardson said. "We had just come off of our three hardest weeks of train- ing both in the water and dry land, and I think it had a pretty significant effect on performances. But I think that was to be expected; because of that, I thought we raced very well." In South Bend this weekend, Brady added to her success by taking the 100- yard backstroke, while Mueller also clinched the top spot in the 400-yard individual medley. The three swimmers also had a sig- nificant presence on the Wolverines' relay teams. The team composed of Brady, junior Abby Seskevics, senior Tracy Egnatuk and sophomore Lind- sey Smith took first in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Other top finishes came from the 400-yard freestyle relay team of Brady, Mueller, Ses- kevics and Smith, and the 800-yard freestyle relay team of Smith, senior Amy McCullough, Mueller and Gil- liam - both of which took first. Leading the way for Michigan in diving was another underclassmen, freshman Elyse Lee. Lee was the top finisher for the Wolverines and placed- second overall in both the one-meter and three-meter dives. Michigan had yet another preview of the No. 21 Notre Dame squad, rac- ing against it in exhibition as it did during its winter training trip in St. Lucia. The Wolverines will finally get a chance to race for points against the Irish on Jan. 28 in their home facility, Canham Natatorium. "I know Notre Dame pretty well," Richardson said. "But both of these teams are so competitive. They epito- mize the Michigan-Notre Dame tra- dition. I don't care if it's tidlly winks - you don't want to lose to Notre Dame." Meanwhile, Michigan continues its dominance in dual meets against the Big Ten with the win over the Illini. The Wolverines will look to end their conference schedule with a win over No. 23 Northwestern in Evanston this Saturday. By Mark Giannotto Daily Sports Writer Redshirt sophomore Mark Moos has been hampered with a sore neck due to the grind of the wrestling season. Redshirt freshman Josh Churella has been slowed by a high ankle sprain suf- fered during early season workouts. But neither has allowed their injuries to slow them down on the mat. Moos and Churella picked up impres- sive wins on Friday at Crisler Arena as No. 4 Michigan defeated No. 15 Penn State 31-9 in its first Big Ten dual meet of the season. Michigan (1-0 Big Ten, 6-1 overall) gave up a forfeit in the 125-pound weight class to start the match. Moos has moved up a weight class to the 133-pound divi- sion for the remainder of the season because he was unable to make weight at 125. Sophomore Jim Shutich - who com- peted at 133 pounds at the Buffalo Open - is expected to fill in at 125 pounds, but must take four weeks to drop in weight class, according to NCAA rules. Moos did not allow the early Michigan deficit to faze him. He came out aggres- sive against Penn State's Bryan Heller and picked up a takedown in the open- ing minute. With one minute remaining in the first period, Moos fell hard on his neck and appeared to aggravate his nag- ging injury. Luckily for Moos and the Wolverines, the fall was not as serious as it first appeared to be, and he continued to wrestle. With two second-period reversals, Moos took a commanding 8-3 lead going into the third period. From there, Heller started to come back and picked up four points as the third period progressed. With 15 seconds remaining, it appeared that Heller had a one-point escape that would have tied up the match: But the referee ruled that Moos had not yet lost control of Heller, and Moos picked up a narrow 8-7 minor decision win. "I just kept on concentrating on not giving up those last points," Moos said. "I just kept thinking about winning the match." Churella has also been able to ignore his injury troubles once he steppped on the mat. Since his return from injury in late December, Churella has showed no lingering effects in compiling a perfect 6-0 record. Against Penn State (0-1, 4-3), Churella faced his toughest match to date. Churel- la, who is ranked No. 8 by Amateur Wrestling News, wrestled No. 13 Dewitt Driscoll. Churella was very sluggish at the start of the match, and, going into the third period, the score was tied 2-2. "In the first couple periods, I wasn't moving my feet, and I just wasn't attack- ing," Churella said. At the start of the third period, Churella came alive and turned Driscoll to his back for a three-point near fall. Churella continued to put the pressure on Driscoll and compiled over a minute of riding time in the period. With the near fall Churella took a 5-2 lead that he would not relinquish. "I knew I had to dig deep in that third period," Churella said. "I just kept work- ing hard on top, and I finally got that (near fall), and it just opened up the match." With the momentum created by Moos's and Churella's close wins, the Wolver- ines went on to win six of the next seven weight classes. Co-captain Ryan Churella and 2004 All-American Greg Wagner both pinned their respective opponents. "I thought up and down the lineup we wrestled (consistently) and we wrestled tough," Michigan coach Joe McFarland said. "I think (the wrestlers) are feeding off the leaders on this team, and I like seeing that." The upset of the night happened in the 197-pound weight class as unranked Michigan wrestler Willie Breyer picked up a decisive 5-2 victory over No. 12 Phil- lip Davis of Penn State. Breyer scored two takedowns during the match and was able to control Davis while in the top position. It was the second week in a row that Brey- er beat a ranked opponent. "Willie is wrestling well, and he's staying in great position throughout his matches," McFarland said. "That win was huge for him and the team." The win over the Nittany Lions gave the Wolverines their sixth consecu- tive dual meet victory after starting the season with a loss to Lehigh. With this weekend's decisive victory over a quality opponent, it appears Michigan has used the momentum from its nonconference portion of its schedule to propel it to Big Ten success. "I can definitely see improvement in everyone's wrestling," senior co-captain Ryan Bertin said. "We have real good team chemistry right now" The Wolverines hope to keep their momentum going when they travel to Cleveland next weekend to compete in the Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals. Sophomore Josh Churella's win at 141 pounds improved his record this year to 7-0. Ii I REC SPORTS INTRAMURALS The University of Michigan Department of Recreational Sports Intramural Sports Program wwwJre6CS3or35iC dU 734-763-3562 REC SPORTS INTRAMURALS E E $ T S Entries S also taken online ntry Deadline: Ved, 01/19 :0 QPM M Building ntry Fee: '.00- doubles team 5.00 -individual ournament Dates: at, 01/22 & Sun, 01/23 ports Coliseum Entry Deadline: Tues, 02/01 4:30 PM IM Building M M w TO Entries M also taken Entry FeeM $35.00 per team C $5.00 per individuaN anager's eeting: ANDATORY jes, 02/0 0 M Building loot Date: 'urs, 02/03 anham atat rium Badminton Snis & DhIs ct&,;m.e. n;%,a kAaa+ Maslow I II I