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The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - 13
Defenseman tests
waters on offense
Hurd pleased to be
back with Wolverines
By Gabe Edelson
Daily Sports Writer
Matt Hunwick hasn't yet become a
household name, but he soon will be if he
continues his recent outstanding play.
The defenseman's relatively unknown
status might be due to his position. It
might be because of the fact that he scored
just one goal last year during his freshman
season. Maybe his unimposing size and
his quiet demeanor have contributed, as
well.
But the sophomore picked up his third
CCHA Defensive Player of the Week
award on Monday after contributing a
game-winning goal and two assists in
Michigan's weekend-series sweep of
Alaska-Fairbanks. It was his second time
earning the honor in as many weeks.
"(Being recognized) definitely gives
you confidence," Hunwick said. "I just
have more confidence with the puck out
there. (I'm) making smart plays (and)
seeing the ice better as of late."
With five goals and 12 assists just 22
games into the season, Hunwick has
already surpassed his 15-point freshman
season performance. He is currently on a
seven-game scoring streak during which
he has accumulated 12 points. Perhaps
most impressive, the Wolverines are a per-
fect 9-0-0 when Hunwick scores a point.
"Sometimes the puck just goes in
when you're a defenseman," Michigan
coach Red Berenson said. "But (Hun-
wick) is getting his shots through to the
net now; he's shooting smart, and it's
going in for him."
All this talk about offense shouldn't
hide the obvious fact that a good defense-
man must be able to play effective defense
- an area of the game in which Hunwick
has long excelled. The Sterling Heights
native's solid positioning, good lateral
mobility and sound defensive fundamen-
tals certainly contributed to his selection
by the Boston Bruins in the seventh round
of last summer's NHL Draft.
"(Hunwick) is a great skater, so he's
defensively sound," said senior alternate
captain Brandon Rogers, Hunwick's
defensive partner. "He's real hard to beat
one-on-one. He's always in good position.
He's started to thrive off of being a two-
way defenseman."
And despite Hunwick's scoring prow-
ess this season, Berenson can't help but
think of Hunwick as superior on the
defensive end.
"I think if you ask people who know
Matt Hunwick, they would describe him
as a defensive defenseman - a stay-at-
home (player), very attentive to playing
good defense (and) a player you can trust
as a coach," Berenson said.
But the fact that Hunwick has added
a new wrinkle to his game this year
can't be ignored. It was evident on
Dec. 10, when he netted a hat trick in a
game against Bowling Green. Hunwick
scored more goals in the third period
of that contest (2) than he did all last
season. He currently ranks first on the
team in total points among defensemen
and 14th in the nation in points per
game by a defenseman.
"(Hunwick) is becoming more of a
complete player," Berenson said. "He
plays strong. I would say that his foot
speed is deceptive. He can recover. He can
get into position. He can beat players to a
loose puck. You watch him on the pen-
alty kill - in a lot of down-low situations
- and he uses his foot speed and his body
position well."
Some of the credit for Hunwick's
improvement should go to an increasing
familiarity with Rogers on the ice.
"I really like playing with (Rogers),"
RYAN W
Sophomore Matt Hunwick scored three points during last weekend's series.
By Anne Uible
Daily Sports Writer
Andrew Hurd's personal alliance may
lie with the Maize and Blue, but official-
ly, his citizenship belongs to the northern
nation of Canada. This past summer, he
had to swim against his American team-
mates in the toughest competition in the
world - the Olympics.
Hurd, a member of the Michigan
men's swim team, began swimming
when he was four in Oakville, Ontario.
Like many budding athletes, he par-
ticipated in several different sports as a
young child. At the age of ten, his par-
ents pushed him to choose one sport
and stick with it. To his father's dismay,
swimming was Hurd's choice.
"My dad had been a swimmer for a
long while when he was younger," Hurd
said. "He knew how much time was
involved and the early morning practices
that I'd have to do. But it was my deci-
sion, and swimming was my best sport."
By the time he was 15, Hurd was get-
ting more and more involved with swim-
ming and had aspirations to continue
competing beyond high school. He was
highly recruited by Michigan and took the
opportunity to swim with one of the best
programs in the United States and under
one of the best coaches, Jon Urbanchek.
"Michigan was superior to any other
school that was recruiting me," Hurd
said. "I liked the coach, and (Michigan)
had everything I wanted in terms of aca-
demics and athletics."
Hurd's career at Michigan has been
filled with great successes and achieve-
ments. He has been named an NCAA
All-American five times, holds an
NCAA record in the 800-yard freestyle
relay and is a two-time Big Ten Cham-
pion in that event. While his career has
hit several high marks, Hurd believes
his finest moment as a Wolverine was
last year when he claimed the NCAA
title and record in the 800-yard freestyle
relay with his team of Peter Vanderkaay,
Davis Tarwater and Dan Ketchum.
"Not only did we win that race for the
team but for the school also," Hurd said.
"It was just an incredible moment that
I'll never forget."
And just when he had hit that pinnacle
last March, Hurd raised the bar - to the
Olympic level. But this time he wasn't
swimming for a team that he was very
familiar with. As a Canadian citizen,
Hurd had the opportunity to swim under
the red and white flag while competing
in Athens.
"It's different swimming without.
your normal teammates," Hurd said.
"I'm used to swimming with them, not
against them. It's also hard to race them
when you know how capable they are."
Hurd enjoyed swimming with his
Canadian teammates but commented
that they weren't as competitive or serious
about swimming as his American team-
mates. Where swimmers in the United
States typically train for years prior to the
Olympic trials, most Canadians only pre-
pare for the meet a month in advance.
"The Canadian program needs more
development," Hurd said. "The depth isn't
very strong. There's a lot of support at the
younger age, but, as kids grow up, there
aren't many programs for them to join."
While in Athens, Hurd finished 14th
in the 400-meter freestyle in 3:50.81,
less than one second off of the Canadian
record of 3:49.67, which he set after set-
ting it during the Olympic trials.
"It was definitely the best international
meet I've ever been to," Hurd said. "The
Olympic meet is a very high-pressure
meet. I felt like I performed at an average
level. Under that much pressure, average
is the best you can hope for."
After the competition was over, Hurd
endured an injury that forced him to sit
out most of last semester's competition.
While still residing in Athens after his
race, Hurd fell down with a glass in his
hand, sliced an artery, tore a ligament
and damaged a nerve in his hand. After
undergoing both surgery and therapy,
Hurd is just now getting back into his
training regimen.
"It's been a tough transition, getting
back into training," Hurd said. "It was
a painful injury, and it has affected me
more than I thought it would."
Michigan coach Bob Bowman has
been impressed with the way Hurd has
handled his injury.
"I think it's going to be tough to come
back from such a serious injury," Bow-
man said. "But his training process has
gone pretty well, so it will be interesting
to see how he does. He has a very strong
work ethic, and he's able to train through
a tremendous amount of pain."
Hurd hasn't decided if he is going to
try to make the 2008 Olympics and says
he probably won't make the decision
until his summer training begins.
"I'm looking forward to taking a break
from swimming after this season," Hurd
said. "I've been doing it for so many
years, and I think it will be nice to just
rest for a bit."
This weekend Hurd and the Wol-
verines will be competing in their only
home stand of the season. They take on
Northwestern on Friday at 5 p.m. npd
Indiana on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Hunwick said. "I think we've grown a lot
together and we feel comfortable out there
with each other. We have a sense of what
one another's doing, so it's been pretty
easy. He's great with the puck, (and) he
has great hands and I can get back to the
loose pucks."
Hunwick also skated for the United
States in the World Junior Champi-
onship over the holidays and opened
many observers' eyes with his strong
play. Hunwick played in the same tour-
nament last year, but his role was sig-
nificantly broadened this time around.
As to whether or not the experience
will improve the remainder of Hun-
wick's season, Berenson believes it's
too early to tell.
"It's quick to say whether (playing in
the Juniors) was a great thing for him or
didn't matter," Berenson said. "Hopefully,
the experience will give him some confi-
dence. It's another line on his resume that
should make him a better player."
Pole vaulters must risk safety to excel
By Ian Robinson
Daily Sports Writer
When at a track meet, it seems as if the pole vault gener-
ates the most excitement among the crowd. Although some
events move at a faster speed than the pole vault, it is one of
the most complex. It is the closest track and field comes to
an extreme sport.
In order to perform a successful vault, athletes must
sprint while carrying a 16-foot-long fiberglass pole. Then,
they plant the pole into a steel box with their arms fully
extended and jump off the ground while holding onto the
pole as it bends. Next, the vaulter must push off the wall and
invert himself in mid-air to clear the vault before landing
on the mat.
"The pole vaulters are the most athletic members of the
track team," assistant coach David Kaiser said.
Kaiser believes that no event in track and field is as phys-
ically and mentally demanding as the pole vault.
Among the physical requirements of a vaulter are the
speed of a sprinter, the strength of a thrower, the ability to
leap high and the athleticism to be able to invert his body
while on a bent stick.
The various talents involved in performing the vault
require athletes to work on each facet of the skill.
"We are usually the last people to leave practice," red-
shirt freshman Kevin Day said. "We have intensive sprint
workouts, lift pretty hard and go through a couple of vault
sessions during the week."
In addition to these workouts, the vaulters must focus on
the difficult technical aspects of the sport.
"To work on the technique, you have to be jumping,"
redshirt sophomore Kevin Peterman said. "You need to
spend time on the takeoff, the swing and getting over
the bar."
To succeed in the vault, it is also necessary to be
mentally strong.
"The athlete needs a certain level of confidence, and fear
cannot be a factor," Kaiser said.
When competing in the pole vault, competitors must not
think too much. Day said that he relies on muscle-memory
that he conditions from training.
"I try to have the same consistent run and make sure that
my body is in the best position," captain Craig Theissen
said. "One of my problems is that I think too much."
Another mental barrier that the athletes must
overcome are the health risks of the vault. Athletes
face more danger when competing in the pole vault
than in any other event in track and field. In Febru-
ary 2002, Penn State pole vaulter Kevin Dare died,
landing on his head, while competing in the Big Ten
Championships. Michigan pole vaulters understand
the risks involved in the vault. They feel that proper
training and proper facilities can prevent such inci-
dents from occurring.
"Across the country, there is a big push toward safety in
the vault," Kaiser said. "(At Michigan), we have an admin-
istration that is supportive about providing safety and a nice
facility to jump in."
Athletes confront these obstacles because they want to
experience the thrill of pole vault.
"I love the ultimate rush you get from the second you
leave the ground to falling back to the mat," Theissen said.
This season, the Michigan pole vaulters have high
expectations for themselves and hope to be part of a Big
Ten championship team.
"This is the best team I have been on," Theissen said.
"We are refusing to settle for anything but a Big Ten
championship."
The team will continue its path toward achieving this
goal when it hosts the Red Simmons Invitational on Satur-
day at the Indoor Track Building.
MIKE HULSEBUS/Daily
Redshirt freshman pole vaulter Kevin Day's personal
record Is 14-11.
M WOMEN'S TENNIS
Yaftali finds success after transfer from UCLA
By Nick Benson
For the Daily
After growing up in Westlake, Calif.
and spending her freshman and sopho-
more years on the UCLA tennis team, it is
surprising that recent transfer Nina Yaftali
can easily handle Michigan winters.
"Surprisingly, it doesn't bother me that
much," Yaftali said. "I just throw on a
coat. Sometimes I even wear sandals in
the snow."
But playing for the No. 20 Michigan
women's tennis team has given Yaftali
more challenging adjustments than bun-
dling up before walking to class.
One of her obstacles came this winter.
As a walk-on at UCLA, Yaftali played
only on outdoor courts. But in Ann Arbor,
the cold winters brought the game inside.
Because play on indoor courts was faster
and more aggressive, Yaftali had to devel-
op aspects of the indoor game that she was
able to ignore at UCLA. But a tenacious
work ethic allowed her to adapt quickly.
Yaftali was already well prepared to
play for a top-ranked collegiate tennis
program. She came from a deep UCLA
team that finished No. 2 last year. But
she did not see an opportunity to make
a significant contribution to the Bruins.
The top six roster spots compete, but she
did not hold a regular spot in the group.
Yaftali told herself that if she did not make
an impact on the squad her first two years,
she would leave. After hearing that she
was not going to play in the top six during
her sophomore season, she started check-
ing out other schools.
With family from Southfield and her
former doubles partner in Ann Arbor,
Michigan rose to the top of her choices.
At 14, Nina's doubles partner was current
Michigan player Elizabeth Exon. Yaftali
spoke with both Exon and head coach
Bitsy Ritt while making her decision.
"The main reason was that I worked so
hard for two years and I felt like I wasn't
getting the opportunities I deserved,"
Yaftali said. "Too much of my life has
been devoted to tennis for me to walk
away."
In Ann Arbor, Yaftali's strong work
ethic immediately paid off. At the start of
the season, she claimed top honors at the
Wolverine Invitational after winning four
straight rounds to take the "Maize" flight
singles bracket with a win over Eastern
Michigan's Laura Fernandez. Her success
continued this past weekend in Michigan's
first dual match of the season, when Yaftali
won both her singles and doubles matches.
After seeing her at UCLA, Ritt is excit-
ed to have Yaftali on the squad.
"I think she missed so many opportuni-
ties to compete while at UCLA that she
has a great attitude and she wants to make
the most of her opportunities at Michi-
gan," Ritt said. "We are thrilled to have
her in the program because she adds a lot
in terms of work ethic and attitude. She
has a lot of enthusiasm, and she is a very
good player that will help the team."
After several strong matches Yaftali is
settling in at Michigan and looking for-
ward to the remainder of the season.
"I would definitely like to move up in
the lineup, but the number one thing for
me is the team," Yaftali said. "I will play
any position as long as we win."
Senior Andrew Hurd sustained an injury after swimming for the Canadian Olympic team
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