2B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - April 11, 2005 CLUBS 0 TS EEKLY Want to fly? Whiz atop the water Athlete ofthe Week Name: Lauren Mirkovich Team: Women's Gymnastics Hometown: Birlingame, Calif. Class: Senior Why: Mirkovich and teammate Elise Ray tied for first place in the uneven bars at the NCAA South Central regional in Lincoln, Neb. this weekend. Mirkovich posted a 9.925, which tied her sea- son-best. Michigan took first overall in the competition, beating Nebraska by .3 points. By Billy Heisler Daily Sports Writer Let your mind drift from the anxiety and stress of the impending finals to a glistening lake - cool and placid in the crisp September air. Grabbing your lucky life jacket and trusted slalom ski from the beach, you head to the dock amidst cheers from your teammates. After hopping off the dock, you float for a few moments, composing yourself before the ski run. Before you know it you are whizzing atop the water, slicing back and forth across the boat's wake. You settle into the familiar feeling of the wind in your hair and the adrenaline pumping throughout your body. Not too long ago, you began competitive water skiing. But thanks to the recently received train- ing, you pose a threat to most others out on the lake. Each fall, the Michigan water skiing team travels to several parts of the country to participate in tournaments. These tournaments consists of 10 to 25 different college teams competing in three events - slalom, trick skiing and jumping. Points can be earned in each of these events based on completion of the course, form and skill. The overall winner is the team that compiles the most points by the end of the competition, which usually spans two days. The objective of the slalom event is to maneuver around a course of six buoys set on alternating sides of the boat's wake. The skier must quickly cut back and forth through the wake to pass around each buoy. Traveling anywhere from 26 to 36 miles per hour makes this a tough task, but for team captain Matt Vivian, tournament slalom skiing is a rush. "The sensation of carving turns in the water with the boat going 36 miles per hour through the slalom course - and you (going) even faster - is awesome," Vivian said. Trick skiing is an event where the skier travels atop a smaller ski than in the slalom and must complete surface spins and flips to receive points. The boat travels slower for trick skiers than for slalom skiers to make turning easier. The other event in which a skier may compete is jumping. Skiers are pulled up and over an inclined ramp that, at its tallest point, is five feet above the water's surface. Less experienced jumpers at Michigan can fly a total of about 40 feet, whereas more experi- enced skiers, like Vivian, can soar up to 81 feet, which is his personal best. But, there is still room to grow for the Michigan waterskiers in this event. Some schools boast skiers who can fly up to 100 feet. "The idea of flying over 100 feet, like some of the jumpers in our conference, really makes me want to get back on the water," Vivian said. As exhilarating as the performance aspects of these tournaments are, the most fun for the skiers is in the bonding that goes on within the team and between the other participating schools. Every team pitches tents and camps out on the shore of the lake the night between the two days of competition. During this night, it is a tournament tradition for the skiers to get to know each other and celebrate their previous day's performances. Often, the parents of some of the skiers bring in food and hire a DJ for the night. The participants have the same laid-back attitude during the competitions. Since only up to six skiers can be on the lake at one time, those who are not competing enjoy relaxing on the shore. Some choose to catch up on some rest while others toss around a football or a Frisbee. The water skiers also enjoy practicing, a time for the skiers to experiment with new techniques and ways to score points. The practices are also a much needed break from school work and the stresses of college life. "What could be better than driving to the lake after class or work and sitting out in the sun with skiing, your friends and some good tunes?" Vivian said. The waterskiing team is always open to new skiers regardless of skill level. The team encourages new skiers to practice with them and get individual instruction, or to just to hang out on their new, pristine Mastercraft ski boat. "We are just here to have a good time," skier Angie McLeod said. "Any skier is wel- come to join us. And even if you don't know how to ski, we will teach you." 'M' SCHEDULE Date Event Location 4/15-16 4/15-17 4/15 4/15 4/16 4/16 4/16 4/16 4/16-17 4/16-17 W Track/Field at Sea Ray Relays W Track/Field at Mt. SAC Relays Softball at Purdue Baseball at Illinois Knoxville, Tenn. Walnut, Calif. West Lafayette Champaign Time TBA 12 p.m. 4 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 9 a.m. 12 p.m. 1 p.m. 5:05 p.m. TBA TBA W Rowing Belleville M Tennis at Ohio State Columbus Softball at Purdue West Lafayette Baseball at Illinois Champaign Water Polo at Long Beach Invite Long Beach, Calif. M Golf at Boilermaker Invitational West Lafayette 0 WOM ENS TRACK AND FIELD DMR trio helps set meet record 4x800 " Blue takes fi'*rst place at NC~AA regionals By Katie Niemeyer Daily Sports Writer The importance of senior leadership was shown in the Michigan women's gymnastics team's final rotation on Saturday at the NCAA South Central Regional Championship in Lin- coln, Neb. In the sixth rotation, the Wolverines needed a 49.075 on the uneven bars to regain the lead over Nebraska, who had already completed its meet. Michigan seniors Lauren Mirkovich and Elise Ray were up to the challenge. As the last Wol- verines to compete, they stepped up to the appa- ratus, needing to be perfect. The Wolverines had suffered one fall early in the lineup and couldn't afford another mistake. The seniors put up identical scores of 9.925 to become co-champions in the event and clinch Michigan's 196.600-196.300 win over second- place Nebraska. "It was a tough position," Ray said. "The last event of a regional competition is very nerve- wracking, and we had a fall in the middle. So (as) the last two, we knew we had to hit because we weren't exactly sure where we were. So, it was a little nerve-wracking, but I think we han- dled it pretty well." The Wolverines started on beam as strongly as they finished. They rearranged the beam lineup before the competition, putting sopho- more Carol McNamara up first to kick off the meet for the Wolverines. "Her practices have been incredible this past week, and we just really felt that she was the person we needed to get us started," Michigan coach Bev Plocki said. "I thought she did a great job, very composed. (Composure is) very impor- tant on beam where you have all that adrenaline MIKE HULSEBUS/Daily Senior Elise Ray took second place in the all-around to lead Michigan to victory at the NCAA Regional Tournament.- and nervous energy, and I think that she really started us off great in that competition." Michigan, which struggled on the balance beam at the Big Ten Championships, needed a strong score in the event on Saturday "We were extremely relieved and excited once we had it and once we got through it," Plocki said. "I think it really relaxed everybody once we got beam behind us, and we were really able to keep the energy high through the rest of the meet." Michigan carried the momentum into the floor exercise where it posted the highest team score for the event (49.225) and didn't have to count a score below a 9.825. And Ray tied for second place with a 9.900. "I thought that our floor performances were very good," Plocki said. "I thought the perfor- mance quality was good. I thought the tumbling and landing was good." The Wolverines continued to perform consis- tently on vault, scoring a 49.175 and positioning themselves well for the final rotation. "I thought we came close to sticking several vaults but still took little steps here and there," Plocki said. "I think our vaults were very good. Our vaults were very big and dynamic, but we know that we still have places that we can still improve on, as well." Michigan's three all-around competitors - Ray (39.375), junior Jenny Deiley (39.350) and sophomore Lindsey Bruck (39.250) - went two, three and four in the all-around on the way to the Wolverines' victory. By winning its sixth regional title in nine years, Michigan secured a spot at the NCAA National Championships April 21-23 in Auburn, Ala. By Daniel Bromwich Daily Sports Writer Three of the four members of the national champion Distance Medley Relay continued their record-breaking seasons this weekend at the Duke Invi- tational. And for the second straight meet, a middle distance relay team set a new meet record. Freshman Nicole Edwards and seniors Theresa Feldkamp and Lindsey Gallo joined junior Katie Erdman and posted a new meet record (8:42.00) and an NCAA regional qualifying time in the 4x800-meter relay this weekend for the women's track and field team. At the Florida Relays the previous weekend, Feldkamp, Gallo and Edwards teamed up with fifth-year senior Andrea Parker to set a meet record in the 4x1,500- meter relay. The three defending national champions took a week off after the NCAA championships to recuperate. But once they returned to the track, it was like they never left. In addition to their performances in the 4x800- meter relay in Durham, Gallo and Edwards. also posted regional-quali- fying times in the 1,500-meter run. Gallo finished in third place with a time of 4:19.97, and, in Edwards's first 1,500-meter race, she finished 11th with a time of 4:24.66. "I was really pleased with the way that Nicole and Lindsey both ran," Michigan associate head coach Mike McGuire said. "I think that, eventually, the 1,500-meters will be Nicole's best race, and this was a good start." Feldkamp also ran the 1,500-meters, and she posted a new personal-best with a time of 4:30.29. She just missed posting an NCAA regional-qualifying time of her own, but McGuire expects her to record the qualifying time of N NOTES Sarantos hits regional qualifying mark in N.C. The men's track team sent a small contingent of field athletes and sprinters to the Duke Invitational in Durham, N.C., over the weekend. Michigan senior Joey Sarantos high- lighted Michigan's performance by posting an NCAA regional qualify- ing mark and personal-best distance in the discus with a throw of 169-10 feet. Sarantos's third-place throw bettered his previous personal-best by five feet. Two other Wolverines posted regional qualifying marks at Duke. 4:27.80 very soon. When Feldkamp does qualify, she could possibly give Michigan four qualifiers in the 1,500- meters - joining Gallo, Edwards and perhaps sophomore Jackie Gaydos, who ran a personal best time of 4:29.31 at the Florida State Relays. Feldkamp ran a personal-best by over three seconds, but she was still some- what dissatisfied with her performance. "I was kind of disappointed in my race," Feldkamp said. "I really thought I could get it my first time out there. I'm not really that upset because I did beat my personal-best by a lot, but it is a little disappoint- ing. Hopefully, I can just get the time next weekend." The Wolverines had another run- ner qualify regionally on Friday, as senior Ana Gjesdal qualified in the 5,000-meter run. Gjesdal - who has also regionally qualified in the 3,000-meter steeplechase - finished fourth in the 5,000 with a career-best time of 16:49.78. Gjesdal saved her best for last, passing seven runners on her final lap. But Gjesdal had many obstacles to overcome in order to qualify. Up until last Monday, she felt confident that she would be able to qualify, but she strained her hamstring at practice on Monday. It was not until Thursday that she made the decision to run. Even the elements seemed to be against her; it was raining as her race began on Fri- day night. "(The rain) didn't really change any- thing about my race," Gjesdal said. "I was worried that my hamstring would act up, but it felt fine, and the rain didn't bother me. I just got wet." The Wolverines will split up for their next meet. Part of the team will head to the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn., while the rest of the team travels west to the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif. In the 110-meter hurdles, Michigan sophomore Jeff Porter finished fifth in the finals and posted his third regional qualifying mark of the sea- son with a time of 14.24 seconds in the preliminary race. In the triple jump, sophomore Michael Whitehead posted his sec- ond regional qualifying distance of the year with a third-place leap of 49-10. In the 400-meter hurdles, two Michigan athletes placed in the top-15. Senior Seth Waits finished ninth; fellow senior David Batani took 12th. The team will send a full squad to Tempe, Ariz., next weekend when it will compete in the Sun Devil Invi- tational. - Ian Robinson NCAAS Continued from page 1B -ships. He ended his career as a Wolverine on a high note, despite leaving without a National Cham- pionship ring. "He did the best performance of his career, and that's all you can ask for," Michigan coach Kurt Golder said. "He did a damn good job, and everything went extreme- ly well. It was just a clean routine overall." Senior Eddie Umphrey earned his first All-American honors on the floor exercise after a third- place finish in the individual finals. Umphrey hit a "routine of a lifetime" according to Golder - scoring a 9.525 - just .075 points out of first place. Umphrey's solid floor routine thing that's not gold is a disap- during the team finals on Friday pointment. However, to go out there not only put him in contention yesterday and have the whole team for the individual finals but also behind me and supporting me for helped the Wolverines earn their my last meet in a Michigan uniform only top-three finish in the team was incredible, hitting the best floor competition. Michigan came in routine of my life and having the first place on floor exercise. crowd cheering for me and having a "It was mixed emotions," top-three finish in an All-American Umphrey said of his last meet as a position - I couldn't have pictured Wolverine. "You think that every- it any other way." Do you like crossword puzzles? {f:Bored during summer classes? Need something to read during the lazy days of summer? STOP BY 420 MAYNARD ST., TONIGHT. MITCH ALBOM TOLD US HE WOULD BE.COMING TO CHEER US ON.. JOIN DAILY SPORTS. Then Check Out Th Published every Monday throughout both spring and summer terms, except on May 3rd and May 31", and Monday r' July 4h. On these days, there will be .publications on Tuesday There are 25 drop spots located throughout campus includig: The Union, Med School, Athletic Depgatment, Angell Hall, and the Modern Lanuxage Building.