10 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, April 13, 2005 Experienced rowers place emphasis on improvement . By Sara Livingston Daily Sports Writer Experience is the key to success. And for the first varsity eight boat on the No. 2 Michigan women's rowing team, it is experi- ence that has helped the boat earn its second consecutive Big Ten Boat of the Week award. Led at the helm by senior coxswain Tara Medina, the boat consists of five senior row- ers, including All-American Leah Ketcheson, and serves as the role model for all of the other crews on Michigan's squad. "I think that this is probably the most expe- rienced crew we have ever had," Michigan coach Mark Rothstein said. "That goes well, but at the same time there is a lot of competi- tion. I think their experience will be helpful and is an advantage, but it doesn't mean we are going to be fast, and (the rowers) know that." Along with experience comes a sense of awareness. The rowers know one another well enough to know just what buttons to push to get the boat back on track if neces- sary. Medina knows just what to say to get her crew refocused and what to do to get them to come back from behind to win as it did Saturday against No. 6 Brown. "We definitely have a lot of experience," senior Sarah Trownbridge said. "We also have a lot of seniors and an excellent cox- swain who has been doing this for years." In addition to team chemistry, all nine athletes bring a certain drive out to the lake every day, knowing that there is always room to improve and there are always technical aspects they have to work on. While many of the rowers have been in the same boat since freshman year, they don't assume that past accomplishments will insure future success - and Rothstein expects nothing less of his top boat. "Last year was last year, and this year is this year," Rothstein said, referring to the boat's third-place finish at the NCAA Cham- pionships last season. "Certainly, I feel good about the crew's development up until now, but we need to get a lot faster if we are going to be successful down the road. And I think our kids understand that, and they know they have a lot of work to do ahead of them." The first varsity eight is currently unde- feated this season, yet you would never know Michigan's first varsity eight boat remains undefeated on the year after wins against Michigan State and Brown last weekend. it from talking to the crew. The list of rea- sons to work hard throughout the season is a long one, but the fact that they are constantly pushed by improving opponents may be the biggest reason. "We have really great competition, and that forces us to really get up for every race," Medina said. Prior to each race, the crew sits down together and comprised a list of goals for the upcoming regatta. Although the rowers admit that a win is nice, the list is usually focused on technical aspects. During practice the Monday after its race, the crew hones in on the mechanics of its form and its synchroni- zation; there is always something to improve upon. "We always have goals going into each race," Trownbridge said. "They are usually technical, and we just try to make sure we improve on each race." Golder disappointed with Blue's early lack of focus By Sara Livingston Daily Sports Writer The plane skidded along the run- way and came to a slow stop. Coach Kurt Golder and his No. 5 Michigan men's gymnastics team were back in Ann Arbor after the team's disastrous weekend at West Point for the NCAA Championships. Driving home from the airport, it was all clear to Golder how the team slipped up this past weekend. Even though he never mentioned any lingering problems the team had with its practice regimen during the season, it was clear that the Wolverines' lack of focus and training throughout the sum- mer and then into the preseason caused them to come up short in the postseason. Michigan finished in third place at the Big Ten Championships and then sixth at the NCAA Championships. With the cool spring breeze passing through his car, Golder could only wonder how he didn't see this coming at the begin- ning of the season when the team was pre- dicting winning a national championship. "They weren't focused enough on the right things," Golder said. "Many guys were distracted with other priorities, and they weren't training hard enough throughout the summer. That's what hurt us, and that's what caught up with us. We didn't prepare well, and we didn't per- form well, and that's when cutting cor- ners catches up to you." Golder eluded to the fact that while other teams spent their summer in the gym, working on their mechanics and tweaking the routines they would later execute per- fectly during the season, the Wolverines were instead distracted, and that failure to prepare came back to bite them in the rear. While Golder understands the seniors' discontent in never winning a national championship, he knows they could have trained harder despite the team's early sea- son success. Golder felt that, after winter break, the gymnasts came down with a bad case of senioritis and never seemed to recover, costing them their much-coveted championship rings. "They are very disappointed," Golder said. "There is a legacy here at Michigan, and they graduated without getting a ring. The class that preceded them had two or three of them, but it's the lack of prepara- tion and the lack of focus. What are you doing in August? Are you outworking all of your competitors? Because they cer- tainly weren't." By the time Golder reached his drive- way, he understood there was nothing more he could have done during the season to give the Wolverines that extra edge they were missing at the NCAA Champion- ships. As Golder put the car into park and shut off the engine, he knew he had wanted to see the team succeed and dominate their competition, but that never happened. And his six graduating seniors will leave Mich- igan never breathing the air at the top of the podium. "I look at the difference between how our team was training mid-summer compared to the teams that dominated at nationals," Golder said. "I just don't think our focus was on the target 12 months out of the year. I can't require them to come to the gym. It's voluntary practice from this point forward, and, if they don't come, there is nothing I can do and it's up to them." Despite Golder's feelings about the team's dedication, senior Eddie Umphrey instead looked at the positive, recalling the many personal goals he accomplished while at Michigan - regardless of never winning a national championship. "I remember walking in here fresh- men year and saying, 'I have to be an All-American,"' senior Eddie Umphrey said. "Then walking into this season, I told myself I had to be an All-American or my time here at Michigan has meant nothing. I had just one shot to do it on floor, and I just told myself I have to be perfect, and I was. Then to end my career with a bunch of Big Ten and NCAA med- als - it's just a great feeling." ALEANDER DZIADOSZ /Daily Senior Eddie Umphrey was recently named to the All-American team, despite his team's disappointing finish to the season. DR. E. ROYSTER HARPER, Vice President for Student Affairs is currently seeking applicants for the DSA Student Advisory Board. Several positions are available. This advisory board will compliment existing methods utilized by the Division of Student Affairs to discern the needs, concerns, and opinions of students. APPLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE in the Student Activities and Leadership office and online at the Student Matters website (www.umich. edu/~ovpsa/studentmatters). Applications are due Thursday, April [4 by Noon. 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