The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, April 20, 2005 -15 Seniors look back on four years at'M' A LEXANDER DZIADOS::Z/Daily The Michigan women's rowing team is supported by the Open Water Club, a group of parents that travel around the country to watch the team compete. Open Water Club aims to buy tank By Sara Livingston Daily Sports Writer They're the ones whose voices are hoarse for days from yelling "Let's Go Blue" as loud as they can. They're the ones who are there after a tough race, grilling burgers and making fruit salad to make sure everyone's energy is high. They're the ones that travel hundreds of miles to Bloomington and Columbus just to lend their support in any way possible. They're the members of the Open Water Club, which consist of current and past parents of rowers on the Michigan women's rowing team. The club - which got its name from the idea that a crew always wants to have open water on its opponents - has been growing ever since row- ing became a varsity sport at Michigan in 1996. During races, the club sells refreshments and Michigan rowing gear to help raise money for the team. Its ultimate goal is to help the team purchase an indoor water tank. The tank would allow the rowers to practice on the water during the win- ter months and keep up with their warm-weather opponents. "The kids just have a great attitude and a great coach, and they just have so much spirit for every- body else," Open Water Club President Jan Godek said as she sorted through a pile of Michigan crew T-shirts, searching for the right size for an eager supporter. "We just all love doing it. I just love it. While my daughter (fifth-year senior Elizabeth Godek) is graduating this year, I'm from Ann Arbor, and I'll still be involved." In the club's latest attempt to raise money for the team, it has created a cookbook entitled "Crew'd Foods." This is a collaboration of the families' favorite dishes. Ranging from easy strawberry cream pie to crab Florentine casserole, the 94-rec- ipe book is the product of two years of work on the part of dedicated parents. Even though the clear-cut description of the club is simply a booster group that is helping to the Open Water Club is far less tangible and stems from the undying support and encouragement it has for the team year round. "(The Open Water Club) gives us the opportu- nity to develop a relationship with these parents, so it makes us feel like we have a place away from it all to go when racing gets really heated," senior Sarah Towbridge said. "These parents give us their homes and are always there for us, and it makes me feel as though my parents are watching me. If we have a bad race it's nice to have these caring parents around that aren't just there for their own kids but are there for the entire team. The night before last weekend's race against Iowa and No. 14 Wisconsin, the rowers had a team dinner at the house of former Open Water Club presidents Pam and Jack Ceo. The Ceo's - whose daughter Christina graduated in 2003 - brought the Open Water Club back to life and built it into what it is today during their tenure from 2001-03. Their goal was to build a community where all the parents could stay informed of the team's progress and remain involved if they were unable to attend the races. More importantly, the Ceo's created an environment where the rowers felt comfortable and gave them a loving family away from home. "My parents have never been to a race," said senior Cristin McCary, who is from Saskatchewan, Canada. "There are definitely a lot of other parents here that live closer. I see them probably 10 times as much as I see my parents. It's almost as though they have become my parents. They are there sup- porting me just as much as my own would." In forming the Open Water Club, the parents have created their own network of friends,. one that is constantly continuing to grow as the team becomes more and more successful. "We just love it," Pam Ceo said. "We have made so many great friends through this. We have deemed Oakridge, Tenn. - which is where region- als are - the site of the parent alumni reunion. We are going to get as many parents there as pos- sible. We just love the people we work with and the coaches as well." One of the club's first members was John Mosk- wa. His daughter Alyson graduated in 1997 - just one year after the team went varsity. Moscow can still be spotted at every rowing meet with two sets of binoculars around his neck and blue Michigan rowing gear from head to toe. In addition to help- ing post the scores for the parents to see, Moskwa constantly patrols the boathouse deck looking out onto the water through his binoculars to check the Wolverines' progress. "So many of the girls live so far away that their parents can't be here to watch them, so all of us that live in Michigan or close by that are able to come and support them do," Moskwa said. The No. 2 Wolverines are overly appreciative of the Open Water Club's efforts for giving them a positive environment to compete in, as well as a home away from home and surrogate parents to support them through their collegiate years. "The Open Water Club has been phenomenal," senior Tara Medina said. "They are great support- ers of us. A lot of the parents come to all of the races and especially for our home races, and, in particular, our last home race. It's great to have them here. You're not just racing for yourself, or racing for Michigan, but you're racing for your par- ents and showing off for them in a way. You have someone you care about working hard for you." By Daniel Levy Daily Sports Writer Last Saturday's match against Ohio State marked the first time this season the Michigan women's tennis team competed outdoors in Ann Arbor. More importantly, it marked the last time senior co-captains Michelle DaCosta and Leanne Rutherford donned the Maize and Blue at home - an occasion that left both players in disbelief. "The time really flew by,"DaCosta said. "I can't believe it is here already." While echoing these same sentiments, Rutherford also focused on the thrill of the situation. "It is pretty exciting, and a lot of fun," Rutherford said. Four years of Michigan tennis has left a lot for DaCosta and Rutherford to think about once they leave. "I am going to miss seeing some of my best friends every day at practice," Ruth- erford said. "The traveling was fun, and there have been a lot of exciting matches. But, most of all, I am going to miss that intense feeling I get when I am compet- ing for Michigan. You can't replicate that anywhere." Aside from the thrill of competition, DaCosta is going to miss the comfort of Ann Arbor the most. "I will miss competing at home," DaCosta said. "We have such loyal fans and great facilities. You can't ask for any- thing more." Both players stepped into action as freshmen. DaCosta was thrown right into the No. 2 singles slot, while Rutherford filled the hole at No. 4. With four years of match experience, there have been plenty of great moments for the two. For Ruther- ford, it was breaking into the lineup as a freshman. "Freshman year we were unranked and hosted a good Miami, (Fla.) team," Ruth- erford said. "The whole thing came down to my match, and I won. It was my first true taste of college tennis. I hadn't experienced anything like that yet. It was so exciting." For DaCosta, a similar story with a comeback twist will always stick out in her mind. "Last year, at Purdue, I was down 5-1 in the third set of the deciding match and came back to win. That MIKE HULSEBUS/Daily Senior Michelle DaCosta's time at Michigan is almost done. was pretty special." Michigan tennis has had an even larger meaning for DaCosta. Having held the No. 1 singles spot since her sophomore sea- son, she has been looked upon as a leader almost every year of her career. "Coming here was really special for me," DaCosta said. " I was so lucky to come to a program like this. It has every- thing I could ever want. I felt like I had to give it back to them." Hosting the rival Buckeyes may have helped DaCosta and Rutherford focus on tennis instead of getting caught up in the moment - both players came out on top in their last appearance at Michigan's Var- sity Tennis Center. "Ohio State is always a big match," Rutherford said. "The rivalry extends to every sport when it comes to Michigan and Ohio State. Both teams want to win." DaCosta and Rutherford will play in their final road dual matches of their careers this weekend when the Wolverines travel to Bloomington on Friday and then State College on Sunday. OUR TANK JUST GOT HERE. DAILY SPORTS. -._... IB , , / W financially support the team, the true S' NOTE Women's golf hopes to oust Buckeyes The women's golf team hopes to ben- efit from a home course advantage this weekend when the Wolverines host the Big Ten Championships at the Michi- gan Golf Course. Six golfers from each team play 72 holes, with the lowest four scores in each round counting toward their team's total. No. 26 Michigan comes into the tournament ranked second in the Big Ten behind No. 10 Ohio State. Led by senior Kristen White, the Buck- eyes will try for their fourth consecu- tive Big Ten title. White won the Big Ten crown last year by 17 strokes. purpose of Ohio State also finished eighth at the NCAA Championships in 2004. Michigan has had the edge over the Buckeyes this season, finishing high- er than Ohio State at both the Lady Northern Invitational and the Central District Classic. Michigan is looking to build off its momentum from the regular sea- son where the Wolverines went 36-0 against conference opponents, win- ning four team titles. The team is also riding a high from their co-champion- ship at the Lady Boilermaker Invita- tional held April 9-10. Sophomore Brianna Broderick is trying to improve on her clutch top-10 finish at last year's Big Ten Champion- ship. At that event she tied a Michigan record for lowest freshman total. The Wolverines tied for fifth at Big Tens last season. -Lindsey Ungar A Morning at your Internship, an Evening with Monet Choose from over 600 courses. You'll be joining 7,000 other students who know that world-class learning at Boston University takes place morning, noon, and night. p ~\ \4 VOiT 4A E ° '4 . 4 3 ' mmmmmmmi U.