12 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, March 14, 2006 Schmucker's strong play leading the way for Blue 0 By Bryan Hamilton Daily Sports Writer It's not how you start but how you finish that counts. This old cliche held true two weeks ago at the Rio Verde Collegiate women's golf tournament. After opening the tournament with a first-round score of 76, Michigan senior Amy Schmucker fought back over the next two days to put herself into a battle atop the leaderboard with Northwestern sophomore Brit- tany Johnston. With the two neck and neck in the tournament's final round, the outcome of the match came down to the final two holes. Schmucker was up one, as Johnston attacked the 17th pin, and leaving herself a 12-foot birdie putt to close the gap. But the prospect of losing the lead heading into the round's final hole was not something that could rattle Schmucker, a one-time tournament winner. "I knew I had the upper hand," Schmucker said. "Being that I am a senior and had won a tournament before, I felt pretty good about my chances." She had reason to. After walking off her yardage to the pin, Schmucker pulled a wedge from her bag for the 70-yard approach shot. When her ball abruptly stuck two feet from the cup, all a deflated Johnston could do was slump her shoulders. Johnston went on to miss her putt and then failed to keep pace with Schmucker on 18, eventually losing the match by three strokes. The victory proved to be the best 54-hole'score of Schmucker's career, but it was not quite enough to propel the Wolverines to a team victory, as they finished second behind Northwestern. "We were a little disappointed because Northwestern was the one team we really wanted to beat," Schmucker said. "But it's early in the season, and I think we have some girls who are real close to getting over a big hur- dle and playing well." Schmucker followed up this impressive showing with another top-10 finish this past weekend at the Lady Gator Invitational. By attempting to get over that hurdle and step up her game, the team may have no better role model than Schmucker. As a senior, she is one of the players who takes on a leadership role with the team - a role that can be a unique challenge in the individual sport of golf. Because golfers usually play without the accompaniment of other teammates, it's difficult for someone to be a leader and encourage others on the course. But Schmucker takes advantage of other opportunities. "I cut some of the chit-chat out during our practice rounds and take each shot seriously," Schmucker said. "I just try to lead by example in practice and hope it rubs off on everyone." It would certainly be valuable if some of Schmucker's late-round heroics did rub off on her teammates. With the season getting under way, the Big Ten looks to be a tightly contested conference. Several teams, including Michigan, have a legitimate chance to be in the mix at the end, and Michigan looks to be one of those teams. "I think by the time the Big Ten Tournament starts we'll be ready to compete with the top teams like Pur- due and Ohio State," Schmucker said. "It's going to be really close, and I wouldn't be surprised if there will only be a few shots separating us at the end." Schmucker realizes the team has some growing to do over the course of the season. But she has no doubt that when the Wolverines reach their potential, they will be something special. After all, it's how they finish the season that will define their team. "We have a really talented team that just hasn't peaked yet," Schmucker said. "But all I have to say is when we do start playing to our capabilities look out, we're going to be lights-out." Senior Brandon Duff finished with a 54-hole total of 219 in the Puerto Rico Classic three'weeks ago. Duff one of the fewbright spots in disappointing finish By Bryan Hamilton Daily Sports Writer It's easy to find positives in vic- tory. It's sometimes reasonable to find them in defeat. But finding positives after fin- ishing last in an 18-team tourna- ment is a bit more challenging. Over spring break, the Michigan men's golf team had to wrestle with this conundrum. Playing in the Puerto Rico Clas- sic in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, the Wolverines faced some of the coun- try's toughest golf competition. With 10 of the top 25 teams in the nation participating, the Wol- verines failed to keep pace and took a disappointing last-place fin- ish back to Ann Arbor. Senior Brandon Duff was one of the few Wolverines who finished strong, leading the team with a 54- hole score of 219 for a 35th-place finish. Despite Duff's individual efforts, he and his teammates had higher expectations. "We were a little disappointed," Duff said. "We went in hoping to finish a bit higher than we did obvi- ously. It was just a tough tourna- ment for us." The Wolverines were not the only Big Ten team to struggle with early-season rust. No. 9 Minnesota could muster up only a 17th-place finish - one place ahead of the Wolverines. "It's tough for Midwestern teams," Duff said. "Because of the weather, we don't get a chance to play year-round like some of the Southern teams do that were down there. It's just hard to tell where a team is really at this early on." The Wolverines may be one of many teams not entirely sure where they are right now, but they cer-, tainly know where it is they want to go. "We would like to make it to the regional," Duff said. "That's some- thing we haven't done in a while. But in order to do that, we're going to have to play well and give our- selves a chance to win in the Big Ten Tournament." If the Wolverines are to succeed, Duff said they must play better as a team. As a senior leader, one of his roles is to remind his teammates to stay focused. "I just try to remind them that we need to think about the team," Duff said. "Not to take big risks out there and just realize that every single shot counts for us." There is no doubt Duff's per- spective and encouragement helped the Wolverines put a tough tourna- ment behind them. But it's not an experience he wants his teammates to completely forget either. "I think the tournament was a good experience too," Duff said, "We ended up getting a lot of prac- tice in down there on a tight course, and we played against some really good teams." Duff has also found it important to refresh his team's memory of their previous success. Just this past fall, this same group of golfers won the Wolverine Intercollegiate tournament on its home course. "We just need to remember that tournament and, hopefully, build some momentum off of it," Duff said. The Wolverines may be off to a difficult start, but not one that will keep them down. And with aspirations for the season still high as ever, the Wol- verines may have found the silver lining to their last-place finish - perspective. 4 Senior Amy Schmucker's strong play has paced the Wolverines this season. 'I Sponsored by: Nissan North America and World Wildlife FundN I. A N About the Program The future of the planet lies in the hands of talented and motivated students who will become strong advocates for the environment. The Nissan-WWF Environmental Leadership Program provides tomorrow's leaders with the opportunity to learn more about the most pressing issues facing the global environment today; to meet with top scientists, policy makers and business leaders; to develop leadership skills; and to build a network of peers from around the country. Environmental Leadership Awards Fifteen exceptional students will be chosen to participate in the program, which will include: . A $5,000 cash prize. " Participation in the Environmental Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. 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Designed specifically for students and recent graduates, "Good Credit, Bad Debt" provides answers to all of your money management questions and helps you avoid the financial traps that new grads often face. March 21, 6-7:30 p.m.: Relocation 101 "The ABCs of No Hassle Moving" Jeff Abraham, Lindsay Stevens and Geri Rudolph of Stevens Van Lines What do you mean I needed to reserve the elevator in order to move furniture into my new apartment? Moving can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be in this session tailored to those moving to a new city after graduation. Let the professionals at Stevens Van Lines show you how to make moving a snap. March 28, 6-7:30 p.m.: Personal Branding 101 "How to Stand Out in a Crowded Market" William Ward, Adjunct Professor, Ross School of Business As the work place becomes more and more competitive, how are you going to get yourself noticed and rise above the clutter? Come to this personal branding session to find out. Even with a University of Michigan degree, you still need to be all that you can be in order to achieve the career (and life) 9 success you're looking for.