} The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom N-PORT S
'M' looks for fifth straight Big
Ten title over stiff competition

Tuesday, October 24, 2006 - 9

By COURTNEY RATKOWIAK
For the Daily
Nicole Edwards's hoteliroom door was
covered with posters.
Before last season's Big Ten champion-
ship meet, motivation from teammates
came in the form of colorful signs with
inspirationalquotes and photos.
"Normally,youget,like, one poster,but
our door was completely covered with
stuff," Edwards said. "When you were
walking down the hallway, you couldn't
even see the door.
"You want to encourage your team-
mates, and that's your chance to boost
their confidence."
Exchanging posters and gifts before
the race is a championship meet ritual,
one that prepares the team to continue its
tradition of Big Ten meet victories. The
Wolverineslook to win their fifthstraight
conference title on Oct.29, when they will
face their strongest competition in recent
history.
After last weekend's NCAA Pre-

Nationals, coach Mike McGuire said his
team "didn't run as well as in previous
meets." He said the Wolverines are ready
to elevate their level of competition in the
coming week.
"We don't have the luxury of having
one or two people with off days," McGuire
said. "If that happens next week, we're
going to have a tough time. We're aware
of the fact that we have to fire on more
cylinders than we've fired on this past
week, and we need to be on our best to
meet the challenge."
Nine of the 12 athletes who competed
at Pre-Nationals will race at the Big Ten
Championships. The top five finishers
will earn points for Michigan and deter-
mine the team's final score.
As of Oct. 17, four Big Ten teams
- Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and
Illinois - are ranked in the top nine in
the nation. With Michigan State ranked
No. 13and Iowa ranked No.23, the oppos-
ing teams'talentwill be noticeably higher
than in past seasons.
"Last year, on paper, it looked to be a

two team battle (between Michigan and
Illinois), with Minnesota being the third
good team," McGuire said. "This year,
it's a different scenario. There are legiti-
mately four teams that can win it, and
Michigan State has an outside chance ...
(its) first three (athletes) are as formida-
ble as anybody else's in the conference.
It's going to be a very competitive envi-
ronment."
Junior Claire Otwell, running in her
first cross country Big Ten championship
meet, said that Michigan's history ofsuc-
cess in the meet adds to the importance of
next weekend's race.
"I think that being on top puts more
pressure on us because we're the team
to beat," Otwell said. "I think that other

teams have their eye on us, so we need to
work hard to make sure that we can stay
on top."
Added Edwards:"Ifwe didn't win, that
would be a huge hit. We don't even want
to think about that as an option."
Another Big Ten victory for the third-
ranked Wolverines would be a successful
beginning to the championship-meetsea-
son and provide a chance to strengthen
theirnationalranking.
"We definitely have the most talented
team since I've been here," said Alyson
Kohlmeier, a junior and three-time Big
Ten championship athlete. "We have the
potential, and we know that it's possible
to win if everyone can step up."
McGuire agreed that the ability of this
year's squad could set Michigan apart
from the other top teams in the confer-
ence.
"We embrace the challenge," McGuire
added. "We understand it's athletics
- nothing is handed to you. We have to
go out and earn it next Sunday, and I'm
confident that we can do that."

The Wolverines will trytowintheirtfifth straight conferencetitle when
they compete in the Big Ten Championships in Bloomington on Sunday.

Sugiyama bows
out at Regionals
Chisako Sugiyama's run at the
Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional
Championships came to an end
yesterday, as the sophomore fell
in the semifinals to Notre Dame's
Cosmina Ciobanue, 6-2, 6-3.
Sugiyama's run to the semis
was the best showing at the
regional tournament by a Michi-
gan women's tennis player since
four years ago, whenrcurrent
senior Elizabeth Exon rolled to
the quarterfinals as a freshman.
Earlier in the day, Sugiyama
dismantled Eastern Michigan's
Vanessa Frankowsi, 6-1, 6-4, in
the quarterfinal round. She also
teamed with senior Jenny Kuehn
to reach the semifinals of the
double draw, making Sugiyama
the clear star for the Wolverines
at the regional championships,
which were held at Michigan
State's Indoor Tennis Facility.
VARSITY
From page 8
few details about injuries follow-
ing Saturday's game, Carr elabo-
rated on the statuses of some
players yesterday.
Carr said safety Ryan Mundy,
who missed the Iowa game with an
unspecified injury, should return
to the lineup against Northwest-
ern on Saturday.
The news about Michigan's
injury-plagued tight ends wasn't
as positive. Carr doesn't expect
junior Mike Massey to play this
week.
offensive lineman Steve Schil-
ling will miss the rest of the sea-
son after undergoing shoulder
surgery last week. The freshman
had experienced some discomfort
in his shoulder last spring.
"We are a banged-up football
team," Carr said. "There's no
question about that."
WRIGHT
From page 8
kicking back in his office, sipping
on a wine cooler, smoking a cigar
and smiling. He knows he could
do whatever he wants and all
eyes would still be on the Detroit
area's successful teams.
He could make himself the
coach, and the front pages of
newspaper sports sections would
still feature stories on Kenny
Rogers and his love for pine tar.
But eventually, the World
Series and Michigan's bowl game
will pass.
Then, Millen, you better be
ready for the outcry.
I've already started making
my sign.
- Wright is a lifelong Lions
fan who won't put up with
Detroit ruining his weekend every
Sunday anymore. He can be
reached at kpwr@mich.edu.

t -"-n

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