The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 -- 9
Kim a Lion with
clubs and books
By MATT JOHNSON
Daily Sports Writer
A practice round before a tour-
nament is essential in golf. It allows
players to get used to the course and
create a plan of attack, noting the
difficult holes and how they want to
play them.
But before his first collegiate
tournament, freshman Lion Kim
had to forgo his practice round
because pf academic commitments.
Despite playing on a course he
had never seen before, Kim still
managed to stay at par for 16 holes.
He ended up bogeying the final
two holes, but still shot a 74, good
enough for 10th place at the Purdue
Midwest Shootout.
"I really have confidence in my
game," Kim said. "A practice round
is really important, because you
need to see the golf course and plan
out your strategy. But I've played
enough golf where stuff like that
doesn't bother me that much."
It's not surprising that Kim put
school over golf. Michigan's reputa-
tion as an elite academic institution
is why he came to Ann Arbor in the
first place.
"I have different goals other
than playing golf all day and going
pro," Kim said. "My goal was to
get an education and get a degree.
I have a lot of time to play golf
after college."
Education is highly valued in
Kim's family. He has a brother
attending law school at George-
town - and his parents made sure
Kim always put school before golf.
Many observers were surprised
he chose Michigan instead of a tra-
ditionally powerful golf program
since he was so highly touted out of
high school. Golfweek ranked him
second in the country among junior
golfers last year, and he played in
the prestigious US Amateur before
entering college. Kim also attended
high school in Florida, allowing him
to practice outdoors all year round.
Michigan coach Andrew Sapp
was thrilled with Kim's choice,
which also helped him land Alex-
ander Sitompul, the 18th-ranked
junior golfer in the country last
year.
"He knew a player of Lion Kim's
caliber was coming here," Sapp
said. "That probably helped him
make his decision to come here as
well."
While recruiting Kim, Sapp said
it took him one shot to figure out
that Kim was an elite player. At
the Rolex Tournament of Cham-
pions in Denver, Kim fired a shot
over water on a par three to within
four feet of the pin. Sapp feels that
kind of accuracy is the trademark
of Kim's game.
Sapp compared Kim to Mark
Wilson, whom.Sapp coached at
North Carolina. Wilson won an
ACC championship and went on to
win the Honda Classic on the PGA
Tour this year. Sapp said both
are strategists on the golf course,
meaning they make up for a lack
of power with accurate shots and
good putting.
Kim agreed with that assess-
ment.
"In collegiate golf, the kids are
much bigger and stronger," Kim
said. "I can't hit it as far as they
do, butI can still compete and play
well at this level."
After his 10th place finish at
Purdue, Kim tied for 57th at the
Inverness Intercollegiate, so he
knows he still has some work to
do. But for such a talented player,
more top-o finishes are definitely
possible later in the year.
"Hopefully he'll remain in our
starting line-up and really com-
pete for the lowest stroke average
on the team," Sapp said.
RODRIGO GAYA/Daily
Senior running back Mike Hart has sliced through defenses this season on his way up Michigan's career rushing list. Hart, currently in third place, just needs 139 yards
to break the record. Anthony Thomas has the mostrushing yards in Wolverine history and is followed by Jamie Morris
Hart nears S rsnrecor
By SCOTT BELL Morris (No. 2) to break the record
Daily Sports Editor - especially considering North-
western yields more than 200
When running back Mike yards per game on the ground.
Hart passed Tyrone Wheatley to After carrying the ball 79 times
become Michigan's No. 3 all-time, the past two weeks, Hart may take
rusher, the senior didn't show too on alighter load this weekend. But
much emotion. don't plan on Michigan going with
"The only NOTEBOOK Hart Lite just yet.
thing that mat- "If I have any worries, I tell
ters is No. 1, and this team being them to my pillow," Michigan
No. 1 - that's all I'm focused on," coach Lloyd Carr said of overus-
Hart said following the Notre ing Hart. "Mike Hart told us last
Dame game when he achieved the week he wanted to carry the ball
feat. "If we keep winning and I 50 times. He's proven beyond any
keep moving up, it's cool." question that he's durable and that
Hart is just 139 yards away from he's tough."
breaking the school's career rush- A LITTLE CONTROVERSY? THINK
ing record. ' AGAIN: No matter how bad Chad
The question no longer seems to Henne looked the first two weeks,
be whether or not he'll break the no matter how well Ryan Mallett
record, but rather when he'll break plays in Henne's relief and no mat-
it. Saturday's game at Northwest- ter how much the fans fall in love
ern is a prime candidate. with the freshman signal caller,
Hart leads the nation with 665 one thing is certain not to change.
rushing yards. If he comes near It's still Henne's team.
his per-game average on Saturday Mallett said as much during
(154 yards), Hart should pass both Saturday's post-game press con-
Anthony Thomas (No.1) and Jamie ference.
Carr reiterated Mallett's state-
ment during his own press confer-
ence yesterday.
A reporter began question-
ing-what would happen if Mallett
continued to improve. The ques-
tion seemed tobe heading into the
dreaded "quarterback controver-
sy" direction.
But Carr didn't let the question
unfold.
"Mallett will continue to
improve," Carr said, cutting off
the reporter mid-question. "That's
why in practice and those game
opportunities where he gets a
chance, every snap he gets, he
should learn from. I do expect he'll
get better."
Before a follow-up question
regarding a future controversy
could be asked, Carr made sure
to let reporters know he was done
with the discussion.
"Next question," he said.
NOTES: Wide receiver LaTer-
ryal Savoy, who was removed
from the team following offsea-
son indecent exposure charges,
Junior Beth Karpiak keeps her teammates loose with her humor when she isn't hit-
ting a team-best .445.
Karpiak kills
wit cmd
By DAN FELDMAN
Daily Sports Writer
Junior Beth Karpiak has never
been one to be bashful.
The middle blocker on the Michi-
gan volleyball team met Rex Gross-
man at a Chicago hotel for a Bears
event. Karpiak asked the quar-
terback to be her witness when
she signed the back of her driver's
license to be ai organ donor.
Approaching an NFL player
wasn't too much for Karpiak, whose
teammates regard her as one of the
most outgoing players on the team.
When a player gets down on herself,
Karpiak makes her laugh. When
the team gets too uptight, Karpiak
cracks a joke. Or when the team is
in the middle of practice, Karpiak
unleashes one of her signature
dance moves for no reason at all.
Karpiak has always been socia-
ble. Her siblings are unathletic
and spent their youth performing
theater, dance and music, so Kar-
piak joined in, too. In sixth grade,
she even quit volleyball to focus on
tap dancing.
She returned to the sport at the
request of a middle school coach
and became an excellent defensive
middle blocker, the reason Michi-
gan coach Mark Rosen recruited
her.
But Rosen got more than he bar-
gained for with her colorful nature,
given what he perceived to be her
conservative upper-middle-class
upbringing.
"She has a non-threatening per-
sonality," Rosen said. "I think that's
the kind of personality that tends
to be a calming influence, because
people are always comfortable
around her."
Karpiak's antics include voices,
dance moves, gestures and nick-
names. Whenever sophomore out-
side hitter Veronica Rood comes
into the front row, Karpiak brushes
dirt off of Rood's shoulder because
Rood is dirty, meaning she plays
well. She calls Bruzdzinski "The
Red Bruh" because of her tendency
to sun burn.
Karpiak can become unraveled,
too. Then it's up to her teammates
to give her a lift. Karpiaks's nick-
name is "El Nino," which is inspired
by one of her favorite rappers, Hur-
ricane Chris. The team even has a
cheer for her, which involves play-
ers waving their arms around in a
storm-like fashion.
Butshe hasn'tneeded muchextra
motivation this year. Rosen said
Karpiakhas progressed onthe court
more than any other player he has
coached. Karpiak, once just a defen-
sive force, is now one of Michigan's
top offensive weapons, leading the
team with a .445 kill percentage.
Rosen said her increased offensive
production is due in part to her
becomingstronger, but most impor-
tant, it's her will to succeed.
"Beth's a very strong-minded
individual," Rosen said. "She's very
intelligent. She's very confident.
She's just someone who has a very
strong mental capacity."
Whether it's helping herself
or helping her teammates, it has
shown through.
Gates holdskeys to victory
By HANNAH BENT
For the Daily
The Aug. 31 matchup between
the Michigan women's soccer
team and then-No. 2 Notre Dame
was momentous in more ways
than one.
Not only did the unranked Wol-
verines hold the Fighting Irish to
a scoreless tie, but the game also
ushered in the Madison Gates
era.'
Although the junior played
sparingly in her first two years,
this was her debut as the starting
goalkeeper for the Wolverines.
"She is motivated because she
knows it's her opportunity and
also (because) she has played in
some big games prior to this year,"
Michigan coach Debbie Radem-
acher said. "I think she's just
ready steppinginto these games."
Gates played like a seasoned
veteran in South Bend with a
career-high 10 saves and her
first collegiate shutout, an effort
which earned her Big Ten Defen-
sive Player of the Week honors.
She became just the fourth goalie
in program history to win the
award. The most recent recipient
of this award was Gates's prede-
cessor, Megan Tuura.
Tuura was named to the All EMMA NOLAN ABRAHAMIAN/Daily
Big Ten second team last year and Junior Madison Gates had a career-high 10 saves against Notre Dame, which
allowed just 20 scores all season. made her Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.
Gates had big shoes to fill, but so mates, especially the defenders. plays more this season.
far this season she already has 19 "It's her job to communicate But regardless of her individual
saves, two more than Turra had and make sure we are marked accomplishments, Gates hopes
her first year as a starter for the up correctly," Rademacher said. the rest of the team will continue
Wolverines. Gates also allows on "She's that extra set of eyes." to play hard and as a team.
average 1.18 goals per game. This fluidity between the keep- "Hopefully we'll get a Big Ten
With her newfound playing er and her defense comes with Offensive Player of the Week
time, Gates is becoming more in experience and confidence, both sometime ... and more accolades
touch with the rest of her team- of which Gates is acquiring as she as a team," Gates said.
is back on the team, according to
Carr. Savoy was found not guilty
of those charges Friday. Carr said
following Saturday's game the
two would meet Sunday, and at
yesterday's press conference, Carr
informed the media the sopho-
more wide receiver was back with
the team. ... Senior Jamar Adams
was named Co-Big Ten Defen-
sive -Player of the Week. The
safety made five pass break-ups
on Saturday, just one shy of the
team record set by Marlin Jack-
son against Washington in 2002.
Adams is the first Wolverine to
win the award since LaMarr
Woodley did week seven last year
... Tim MacAvoy, who replaced
injured guards Alex Mitchell
and Jeremy Ciulla Saturday, is
expected to make his first start at
right guard against Northwest-
ern. Mitchell is out for Saturday's
game, and Ciulla is doubtful...
The Big Ten Network will air both
Saturday's contest against North-
western and the Oct. 6 game ver-
sus Eastern Michigan.
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