The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
December 10, 2007 - 3B
Intrasquad fun starts for 'M'
By JASON KOHLER
Daily Sports Writer
At the women's gymnastics
Maize and Blue Intrasquad Friday,
the judges' explanations for picking
a winner included "She had a nice
smile" and "I liked the flippy thing
at the end."
In the annual exhibition meet,
celebrity judges Rishi (Superfan)
Moudgil, softball standout Saman-
tha Findlay and singer-songwriter
Matthew Santos chose between the
Maize or Blue squads, who faced
off in individual events.
"To me, it was really about hav-
ing some fun," Michigan coach Bev
Plocki said. "We picked some judg-
es who really don't know anything
about gymnastics, and we thought
it would be funny to hear their ex-
planations."
In the end, the judges sided with
the Blue team as it defeated the
Maize squad, 12-9.
Fifth-year senior Lindsey Bruck
and sophomores Sarah Curtis and
Jordan Sexton, who suffered sea-
son-ending injuries last season, all
WILDCATS
From page 1B
and just go right away.Ihave to have
way more patience next game."
Although Michigan (5-3)
couldn't execute much on the offen-
sive end, the Wolverines played
hard throughout the contest, espe-
cially on the defensive end. With
the Wildcats posting up 6-foot-6
senior Sarah Elliott, Michigan was
forced to help on the backside and
competed in the exhibition.
Many of the gymnasts were ei-
ther not performing full routines or
needed assistance completing their
routines. The Michigan coaches
spotted on the floor and laid out
towels on the beam to spften the
landing.
"We have some kids who are
coming back from injuries and
they're still doing their routines in
the soft surface," Plocki said. "We
didn't want them taking any chanc-
es of landing on the hard floor."
The meet's most exciting mo-
ment came during freshman and
Maize team member Trish Wil-
son's debut on the floor routine.
Halfway through the routine, Wil-
son stepped off, and senior Katie
Lieberman somersaulted across
the floor.
Later, the Blue team countered
with a tag-team performance of
its own. But the judges overlooked
the routine and awarded Maize in-
stead.
"This is really a fun opportunity
to go out there and enjoy the sport'
senior Nellie Kippley said. "It's a
season.
After a Michigan timeout, Skrba
committed a cardinal sin - turning
the ball over right after leaving the
huddle.
But the next time down, she
nailed a jumper to knot the score. A
minute later, Skrba knocked down
two free throws to give Michigan a
two-point lead, and the two teams
traded baskets until Phillips met
Mahoney in the lane.
Borseth seems to have found
good time to go out there and play
it up a bit."
The most difficult event of the
evening for Michigan was the bal-
ance beam. Gymnast after gymnast
struggled to stay upright.
"Beamis always the event where
we look really good in practice, but
the minute you get into a stressful
pressure situation, they tightenup,"
Plocki said. "You can't tighten up
on beam because you make the ti-
niest mistake, you're not absorbing
and you end up falling off."
Michigan has a month off to im-
prove until it faces Arkansas and
West Virginia in its regular-season
opener.
"Definitely, in another month's
time, we'll be ready to come out
here and perform," Plocki said.
After last year's disappointment
of not making the Super Six, the
team has high goals.
"I think that we can contend for
a National Title this year," Plocki
said. "I would expect nothing less
than to be in the Super Six and
challenging anybody in the country
on any given day."
less double teams, helping Michi-
gan shoot 50 percent from the
field.
"She has to be in there," Borseth
said. "She's really the kid that has
to make the difference for us. If
we can get her a little athleticism
around there, more touches, she's
goingto be a bear to stop. and if she
is, then the other players can feed
of that as well. At this point, she's
in the lineup."
Hopefully this win can teach
Russell big in Blue win
By GJON JUNCAJ shot and the guy's able to scramble
Daily Sports Writer out," said Russell, who's ranked
fourth nationally in the 141-pound
Drew Lashaway thought he had weight class. "But that's how I like
him. to wrestle. I like to scramble."
In the opening moments of Russell eventually came away
the Kent State junior's 141-pound with the 8-2 victory and the Wol-
matchup with Michigan's unde- verines didn't let up.
feated freshman Kellen Russell, All-American seniors Josh
Lashaway lunged forward and Churella and Eric Tannenbaum,
tightly gripped Russell's left leg. senior Jeff Marsh and All-Ameri-
He was inches away fromwrapping can junior Steve Luke rattled off
up Russell's free leg, which would four consecutive victories, all win-
have set up a takedown and added ning by at least seven points. What
to the 7-0 Golden Flashes' lead once was a 7-0 Kent State lead
after the opening two matches. quickly spiraled into a 21-7 deficit.
But in a matter of seconds, Rus- "(Russell) did a great job of get-
sell frustrated another ranked ting the momentum back on our
opponent and permanently shifted side after we lost the first two
the momentum to the Wolverines. matches," Michigan coach Joe
Russell's performance ignited McFarland said. "He's all business
No. 7 Michigan (4-1) to a 26-14 vic- when he steps onto the mat. You can
tory at Cliff Keen Arena on Friday see the feel he has for wrestling."
night. While the Wolverines' deco-
While fighting his way out of rated upperclassmen opened the
Lashaway's hold, Russell hopped, floodgates, it was another new-
spun, jerked and twisted his leg comer who decisively ended any
free. Russell immediately coun- hopes of a Kent State comeback.
tered with a two-point takedown, Redshirt freshman Anthony
an impressive display of agil- Biondo,rankedNo.18at197pounds,
ity that gave life to a then-placid improved to 13-4 this year after
home crowd and left Lashaway dominating Kent State's Michael
bewildered at the sudden turn of Blackwell in a 19-3 route. The win
events. earned Biondo his first techni-
"I think that's kind of demoral- cal fall of the season and pushed
izing,whenyou're inthat deep on a Michigan to a 26-10 lead and
out of the Golden Flashes' reach. the guards had to rotate quickly to his permanent starting center in Michigan that they can win games
Biondotallied a takedown less than help double team Elliott. Phillips, who has been going back even while not playing to its full
five seconds into the first period With just under four minutes and forth between the starting five potential.
and registered nearly three min- remaining, the crowd could sense and the bench with senior Ta'Shia The Wolverines will try to keep
utes of ridingtime by the end of the the tension. Kentucky was leading Walker. Not only did the sopho- its head of steam and take down
first three-minute session. He shut 55-53, and Michigan had a chance more have an important putback Southern Cal on tonight at Crisler
out Blackwell 9-0 in the third peri- to earn its biggest victory of the late in the game, she drew count- Arena.
od, nearly pinning him twice.
After the meet, . McFarland
didn't understand why Biondo, 7
who leads the Wolverines with career in advertslowards that goal. t rtieS
three falls this season, is still 10Oking for a take a step abouttob ayourm yp
unnoticed in a wrestling tom- Are YO ould you like o want to brag a
municy that has already anointed "'a po
Russell (12-0) the next in a long
line of wrestling phenoms to come
through Ann Arbor.
"It was great to see another
freshman that not everybody is
really talking about in Anthony
Biondo," McFarland said. "That Cmount Executve
(win) was huge too, because we staf sa
knew they were stronger at some i5gOstaff aI1eror VaBIWnter terms
of the upper weights. He's done a . The ichiga the SY ring SUmme
tremendous job for us." OIn forhe Michigan Daily Business Department is
Despte te clnicBiono pu ona student-run group that sells all the ads in
Despite the clinic Biondo put on tthe Daily. We are looking for dedicated and
in front of the crowd of 651 fans, Take yur firt sp r t motivated people to continue the legacy that
it's become increasingly difficult career you've always dreamed of. has been going on for over 117 years.
to divert the attention from Rus-
sell. The High Bridge, N.J. native Work side-by-side with other Simply send your resume to
has now defeated four nationally- students to sell the newspaper we dailydisplay@gmaiL.com .
ranked opponents and is the first ali know 4n v or call(734)764-0554
true freshman from Michigan to
win his first four dual matches for more inforation!
since three-time All-American Application deadline: January 31St DON'T MISS OUT ON TRADITION!
Andy Hrovat in 1999.
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