4 8A -- Thursday, February 14, 2008 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Heptathlete Shotwell vaults into school record books By MACKENZIE MELVIN Daily Sports Writer Every day, sophomore Frank Shotwell runs full speed at a 12- foot high bar, uses a pole to propel his body over it, and drops onto a cushion below. It sounds terrifying to most people, but Shotwell and the Michigan men's track and field teamrely on his pole-vaulting, one of seven events in the heptathlon, to win competitions. "I was a little scared at first, running down the runway," Sho- twell said. "Just going up in the air and not knowing where you're going to land is a little scary." In high school, Shotwell was a natural in the hurdles, had good speed for the sprints and even tried some of the throwing events. The pole vault didn't come so eas- ily. "It took agood year to learn how tovault," Shotwell said. "That was one of the events that gave me the most trouble." All facets of track and field are tested within the heptathlon. Pole vaulting, high jump, long jump and shot put fulfill the field por- tion. The 60-meter dash and the 1,000-meter run test an athlete's speed and the 60-meter hurdles their agility. Shotwell competed in the hep- tathlon for the first time this season at the Akron Open on Feb. 2. He placed in the top three in all seven events, earning first place in the 60-meter hurdles and second place the pole vault. His over- YEAR: Soph. HOMETOWN: Medina, Ohio EVENT: Heptathlon, decathlon mance," Michigan coach Ron Warhurst said. "He might get us to Nationals." Shotwell's mark was a provi- sional qualifying score, making him eligible for the NCAA Indoor Championships. It also earned him his first Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week award. But breaking the heptathlon record is just the beginning for Shotwell. When he first came to Michigan, Shotwell sat down with coaches and discussed his goals. They all decided that by gradu- ation he could break both the indoor heptathlon and outdoor decathlon reco-ds. High hopes for last season were crushed when he sprained his ankle in practice a few weeks before Big Ten Outdoor Champi- onships. Shotwell hopes a healthy ankle will make the difference this year. Aside from breaking records, He wants to win the heptathlon and the decathlon at the Big Ten Championships this season. If Shotwell avoids injury, it's the competition that should be scared these days. FOOTBALL From page 5A what I have to adapt to yet." The wide-open nature of next year's team hasled some to question how well Michigan will play out of the gate. ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstrhit, an Ohio State graduate, predicted Michigan would be 6-6 next season. But Rodriguez responded to the predictions the same way he answered questions abouthis tumul- tuous relationship with West Virgin- ia - by deflecting them. "Nah, I hadn't heard him say that," Rodriguez responded. "He won't be the first guy to make a prediction, and he won't be the last." He paused for a second, then smirked. "Where'd he go to school?" he asked. SPEED IS TOP PRIORITY: Rodri- guez challenged the stereotype of WILDCATSr From page_5A ern (11 points and four rebounds). And again, on Jan. 6, Queen helped spark the decisive 14-2N second-half run that catapultedc the Wolverines to victory over the Wildcats. She scored a career-E high 12 points, 10 of them during1 the run. Queen is also happy to play at Northwestern because it affords the Oak Forest, Ill., native at chance to see her family and friends.i Her hometown is an hour away from Evanston, and she expectst about 20 family members and friends to attend the game. T "My spirits are up when I seet the Big Ten as a slow conferen with big, strong players - and sa Michigan will be quick to set a hi standard. On Signing Day, Rodriguez nam runningback/receiverTerrenceRo inson as an example of a fast athle at an offensive skill position, whi cornerback Boubacar Cissoko ru: the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds. And he said Michael Shaw, a ru ning back from Trotwood, Ohio, w "one of the fastest prep players intl country." Strength and conditioning coa Mike Barwis will assist with spec training, and the increased emphas on speed won't just be limited to t incoming recruits. "I like guys that can run at< positions, even the kicker," Rodi guez said. "I've been getting on Zolt, [Mesko], our punter. He's committ to do it. 'Coach, I'm going to be ab to run as fast as anybody you've go I don't know." my family," Queen said. "I'm very excited, just happy to see my fam- ily because I know that they don't come outa lot (to Michigan)." With the support of her family, Queen will look to help the Wol- verines prove they can win games on the road. Michigan has just one confer- ence road victory, and with three left on the schedule, it must take advantage against the struggling Wildcats. "Yeah, there's some talk (about the postseason)," Queen said. "But it's all talk. And we have to prove it out on the court." Michigan can't let Thursday's contest sneak up, either. The Wolverines could easily look past Northwestern, especially because they play Sunday at Indiana, a ce WRIGHT id gh From page 5A ed sive abilities so much he b- opted to sit Sims offense in te favor of Wright's defense le for the final moments of the ns Wolverines' 65-55 loss to Ohio State. n- "I play defense for as the team and not just for he myself," Wright said. "I just try and be in the right place ch helping (or) trying to take a ed charge." is In a season in which not he much has gone right for Michigan, Wright is a sign all of progress for the pro- i- gram. And while the music an he listens to before games ed remains obscure, Wright's le name will soon be known t.' well beyond the Chesa- peake region. team just above Michigan in the Big Ten standings. r But with the postseason a possibility, the Wolverines are going to come out hungry - espe- cially seniors Krista Clement and Janelle Cooper, who haven't played postseason basketball since high school. "They are hunting for us," said Queen, reiterating Bors- eth's thoughts on Northwestern. "They know that we have trouble on road games. They know what to expect. And we know what to expect, too." Over the final three weeks, the Wolverines will go through uncharted territory for Michigan women's basketball team. And it all starts tonight at Northwestern. all score of 5,525 points gave him a first place finish and a new Michigan hep- tathlon record. Sean Clancy had owned the record since 1995, until Shotwell shattered the mark by 217 points. "That was a fantastic perfor- Want to work for the Daily's online staff? E-mail odonnell@michigandaily.com. Do tro osied'C 00' (1e0sQlassifledsC Caifeds ClsiedsCasfe Chiro practic Be a part of 118 years oftradition. Work for the ( Q tt DiaE f s e 1 ed Are You Ready to Accept the Challenge? s Classified Department The Logan Doctor of Chiropractic program includes extensive i a study in science, physiotherapy, nutrition, radiology, clinical 1 Freshmen * Sophomores * Juniors d sciences, chiropractic techniques, business training and extensive clinical rotations. _. . .-_- ..___________-_ 4 E I i I i