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Monday, March 3, 2008 - 5B
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MEWS GYMnAST. s
Michigan tests
No.1 Stanford
In a one-week span, the Michi-
gan men's gymnastics team trans-
formed from an also-ran into a
major contender.
The sixth-ranked Wolverines
gave top-ranked Stanford all it
could handle yesterday but lost in
a nail-biter, 361.30-36i.1S. Michi-
gan's team total was its highest of
the season, and the Sunday mati-
nee performance was the closest
the Wolverines have come to a per-
fect meet.
Michigan bested the Cardinal
on three of the six events, includ-
ing pommel horse - a Stanford
strength and historic Michigan
weakness.
COLTROSENSWEIG
M E' S G4F
Solid finish erases
dismal history
This weekend, at the Puerto
Rico Classic, the Michigan men's
golf team made sure history didn't
repeat itself
The Wolverines' past at the
Classic isn't pretty - they finished
second to last in 2007 and last in
2006.
But this year, Michigan fin-
ished a solid sixth out of 15 teams
in their first tournament of the
spring season.
The Wolverines played consis-
tent golf throughout the weekend.
After finishing in seventh place
after the first round, Michigan
played well enough on the second
day to move up to fourth before
eventually settling for sixth.
MATT JOHNSON
M EN'S T ENN IS
Wolverines grab
big win on road
It didn't take long for the No.
19 Michigan men's tennis team to
avenge last Tuesday's loss to No. 5
Texas. The Wolverines rebounded
four days later against another
ranked opponent.
Michigan beat No. 17 Wake For-
est, 4-3, at Leighton Tennis Sta-
dium Saturday to gain its first road
victory over a top-25 opponent in
four years.
The Wolverines' doubles game
was solid as they took their eighth
doubles point in nine matches this
season.
MICHAEL BERTENTHAL
.. T
Hawaii a breeze
for Michigan
A plane flight covering 4,445
miles, a five-hour time change and
80-degree heat couldn't get in the
way of the Michigan women's ten-
nis team.
The 21st-ranked Wolverines (4-
4) took care of business, dominat-
ing a struggling Hawaii squad on
Thursday, 7-0.
The match was highlighted
by the surprising roster changes
made by Michigan coach Ronni
Bernstein, who juggled her lineups
in both singles and doubles.
Senior captain Allie Shafner
returned to action after a six-week
layoff, teaming with fellow captain
Lindsey Howard in doubles play.
MARTYLAROUERE
WATER POLO
Blue goes perfect
against East teams
Being dubbed one of the elite
water polo squads in the East was
quite an honor for the Wolverines.
But finishing first among the top
teams was the real prize.
This weekend's Elite Six tour-
nament pitted the Wolverines
against five other prominent water
polo programs in the East. Though
West Coast schools tradition-
ally dominate the sport, Michi-
gan proved it deserves its No. 12
national ranking.
Michigan (12-9) made a state-
ment by finishing undefeated at the
tournament in College Park, Md.
The weekend's four victories give
the Wolverines a six-game win
streak.
RYAN KARTJE
WOMEN'S BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP
After meltdown,
Borseth keeps cool
Coach apologized
for his blowup after
Sunday's loss
By JASON KOHLER
Daily Sports Writer
Last Thursday, Michigan coach
Kevin Borseth ran into the press
room and slammed his fist against
the podium.
"That's how I feel," Borseth
said.
He launched into a tirade about
how his team blew a.20-point lead
in the second half and lost 69-67 to
Wisconsin at home. By the end of
the tantrum, three fist slams later,
Borseth's bald head was covered in
sweat.
Only six members of the media
were at the press conference. But
in the back of the room, the Big
Ten Network's camera was roll-
ing. Hours later, the tirade hit the
airwaves and the Internet. Friday
evening, Borseth was featured on
SportsCenter and ESPN's Tony
Kornheiser questioned whether he
should keep his job.
Following Sunday's 63-48 loss
to Minnesota, a significantly larger
audience filed into the press room
to see what Borseth's reaction
would be.
But Borseth showed his com-
posure. He didn't raise his voice.
He didn't slam his fist. Instead,
he coolly strolled in and issued an
apology.
"Isaid I was frustrated," Borseth
said. "But that moment didn't come
close to the frustration I felt later to
my own reaction to the game."
Borseth explained his actions
misrepresented the University of
Michigan in the way it deserves to
be represented.
He apologized to the Univer-
sity, his team, the media, the entire
Michigan community and anyone
who witnessed his reaction.
Michigan's women's basketball
team received more exposure this
weekend thanithas inrecentyears,
but for all the wrong reasons.
It wasn't on ESPN for having its
first winning season in six years.
And instead of noting Borseth's
success in turning around the pro-
gram, he was mocked on national
television.
"I've pretty much turned off
my phone because I knew people
would call me," senior Janelle Coo-
per said. "I really didn't want to
hear anything from other people."
Borseth's civility at the podium
yesterday shows he has learned
that at a school where his every
move is monitored, he has to be
more careful with what he says
and how he says it.
The Wolverines hope they can
overlook the attentionheadinginto
this week's Big Ten Tournament.
"My staff and I are looking for-
ward to a successful postseason
tournament," Borseth said. "And I
hope this matter can be put behind
us as we move forward with our
team goals."
Anyone close to Borseth knows
he wears his heart on his sleeve,
and Thursday night's rant was just
an expression of his feelings.
Those not close to Borseth
might have been alarmed. But his
players know how much he cares
about them.
"He's passionate about his
team," Cooper said. "He just wants
us to do well. What else can you
ask for in a coach?"
PETER SCHOTTENFELS/Daily
Junior Emily Brunemann, shown here competing against Northwestern in January, broke her own Big Ten record in the mile
swim at the Big Ten Championship on Feb. 23.
Blue excels at Big TeIN
Lack of depth sets 'M'
back in Minnesota
By IAN ROBINSON that level," Henry said. "They did
Daily Sports Editor what was expected. There wasn't
much more they could have done."
The Michigan women's track Junior Geena Gall, senior Nicole
and field team wasn't built for con- Edwards and junior Tiffany Ofili
ference success this season. won the 800-meter run, mile run
While it had some of the top and 60-meter hurdles, each for the
individual talent in the country, second straightyear.
Michigan head coach James Hen- Ofili paced the Wolverines in
ry's squad lacked the depth to take the sprints with a title in the hur-
top honors at the Big Ten Champi- dles and second in the 60- meter
onships. dash. She also captured the long
The Wolverines finished in sec- jump title.
ond place at the Big Ten Indoor Gall, who seta meet record time
Championships this weekend at of 2:05.99 in the 800-meter run,
the Minnesota Fieldhouse in Min- also contributed to the champi-
neapolis, eight points behind host onship-winning distance medley
Minnesota. relay. Redshirt junior Alyson Kohl-
"It's just that there were more meier, senior Serita Williams and
bodies the other team had and we freshman Danielle Tauro joined
ran out of depth," Henry said. Gall for the relay.
Five Wolverines accounted for Michigan's other individual title
86 of the team's 128 points, and came from junior Bettie Wade in
Michigan had multiple scorers in the high jump.
just five events. In two weeks, these top athletes
On an individual basis, Michi- will head to the NCAA Indoor
gan logged some of the best per- Championships. And with that
formances of the championship by group, Henry feels his team is bet-
capturing five individual titles and ter suited to top Minnesota in that
a relay. event.
"We are very good atthe top, and "It should be a different story at
our people at the top performed at the national level," Henry said.
Wolverines take
second place amid
tough competition
By RUTH LINCOLN
Daily Sports Writer
COLUMBUS - After the first
900 yards of the 1,650-yard free-
style, the Big Ten Championship
announcer informed fans they
might witness one of the fastest
times in the country.
He could not have been more
prophetic.
The moment Emily Brunemann
jumped off the starting blocks,
it was easy to see she was flying.
The junior soared out to an early
lead and never looked back. She
finished 25 seconds ahead of her
nearest competitor, and her win
in the freestyle gave fuel to No. 11
Michigan's second-place Big Ten
finish at McCorkle Aquatic Pavil-
ion Feb. 21-23.
With the second-fastest Divi-
sion I time this season (15:51:29),
Brunemann broke her own Big
Ten and U-M record by more than
nine seconds.
"She trains to swim fast like
that," Michigan coach Jim Rich-
ardson said. "It's great when you
have somebody who works that
hard, and then watch them come
in to a high-pressure environment
and they get the job done."
The crowded McCorkle Aquatic
Pavilion got behind Brunemann's
final lengths. Spectators from all
11 schools rose to their feet to reel
in her record-smashing perfor- and went in the evening session
mance. to claim the conference title and
To win the event, Brunemann break her record once again.
defeated the two-time defending "Ijust stayed calm and relaxed,"
Big Ten champion, Minnesota's Jaeger said. "All that I was think-
Yuen Kobayshi. ing was 'win for Michigan' and
The two swam against each just do my part."
other many times throughout Heading into the last event of
their careers. After Kobayshi the championships, the 400-yard
touched the wall, Brunemann freestyle relay, Minnesota had
reached over the lane divider to already sealed the team title, but
congratulate her perennial oppo- the Wolverines weren't ready to
nent. give up.
"She's a great competitor," Fresh off a close second-place
Brunemann said. "I always love finish in the 200-yard breast-
racing with her." stroke, senior Justine Mueller
Brunemann's impressive per- headed into the relay fired up for
formance was one of many for the a win.
Wolverines. Meet champion No. 9 "I was really happy with my
Minnesota edged Michigan by 52 200-breatstroke swim, but I
points, but the Wolverines swam wanted to win it so bad," Muel-
well in every event and achieved a ler said. "I got out of that race,
total of 51 personal-best times. and the first thing I thought was
It was one of the fastest con- '7I need to be on the 400 relay and
ference championships in his- use this aggression somewhere.'"
tory. There was a new conferepcce Mueller anchored the relay and
record set in all but one of the 17 exploded ahead. She glided force-
swimming events. fully through every stroke and
The Wolverines used thatspeed touched the wall first to give the
to set five new school records and relay team of sophomore Marga-
four conference records. ret Kelly, junior Hannah Smith,
"We were marvelous," Rich- Jaeger and Mueller a first-place
ardson said. "We've never had a finish and a new Big Ten record.
better Big Ten performance based NOTES: Michigan collected
on where we were coming into the a slew of Big Ten Awards, with
meet and how we prepared." Brunemann winning swimmer
Fifth-year transfer senior of the year honors. Diving coach
Melissa Jaeger came to Colum- Chris Bergere was named diving
bus ready, and found success in coach of the year. Brunemann,
her first and last Big Ten Cham- Jaeger, Kelly, Mueller and Smith
pionships for the Wolverines. In were named to the All-Confer-
Saturday morning's 200-yard ence first team, and junior Payton
breaststroke preliminaries, Jae- Johnson was named to the sec-
ger broke her own Big Ten record, ond-team.
00,
0,07
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