6B - Monday, April 14, 2008

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The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Blue renews intensity in preparations for NCAAs

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Coming off disappointment
at Big Tens, Michigan aims to
rise to the challenge
By COLT ROSENSWEIG
Daily Sports Writer
If any member of the No. 6 Michigan men's
gymnastics team didn't get refocused by the
team's fourth-place finish Big Ten Champion-
ships, he sure did at practice last Monday.
Following mistake-filled intrasquads on
pommel horse, rings and vault, Michigan assis-
tant coach Xiao Yuan gathered the gymnasts
in a corner of the floor for a passionate speech
about the need for every athlete to be ready for
the challenge of.NCAA Championships.
"Xiao just made a point that it's 'go' time,"
junior Joe Catrambone said. "This is our final
chance to prove something this year, end the
year on a good note. If everyone doesn't want to
step up now, there's the door."
Since the disappointment at Big Tens, the
Wolverines have held several formal intra-
squads at each practice, judging routines only
on hits or misses.
After difficulties the first two days, it seemed
as if the intrasquads might sink the team to new
lows. But after a light day Wednesday, the gym-
nasts bounced back at the end of the week with
long strings of hit sets.
"I think our problem was definitely men-
tal," freshman Ben Baldus-Strauss said. "I
think these intrasquads hone in on that. They
make you have to step up in front of the whole
team."
Michigan coach Kurt Golder was pleased
with the intrasquads and is looking forward to
a favorable event rotation in Session I of team
qualifiers, which will be held at 1p.m. Thursday
at Stanford's Maples Pavilion. Even as the third

team to pick its starting event, Michigan was
able to get its first choice: starting on the bye,
then moving to pommel horse, one of the team's
strengths.
In Michigan's session are No. 2 Oklahoma,
No. 3 Penn State and No. 7 Ohio State, along
with No. 10 Nebraska and No. 11 William &
Mary. Only three will make it to Friday's team
finals, with the battle for the third spot likely
coming down to the Wolverines and Buckeyes.
The top three from the evening session will also
advance to team finals.
"We've got a hell of a challenge ahead of us,"
Golder said. "We ended up in the tougher ses-
sion, although I believe that we have a much
better team than Ohio State."
Golder plans to go with more conservative
routines on the first day. The gymnasts may
remove some of the riskier, higher-value skills
from their sets, sacrificing some start value for
added hit percentage and momentum - both of
which were sorely lacking in the team's Big Ten
performance.
"To win a championship, it takes big scores,"
said Golder, whose teams in the past have done
better at NCAA Championships than Big Tens.
"To qualify for a championship, it takes consis-
tent performance. We're probably going to treat
the two days differently."
And the team will probably treat the entire
weekend differently than Big Ten Champion-
ships.
"I hope we can go out there and compete
like there's no pressure on us and we've got
nothing to lose, because we don't," said junior
Scott Bregman, who won't compete but plans to
travel to California along with sophomore Evan
Heiter to cheer on his teammates. "And have fun
- I think that's been the missing element, just
enjoyment."
The team knows that after NCAAs, there are
no more redemption meets. As Yuan said, it's
"go" time.

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RODRIGO GAYA/Daily
Junior Joe Catrambone performs a straddle-L on the rings in the Wolverines' dual meet loss to Stanford on March 2. Michigan will need
Catrambone and his teammates to be at their peak if it is to make Friday's NCAA team finals.


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