The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
February 16, 2009 - 3B
Back-end players carry
Blue in Big Ten matches
Wolverines find believes the success this weekend
will help build the team's confi-
success in new dence for the rest of the spring
season, even with the loss to the
match-play format Hoosiers.
"We didn't give it to (Indiana),"
By NICK SPAR Sapp said. "They just kind of took
For the Daily it. We're pleased with the way the
guys played. We're sad that we
The Michigan men's golf team didn't take home the big crystal
sent a clear message to the rest of trophy and win this championship,
the Big Ten this weekend. but there are a lot of positive things
In the first-ever Big Ten Match that we can draw from this week."
Play Championship, the Wolver- The Big Ten is the first con-
ines' first tournament of the spring ference to implement the same
season, Michigan fell to No. 11 match-play format as the NCAA
Indiana in the finals, 3.5-2.5, after Golf Championship. In match play,
defeating No. 7 Illinois in the semi- all six golfers for each team have a
finals by the same score. The Hoo- greater impact on the outcome of
siers and Fighting Illini were the the match because the results of
only ranked teams in the tourna- each individual count. Typically, in
ment at The Heron Bay Golf Club stroke play, just the top-four scores
in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. count.
All eleven teams in the Big Ten The match-play format helped
participated in the event. Before Michigan this weekend, because
this weekend, the Wolverines had the Wolverines' back-end players'
not finished second or better in a outplayed their opponents' back-
Big Ten Championship meet since end players throughout the tour-
1980. nament.
Michigan's two matches Satur- Thompson, Michigan's No. 5
day came down to the final holes player, and junior Ross Millman,
against a pair of top-15 teams. Michigan's No. 6 player, both beat
In match play, scoring is decided their competition against Illinois.
per hole. A golfer earns one point The play of the duo ultimately car-
if he beats his counterpart and half ried Michigan past the Fighting
a point if a golfer halves his match. Illini and into the finals.
Each team can earn six points, The Wolverines began the week- 1
one for each of the six individual end by overpowering Iowa 4-2 in
matches. the quarterfinals, and Thompson
Freshman Matt Thompson won and Millman each won against
all three of his matches on the Iowa. FILE PHOTO
weekend and received All-Tourna- "We have probably the best Sophomore Alexander Sitompul and the Michigan golf team finished No. 2.
ment honors. (No.) 5 and (No. 6) players in the
"I think we're all happy with conference," Sapp said. "So I think the guys that are teeing off behind This weekend, the No.1 through
how we did," Thompson said. from that standpoint, our depth them." No. 4 players had a combined 3-5-4
"Unfortunately, we couldn't come hopefully is going to be the thing In May's Big Ten Champion- record in the three matches, which
out with the victory, but it was a that helps us. For those two guys to ships, the Wolverines will play a would need to improve in order for
good way to start the spring." really kick us off with wins kind of stroke-play format, just as they the Wolverines to finish in the top
Michigan coach Andrew Sapp helps ease the pressure on some of have every year since 1980. two in May.
Todd shines on SeniorDay
Senior Tiffany Ofili won her fifth straight 60-meter hurdles race
Ofili excels
in hurdl-es
i
'5
'M' topples Penn
State, sends its three
seniors out with big-
time Big Ten win
By MIKE FLOREK
DailySports Writer
In the dimlylitCliff KeenArena,
fifth-year senior Tyrel Todd came
out of the tunnel at a speed any
sprinter would be proud of and met
his weak-in-the-knees freshman
opponent in the center of the mat.
This one meant a little more.
Todd scored a pin in a 31-6 win
for No. 17 Michigan (4-1-1 Big Ten,
9-7-1 overall) over No. 24 Penn
State (1-5-2,8-11-2) onSenior Night.
Three seniors were in the starting
lineups for the Wolverines.
"I've thought about our senior
night since my freshman year,"
Todd said. "People ask you how
you want to go out, and I couldn't
have pictured it much different."
Todd's fall came one minute and
38 seconds into his match. That is
his third pin in as many matches
and his team-leading ninth this
season.
"I'm telling myself, 'I'm pinning
myself through the Big Ten, pin-
ning my way through nationals,'"
Todd said. "I'm getting pretty good
with this head scoop, and guys
Luke, the top 174-pounder in the
nation, established a three-point
lead before allowing 16th-ranked
Quentin Wright to take him down
and get back into the match. But
Luke scored an escape and kept
his undefeated streak intact at 22
matches.
"I've won a lot of close matches
in my college career," Luke said.
"I think that's what separates the
average wrestler from the good
wrestler. You just have to figure
out how to win matches."
Watts, ranked 17th at 125
pounds, fell behind early but even-
tually came back.
After throwing his opponent
to the ground with a thump loud
enough for it to echo throughout
the arena and bring the crowd to
its feet, he scored two points for a
near-fall to take a two-point lead.
But Penn State's No.13 Brad Pat-
aky let that lead last only eleven
seconds as he took the bout 11-9.
"(Watts) had struggled with him
in those first periods," McFarland
said. "But Mike got himself back in
that match, he just got caught in a
cement mixer there at the end and
lost a tough one."
Michigan's win seemed sec-
ondary in a night that seemed to
revolve around just three people.
"Those three seniors that wres-
tled today, we're proud to have
them in our program." McFarland
said.
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enior remains The Wolverines faced off against
unbeaten in No. 2 Tennessee, No. 5 Louisiana,
No.8 Florida State, No.10 Penn State
0-meter event and host team No.12 Arkansas.
Michigan held its own against
some of the year's toughest compe-
By AMY SCARANO tition.
Daily Sports Writer In the non-scoring meet, the
Wolverines won two events. Senior
last time the Michigan wom- co-captain Tiffany Ofili won the
ck and field team competed at 60-meter hurdles (8.05 seconds), an
ndal Tyson Center in Arkan- NCAA automatic qualifying time.
Wolverines were competing Ofili has won the 60-meter hur-
2008 NCAA Indoor Champi- dles in all five of her meets this sea-
s. son.
y finished that competition in "Tiffany didn't have the time she
lace, Michigan's highest-ever was looking for, but the goal at this
finish. point is beating bodies, so she did
fourth-ranked Wolver- that and did well," Henry said.
turned to Fayetteville, Ark., At last year's Tyson Invitational,
ay for the Tyson Invitational. Ofili captured an NCAA Title when
eet allowed the Wolverines she broke the then-program record
ge their performance on a in the event with a time of 7.49 sec-
al stage. onds.
was our national tune-up "I would be disappointed if all
Michigan coach James my athletes didn't win," Henry
said. "The purpose of going said. "But if Tiffany didn't win, that
vas to compete against totally would be the biggest disappoint-
nt athletes and to compete on ment because she has been perfect
ne track that Nationals have thus far. We hope she continues to
in on." win."
Randal Tyson Center has Sophomore Kaitlyn Peale won
the NCAA Indoor Champi- the 5,000-meter run (17:14.10). In
s nine times and will hold the addition, the Wolverines picked up
ionships again in 2010. The seven top-five finishes, including
has a banked track, allowing three NCAA provisional marks.
iners to speed up rather than The Wolverines will continue
)wn as they go into turns. The preparing for the NCAA Indoor
g also holds 7,000 spectators. Championships on March 13-14.
r goal was to have good com- This year, the meet will be held at
n and good atmosphere and Texas A & M's Anderson Track and
hletes, andwemetourgoals," Field Complex, but Michigan will
said. "The atmosphere was be ready to compete at Arkansas
nding." come 2010.
)CATS Not only did Michigan triumph
page1lB over fatigue, it proved down the
stretch why it leads the Big Ten in
free-throw percentage (76.1 per-
vertime, Michigan led by six cent). The Wolverines shot 8-of-0
wer than two minutes to go from the charity stripe in overtime.
Coble scored five straight. A Harris's performance overshad-
by Northwestern guard Jer- owed the rest of the Wolverines.
ash cut the lead to one with Redshirt freshman Laval Lucas-
)ds left, but two free throws Perry added 10 points and junior
four seconds later held off DeShawn Sims chipped in with
ldcats. eight.
wentback to just how tough With each of Michigan's remain-
and how we've conditioned ing five regular-season games
s," Beilein said. "And this is having NCAA Tournament impli-
a that we've worked at, being cations, the Wolverines better hope
when there's adversity, when Harris doesn't forget what it feels
tired." like to be in the zone again.
D WIN Sneak peak: Beilein got to
page 1B Welsh-Ryan a little early. A night
before Michigan's game against
Northwestern, the Michigan
gan State and Purdue are the coach sat in the crowd to watch a
sms with a winning record high school game, according to the
ference road games. Chicago Tribune.
sen we're on the road, we're He used the trip as an opportu-
aying the Little Sisters for nity to watch 6-foot-6 high school
or," Beilein said. "Nobody junior Alex Dragicevich from
going in there, either. It's Glenbrook North High School.
e we're only team that can't Dragicevich led his team with 31
the road. Michigan State is points.Ten. Michigan State and
a great job. Show me some- Purdue are the only teams with a
Ise who is doing it on a regu- winning record in conference road
is." games.
W ILL MOELLER/Daly
Senior Tyrel Todd won his last meet of his Michigan career in Cliff Keen Arena.
know it's coming. But they can't
stop it."
The blowout was a welcome
change for the Wolverines after
Friday's match, when No. 6 Ohio
State overwhelmed the Wolver-
ines 26-17 in a packed Cliff Keen
Arena.
Michigan was up 14-8 more than
halfway through the meet, but
repeated cries of "O-H-I-O" filled
the arena by the end of the match.
The loss also snapped Michigan's
four-match unbeaten streak in the
Big Ten.
"It was a little disappointing last
nightbecause at thathalfway point,
we felt like we were in control of
the meet and it slipped away from
us," Michigan coach Joe McFar-
land said. "To be able to come back
tonight and wrestle the way we did
and have the kind of score that we
did is pretty impressive."
The Wolverines' other two
starting seniors, Steve Luke and
Michael Watts, finished their
matches differently.
SOFTBALL
St. Clair's hot bat spurs Wolverines
ByIAN KAY bases on a series of BYU fielding
DailySports Writer miscues. The run proved to be the
difference in a 4-2 Michigan win.
Junior catcher Roya St. Clair Against Louisville (6-1) later
wasn't much of a run producer for Friday afternoon, St. Clair single-
the Michigan softball team last sea- handedly powered Michigan to a
son. 3-2 victory over Louisville. Her
In 60 games, she tallied only six solo homer over the leftfield fence
runs scored and15 RBI. and a pair of RBI singles account-
But if this weekend is any ed for all three Wolverine runs.
indication, St. Clair will be a key The Cardinals threatened to tie
component in the sixth-ranked the game with a runner on second
Wolverines' 2009 offense. and one out in the sixth inning, but
St. Clair racked up seven hits Michigan coach Carol Hutchins
and 9 RBI in 15 at bats as Michigan brought on sophomore pitcher
won four of its five games at the Jordan Taylor in relief of junior
Louisville Slugger Desert Classic Nikki Nemitz. Taylor faced six
in Henderson and Las Vegas, Nev. batters over the final 1.2 innings
In Friday's opening game and struck out five, slamming the
against Brigham Young (5-3), she door on Lousville's comeback.
knocked in Michigan's first two Both games were played at local
runs of the tournament with a Stephanie Lynn Craig Park, creat-
second-inning double down the ing a nostalgic feel.
rightfield line. The Cougars tied "it reminded all of us of playing
the game in the top of the fifth, in travel ball before we got to col-
but Michigan (8-2) answered in lege," Bausher said.
the bottom of the inning. Junior For Bausher, a Las Vegas native,
centerfielder Molly Bausher sin- the weekend was especially mem-
gled then advanced around the orable. For many of her family and
friends, it was the first opportu-
nity in three years to see her play
college softball.
"I didn't even know that some of
my parents' friends and my friends
came," she said. "I don't look up
intothestands and look forthemso
I had no idea they were even there.
But after the game they came over
and said hi and I was like 'Wow,
thanks for coming!"'
But the laid-back atmosphere
of Friday's games was short-lived.
On Saturday, Michigan faced its
toughest tests of the young season,
taking on No. 16 DePaul and No. 4
UCLA at UNLV's Eller Media Sta-
dium.
The Wolverines struggled to
come up with clutch hits against
DePaul. After the Demons
tagged Taylor for four runs, two
unearned, in the top of the first,
Michigan managed at least one
hit every inning. But it pushed just
three runs across the plate. Down
5-3 in their final chance at the
plate, Michigan loaded the bases
with one out. Nemitz struck out
swinging, bringing up St. Clair
as the Wolverines' final chance.
For the only time all weekend, the
catcher left her teammates disap-
pointed, flying out to left field.
But the bitter taste of being
upset didn't stay with Michigan
for long - it passed it on to UCLA
just a few hours later.
Taylor wasn't her usual bril-
liant self, but she held the Bru-
ins to four runs in seven innings.
That was enough to garner the
'W,' especially with another big
hit from St. Clair, who redeemed
herself with a teo-run double to
center field to tie the game in the
fourth inning. Bausher gave her
fans something to cheer for with
two hits, including an RBI double
of her own.
"It puts you in a more com-
petitive mindset," Bausher said of
playing ranked teams.
Michigan will have to get used
to that mindset. They play three
games against No. 2 Florida and
ACC powerhouse Florida State
within the next 10 days.
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