The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Thursday, October 4, 2012 - 7A
When not ordering sprints,
Roundtree works on timing
Eye injury sidelines
goaltender Rutledge
By BEN ESTES
Daily Sports Editor
Nobody was too worried
when Roy Roundtree was forced
to miss most of fall camp after
undergoing knee surgery. The
fifth-year senior wide receiver
was back in time for the season
opener against Alabama and
, hasn't missed time since.
But while Roundtree out-
wardly showed no signs that the
knee still bothered him - and he
insisted as much - he failed to
make an impact until Michigan's
most recent game against Notre
Dame two weeks ago. After total-
ing five receptions for 42 yards
in the team's first three games,
Roundtree had three catches for
30 yards against the Fighting
Irish.
Part of the receiver's new-
found success, if modest, can
be explained by offensive coor-
dinator Al Borges moving him
around on the field. That allowed
Roundtree to keep the defense
guessing and exploit different
matchups.
But Roundtree also revealed
on Wednesday that while his
knee had healed fine, the injury
hurt his conditioning to the point
that he wasn't in ideal shape
over the season's first few weeks.
The time he's had since then has
allowed him to build his stamina
back up, and he said he's now
almost as well conditioned as he
was before hurting his knee.
For Roundtree, the correlation
between his stamina and his per-
formance against Notre Dame is
obvious.
"Oh yeah," Roundtree said.
"I'm pretty sure (Borges) cut
back on me a little bit because of
my knee, but rve played a couple
games (now), and he's getting me
back into my rhythm."
It's a development that should
only continue to pay dividends,
given how Roundtree spent his
bye week. He used the extra time
to catch up on his conditioning,
instructing the strength and
conditioning coaches to give him
more running.
That manifested itself in the
form of half-gassers - sprints
across the width of the field and
back - and 100-yard sprints,
according to the receiver. But
Roundtree also got in better
Presur
starter Cc
start of
By MATT
Daily Spor
Michigan's c
ding situation
more obscured
hockey coach
announced W
freshman goalte
ledge hasn't bee
shots yet this ye,
tact lens adjustm
Junior defens
nett referenced
and said Rutledg
ly been progress
but Berenson
wouldn't con-
firm that he
underwent
surgery.
Berenson
hasn't shied
away from
tapping Rut-
ledge as the he
Shawn Hunwick
last spring. Hu
gaping hole in th
Wolverines after
Hobey Baker AN
last. season and
two goals per ga
"(Rutledge) h
ments with his
early going so h
take shots yet,"
on a CCHA coat
call with the
looking at (fre
Steven Racine a
ie) Adam Janecy
Berenson said
could preclude
being the starter
the season.
nptive "If you have to make any
adjustments in terms of his
)uld miss vision, then it'll take time,"
Berenson said. "I'm not count-
season ing on him playing Sunday (in
the team's scrimmage) unless
SLOVIN there's a big change."
-ts Editor Despite his freshman sta-
tus, the 21-year-old Racine will
loudy goalten- have the most experience of the
became even four goalies on the roster. But
when Michigan Racine, too, is coming off a sum-
Red Berenson mer shortened by surgery. The
ednesday that pecking order behind Rutledge
nder Jared Rut- isn't clear, but it would seem
en able to face Racine, who went undefeated
ar due to a con- in the Ontario Junior Hockey
ent. League last season, holds the
eman Mac Ben- edge.
an eye surgery "(Racine's) just starting to get
e had previous- close to 100 percent," Berenson
ing quite nicely, said. "But he looks pretty good."
Redshirt
sophomore
Luke Dwyer
"He'll be behind rounds out
the goaltend-
a little bit." ing quartet.
Berenson
added that this
Fifth-year senior wide receiver Roy Roundtree caught three passes for 30 yards against Notre Dame.
shape thanks to the running
program that he instituted in
practice last week for the wide
receivers.
For every "loaf" that a receiver
incurs - that is, every time one
of them is caught not hustling
all the way through a rep - the
whole position group has to
run a gasser after practice ends.
(Roundtree claims he enjoys the
sprints, but has made sure not to
pick up any loafs for the sake of
his teammates.)
The new system came wholly
at Roundtree's direction - Mich-
igan coach Brady Hoke confirmed
that he had no part in its formu-
lation. The senior wide receiv-
ers from a year ago had the same
program inplace last season, and
Roundtree, the newsenior leader,
felt inspired to reinstitute it after
he was unsatisfied with how his
position group was performing.
"It kind of showed through
(game) film, guys not hustling
off the ball, including myself,"
Roundtree said. "I feel like it's
going to help us more. ... Even
though it's going to be hard in
practice because you get so many
reps, in a game you'll just be used
to it. I feel like I had to do that
because seeing it on film, man, it
was terrible."
Hoke said he couldn't speak to
whether Roundtree's condition-
ing is truly as improved as the
receiver says, but the coach did
say that Roundtree's move to hold
the wide receivers more account-
able is just par for the course.
"His leadership, and that's
really been since day one as a
junior, that's one reason that
he's in the jersey he's in," Hoke
said. "He's been a guy who you
can count on any time, whether
it be on special teams, whether
it be (on) a team run, whatever
it might be. Roy's leadership and
his commitment to his team-
mates, those are things that stick
out to me."
* The receivers also spent addi-
tional time after practice getting
more reps in, something that
could prove just as beneficial to
an offense coming off a six-turn-
over night against Notre Dame.
Roundtree said the biggest
facet thatthe passinggame needs
to improve this week against
Purdue is its timing and anyone
that watched the game against
the Fighting Irish would have to
agree with the wide receiver.
He attributed part of the
issues to senior quarterback
Denard Robinson having to rush
his throws because of pressure.
That, in turn, led to the receiv-
ers having to rush their routes,
which made for a less than ideal,
combination.
But Roundtree was confident
that the extra reps during the
bye week will help mitigate those.
issues. And he also reported that
Robinson had "moved past" his
post-Notre Dame blues, which
Roundtree said was the most
down he had ever seen his quar-
terback.
"Seeing him the next day, he
didn't feel too bad because he
let it go," Roundtree said. "He
got over it. It's college football, it
happens.
"I might drop 10 catches, but I"
can't be frustrated, because it'll
mess me up for the rest of the sea-
son. Short-term memory, so he'll
be good."
With that, Roundtree had fin-
ished his explanation of why the
Wolverines' passing game will
get better. But before he could go
do his part to help out the Michi-
gan offense, Roundtree had one
thing to clarify, and he did so
with a smile.
"Nah, I ain't never dropped 10
passes."
sir apparent to
who graduated
nwick leaves a
ie crease for the
r emerging as a
ward candidate
i allowing just
me on average.
ad some adjust-
contacts in the
e's not ready to
Berenson said
hes conference
media. "We're
shman goalie)
nd (junior goal-
k."
the eye trouble
Rutledge from
-at the outset of
will be the first
time in his 29 years at Michigan
that the team will have carried
that many goalkeepers.
"He had some problem with
his eye when he had his eye test-
ed," Berenson said. "There was
nothing wrong with him as far
as he was concerned, but when
he got it tested, they didn't like
what they saw. And they fixed it,
and he'll see the doctor (Thurs-
day) and he'll start taking shots
(Thursday)."
Berenson added that the early
season setback would be enough
to throw Rutledge behind the
learning curve.
"He'll be behind a little bit,"
Berenson said. "They'll fit him
with a new contact and he should
be ready to take shots."
LOCKOUT GOT YOU
DOWN?
We've got your hockey fix.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER:
@BLOCKMHOCKEY
Wrestling a birthright for the Churella family
By LIZ NAGLE
Daily Sports Writer
The Churella name has grown
into a legacy that is stenciled
across the banners of Cliff Keen
Arena and along the walls of the
Bahna Wrestling Center.
Former Michigan wrestler
Mark Churella Sr. beganthe mak-
ings of that birthright from 1976-
79, claiming a trio of national
titles at the 150 and 167 lb. weight
classes.
Regarded as one of the most
decorated wrestlers in program
history, the four-time All-Amer-
ican boasts a 22-1 record at the
NCAA Championships and led
the Wolverines to four-straight
top-10 finishes.
Churella captured a pair of Big
Ten Championship crowns en
route to finishing his career with
a 132-13 record. The Farmington
Hills, Mich. native accomplished
numerous feats on the mat and
was inducted to the National
Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1999.
But his efforts continued beyond
the blown whistle.
With a multitude of recogni-
tions and achievements behind
him, Churella began to build the
base of something not yet defined
that would one day be passed on
to the next generation.
The Letterwinners M Club
announced on Sept. 24 that
Churella as this year's Ufer Award
winner. Since 1981, the accolade
has been given to individuals
that have exhibited "outstanding
service" to the Michigan Ath-
letic Department. Past recipients
include Bo Shembechler (1994),
Red Berenson (1998) and Ron
Kramer (2004).
"I feel very privileged -
it's quite an esteemed- group,"
Churella said. "I think after
looking at that list of people that
1-0.
Metcalf claimed the first-peri-
od on a single-leg takedown, and
Josh rebounded in the second,
dropping the former Hawkeye to
his back.
A somewhat controversial
call in the third, however, stifled
Josh's Olympic berth when the
mat judge awarded him a point
that was ultimately overturned
by both tables.
"Itwasthe heartbreakingloss,"
Joshr told the wrestling website
Flowrestling after his final match
of the Trials. "I trained four years
for this moment, this opportunity
and I thought I was winning with
30 seconds left."
Nevertheless, Josh bounced
back and tallied two more veins in
the wrestlebacks over Adam Hall
and Chase Pami.
"The whole goal is to.be on the
Olympic team, Josh said. "But
once that falls short, you stop
feeling bad for yourself and pick it
up real quick and come back and,
take third."
Though Josh put ahiatus on his
career, it seems there's something
he's not ready to part with. On
July 10, the Athletic Department
announced that Josh would join
the Wolverines' coaching staff,
a transition that Mark Churella
said his son made rather quickly.
"As of now; I'm taking some
time off of competition, but we'll
see what happens in the near
future," Josh said. "I'm definitely
focusing more energy on the guys
now."
Mark Churella may have laid
the foundation for his sons to fol-
low, but Josh has only strength-
ened the family name that hangs
on the banners on Cliff Keen.
"My sons have demonstrated
something I've been very proud
of," Churella said. "It's a legacy of
a combination oflessonslearned."
Former Michigan wrestler Josh Churella (right) finished third at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, narrowly missing an Olympic berth ona controversial call.
they've honored in the past that
maybe there was a mistake."
Churella coached the Wolver-
ines in a couple of short stints,
until family matters became a
time-consuming priority. After
his father suffered a heart attack,
Churella was left with "double
duty" responsibilities between
his coaching position and the
family-founded FDI Group insur-
ance agency. Though he ultimate-
ly chose to invest his energy into
the growth of the company, the
elder Churella paved the way for
his three sons - Mark Jr., Ryan for six All-American honors, four
and Josh. The legacy continued conference titles and a 241-29
to unfold on
Michigan mats
from one gen-
eration to the
next.
Mark Jr.
earned his var-
sity letter in
2001, but it was
Ryan and Josh
that wrote
record while at
Michigan.
After wrap-
"I trained four ping up his
college career
years for this with a fourth-
place finish
moment." at the NCAA
Champion- -
ships, Josh
continued to
in freestyle at 66kg, Josh notched
multiple wins on the interna-
tional stage, including a pair of
third-place citations at the World
Team Trials in 2010 and 2011.
More recently, Josh finished third
at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team
Trials, headlining the former-
Wolverine brigade - Joe Warren,
Kellen Russell and Tyrel Todd -
that competed at the event.
After winning his first two
bouts, Josh dropped the semifinal
match to former Iowa national
champion Brent Metcalf, 1-0, 0-3,
the family name deeper into the train in Ann Arbor with the Cliff
record books. The duo combined Keen Wrestling Club. Competing