6A - Thursday, January 16, 2014 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 6A - Thursday, January16, 2014 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom With talent and veteran leaders, Wolverines poised for title run Calm, composed, Grajales finds roll By ALEX TAYLOR Daily Sports Writer As defending NCAA champi- ons, the unanimous preseason No.1 and hosts of the 2014 NCAA Championship, much is expect- ed of this year's Michigan men's gymnastics team. The Wolverines return 26 of 30 routines from last year - most belongingto gymnasts that are All-Americans, individual National Champions or Olym- pians. Armed with talent across the board, Michigan head coach Kurt Golder has his choice of lineups he can employ any time. "This year is a little bit differ- ent because no matter what our lineup is, we are capable of win- ning every single meet," Golder said. "So I've put a little more emphasis on winning the Windy City (invitational) and winning every single meet between now and the NCAA finals." If Michigan is able to win in Chicago and repeat as National Champions, it will be the first time a team has accomplished this feat since Oklahoma repeated in 2005, and the first time since 1959 that a Michigan team has won back-to-back National Championships. The chance at making history, though, isn't weighing heavily on the Wolverines. This team views its season as an opportunity to cement its own legacy and not just live off last season's success. By BEN FIDELMAN Daily Sports Writer ALLISON FARRAND/Daily Junior Stacy Ervin is one of several uperclassmen expected to lead Michigan back to the NCAA Tournament this year. "We talked quite a bit when the new year came around, 'OK we're no longer NCAA champions, we're nothing,"' Golder said. "Everything we want to accomplish lies in front of us. We have to earn it." Perhaps winning this season will meanevenmore asMichigan hosts the NCAA Championships at Crisler Center for the first time since 1971. "I think (hosting the NCAA Championship) adds motivation, and I also think it adds pres- sure," Golder said. "And we have to be able to deal with that pres- sure." One person who is used to that pressure is graduate stu- dent Syque Caesar. A fifth-year senior last year, Caesar was able to get a sixth year of eligibil- ity because he had two previous seasons lost to injuries and he is still taking classes. "Coming back off a championship last year and retaining something like 90 percent of the team and all of our routines, and the fact that we are hostingNCAA's this year, it willbe like a fairy-tale story if we execute and win the championship at home," Caesar said. Caesar, who represented Bangladesh in the 2012 summer Olympics, earned three All- American honors last year in floor exercise, parallel bars and high bar. He will also serve as captain again this year, along with senior Matt Freeman. The other Olympian on the team, senior Sam Mikulak, will also be depended on to contribute heavily to the Wolverines success. After last year's performance at the NCAA championships - which included NCAA individual Championships in all-around, high bar and parallel bar and six All-American honors - Mikulak has a chance to become the most decorated NCAA gymnast ever. With 13 All-American citations and five NCAA individual championships, Mikulak needs only three more individual championships and four All-American citations to become the record holder in both categories. But for Mikulak, one of his biggest obstacles might be fellow teammate, junior Adrian de los Angeles. De los Angeles finished second to Mikulak's first in the all-around competition at both the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Championships. Number of years since Michigan won back-to-back National Championships 13 Number of Al-America citations issued to senior Sam Mikulak. Number of returning routines from last year Los Angel Edi ACROSS 1 Intheknow 6 Simplicity 10 Dundee damsel 14 Ledger entry 15Cannonhall, e.g. 16 In the know ahout 17 'The Caine Mutiny' nonelist 19 Walkorrun 20 Some NASA data-retrieval misions 21 Invaton "S" 22 Take the wrong way? 23 Empty (o) 24"Reward Your Curiosity" soda 27 Fragrant resin 20 Dusk, to Donne 30 Aus. language 31 Crescent piece 33 Mnderwortd piece 34 Medical breakthrough 3517th-century artistic style 38 Booted, say 40 Org. with complex schedules 41 Lump 42 Mr. Potato Head part 43 Tankard filler 44 Ferry stops 48 Eadly Schwarzenegger nickname, with "The' 53 Asia's _ Darya river 54 Glisten 55 G".Wiedersehen" 56 Oscar-winning Whitaker role 57 Stadium access 58 People oflgood breeding 61 Tommie oftthe Miracle Mets 62 Unpopularspots 63 _ Claire: women's magazine 64 Sew up 65 Woody "Cheers" bartender 66 Strictly controlled refrigerant les Times Daily Crossword Puzzle ited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis DOWN 38 Big name in 50 Nursery 1 Stay attached liquor employee 2 Cotton pest 39 Railroad charge 51 Exposed publicly 3 Wear away 43 Ulna locale 52 Old gridiron gp. 4 Glass edges 45 Rossellini film 56 Where some 5 Two after epsilon renamed "Ways worshipfrom t6 Dickens' Drood of Looe" in its 50 Shoot the 7 Pungent mayo American version breeze 8 Law and, 46 Actor Estevez 59 "Foucault's Oda eam 47 Like the Titanic Pendulum" writer 10 Columbo asset 49 Wrapped, as an 60 "Unbelievable" 11 Veggie burger, to ankle rock group a hamburger ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: 12 Petce place_ 13"In your face!" B E SET C U B A S O R E 18Decodingorg. O V I N E A F A R A R U M 22 Twittertfollower C A L V E F 0 X S P O R T S 24D.C.neighbor A S K I N G S T O A T 25 Edward known YVESN0 E NROB E tar limericks EA S EERN MR O N K 26 Reveal 28 Certain domestic A R M E W E R S I E R R A 32Some like it hot S N O T E R R I E R D A Y 33Word withlog or T O O B A D O P T S E G O burner ALTO SLAT ORES 34Wrigley team OH A RM A 101INOG 35Revelation S AL E SLE T H foursome BOS TON I VY I DAHO 36 City ESE of Los O D I E U V E A A G R E E Angeles 37 Neste product WEND PARK CEDE S introduced in 1948 xwordeditor@aol.com 01/16/14 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 2 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 3s 36 37 Additionally, de los Angeles earned All-American honors on the parallel bars last year. Yet, Michigan will need other contributors besides these three as it heads into its first meet of the season, the Windy City Invi- tational. Waiting for the Wolver- ines in Chicago will be a stacked lineup that includes Big Ten foes No. 4 Ohio State, No. 5 Illinois, No. 8 Iowa and No. 9 Minnesota. Though the favorites to win the invitational, Michigan could be without two of its top gymnasts, Mikulak, who is in China for a Team USA training camp, and junior Stacey Ervin, who has had recent back problems and will be a day-time decision to compete. But, not even these potential setbacks have dampened the Wolverines' expectations head- ing into the meet. "We set our goals at wanting to win Windy City," Caesar said. "We want to win that title right away because it really sets the tone for the rest of the season." Whether or not the Wolver- ines accomplish their first goal with a win in Chicago, there is no doubt that Michigan will have the chance to reach unparalleled heights this new year. 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In a sport where the goal is to break your opponent, a Michigan wrestler is finding success using happiness and pride for motivation. "I'm not usually the kind of person that wants to get all angry or too hyped up," said fifth-year senior Eric Grajales. "I like to be happy and smile before my matches." After a 15-1 campaign in his redshirt junior year, Grajales has had a successful first half of this 2013 season, climbing to 12th in the InterMat rankings of the 149-pound weight class. And all of this success is coming under a unique mindset. He believes that a wrestler has to have an attitude to succeed, and that being angry isn't the answer for everyone. During duels, the only people that aren't sitting on the bench, outside of the next wrestler waiting to compete, are usually the coaches - and Grajales. He takes an involved role in the motivation of other Wolverine wrestlers by standing on the sideline and encouraging them through the matches. One standout example of this was a moment shared between the veteran and freshman heavyweight Adam Coon. In a meet last week against Purdue, Coon was preparing to take the mat and continue his undefeated season. Seeing Coon looking tense, Grajales stood up and made his way to the anxious freshman. "I wanted to give Coon a high- five and congratulate him on how well he's about to do," Grajales said. "I know he's about to go out there and do well, so I wanted to make sure he's happy and knows I'm happy." Coon took the win by more than 10 points. There are other leaders on the team, but none have a greater opportunity to affect the overall outcome than Grajales does. As a squad, one of the mosh crippling problemsNo. 19 Michigan has had this year is getting out to a solid start early in meets, which puts Grajales, who wrestles in the 149- pound weight class, in a perfect position to restore the calm for the Wolverines. Time and time again he has given the team the jump- start that they need to come out on top in matches. Grajales, one of only two seniors with a starting role, is ina position that he didn't necessarily anticipate coming into the season. In early December, redshirt junior and team captain Max Huntley went down for the year with a torn pectoral tendon. With only four seniors on the team, somebody needed to step up, and Grajales was the answer. OutsideoftheinjurytoHuntley, it was going to be important for Grajales to continue to lead the way and spread his leadership style to the young team. The Wolverines are ranked 19th in the latest poll, but face an immediate opportunity to climb the ladder with four ranked opponents on the schedule over the next three weekends, including No. 11 Illinois and No. 2 Minnesota this weekend. In a month's time it should be fairly clear just how well Grajales' innovative leadership style is leading the Wolverine charge. With such a daunting confer- ence schedule in the team's future, the Wolverines can use a smile wherever they can get it. Grajales will be sure to provide just that. Mannett return from across pond By REBECCA DZOMBAK well-groomed, smooth golf Daily Sports Writer courses," Mannett said. "In Europe, it's much rougher terrain. Having helped the Michigan There are a lot more obstacles to women's cross country team get around that can trip up your to a fourth-place finish at the pace, and it's much hillier." NCAA National Championships on top of that, the U.S. rac- in November, sophomore Taylor ers had to run on a 4,000-meter Mannett took her talents across course, as opposed to the stan- the pond to compete in Scotland's dard 6,000-meter distance for Bupa Great Edinburgh Challenge women's collegiate races. It may on Jan. 11. not seem like much of a differ- The Challenge is an annual ence, but for top-tier collegiate international race which hosts a racers used to a 6K, 2,000 meters number of countries. This year, make a huge difference, and dras- Team USA competed against tically changes thier training. Great Britain and the general After taking a week off after category for Europe. the cross country season ended, Mannett, who competed in Mannett and her Wolverine the same race last year, was teammates began training for pleasantly surprised when she the 5,000-meter and mile races found out that she was one of - which incorporated a lot more six women selected to represent speedwork than cross country the United States for the junior training, and that speedwork is field. The USA Track and Field essential when you only have junior eligibility includes runners 4,000 meters to prove your mettle ages 16 to 20, and runners are on foreign turf. selected based on their season Despite these challenges, the performance and standing. U.S. team did well. The terrain "I wasn't sure if I was going to challenged the women to push be picked again this year, since and help each other through there are a lot of fast new people," the rough spots, and the faster Mannett said. "But when they pace led them to think and react told meI got itI was really happy quickly to the course and their to be able to race internationally competition. Mannett and three and represent the U.S. again." of her teammates finished within Despite her 14th-place finish six seconds of each other. in a time of 14:37, good for fifth "I definitely didn't do as well on her team, the United States as I wanted to, but we had a nice finished second of the three pack of three or four girls at the international teams competing. finish, so that was good," Mannett Mannett and her five team- said. "But for us in a race like this, mates arrived in Scotland on Jan. it's kind of hard to place high up 9, allowing just two days for them because (European runners) are to get acquainted - both person- in the middle of their season, so ally and as runners. Because it they're at peak fitness right now, takes years of training together to whereas we're taking time off or truly develop close group dynam- building up for track." ics, trying to build that same Though she did not rank as dynamic in three days and two highly as she aimed to, Mannett training runs is no small feat. returned to the States with a posi- Apart from establishing good tive attitude, thankful to have had group dynamics, the runners an opportunity not afforded to had to contend with the terrain many athletes. and style of the course, which "It's always an honor to be followed traditional European chosen for something like this," standards for cross country. she said. "And it was great to get "Almost all cross country another cross country race in and courses (in the U.S.) are really to compete internationally." 36 39 40 41 42 43 44 ao aa so s s on 5n 0 51 50 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 nt en so 45 4647 01/6/1 By Robin Stears (c)2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC I I I A