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The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Friday, September 19, 2014 -- 9A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Friday, September19, 2014 - 9A
Coon leads sophomore class
By BEN FIDELMAN
Daily Sports Writer
Adam Coon, like he has
all season, dominated the
competition this summer.
Only this time, he traded in
his maize and blue singlet for
one with "USA" on the chest.
The sophomore was selected
to compete for Team USA in
the FILA World Championships
in Croatia, and was the only
wrestler to enter both the
Greco-Roman and freestyle
tournaments. He took home
bronze medals in both.
Michigan wrestling coach Joe
McFarland wants his team to
learn from all competitions, and
Coon believes he has learned
from last year's postseason and
this summer's international
events. Coon said watching
many of the competing nations,
including Iranians, Georgians
and Russians, allowed him to
see what it was like to have
flawless technique and be extra
aggressive - somethinghe's now
focusing on back in Ann Arbor.
"If I can combine both of
those," Coon said. "I will be
absolutely unstoppable. Perfect,
technique with the aggression
to go with it - that's your
perfect recipe."
Coon's performance was
impressive not only because of
the end result - two medals -
but also how he won them. In the
10 total matches over the course
of both tournaments, Coon went
8-2 with two technical falls and
five pins.
"Those numbers are
nothing less than impressive,"
McFarland. "The way he made
the teams and how he competed
in both the Greco and Freestyle,
which is virtually unheard
of, really says a lot about his
character and the kind of
competitor he is."
After he spent most of his
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
No.1Wolverines
prep fOr Big Ten
By CHRIS CROWDER schools this year. Last month's
For the Daily Michigan Open was a 5K intra-
squad race. Saturday's race will
Though it's just the second be the first 6K competition of
race of the year, the Michigan the year for the Wolverines.
women's cross country team Junior Shannon Osika,
will be thinking of a Big Ten sophomore Erin Finn and
title on Saturday. senior co-captain Brook
Saturday's Big Ten Preview Handler are expected to lead
will be held in Iowa City, the pack for Michigan.
Iowa, the site of the Big Ten "We're interested to run
Championships in November. againstdifferent-coloredshirts,"
After finishing second in the Big McGuire said. "Wisconsin has
Ten behind Michigan State last vastly improved over last year,
year, the Wolverines are hungry. and we anticipate they'll run
"The most important thing three people up front with our
is winning a Big Ten title," said people. We want to see how we'll
senior Alex Leptich. "It brings stack up against them."
excitement to the team unlike The Badgers are ranked No.
anything else we can achieve." 16 in the nation and will give
Their No. 1 Michigan a
ranking hasn't chance to live
gotten in the up to its top
way, though, as "W e're more ranking.
Leptich keeps The
the team on excited to lace Wolverines
track. look good on
"The No. em up and run paper, but
1 ranking is they have
really cool, but for a team score. their sights
it gets pushed on the course
back until and simply
after a Big Ten competing.
meet," Leptich said. "We have set objectives going
Michigan returns all seven of in, but we're more excited to lace
its varsity runners who finished 'emup and run for ateam score,"
first in their regional and fourth McGuire said.
nationally last year. Coach The Wolverines will look to
Mike McGuire has been very continue to motivate and push
pleased with his team's effort each other to win a Big Ten
in the offseason. He said the championship for the second
No. 1 ranking is a combination time in three years.
of where they finished last But Saturday's meet won't
year and progress that several just be a stepping stone toward a
individuals made during track Big Ten championship.
season. It could be on the way to a
The Big Ten Preview will be national title.
an early measuring stick for the
Wolverines as they face Big Ten For weekend sports'stores
foes Iowa and Wisconsin. It's Cheek Michiganaily.com and
their first race against opposing follow @theblockm on Twitter
Adam Coon hopes a successful summer with Team USA at the FILA World Championships will help him this winter.
freshman season as the No. 1 I wrestle with more aggression
wrestler in the heavyweight and more to lose? Yeah."
division, many expected big Coon, along with Dominic
things from him heading Abounader and Brian Murphy -
into the Big Ten and NCAA members of the 2013 recruiting
Championships. To his class - had an immediate
admission, the results of those impact for the Wolverines last
tournaments season.
were Coon led the
lackluster. * group with a
"I was a lot "I Willbe absolutely 32-5 record,
more driven Murphy at
(this summer) unstoppable." 18-9 and
because I had Abounader
such a bad at 16-11.
Big Ten and Abounader
NCAA Tournament," Coon said. and Murphy finished third and
"It fueled my fire. I went after it fourth, respectively, at the Big
even harder and gave it the best Ten Championships.
that I could. Would I say that I It's not uncommon for
wrestled better than I did (in wrestlers to redshirt their
the college postseason)? No. Did sophomore year if they're
coming off a stellar start to their
college career, but all three of
the Michigan sophomores are
coming back in full force for this
2014 campaign.
"We are going to put our best
team on the mat," McFarland
said. "All three of those guys
learned an awful lot, as most
student-athletes do, in their
first year of competition. You
learn where the bar is. The
grind of that first year turns you
into a man."
Coon believes the Wolverines
are going to be a powerhouse
this year.
Crediting tenacity in the
practice room and a great group
of freshmen, he maintains that
the team is going to finish better
than it has recently.
ConfidentM'
journeys East
By ISAIAH ZEAVIN-MOSS is a newfound confidence
For the Daily among the group.
Sarkisian, whose heroic, last-
The Michigan women's minute goal provided plenty of
soccer team drama Sunday night, said that
is hoping to last weekend's victories boosted
buck an early- MiChigan t Michigan's confidence.
season trend Maryland, "It gets everyone amped
as it heads Rutgers up," she said. "It makes us feel
East for a pair a lot more comfortable with
of matches Matchup: ourselves, knowing that we can
against Michigan 6-2; play at the top level and that we
Maryland and Maryland 3-2- can beat teams that are ranked
Rutgers. ; in the top 10."
After a When: Friday Even coach Greg Ryan,
weekend of 4 P.M., who, before last weekend
two thrilling, spoke almost entirely of his
quality TV: BTN team's youth and inexperience,
results - a (Monday) senses an increased, newfound
2-1 overtime maturity and confidence from
victory over his team.
Minnesota and a last-second 2-1 "They're doing a great job of
triumph over No. 9 Wisconsin keeping their eyes on the job
- the Wolverines will try to at hand, taking it one day at a
extend their current four- time," he said.
match win. streak. In many ways, for a young
But it won't team like the
be so easy. Wolverines,
The games the matches
are on the "W e know that immediately
road, where following
Michigan this is the Big great success
is 0-2 this are the most
year, having Ten season, its challenging.
suffered a pair Ryan sees
of shutouts in not preseason." this and has
California at been telling
the beginning his team in
of the season. practice to
Freshman forward Ani focus on its next game and not
Sarkisian said she thinks that to concern themselves with the
those gloomy days are far in the success of last weekend.
past. "I think they are adopting
"It was our effort that that (gutsy) attitude," Ryan said.
was lacking in San Diego," Added senior defender
Sarkisian said. "Maybe we were Keyana Thompson-Shaw: "We
enjoying ourselves too much in like to look at ourselves as the
California. Now we know that underdogs. We have nothing to
this is the Big Ten season, it's lose and everything to gain."
not preseason games. We need Michigan is brimming with
to take everything seriously confidence as they head out on
from here on." this East Coast road trip.
While the Wolverines' "We can go out there and
starting lineup is usually we can beat these teams,"
comprised of mostly new, Thompson-Shaw said.
inexperienced freshmen, the With a smile, she added,
team is coming together. There "Why not us?"
Men's soccer looks to rebound
By SYED FAHD AHSAN
For the Daily
What has been a roller coaster
of a season for the Michigan
men's soccer
team shows no Michigan at
signs of slowing
down as the N'Western
Wolverines Matchup:
visit Evanston Michigan 1-3-
to play 1; N'Western
Northwestern 3-1-2
this Sunday in When: Sunday
what promises 5 P.M.
to be a grueling Where:
game. Evanston, Ill.
Michigan
(1-3-1) comes
into the fixture
winless in its last three games.
Northwestern (3-1-2) would've
entered in similar circumstances
were it not for Wednesday's 1-0
win against Valparaiso, before
which they had one loss and
two draws since the start of the
month.
Both teams have yet to
register a win in the Big Ten and
will need one in hopes of gaining
ground on current leaders Penn
State, Ohio State and Rutgers,
all of which won their opening
matches.
The Wolverines, although
a point above Northwestern
courtesy of a draw against No.12
Maryland, will be hungrier for
the win, having not won since
the end of August. Michigan's
positive outings this season
were a 3-0 win against Southern
Methodist and last weekend's
draw to Maryland.
However, Michigan's most
dominant showing was arguably
last weekend's 1-0 loss to Bowling
Green, when the Wolverines
controlled the game for most of
the 90 minutes and dominated
every statistic other than the all-
important final score.
The defense was fairly solid
and was only occasionally
Michigan men's soccer coach Chaka Daley has reformed the Wolverines' strategy this year with mixed results.
exposed when both fullbacks project of trying to develop a highly composed defensive
would provide attackingsupport. specific possession-oriented style 5-3-2 formation primed for
The midfield looked composed of play for the team. quick counter-attacks and the
and pressed the Bowling Green "We've got a talented batch of quality of forward Joey Calistri
midfield if it ever lost the ball; in young players, and it takes time - the Big Ten's leading scorer
the end, it was just an inability adjusting to a new style of play. last season - who has already
to follow through in front of It's a long season ahead, and this racked up three goals, and the
goal that let the team down. is a long project," he said. Wolverines have no easy task on
For all their possession and all The Wildcats blew open their their hands.
the chances they created, one first two games of the season in Michigan can line up in
decisive counter attack by the spectacular fashion, winning a number of different ways
Falcons decided the game. 2-0 and then 3-0, before going with fifth-year senior keeper
Michigan coach Chaka Daley three games without a win in Adam Grinwis competing with
didn't downplay the importance September. But if Wednesday's budding freshman Evan Louro.
of Sunday's fixture. game proved anything, it's that At the other end of the pitch, it
"There's no substitute for this they are over their rough patch could be junior Colin McAtee
game, and it plays a part in the and are looking like the team or freshman Ahinga Selemani
long season ahead. It's just the they once did. They had five leadingthe attack.
start of the season and it's special shots on target by the end of the The game could potentially be
to play against such a historically first half and remained calm decided by the tiniest of details,
great team," Daley said. defensively after scoring the and with both teams looking
This seasonthough, marks the game's only goal. for no less than a win, Sunday's
beginning of Daley's ambitious Add to this Northwestern's game promises to be a cracker.
NO MATTER WHAT YOU SEE ON SATURDAY,
BE GLAD IT'S NOT 2008.
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