The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Tuesday, September 23, 2014 - 5

The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Tuesday, September 23, 2014- 5

Michigan finishes 7th of8

Recruiting Rundown:
Positive performances

After slow start,
Wolverines top
Iowa on final day to
avoid last place
By ZACH SHAW
Daily Sports Writer
After weathering literal
and metaphorical storms
all weekend, the Michigan
women's golf team ended its
first home weekend in two years
on a positive note.
After a disappointing first
round Saturday that left them at
least seven strokes behind every
other team, the Wolverines
failed to climb out of last in
the next two rounds, posting
an improved second round in
stroke play before falling to
Miami in match play.
But on the fourth day, things
brightened up, as Michigan took
down Iowa to place seventh at
the East and West Match Play
Challenge.
"We dug ourselves in a pretty
big hole in that first round," said
Michigan coach Jan Dowling.
"But since then, we've played
some pretty solid golf. We didn't
come out on top or where we
wanted to, but the reason for
that, I'd say, is just a bunch of
little things."
With just two upperclassmen
on the roster, most of the
team hadn't competed at its
home course before. Any hint
of home-field advantage was
shattered in Saturday's opening
round, where the Wolverines
scored a 315 - 23 strokes off the
lead and seven worse than any
other team.
The Wolverines rebounded
nicely, shooting 297 later in the
day, but that wasn't enough to
move out of last place. In a field
that included four other Big

The Michigan women's golf team struggled in the first round, digging itself into a hole that it couldn't escape.

Ten teams and several NCAA
Tournament regulars, Michigan
was looking up at everyone.
On Sunday, the Wolverines
took on Miami in the first of,
two match-play rounds. The

sure, but at the end of the day
it's still golf."'
Dowling's squad wasn't up to
the task Sunday, falling to the
Hurricanes, 4-1, stumbling into
the last-place game. Sophomore

format is
meant to model
the recently
changedNCAA
Championship
format and is a
growing trend
nationwide.
"For some
of them it was
their first time
in match play,"
Dowling said

Grace Choi
was the lone
winner after
"As far as ball nailing a
. 40-foot chip
striking goes, shot on the
final hole to
we're as good as take the lead,
,t mproviding
highlight to
an otherwise
disappointing

finish.
"The team wanted a 'little
redemption this morning,"
Dowling said. "I like that fight
in them. It made it a lot of fun
watching today. There was a lot
of competitiveness, and I saw a
few fist pumps from our players
out there, playing hard for
themselves and for Michigan."
Despite the struggles on
paper, Dowling was pleased
with the raw skills her team
displayed over the weekend and
sees an opportunity to refine a
young and energetic core during
an upcoming three-week break.
"As far as ball striking goes
we're as good as any team,"
Dowling said. "For us, it's inside
100 yards and some - relatively
easy chip shots and short-
range shots where we gave
opportunities and strokes away.
There's always things to learn
every time you compete, so we
just have to get back at it."

By JUSTIN STERN
Daily Sports Writer
The 2015 Michigan football
recruiting class is ranked 19th in
the nation by ESPN. While this
past weekend didn't pan out quite
like the Wolverines planned at
the Big House, the 2015 class had
some positive performances that
inspire optimism.
Here's a rundown of how 10 of
the current Michigan commits
fared this past weekend in their
high school games.
Chris Clark, tight end: Avon
Old Farms (Conn.)vs. Brunswick
(Conn.); Ranking: ESPN (109)
Scout (26)
In Avon Old Farms' first game
of the season, the Beavers won,
49-34. Clark caught a touchdown
pass in his team's win. Clark's
Beavers moved up three spots
in the state polls and are now
ranked No.3 in Connecticut.
Brian Cole, athlete: Saginaw
Heritage (Mich.) at Lapeer
(Mich.); Ranking: ESPN (139)
Scout (40)
Cole did not play in.Heritage's
55-7 loss Friday after being
suspended last week due to
an unsportsmanlike conduct,
penalty.
Darian Roseboro, defensive
tackle: Lincolnton (N.C.) vs. West
Lincoln (N.C.); Ranking: ESPN
(165) Scout (151)
Friday was a huge day for
Roseboro - he rushed 166 yards
with four touchdowns. With his
assistance, Lincolnton rushed for
100 yards as a team in the first
seven minutes of itshome opener.
Michael Weber, running
back: Cass Tech (Mich.) vs.
Detroit Douglass (Mich.);
Ranking: ESPN (169) Scout (104)
Weber did not play Friday due
to a toe injury he suffered two
weeks ago. Weber was also in

attendance at Michigan Stadium
on Saturday.
Tyree Kinnel, safety: Wayne
(Ohio) at Troy (Ohio); Ranking:
ESPN (192) Scout (152)
Kinnel made a huge impact on
special teams Friday. In Wayne's
54-0 win, he had a 69-yard punt
return for a touchdown.
Grant . Newsome, offensive
tackle: The Lawrenceville School
(N.J.) vs. Choate Rosemary
(Coon.); Ranking: ESPN (242)
Scout (215)
Lawrenceville's first regular-
season game featured a poor
performance by the entire
offensive line in a 37-0 loss.
Darrin Kirkland Jr.,
linebacker: Lawrence Central
(Ind.) at Pike (Ind.); Ranking:
ESPN (266) Scout (114)
Kirkland had another quiet
week at linebacker in Friday's
matchup, but Lawrence Central
improved to 2-3 on the year with
a 45-35 victory.
Alex Malzone, quarterback:
Birmingham Brother Rice
(Mich.) at Warren De La Salle
(Mich.); Ranking: ESPN (NR)
Scout (184)
Malzone had an outstanding
game on Friday, completing 14 of
20 passes for 201 yards and three
touchdowns to lift Brother Rice
over De La Salle, 28-21.
Andrew David, kicker:
Washington (Ohio) vs. St. John's
(Ontario); Ranking: (NR)
Washington hosted a team
from Canada on Friday, which
didn't prove to be a problem. The
Tigers won, 77-13, and improved
to 4-0 on the year.
Garrett Taylor, cornerback:
St. Christopher's (Va.); Ranking:
ESPN (111) Scout (268)
Taylor is out for his senior
season after tearing the anterior
cruciate ligament in his left knee
during off-season practice.

of her team. "It's about learning
the strategy and trusting your
own game at the same time. It's
good to be reactionary in match
play, but you also want to be
confident in your abilities as a
player.
"There is a learning curve for

day.
Michigan showed more signs
of life Monday, as Choi and
three other Wolverines nabbed
victories over eighth-place Iowa
for a 4-1 team win. After a long
weekend, Dowling couldn't
have asked for a much better


- Michigan closer to
unlocking potential

Wolverine
after day o
fall behin
Cal on fir
By DANNY VA
Daily Sports
The Michigan
team was right
the best teams a
Memorial Classic
including No. 5 C
sometimes, youju
The Wolverine
final day in Skokie
for second,
one stroke
behind
California.
The Golden
Bears then
shot 10-under
par as a team
Monday,
setting
tournament
records for
single-day
and weekend
scores in the
process.
"Cal really had
today, which is wh
do to win," said M
Chris Whitten. "
lot of good putts
that middle range
We're very capabl
same thing. It was
* today."
The
unspectacular, bu
bottom effort was
to place tied for th
in a field of 15 tear
Their final sc
over par looks un
compared to Cal's
it was only two o
second-place finish
Still, neither

s second players were satisfied with the
results.
ne, then "I know we haven't played
our best tournament yet,"
d No. 5 Whitten said. "But even as we
go through these early rounds
lday the guys are competitive, and
I think they're close to playing
LRGOVICK their best golf."
Writer Whitten mentioned junior
Chris O'Neill as someone who
men's golf didn't play as well as he could
there with have, even though O'Neill led
t the Windon the team at two-over par. The
c on Sunday, junior agreed.
alifornia. But "I probably hit it worse than
st get beat. how my score showed," O'Neill
s entered the said. "My swing was just off
e, Illinois tied this week, so my iron game and
especially my
driving need
to improve
"Even a go before the next
" aswe (tournament)."
through these Finishing
right behind
early rounds, O'Neill were
sophomore
the guys are Bryce
Evon and
competitive." junior Brett
McIntosh at
three-over
par.
Evon was
d a good day steady all tournament, save for
at you need to consecutive double-bogeys . to
ichigan coach finish the front nine Monday.
They made a McIntosh, meanwhile, is
that were in rounding into form having
50-50 putts. turned in his best performance
e of doing the of the season after sitting out
just Cal's day the first tournament recovering
from summer injuries.
Wolverines' "Just the occasional loose
t solid, top-to- shot," Whitten said. "Brett's
good enough short game around the greens
ird with Iowa has been great. I know that's
ms. keeping him in rounds for
ore of nine- sure."
nsightly when McIntosh and O'Neill, the
six-under, but Wolverines' two leading scorers
ff the pace of each of the past two seasons,
her Ohio State. seem to be getting closer to
coaches nor 100-percent after dealing with

nagging injuries this summer.
Whitten said that they didn't
even talk about the injuries at
all this tournament.
Sophomore Reed Hrynewich
and freshman Kyle Mueller
roundedoutthe Michigansquad
with scores of eight-over par
and 10-over par, respectively.
It's was Mueller's worst
tournament of his short college
career. He was named the
Big Ten Golfer of the Week
after winning his first college
tournament at the Wolverine
Invitational, but he was dealing
with a cold this weekend and
finished in the middle of the
pack.
Still, the freshman improved
each round, from 77 to 73 down
to an even 70. His ability to
adapt and improve impressed
Whitten.
The Wolverines have three
weeks off before their next
tournament. Cal made all the
plays this weekend, but it's just
a matter of time before a finally
healthy Michigan team plays to
its full potential.
BY THE NUMBERS
Michigan Men's Golf
1
Strokebetween first-place California and
Michigan after Sunday
S15
Strokes between first-place California
and Michigan after Monday
Total score for Michigan leader Chris
O'Neill, good for14th overall
220
Totalscorefor Kyle Mueller,whowon
the Wolverine IntercollegiateonSept. 7

ALLiSUN FAKKAND/Daily
Grace Choi returns after leading the Michigan women's golfteam i.n scoring last season with a 75.64 average.
oun M gains experience

Wolverines host
inaugural Match
Play Challenge,
finish seventh
By CBARLIE WALLAU
For the Daily

players haven't experienced it
before," said Michigan coach
Jan Dowling. "We want to
attract the best teams possible,
and you can see we have a very
strong field here - many teams
that have historically competed
at the national championship."
The program has struggled
to break out of mediocrity in
its 38-year history - in 2002

The Michigan women's golf the Wolverines made their sole
team hosted seven teams from appearance in the national
across the nation this weekend tournament with a 17th-place
in, the inaugural, to-be- -finish.
perennial East and West Match The team also struggled
Play Challenge at Radrick this weekend against the stiff
Farms. competition, including Ohio
The State and UC
invitational Davis, placing
has a match- seventh.
play format "It's super However,
tratieona Downg
radtional than encouraging for recognizes
stroke play, mthat the raw
paralleling me to se t talent of her
the NCAA's we're not far young team
decisiorn thisand thinks
past May to off 1 playing
convert to against good
match play in teams will
the Women's help with its
Division I Championship. development.
"We need to get experience "We've got to be competing
in (match play). Some of our against the best and putting

ourself against teams that are
better than us right now and
seeing where we can improve.
It's super encouraging for me
to see that we're not far off at
all," she said. "We've got the
potential on the golf course.
"As far as ball striking goes,
we're as good as any team here,
for sure. ... The feel - they just
need to refine that a little bit.
We're close, and it's exciting.
And I just can't wait to keep
growing these next couple years
- even this year."
The Wolverines' seven-
player roster features five
underclassmen with great
potential.
Megan Kim, Kathy Lim
and Emily White compose the
freshman class. Lim had two
top-12 finishes on the American
Junior Golf Association Tour
while Kim had six in the top 10.
White, a native Michigander,
achieved third place at the
MHSAA Division 1 State Finals.
Sophomore Grace Choi led
the team with a 75.64 scoring
average last season, a Michigan
freshman record. Choi capped
off the team's lone match win
on Sunday by making a 40-foot
pitch shot.

E

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