OLVERINE OLYMPIANS Coming soon to Daily Sports: profiles of Michigan athletes and coaches participating in this summer's Olympic Games. SPORTS Wednesday A June 5, 1996- Gardner hurdles to NCAA title 'M' senior surprise winner in 400 0 By Chris Farah Daily Sports Writer It was a weekend of both triumph and disappointment, of surpassing high expectations and failing to meet them, for the Michigan men's and women's track and field teams at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. on May 29-June 1. Senior Neil Gardner had the most notable performance of the Michigan squads, winning his first national championship in the 400-meter hurdles with a personal best-time of 49.27. "I never go into a meet thinking that I can't win, because what's the point?" Gardner said, speaking of not being the race favorite. "If you go in thinking you're going to be second, second is probably the best you're going to do - so I was expecting to win no matter what the odds were." Even Gardner, however, was sur- prised with how well he ran - consid- ering how little he had been able to work on his technique due to the resur- facing of Michigan's outdoor track this season. "I didn't expect to run as fast as I did; it wasn't the smoothest race I had, and I felt I had a lot of flaws," he said. "But after the first round I felt confi- dent that there was no reason I should lose." Gardner's teammate, senior Trinity Townsend, surprised everyone except himself by placing fourth in the 800- meter run with a time of 1:46.02. Townsend entered the race picked to finish near the bottom of the pack in 11 th place, but proved he has only begun to reach his potential in an event he has been competing in for@ just one year. "I knew I could do it, but that nobody else knew I could do it' Townsend said. "I just wanted to run up to my potential, and I was able to do that. I'm just getting started in the half-mile, I'm only scratching the sur- See NCAA Page 15 Michigan's Neil Gardner throws his hands in the air after winning the 400-meter hurdles race at the NCAA Track and Field Championships on Friday. Along with Gardner, Trinity Townsend finished fourth in the 800-meter run and Stan lohanning placed 14th in the Javelin. For the Michigan women's track and field team, Courtney Babcock finished third in the 3,000- meter run, and Monika Black in the high jump competition and Tania Longe got ninth place in the heptathlon. ROADWAY PACKAGE SYSTEM PACKAGE HANDLERS PERFECT FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS Saving for tuition? Find part- time work, year round at RPS! - Earn up to $8.50 per hour Roadway Package System, a small package delverysaervice, hires package handiers to load and unload package vans and semi-trailers. If you are not afraid of hard work, are at least18 years old and want to work 4-5 hours per day. Mon.-Fri., we can offer you $6.50/hr. to start, $7/hr. after 90 days, plus $1/hr. tuition assistance after 30 days. Excellent opportunity for promotion while a student and after graduation. Respond to: ROADWAY PACKAGE SYSTEM, INC. 296 Jackson Plaza -a Ann Arbor M 48103 313-865-3323 EWase Roberts had to go; Blue needs new direction. By Jim Rose Daily Sports Writer The biggest surprise about the depar- ture of Trish Roberts as the Michigan women's basketball coach was that it didn't come sooner. After four unproductive years, the Trish Roberts Era officially came to an end May 23, when Athletic Director Joe Roberson announced a resignation which was termed a "mutual agree- ment." At the very least, Roberson sounded relieved to be moving on, say- ing that the interests of not only Roberts, but also the basketball pro- gram, "are best served by this course of action." In four seasons, Roberts guided the Wolverines to five victories and 63 lossesin the Big Ten. The fact that the coach lasted four years mystified many. It wasn't as if Roberts was a play- er favorite, or the University kept her around because she was well-liked. Color Printing Color Printing Color Printing Color Printing Big savings on color printing for all clubs, businesses, and organizations. CoI off with a COLLI DER! Choose any of our 22 Fruit, Cereal, and Candy Toppings to Create your own Colombo Non-Fat Frozen Yogurt Shake! Also Featuring Charbroiled Sandwiches and Fresh Salads Daily House Specials! 769-5650 On the contrary, Roberts was at the center of controversy throughout her term. In 1992, four players were actually part of a petition to have her fired. She was placed on probation in 1994 to monitor her treatment of players and her attitude toward academics. She, along with the University, has been sued by Tannisha Stevens, a for- mer player who claims Roberts forced her to quit the team because of an eye injury incurred on a team bus ride. So it's not as if Roberts was popular while controversial; it's not even as if she was winning while controversial. In fact, Roberts was losing while con- troversial - which did nothing to help the basketball program. What went wrong Why was the Trish Roberts Era such a miserable failure? Here was a coach who compiled an 82-32 record in four seasons at Maine. She was an All-American while play- ing for Tennessee in 1977, and she was captain of the 1978 U.S. National Team. Clearly, Roberts knows basket- ball. So why didn't anything go right in Ann Arbor? Some might say injuries were the main problem. Four key Michigan players suffered season-ending knee injuries while Roberts was in charge. But lawsuits, petitions and probation- ary measures suggest that the women's basketball program was on its own set of shaky knees. In fairness, the rash of injuries clear- ly hurt the Wolverines over the years. And there were probably players who* enjoyed playing for Trish Roberts. But for every player who found the problems great enough to speak out - even sign a petition or file a lawsuit - you can't help but wonder, how many players felt the same, but bit their lips and said nothing? I do not propose to have the expla- nations for the problems of the Trish Roberts Era, and maybe no one ever will. But I do know this: when players -* several players at a time - look like they'd rather be home studying than out on the basketball court, something is not right. Something is not right when players are arguing on the floor, when the coach is throwing up her hands in exas- peration on the bench - and the team isn't getting any better. Something is not right when the enthusiasm level is even lower than the* team's last-place position in the confer- ence. To be sure, a losing season takes its toll. Four straight losing seasons, like See ROBERTS, Page 14'