Wednesday, May 14, 1997 - The Michigan Daiy - 13
Women's track short on energy, Longe on victories
By Chris Farah
Daily Sports Editor
For the past couple of weeks, the
Michigan women's track team has had
plenty of things it could've complained
about - the weather has been cold and
rainy, the training has been exhausting
... the list goes on and on.
But for all the things that aren't click-
ing for the Wolverines, for all the things
that could have gone wrong, Saturday's
Phil Diamond Invitational at Ferry Field
proved surprisingly successful.
Michigan pulled in five individual
victories and five runner-up finishes in a
field that included Big Ten rival Ohio
State, Mid-America Conference power*
Eastern Michigan, as well as many other
teams.
One of the five individual wins
came from sophomore Nicole
Forrester, who placed first in the high
jump with a mark of 5-foot-11.
Saturday's victory is just the latest in a
long streak of wins for Forrester, who
hasn't lost this season.
After jumping 6-2 3/4 at the Penn
Relays two weeks ago, a height of 5-1 1
isn't enough to leave Forrester complete-
ly satisfied. Considering the intensity of
her recent workouts, however, the
dropoff is understandable.
"I'm not too disappointed," Forrester
said. "I haven't been tapering off my
workouts yet and my back is still sore.
I've been stretching constantly because
I've been too tight, and I've loosened up
a bit. At first I was annoyed that I didn't
make (a taller height), butI realize I can't
expect too much right now."
The few distance runners who com-
peted in the Diamond meet also met suc-
cess. Sophomore Angie Stanifer placed
first in the 800-meter run while fellow
sophomore Katie McGregor took first in
the 1,500 with a NCAA provisional
qualifying time of 4:24.60. McGregor
said the recent tough workouts actually
help her performances in meets.
"No matter how hard we work in
practice, I don't consider whether it's
going to hurt or help my racing,"
McGregor said. "I think it would help
more than anything - the harder you
workout in practice, the faster you go in
a race."
On the flip side, junior Tania Longe is
just beginning to step up her competi-
esas Y:
tion since a recent hamstring injury, but
Saturday she stepped up in a big way.
Longe dominated in almost every
one of her competitions, taking first in
the long jump and 100-meter hurdles
while finishing second in the triple
jump. To top it off, Longe's winning
performance of 20-foot-4 1/4 in the
long jump was good enough to qualify
her provisionally for the NCAAs.
Michigan coach James Henry said he
was pleased by the performances of
Longe and her teammates. On the other
hand, freshmen sprinters Maria Brown
and Kenise Bocage, whose times in the
200 and 100 were slower than they
expected, have to put their disappoint-
ment into perspective, Henry said.
"My responsibility as a coach is to
inform them of what we just went
through in terms of training," Henry
said. "The person who it did not adverse-
ly affect was Tania Longe. I did not
expect her to do as well as she did.
"Both Maria and Kenise were really
down. We trained really hard this week
and it's showing. They don't have the zip
they want, but we'll start tapering the
workouts after Thursday."
Junior Tania Longe led the way for the Michigan women's track team at Sat
Phil Diamond Invitational. Longe won the 100-meter hurdles and long jump.
Blue rakes in success at Ferry
By Chris Farah
Daily Sports Editor
Last Saturday's Phil Diamond
Invitational gave the Michigan men's
track team valuable competitive experi-
ence - in more ways than usual.
Of course, the meet at Ferry Field
meant a chance for many Wolverines to
sharpen their performances before the
Big Ten championship in two weeks.
Others, taking the meet off or running
out of their usual event to concentrate on
training, gained a somewhat different
kind of experience. Senior Neil Gardner,
for example, whose track resume
includes two national championships in
the 400-meter hurdles, added a new skill
to his long list of accomplishments -
raking the long jump pit.
"It's hard work raking the pit, but it's
fun," Gardner said. "A little diversity
never hurt. I took off this meet just so I
could train harder during the week."
Those Wolverines involved in more
traditional track pursuits also tired them-
selves out, but not in vain.
Junior Brian Thiesen took advantage
of Gardner's absence in the 400 hurdles
to take the spotlight himself, winning
with a career-best time of 51.33 seconds
- good enough to provisionally qualify
for the NCAA championship.
Senior Kevin Sullivan managed a
close second-place finish in the 1,500
meters, but said he was well on his way
to reaching his former level of domi-
nance. Sullivan, a three-time NCAA
track champion, has been plagued by
injuries for the past year.
His time of 3:42 in the 1,500 on
Saturday was a season best and NCAA
provisional qualifier, evidence that
Sullivan is approaching his old champi-
onship form.
"I don't think I'm at that level right
now" Sullivan said. "I'm getting there.
It's hard to say -- it's a matter of time
more than anything. I've got three weeks
(until NCAAs), and I don't know
whether it will be enough, but it'll be
close. Definitely within six weeks I
should be back to where I was."
Whatever intensity the Diamond meet
lacked due to the absence of stars like
Gardner was more than counterbalanced
by others like senior Damon Devasher.
Devasher placed second in the high
jump and 100-meter dash while compet-
ing out of event in the 200, garnering a
respectable seventh place.
"I expected to do better," Devasher
said. "But this week I worked so hard in
practice that I think a lot of us are tired.
We broke ourselves down completely
this week. I expected to run faster, but I
can't complain too much."
Devasher said he is anxious to repeat
his solid all-around performance of
Saturday at the upcoming Big Tens.
"I've got a busy day at Big Tens,"
Devasher said. "Hopefully, I can place in
the top five in all my events and help
bring the team a Big Ten championship.
"We have the possibility of winning,
but everybody's got to go out there and
do their job. I'm a senior, and they look
up to me to win points, so I take that as
my duty to go out there and do it."
MARGARET MYERS/Daily
The members of the Michigan men's track team had varied experiences at the Phil
Diamond Invitational - from running relays to raking the long jump pit.
i
"
Dobbs wins Big Ten golf title
By Jacob Wheeler Big Ten championship ring,' Dobbs the Big Ten tournament this weekend.
Daily Sports Writer said. "That's what's going to sit me later Michigan finished third, despite lead-
Michigan golfer Kyle Dobbs made a on down the road." ing the tournament after 36 holes. The
great final impression Sunday at the Big As a sophomore, Wolverines shot a score of 1193, while
Ten championships at Ohio State. Dobbs made his . Ohio State won the prize, capturing its
Dobbs, a senior, waited until the wan- first run at a 'Big third-straight team title with a 1187.
ing weeks of his career at Michigan Ten championship .. "We have a really strong team," Dobbs
before winning a coveted Big Ten indi- when he posted a said. "Ohio State is .one of the hardest
vidual championship - a feat that no 67 midway through golf courses in the country. But our guys
Wolverine has accomplished since 1980. the tournament. But didn't play bad. They hung in there."
Dobbs shot an even par 72 Sunday, the lead slowly Following its third-place finish,
defeating Indiana's Randy Leen by two dwindled and he Michigan will travel to the NCAA
}strokes. Dobbs fired rounds of 73, 71, 71 came up short, fin- Central Regional tournament that begins
and 72 to finish one under par. ishing third. Dobbs tomorrow in Norman, Okla. The top 10
"It's been one of my goals ever since I Dobbs' perfor- teams will move on to the NCAA cham-
came to Michigan to come back with a mance led the way for the Wolverines at pionship on May 28.
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