Today, the Michigan men's golf
team begins play at the NCAA
championships. The tournament Wednesda
is in Lake Forest, Ill., and lasts
through Saturday. SOT May 28, 1997

Track 2nd
at Big Tens
By Fred Uank
Daily Sports Writer
CHAMPAIGN - At last weekend's
Big Ten track championships, the
Michigan women's team came close
to upsetting favored Wisconsin, but in
the end the Wolverines fell short, los-
ing by only 10 points - 121-111.
With only the 5,000-meter run and
the 4x400-meter dash remaining, the
Wolverines and the Badgers were in a
first-place tie at 98 points.
In the 5,000, Wisconsin's distance
runners put an end to the Wolverines'
dream of a Big Ten title. Wisconsin
runners Kathy Butler, Angie Kujak
and Sara Fredrickson finished first,
second and fifth, respectively. For the
Wolverines, Katie McGregor finished
fourth, followed by Marcy Akard
(sixth), Julie Froud (seventh) and
Kathy Hollbacher (eighth).
In all, the 5,000 gave Wisconsin an
insurmountable 11-point lead going
into the final event.
Tania Longe led the way for
Michigan, accounting for 29 points.
Longe took first in the heptathlon,
third in the 100 hurdles, fourth in the
long jump and triple jump and sixth in
the high jump.
In the heptathlon, Longe finished
with a Michigan record 5,861 points
- an impressive 550 points ahead of
second place Beth Reid of Purdue. In
the long-jump portion of the hep-
tathlon, Longe jumped a Big Ten out-
door championship record 6.60
meters.
"I knew I had it in me," Longe said
of her performance in the heptathlon.
"Everything needs to be there, and it
was this weekend."
See RUNNER-UP, Page 15

End of the line

National
title next
for softball
By Sharat Raju
Daily Sports Editor
OKLAHOMA CITY -After 20 sea-
sons, the Michigan softball team finally
won "the big one"
Unfortunately, it wasn't "the biggest
one."
In Michigan coach Carol Hutchins'
12th season, she has taken the next step
with her team. The Wolverines finally
won a Women's College World Series
game after heing
their previous two
attempts under
Hutchins.
Hutchins led
the team to the
best season in
Michigan softball
history.
Hutchins is
generally consid-
ered one of the top coaches at Michigan.
In only her second season, 1986, she led
the Wolverines to a second-place finish
in the Big Ten. In 1992, her eighth season
at the helm, she took Michigan all the
way to the regional championship game,
but failed to advance to the WCWS.
Not a bad resume, but consider this:
In 12 seasons, Hutchins is only just
recently bringing the Wolverines to the
WCWS. The past three seasons mark the
first time Michigan has participated in
the championship tournament.
How long does it take to build a
national powerhouse? Is 12 years too
long?
See HUTCHINS, Page 14
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AP PH
The Michigan softball team won Its first Women's College World Series game this weekend in Oklahoma City. The Wolverin
have appeared in the championship round for three consecutive seasons but have yet to win the title.
Blue topples South Carolina,

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LINDSAY
BLEIER°
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but leaves
Continued from Page 1
enth, but could score only one run in
each inning.
"Even when we were down 7-1, we
still had heart, we still wanted to come
back, Michigan catcher Jennifer Smith
said. "For some of us, this was our last
game and there is no way we just wanted
to give up."
Michigan took an early 1-0 lead in the
game when Melissa Gentile hit her sec-
ond home run of the series.
Although Michigan's seniors provided
the leadership and experience, it was the
underclassmen who led the team at the
plate throughout the series.
Gentile was the leading Michigan hit-
ter, batting .429 with two home runs and
four RBI in her first WCWS appearance.
Sophomore Cathy Davie benefited from
a switch from right field to designated
hitter and hit .444 in the three games.
One of Davie's singles was a clutch one
against South Carolina.

WCWSearly agrain
The Gamecocks came into the contest pitcher, and she was on today. We were
with a 63-4 record and the No. 2 seed. fortunate to win the game."
South Carolina's Trinity Johnson - the Michigan traveled to Oklahoma City
Southeastern Conference player of the with an 0-4 record in its previous two
year - entered the WCWS with a 34-2 trips to the World Series. In each of the
record and an astounding 0.21 ERA. past two years, the Wolverines have fall-
But against South Carolina, Holmes en to Iowa to end their postseason run.
was the standout-pitcher. She allowed On Thursday, Michigan again faced
only three hits - one after the first the Hawkeyes. In this meeting, however,
inning -and struck out five in the com- the two Big Ten foes played in the first
plete-game shutout. round - with no chance of elimination
Michigan scored the only run of the for either team. But the result was
game in the bottom of the sixth. With two same as in the past two years.
outs, Traci Conrad singled. Davie pulled After going up 2-0 on Gentile's first
a single down the rightfield line with home run, the Wolverines relinquished
Conrad running. Conrad scored from their lead in the bottom of the fifth
first as South Carolina rightfielder inning. Iowa won the game in dramatic
Chanda Lee missed the first baseman fashion as Brandi Macias singled in the
awaiting the cutoff throw. winning run with two outs in the bottom
In the seventh, Holmes set the of the seventh inning.
Gamecocks down in order, and the Despite falling short of the champi-
Wolverines recorded their first victory at onship, Michigan completed an
the WCWS, 1-0. immensely successful season, winnin4
"Well, obviously we're very happy to school-record 56 games.
win the game," Michigan coach Carol "We had a great year," Hutchins said.
Hutchins said. "Trinity Johnson is a great "This is the best season we've ever had."