14 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, May 18, 1998
rows toward national title shot
By Josh Kkeinbaum
Daily Sports Editor
In the year of the national champi-
onship, one team is going by virtually
unnoticed.
Football and hockey? Check.
Softball? Could be a week away.
Rowing? Could happen in two weeks.
In just two years as a varsity program,
the Wolverines cemented themselves
among the nation's elite Saturday by
winning the varisity-eight race at the
Central Sprints Regional Championship
in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
The Wolverines edged out Virginia -
who was ranked ahead of Michigan in
the region despite dropping both head-
to-head races - by a boatlength.
"We got out to a lead at the start and
held it the whole way," Michigan coach
Mark Rothstein said. "It was a real tight
race, but we were in control the whole
race. We rowed.'
The victory should move Michigan
into third place in the national rankings,
behind perrenial rowing powerhouses
Washington and Brown.
Michigan turned in strong perfor-
mances from all three of its varsity boats
--the first and second varsity eights and
the varsity four. The second-varsity eight
shell finished second, just one second
behind Virginia. The varsity four shell
finished fourth.
"I'm real happy with our second var-
sity boat;' Rothstein said. "It was a great
race. We didn't win, but we were less
than one second off Virginia."
Earlier in the season, the Cavaliers
defeated Michigan's second-varsity boat
by over seven seconds.
Rothstein was also pleased with the
varsity four race. Although Michigan
finished fourth, the three boats that beat
the Wolverines represented the school's
top crew. Michigan's top crew is the
first-varsity eight. The varsity four rep-
resents the Wolverines' third crew.
Michigan will spend the next two
weeks preparing for the National
Collegiate Rowing Championships, to
be held on May 30-31.
"We're going to continue with a simi-
lar type of training - work hard and get
faster," Rothstein said. "We're not look-
ing to just go. We're looking to be the
top crew."
Michigan's first varsity-eight defeated Virginia for the third time this season this
weekend. The third-ranked Wolverines head to San Diego for NCAAs in two weeks.
Sullivan leads Blue at Paddock Invite
By Chris Langrili
Daily Sports Writer
He leaned against one of the buildings sur-
rounding the track at Ferry Field with his head
hanging. The exhausted pose could have been
mistaken for one of disgust - the runner said
little after the race, hiding behind his blue
Wolverine cap. But he was far from disgusted.
Kevin Sullivan, modest even in victory, had
just won the 1,500 meters in record fashion.
Racing against stiff competition in Georgia
Tech's David Krurmenacker, the 800 indoor
national champion, Sullivan, the indoor mile
national champion, was simply incredible. His
pace of 3:36.62 was the fastest in the country
this year, set a Ferry Field record and qualified
him for the NCAA's in the 1,500.
Sullivan trailed Krummenacker, whose
3:37.27 pace also qualified him for th NCAA's,
heading around the last turn. But he turned on
the burners down the stretch to pull comfortably
ahead of the Georgia Tech star as he crossed the
finish line. The obvious highlight of the Len
Paddock Invitational, this Friday race was hyped
as a head-to-head duel between the two runners.
Sullivan played the hype down though, sim-
ply saying, "this was a good win.'
Did Krummenacker provide him with extra
incentive to win? "Yeah," Sullivan said. "He's a
quality competitor."
The other bright spot for the Wolverines on
Friday came from freshman Andy Derr, who set
a personal record in the javelin throw with a toss
of 201-feet-10 - this placed him second.
Saturday saw much of the same for the
Wolverines - impressive victories. This day
belonged strictly to the seniors though.
Sullivan and Don McLaughlin, both running
in their final home race, finished first and thir
respectively, in the 800. Sullivan won with a
NCAA qualifying time of 1:47.77.
McLaughlin's time was 1:48.63.
Another senior, Brian Theisen, was part of
three Michigan victories Saturday. He won the
110 hurdle with a time of 14:03.00. Theisen also
anchored the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams,
leading them both to victory with respective
times of 40.90 and 3:13.63.
Kevin Sullivan
set a Ferry Field
record in the
1,500 meters
with a time of
3:36.62.
1OUI5 BROWN/Daiy
King queen for a days
By Rick Freeman
Daily Sports Editor
Chest heaving, she bent at the waist
and put her hands on her knees. Then
she peeled off her sweaty maroon top
and slumped against the fence in this
shadowy corner of Ferry Field.
Eight minutes earlier, she passed
Michigan's Katie McGregor in the
final hundred meters. Eastern
Kentucky's Jamie King was queen of
the 1,500 at the Len Paddock invita-
tional. She finished in 4:17.76, just .60
seconds ahead of McGregor.
King might have reigned over one
particular distance race, but the sprint-
ing queen was Michigan's Maria
Brown. The sophomore set a personal
record of 11.43 in the 100 and matched
her personal best in the 200 with a time
of 23.76.
Michelle Slater finished third in the
1,500 at 4:29.92. Tania Longe pulled
down a second place in the javelin,
throwing 126-11. Brandi Bentley took
first in the long jump with a flight of
19-9
McGregor stayed a step ahead c
King for the first two laps. But with
two hundred meters to go, King was
trailing by about five meters. But
McGregor was the one offering con-
gratulations after the race.
"That's how most of my races go ...
I mean, I don't mean them to, but they
do," King said.
However she means them to go, she
can't be upset with the result.
"The biggest
little hockey
...shop in town"