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"