Lakers beat Blazers
6 game seven
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Los
Angeles Lakers saved their best for
the very last.
What was nearly one of the great-
est collapses in NBA playoff history
instead became one of the most unex-
pected comebacks.
The Lakers, on the verge of losing
e straight games for the first time
season, scored 15 consecutive
points in the fourth quarter to erase a
15-point Portland lead and went on to
beat the Trail Blazers 89-84 Sunday
in Game 7 of the Western Conference
finals.
Rocker confronts SI
eporter m Atlanta
ATLANTA (AP)- John Rocker had
nfrontation yesterday with the Sports
It ustrated reporter who wrote the story
*n which the Braves reliever made offen-
ive comments about gays, minorities.
immigrants and his own teammates.
Jeff Pearlman, in Atlanta to do a story
n the Braves-Yankees meeting for the
irst time since last year's World Series.
ad a chance meeting with Rocker in a
unnel beneath Turner Field.
According to Pearlman, Rocker made
h atening comments such as "This isn't
ver between us" and "Do you know
vhat I can do to you'?" The confronta-
ion lasted about two minutes and
ecame so heated that Rocker flipped
round the bill of his cap so he could get
ace-to-face with the reporter.
I was scared," Pearlman said. "But
e didn't do anything"
After a grueling month of intense
competition, the playoffs are
winding down to the champi-
onship series. The Stanley Cup
Finals are already underway, and
the NBA Finals will commence
later this week,
Aire is how the series are shap-
up (through yesterday):
Stanley Cup Finals
(4) New Jersey leads
(2) Dallas, 2-1
TV Schedule
Game Four, New Jersey at Dallas,
Monday, 8 p.m., ABC.
Game Five, Dallas at New
JerseyThursday, 8 p.m. ABC.
*Game Six, New Jersey at Dallas,
urday, 8 p.m., ABC.
ame Seven, Dallas at New
Jersey, next Monday, 8 p.m.,
* if necessary
NBA Conference Finals
Western Conference:
(1) LA. Lakers vs (3) Portland
Eastern Conference:
(1) Indiana defeats
*.New York, 4-2

The Michigan Daily - Monday, June 5, 2000 - 11
Down year for track
ends with a sputter

MARJORIE MARSHALL Dai y
No women's team has ever won a national title at Michigan, though the softball
team has recently come close.
haunt 'M' women's sports

By Rebecca Karp
For 'the Daily
As spring shifts into summer, all
teams take time to look at the past season
in order to improve on the next.
But for Michigan's women's sports
programs, very little improvement is
needed. Very little improvement, except
in one large area -
collectively, the
women's teams ATHLETICS
have yet to clinch a Commentary
national champi-_
onship.
When looking at last season, the
women's gymnastics team, the softball
team, and the field hockey team stuck
out as candidates for this elusive title.
Yet, none of these teams were able to
come away with a championship.
Gymnastics coach Beverly Plocki
suggests that her team's sixth-place fin-
ish in the NCAA finals was due to vouth.
"It was the first time many had been in
a pressure situation," said Plocki.
Maybe, but in 1999 the team advanced
to the NCAA Regionals and the
Wolverines had an all-American -
senior Sarah Cain - to guide the
younger athletes.
Even if youth caused the top-ranked
gymnasts to finish last at the Super Six,

it could not have caused the softball team
to lose an NCAA Regional at home.
The Wolverines had loads of experi-
ence. They also hosted a regional in 1999
and advanced to the College World
Series in both 1997 and 1998. In addi-
tion, Michigan won the Big Ten title last
season. So, the question is, what seems
to be missing from these teams?
Michigan softball coach Carol
Hutchins echoed the sentiments of
Plocki when she said, "Women's sports
does not have a history. Sure we have
been around for 22 seasons, but how
long have we been taken seriously'?"
Plocki added that women's sports at
Michigan have only had the resources to
be competitive for about eight years.
Other division I schools have bolstered
their women's sports for several years,
By comparison, the Wolverines' men's
programs have received ample funding
and attention for the last 50 years. When
viewed in this light, it is not surprising
that Michigan's women's teams have yet
to capture a national championship.
Plocki suggested allowing ten years
for the championships to start rolling in.
"I would not be surprised if within the
next ten years the women's program had
captured multiple titles in softball, field
hockey, swimming and, of course, gym-
nastics,' she said.

By Ryan C. Moloney
Daily Sports Writer
When the respective coaching staffs
of the Michigan men's and women's
track teams traveled down to Duke last
week for the NCAA championships, it
wasn't with the outrageous ambition of
capturing a team title.
That dream was reserved for teams
with more athletes. For Michigan, with
only two qualifiers on each team, the
hope was to excel individually to make
up for the failure of the rest of the
ensemble.
The results were a mixed bag.
Katie Clifford started things off for
Michigan Wednesday in the 10,000
meter run, placing 14th out of a field of
20 with a time of 34:51.51.
Clifford was seeded 10th going into
the race, and it comparison with her
personal record of 34:15.36, her place
and finish fell below the jutior's expec-
tations going in.
"Katie didn't have her best race-it
was pretty tactical for the first four
miles," vomen's assistant coach Mike
McGuire said. "The leaders took off
after four miles and she fell behind - it
was her first time here and hopefully we
can improve on this.:
On Thursday Clifford's male coun-
terpart in the 10,000, Mike Wisniewski,
captured 13th place with a time of
31:17.28.
It was Michigan's highest place in
the meet, though in the crowded home
stretch, Wisniewski came within two
tenths of a second of nabbing eigth
place and all-American status.
The Michigan men's team's other
qualifier, Ike Okenwa, would not come
as close to the coveted title. The sopho-
more finished seventh in his prelimi-
nary 100-meter race, clocking a 10.43
time. The winner of Okenwa's prelimi-
nary, Cal Poly-SLO's Kaaron
Conwright, ran a 10.10.
Undeniably, Michigan's best hopes

for all-American status going into the
meet rested on the slender shoulders of
long jumper Brandi Bentley.
In what could be called a dissapoint-
ment, Bentley took 15th place in the
long jump with a leap of 20-0 1/4.
Bentley owns three Big Ten titles in
the long jump - one each in the 1999
indoor and outdoor championships and
she also owns the gold hardware from
the 2000 indoor contest.
But Bentley faltered in the 2000 out-
door Big Ten meet, taking 12th place
with a leap of 18-8 1/2.
Bentley's 15th place finish was an
improvement over her 16th place in last
year's championship, but still a letdown
in light of lter fifth seeding going in.
"We had some upperclassmen this
year who didn't do very well," McGuire
said, "but some of the younger kids
really improved themselves over the
course of the year."
Among others, McGuire cited the
women's team's freshmen 800 meter
runners as well as freshman thrower
April Phillips.
"These are young people who are
good and want to be good," McGuire
said.
Final standngs
It may have been a down year for
the Michigan track teams, but it
wasn't for Stanford and Louisiana
State. Here are the final standings
of the NCAA Championships:
Men's Women's
1. Stanford Louisiana State
2. Arkansas Southern Cal.
3. Auburn UCLA
4. Florida Brigham Young
5. Louisiana State Texas
Michigan did not place


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