The Michigan Daily - Monday, May 1, 2000 - 21
I
Shall1 we d ance?
e Michigan women's tenni s
am has an uphill climb to
receive an at-large bid to the
NCAA Tournament.
The NCAA will decide the 64-
team field by this Thursday,
based on specific criteria:
1) won-loss record
2) strength of schedule
£ eligibility and availability of
dent athletes
STRENGTHS
- Ranked #57
- Key wins: #28 South Florida,
#31 San Diego State
played tough non-conference
schedule including #13 Notre
Dame, #18 Tennessee, and #29
Kentucky
WEAKNESSES
Record: 10-12
8th place in Big Ten
- only 6 Big Ten teams were
selected into last year's NCAA
Tournament
- Miami upsetting Notre Dame
in Big East takes away one bid,
'M' netters bounced from BTT by Buckeyes
By Joe Smith
DAly Sports Wter
Michigan women's tennis team co-cap-
tain Danielle Lund took a seat on the
bench during last Friday's quarterfinal
loss to top-seeded Ohio State (17-6) in
the Big Ten Tournament.
Having lost the first set, and down 4-1
in the second, she put a blue Michigan
cap on and buried her face in a towel
wiping away the mixture of sweat and
tears that dripped down her cheeks.
She stared at fellow senior co-captain
Brooke Hart, who was just a point away
from losing her match, and probably
wondered if this was the last time they
were going to don the maze and blue.
The eighth-seeded Wolvernnes (10-12)
had lost the important doubles poit for
the second straight d a and seeded toss in
four of the six remaini sgles matches
against the defendiig Ihig len chitmipion
Buckeyes in order to extend their season
'It kind of crossed my mind" I und
said. "I thought about it more vesterdav
against Wisconsin"
Michigan lost the doubles point in its
first round match against the ninth-seed-
ed Badgers on Thursday. This foretold
trouble, for every time the Wolverines had
lost the doubles point this season, they
lost the match.
But there are exceptions to every rule.
The Wolverines proceeded to win three
straight singles matches, giving them a 3-
I lead. But, with their team just one vic-
torv away from advancing to the next
round, Lund and junior Szandra Fuzesi
both lost their singles matches, at the two
and three slots respectively.
So it all came down to one match. Tied
3-3, with the season hanging in the bal-
ance the pressure was placed on fresh-
man Jetn Duprez, who wais fighting a
three set ir Citb a familiar foe,
\\ isetnsmts lone seior Denia Baritot
\\ ien she w as in eiglith iade, Duprez
plaed Bantiot at a junior state champi-
onship tournament. Baritot as the No. I
seed, but Duprez beat lter in three sets,
Crushing Barntot's coni dence
'I know her Iairly cell and she told toe
that she hadn't reallv goten over that loss
until two weeks ago," Duprez said.
This time, Duprez again found herself
in a battle against Baritot. Duprez was
down 3-1 in the deciding third set, and the
eyes of the home crowd and her team-
Mates focused on her every move.
The freshman came through and took a
5-4 lead. Eight break points later, Duprez
sent a forehand down the line, clinching
the 4-3 victory over Wisconsin and keep-
ing Michigan's season alive.
"She plays well under pressure,"
Michigan coach Bitsy Ritt said. "Dena
didn't lose the match, Jen won it."
But Duprez's efforts were not enough
to help the Wolverines overcome the loss
of the doubles point against the red-hot
Bitckeyes on Friday. as Michigan lost 4-I1.
The Wolverines' season will be over
unless the NCAA Selection Committee
Cives theim an at-large bid into tennis
"Ma Maiednss" whent teams are selected
this Thisrsday for the NCAA Tournament.
Even if Michigan does not receive a
bid. Ritt says that she has a lot to be proud
ofthis year.
-Nothing carse easily for tis team, not
MARJORIE MARSHALL/Dal y
Top-seed Ohio State defeated Jen
Duprez and her Wolverine teammates.
one thing," Ritt said. "A lot of things
went against us this year and I'm proud of
the way the players conducted theis-
selves."
3ymnasts finish 6th at NCAAs
Raa Ensor the floor before you can blink an eye" to be in our favor," Plocki said.
ly SpotsWnter Plocki said. -It's happened to the best, Cain carne in second to Ileathe:
"Sarah
r Brink
ometimes even the best fairy tales
't have happy endings.
he Michigan women's gymnastics
m learned this lesson at the NCAA
ampionships in Boise, Idaho from
ril 13-15.
he Wolverines scored a 195.725 to
sh sixth in the nation, finishing
eventual champion UCLA.
result was both a surprise and a
appointment to Michigan, which
ered the meet as the country's top-
ked team and as one of the favorites
ring home thcitle.
'We were obviously very disappoint-
with how things finished, because we
much higher aspirations," Michigan
ch Bev Plocki said. "It was a disap-
nting way to end a very good season."
* Wolverines' problems centered
the balance beam, an event whose
Ilenges Michigan had conquered
ughout the regular season.
n the preliminary round of competi-
Michigan tallied a 48.150 on theap-
atus, its worst score since the season-
ning Super Six Challenge. The next
ht, in the team finals, Michigan drew
least desirable rotation and had to
in competition on the beam.
'On day two, when we drew to start
ince beam, it was doubly bad,"
c rsaid. "To end on a low note on
m the first night and then to have to
e back and start on beam where you
w you had problems the night
ore? Those kids came with great atti-
es and great effort, but they were
king one thing - don't fall."
ut fall they did. After a shaky perfor-
nee, the Wolverines were forced to
nm c fall for a score of 48.100. That
in sixth place after the first
ation and created a deficit that was
possible to overcome.
'When you're on the balance beam,
I you have the tiniest error, you're on
and it happened to us tilts year"
Fortunately, things went better for the
Wolverines in the individual finals.
Senioritri-captain Sarah Cain was naised
a first-teaim All-American in the all-
around, vault, floor exercise, and uneven
bars, capturing third place honors in the
floor exercise and vault and second place
in the all-around.
But, even with these triumphs came
disappointment, as Cain lost the all-
around title to Nebraska's Heather Brink
by a mere 0.025 points.
"Unfortunately, nothing really seemed
by a quarter of a tenth, which is heart-
breaking. If anybody in the history of
Michigan gymnastics deserved to leave
here with a national title to her name, it's
Sarah Cain."
Despite the repeated disappointments
of the championship weekend, those
involved recognize that the season over-
all was still a success.
"As I told my team afterward, this was
not a disappointing season'" Plocki said.
"We did not underachieve. We won Big
Tens, we won regionals, we were No. I
in the country"
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The University of Michigan WHAT'S
REC Department of Recreational Sports HAPPENING
22! INTRAMURAL SPORTS PROGRAM
SOFTBALL SAND
VOLLEYBALL
ENTRIES TAKEN:
Thursday 5/4 ONLY ENTRIES TAKEN:
5:00 PM, IMSB Thursday 5/4 ONLY
6:30 PM, IMSB
ENTRY FEE:
$55 per team ENTRY FEE:
$40 per team
MANAGER'S MTG:
MANDATORY MANAGER'S MTG:
Thurs 5/4, 5:00 PM MANDATORY
Thurs 5/4,6:30 PM
PLAY BEGINS:
4&ow Sun 5/7, Elbel Fields A PLAY BEGINS:
Tues 5/9, Elbel Courts
3-on-3 ROLLER
BASKETBALL HOCKEY
ENTRIES TAKEN: ENTRIES TAKEN:
Thursday 5/4 ONLY - Thursday 5/4 ONLY
7:30 pm, IMSB 8:00pm, IMSB
ENTRY FEE: ENTRY FEE:
$20 per team $45 per team
MANAGER'S MTG: MANAGER'S MTG:
MANDATORY MANDATORY
Thurs 5/4, 7;30 PM Thurs 5/4, 8:00 PM
POWERBAR
PLAY BEGINS: PLAY BEGINS:
Tues 5/9. Elbel Courts Tues 5/9, Ebel Pad
The deadline for Tennis Singles and Doubles entries is
Thursday May 25
while Golf Two-Person Team Scramble entries
are due Wednesday May 31.
OFFICIALS NEEDED!
Join us at the IM Official's Clinics.
SOFTBALL: Wednesday May 3
All Clinics begin at 7:00pm and are held at the IMSB.
For Additional Information CtakCt:sItramural Spots Program, IMSB, 606 E. Hoover,
Ani Artor, MI 4t109-3717, (734)763-3562 https://ww receoroxtstich.edu