14 - Te Michigan Daily- Tuesday,. May 30; 2000
Wright
closes out
soi career
with defeat
3y Jeff Phillips
)aily Sports Writer
On Wednesday, No. I singles play-
:r Matt Wright lost in the first round
tf the NCAA Singles Championship.
[he No. 45-ranked Wright lost to
so. 36-ranked Ramsay Smith of
duke, 6-3, 6-1.
Despite battling a back injury for
nuch of the season, Wright finished
vith 24 wins, tied with Henry Beam
or most on the team.
Wright defeated two top ten oppo-
ients during the year and reached the
'inals of the Big Ten Singles
'hampionships.
He. al, became the first
Volverine in four years to compete
n the NCAA Singles
Thampionships.
The loss ends an exceptional
areer for Wright, who is seventh all-
time in singles wins at Michigan
with 88. He was a three-time all-Big
Ten selection.
MOVIN' ON UP: The exit of Wright
and No. 2-singles player John Long
leaves a gaping hole at the top of the
lineup for the Wolverines.
Most likely to inherit the No. 1
position is junior Henry Beam.
Beam played most of the season at
No. 3 singles and tied Wright for
most singles wins.
Also battling for the No. I posi-
tion are juniors Danny McCain and
Ben Cox and freshman Zach Held,
who had a strong first season for the
Wolverines.
McCain played at the No. 3 posi-
ion this season before Beam's strong
>lay moved him up.
'M' handles loss, looks to future
By Arun Gopal
Doily Spors F[slttor
Matt Wright's (pictured here earlier)
college career ended last Wednesday.
"I expect a lot of improvement
over the summer," Michigan head
coach Mark Mees said. "Summer
competition is very important."
Without a clear-cut heir, the com-
petition will be fierce.
AND HERE'S TO YOU, MR. EISNER:
Last Wednesday, former Michigan
head coach Brian Eisner was induct-
ed into the Intercollegiate Tennis
Association Hall of Fame. Eisner
received the honor as quickly as pos-
sible for a coach - just one year
after retirement.
Eisner compiled a 438-198 record
in his 30 years of coaching Michigan
tennis. In addition, the Wolverines
won 19 Big Ten titles during his
tenure.
Eisner is the fourth winningest
coach in Michigan athletics'
history.
While at Michigan, Eisner guided
numerous players to the professional
ranks, including Malivai
Washington.
Eisner also coached at the
University of Toledo, where he
amassed 71 wins in six seasons.
Eisner's total of 509 wins puts him
12th all-time in Division I wins.
Disappointment is a part of everyday
life. At some point in time, all people
have to deal with a crushing setback,
something that knocks them for a loop
and makes them take stock of their situ-
ation.
The Michigan softball team is going
through such a period right now. The
Wolverines enjoyed a typically strong
regular season, finishing with the sec-
ond-best record in the Big Ten.
Then, Michigan kicked off its' post-
season run in equally impressive fash-
ion, journeying to regular-season cham-
pion Iowa forthe conference tournament
and defeating the Hawkeyes on their
home field to claim the tournament title.
By virtue of this victory, the
Wolverines earned the right to host an
NCAA Regional at Alumni Field.
But, it was not to be. For the second
consecutive season, the Wolverines were
forced to watch as another school cele-
bated a regional title and a College
World Series bid on Michigan's home
turf. This time around, fifth-seeded
DePaul was the team with a reason to
smile, as the Blue Demons defeated
Michigan 3-0 in the regional champi-
onship game.
In the week since that devastating
defeat, the Wolverines have had time to
reflect on what was, and what might
have been.
"It's always abrupt when your season
ends,' Michigan coach Carol Hutchins
said. "Fves if you make it to the College
World Series, you lose twice, and you're
done.
"There's a huge amount of energy,
both physical and mental, that goes into
a season. All of the players just need
some time to regroup."
At the start of every season,
Michigan's goal is the same - to earn a
berth in the College World Series. For a
powerhouse program like the
Wolverines, anything less would appear
to be a disappointment.
In that regard, Michigan certainly has
reason to be upset with the way this sea-
son ended - for the players, losing a
regional championship in front of their
own fans was devastating.
But, a Big Ten tournament champi-
onship and wins over nationally-ranked
programs such as Texas and Louisiana
State are accomplishments that the
Wolverines can be proud of.
"Getting to the College World Series
is no small task," Hutchins said. "I think
what our players learned this season is
that staying together is the key to suc-
cess. It's a long season, and unfortunate-
ly, the only weekend that counts is the
last one - but we just have to take it one
step at a time."
The season-ending loss at the hands
of DePaul was the final game in a
Michigan jersey for several Wolverine
seniors, including hyper-intense third
baseman Pam Kosanke and catcher
Melissa Gentile, who battled through
-.orsos----s
NORMAN NG/Daily
Pam Kosanke cries after Michigan's
season-ending 3-0 loss to DePaul.
injuries this season to remain one of the
team's emotional leaders.
Next year, Michigan will be counting
on several of its' younger players to piel
up their level of performance in as
attempt to fill the void left by Kosanke
Gentile, catcher Karmen Lappo, and
pitcher Kate Eiland.
"Everybody has to step up," Hutchins
said. "Our kids have to grow up an t
better. We need Chrissy Garza to hit .28(
or .300. Melinda Moulden is close to
being a great player, and we need her to
keep improving. We just need to develop
consistency in all areas of performance:
=MLr
Four Wolverines to compete in
NCAA track Championships
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By Joshua Sherman
For the Daily
The University of Michigan is send-
ing four track stars to the NCAA
Championships, to be held May 31st-
June 3rd in Durham, N.C.
From the men's team, sophomore Ike
Okenwa will run the 100 meter dash
and junior Mike Wisniewski will run
the 10,000 meter run at the NCAA's.
Senior Brandi Bentley and junior
Katie Clifford will represent the
women's team, competing in the long
jump and 10,000 meter run, respective-
ly.
Okenwa is ranked 16th in the coun-
try in the 100 meter dash and Michigan
men's track coach Ron Warhurst feels
that he is peaking and should be able to
advance to the second round of the
competition.
According to Michigan women's
track coach James Henry, Bentley
should place between sixth and eighth
in the long jump and redeem herself
after a tough outing at the Big Ten
Championships.
For Clifford, it has been an extreme-
ly long year, having run cross country
in both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
At the NCAA Championships, she will
be competing in the 10,000 meter run,
an event she ran for the first time this
year.
Coach Henry feels that Clifford has
demonstrated an ability to compete at a
new distance, and that she can run with
the best athletes in the event.
Wisniewski was the one of the four
who was not a sure thing to qualify for
the NCAA Championships.
"I was really surprised. I wasn't
expecting it, but I was hoping. I'm very
thankful," Wisniewski said.
Said Warhurst: "He never quit on the
season. He just missed qualifying auto-
matically and could have quit at the
end, but he kept coming. His determi-
nation did it. He's not done yet, either."
Wisniewski is ranked 19th in the
country in the 10,000 meter. But Coach
Warhurst all but guaranteed that
Wisniewski will place higher than
nineteen at the NCAA Championships.
For Coach Warhurst, this is his 26th
season coaching the track team and he
has had someone qualify for the
NCAA Championship every year. He
noted that Michigan has always done
well at the NCAA Championship and
has captured several individual cham-
pionships in recent years.
"Michigan has done much better
indoors than outdoors," Henry said.
He attributed this to the difficulty in
competing against warm weather
schools and their top talent.
Fearsome foursome
The Michigan men and women's
teams will both send two
representatives to the NCAA
Championships in Durham, N.C.
Mike Wisniewski
Junior 10,000 meter run
Star cross-country runner who was 'real
ly surprised" to receive a bid.
Ike Okenwa
Sophomore 100 meter dash
Ranked No. 16 nationally and coach Ron
Warhurst thinks he should advance to
the second round.
Brandi Bentley
Senior long jump
Coach James Henry said his starsjump
Bentley will finish in the top eight
places.
Katie Clifford
Junior 10,000 meter run
Like Wisniewski, Cliffordis a croses-cou
try runner as well. Cltfford ust started
to ray the 10,000 meter rsn this year.