The Michigan Daily - Sports Monday - April 15, 1991 - Page 5
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SWIMMING NOTEBOOK
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'M' tankers harvest
crop of top recruits
by Ken Sugiura
Daily Sports Writer
When Eddie Reese, coach of NCAA champion Texas, was asked what
the Michigan men's swimming team needed to raise its level of competi-
tiveness, he responded, "They need a couple of Brent Langs," in reference
to the Wolverines' graduated four-time NCAA champ.
With this year's recruiting class, it appears coach Jon Urbanchek's
Wolverines are halfway there. Brazilian sprinter Gustavo Borgess head-
lines a bumper recruiting crop, which will go a long way to replacing se-
niors Mike Barrowman, Jarret Winter, and Scott VanAppledorn.
"Hopefully, he can develop into the swimmer that Brent was, and
maybe even surpass his times and achievements," grad assistant Rick
Wilkening said.
Borgess will join breaststroker Steven West, who has the unenviable
task of following in garrowman's considerable footsteps.
"Of course, he's not going to replace him, but he's going to help fill
the void that's there now," Wilkening said.
Royce Sharpe, the top backstroke recruit in the country, will arrive in
Ann Arbor in two years. Sharpe has decided to take a year off to train for
the Olympic Trials.
Also, the Maize and Blue will welcome in-state walk-ons David
Klavider, Chris Veber, and Thomas Blake.
HAIL TO THE CHIEF: At the team banquet last week, junior
Eric Bailey was voted team captain for the 1991-92 season. Bailey, who
swam the backstroke legs of the 200 and 400 medley relays and won the
consolation heat of the 200 butterfly at the NCAA Championships, has a
very optimistic view on next season. "If it's realistic, we'd like to shoot
for a national title," he said.
"He's going to be tremendous as a captain," Wilkening, former
Michigan captain, said. "He's shown a lot of leadership and he's a great
worker."
OLYMPICS I: In addition to the recruiting class, Urbanchek re-
ceived some other good news last week. Tuesday, he was named an assis-
tant coach to the Olympic swim team. Urbanchek will coach alongside
Reese, a close friend of Urbanchek's.
"Coaching at the Olympics is this sport's greatest honor," he said. "I
intend on serving United States Swimming to the best of my ability."
OLYMPICS II: On the subject of the Olympic Games, Borgess' ar-
rival next season will increase the number of potential Michigan
Olympians to six.
Barrowman, juniors Eric Namesnik and Eric Wunderlich, sophomores
Brian Gunn and Steve Bigelow all stand strong chances on making the
Olympic squad.
Barrowman, of course, is the world-record holder in the 200-meter
breaststroke and having expired his eligibility for the Wolverines, will
be able to more fully direct his energies towards the Olympic Trials
next March.
Namesnik is the American record holder in the 400-meter individual
medley, while Wunderlich finished sixth at the World Swimming
Championships in the 100 breaststroke. Bigelow was a member of the '88
Olympic squad, and finished 10th in the 200-meter backstroke. Gunn cur-
rently ranks fifth in the world in the 200-meter butterfly.
Michigan first baseman Heather Lyke slides safely into third base against Ohio last week. Unfortunately for the Wolverines, Iowa's strong pitching
rarely allowed Michigan the chance to do any baserunning.
SOFTBALL NOTEBOOK
Raindrops keep falling
on Wolverine sluggers
by Ryan Herrington
and David Kraft
Daily Sports Writers
The Michigan softball team's 1991 season
has thus far been plagued by rotten weather con-
ditions.
In its annual early season trips to anticipated
sunnier climates in February and March, all the
Wolverines saw in New Mexico and California
was the rain and cold they thought they were
leaving behind in Ann Arbor.
As usual, the squad's returns to the Midwest
were marked by even lousier conditions. In the
first Big Ten matchup of the season in
Bloomington against Indiana, it was very cold
and dreary. Last week, the contests with both
Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan were
0 postponed due to more rain and cold. In fact,
Wednesday, the date of the scheduled Western
Michigan doubleheader, snow (yes snow!)
brought about the postponement of the game.
While this weekend's series against Iowa was
T played as scheduled, the cold and dark prevailed
once again.
According to coach Carol Hutchins, the only
games the team has played under nice skies were
in last weekend's Michigan Wolverine
Invitational in which the Wolverines took first
place.
Despite the apparent coincidence between
good play and good weather, Hutchins offered
no excuses for the squad's sub-par play under
poor conditions against Iowa.
"There's no sense in blaming the weather,"
Hutchins said. "Iowa played well under the
sametconditions. It's just a matter of getting
used to it, and we've had plenty of opportunity
to do that."
HITTING WOES: During the beginning of
the season, inconsistent hitting plagued the
Wolverines. Michigan had trouble getting run-
ners on base and when it did, it had problems
driving in runners in scoring position. Only the
Wolverines' strong pitching allowed them to
remain competitive. While Hutchins felt her
squad had overcome the hitting problem, it reoc-
curred this weekend against Iowa.
Michigan had only 15 hits in its four-game
series with the Hawkeyes. The squad never had
more than one hit in an inning and struck out 15
times during the weekend.
The difficulty with Iowa is nothing new. In
their last nine games with the Hawkeyes, includ-
ing this weekend's series, the Wolverines have
scored a mere one run.
IOWA-CALIFORNIA CONNECTION: Since
the West Coast (namely California) produces
such a plethora of top high school softball play-
ers, there are always a significant number of re-
cruits who venture to other areas of the country
to play. This explains why four members of the
Hawkeye squad hail from California.
They include starting, winning pitchers Terri
McFarland, the 1990 Big Ten Player of the Year,
highly touted rookie Karen Jackson, and all-
American catcher Diane Pohl.,
Wolverine third baseman Tina Martin from
Stockton, Ca., is the lone West Coast representa-
tive for Michigan.
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HAWKEYES
* Continued from page 1
down," Hutchins said. "We are bet-
ter than this."
Michigan only garnished three
hits, two from Kari Kunnen, off
Iowa first-year pitcher Karen
Jackson, who posted her second vic-
tory of the weekend.
In the second game, Michigan
was unable to capitalize on its scor-
ing opportunities. In the third in-
ning, Shelly Bawol led off with a
double to right-center field. Mary
Campana came in to pinch run for
Bawol and proceeded to steal second
base. Yet, the Wolverines could not
bring Campana home as the next
two batters hit balls right at the
first baseman for easy outs;
Campana got picked off of third
base to end the inning.
In the fifth, Julie Cooper led off
by reaching first on an error and
moved to third on two sacrifice
bunts. The Wolverines could not get
the run home, as Heams ended the
inning with a fly out to left field.
McFarland cruised to her second
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win for the Hawkeyes in as many
days, giving up only three hits in
seven innings of work. Her change
up bewildered Michigan through-
out, inducing three strike outs.
Iowa's lone run came in the sec-
ond when Amy Johnson doubled,
went to third on a sacrifice bunt, and
scored on a Hartsock ground out.
"In the first three games we
didn't give our best effort,"
Hutchins said. "I think we finally
did in the last game."
The four-game sweep left the
Wolverines with a 2-6 conference
record, and severely dampered their
hopes of a Big Ten title.
"We must only worry about
ourselves," Hutchins
said. "We
can't afford to lose any more games
if we expect to win (the Big Ten). It
can be done, however, if we don't
give up now."
Michigan enters a three-day
stretch of doubleheaders, travelling
to Western Michigan Monday, host-
ing Big Ten rival Michigan State
Tuesday and Toledo Wednesday.
While the Wolverines know that
there is still a lot of softball to be
played for the 1991 season, they are
even more aware that another pro-
longed lapse like this weekend's
against Iowa may very well ruin its
title hopes and doom a possible
NCAA playoff birth.
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r
I RING for
the NURSE
Wear a handsome, personalized
school ring on the hand that holds
the hypo. And is that you behind
the mask? Wear the emblems of
your hard-earned achievement
with a school ring, a distinction
in fine gold. By Jostens.
I