The Michigan Daily - Thursday, December 7, 1995 - 11

'M' readies for intense break
Men swimmers will travel to Colorado for practice regimen

By Doug Stevens
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan men's swimming team
is atop the national rankings and is
focused on sending a number of its
members to the Atlanta Olympics. How-
ever, this type of glory does not come
without cost.
The team's top priority this week will
be on its studies. But coach Jon Urbanchek
will conduct practice and for those who
attend, it will be business as usual.
"We expect them to budget their time
so they don't have to miss practice,"
Urbanchek said.
Once finals are over, the Wolver-
ines will begin an rigorous three-month
practice session which will last until the
Olympic Trials and NCAA meet in
March. On Dec. 16, the squad will travel
to the Olympic Training Center in Colo-
rado Springs where it will spend the
majority of the holiday vacation.
Going to Colorado may sound like a
nice, fun way to get away from home
for a little while. This couldn't be fur-
ther from the truth. The Wolverines are
traveling to the heart of the Rockies for
the sole purpose of training intensely at
a 6,000 foot altitude.
"The air has less oxygen (at altitude),
so we will be making physiological
adaptations," Urbanchek said. "We get
a great benefit of all the training. It is

very successful for us to go out there
and every time we return, we get very
good performances."
In addition to the experience of alti-
tude swimming, the team will enjoy the
highest technology at the training cen-
ter. This includes a swimming flume,
which is like an in-water treadmill.
Although the facilities are high-tech,
the living conditions are not. The team
will stay at the military barracks and
Urbanchek said there is not much to do
there for enjoyment.
"It is rather spartan and demanding,
but for serious swimmers, we have to
provide them with the best opportunity
and give them the best chance to suc-
ceed," Urbanchek said.
For the most part, the Wolverines'
sole source of competition in Colorado
will come from themselves. Although
the team may partake in a meet against
other squads at the facility, there is
nothing formally scheduled. However,
when a team is composed of nearly a
dozen potential Olympians and national
champions, it makes for a strong intra-
squad competition.
"Every workout is dog-eat-dog,"
Urbanchek said. "The internal competi-
tion is very intense and very stressful."
The strenuous workouts may not be
fun but they are undoubtedly beneficial as
everyone is encouraged to work harder.

"For us, (the internal competition) is
really good all of the time," swimmer
Jason Lancaster said. "Having a long
stretch (without a meet) is a good idea
because it gets us in a rhythm of train-
ing. We are just going to go to altitude
and focus on getting a strong base."
Although the Wolverines' stay in
Colorado will not include formal com-
petition or warm weather, they will
experience both of these Jan. 5 when
they head south to Arizona. Once there,
Michigan will face two nationally
ranked Pac-10 foes.
On Jan. 5, the Wolverines will battle
with No. 11 Arizona State in Tempe.
The following day, they will drive fur-
ther south to duel No. 9 Arizona in
Tucson.
Although it is always nice to get in
some competition, perhaps the most
beneficial part of the meet with the
Wildcats is that it will be swam in a
long-course pool. This 50-meter pool is
of the same distance as the pool in the
Olympic Trials.
"Arizona could definitely defeat us,
but every meet is just a prep (for the
NCAAs and Olympic Trials),"
Urbanchek said. "We try as often as we
can (to swim Olympic distances) be-
cause they only come around every
four years and we have to give (the
swimmers) more opportunities."

The Michigan men's swimming team travels to Colorado for a rigorous holiday training period.
Long-time Canadens galePatrick
Roy traded to oClrd fer dispute.

Hao.,.u

beckons
women
swimmers
By Chris Murphy
Daily Sports Writer
With final exams and winter break
fast approaching, the Michigan
women's swimming team is entering
one of the stranger parts of its season.
The Wolverines will be out of action for
about a month, but will train exten-
sively throughout the vacation.
The catch is, they will be doing most
of the training in Hawaii.
Shortly after Christmas, the Wolver-
ines will reconvene in Ann Arbor. From
there they will travel to Honolulu, where
they will work out for about a week
before the Rainbow Invitational, Jan. 2
and 3.
After some additional practice, the
team will fly to California to compete
against USC and UC-San Diego inmid-
January.
Although the swimmers will prob-
ably see more sunshine this month than
rost students absorb all year, the Wol-
verines will certainly see their share of
hard work as well.
The Wolverines are due for a break
after a long weekend of competition.
rhey competedin a long-course meet at
:he Texas Invitational last Saturday.
"We were swimming a long-course
neet which is not what the national
hampionships is competed in," co-cap-
ain Beth Jackson said. "It's a harder
:ourse to swim when you're tired."
In addition, coach Jim Richardson
1as implemented a new dry-land train-
ng program that will supplement the
eam's pool work. The new regimen
vill be a big part of the team's training
n Hawaii.
The Wolverines are happy about their
rogress to this point, and are looking to
nake a good showing in the next month.

DENVER (AP) - Patrick Roy, hu-
miliated, angry and apologeticjust days
ago, began a new chapter in his illustri-
ous NH L career yesterday when he was
traded from the Montreal Canadiens to
the Colorado Avalanche.
"Three days ago it was a sad moment
for me," Roy said. "Today is a happy
moment. Colorado was my first choice
for many reasons. I look forward to
helping my new team reach its goal of
winning the Stanley Cup. This is a new
turn in my life."
Roy, suspended by the Canadiens
after a blowup with the team's coach
and president, was the centerpiece of
a five-player deal in which the Ava-
lanche obtained playoff-savvy veter-
ans while the Canadiens stockpiled
young talent.
"I was really humiliated with what
happened on the ice," Roy said by tele-
phone from Montreal. "After the game,
I knew I had made a mistake and would
have to live with the consequences. It
was clear the club was going to suspend
me and trade me."
Roy, 30, a three-time Vezina Trophy
winner as the NHL's top goalie who led
the Canadiens to Stanley Cup in 1986

and 1993, was sent to Colorado along
with right wing Mike Keane for goalie
Jocelyn Thibault, left wing Martin
Rucinsky and right wing Andrei
Kovalenko.
Colorado general manager Pierre
Lacroix, Roy's former agent, completed
the deal with Montreal general man-
ager Rejean Houle about 2 a.m., a few
hours after the Avalanche routed San
Jose, 12-2.
"We wanted to acquire an experi-
enced goaltender for the playoffs, some-
one who would give us grit and leader-
ship in what we call crunch time,"
Lacroix said.
Coach Marc Crawford said Roy will
start in goal in Colorado's next game,
tonight at home against Edmonton.
"It's safe to say Patrick won't have
the same workload he had in Montreal,
where he had to play almost every
game," Crawford said.
Roy, in the third year of a four-year
contract worth $16 million, was 12-9-1
this season with 90.7 save percentage
and 2.95 goals-against average. He was
289-175-66 with a 2.77 GAA in I1
seasons with the Canadiens.
Roy said his split with the Canadiens

resulted solely from coach Mario.
Tremblay's decision to leave him in
Saturday night's 11-1 loss to Detroit
until 11:57 of the second period with
the Canadiens down 9-1.
When he reached the bench, Roy
glared at Tremblay, then leaned over
and told club president Ronald Corey;
"That's my last game in Montreal."
"It was probably just a sign of frus
tration," Lacroix said. "He's a leader, a
competitor, a winner, a high-level per-
son. I don't think any of this will follow
him to Colorado."
Asked if the acquisition of Roy might
upset his team's chemistry, Crawford'
said: "You're always concerned about;
how chemistry is affected by a deal, but
we've added two guys of tremendous
character who have won two Stanley
Cups."
This was the third major deal by the'
Avalanche (16-7-4) since the former
Quebec Nordiques franchise moved to
Denver last May. First, Colorado traded'
holdout Wendel Clark for right wing
Claude Lemieux, who was last season's
Stanley Cup playoff MVP. Then Colo-
rado dealt for offensive-minded'
defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh.

d'

WALKER VANDYKE/Daily
The Michigan women's swimming team is off to Hawaii during the winter break.

Purchase your cap and gowr
Michigan Union Bo

"I definitely think we're ahead of
where we were last year," Jackson said.
"I think people are a little more tired
than they were last year. The way we've
been training and what 4ple have
done under those conditiote has been
amazing." '
In Honolulu, the Wolverines will face
two familiar opponents, Iowa and Wis-
consin.
In the California meet, Michigan will

...jOj. .
.....'.., ,

challenge a USC team that the Wolver-
ines met in Texas just last week. The
No.7 Trojans will look to improve their
times against No. 2 Michigan.
Southern Cal boasts two swimmers
that should test Michigan. Sophomore
Jean Tedisco and junior transfer
Allison Bock are among the nation's
best. Tedisco and Bock are supported
by one of the country's top freshmen
classes.
BLOWOUT
Continued from Page 14A
with 12 points, but she was the only
Eagle to score in double figures. She
attributed her team's turnovers to
Michigan's defense.
"They put a lot of pressure on me in
the first half," said Brown, who helped
the Wolverines' cause by turning the
ball over nine times. "Their press threw
us off mentally, and I think it carried
over into the second half."
Stein was also complimentary in de-
feat, citing Michigan's athleticism in
the paint, and depth off the bench.
"They're thetbest team we've played
thus far," said the coach.
WOLVERINES
Continued from Page 10A
last night's contest with the neigh-
boring Eagles.

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