Sports The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com Tuesday, January 26, 2016 — 7 ‘M’ goes 3-2 in California No. 12 Michigan plays three top-10 teams, knocks off No. 8 San Jose State By BILLY STAMPFL Daily Sports Writer Tough competition and hard- fought matches highlighted an overall successful weekend for the Michigan women’s water polo team, which won three of its five games in Santa Barbara to open the 2016 season. Three of those matches pitted the 12th-ranked Wolverines against teams in the top eight nationally. “I feel like we got tested,” said coach Marcelo Leonardi. “We used it as a measurement to see where we’re at as a team, and overall I think we performed pretty well.” Though the weekend began on a somewhat sour note with an 11-10 loss to No. 7 Hawaii — a game in which Rainbow Wahine sophomore Nikki-Marie Bell scored the game-winning goal with just three seconds left — Michigan rebounded in its next match, defeating No. 19 Cal State Northridge by a score of 12-4. The Wolverines carried their momentum forward, winning two more games Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning — which included a rout of No. 24 Cal Baptist and a stellar offensive performance against No. 8 San Jose State in which Michigan won, 18-9. But the Wolverines’ run was cut short, as they fell to No. 2 UCLA, 11-7, in the final game of the weekend. Despite the loss to the powerhouse Bruins, Leonardi praised his team, especially senior Ali Thomason, as they prepared to head back to Ann Arbor. “I have to give props — (Thomason) had a fantastic weekend,” Leonardi said. “She’s not just a scorer. She’s doing it on both sides of the pool.” Though Leonardi always appreciates the efforts of Thomason and the rest of an experienced core, he also acknowledged the contributions his younger players made. The second- year coach is introducing his first recruiting class this season. “Our freshmen all played quality minutes almost every single game,” Leonardi said. “I expect the front string that I’ve recruited to come in and make an immediate impact, which they did.” In Friday’s opening contest, four Wolverines made their collegiate debut, including freshman Kim Johnson, who started all five games to begin her Michigan career. “In my very first game, there were some jitters,” Johnson said. “But overall I don’t really get butterflies — I just get excited. I mostly get pumped up by the close games and the excitement of it all.” If any anxiety existed, Johnson seemed to eradicate it fairly quickly, scoring three goals each in three of her first four games and finishing with a total of 12 goals in the five matches combined. Johnson’s comfort and immediate impact are perhaps a product of having her older sister, Danielle, a junior, on the team as well. The two last played together in high school, and have always had great chemistry. “It’s so much fun having her here,” Kim Johnson said. “Danielle is my best friend, and we have a great dynamic in the water. I’m so happy we ended up at Michigan together.” Leonardi should be happy, too, as the Wolverines are off to a fast start in 2016. Chemistry, not just between the Johnson sisters but throughout the team as a whole, certainly has had something to do with it. FILE PHOTO/Daily Senior Ali Thomason drew praise from coach Marcelo Leonardi for her play in the team’s opening weekend. “I don’t really get butterflies — I just get excited.” WRESTLING Bruno, Pantaleo stand out in wins By NATHANIEL CLARK Daily Sports Writer Much has been made in recent weeks about the No. 8 Michigan wrestling team’s “Murderer’s Row,” as sixth-year senior Max Huntley called it. The term refers to the Wolverines’ 184-pound, 197- pound and heavyweight wrestlers — junior Domenic Abounader, Huntley and junior Adam Coon, respectively. All three are undefeated in dual play and were as strong as ever in Michigan’s 22-12 victory over No. 19 Central Michigan on Friday and its 33-6 win against No. 21 Indiana on Sunday. While their contributions have been crucial to Michigan’s success, they are not the only ones propelling the Wolverines to victory. Some of the lighter-weight wrestlers have shined for Michigan as of late. Senior Rossi Bruno (6-2 in dual-meet play) at 133 pounds and sophomore Alec Pantaleo (7-1) at 149 pounds have stood out, especially over the weekend. “Our guys did a great job of scoring points,” said Michigan coach Joe McFarland. “(The fans) come for a lot of action and guys scoring points, and we did a great job of that today.” Bruno, who entered Friday’s match ranked No. 17 in the country, began the weekend with a 4-2 overtime win over the Chippewas’ Corey Keener. Bruno scored an escape point late in the third period to force overtime and was quickly awarded a bout-winning takedown in the extra period. He continued his winning ways Sunday with a 15-2 major- decision victory over the Hoosiers’ Alonzo Shepherd. Bruno broke open his match in the second period with a takedown and a near fall to go ahead 8-0. The triumph proved momentum-shifting as it followed a close loss by redshirt junior Conor Youtsey, 5-4, at the hands of Indiana’s Elijah Oliver at 125-pounds. “I thought I wrestled hard, but there’s always places to improve on,” Bruno said. “So I don’t think I had two perfect matches, but definitely two steps in the right direction.” Pantaleo, meanwhile, showed why he entered the weekend ranked sixth at 149 pounds. He came out Friday with a 10-4 win over Central Michigan’s Colin Heffernan to put the Wolverines in front, 9-3. Pantaleo buoyed himself with a near fall and two takedowns in the second period. Sunday proved to be almost no different for Pantaleo. He used a three-point third period to top Indiana’s Luke Blanton, 7-2. Pantaleo’s victory gave Michigan a 10-3 lead at the time. “When I step on the mat, I want to dominate everyone I wrestle,” Pantaleo said. With a matchup at No. 1 Penn State looming on Jan. 31, the Wolverines will be looking for any matchup advantage they can find, especially those outside of their “Murderer’s Row.” But Bruno said he feels Michigan can draw off its experience from its 21-11 win at then-No. 6 Ohio State on Jan. 9 and be up for the Nittany Lions’ challenge. “We’re just going to keep doing the things we’ve been doing,” Bruno said. “The big thing is not letting the hype of Penn State get to us. If we can model the execution we had (against Ohio State), we should be good.” ‘M’ uses home-court advantage By ORION SANG Daily Sports Writer The tension in the air was palpable as all eyes fixed upon center court. With a win from senior Ronit Yurovsky, the No. 14 Michigan women’s tennis team would win its match against No. 24 Kentucky and guarantee a berth in the ITA Indoor Championship. As the match reached a tiebreaker in the second set, Yurovsky’s teammates gathered on the courts around her and began to cheer louder and louder. The crowd at the Varsity Tennis Center made its presence heard as well, with shouts of encouragement. When Yurovsky ripped off five straight points to win her match and give the Wolverines the dual- meet victory, the noise reached a crescendo. The crowd erupted, and her teammates rushed onto to the court. For Michigan, this is as much a part of the game as what actually occurs on the court. “When I’m the last one on the court, it doesn’t feel like I’m alone because (my teammates are) all standing there,” Yurovsky said. “It’s huge having them cheering me on, and it makes the opponent even more nervous.” Michigan coach Ronni Bernstein recognizes the importance of staying together as a team, and encourages her players to make an effort to cheer each other on, even while isolated in tight singles matches. “I don’t want them to be on their own court,” Bernstein said. “I think it’s really important that as people play next to them that they show support. That’s the beauty of college tennis: It’s a team thing. Even if you’re struggling or doing well, you can still help the person next to you.” Freshman Kate Fahey is appreciative of the support and also knows lending it is something she can work on. “I’ve struggled with that a little in the beginning of the season because I’m not used to it,” Fahey said. “You’re not used to cheering on other people, but it really helps the team. When I get in a rut and I’m not winning a lot of points, cheering on my teammates helps me and takes my mind off my match.” And though tennis is not as much of a spectator sport as football or basketball, Michigan has a distinct home-court advantage whenever it plays at the Varsity Tennis Center. The Wolverines consistently draw fans at their competitions, and a certain group of fans attend almost every match. “I’m not used to playing in front of that many people,” Fahey said. “The fans have been awesome. You see the same people here every time and familiar faces when you look up, and it’s just such a good feeling when you win a point because it’s not just you cheering for yourself, but also your teammates and fans.” With three of its next four competitions at home, Michigan hopes to start its season strong in front of its fans. “We’ve been pretty successful at home,” Bernstein said. “I think we get great crowds, and they definitely helped us through today. We’ve got another big match coming up next Sunday, so hopefully we get another big crowd again. The girls like playing at home in front of the home crowd, and today was no different.” MEN’S GYMNASTICS Mistakes ruin home opener Wolverines struggle in several events vs. No. 1 Oklahoma By ETHAN WOLFE Daily Sports Writer Going into Saturday’s meet against No. 1 Oklahoma, the Michigan men’s gymnastics team knew it would be up against elite competition. And the 10th-ranked Wolverines (0-4 Big Ten, 1-5 overall) didn’t help themselves either, as they seemed to be their own enemies. In a meet where the Sooners (2-0 Big 12, 5-0) were able to pull away quickly, Michigan’s 16.550-point defeat was the result of a number of critical mistakes. A bevy of the Wolverines’ mistakes came on the pommel horse — the only event in which Oklahoma does not lead the nation. It was crucial for Michigan to capitalize, but three Wolverines fell off and had to restart their routines. It was Michigan’s lowest-scoring event on the day and the only one in which they failed to amass 70 points. Freshman Anthony McCallum, who shined for the Wolverines in his first collegiate meet last week, struggled for the entire meet. He had the lowest score for two events, including the pommel horse, in which he didn’t complete his routine, scoring a 10.000. Michigan’s woes continued on the parallel bars. Despite showing significant improvement from the Windy City Invitational the previous week, scoring 15 more points, the Wolverines were unable to stick a number of dismounts. Michigan coach Kurt Golder was not pleased with the team’s performance, but he saw a lot of potential. “If we can eliminate the big mistakes and get our hit percentage from 70-75 percent up to 80-85 percent, that’s approaching championship form,” Golder said. “We have to increase our difficulty, too. The routines that these guys are doing may not look easy, but by our championship standards, some of them are easy. “We expect to get better, and if you see the same, you’re not pleased with that.” Sophomore Dmitri Belanovski had the best performance on the night for the Wolverines, but even he could not avoid mistakes against Oklahoma. Though the meet was out of reach by the final event, the high bar, Belanovski held a slight lead to be the all- around champion. But Belanovski lost his grip in the middle of his routine, finishing with a 13.800 and an 86.950 overall, good for third place all-around. “I was a little nervous on high bar,” Belanovski said. “I think high bar is my best event, so I get a little nervous for it. That release is new for me, so I’ve got to keep being more confident in it.” For a team that consists mostly of freshmen, confidence is a necessity. Golder believes that will develop over time, and that the main concern is being too careful. His advice was simple. “Just attack it,” Golder said. “I think they might be a little consumed with making sure everything is perfect and they’re swinging a little bit cautiously, and they don’t practice that way. If you fall, then you fall. But you’ve got to compete the way you practice.” Though the Wolverines suffered another hit in the loss column, both Belanovski and Golder shared the same sentiment: a 15-point improvement against the No. 1 team in the country isn’t something to worry about. AMANDA ALLEN/Daily Senior Ronit Yurovsky clinched Sunday’s match against Kentucky with a win at No. 1 singles, the last match on the court at the Varsity Tennis Center. “That’s the beauty of college tennis: It’s a team thing.”