rowing

The Michigan Women's Rowing Team competed at the Big Ten Championships at Eagle Park in Indianapolis and came in second with 135 points.  Ohio State won with 160 points.  This result was expected as Ohio State has a very good team this year and is top five nationally.  Of the seven events, Ohio State won all but two.  Michigan won 0 II Varsity Fours F1.  Michigan will next compete in the NCAA Tournament.

http://www.bigten.org/sports/w-rowing/spec-rel/051913aah.html

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/big10/sports/w-rowing/auto_pdf/2012-...

Michigan made a strong showing this weekend at the ACRA National Championships.  I went down to watch my niece (UC Davis) (She took home GOLD BABY!!!).  Great event.  The participants had a difficult time with the heat & humidity but the teams from MI (UofM & GVSU) were strong. 

The MI coach gave the play by play from a boat at the start to the point the finish tower could make the call.  Did a really nice job, better than the announcer in the tower.

GO BLUE!

http://www.americancollegiaterowing.com/

How to start Ohio State Week right:

Michigan Men's Rowing, after an hour long fog delay this morning, claimed the

Wolverbuck Oar for a record-breaking 15th consecutive year by defeating the OSU men's crew

club. The streak stands as the longest winning streak by a Michigan team over an OSU team.

The oar will reclaim its rightful place in the IM building as the team heads indoors for winter

training. May the winning tradition continue this weekend:

Congratulations to Felice Mueller and Ashley Kroll for their U-23 World Championship in the pair event.  The two Michigan Rowers set a world record in the event while taking the gold medal. 

Here's the MGoBlue.com story reproduced in its entirety:

Mueller and Kroll Win Gold at U-23 World Championships in the Pair

July 25, 2010

BREST, Belarus -- University of Michigan rowers Felice Mueller (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Pomfret School, Conn.) and Ashley Kroll (Edmonds, Wash./Kamiak) brought home the gold medal in the pair at the Under-23 World Championships in Brest, Belarus on Saturday (July 24) in record-setting fashion by posting a new Under-23 World best time of 7:14.07, shattering the old record by 0.87 seconds.

Muller and Kroll, who advanced directly to the finals after winning their heat on Thursday (July 22), posted the fastest time in the heats and showed their dominance in the finals. Entering as the top seed the pair had a fast start taking an early 3.5 second lead on the field out of the gates, which they maintained through the first 500 meters.

Entering the 1000-meter mark the Michigan duo continued to pull away from the field and held a 4.60 advantage over second-place Romania. The Romanian pair of Nicoleta Albu and Adelina Cojocariu, the defending Under-23 World Champions, began to make a move at this point, cutting into the American's lead with about 500-meters remaining, but Mueller and Kroll had a spectacular sprint at the end earning the first US gold medal in the pair. The Romanian pair took the silver with a time of 7:14.38 and Germany took the bronze with a time of 7:23.70.

"We were prepped to know Romania was going to move ahead, and when we got to the 500, we noticed that they weren't," said Kroll. "We tried to keep stepping it up. We knew that at 500 to go, they were going to make a move. It was basically a `Hail Mary.' We just rowed as hard as we could for the last 250 (meters). We knew that they were going to move, and they did. It was a really good race. When we crossed the finish line, we honestly didn't know where we were."

The medal gives Kroll her second consecutive medal at the Under-23 World Championships. Last summer she earned a silver medal as a member of the women's eight. This is Mueller's first medal at the Under-23 World Championships.

Contact: Jessica Poole (734) 763-4423

In addition, here's the link to the Michigan Daily story.

“If you think you’re good, or act like you’re the best, it doesn’t do you any good,” Kroll said. “You just have to be humble about it and pull really hard, put your head down and pull as hard as you can.”

After winning the World Championships, both Kroll and Mueller plan to continue rowing.

Kroll will be training with the U.S. National Team in the fall as Mueller will continue rowing and attending classes at Michigan when class starts in September.

While she is proud to race for the National Team, Mueller represents her school with equal fervor.

“I love Michigan so much,” she said. “I always love racing for them.”

Here's Felice Mueller's Road to the World Championships Blog.  It looks like she hasn't written anything lately, but I guess she has a good excuse.  Still, there are some good insights here on what it takes to be an elite athlete.

I'm certainly looking forward to the moment at an upcoming football game when Felice and Ashley are honored by "All the Michigan Faithful" for their incredible accomplishment.

Congratulations again and Go Blue!

This diary focues on selected non-revenue spring sports whose seasons are winding to a close.

Water Polo: Michigan earned its ninth straight CWPA Western Division title with a 5-3 victory over Indiana in the Division tournament championship game on April 24.  Then on May 2, the team earned its third consecutive CWPA Eastern Championship title when it again defeated Indiana, 7-5 in the Conference tournament championship game.

The NCAA Women's Water Polo Committee announced Monday (May 3) that the University of Michigan water polo team has earned the No. 5 seed for the 2010 NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship. The Wolverines will face No. 4-seed California in the opening round at 5:45 p.m. PDT on Friday, May 14. San Diego State will play host to the championship that runs May 14-16 in the Aztec Aquaplex. The fifth-seed selection for the Maize and Blue is the highest for a CWPA team since the NCAA field expanded to eight teams.

NCAA Women's Water Polo Tournament interactive bracket.

Women's Tennis: Michigan (22 - 4 in all competitions) finished as Big Ten regular season champions with a conference record of 10 - 0 but fell in the finals of the Big Ten tournament to NU.

The No. 4-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team saw its 16-match win streak come to end, falling, 4-0, to No. 5 Northwestern on Sunday (May 2) in the Big Ten Tournament final... Northwestern won the doubles point and the first three singles matches to win the tournament title.

The Wolverines will now await word on postseason selection. The NCAA selection will take place on Tuesday (May 4), with NCAA Regional action beginning Friday, May 14, at 16 campus sites.

Men's Tennis:

The team is 13 - 10 in all competitions this season and was 8 - 2 in the Big 10 in conference play good enough for 3rd place.  In the Big 10 tournament:

In the second... semifinal, the No. 25-ranked University of Michigan men's tennis team lost to No. 14 Illinois, 4-0, on Saturday afternoon (May 1)...

With the regular season and Big Ten Conference play behind them, the Wolverines turn their attention to the NCAA Championships in two weeks, beginning Friday, May 14. As a top 25 team, Michigan looks to return to the tournament for the fifth straight season under head coach Bruce Berque. The NCAA will announce the pairings this Tuesday (May 4) on ESPNEWS at 5 p.m.

Men's Golf:

Paced by sophomore Matt Thompson's (Battle Creek, Mich./Lakeview) medalist runner-up and freshman Jack Schultz's (Whitefish Bay, Wis./Whitefish Bay) fifth-place finish, the University of Michigan men's golf team tallied a 1,173 72-hole total to finish fourth at the 2010 Big Ten Championship today (Sunday, May 2) at Windsong Farm Golf Club.

Thompson's runner-up finish marks the highest finish for a Wolverine since Michael Harris (1997-2000) shared medalist honors at the 1999 event. Thompson's one-under 283 championships total gives him the second-best 72-hole total in U-M history, trailing Harris' record of 278 set in 1999.

Michigan will have to wait another week before learning if it will be selected for U-M's third straight NCAA at-large berth when regional selections are announced Monday (May 10) at 6 p.m.

Women's Golf:

University of Michigan senior captain Ashley Bauer (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS) ended her record-breaking run at the 2010 Big Ten Championships today (Sunday, April 25) as the medalist runner-up to equal U-M's best all-time finish at the conference event, posting a school-record, five-under-par total of 283 at University Ridge Golf Course. With a 317 team score in the final round, U-M maintained its eighth-place position, closing with a 1228 total (311-301-299-317) for 72 holes.

In an eventful three days, Bauer put herself in contention for medalist honors by shooting a U-M and Big Ten-record seven-under 65 in the second round, giving her a one-shot lead after 36 holes. She maintained her lead after 54 holes, posting a third-round 71.

For her efforts all season long and at the championships, Bauer was named All-Big Ten first team, becoming just the seventh Wolverine to earn the honor. She was a second team all-conference honoree in 2009.

[Bauer] was selected... as an invited individual participant for the 2010 NCAA Central Regional. The Central Regional will be Thursday through Saturday, May 6-8, at Ottercreek Golf Course, Columbus, Ind., hosted by Indiana. The Wolverines as a team were not selected for an at-large bid.

Women's Rowing:

The University of Michigan women's rowing team collected a third-place team finish at the 2010 Big Ten Conference Championships on Saturday (May 1) at Lake Ovid. U-M put three crews on the medal stand led by second-place finishes from the second varsity eight and the novice eight. The varsity four earned a bronze medal.

The Big Ten Network will air the rowing championships live on May 16 at noon. Michigan will take next weekend off before heading to Oak Ridge, Tenn., for the Central/South Region Sprints, held May 15-16.

Men's Track & Field: The team is preparing for the end of season championship meets and will host the Len Paddock Invitiational this weekend.

Women's Track & Field: The team is preparing for the end of season championship meets and will host the Len Paddock Invitiational this weekend.

Congratulations to all the student-athletes for their outstanding performances this season. Good luck and Go Blue! to all the teams and individuals as they continue their quest for NCAA-level success.
 

Sorry for those who just now realized I took last weekend off who missed last weekend's coverage.  Real life beckoned and I wasn't around a computer. So a brief recap of last weekend:

• Bree Evans was seriously injured in a softball exhibition. Last I heard, she was up and walking, but had a neck brace. Grapevine says her facebook status had some jokes about it, so she sounds like she'll be alright.
• Volleyball split a pair at home, including a 3-0 sweep of NU and a 2-3 loss to Illinois.
• Field Hockey swept a pair of games at Evanston, IL, defeating NU 3-1 and Saint Louis 7-0. NU was ranked #17, giving UM it's first win over a ranked opponent this season.
• Men's x-country placed 9th out of 13 in Madison for an 8k this weekend. Michigan was short 4 of their top 7 runners with sickness, and it took it's toll. Michigan's top finisher was Bobby Aprill at #35.
• Women's x-country was also in Madison for a 5k and finished 5th of 12. Kaitlyn Peale finished 4th overall with a time of 17:11.3, 11 seconds behind the leader. Kaitlyn Patterson also finished in the top 20 at #16.
• Men's soccer shut out Wisconsin in their BigTen home opener by a score of 3-0. Fuzetti netted the game winner for this 8th goal of the season.
• Women's soccer tied Northwestern 2-2. Michigan let a 2-0 lead slip late. Amy Klippert lead Michigan in points with a goal and her first career assist.
• Women's tennis hosted a non-scoring invitational. senior Tania Mahtani and junior Denise Muresan both won their brackets in the singles, including Muresan's victory over the #29 player in the NCAA.
• Women's rowing scrimmaged Ohio State and swept all 5 first place finishes. Michigan ran 3 boats while OSU only ran two. Michigan placed (1,4,5), (1,4,5), (1,4,5), (1,3,T4), and (1,2,5). Editorial note: I'm still trying to figure out a better way of writing that out rather than listing the full results. For those of you who can't figure it out, each set of parenthesis is a race, and each number is one of Michigan's places.
• Men's golf played in Glencoe, IL over the weekend, and was in contention until the final day. Just 3 shots behind the leader (Illinois), they went stagnant in the last day to fall to 5th.
• Women's golf was in Chicago and posted a 6th place team finish. Ashley Bauer finished second overall with a –4 71-72-69/212.
• Baseball obliterated a lower level Canadian select team by the tune of 27-1.

Okay, now that we got all caught up, let's look at the weekend ahead. Updates may come periodically throughout the weekend depending on my schedule. Those of you who make it out to a game, drop a comment.  Chronologically by start time (all pictures from MGoBlue.com):

Men's X-Country

• 5pm ET Michigan Intercollegiate @ Grand Rapids, MI

Eleven, including two unattached runners, are headed to Grand Rapids this weekend for an 8k. This will be the first scoring meet for the Wolverines this years. The runners for Michigan: Bobby Aprill, Brendon Blacklaws, Geoff Burns, Peter Christmas, Brandon Fellows, Derek Henning, Sean McNamara, Zach Ornelas, Dan Tyler, Craig Forys*, and Dallas Bowden*. Asterisks are unattached/non-scoring.

Swimming

• 5pm ET Dennis Stark Relays @ Notre Dame

The men and women are both headed to Notre Dame this weekend for a dual meet. On the women's side, Notre Dame comes in as the 13 time defending BigEast champion. Michigan has it's share of returning players with 25, so we have plenty of veteran leaders this season. This opening match should be a good litmus test for the upcoming year.

On the men's side, Michigan is looking to continue its success from last year when it went 8-1 and 7-0 in the BigTen, placing 4th at the NCAA championships. The three captains for this year are seniors Chris Brady, Andre Schultz, and Shaun Weinberg.

"Sandler for 3", drop some info if you have time.

Ice Hockey

Record (Ranks): No Record (#3 USHCO/#4 USA Hockey)

Games:

• Friday 5:07pm AT(Alaska Time?) @Alaska (in Anchorage)
• Saturday 7:07 ATK (is there a difference?) @Alaska-Anchorage (in Anchorage)

I'm leaving hockey to the professionals. YostBuilt has his 10 Things to Know About the Alaska Schools. Him on Alaska:

Alaska was picked 6th and 7th in the two preseason polls. Coach Dallas Ferguson, in his second year, is 1-2-0 against Michigan. Despite a very solid record last season, the Nanooks were shut out on eleven occasions. They shut their opponents out eight times. Michigan leads the all-time series 37-7-0.

Sounds promising. MGoBlue has a CiL here. Both teams receive one vote in the USCHO poll, FWIW.

Volleyball

Record (Ranks): 15-2 (#8 AVCA, #16 RPI)

Games:

• Friday 7pm CT @Iowa
• Saturday 7pm CT @Wisconsin

Michigan takes on Iowa first, in what should be a fairly easy match, all things considered. Iowa is only 1-3 in the BigTen, with the lone win coming at Wisconsin. They were swept by Ohio State and Minnesota. The one high point for the Hawkeyes might not even be the win at Wisconsin, it might be that they handed Penn State their first set loss in over two years of regular season play. Iowa still lost that match 3-1.

Wisconsin should be a bit tougher of a test, if not just mentally for the Wolverines. Michigan has lost 16 straight matches at Wisconsin, including a 5 set come from behind victory for the Badgers last season. The Badgers aren't so tough looking this season, with a 6-7 record (1-3 in Big10).

Both of these games are very winnable, and Michigan needs to close out both opponents for Ws.

There will be Michigan audio available on Friday and a CiL on Saturday, for those looking for coverage. Radio will feature former player Erin Moore as the color analyst. I believe it's her Michigan radio debut.

Field Hockey

Record (Ranks): 5-7, 2-1 BigTen (#26 others receiving votes NFCHA, #27 RPI)

Games:

• Saturday 12pm @Harvard
• Sunday 1pm vs New Hampshire (@Harvard)

Meredith Wey continues to carry Michigan this season, earning BigTen offensive player of the week this last weekend with 3 goals. Michigan should be able to beat both these opponents, who are both coming in around .500 on the season. Do I smell a potential 5-game winning streak?

Soccer

Men's Record (Ranks): 8-2-1 Overall, 1-1-0 BigTen (#34 in other receiving votes, #9 RPI)

Games:

• Saturday 3:30pm vs #14 Indiana (BTN tape delay at 7:30pm Saturday)

Women's Record (Ranks): 5-6-1, 0-1-1 Big Ten (#101 RPI)

Games:

• Sunday 1pm @ Michigan State

The men are the featured game this weekend on the BigTenNetwork as they take on Indiana, in what is starting to become a rather competitive series in the short term. While IU holds a 11-1-1 record against Michigan, the last three years has seen Michigan go 1-1-1 against the Hoosiers. Indiana comes in 5-3-1 and 1-0-0 in the BigTen, but they are on a 2 game slide with losses to UC Santa Barbara and Butler (double overtime). This will be the highest ranked team Michigan will have faced so far this season, and a great chance to move up in the polls.

The women are in for a tough battle as well as they take on a Michigan State team that just dropped out of the coaches' poll this week. The Spartans are 7-1-3, but are 6-0-0 in East Lansing. Michigan has hung tough with the Spartans every year of late. No team has scored more than one goal as the series has gone 1-0-3 in the Spartans favor. In the series, since 1999, the home team has never lost. MSU holds a 3-0-2 record in that time.

On that note, Megan Bowery is the only Wolverine to score in this series since 2004, netting one in each of the last two seasons.

Men's Golf

Ranks: #16 (Golf Week)  #29 (Golf World) 

Games:

• Brickyard Collegiate @Macon, GA, Saturday-Monday

The men's tournament at the Brickyard at Riverdale is a 15 team par 72 at 7,128 yards, each day being 18 holes. Michigan's team of 5 (lowest four scores count) are Matt Thompson, Lion Kim, Jack Schultz, Rahul Bakshi, and Alex Frankel. Freshman Miguel Echavarria will also make the trip as "the individual."

Tennis

Both men's and women's are in action this weekend, but I'm not finding much out there to report to you guys.

Updates

Friday 11:00pm:

At the Dennis Stark relays, the women's swim team dominated to the tune of 9 wins in 10 races. Michigan won the 200-yard Freestyle, 400-yard Medley Relay, 800-yard Freestyle, 400-yard Butterfly, 400-yard Backstroke, 400-yard Breaststroke, and 1000-yard Freestyle. The single non-1st place finish was 2nd in the 400-yard Freestyle by only .94 seconds. Michigan won the 5 team match handily, and will face off against Notre Dame again tomorrow.

The men's swim team, also at Notre Dame, out did the women, registering the top time in all 10 events. The men are off until October 23 when they take on U of Ontario at Canham.

On the cross country paths, the men were back at full strength this week, and boy did it show. Michigan finished first out of 25 teams with 4 top ten (three of top 4) finishers this week in Grand Rapids. Peter Christmas was the top overall finisher with a 25:07.8 time. Sean McNamara (3, 25:13.4), Brendon Blacklaws (4, 25:16.0), Bobby Aprill (9, 25:39.7) all finish in the top ten.

Volleyball was pushed to the limit tonight in Iowa City as the Hawkeyes took games 1 and 3. Michigan played particularly sloppy in those games, giving away point after point. So after going down 2 sets to 1, Michigan came alive. Veronica Rood took over the game, and Michigan took set 4 by a score of 25-13. That momentum carried over to the 5th and decisive set, seeing Michigan win 15-11.

Going to 5 with Iowa isn't where this team should be this season, but it's encouraging to see the girls fight to stay in the game is more than encouraging. Rood taking over a game is also a good sign as Michigan tries to balance their attack.

Radio color analyst and former M volleyball player Erin Moore talked a bit about Rood working in a middle slide into her attack over the last week, and it came out quite a bit tonight. The idea is that instead of taking a quick set or a normal set, she takes a quick step right to get around blocks. It really seemed to catch the Hawkeyes by surprise.

Hockey is still going, but they are down 0-2 with 16 minutes to go. They outshot Alaska 12-3 in the first period, but it's evened closer to 20-11. I'll update the final later. That update is a 0-2 loss for Michigan.