The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/52988
set goals for them, I would have lim- ited them. Those guys have already moved themselves past the level I would have set for them when they first walked in." Madwed has seen the lineup improve drastically since he first walked through the Canham Nata- torium doors. "I was kind of surprised when I got here that it wasn't always like it is now," Madwed said. "I always thought, 'Michigan — they're the best at everything.' I thought it would just kind of happen; I didn't realize how much work actually goes into trying to become the best." He sees how quickly the fresh- men are contributing, but Madwed is most encouraged by the bolstering of the middle of the lineup. Madwed pointed to unheralded senior Casey Sreenan, a 100- and 50- yard freestyler, who has made drastic improvements, to the point where he's competing to compete at the postseason Big Ten Championship meet. "He came in here, and he probably shouldn't have even been recruited to come here, but now he's fighting for a Big Ten spot," Madwed said. "He's dropped four or five seconds from his 100-meter, which is un- heard of. Moving the bottom guys up, pushing the middle guys, and now they're pushing the top guys. That's huge." Bottom looks at the Wolverines' postseason chances realistically — is a national title impossible? No. Is it improbable? Yes. But the lineup is starting to deepen and the technique in the pool starting to sharpen. The seeds of long-term success have been planted. And after so much hard work, that win over Texas — which had beaten Michi- gan three straight years — was proof that the program is very much on the right track. "It was like these guys finally un- derstood they could compete with the best," Bottom said. "In the past we've always looked at Texas as someone that's so much higher than us. When they came in, Texas acted like they always act, which is very elite. They have an elite attitude. And the guys saw that, and it kind of ticked them off. … The guys didn't back down, and it was exciting for them to see." ❑ Winter Sports Recap Men's Gymnastics Results: Placed third out of six teams at Windy City Invitational The Wolverines went into their first — and as of Jan. 17 only — event of the season with a lot of optimism and a young, talented lineup. After taking third place in the event, behind first-place Ohio State and runner-up Illinois, they know what needs to improve. Michigan didn't place a single gymnast in high bar, posting a 51.4 in the event. If the team can shore that up by the end of the season, the Wolverines should be ready to make a strong postseason push. Three gymnasts, sophomore Sam Mi- kulak, senior Syque Caesar and freshman Adrian de los Angeles, placed second, fourth and sixth, respectively, in the all-around. Women's Gymnastics Record: 1-0, 1-0 Big Ten The Wolverines got off to an impressive start, defeating No. 18 Ohio State in Ann Arbor in the first meet of the year. Michigan topped the Buckeyes in vault (49.3-49.125), bars (49.025-48.525) and floor (49.225-48.85), and won overall 195.5-195.175. Balance beam is an area that must improve as the season progresses. Junior Katie Zurales, who won the meet all-around, took first place on beam, but the Wolverines failed to place a second gymnast in the event. Women's Swimming And Diving Record: 4-5, 2-2 Big Ten Michigan has been on a tear since placing last at the Pittsburgh Invitational on Nov. 20, winning every meet since. On Jan. 7, the Wolverines upset No. 8 Indiana 151.5-148.5 in Ann Arbor, after losing to the Hoosiers 178-122 earlier this season. Senior diver Amanda Lohman provided the crucial points, tallying a career-high 360.60 on the three-meter springboard. The next weekend, Michigan topped Northwestern 169-126 and Notre Dame 180-115 in a double-dual meet. The Wolverines got off to a hot start, winning the first meet of the afternoon, the 200-yard medley relay, and didn't look back. Wrestling Record: 4-2, 3-1 Big Ten The Wolverines are off to a hot start in Big Ten play, vanquishing Wisconsin, No. 15 Northwestern and No. 30 Indiana easily (21-12, 28-9 and 33-6, respectively). But Michigan did slip up against No. 17 Illinois, losing 31-9. In their latest match — the win over Indiana — the Wolverines won all but two matches (at the 184- and 197-pound divisions). Heading into Hunter Collins' loss at 184 pounds, Michigan was ahead 30-0. The road gets tougher from here. Michigan faces No. 28 Cen- tral Michigan on Jan. 27, and trav- els to No. 3 Minnesota on Jan. 27 and No. 9 Ohio State on Feb. 3. — Andy Reid Fifth-year senior Justin Zeerip, who sported a 16-1 record at 174 pounds, was one of seven U-M wres- tlers among the top 20 in their respective weight classes in the national rankings in mid-January. PHOTO BY MARTIN VLOET/COURTESY U-M SPORTS INFORMATION FEBRUARY 2012 THE WOLVERINE 81