University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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Senior Kyle Dobbs, one of the Wolverines ' top players, putts dur- ing the annual Wolverine Invita- tional. Gabriel M. Correa FALLING SHORT OF EXPECTATIONS After qualifying for the NCAA regional in the spring of 1 995, expectations were high for the 1995-96 golf season. Unfortunately, in the fall of 1995, those expectations were never realized. Beset by bad chemistry, the Michigan men ' s golf team played uninspired golf that led to mediocre results. However, the team resolved their differences to con- clude the spring portion of its schedule on a high note, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the Big Ten Tournament. This perfor- mance foreshadowed the team ' s showing in the fall of 1996 when the Wolverines played as well as past Michigan teams. Coach Jim Carras said, [This team] is one of the best I have seen in my years at Michigan. 4th in Big Ten Spring 1996 Fripp Island Intercollegiate Dr. Pepper Intercollegiate Marshall Invitational Legends of Indiana jjjjjm Kepler Intercollegiate Spartan Invitationafcjp Big Ten Championship DNF 11th of 18 9th of 1 8 5th of 18 1 4th of 1 8 12th of 19 4th of 1 1 Fall 1996 Falcon Invitational Northern Intercollegiate Wolverine Invitational Kroger Classic Staford Invitational bold indicates home match 3rd of 24 8th of 1 5 1st of 18 4th of 1 8 thof 17 Carras gives advice to one of his seniors, Justin Hicks, during a competition on the University of Michigan golf course. Gabriel M. Correa Men ' s Golf + 109

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i ront Row: Justin Hicks, Kyle Dobbs, Mike Emanuel, Michael Harris, Isaac Hinkle Row 2: Brent Idalski, David Jasper, Adam Anderson, Keith Hinton, Mike Reabe. Kevin Vernick, Coach Jim Carras. unior Keith Hinton looks to drive the ball in the Wolverine Invita- tional. Michigan placed first of the 1 8 teams, their only fall victory. photo courtesy ot Sports Information Men ' s golf excelled on and off the course The inconsistent, often nasty Michigan weather was one major obstacle for the men ' s golf team. The Wolverines ' ability to get in quality practice time, which would have enabled them to compete on an equal level with their counterparts in the South and West, was affected by Michigan ' s often unpredictable weather. For instance, Michigan ' s season ended in November and does not resume until March, while these other teams were able to compete year-round. Despite this obvious disadvantage, the Wolverines were able to take full advantage of one of the benefits of their Ann Arbor home: the top-flight educational opportunities of the University. Though never giving less than their complete effort on the course, the team focused on the true ideal of intercollegiate athletics: the scholar athlete. With a philosophy that placed playing golf second to earning a degree, Coach Jim Carras refused to allow the weather to control his team. This team was made up of a group of students who gave their all in the classroom as well as on the course. Striving to compete, doing the best that you can, that is winning, Carras explained. However, that is not to say that the Wolverines were not competitive. Composed almost entirely of upperclassmen, this veteran team was led by seniors Kyle Dobbs and David Jasper, along with junior Isaac Hinkle. Michigan performed well during the fall 1996 season, finishing no lower than eighth during the campaign, including a first-place showing at the eighteen team Wolverine Invitational. In addition, every member was on pace to graduate on time. In fact, in all his years of coaching, Coach Carras had only one player who did not graduate. As Carras saw it, the Michigan student athlete was first a student, second an athlete. 108 + Men ' s Golf Layout by Michelle McCombs

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Success through talent and leadership by Jed Rosenthal XPERIEN TF.r The 1 996 fall season for the University of Michigan women ' s golf team was truly a memorable one. With juniors and seniors comprising two-thirds of the team, they were expected to set an example with their leadership and experience. Though the older members played strong, the true team leadership came from Sharon Park, a sophomore, who made the biggest impact by winning the Lady Badger Invitational in Madison, the only such victory for the Wolverines in the fall season. The victory proved to the rest of the conference that her win at the Saluki Invitational in the spring of 1995 was no fluke. [Sharon] is a very good player, senior Molly Vandenbark said of her teammate. She ' s been playing for a long time and has played in several national tournaments. That kind of exposure helps in collegiate competition. With Park ' s success, Coach Kathy Teichert found herself working with a wealth of ability and talent from the younger players that complemented the experience of the older team members. [The seniors] have been the backbone of this program for the last four years, Teichert said. Each has the talent to win. Besides Park, senior Wendy Westfall was expected to help carry the brunt of the load. Competing aggressively, Westfall met the expectations set on h er. Westfall finished in the top ten in two of the four fall tournaments. Commenting on the leadership and ability of Park and Westfall, Teichert stated, Sharon and Wendy were expected to be the leaders of this team. They have fine golfing abilities and have proven that they can win. The Wolverines, despite the lack of championships and the loss of some players due to graduation and transferring last spring, still proved that they had a promising future for their spring season. Even though we did not win [in the fall], we still performed well, Teichert said. We lost some key performers from the season before so we just needed to get on track. ront Row: Sharon Park, Jen Baumann, Molly Vandenbark, Laura Hess, Coach Teichart. Back Row: Asst. Coach McDonald, Nicole Green, Ashley Williams, Sarah Lindholm, Jodi Smith, Wendy Westfall. 1104 Women ' s Golf I earn captain Wendy Westfall, a senior, chips on to the green during the Wolverine Invitational. Westfall tied for seventh in the tournament. Layout by Michelle McCombs