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

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NATIONAL :HAMPIONS s- During a timeout, the cheerlead- ers keep the crowd pumped up and on their feet. Cheerleading required endurance, flexibility, and tumbling skills, photo by Kate Maher Held high above the ground by her teammates, a cheerleader yells her cheer. One of the fans ' favorite cheers involved yelling GO and BLUE from oppo- site corners of the Big House. photo by Kristen Stoner Wls andei Mo game inroo Pra suppt other, suppi 1 theU team. hi 154 | Cheerleading

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thf hnw l Listening to the quaterback ' s cadence, junior Victor Hobson and sophomore Shantee Orr await the snap. Hobson recorded eight tackles and Orr added one tackle against the Volunteers, phou Slipping through the Tenessee de- fense, junior BJ Askew cuts across the field. Despite just nine rushes for 71 yards, Askew was named the Wolverine ' s Offensive MVP. pkoto by Jon Hammer headingsouth fortheholidays The Wolverine football team entered the Citrus Bowl seeking its fourth straight New Year ' s Day bowl victory; it left the field thoroughly beaten. The Tennessee Volunteers handed the Maize and Blue its worst post- season loss in a decade. The Volunteers dominated all facets of the game, amassing over 500 yards of offense against the overmatched Wolverine defense, and holding the Wolverines to 343 yards of offense. The Volun- teers held a seventeen-point advantage after two plays in the second quarter; and extended that lead throughout the rest of the game. The Wolverines lost any chance at stealing some momentum, and keeping themselves in the game, when midway through the first quarter the offense fumbled twice - on the same play. Redshirt sophomore quar- terback John Navarre dropped the ball after being sacked by Tennessee defensive tackle at the Michigan 28, but fortunately for the Wolverines, junior running back BJ. Askew was there to scoop up the loose ball. However, Askew fumbled the ball almost immediately after picking it up, and Henderson was there to recover for the Volunteers. After the game, Askew said, I felt we lost something on that play that we didn ' t get back. That was a big play for Tennessee - one of many. Askew proved to be one of the few bright spots for the Wolverines. Askew ran for 71 yards on nine carries and added a 14-yard touchdown reception on a screen pass to earn Michigan Offensive MVP. Defensively, senior Larry Foote garnered the Michigan Defensive MVP by leading the Wolverines with nine tackles and two pass breakups. Despite the efforts of both Askew and Foote the Wolverines could not keep up with the power- ful Volunteers. While the Wolverine ' s offense stalled throughout the first half, the defense needed to play flawlessly. The defensive game plan for the Maize and Blue was to focus on stopping Tennessee ' s potent running backTravis Stephens and force their sophomore quarterback Casey Clausen to have a big game. The Wolverines successfully stopped the Volunteer ' s running game, holding Stephens to just 38 yards. However, Clausen completed 26 of 34 passes for 393 yards on the afternoon. Trailing by seventeen points at halftime, a comeback seemed unlikely, but not impossible for the Wolverines. However, the Volunteers denied all possibilities of a comeback by opening the second half with 21 unan- swered points. Head coach Lloyd Carr said I thought in the second half we ' d have a chance to get back in the game, but we couldn ' t do that because Tennessee was basically too good for us. Story by Jon Hommer 1 7 Tennessee 45 Sports | 153

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Shaking their pom-pons, the cheerleaders fire up the student section during the game against Western Michigan. The women cheerleaders painted a patriotic USA on their faces in support of the country as well as the Wolverines, photo by TosinAkinmusuru cheerleadina liftingup 9 Thefan ' sSplTltS With spirited smiles, the cheerleading team sprang the sidelines of Michigan Stadium to life. Leading the crowd with enthusiasm and energy, the Varsity cheer team performed stunts and dances to cheer the Wolverines to victory. Most easily identified from their performances at football games, the varsity cheerleaders also cheered for men ' s basketball games. With the revamping of the Wolverine basketball program, the cheerleaders helped to spark student interest and initiative in rooting the Maize and Blue basketball team to triumph. Practicing drills three times a weekfor two and a half hours each time, the cheerleaders perfected their performances. They also supplemented their gymnastic practices with twice-weekly weight-lifting sessions, proving that their sport was as athletic as any other. The cheerleaders performed a variety of athletic stunts, including a move called a Cupie, wherein a male cheerleader supported a female cheerleader in the air with just one arm. We not only represent the University of Michigan at numerous events, we also compete at the national level every year through the Universal Cheerleaders Association, said senior business administration majorTheresa Chen, a four-year veteran of the Varsity team. And cheerleading is a great way to meet people and be right in the middle of the action. In addition to the varsity cheerleaders, the Athletic Department also supported a Varsity Reserve team, which cheered for women ' s basketball, and an All-Girls ' team, which cheered for men ' s soccer. Moreover, the cheerteams participated in the Universal Cheerleading Association ' s National Cheerleading Competition, which was televised on ESPN. Story by Caelan Jordan Sports | 1 55