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

Page 146 text:

WOMEN ' S CREW Making A =i t=ic nn 1-HcD A 1 t=ir i By Melissa Plotkowski Combine early morning practices with cold temperatures and a strong will to compete and the women ' s crew team is the result. After wining the 2003 Big Ten Championship in the Spring and earning fourth place at the 2003 Nationals, the women set high standards for their fall season. The Wolverines ' first varsity eight boat finished second in the nation. With expectations soaring, the women competed for their fall titles one race at a time. For most of the season, the women dealt with a demanding practice schedule. The combination of an early morning and an afternoon practice provided little time for anything else. Classes and other activities were catered around it. Practices were especially difficult during midterms and finals. Beginning their fall season with Boathouse Day, the Women ' s Crew team showed family, friends and alumni what they had been training for. With a competition against Crew alumni, Boathouse Day was more of a relaxed feel for the women. The Wolverines practiced on Belleville Lake in Belleville, Michigan. WOMEN ' S ROWING SCORES OHIO STATE 1ST OF 3 HEAD OF THE CHARLES 4TH OF 6 HEAD OF THE ELK 9TH OF 40 EASTERN MICHIGAN 4TH OF 18 eir .d of the Their facility was completed in 2001 and held the team ' s boats, offices and lounges for the women. The Wolverines preceded their fall season with two scrimmages, both also on Belleville Lake. The first scrimmage was against Michigan State and Eastern Michigan. The following was with Ohio State. The Wolverine teams used these races as high intensity practices before sending th boat to their first scoring race, the HIT Charles regatta in Boston. At the coffl] the Wolverines first varsity eight finished fifth among collegiate crew teams, crossing the finish line with a time of 16:3 1 .7 12. Overall, the Wolverine varsity eight finished ninth among the 40 boats competing, which included international teams. The crew varsity four team finished 13 th among 22 competitors, crossing the finish line in 19:06.426. Finishing their fall season at the Head of the Elk meet, the first varsity eight finished in fourth place. The second varsity eight finished first in their Women ' s Open B division. Taking a deep breath, Leah Ketcheson rows in sync with the rest of the Wolverine team in the first varsity boat. Ketcheson was named to the Canadian Under-23 Team and was selected to compete in the 2003 World Under-23 Championships in Yugoslavia. . Weiner photo 142 Sports B

Page 145 text:

WOMEN ' S TRACK FIELD M iwiwikii w iinwi i II.LU Capturing 77 7e Trinle Ernwn By Chelsea Anderson Between capturing their third consecutive Big Ten Conference team title and earning Big Ten Outdoor Athlete and Coach of the Year recognitions, the Women ' s Track and Field program had an outstanding season. The Wolverines ran, jumped, and threw their way to first place finishes in both the Indoor and Outdoor Big Ten Conference Championships, claiming the last five consecutive Big Ten track titles. Along with securing the Triple Crown for the second year in Michigan history, Rachel Sturtz was only the third Wolverine in history to win five or more Big Ten individual titles, including both the indoor and outdoor Big Ten 800-meter titles. It makes for a great ending to my senior year. That is one of the things that I was thinking about, I didn ' t want to end my career with a sour taste in my mouth. To end on WOMEN ' S TRACK FIELD SCORES INDOOR MICHIGAN QUADRANGULAR MICHIGAN INTERCOLLEGIATE SYKES-SABO CHALLENGE CUP BIG 10 INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS NCAA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS OUTDOOR BIG 10 OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS that note was the best thing I could ask for, said Sturtz. Senior tri-captain April Phillips and head coach James Henry were presented with Athlete and Coach of the year from the Big Ten Conference for the outdoor season. Phillips was the first Wolverine to earn the recognition. In addition, Phillips won a pair of Big Ten individual titles, set two school records, and was named Michigan ' s Female Athlete of the Year. Other remarkable feats of the season included Stephanie Linz ' s and Phillips ' All- America honors at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Linz finished seventh in the high jump competition while Phillips placed tenth in the hammer throw. Freshman Rebecca Walter also captured twelfth place in the 5,000-meter. 1ST OF 4 1ST OF 5 1ST OF 10 1ST OF 10 32ND(TIE) 1ST OF 10 49TH (TIE) Flying high, senior Anna Fisher soars over the high jump bar with ease. Fisher set her personal best height of 1 2-0 feet in the pole vault com- petition this season. E. Miller, Athletic Media Relations Track Field 141

Page 147 text:

During practice, the coxswain leads the Wolverines in boat drills. The job of the coxswain was to give direction to the rowers to control the boat ' s course and speed. . Weiner photo As the sun rises, the women train hard at an early morning practice. The Wolverines competed in several scrimmages prior to their fall season competitions to gain experience including the annual Boathouse Day scrimmage against a team of alumni. . Weiner photo Crew 143