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

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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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Men ' s tennis netted first conference title in eight years The Michigan men ' s tennis team discov- .fiH8P ' H ered the virtues of talent, expoBpceTarid leader- ship as the squad captured its first Big Ten title since 1988. Behind the dominating play of senior Peter Pusztai, who achieved a national ranking of No. 22, the Wolverines finished atop the confer- ence. They finished with an 1 8-8 record and won 1 3 of their last 15 matches, including wins over rivals University of Minnesota and Notre Dame. Pusztai was named Big Ten Player of the Year and set a career-high of 37 wins in 1996. He also won the conference singles crown. by Richard Shin t 12-1 in confer Pusztai is one of the best players in the nation. He matches up well with everyone. Coach Brian Eisner The Wolverines went 12-1 in confer- ence play, losing only to the Northwestern Wildcats. In the Big Ten tournament, Michi- gan cruised past Ohio State University and advanced to the second round to once again face the Wildcats. The Wolverines won four of the six singles matches en route to a 4-3 semifinal victory. In the championship round, Michigan defeated the University of Illinois by win- ning five of the six singles matches and brought the Big Ten title home to Ann Arbor for the first time in eight years. Michigan was seeded second in the NCAA regional tourna- Pusztai is one of the best players in the nation, Coach Brian Eisner explained. He matches up well with everyone. In addition to Pusztai, singles players Arvid Swan, William Farah, John Costanzo, David Paradzik, Geoff Prentice and Jake Raiton all played influential roles that helped the team earn the top seed at the Big Ten Championships. ment held in South Bend, Indiana, but was upset 4-2 in the first round by a tough Minne- sota team. Even though the Wolverines were not able to bring a national title back home to Ann Arbor, the 1996 campaign marked the return of Michigan to the upper echelon of men ' s tennis. I irst-year player Jake Raiton gets ready to strike a forehand. Despite his inexperience, Raiton captured a winning record in singles play. Layout by Michelle McCombs Doug Stevens ront row: Arvid Swan, Jake Raiton, Peter Pusztai, John Costanzo, Geoff Prentice, David Paradzik, William Farah. Back row: assistant coach Dan Goldberg, trainer Omar Wang, Tomas Filipcik, Jordan Szekely, Brad Kramer, John Lundquist, head coach Brian Eisner. Men ' s Tennis +107

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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