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Top men rest while 200, 400 runners try to improve at EMU

This weekend the Wolverines will take on the field at the Eastern Michigan University Classic -- at least some of them will.

With the Classic coming a week before the Big Ten Championships, Michigan men's track coach Jack Harvey isn't taking any chances. He plans to sit out most of his top runners, in an effort to get them some rest for next weekend's league meet.

"We ran hard last weekend (at the Central Collegiate Championships) and are resting them up," Harvey said.

Harvey is also taking advantage of the Classic this week and utilizing it as a part of the team's training. The training schedule will run through this weekend, as if the meet was a day of work.

"We're trying to do what we can (this week) because we won't get much training done next week (with the Big Ten meet coming up)."

As an invitational meet, no team scores will be kept, so individual times are the focus for the Wolverines. Michigan is looking to build in the events where the runners have a chance at receiving points at the Big Ten meet. Andy Schoelch in the 200-meter, and the 400-meter runners headed by Edzra Gibson and Dwayne Fuqua, will compete because they are close to qualifying.

"(Schoelch) will be on the bubble as to whether he'll score in the Big Ten," Harvey said. "All of our quarter-milers will run because they're on the bubble as to whether we'll take them (to the Big Ten meet) or not."

This weekend's meet, which will be run in Ypsilanti, benefits the Wolverines in a number of ways.

"It helps not having to travel," Harvey said. "(Also), having decent competition and a good fieldhouse should be good for the guys who are running (at EMU)."

In terms of injuries, the team is generally healthy, with the exception of All-American Kevin Sullivan. Sullivan has a slight Achilles tendon problem but should be able to compete at the Big Ten meet.

Jon Royce will continue his attempt to break the 7-foot-4 barrier to receive an automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA National Championships.

"We try to have a meet the week before the conference where we don't have to score it," Harvey said.

That philosophy, along with the lack of pressure associated with the Classic, should allow some Wolverines to break through with impressive performances.

Last weekend's victory at the Central Collegiate meet should carry over and benefit Michigan this weekend.

"It was a good team effort and luck was on our side, but it's a little deceiving because it's not what we're going to face at the Big Ten," Harvey said. "However, the meet gave us a good indication as to where we were."