Quack Cracks
New
Breed
By DAVE BARONTI
Emerald Sport* Editor
By DAVE BARONTI
Emerald Sports Editor
A SPORTS NUT, by definition, has no definition. He can
be the guy who keeps track of first downs in front of his
radio set—even the fellow who knows what year Jem
Macy was born.
But he can also be like Cassius Clay and ask, “Who's Barry
Goldwater” several days before the 1964 election.
So swimming (and water polo) coach Don Van Rossen coined a
more specific phrase to describe the water polo team he took to the
Air Force Academy in Colorado over the holidays:
“A new breed of athletes.”
He wouldn't be calling them that except the trip they took included
(a) 27 consecutive hours of driving to get there Thursday night at
nine, then (b) three water polo matches at the 7,250 foot high pool
Friday against some of the nation’s best teams, then (c) two more
matches Saturday morning, (d) a fourth place in the tournament,
and (e) a 27-hour return trip to Eugene.
“To go through a schedule like they did is really something,” Van
Rossen said. “You know how much these boys must love their
sport in order to do that just for a few games.
“In the day of the pampered athlete, this is unusual, believe me.”
OREGON, ACCORDING to Van Rossen, had never com
peted in a serious intercollegiate water polo tournament
before, and consequently were of unknown quality and
seventh seeded among the eight teams.
They traveled into California last spring and were drubbed by San
Jose State, 26-2.
But that was before Chuck Horner and Jim Whitefield joined the
team. Both are All-Americans—Chuck a goalie from Foothills
Junior College and Whitehead a field man from Santa Clara, (Calif.)
High School.
“They were just terrific” in the tournament, according to Van
Rossen. and paced the team to a 24-3 upset over Utah, after earlier
losses to Colorado State (9-5) and Indiana (8-1), the squads which
finished second and first in the affair.
“Colorado State was rough,” Van Rossen said. “Indiana” was just
good.”
Dennis McGowan, a typical Oregon player in that he had never
played the sport before he came to college, added that one of the
reasons for Oregon's success in the latter part of the tourney was
that “we learned to pace ourselves.”
In addition to McGowan. Horner and Whitehead, Dale Kiefer—
an ex-All-American swimmer from Yale—Rich Gessling, George
Frekany, Bob May, Steve Johnson, Jose Roster and Paul Paquin
made the trip.
The group got into Eugene late Sunday night.
*****
“COACH NYEVE? I’M J.J. Tipicofan from the NCAA
Recognitions office in New York. . .
“Yes, fine. I’m calling about that form you sent in—you know,
where you were supposed to vote for the most inspirational colle
giate athletic team in either 1965 or 1966. . .
“Yes, yes. I know you voted. But you can’t vote for that kind of
a sport . . . look, Alabama’s got 99 out of 100 votes so far. Why
don’t you give them the honor and make it unanimous?
“Mister, I don’t care if your fellas play for free—or if they
do one-handed crabwalks from San Francisco to New York to get to
(Continued on page 5)
Basketball, Wrestling, Swimming
Winter Sports Set to Go
By PAUL POLSKY
Emerald Associate Sports Editor
As the geographical years
turn so do the sports seasons.
With the completion of football
comes the new, basketball and
wrestling, plus swimming.
Wrestling coach Art Keith and
head basketball coach Steve Bel
ko and his assistant Frank Ar
nold all spoke at Monday's week
ly meeting of the Oregon Club
at the Eugene Hotel.
Keith spoke first and was able
to give a brief outline of the
team and the season.
“We have eight sophomores,
four transfers, and one IM re
cruit,” said Keith. "The rest I
don’t know. We are largely an un
known quality.”
The wrestlers will engage in
their first matches Saturday with
both the freshman and varsity go
ing to Corvallis for an invita
tional.
Keith also introduced his fresh
man coach and assistant Jim Bry
ant. Bryant was a coach at St.
Francis, Reedsport and Beaver
ton high schools before retiring
to the business world. He came
out of retirement this year to
give his time to the University’s
athletic program and help Keith.
Basketball coach Steve Belko
took the stand and outlined the
coming season, his team, and pre
dicted that the PAC champion
would probably be in the final
game of the NCAA playoffs this
spring.
Belko mentioned that there
have been no major rule changes
since last winter, but added that
rubber sponge padding has been
installed on all backboards across
the country to protect the new
breed of leapers from crushing
their skulls.
“We lack the super-star type
player this year, like Charlie j
Warren or Jim Barnett, Belko!
said. “But we hope to make up
for it in team balance.
“I’ve never had a bunch of
kids that worked any harder with j
the long hours that I have ask-1
ed of them, plus the rigorous rou-1
tines they had to run.”
Belko then gave personal run-!
downs on his team.
• Nick Jones—One of the'
four returning Duck lettermen,1
Jones is rated as a fine “all-around
player,” one whom Belko is hop
ing can return to the “fine
showing he made as a sopho
more.”
• Rick Abrahamson — A
freshman who hasn t ' played
enough to fit in,” according to
Belko. However, the Duck coach
feels that he will develop into a
fine ball player—especially as a
result of a summer weight pro
gram.
• Mike Nicksic—"He’s a short
six footer but good enough to play
in our league,” says Belko. He
added, Mike has good athletic and
basketball sense and can play good
defense. He will press Abraham
son for his guard job.
• John PinkstafT — Rated a
‘ more mature and tougher kid”
by his coach, John is expected to
be better at both ends of the
court this year. His sporadic scor
ing looks to be more balanced,
said Belko.
• Bill Thomas — A fine defen
sive player last year and is im
proving play on the boards and
offense. A knee injury ai\d subse
quent surgery has slowed him
down a little but his defensive
aggressiveness and great desire
make up for the lack of speed.
• Ken Smith — The leaper
and most improved kid on the
squad, reported the coach. Al
though he is not real strong he
is very quick and fast and has
picked up a lot of basketball savy
over last fall.
• Bob Craven—Although out
for eight days with a rare disease,
Craven is rated as the sixth man
or third forward. "He must learn
to be aggressive,” said Belko, who
feels this will come in time.
• Lee Harvey — A transfer
student from Boise in Idaho. Har
vey is a 6-4 guard who is just
learning the Oregon system but
Belko feels he will help, especial
ly on defense.
• Mike Powers — A redshirt
from last year, Powers is tough
on the boards and is called the
"Bill Thomas type of forward" by
his coach.
The Ducks open their season
this Friday in Lincoln, Nebras
ka against the Nebraska Corn
huskers, who are picked to win
the Big Eight conference.
Saturday evening the Ducks
will play in Manhattan, Kansas
against the Kansas State Jay
hawks.
Following a Hawaiian trip the
Ducks will co • host the Far West
classic with OSU, Washington,
Washington State, Indiana, Min
nesota, West Virginia, and St.
Louis, are entered.
Belko also called the PAC a
tough conference with six of the
eight teams improved over last
year. "WSU is probably the sec
ond strongest,” ho noted.
When he finally got around
to Lew Alcindor of the UCLA
Bruins, Belso said: "He is a line
ball player who has ability along
with size. He is great; they should
win, hut you never concede any
thing.”
Belko then introduced his first
full time assistant varsity coach,
Frank Arnold.
Arnold outlined the Duck re
cruiting schedule which includes
letters to all the major Califor
nia high school coaches plus most
of the high school coaches in both
Oregon and Washington.
Arnold also had a lot of praise
for this year’s varsity. "This is a
tremendous group of kids for
working When you work as hard
as we have so far, we're bound
to win some we shouldn't,” he
concluded.
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