Oregon daily emerald., March 27, 1973, Page 14, Image 13

Photo by Nick Lacy
OREGON'S GREA TEST CO A CH
HEIR BILL DELUNGER
■ "■ " '
4Spring Break Meet9
Pre sets record in
27:09.4 six-mile
Steve Prefon tame’s latest American record came under
somewhat trying circumstances at Bakersfield last weekend.
The Oregon track team had to bus to the training meet from
Eugene and the exhausting 20-hour trip was the major topic of
conversation.
Pre took on the six mile and produced a 27:09.4 — fourth
fastest of all time and 13 seconds better than his previous
lifetime best.
He did it without anybody offering competition and with
blistered feet the last two miles. The 22-year-old senior started
off with a 4:36.8 mile and lowered each successive mile from
there.
IT WAS ENOUGH to give Pre the outstanding performer
award and afterwards he was off to Los Angeles to catch the pro
meet at the Forum.
“Nothing he does surprises me anymore,” said newly
named Head Coach Bill Dellinger after the latest Prefontaine
record.
Also not exactly a surprise is Pre s interest in the Pro Track
circuit. He’s interested, but right now the money doesn’t look
that good. “It will take more than $25,000 to buy my
amateurism,” he said after his Bakersfield performance.
WHILE PRE GOT a transistor for his American record,
Duck weightman Mac Wilkins was named outstanding field
athlete of the meet after coming up with three lifetime bests.
Wilkins came up with the greatest day of his life. He threw '
the discus, his specialty, an astounding 202-3, heaved the shot 59
10‘ <, and pushed the hammer 176-10. It was good for first place
in every event, and the discus throw is the longest by any
American this year.
SPRINTER AL HEARVEY took both sprints in 9.6 and 21.3
and on the track Oregon runners won eight of 13 events.
Bowerman ‘retires’
after 24-year reign
Bill Bowerman called an end last Friday to the
greatest coaching record in the history of Oregon
athletics with his decision to step down as head
track and field coach in order to “put all of his
energies into the current fund raising campaign in
progress for the restoration of the west grandstand
at Hayward Field.”
With Bowerman announcing his intentions of
devoting full time to getting Hayward Field rebuilt,
the head coaching responsibility of Oregon’s highly
successful track program has been turned over to
Associate Coach Bill Dellinger, who has been
Bowerman’s assistant for the past five years.
“We have a major stadium project facing us
and the Hayward Field project is of such im
portance that it is going to take the full time of one
man in the athletic department to achieve the ob
jectives that we need,” Bowerman explained.
“Of course another major area of importance is
replacing the old west grandstand itself. Without
covered stands, we could no longer host such events
as the Olympic trials, NCAA championships and
even our own conference championship,” Bower
man added.
“Our first deadline is April 15 on the Hayward
Field restoration drive and June 1 is our final
deadline and I will know then if my decision in
applying myself to spend full time on this project
was a good one,” Bowerman concluded. “My last
and best contribution I can give the University of
Oregon is to put all of my energies into getting a
facility for the athletes, students and community
that is a major first class facility,” said a very
sincere Bowerman.
“The richest experience a man could possibly
have,” Bowerman said while reflecting on his
coaching career at Oregon. “It was an honor to
follow the tradition started by Bill Hayward and to
have the cooperation of the athletes and the great
encouragement from the athletic department and
the administration and organizations such as the
Oregon Track Club and the Oregon Club.”
While the 62-year-old Bowerman, who also
doubles as assistant athletic director, has an
nounced his “retirement” as the Ducks’ active head
track coach, he certainly hasn’t left the team pic
ture. “Any free time that I have will be put in as
assistant to Bill Dellinger in any area he feels I can
help and with the athletes that he feels that I can be
most helpful with,” said Bowerman.
Bowerman’s decision to turn the head coaching
post over to his able right hand, Bill Dellinger, ends
a magnificent era at Oregon. In 24 years as head
track coach, Bowerman has had numerous ac
colades and many honors. His 24-year dual meet
record now stands 114-20, a percentage of .843.
Under Bowerman the Ducks have woo four NCAA
track and field championships and one NCAA cross
country title. His coaching career received the
highest tribute he could possibly attain when he was
named head coach of the 1972 U.S. Olympic track
and field team
Bowerman has produced 24 NCAA individual
champions, 38 conference champions, 28 Olympians
and has coached 51 All-Americans. In 15 of the last
20 years, Oregon has finished in the top 10 in NCAA
competition and only two coaches in history, USC’s
Dean Cromwell (12) and Jess Mortensen (7), have
produced more NCAA titles than Bowerman.
Bowerman and Athletic Director Norv Ritchey
were wholehearted in their approval of Dellinger as
head track coach. “Of the many men who have
worked for me, Bill Dellinger has proven himself as
an All-American athlete, an Olympian, an out
standing high school and junior college coach and in
the past five years as my assistant he has demon
strated the qualities such as leadership, desire and
teaching that make for an outstanding coach,”
Bowerman evaluated.
“Bill has had most of the responsibility this
year and now he should have the title to go along
with it. He is ready for the job,” Bowerman insists.
Dellinger, 39, is a 1956 graduate of Oregoo and a
former three-time collegiate All-American. He was
a member of the U.S. Olympic team in 1956, 1980
and 1964 and was a bronze medalist in the 5,000
meter run in the ’64 Olympics. At one time,
Dellinger held the American record in the 1,500
meter run (1954 at 3:41.5) and also held two World
indoor records, 8:49.9 in the two mile and 13:37.0 in
the three mile, both set in 1959.
Dellinger won the 1954 NCAA mile title, was
second to teammate Jim Bailey in 1955 and won the
NCAA 5,000 meter crown in 1956. He also woo three
conference titles.
As Oregon’s cross country coach, the Ducks
have placed first (1971), second (1970) and third
twice (1969 and ’72) in the last four years. Dellinger
said, “It is a tremendous challenge to carry on the
same program that Bowerman has built at Oregon.
The people who like track and the athletes who have
competed at Oregon and the people who have
associated with the program are indebted to what
Bill Bowerman has meant to Oregon.
“Obviously I will be railing upon bim whenever
I can to help with his vast knowledge of track and I
also know Bill Bowerman well enough to know he
will be helping us as much as he can. I am honored
to have Bill Bowerman’s support and to be part of
the program at Oregon. Present track men and
future track men at Oregon will be for ever indebted
to Bill Bowerman’s efforts in raising funds for the
new stadium.”
Santa Clara among baseball victims
Shoup's career mark now 10-0
Mel Krause took the Ducks to the Bay area over
spring break to take advantage of California
weather. That idea bombed when rain washed out
the team three straight days. Oregon did manage to
get in seven games and won four of those.
The biggest highlight came when Mike Shoup
took on llth-ranked Santa Clara and notched a 4-3
victory on a seven hitter.
Shoup is probably the least-publicized unbeaten
MIKE SHOUP
IKi
\
pitcher in Oregon history. His win over the Broncos
pushed his Duck career record to 10-0 and he’s
established himself as the ace of the staff heading
into today’s game at Portland with Portland State.
The Ducks proved to have an abundance of
offensive talent on the trip, its a team, they batted
.294, ripping out 63 base hits. Bruce Fox got a pair of
home runs in Redding, while Chuck Flynn, Bob
Neal, and Mike Long got one each.
Outfielder Fred Kay was the leading Duck
hitter with seven hits in 18 at bats for a .389 average.
Freshman Jim Willis performed well while playing
both first and third base as Krause shuffled his
lineup card to take a look at his whole team.
H8 nab gulf ions
Rounds one and two of what has to be one of the
Pacific Northwest’s best golfing rivalries went to
Oregon State over spring break.
The Beavers won the Oregon Invitational in
Eugene by seven strokes over the Ducks — who are
coached by former OSU head coach Jim Ferguson.
A week later Oregon finished third in the
Banana Belt meet at Clarkston, Wash., behind the
Beavers and Washington State. This time OSU was
the better team by four strokes.
Five of the six men who helped beat the Ducks
in the Invitational were recruited by Ferguson,
including Dave Moiitar, who tied Oregon’s Dick
Shafer for the individual title.
Shafer, a freshman from Corvallis, was the top
Duck performer in both meets. He finished tied for
second individually in the Banana Belt meet.
Shafer’s dad is the head coach at Oregon State.
Tuesday. March 27. 1973