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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 18, 1973)
Ross Blackman Photos by Linnet Myers Albert Hearvey It’s Oregon distance stars against UCLA overall depth Steve Prefontaine officially scratched from the mile and six-mile events yesterday evening. Rumors had circulated all week that Pre would run only his specialty, the three-mile, but with the official confirmation, Oregon’s slim chances of upsetting UCLA for the Pac-8 championship were stretched even slimmer. Now the team chase is mainly up to UCLA to either win or blow. Last year the Bruins, then one of the best dual meet track and field teams ever, relaxed in the Pacific-8 championships and USC went streaking by for the title. The shocked Bruins woke up however in time to easily sweep the NCAA title for the second straight year. “We learned a valuable lesson last year,” said UCLA coach Jim Bush yesterday. “I thought there was no way we could lose, but we did.” But then last year USC was much stronger and the Bruins weren’t as deep in talent as this year. “Yes, we’re much stronger this year,” Bush went on. “But then USC has a strong team, and Oregon has a strong team and the other teams can cut you up a bit. We can’t take anything for gran ted.” Naturally after last year’s slip-up, Bush can’t afford to be overconfident this time around. But the decision to hold Prefontaine to one event certainly will help bolster Bush’s confidence. Pre had once mentioned he would triple if necessary to beat the Bruins. And Bush knows as well as anyone Pie could run a very effective triple if he was healthy. It was against Bush’s Bruins at Hayward Field April 14, that Pre ran the best double in history, according to the Portuguese Tables. Pre won’t run anywhere other than in the three mile because an ailing back kept him from training for the last week or more. Three other Ducks, however, will double. Todd Lathers, Bob Grubbs and Knut Kvalheim will all attempt to score in two events. Kvalheim will have a particularly tough double, running the mile and the three-mile, both Saturday within 70 minutes of each other. Kvalheim could score in both races. His mile time of 3:58.2 has been bettered only by Oregon State’s Hailu Ebba (3:58.1). Although he hasn’t run the three-mile this year, he has a good 8:47.2 two mile to his credit. Lathers, who has run the nation’s fastest steeple-chase time this year, will start in his specialty this afternoon at 2:45. He’ll then double back in the mile Saturday at 2:15. Grubbs will double in the two longest races of the meet. He and Mike Long are favored to score heavily in the six-mile today, then Grubbs will return in the three-mile Saturday. In Oregon’s strongest events, the Ducks have entered four in the mile and five in the three-mile. Needless to say, Oregon must score heavily in the distances to stay close to the Bruins. Oregon’s real title hopes rely on unlikely heroes such as Ross Blackman who could score third place points in the long jump, and Vince Buford who is trying to return from an untimely injury that has plagued him until last weekend. Triple jumpers Ed Bilusak and Marc Hadenfeld could also supply key points. Mac Wilkins will score. Probably first in the discus and possibly third in the shot. Albert Hearvey and John Mays should score in the sprints, and freshman Craig Brigham should capture the two-day decathlon. Dave Hagmeier should get points in the 440. The mile relay and 440 relay teams should score behind UCLA and USC. And Steve Bence should get anywhere from first to fifth place points in the tough 880 lineup. These are probable points. What Oregon needs to upset the UCLA clan is improbable points. Such as Jeff Carter in the javelin, where he may need a personal best to break into the scoring. Paul Wilkinson will need to overcome a sore, recently healed cut foot to score in the intermediate hurdles. Most discouraging to Oregon is the fact, even if the Ducks come through with unexpected points here and there, along with the expected points, UCLA still has to blow it before Oregon can win the conference title. The UCLA 440 yard relay team has to drop the baton, which it has somehow managed to do in the big meets over the last couple years. The mile relay team would have to run out of its lane. All-purpose field event man Rory Kotinek would have to break a leg; Benny Brown, Gordon Peppars and Anthony Veney would have to call in sick. If all this happened, only then might the meet be close. The Bruins have that much depth. Pac-8 1972 place winners returning SHORT RACES: 100 3. Albert Hearvey (Oregon) 9.5; 5. John Mays (Oregon) 9.7; 6. Ken Curl (Stanford), 9.7. 1971 Placers returning: 4. A1 Hearvey (Oregon) 9.7. x 220 4. Benny Brown (UCLA) 21.4; 6. Don Quarrie (USC) 29.0. 1971 Placers returning: None. 440 3. Benny Brown (UCLA) 45.9; 4. Vincent Buford (Oregon) 46.6. 1971 Placers returning: 6. Doug Chapman (Oregon) 47.5. MIDDLE DISTANCES: 880 1. Rick Brown (California) 1:47.7; 2. Steve Bence (Oregon) 1:48.6; 4. Nathan Burks (USC) 1:50.8; 6. Ricco Sanchez (UCLA) 1:51.4. 1971 Placers returning: 1. Rick Brown (California) 1:49.1. MILE 1. Hailu Ebba (OSU) 4:03.2; 3. Brian Mittelstaedt (Stanford) 4:05.3; 4. Rick Albright (Washington) 4:05.7. 1971 Placers returning: 1. Steve Prefontaine (Oregon) 4:01.5; 3. KnutKvalheim (Oregon) 4:02.4. DISTANCES: 3 MILE 1. Steve Prefontaine (Oregon) 12:32.2; 3. Pat Tyson (Oregon) 13:38.2; 5. Phil Burkwist (WSU) 13:43.8. 1971 Placers returning: 1. Steve Prefontaine (Oregon) 13:17.9; 5. Dan Murphy, (WSU) 13:47.5; 6. Knut Kvalheim (Oregon) 14:01.2. STEEPLECHASE 3. Leonard Hill (OSU) 8:55.6; 4. Mike Long (Oregon) 8:59.2; 6. Dean Clark (WSU) 9:07.2. 1971 Placers returning: 2. Todd Lathers (Oregon) 8:40.4; 5. Mike Long (Oregon) 9:04.1; 6. Knut Kvalheim (Oregon) 9:12.3. HURDLES: 120H 1. Charles Rich (UCLA) 13.7; 2. Jerry Wilson (USC) 14.0; 3. Bob Coffman (USC) 14.0; 6. Dave Bagshaw (Stanford) 14.2. 440H 3. Jeff Oveson (OSU) 52.6; 4. Paul Wilkinson (Oregon) 52.7; 6. Terry Lavery (Washington) 53.1. THROWING EVENTS: SHOT PUT 3. Spike Walker (OSU) 60-9%; 6. Mae''Wilkins (Oregon) 57-10%. DISCUS 2. Mac Wilkins (Oregon) 185-4; 3. Dale Gordon (UCLA) 177-10; 4. Roger Freberg (UCLA) 172-8. 1971 Placers returning; 4. Chris Adams (Califor nia) 173-10; 5. Roger Freberg (UCLA) 170-8; 6. Dale Gordon (UCLA) 170-5. JAVELIN 1. Bruce Kennedy (California) 249-5; 3. Gary Quitslund (Washington) 248-7 ; 6. Jim Judd (OSU) 231-11. 1971 Placers returning: 2. Bruce Kennedy (California) 233-2. JUMPING EVENTS: LONG JUMP 1. Randy Williams (USC) 25-8; 2. Finn Bendixen (UCLA) 25-5; 4. John Delamere (WSU) 24-10%w; 6. Rory Kotinek (UCLA) 24-4%. 1971 Placers retur ning: 3. Finn Bendixen (UCLA) 25-4V4; 6. Tom Anderson (Stanford) 25-2%w. TRIPLE JUMP 4. Milan Tiff (UCLA) 50-101/4; 5. Randy Williams (USC) 49-4%; 6. Rod Utley (Stanford) 49-1. HIGH JUMP 2. Rick Fletcher (UCLA) 7-1; 3. Dean Owens (USC) 7-0; 6. Bob Niehl (WSU) 6-10. 1971 Placers retur ning: 3. Rich Fletcher (UCLA) 6-10. POLE VAULT 2. Robert Pullard (USC) 16-3; 5. Brad Skvobo (OSU) 15-9; 6. Mike Weidig (California) 15-9. 1971 Placers returning: 3. Francois Tracanelli (UCLA) 17-0.
