The Pit gears up for a conference dogfight
By DAN LINDAHL
Of the Emerald
Just when it would seem Oregon had earned itself
an opportunity to lay back and enjoy its amazing
success so far this season, the Ducks find them
selves thrown right back into the boiling vat of
Pacific-8 competition.
So far this season Oregon has experienced suc
cess only a soothsayer would have been willing to
predict But after last weekend's shocking sweep of
UCLA and USC, the Ducks find themselves 11-2
overall, 2-0 in Pac-8 play and rated 15th in the nation
by the United Press
There is no time for celebration in the Oregon
camp, however With Washington and Washington
State invading McArthur Court Thursday and Satur
day nights respectively, the Ducks are facing the
most crucial pair of games this season
This is a great challenge," commented Oregon
Coach Dick Harter in regard to the upcoming battle
with the two Pac-8 co-leaders "We haven't played
two teams so good back to back all year "
Last weekend Oregon traveled to Los Angeles
where it played and conquered a couple of pretty fair
clubs in the Bruins and Trojans Harter was naturally
pleased with what transpired on the trip and the effect
it has had on his team
“I don't think we ve played back to back as well all
season as we did down there,'' remarked Harter.
"Those wins have given us confidence, but I hope
they won t disturb our stability."
Washington and WSU weren t exactly idle while
the Ducks were stunning the L A pair Both the Hus
kies and Cougars made things rough for visiting
Stanford and California and each grabbed a pair of
wins to |om Oregon in the Pac-8 co-leadership after
one round.
Coach Marv Harshman's Huskies had no trouble
against either of its bay area foes, dumping Cal 85-75
behind James Edwards' 25 points before running
Stanford into Lake Washington 98-77. Edwards, the
7-0 all-American post, was again the key against
Stanford, hitting 19 points and grabbing 13 re
bounds.
Over Washington s last 10 games, all of which the
Huskies have won, Edwards is hitting 68.4 per cent of
his shots. But Oregon is planning nothing special to
stop the agile big man.
"It will be a team defensive effort that will contain
Edwards," said Harter
Washington, which stands 10-4 on the season,
can offer much more than just Edwards for opposing
coaches to worry about, however. Sophomore Mike
f
V
emerald
sports
Neill was the leading scorer against the Cardinals
with 20, while 6-7 forward Kim Stewart has been
steady all season, pumping in nearly 14 points a
game while hauling in 10 rebounds a contest.
Providing other threats are playmaker turned
scorer Chester Dorsey, who boasts a 10.2 point per
game production, and freshman standout Stan
Walker Walker, out of Beaverton's Sunset High
School, was heavily recruited by Oregon but opted
for Washington where he has become a starter, hit
ting for double figures in six of his last eight tilts.
Harter sees the Huskies as being an "excellent
team. They are big and skilled and fastbreak well."
And what will it take to stop Washington with all its
skill as well as the momentum of a 10 game winning
streak? According to the Oregon mentor, the same
things that have brought the Ducks their present lofty
state
“The player's unyielding determination and unself
ishness," stated Harter
Both games will be broadcast on KUGN radio be
ginning at 7:45 p.m.
|
5
m
%
Flying Ducks down Portland St.
By STEVE GEIGER
Of the Emerald
Oregon’s Flying Ducks set a
new season gymnastics scoring
high at McArthur Court Wednes
day night, shooting down Portland
State 216 60 to 187 95
The Ducks, rated number one in
the nation after scoring 213 points
against Indiana State and North
ern Illinois in Chicago last week,
increased their national number
-one point total by 3.6 points.
Teams are rated by the most
number of points scored in a
single meet rather than by voting.
Freshman Breck Grigas con
tinued his role as team leader by
winning last night s all-around
competition despite not winning
any individual events. The Illinois
native broke the 9.0 barrier three
times, including a 9.30 total on the
vault, on the way to totaling 54 00
points for the evening.
Men break two records
as Ducks drown SOSC
ASHLAND — Steve Hamilton
and Jay Evens both cracked meet
records as they paced the Oregon
men to a 64-49 victory over
Southern Oregon College in Ash
land Wednesday night.
The Oregon women, led by
Michelle Menkens with three
first-places, also defeated the Red
Raiders, 87-52.
Hamilton blasted the old
1000-yard freestyle mark of
11.16.02 with a 10:00 29. Evans
nipped almost a full second off the
200-yard freestyle record with a
1:50.2.
Timers needed
Persons with good eyesight and
a thumb to operate a stopwatch
are needed as timers for Oregon's
swim meet against Utah Friday
night and all day Saturday. No
previous experience is necessary
— call ext. 4110 at Leighton.
Men's coach Don Van Rossen
said, ‘Our extra work paid off. We
had a lot of swimmers swimming
their best times of the season —
we are coming around now and
will be ready for the University of
Utah."
Besides Menkens' efforts,
Robin Wheeler and Megan Riddle
both grabbed two first-places
apiece in the women’s events to
help extend the team record to
3-1.
For the weekend, the Ducks re
turn to Leighton Pool with the men
challenging highly -ranked Utah at
7 p.m. Friday, and the women fac
ing Central Washington at noon
Saturday.
The Central Washington team
is coached by John McCon
nochie, a former Duck swimmer
who holds Oregon records in the
500, 1000 and 1650 freestyle and
400 individual medley events.
Ski camp to set up today
This weekend's training camp at Mt. Bachelor will be
arranged at the Oregon Ski Team's meeting at 4:30 p.m. today
in McArthur Court, directly after practice.
Freshman Mike Moyal won just
one event white taking second
place behind Grigas in the all
-around. Moyal broke the 9.0 bar
rier twice, including a meet-high
9.5 on the vault, to total 53.40
points. Gene Christensen scored
52.25 and Scott Phillips had 50.75
as the other all-around com
petitors for the Ducks.
The Ducks jumped into a quick
lead at the outset and the evening
quickly turned into nothing much
more than a good practice ses
sion. The Ducks outscored the
Vikings 36. i 5 to 34.10 in the first
event — the floor exercise — with
Don Lester, Grigas and Christen
sen leading the way with scores of
9.30, 9.15 and 9.05, respectively.
The meet was over when the
second event was through. Tom
Trued son and Curt Rodgers both
scored 9.4 s in the pommel horse
while PSU’s four scores ranged
from 7.55 to 5.55. After the pom
mel horse competition, the Ducks
were leading 72.20 to 60.50.
Oregon then went on to out
score PSU in the rest of the events
and take the lopsided victory.
The 216.60 total by the Ducks
surpassed their previous season
high of 216.50 set last Sunday
evening against a touring
Japanese team. Wednesday
night's total was just 1.3 points
short of the school record 217.90
set a season ago.
This Sunday, the Ducks will
co-host with the University
women’s team against the Uni
versity of Washington, beginning
at 4 p.m. in Mac Court.
Event winners
A8 Around-Brack Grigas. 0. 54 00 Floor E*er
ciae: 1. Don Lestar. 0. 9 30. 2. Grigas. 0. 9 15; 3.
Christensen. 0. 9 05 Pommel Horae; 1. Tom
Truedson. 0, and Curt Rodgers, 0. 9 4.3. Moyal. 0.
8 7 SUM Rings; 1. Jerry Busk. 0.9 30:2. Grigas. 0.
and Hlegechuk. PSU. 9 15 Vaulting; 1. Mike
Moyal. 0. 9.50; 2. Gngas. 0. 930: 3. Bowden. 0.
8.95 Parade! ban. 1. Gene Christensen. 0. 9 10;
2. Moyal. 0. 9 00. 3. Gngas. 0. 8 95 Htgfi Bar; 1,
Gene Christensen. 0.9 20; 2. Scott Phillips. 0.9 00.
3. Brack Grigas. 0. 8.90
TEAM—Oregon 216 60. Portland State 187 95
Stan photo
Chester Dorsey (15) will be one of Washington's key veterans as the
Huskies make their first Mac Court appearance this year.
Letters
No ice
Jeff Nielson's column is usually excellent, but the paragraph about
a "hard rain" of ice on Marv Harshman is inexcusable. Granted, the man
is an obnoxious superjock. But for you to use the Emerald to encourage
obnoxious superjocks of the local variety to behave in ways which are
not only rowdy but downright dangerous — want to see GB out for the
season after slipping on a chunk of ice? — shows an appalling lack of
responsibility.
Retract it. Loudly. All we don’t need tonight is something to turn an
already hostile crowd into a violent ice-tossing mob.
Roberta M. Taussig
GTF, Computer Science
Ed. note - you 're 100 per cent correct. The particular passage quoted
above was an unfortunate choice of words; the last thing the Emerald
advocates is the throwing of debris in Mac Court. Keep the ice in your
soft drink where it belongs.
-Sportfolio
Ruggers practice Thursday
The Oregon Rugby Club will have a practice at 3:30 p.m.
Thursday on the practice field behind McArthur Court. People
with questions should call Jim Crowder at 344-4076.
Crew turnouts Saturday
Oregon's women's crew team will hold its winter turnouts
at 9 a.m. Saturday in the East Stands of Hayward Field.
Prospects should be dressed to run, and newcomers are
encouraged to join the team.
Racquet club meets today
The Oregon Racquetball Club will meet at 6 p.m. today in
the EMU to prepare for the winter league and discuss the
ladder. The room will be announced, and new players are
welcome.
Ski race scheduled
A beginners’ cross-country ski race will be held at noon
Sunday near Odell Butte at the intersection of Highway 58 and
Road 244B, 77 miles southeast of Eugene.
Skiers can chose a 10- or two-kilometer course on a
terrain that is flat and rolling. The purpose of the race is to
provide beginning and advanced skiers with a groomed sur
face on which to develop technique.
For more information, call 345-5584 or go to the Sugar
Pine Ridge ski store, 877 E. 13th Ave.