_sports _
They don’t call it “Torture”
Ridge for nothing
By MARV FJORDBECK
Emerald Sports Editor
It wasn't as if Steve Sandstrom
and I had spent the better part of
our lives preparing to take part in
the annual Torture Ridge
Run/Crawl/Slip and Slide
Through the Mud (pick one, other
specify).
Actually, we had used the night
before to stoke up on liquid cour
age to get ready for the eight-mile
jaunt, billed as the toughest race
west of the Rockies.
It, of course, was, and we, of
course, weren't ready.
Or at least I wasn't ready.
Sandstrom was, and his 40th
place showing in a crowd of 340
finishers proved it. I, on the other
hand, was so far back they were
thinking of sending out helicopters
and Saint Bernards to see if I'd
died somewhere along the way.
In my first race ever, I finished a
grand total of 320 places behind
the winner, Peter Thompson, who
edged Tom Collins and Chris Mol
lahan for the honor of being the
first survivor. I also finished well in
back of the women winners, Jill
Suttles of the University and
12-year-old Toni Tabor. And, of
course, Sandstrom.
-Sandstrom and I started the
B:e together from Hendricks
Wrk, wearing our Oregon Daily
Emerald T-shirts. We were to
gether for the first half-mile, but
when we hit the first hill, a slimy
mess that separated the men from
the boys, Steve was with the men.
I was back there with the boys.
The mud got worse and so did
my ability to run. Race organizer
Brian Chapman said after the race
someone actually got stuck up to
the waist and had to be pulled out.
Half way up the hill I took my first
dive, falling to my knees in muck
and crawling on all fours to the top
of the hill.
If going up hills in the race was a
treat, going down was a birthday
surprise. Because the adhesive
compound I had on my shoes
gave me zero traction, it was
easiest for me to slide down the
hills on my better side. I actually
passed some people.
Obviously, though, I didn’t pass
up many. I was 302 at the halfway
mark and pretty unconscious.
What I remember of the run’s last
half is the event's namesake, Tor
ture Ridge, which took me a full
hour of sliding in mud, falling in
rose bushes and poison oak,
and swearing to circumnavigate.
After the ridge, all that was left
was for me and a very young man
named Dan Thies to finish the
race. I was covered with mud from
head to toe and he was in a red
running shirt with his name plas
tered on the back.
Why did he run?
“My parents gave me my allow
ance and said It’s your dollar,”’ he
smiled. You shouldn’t have spent
it all in one race, kid.
On the way back to Hendricks a
sexy blonde drove by, and looking
at my forlorn, mud-covered figure,
yelled, “What happened to you?”
I didn’t have time to say that
Torture Ridge and I had fought it
out, with me barely gaining a
draw.
UW golfers lead
Washington s Mary Lou Murflur
shot a one under par 73 to lead
after the first round of the three
day Daisy Duck Golf Tournament
in Creswell.
Washington led the team scor
ing with 305, Oregon collected
322 and OSU ended with 328.
Graphic by Steve Sandstrom
Sportfoiio
Softball team loses nationals trip
PORTLAND — Plans for a national tourney berth dissolved
in the rain as the women’s softball team lost to Oregon State 7-6
and 3-0 Sunday in the regional qualifying playoffs for the
Women's Collegiate World Series at Normandale Park here.
Oregon scored two at the top of the seventh in the first game
to lead by one run, but after the game was delayed because of
the rain, Oregon's pitcher Shawna Baxter, walked in the deciding
run in the bottom of the seventh for the OSU win.
Each team had three hits in the second game but it was OSU
who pulled the runs in the 3-0 shut-out.
Prior to the OSU games, the Ducks beat Portland State 5-2
and Oregon College of Education 2-1.
Ballard buckets Emerald award
Add one more award to your trophy collection, Greg Ballard.
Ballard, who led the Duck basketball team in virtually every
thing last season, was named the recipient of the Emerald Athle
tic Award Saturday evening during the Parents' Weekend ban
quet.
Ballard, an Oregon senior under basketball coach Dick Har
ter, led the Ducks in scoring with 21.7 points per game, and in
rebounds, averaging 9.8 boards per contest. Ballard also led the
team from’the field with a .527 field goal mark and a .855 free
throw percentage.
Ballard is the second all-time Oregon scorer and the leading
all-time rebounder.
Caine, Sisley discuss Title IX
University athletic directors John Caine and Becky Sisley will
discuss the University’s response to Title IX when Sideline Re
port, a sports program produced by the University's Division of
Broadcast Services under the direction of Mike Moskovitz, airs
Wednesday night on KOZY-TV (Cable 11).
Show host Mike Guldager will question Caine and Sisley
about the recent merger of the men’s and women's athletic de
partments at the University and the financial future of athletics
within the state.
Gymnast Knupp signs
Oregon’s gymnastic squad bagged its second catch of the
current recruiting season as Bill Knupp, an All-American gymnast
from Odessa (Tex.) Junior College signed a national letter of
intent.
Knupp, who will enroll at the University in September, won
his All-America standing in all-around floor exercises. The Hurst.
Tex. native is a member of Odessa’s national junior college
championship team.
Knupp is the second gymnast to sign a letter of intent with
Oregon. Last week, Jim Hamilton from Long Beach (Calif) City
College announced his intention to attend the University in Sep
tember.
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Now is the time, to yet ready for an
‘ "Oregon-ized- summer File vour Summer
Session Registration Request card by dune
1. Pick up your copy of the Summer Ses
sion Time Schedule of Classes todav Re
gistration Request cardsgf and lime
Schedules are now available at'the Sum
met Session Office or the Registrar's Of
fice- Classes begin June 21s All students
par resident tuition. A