Men’s, women’s ski teams seek titles
By STEVE JETT
Of the Emerald
Coach Randy Rogers speaks op
timistically about how Oregon's ski
team will fare at the AIAW Northwest
Regionals this week, but he admits
both the men and women will have
some hurdles to cross.
For the women, the challenge will
be contending with season-long
nemesis Central Oregon Com
munity College, who has won the
National Junior College Cham
pionship three years in a row. The
problem for the men is more serious.
They will be seeking to find the
consistency they have lacked all
season.
The women will be in Bozeman.
Montana for the regional qualifying
meet, and attempt to gain a berth
in the National AIAW cham
pionships at Boyne Mountain,
Michigan. The men will hold their
regionals at Mt. Hood.
Rogers has mixed feelings about
the past season, which saw the men
finish fourth in the Northwest
Collegiate Ski Conference and the
women an impressive second.
"The men have not skied up to my
expectations and the women have
skied up and beyond what I expect
ed," explains Rogers.
But despite the fourth place finish,
Rogers insists the men "could clean
up."
"They (men) just have not put it
together as a whole team this
season," says Rogers, "And even
though they have not won a meet all
Freshman Vat Sloan, one of the ski team's top racers
this season, will compete in the downhill, slalom and
giant slalom in Bozeman, Mont, this week in the
RkjIo by Brace Jackson
regional qualifying meet. The Duck women hope to
challenge Central Oregon Community College for
the team title.
year, they could quality tor the na
tionals. There is every possibility in
the world they could win the
(regional) championship. I sure
would like to see them come out of
the woodwork and win.”
And it the men don't, the women,
certainly may. Heading the cast will
be freshman Monica McClain, who
Rogers describes as the "best girl
on the West Coast this year.
"She has won five out of 10 races
this season and she has been near
the top in the events she did not
win," explains Rogers of McClain,
who won the Ski Meister at the
Oregon State Invitational two weeks
ago. The honor signifies the top
overall skier in the slalom, giant
slalom, and downhill.
'She has been getting a lot more
confident." says Rogers." she can
ski flat out down the hill without
holding back and that is what makes
her so good . "
Val Sloan, who excelled at the
OSU invitational, also will help out.
"We got her some new boots, " says
Rogers. "And she just smoked."
More importantly. Rogers has no
ticed something special about Sloan
and McClain
"It is kind of funny," he says, "A
lot of girls come in (to Oregon) and
do reai well But because of being
involved in school, they sort of begin
drifitng off (from skiing). But the two
of them (Sloan and McClain) are
really hard-driven ."
Sophomore Christie Matthes, who
has been finishing in the top ten
places most of the season, could
also play a part in the Di rks' suc
cess But Oregon has been playing
second fiddle most of the season to
Central Oregon
“They (Oregon women) have
beaten everyone in the Northwest
but COC," says Rogers, "and they
have been the only team close to
Central Oregon ”
How well the Oregon men fair
depends greatly on the challenges
from College of Idaho and Eastern
Oregon State College. In addition,
the Ducks' Gary Davidson has been
among-the-top-five-finishing spots
“in almost every race," says
Rogers, "he has a chance to win it."
The Oregon men received a big
boost at the OSU invitational when
Hank Flake won the giant slalom. As
Rogers says, “It showed the rest of
the guys that they could be
winners."
Dick Murray and Robert Mittet
have anchored the cross-country
skiers all season "The two of them
have been in the top ten in every
race this season,” continues
Rogers.
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