It’s been a long fall for Jim Hill But it
last week is any indication, it's headed
for an upbeat finish
The junior who saw his collegiate
career threatened by scandal at the
beginning of the season, gave it a big
boost last weekend when he trotted
home with the Pac-10 cross country
championship
In addition to the win, Hill got a lift
when the National Collegiate Athletic
Association decided to let him keep
running as long as he pays back the
$450 he received for consultant work
on a new shoe
With that headache behind him, Hill
can now concentrate on making head
lines at the NCAA cross country
championships this weekend at
Bloomington, Ind
Most of the headlines this fall have
dealt with the possible sanctions facing
Hill and brothers Dean and Brian
Crouser as a result of NCAA violations
regarding the receiving of free athletic
equipment, and in Hill's case, money
The NCAA has not decided the
Crousers' case
“The whole thing upset me the day it
came out,” said Hill. "But I did not let it
worry me after that first day
“I knew about it all summer, that
something was going to happen But
when it hit the press, it was made into a
really big thing It all kind of died down
in a couple of days.”
Hill’s situation has not detracted from
his running this season, though With
the whole scandal erased from his
mind, Hill has been blazing trails this fall
in leading the Oregon cross country
team He has won three meets, includ
ing last Saturday’s triumph in Fresno
One week earlier, though, at the
Northern Division meet in Pullman,
Wash., Hill’s chance of winning a
Pac-10 title seemed remote Washing
ton State’s Peter Koech cruised past
Hill and the rest of the field, winning
easily
At the Pac-10 meet, though, Hill was
either in the lead or tied for it the entire
race in posting the victory in 28:50 And
Koech was not even in sight, finishing
10th.
"A PR (personal record) for me,” Hill
said with a smile "The race felt really
good It was kind of like a road race
because we were running on roads part
of the time.
"I thought Koech would be there at
the finish and I would have to outkick
him,” Hill said. “He had a bad race,
obviously he can run better.”
Hill, too, has seen both the good and
the bad times
The Pac-10 cross country title is a
nice switch for Hill, considering he has
run in the meet just once previously.
Injuries have hampered him thoughout
his running career at Oregon
"Injuries have hurt him in track and
cross country at the University of
Oregon,” said Hill’s coach, Bill Del
linger "He always seems to get injured
when we don't expect it He has been
fragiie for three years.”
Ever since his arrival from Vienna,
Va , Hill's career has been dotted with
the assortment of injuries During his
freshman year his Achilles tendon
flared up during cross country and he
suffered a stress fracture during track
season.
"The injuries really got me down
because I couldn't run," Hill said. "I
was just mad that I was hurt I was still
impressed with the program but I was
just upset that I had to get hurt during
my first year."
He did run his sophomore year, but
again the injury bug made its
appearance and left Hill on the shelf
“The summer before my sophomore
year, I got runner's kneecap," Hill said
"It's where the kneecap rubs against
the bone "
But he ran, and ran well considering
the circumstances He finished fourth
in the Pac-10 meet and qualified with
the Duck team for the NCAA meet
Hill was also beginning to make his
presence known on the track He
clocked a 3:41 for the 1,500 and fin
ished seventh in the NCAA track
championships in the 5,000
"Jim really started showing what he
could do his sophomore year," Del
linger said "I knew all along he could
run with the best of them, but injuries
had constantly kept him down. ”
But this track season, Hiii and Del
linger decided that it was in the best
interest of the Duck junior to redshirt.
By sitting out this spring, Hill will be able
to run in the NCAA championships in
Eugene in 1984 and also have a full
year of cross country, explained Del
linger.
"He will have more time under his
belt and I think he will be more mature,"
said Dellinger of Hill redshirting
Hill, too, liked the idea of running
before the homefolks his senior year
"When I heard that the NCAAs were
going to be here next season, that
really helped me make up my mind.”
Hill has been called by Dellinger a
"workaholic.” His improvements have
been startling to some but not to the
coach and his pupil.
"Jim runs things faster than I usually
want him to,” explained Dellinger "But
most good runners do that It has been
a matter of holding him back "
Not even the NCAA has been able to
do that
Story by Steve Turcotte
Photo by Bob Baker
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