Can a team be too talented?
By Rich Skeen
Of th* Emerald
As Oregon men's cross country
coach Bill Dellinger began his 17th
season, he faced a problem other
coaches would have loved to
solve — he had more good run
ners than he could place on a
seven-man team.
Along with All-American senior
|im Hill, Dellinger could turn to
|ohn Zishka (fourth at the 1982
Pac-10 meet), senior Brad Simpson
(43rd at NCAA championships)
and Chris Hamilton, a touted
junior transfer from University of
Portland.
After those four came senior
Vance Blow and a crop of talented
young runners — sophomores
Harold Kuphaldt, Matt McGuirk,
Dan Nelson and freshmen red
shirts Dub Myers, Will Kimball,
and Garth Morrisette.
Dellinger's solution? Redshirt
runners that didn't make the
team. Redshirting, or removing an
athlete from competition to save a
year of eligibility, has become a
key tool for collegiate coaches
and athletes, and one often ad
vocated by Dellinger.
"We'd rather have a guy par
ticipate if he can, but sometimes
as a freshman an athlete is not
physically ready (to compete),"
says the Oregon coach. "Redshir
ting helps him mature."
The coach knew redshirting
would let him stockpile future
runners as well.
"If a runner can't break into the
top seven, he might as well red
shirt," says Dellinger.
Of Oregon's runners, Kuphaldt,
McGuirk, Nelson, Kimball and
Myers (fifth in 1982 NCAA 1,500
meters) knew going into 1983
meets that they'd be redshirted if
they couldn't make Dellinger's
top seven. None of them resent
that.
"I thought it was a good idea,"
says McGuirk. "There was no
pressure — if you didn't make the
team, you got another chance to
make it the next year."
"Coach's idea was a good one,"
agrees Kuphaldt. "If I didn't make
the team, it wouldn't bother me."
Myers, a sophomore from
Portland's Parkrose High School,
was one of the most likely to find
himself redshirting.
"He could compete on any team
Runners
Continued from Page 8
join University ot Portland
transfer Chris Hamilton to give
Oregon experience. Junior Mike
Blackmore and sophomore Dan
Nelson — both of whom had good
falls — round out the Ducks'
seven-man contingent.
And Oregon will leave plenty of
talent at home. Dub Myers ("he
could compete on any team in the
country," says Dellinger) and Will
Kimball probably will redshirt this
season.
Dellinger says that while the
Ducks will wear the favorite's tag
at Stanford, stiff competition will
be on hand.
"Arizona has really improved,"
says Dellinger, "and Washington
State has three world-class
runners."
In the individual race, Hill is the
man to beat. He’ll be challenged
by UCLA's Jon Butler, fifth a year
ago, and Arizona's Tommy
Ansberry, sixth in 1982.
Last year, Oregon won the meet
with 46 points, just ahead of
UCLA's 51. Arizona was third and
Washington State finished fourth.
After the Pac-10 race, the Ducks
will be at home Nov. 12 to host the
District VIII Championships at
Lane Community College.
Key duplication
Make a spare.
65c
at your
Bookstore
in the country, says Dellinger,
"but redshirting will pay off for
Dub later."
Although redshirting young
talent isn't easy for Dellinger, he is
quick to point out that Hill
redshirted.
"There were two of three times I
kicked myself in the butt and ask
ed myself, 'Why am I redshirting
him' ?" says Dellinger. "But for
|im, it was a real advantage — he
was on scholarship an extra year,
and he had an additional year to
finish his studies."
Faced with a tough decision,
Dellinger maintained that he'd
wait as long as possible to choose
redshirts.
Injuries to Zishka (heel) and
Blow (virus) made the 17th year
coach's choice a little easier. As it
turns out, Myers, Kimball and
Morrisette likely will skip the
Pac-10 meet and get redshirt
status.
In the end, Dellinger profits this
year and next. He'll have Myers,
Kimball, Morrisette and blue-chip
freshman John Carlotti from
Cedar Grove, N.J., ready to go in
1984. Sorry Bill — some guys have
real problems.
i
Emerald Photo
Bill Dellinger says Dub Myers (above) could
compete on any team in the country, but
the sophomore likely will redshirt at
Oregon.
Special teams—
Continued from Page 7
"We call our special teams pride and joy," says
Walden. "You have to earn a spot. It's all pride and
joy of success in the kicking game."
At Oregon, where coach Rich Brooks is con
sidered a special teams expert, a place on the teams
is not just handed out. According to Ramsdell, posi
tions on every special team must be earned.
"We just don't put guys in there to give them
playing time," says Ramsdell. "The best players are
put in there whether they are starters or not. You
need to prove your merit to play."
Once a special teams job is earned, practice time
is minimal. But players and coaches try to make the
most out of that time.
"We work hard on special teams because we
take pride in it," says linebacker Todd Welch, who
plays on kickoff and punt return squads. "We pro
bably work harder on it than any other team."
Minutes spent in practice may not reflect how
much of a role special teams play during a game. Ex
ecution is always important. The slightest mistake
could lead to a blocked punt or a missed field goal.
"There is an awful lot of emphasis there," says
Ron Johnson, who plays on the Ducks' punt, punt
return and kickoff teams. "The coaches like to make
sure we do a good job.
"Everybody on the special teams puts out a lot of
effort because Brooks is a good special teams
coach," says Doug Herman, a member of Oregon's
punt, kickoff return and extra point teams.
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