sports Hill: He's another Duck distance great Jim Hill, an Olympic track hopeful in three events, has his mind on cross country and Saturday's District 8 Championships. By Rich Skeen Of the Emerald The list of great Oregon distance runners is packed with names like Steve Prefontaine, Alberto Salazar, Paul Geis, Bill Mc Chesney and Rudy Chapa. But those greats of the past need to make room for a current runner who's sure to add his name to the list by graduation time. Senior Jim Hill seems destined to join other Oregon greats. Hill already has gained All-American status in track with a seventh place finish in the 1981 National Collegiate Athletic Association 5,000 meters and a fifth at the 1982 NCAA 1,500. But Hill also has won Pac-10 Cross Country Championship in 1982 and this year (his 28:50 in 1982 at Fresno, Calif., was a course record), and it is cross country which is on his mind this fall. Hill, 32nd in the 1982 NCAA Cross Country meet, leads the Ducks into Saturday's District 8 Championships at Lane Com munity College, where both he and the Ducks will defend 1982 crowns. Besides starring for two years on the race course. Hill has been a star off it. 1 4 c^r'/v7 seaS<tT RflftG GflfiTH IS PROUD TO PRESENT Their new 1983 Christmas Card selec tion and unusual, collectable Tree Orna ments and Christmas Stocking Stutters! So you will be able to start celebrating your Holiday Season now. Rare Earth has available in all their stores, a wonderful selection of Christmas Cards, r or your assistance, we have once again included a copy of a mailing schedule to all parts of the world. All cards sent by this schedule will be received by December 25th. Celebrate now! Christmas Mailing Schedule: • AFRICA - Dec. 9th. • ASIA - Nov. 30th. • AUSTRALIA - Dec. 2nd. • EUROPE - Dec. 9th. • FAR EAST - Dec. 9th. 37 N. Main 211 S. W. “G” St. Ashland Grants Pass 482-9501 479-5932 • MID EAST - Nov. 23rd. • SOUTH AFRICA - Nov. 28th. • CANADA - Dec. 14th. • EAST COAST - Dec. 17th. • LOCAL - -45 Desired 410 E. Main 160 E. Broadway Medford Eugene 772-9504 344-4487 "He's very much a team leader," says Oregon assistant coach John Gillespie. "There's no doubt that if either the team or coach Dell inger picked a team captain, it would be Jim." Hill admits he is somewhat of a team leader, but he says he depends on teammates as much as they depend on him. "I'd go bannanas if I had to train by myself," says the native of Vienna, Va. "I enjoy cross country." says Hill, and he explains why. "I'm do ing it for myself — I enjoy the dif ferent variables that cross country offers and I'm not trying to reach certain times like I do in track.” Not trying to reach times doesn't mean Hill lets up in his training. " I have to be ready to run every race 110 percent," says Hill. "Training makes me happy. If I'm consistently improving and I stay healthy, then I feel good." r Consistent improvement has been a Hill trademark since he came to Oregon from the Washington, D.C., area. After running in just one meet his freshman year. Hill has become a legitimate Olympic hopeful in either the 1,500, 5,000 or 10,000, where he has bests of 3:39.84, 13:19.73, and 27:55.23. He should be a factor come NCAA Cross Country time too, ac cording to Oregon coach Bill Dell inger, who says "Jim is a potential top 10 finisher." Like several other Oregon distance runners. Hill would like to stay in Eugene after graduation and continue to train. "I'd like to stay close to coach Dellinger — he's really been the key to my success," Hill says. The Olympics, the American track circuit and the European cir cuit are all in Hill's plans. But with this weekend on his mind, everything else can wait. n Oregon, Arizona teams to beat at District 8 meet After losing its Pac-10 crown to University of Arizona two weeks ago, Oregon’s men's cross country team will have a t hance to redeem itself when it hosts the NCAA District 8 Championships at Lane Com munity College Saturday. The Ducks, who won this meet last year, hope to im prove on their Pac-10 showing, where they finished second behind Arizona despite a 1-2 finish by Jim Hill and Mike Blackmore. The team race should come down to a battle between the Ducks and Arizona, with UCLA and Stanford University next. The top three teams will receive NCAA berths. The Wildcats return six of seven runners from 1982, in cluding Tommy Ansberry, who finished third at Pat-10s. UCLA and Stanford finished third and fourth at the conference meet. Oregon coach Bill Dellinger likes his team's chances Satur day, but he fears Arizona's strength. "Arizona has an excellent team — their victory in the Pac-10 was no fluke." says Dell inger. "We'll have to run closer together as a group and let Jim Hill lead us." Leading the Ducks is exactly what All-American Hill has done this year, but he notes that his efforts alone won't win the meet. "It doesn't do any good to go 1-2 if the other guys don't come through," says Hill. "Arizona whipped our butts, and the only way we re going to beat them is to put our three, four and five guys with theirs." At the conference meet in Stanford, Calif., Arizona beat the Ducks by packing live run ners into the first 11 finishers. The meet begins at 11 a.m., with women's competition get ting underway at 10:30 a.m. Student tickets are $2 for the 22-team affair. UO Bookstore— .-'i'' H . V ' All Fine Art, Art History, and Photography Books 20% off Nov. 7 - 12 in the Book Department Serving Our Members Since 1920 GENERAL BOOKS .686-3510 13th & Kincaid _ Mon. - Fri. 7:30 - 5:30 BOOKSTORE Sat. 10:00 3:00