Hand and Graves: different styles, same results
By Andrew LaMar
Of the Emerald
The Oregon women’s cross
country team is a favorite to take
the conference crown this year
and has a shot at a national
championship. The two biggest
reasons are Annette Hand and
Penny Graves, the team’s two
top runners.
Hand and Graves are about
evenly matched — timewise.
Hand, a senior who transfer
red to Oregon a year and a half
ago and attended high school in
Spokane. Wash., began com
peting as a Duck last April. She
won the Pacific 10 Conference
track championship in both
3.000 and 5.000 meters last spr
ing and finished fourth and se
cond at those distances, respec
tively, at the NCAA champion
ships with times of 9:00.5 and
15:47.74.
Graves, a junior from Port
Angeles, Wash., took first place
in the Pac-10 cross country
championships last fall with a
16:51.7 for the 5.000-meter
course. Then she finished 13th
at the NCAA cross country
championships with a 17:23.32
for the same distance, and in the
spring she took the Pac-10 1,500
title and finished sixth in the
5.000 at the NCAA track cham
pionships with a personal
record of 15:56.01.
Although similar in their ac
complishments and rapid im
provement, Hand and Graves
have two entirely different
styles.
Hand doesn't like to train a
lot and in fact, doesn't like to do
any unnecessary, extra work.
She prefers to compete in front
of crowds — the bigger, the bet
ter — and prefers track to cross
country.
"I guess you could say I'm a
performer," Hand said. "I love
to hear the crowd scream and
yell, and that just makes me
more fired up about the race."
Graves, on the other hand,
cherishes a training program
that involves activities, such as
weight lifting and swimming,
that are just for fun or to
’’balance" her body, she said.
She prefers cross country to
track because it offers more
variety in training and races
(every course is different).
“Annette thinks that when
she gets on the track she can just
go. and I think when I get on the
trails 1 can just go." Craves
said. “I don't know. It's hard to
explain."
Their personalities are also
distinctly different.
Hand is sprightly, affable and
a self-described people person
who is studying elementary
education. Craves is more
reserved and serious, studies
physical education and hopes to
coach one day.
But they share a vivid intensi
ty and a good friendship.
Kver since Hand arrived in
FIW Photo
Annette Hand waves to a
Hayward Field crowd after
winning the 5.000 meters in
16:05.24 at the Pepsi Invita
tional track and Field meet
April 18. It was her second
meet after recovering from a
stress fracture.
Eugene. the two have been
training together, and both have
said the training relationship
has pushed them to better per
formances As Graves improved
last year, she dosed the gap bet
ween herself and Hand, who
was much quicker.
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Kach will In* the other's big
gest challenge in many of the
races they run together, which
could cause friction between
the two. Mead coach Tom
Heinonen said it presents a nice
dilemna like choosing bet
ween Babe Kuth and Uni Colt rig
to bat cleanup.
As for obsessive competition
between Hand and Craves.
Heinonen doesn't see it happen
ing
"The thing to rememlier here
is that we re talking about some
awfully nice people," he said
The two are very supportive of
each other and the rest of the
team, he added
Their drive and friendship
has led them over formidable
obstacles to success.
Maud tiegan her college track
career at Montana State, but
during her junior year state
budget cuts eliminated all the
school's women's track scholar
ships except hers, and she felt it
was unfair and decided to
transfer to Oregon on advice
from her coach. In spring 1‘lMli
she arrived in Eugene and, forc
ed to miss the track and cross
country season to regain her
eligibility, began training with
the team.
The toughest setback was still
to come — injury. Hand sustain
ed a stress fracture in her right
thigh last February and was
limited to crutches and exercis
ing in water.
"It was really hard for me
because I've never been hurt
before to that extent.” Hand
said. "When I had to start train
ing in the water. I didn't think it
was going to work. In the back
of my mind. I was thinking my
season is probably over.”
The thought of missing
another season was very
depressing, she said. And when
she watcher! Craves qualify for
the NCAA championships on
March 2! in the 3,000 while she
was still on crutches, she
couldn't help being envious
”1 admit I was really jealous
of her |then)," Hand said.
Hut soon after. Hand made an
amazing comeback. Unsure of
the effectiveness of her
rehabilitation training, Hand
began running on hard ground
again March 24 and computing
I ilr PHoiii
Penny (inires (left) nips Annie Schweitzer to win the 3.000
meters and rei.ord a personal ret:ortl of 9:13.13 at the Pepsi In
vitational track and field meet April 18.
again April 11
"Her determination to come
back was really impressive,"
Craves said.
Any doubts Hand might have
had were erused in her second
meet of the spring. April 18,
when she blew her competitors
off the course by recording a
16:05.24 in the 5.000 and thrill
ed a large Hayward Field crowd
as she contributed to Oregon's
track and field victory over
three top rivals. She reduced
her PK by nearly 25 seconds that
afternoon.
Hand eventually shaved 42
seconds off her preseason PR for
the 5.000. improving from
Hi:29.50 to 15:47 74 In the
3.000. she cut 44 seconds off
her first spring performance
(0:44.40) and broke the nine
minute barrier when she ran un
8:59.90 at the U.S. Olympic
Festival in Durham. N.C., on Ju
ly 24
The only Oregon womun ever
to run the 3.000 faster is the
legendary Kathy Hayes, who
recorded an 8:50.79 in 1983.
and Hand is closing in on that.
She only has one track season to
do it.
Turn to Runners, Page 11D
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