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Uz Wilson is back with a vengeance alter suffering two stress
fractures last year, having won two of the first three races she
entered and finishing second in the other.
Wilson rebounds from injuries
By Mark Baker
Emerald Contributor
After a series of nagging injuries, Liz Wilson
has returned to the form that made her the Pacif
ic-10 cross country champion in 1988.
The senior all-American has finished first in
two of Oregon's three meets this season and sec
ond in the other meet after redshirting last fall be
cause of a stress fracture in her foot.
"She doesn't feel like she's in that strong of
shape, so her running has been a surprise.”
Coach Tom Heinonen said.
In fact. Wilson's entire career at Oregon has
been a surprise.
Having grown up in a military family. Wilson
graduated from high school in the Netherlands.
She came to Oregon on the advice of her high
school coach. Ron Smith, a former Oregonian.
"She's been an inspiration to a lot of people on
our team because she came from an obscure back
ground. being an American student in a foreign
country." Heinonen said.
Wilson ran good, but not great times in high
school. Heinonen said. She came from an under
developed running program and made great
strides quickly, he said
"I knew a bit about the European program.”
Heinonen said. "It's like living in North Dakota.
There aren't many athletes and the competition
isn't very good Anybody who excels in that set
ting may be a diamond in the rough and Liz
was."
Wilson wrote several American colleges during
her senior year in high school to inquire about
competing in their track and cross country pro
grams. She was particularly impressed by an en
couraging letter from Heinonen.
"She came in as a walk-on and worked her way
up to a large scholarship.” Heinonen said. "And
she's done that with a considerable amount of
stress."
After recovering from the stress fracture in her
foot last fall. Wilson, who ranks among Oregon's
top 10 all-time performers at four different track
distances, developed another stress fracture dur
ing track season last spring. This one was in her
hip.
“1 feel like a doctor's nightmare," she said. "I
think some people are fust more susceptible to
this."
Wilson spent the summer rehabilitating her hip
by running in water and using ultrasound, a deep
heating machine. She wasn't able to start running
until August and was concerned about being
ready for the start of the season.
"You can’t help but doubt." Wilson said.
Those doubts have been removed by an out
standing season thus far.
Wilson won the Emerald City Invitational in
Seattle on Sept. 22 and then captured the Minne
sota/GBS Invitational in Minneapolis, Minn. Oct.
6. Last week she finished second to teammate
Stephanie Wessell in the Jeff Drenth Memorial in
Eugene.
Her performances are a big reason why the
Ducks are undefeated and ranked seventh in the
country this season and the team favorite to win
the Pac-10 Conference Championships Oct. 27 in
Stanford. Calif.
"I think we're a good team," Wilson said.
"Tom says we can only get better.”
The two early-season wins and last Saturday's
performance have given Wilson her confidence
back from the injury problems and she’s hoping
for big things to finish out her college career.
She finished 15th in the NCAA cross country
meet her sophomore year and 17th her junior sea
son. This year she has her sights set on a top 10
finish.
Wilson, who will graduate after winter or
spring term with a double major in marketing and
management, plans to run on the NCAA indoor
circuit beginning in March, something few other
Oregon athletes have ever done. She completed
her outdoor eligibility last season.
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