: TRACK & FIELD PROFILE
Duck duo hopes to rain out Pac-10s
□Oregon Steeplers
look to finish 1 -2 in
conference meet
By Dave Charbonneau
Emerald Spots Beporler
As the USC track team ar
rived at Hayward Field for
practice Tuesday, the ruin be
gan to pour and the thunder be
gan to roil.
While the Trojan athletes
looked up to the sky in disgust.
Tyo Van Scholack and Rick
Mestler — soaked to the bone
In T-shirts and shorts —
grinned sheepishly.
"1 hope It does this on Fri
day," Mestler said.
Van Schoiack nodded In
agreement.
As Oregon's steeplechase
duo, Van Schoiack and Mestler
wili take any advantage they
can get when they compete in
this weekend’s Paciflc-10 Con
ference Championships at Huy
ward.
The two runners own two of
the top four times in the Pac-10
3.OOO-metcr steeplechase this
season and ure hoping with a
little hometown support, a little
luck ... and a little rain, they
will be able to finish 1-2 on Fri
ciay.
"1 love running in ihe rain,”
Mesller said. “I would rather
run in the rain than run in 85
or 90 degree weather."
Two runners that could rain
on the Duck Steeplers' parade
are Washington Stale's Samuel
Kibiri and Arizona’s Marc Da
vis. who have the top two times
in the event this season.
Kibiri has u time of 8:37.58,
and Davis clocked on 8:40.98.
Van Scholack — who is also a
favorite in the 1,500 — quali
fied for the NCAA Champion
ships this season with an
8:41.68, and Mestler is just un
der a second off the NCAA
qualifying lime with an 8:43.9.
"This race will definitely be
a I’K race because of the com
petition," Van Schoiack said.
Van Schoiack and Mestler
said the biggest advantage they
will have In the event is the
home-crowd support.
"It's my home trnck. That's
all I con say.” Van Schoiack
said. "I'm just hoping i can stay
I - ‘ “ " ' ■ Pt*#o by it* f»MMy
Seniora Rick Meatier (left) and Tye Van Schoiack have gone from be
ing roommate* aa treehmen to Iallow All-Americana teat aeeaon.
with whoever'! up front."
Mestler agreed.
"It's going to be a difficult
race." he said. "Pm Just glad
it's here."
The two have gotten used to
running In the homey confines
of Hayward Fiold. and they've
also gotten used to learning to
compote with each other on a
friendly basis.
Vun Schoiack and Mestler
have come a long way since
their freshmen years, when
they shared a room together
and they both took on the un
enviable task of trying to make
the Duck track loam.
"There was definitely a rival
ry our freshmen year." Van
Schoiack said "But now we
help each other and we got
along fine."
"Wo talked Ixihlnd each oth
ers back a little.” Mostler said
"It was a not-so-friendly rival
ry”
That year. Van Schoiock and
Mustier wore competing with
(wo others for steaplochase
spots behind Danny Lopez
They both mudo the team, but
Van Schoiock injured his ankle
midway through the season.
Mostler said it was Vun
Schoiock'# injury thut laid rest
to anything other than a friend
ly rivulry
"I'm not saying I was glud he
got injured, but after that I
didn't worry about Tyo and I
run a lot boiler." Mostler said.
‘If Tye finishes first
and I finish second,
that’s fine with me.’
— Rick Mestler,
Oregon steeplechase runner
"Before the injury, 1 think I
worried a lot more about him
than ho worried ulxiut nio ”
Mustier wont on to muko All
American his freshman your,
finishing eighth at the NCAA
meet He also made All-Ameri
can the following two years, in
cluding a personal liost porfor
mnnre and fourth-place finish
at last year's NCAA*.
Van Schoinck qualified for
the NCAA meet his sophomore
year and also sot a jiersonul re
cord at last year's nattonul
meet, quite a resume consider
ing he was originulty a walk-on.
Van Schoiack said ho walked
on at Oregon because "I basi
cally shot myself in the foot."
“I had a high school moot
here, and 1 went right up to (Or
egon head rxuich) Bill (Dellin
ger) and asked him if I could
run here the following year,"
ho said "They know when
they have you. and I basically
lei them know limy had me
right off the bat "
Dcillinger is obviously glad
Viin Schoimk decided to comu
Id Oregon
"Tyo has dona o groat )ob."
Dellinger said “He wasn't o
groat run nor coming out of high
school He was good. hul no
wasn't grout. Ho made the loom
duo to his willingness and do
sire."
Van Schoiack uitrihulos
much of his success to his abili
ty to stay focused.
•‘I'm not all that confident,
hut I have persistence," bo said.
“It's something you have to
slay focused with "
Most tor's focus was some
thing Dellinger questioned this
winter
"(Ivor the winter. Kick
wasn’t sure how hudly ho want
ed to be u runner." ho said.
"That may have held him laick
a little as far as his performance
this your ”
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