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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 18, 1998)
I-1 BEST BETS NBA Playoffs LA. Lakers at Utah, TNT(27), 5:30p.m. Sports Emerald Oregon twilight Dellinger says goodbye to Hayward Field After his final victory lap, legendary track and field coach Bill Dellinger met Bill Bowerman at the finish line By Alex Pond Sports Editor It was probably the slowest 400 meters of Bill Dellinger’s career, yet perhaps the most memorable. “Old coaches never die," Dellinger told an Oregon Twilight crowd of 2,970 who gathered for the retiring head coach’s Hayward Field finale on a driz zly and cool Friday evening. “They just, very slowly, jog a lap and fade away.” With that, University President Dave Frohnmayer rang the bell signifying one lap to go, and Dellinger set off on a final victory lap around the historic track. The 64-year-old will retire as the men’s track and field coach at the end of the season and coach the men’s cross country team in the fall before officially stepping down. The track was lined with former ath letes, officials and spectators, and the man whq has been in charge of the Ore gon men since 1973 stopped to shake hands and share a brief word with seem ingly every one of them. As Dellinger reached the 200-meter mark, his current athletes met him with a round of applause, gathered behind him and joined in the march toward the fin ish line. Down the final straightaway, Dellinger continued to shake hands with well wishers as the crowd roared. Waiting at the finish line to meet Dellinger stood Bill Bowerman, the leg endary Oregon head coach from 1949 1972 and Dellinger’s coach during his stellar running career at Oregon. “That was a great feeling,” Dellinger said of seeing Bowerman at the finish line. Earlier, during his farewell address to the crowd, Dellinger thanked Bowerman for having a tremendous impact on both Dellinger’s running and coaching career. “1 think I was one of the lucky ones in that I got to run for Bill Bowerman and then have him as my mentor,” Dellinger said. "Hopefully, there will be some peo ple who come along that might have those kinds of feelings toward me. “That’s a great feeling to have — for Turn to DELLINGER, Page 9 NICK MEDLEY/Emerald After 26years as the Oregon men's track andfield head coach, Bill Dellinger made his final appearance at Hayward Field during the Oregon Twilight on Friday. Two Ducks shine in Twilight meet Piotr Buciarski earned an NCAA automatic qualifying berth, while Greg Bleakney set a six-inch PR in the triple jump By Alex Pond and Rob Moseley Emerald Spoils Stall The Oregon Twilight meet Friday at Hayward Field belonged to retiring Ore gon head coach Bill Dellinger but that didn’t stop several athletes from turning in some impressive performances. On the men’s side, junior Piotr Buciarski earned Oregon’s second NCAA automatic qualifying mark by clearing 18 feet, 2 1/2 inches in the pole vault, an outdoor per sonal best for him and a mark which tied his best vault indoors. It came in dramatic fashion when Buciarski made contact with the bar on his last attempt at that height, but after a quick bounce, the bar stayed on the standards. Buciarski then failed in three attempts at 18-6 3/4, which would have been a school record. “I feel great about [the 18-21/2],” Bucia rski said. “I’m glad to get it more because it meets the qualifying standard for the Euro pean Championships this summer.” Buciarski said he was a little nervous after making contact with the bar. “I thought, ‘This is gonna fall,’ then I looked up again and it was still there,” he said. Oregon’s other highlight came when senior Gregg Bleakney won the triple jump with a personal best of 53-9 1/4, a mark that moves him up on the NCAA provisional list. It was a personal best by six inches and just two inches off the school record of 53 11 1/4 set by Spencer Williams in 1989. “I wanted to break the school record and I was two inches off,” Bleakney said, "but I felt like it was a good jump under Turn to TRACK, Page 9 Ducks fall in championship game Nebraska scored four runs in the last two innings to beat Oregon 9-7and advance to the Women’s College World Series By Joel Hood Sports Reporter It was the most important swing of the season for the Oregon softball team. And when the ball left Lindsey Welch’s bat, there was little doubt. Welch’s one-out, grand slam in the bot tom of the seventh inning on Saturday night lifted the Ducks to a 10-9 victory over No. 19 Iowa and put them into Sunday’s regional championship finale against No. 5 Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb. Playing a top 5 opponent in its own back yard? So much for the celebration. Nebraska’s Jenny Voss, a first-team All Big-12 Conference pitcher who hadn’t al lowed a single run in 49 straight innings en tering Sunday’s game, was hit early and often during the team’s wild, two-hour mati nee in Lincoln. Oregon and Nebraska changed leads five times during the match, but when it was finished, the Cornhuskers advanced to the Women’s College World Se ries with a 9-7 victory. Already trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the SOFTBALL nrst inning, uregon sliced into Nebraska’s lead when shortstop Jill Robinson singled to center field, scoring Melissa Jeppsen from second base. It was one of seven hard fought runs the Ducks would earn oil Voss. Oregon took the lead in the bottom of the third when designated hitter Triawn Custer took a Voss pitch over the wall in left center field. The three-run blast scored outfielder Tia Dumas and Robinson, who hit back-to back one-out singles to start the rally. After Nebraska scored two runs in the top Turn to DUCKS, Page 8 Stats ■ TOP DUCK: Crane 207 I ■ INDIVIDUAL: Casey, ASU 206 I ■ TOP TEAMS: 1. New Mex. 858 | (tie) ASU 858 | 3. UNLV 864 j 4. Arizona 874 | (tie) Cal 874 J 6. Oregon 875 Men qualify for nationals with sixth-place finish Oregon’s Ben Crane finished one stroke out of first place By Tim Pyle Sports Reporter Heading into Saturday’s final round of the NCAA West Re gional in Tempe, Ariz., the Ore gon men’s golf team was faced with a familiar scenario if it could not find a way to improve on its lOth-place tie in the standings. Just like last season, it looked as if Ben Crane would qualify individually for the NCAA Championships while the rest of the Ducks would be forced to stay home. But Oregon was not willing to accept that fate this season, shooting a final-round 287 to capture sixth place and a team berth in the championships, which will begin May 27 in New Mexico. It marks the first time tne Liucks have qualified for nationals since 1990. "It’s great,” said head coach Steve Nosier, who win be making his first nation als appearance since being named head coach in 1992. “I’m so pleased for the kids. They’ve worked hard all year, and it’s a nice reward for their efforts.” Turn to GOLF, Page 9