Oregon Preview
Defense is key to UO’s success
Head coach Jody Range said
Oregon will have to improve
its defense to make a run at
the Pac-10 Conference title
By Allison Ross
Oregon Daily Emerald
A healthy line-up. A deep bench. Four
returning starters and a powerful fresh
man class.
All this, and the return of the 1998
Women's Basketball News Service Coach
of the year, and you've got an Oregon
basketball team ready to conquer the Pa
cific-10 Conference and earn its first con
ference title since the Ducks tied for first
in the 1985 season.
Oregon head coach Jody Runge returns
for her sixth season and will be looking
BASKETBALL
to guide a well-bal
anced squad to its sixth
straight NCAA Tourna
ment. But this year the
goals are even more
lofty — the Ducks are
aiming for the Sweet
16.
I think we tiave the depth and we
have the talent," Runge said. "We just
have to put it all together, and I think the
biggest factor in making those things
happen will be staying healthy."
The possibility of a Pac-10 champi
onship and an appearance in the Sweet
16 this season is viable for several rea
sons. .
Oregon returns 6-foot-l sophomore
Brianne Meharry and 6-5 center Jenny
Mowe, both of whom missed most of last
season because of injury. Despite sitting
out Oregon's final 11 games of the sea
son, Meharry led the Ducks in scoring
(13.1 points per game) and rebounding
(6.0). Mowe played in just the first four
games, but managed to post one the
team's five double-doubles of the season.
There is no question the return of
Mowe and Meharry to Oregon's front
court will add depth, but their presence
will also add offensive power.
“Hopefully I can bring a fire to the
team," Meharry said, "and just be there to
get people going and get people excited
to play every game."
Turn to BASKETBALL, Page 9
n . Matt Hankins/Emerald
Center Jenny Mowe grabs one of her six rebounds against Coppin State last Monday in the
Ducks’ 72-70 loss to the Eagles at McArthur Court in the first round of the WNIT tournament.
Club soccer
on 4th visit
to Nationals
The men’s Club Sports soccer
team stalls tournament play in
Georgia today
By Matt O'Neill
lorlhe Emerald
Two years ago it was in Austin, Texas.
Last year it was in Statesboro, Ga.
This year, the Oregon men's Club Sports
soccer team makes a return trip to the state
of Georgia for its fourth consecutive Nation
al Club Soccer Championships.
Oregon (12-3-3) will compete with the
best club teams from across the nation start
ing today. Last year, the Ducks played them
selves into the quarterfinals, losing to North
Carolina in sudden-death overtime. Two
years ago, the Ducks lost to the host team,
Texas, in the semifi
nals.
Team manager Chad
Wright feels this year's
team is not as talented
as past squads, but
should still do very
well.
"We aren't as strong as the past couple
years, but we have a lot of guys that hustle,"
Wright said. "This year we’re in the open di
vision, so we should be expected to do a lot
better."
The Ducks are a young team compared to
the teams that have made good showings in
past tournaments, but members of the team
are excited for the potential of this season's
championships. Midfielder Ross Minckler
said inexperience at Nationals will not hurt
the team.
"The team has come a long way this year."
Minckler said. "We have a lot of young guys
on the team. We’re going to work really hard
at Nationals and hopefully make it to the fi
nals."
For freshman midfielder Justin Wilbur,
the trip to the Nationals is an exciting expe
rience.
"I’ve never been there, so I'm really excit
ed," Wilbur said. "Our team is strong and
we’ll do well down there."
The team will have to play well together
if the Ducks want to beat the other three
teams in their bracket. Oregon will have to
defeat Houston, Georgia Southern and
Turn to SOCCER, Page 9
Player draws penalty even though he wasn’t in the game
In Saturday s
football game
against
Arizona State,
Kevin Parker,
eager to
congratulate
his teammates,
was cited for
entering the
field without
his helmet
By Rob Moseley
Oregon Daily Emerald
It happened just more than 10 minutes
into Oregon’s 51-19 win over Arizona State
last Saturday.
The Ducks had just scored on a 35-yard
pass from Akili Smith to Damon Griffin to
take a 21-7 lead following a fumbled kickoff
return by the Sun Devils. In all the hoopla
after the play, fans may have not noticed
that kicker Nathan Villegas was kicking the
extra point from 25 yards out, 15 yards far
ther than normal.
The Ducks were slapped with an un
sportsmanlike conduct penalty after the
touchdown, which usually means excessive
celebration by the players on field.
But according to Oregon head coach Mike
Bellotti, the penalty was called on a player
who wasn’t on the field for a single snap on
Saturday.
Kevin Parker, who suited up for his se
nior introduction prior to the game but nev
er played, was cited for entering the field
without his helmet on.
“Unfortunately, Kevin did get a penalty,”
Bellotti said. “In his excitement to go out
and congratulate a teammate he took his
towel and forgot his helmet.”
Villegas' record-setting day
Akili Smith, who set a new Oregon mark
for single-season
touchdown passes
against the Sun Dev
ils, wasn’t the only
record-setting Duck
Oregon
Football Notes
on Saturday.
With his second
successful extra-point
try, Villegas became Oregon’s single-season
record holder for most PATs, as well as
most consecutive successful PATs, breaking
Josh Smith’s two-year-old mark of 42. Ville
gas later extended the streak to 47.
Earlier this season, Villegas set a school
record for consecutive successful field goal
attempts with 14. With nine more points
this season, Villegas will break the single
season record of 109 set by Gregg McCallum
in 1989. His accuracy this season has led to
a nomination for the Lou Groza Award for
the nation’s top kicker. As one of three final
ists, along with Kansas State’s Martin Gra
matica and Florida State’s Sebastian
Janikowski, Villegas will be in Florida for
the award presentation on Dec. 8.
Smith, whose 26 touchdown passes this
season are four more than the totals of Bill
Musgrave (1989) and Danny O’Neil (1993,
1994), is in line to set a few more records be
fore the conclusion of this season.
His passing yardage total of 3,224 yards is
337 short of O’Neil’s record-setting total
from 1993, and Smith is 18 yards short of
O’Neil’s record of 3,087 total yards from the
same season.
Civil War hype
Besides the usual motivation of beating
in-state rival Oregon State this weekend,
Bellotti said the Ducks will have an addi
Turn to NOTES, Page 8
PARKER