©regotr#^meralt)
Friday
March 12,1999
Student tickets are available today for $4 at the
Casanova Center for Oregon's second-round
NIT men’s basketball giuue against Wyoming
on Monday at 7 p.m. at McArthur Court.
Season Preview
Oregon women showcase the young and old
The Ducks will officially open
the outdoor track season on
Saturday at Hayward Field
By Scott Pesznecker
Oregon Daily Emerald
For the past couple of months, the Ore
gon women’s track and field team could
be found practicing in the Moshofsky
Center as it attempted to escape from the
wet, cold winter weather.
But from this point on, the team will
spend most of its time outdoors.
The Ducks officially open their outdoor
season Saturday at the Oregon Preview,
held throughout the day at Hayward
Field.
“The Moshofsky Center has been a lot
of help to us, but it’s time for the transi
tion to the outdoor season,” head coach
Tom Heinonen said. “This coming meet
will be a major step to get ready for the
upcoming season.”
Experience and youth are two things
that Oregon has going for it. Returning
from last season’s Pacific-10 Conference
Championships are 18 veterans who will
help lead the squad’s junior members.
“As in any team, we look toward the
older athletes to lead the newcomers and
show them how it’s done,” Heinonen
said. “We have a solid group of older ath
letes who can be helpful to the young
sters.”
Among the veteran talent is one of the
nation’s top distance trios. All-American
Kaarin Knudson will compete in the 800
meters and 3,000 meters, and Katie Crabb
has winning potential in the 800 meters
and 1,500 meters after finishing strong
last spring.
Rounding out the distance trio is All
American Marie Davis. Recently, Davis
resumed full track workouts after sustain
ing a foot injury.
Heinonen called Davis’ injury a possi
ble “blessing in disguise."
"She is unlikely to start as fast as she
did last year, but we don’t need her to,”
he said. "We just want her to finish well.
She still has the talent to get to the NCAA
meet, and maybe a slower start will help
her out down the stretch.”
Two more critical pieces to Oregon’s
puzzle are veterans Aisha Wallace and
Sue Morris. Wallace ranks second among
the Ducks’ returnees in the 100 meters
and third in the 200 meters.
Morris has recovered from an Achilles
tendon injury last year and wants to re
join the Pac-lO’s elite in the 400 meters.
Oregon will also welcome two new
comers to anchor the Ducks in the
sprints. Alexis Yeater will run the 100
and 200 meters, and En
dia Abrante will race
the 400 meters.
Fresh from an All
American finish in the
NCAA Indoor Champi
onships in Indianapolis,
Karina Elstrom will lead the Ducks in the
jumps. Last season, Elstrom made ap
pearances in both the indoor and outdoor
NCAA meets.
Elstrom has cleared 12 feet in five of
her last seven collegiate meets and wants
to use the upcoming Oregon Preview to
ease into the outdoor season.
"I really want to do well this season,”
Elstrom said. “This could be a great be
ginning to the outdoor season. I just want
to get the crowd pumped up and jump as
high as I can.”
Freshmen Niki Reed and Georgette
Moyle join sophomore Holly Speight in
playing key roles for the Ducks’ jumping
squad. Reed is the third former Oregon
state prep titleist to join the Ducks, while
Moyle was also ranked among the top-20
high school preps last year.
The throws graduated three Pac-10
scorers last year, but the return of senior
Heidi Fisk and junior Maureen Morrison
Turn to TRACK, Page 13A
Nick Medlty/hmcniLl
The Ducks’ newly crowned All-American Karina Elstrom will vault in Saturday’s Oregon Preview.
_I
UO men desire to continue winning ways in March
(( The guys
are focused
and they’re
anxious to
keep playing
well.
Chris Russell
Oregon head coach
Freshman Thomas
Schneiterwill look to im
prove his 8-8 record this
weekend when the
Ducks take on Pacific
and San Francisco.
Scott Bamett/Emeruld
By Mirjam Swanson
lor the Emerald
With the way things are going for the Ore
gon men's tennis team, March could turn out
to be the big month the Ducks were hoping
for.
Heading into its final two home matches
of the season, Oregon is fresh off its biggest
wins in school history.
Last Sunday, Oregon
upset No. 31 Santa Bar
bara, 5-3. The Ducks hope
that win will set the tone
for the rest ofthe month as
well as the rest of the sea
son.
“We’ve been looking for
that kind of win for a while,” head coach
Chris Russell said. “Not only can we com
pete at that level, but we can win at that lev
el. Our goal was to have a really great month,
and we’re talking about winning almost all
of our matches.”
The Ducks want to build as much momen
tum as they can before they begin play in the
Gaucho Classic in Santa Barbara, Calif., on
March 27, Russell said.
And a couple of wins this weekend
would certainly help.
“The guys are focused and they’re anxious
to keep playing well,” Russell said. “If we
Turn to TENNIS, Page16A
The Ducks
finish their
home season
with
matches
against
Pacific on
Saturday
and San
Francisco on
Sunday
On tap
What: Men's tennis
Who: Oregon
vs.Pacific
When: Saturday,
1 p.m.
Where: 13th Street
Courts (with sun)
or Willow Creek
Tennis Courts (with
rain)