Best Bet
NCAA Slam Dunk contest
6 p.m. ESPN
Thursday
March 30,2000
Volume 101, Issue 120
Emehdd
Spring previews
Emerald
Jermaine Hanspard and the Ducks intend to pick up the pace for the Hayward Relays on April 8.
Group effort the focus
for men’s track team
The Ducks
are ready
for their
second
season
under head
coach
Martin
Smith
By Scott Pesznecker
Oregon Daiiy Emerald
When Martin Smith replaced
Bill Dellinger as the Oregon
men’s track coach in fall 1998,
he spoke about his plans for
Tracktown, U.S.A.
That he wanted to rebuild the
Ducks to a national powerhouse.
That he wanted to rekindle the
mystic of Hayward Field. That
he wanted* to put a champi
onship attitude in the hearts of
Oregon athletes.
One out of three isn’t bad.
The Ducks are buzzing about
Smith’s team
work philos
ophy — a
simple motto
that turns the
usually indi
vidual nature
of track and field into a team
contest.
Turn to Men, page 16A
Catharine Kendall Emerald
Katie Crabb finds herself an eider stateswoman on the 2000 Oregon women’s track team.
Oregon women expect
for youth to be served
■ The Duck women’s
track team looks for a
growth season
By Mirjam Swanson
Oregon Daily Emerald
Any realist would tell you
that the Oregon women’s track
team is hard-pressed to im
prove on the fifth-place Pacif
ic-10 Conference finish that it
has had the previous three sea
sons.
Because the Ducks are
young.
Talented, for sure.
But also young after losing
14 seniors — several of them
key — to graduation.
“We’re going in the right di
rection,” head coach Tom
Heinonen said. “We want to do
as good as we can be in the
Pac-10 meet in May. It’s just go
Turn to Women, page 13A
It's World Series or bust for the 2000 Oregon softball team
The Oregon
softball
program,
loaded with
big bats and
strong arms,
sets its sights
on its first
College World
Series since
1989
By Matt O'Neill
Oregon Daily Emerald
As the old saying goes, hope
springs eternal.
And for the Oregon softball
program this spring is full of
hope.
While the ultimate goal is the
school’s second-ever College
World Series berth, nothing less
than an appearance in the
NCAA Regionals will be con
sidered satisfactory, senior in
fielder/outfielder Jill Robinson
said.
“Our No. 1 goal is to get to the
World Series,” Robinson said.
“As a senior, I don’t want to end
with [Pacific-10 Conference]
play. I want to go to the next
step.
“I think this
team can.”
But along
the way, the
Ducks have to
contend with
some of' the
toughest com
petition in Division I-A softball.
“The Pacific-10 Conference is
one of the toughest around,”
head coach Rick Gamez said.
“Everyone is really tough. You
can’t afford to take any games
off because there is no weak sis
ter in the bunch.”
Among that tough competi
tion are some of the top-ranked
teams in the country. Eight of
the top 25 teams reside in the
Pac-10. Washington, Arizona,
UCLA, California, and Arizona
State are the top five, while
Stanford also cracks the top 10
at seven. Oregon State is ranked
11th, and the Ducks are the sev
enth team, ranked No. 23.
Robinson feels that despite
the high rankings of some of the
Turn to Softball, page 12A
Home runs
Robinson 9
Custer 6
Ray 6
Coe 5
Batting Average
Custer .446
Robinson .392
Hutchinson .381
Gustafson .380
RBIs
Robinson 31
Welch 30
Gustafson 25
Custer, Coe 23
Wins
Vidlund 12
McMurren 9
Haag 2
ERA
Haag 2.41
Vildund 2.50
McMurren 2.68