Track
continued from page 11
But Johnson said he might not
compete in the Twilight meet so
he can prepare for a strong show
ing at the Pac-10 meet.
“It’s the meet we’ve been
preparing for all year,” Johnson
said. “It’s not any extra pressure to
say that I’m going for an NCAA
mark. I just feel like, ‘This is the
opportunity. It’s going to be the
day. I can go do it. I should go do
it.’”
To qualify for the NCAA long
jump, Johnson needs to clear 25-1
1/4. So far this season, he has
cleared 24-1/4.
A Fein battle plan
“Fast times” is the slogan that
the athletic department opted to
splash across the men’s and
women’s promotional team
posters.
The men’s poster shows Steve
Fein, Oregon’s distance phenom
who came from Wisconsin with
head coach Martin Smith.
Only problem is, Fein hasn’t
been running any “fast times.” In
fact, because of nasal problems
and training complications, he
hasn’t even been running.
All season long, Tracktown fans
have been thirsting to see more of
Fein. All season long, his name
has appeared on the heat sheets
before track meets. Despite that,
Fein has spent all but two of the
outdoor season meets off the
track.
Going into the season, Fein
seemed to be the Ducks’ sure
thing to make the NCAA Champi
onships.
But going into this weekend,
r
the answer is more like a ques
tion.
Fein has no Pac-10 mark. No
NCAA mark. If he doesn’t run this
weekend, his incredible collegiate
career is over with no postseason.
Because the senior has been off
of the track for so long, it seems
unlikely that he’ll run his mar
Its not any extra
pressure to say that I’m
going for an NCAA mark.
I just feel like, ‘This is the
opportunity. Its going to
be the day. I can do it. I
should go do it.’
Nat Johnson
senior jumper
11
quee event, the 5,000. He ran the
800 in the Oregon Preview and
the 1,500 in the Oregon-Washing
ton Dual. He finished second in
both races.
Under different circumstances,
he could have ran the 5,000 re
gardless of his time on the track,
because he’s probably good
enough.
However, Fein has his eyes set
on July’s 2000 Olympic Trials in
Sacramento, Calif., and to risk
overtraining this late in the year
would damage his gold-medal
dreams.
Which leaves the Oregon Twi
light mile. Word is that Fein will
be at the start line in that eveht
when the gun sounds, as opposed
to just having his name on the
heat sheet.
If Fein is on the line when the
race begins, Tracktown fans
*
Senior Nat Johnson might not compete in the Oregon Twilight Saturday in order to save his energy for the Pac-10 Championships.
should be ready for a fast mile. A
Pac-10 mark is/easily within his
reach, but if he wants to go to one
more NCAA Competition, lje’11
probably have to pop a mark at
the Twilight meet.
According to the schedule, he’d
have another shot at an NCAA
mark at the Pac-10 meet, but con
ference-title races are often slow
er and more tactical.
Recruiting Trail
The already young pole vault
ing corps just got a depth change.
Two major recruits from Oregon’s
south coast signed letters of intent
last month. Marshfield’s Trevor
Woods and Myrtle Point’s Caleb
Krantz will vault for Oregon next
season.
Woods is the defending 4A
state champion with a vault of 16
1 while Krantz has a lifetime-best
16-0.
The vaulting corps, which con
sists of redshirt sophomores Cody
Howell and Billy Pappas and
freshman Jason Slye, should be
very strong next year.
“We are very pleased to sign
Caleb and Trevor who will make
our program better down the
road,” Oregon head coach Martin
Smith said in a released state
ment.
“They rank among the nations
top prep pole vaulters, and are
still developing.
“We’re building this team grad
ually and getting this duo is an
important step for us because we
need to keep bringing in top in
state kids.”
Distance runner Aaron Emery,
of Beaver River Central High
School in Croghan, New York,
also signed with Oregon last
month.
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