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Kasahun
continued from page 7 A
Sudan. The youngest of the group
was Kasahun, who hiked for more
than a month to escape the fighting,
“I told my father, ‘I have to gel
out of here,’” Kasahun said.
Kasahun and his fellow refugees
headed west, hiding from soldiers
in the daytime, traveling by night.
“We didn’t know where we were
headed,” Kasahun said. “Some
times we would walk for hours at a
time and wind up in the spot we
started at. Sometimes we would
hide in trucks at night and hide in
people’s houses in the day.”
With thousands of other Ethiopi
ans fleeing the country. Sudan
closed the border. The only way
Kasahun’s party could get in was by
hiding in a Land Rover. Despite be
ing separated from his party.
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Kasahun made the border crossing
and avoided capture by Sudanese
soldiers.
Kasahun made his way to Khar
toum, where he lived with a family
friend. He lived in Sudan for four
years, all the while attempting to
gain political asylum in America.
In 1993, the same year that fighting
ended in Ethiopia, Kasahun was
granted asylum.
The Catholic Church paid for
Kasahun’s flight from Sudan to
Cairo, to Athens, to London, to
New York and finally to San Fran
cisco. Kasahun lived with his sister
in Fresno, Calif.
Despite knowing little English,
Kasahun went through immersion
courses and took mainstream class
es in American schools.
“I had to do more studying, more
reading, but I learned that language
quickly,” he said.
He found his stroke in running in
physical education classes at Fres
no High. The PE teacher, who was
also the sprinting coach for the
track team, encouraged Kasahun to
participate in track.
Kasahun found his calling and
ran the mile and the two-mile for
the team. In the fall, he left the soc
cer team to run cross country. Three
years later, he was the CIF State
Champion.
In 1996, Kasahun became the
first member of his family to gradu
ate from high school.
Kasahun continued his running
success at Fresno City College,
where he was the top runner for the
Rams during his freshman and
sophomore years. In 1998, he com
pleted the distance runners sweep,
winning the California Junior Col
lege cross country championship,
followed by titles in the 5,000 and
10,000 meters in track.
In the summer of 1999, Kasahun
returned to Ethiopia for the first
time in 12 years.
“It was very emotional,”
Kasahun said. “It brought tears to
my eyes to see my family after 12
years. People change so much in
that time. They were all surprised
to see that I had grown so much.”
His accomplishments raised eye
brows of Division I coaches all
along the West Coast. One coach in
particular was Martin Smith, who
envisioned Kasahun fitting nicely
Volleyball
continued from page 7 A
work as hard as we can. It would
definitely be nice to end [home
court play] with a win.”
Despite the team’s losing its last
four conference matches, which
were against the top four teams in
the Pac-10, head coach Carl Fer
reira is pleased with how his team
has reacted.
“This group could’ve hung their
heads and starting sulking a long
time ago,” Ferreira said. “But our
theme is to play hard today and
prepare for tomorrow. And it’s
great that we’re playing our best
toward the latter part of the year.
“Find me another team in the
country with only one conference
win that is as passionate as we are.
It’s just awesome.”
Washington (6-16, 1-13) picked
up its only conference victory
against the Ducks in Seattle Oct.
13. The Huskies have not, howev
er, won a match since.
Junior hitter Allison Richardson
and sophomore hitter Paige Ben
jamin have been leading the
Huskies’ offensive attack. Richard
son has averaged 4.33 kills and a
.403 attack percentage in the last
five matches. In last week’s 3-2
loss to Stanford, the duo combined
for 45 kills.
While containing the Washing
ton attack is key, Banducci said the
Ducks are more focused on what’s
happening on their side of the net.
into his future plans.
“I took a trip up [to Eugene] and
the decision was obvious,”
Kasahun said. “It was a really good
community, the best in the country.
I looked at other schools but decid
ed to be a part of the Ducks.”
Last year, Kasahun joined the
Oregon cross country team and
made an immediate impact on the
team’s top-five. Kasahun was the
Ducks’ fourth runner all season and
helped lead the team to a third
place finish in the Pacific-10 Con
ference and a sixth-place finish at
the NCAA meet.
Kasahun’s biggest contribution
was yet to come. After making sig
nificant improvements in the 2000
track campaign, Kasahun began his
extensive summer training regi
men.
“Over the summer I did a lot of
training,” Kasahun said. “I took a
week-long break, then increased my
mileage to 90-plus miles per week.
As you get older, you get stronger,
and maturity has an effect too.”
Kasahun’s new focus was evi
dent in the Ducks’ season-opening
meet at the Roy Griak Invitational
September 23. Kasahun was the top
Oregon runner and finished 13th
out of 219 participants in a person
al best time of 24 minutes, 48 sec
onds.
“Mike has obviously made sub
stantial improvements this season,”
Smith said. “He made excellent
progress last track season, followed
by laying down a great base over
the summer. A lot of his improve
ments have come from getting com
fortable in a new home and gaining
more confidence.”
Kasahun has not dropped off
since, either matching or recording
new personal bests in three follow
ing meets.
“I am very pleased so far,”
Kasahun said. “I am pleased with
myself and the team and the way
that we have been improving.”
At the end of the 2001 track sea
son, Kasahun will have used all his
eligibility, and his two-year stay at
Oregon will come to a close.
“Athletics have given me the
chance to attend a university and
earn a degree,” he said. “I pray that
my father will be alive when I get
my degree. I just want him to see
what I have accomplished.”
“It’s important for us to maintain
our ability to sustain a high level
of play,” Banducci said. “We’ve
had a great week of practice. We’ve
been extremely competitive and
have been working extremely
hard.”
In the final home match of the
season, Washington State (15-8, 6
8) heads into Mac Court looking to
sweep Oregon for the ninth
straight year.
The Cougars, a 3-0 winner in
this year’s first meeting against the
Ducks, are second in the Pac-10
with 18.41 kills per game, led by
sophomore LaToya Harris. In the
Cougars’ upset of No. 17 Stanford
last week, Harris tallied 18 kills
and 16 digs and three service aces
en route to being named the Pac
10 player of the week.
Notes
On the year, Oregon is averaging
just 13 kills per game, worst in the
Pac-10.*Washington is ninth with
15 kills per game.
Washington junior setter Britni
Churnside, a Sheldon High School
graduate, will be making her third
homecoming appearance at Mac
Court. With Churnside on the ros
ter, the Huskies are 2-0 in Eugene.
No. 3 Arizona puts its undefeat
ed road record on the line when it
heads to Los Angeles to take on
No. 6 USC. In the Pac-10 stand
ings, the Wildcats sit one game
ahead of the Women of Troy, who
have yet to lose this year on their
home court.