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SPORTS EDITOR: JEFF SMITH Smittside@aol.com
Weather dominates NCAA cross country meet
it The
conditions
were brutal.
I’ve never
seen
anything
like this in
26 years.
Even when
we’ve run in
snow, it has
n’t been this
bad.
Tom
Heinonen
Oregon
women’s
c°ach yy
■ Oregon cross country teams are
hit hard by freezing temperatures
and strong headwinds at the
national championships
By Robbie McCallum
Oregon Daily Emerald
Seventeen degrees, 21-mile-per-hour
winds and a negative five degree wind
chill — not the most ideal running con
ditions.
Yet, that was the weather Monday in
Ames, Iowa, the site of the NCAA cross
country meet. Despite the harsh condi
tions, 505 runners, nine of whom were
Ducks, lined up for two chilly races.
“The conditions were brutal,” Ore
gon women’s coach Tom Heinonen
said. “I've never seen anything like this
in 26 years. Even when we've run in
snow, it hasn't been this bad.”
Oregon runners did not respond
well to the conditions, as few Ducks
put in top performances. The Ducks
were represented by the women’s
team, which placed 28th out of 31
teams, and two individual men.
Sophomore Jason Hartmann put in
arguably the best performance of the
day for Oregon, earning his second All
American honor by placing 35th in a
time of 31 minutes, three seconds over
the 10,000 meter course.
“I did all right but not as well as I
would have liked,” Hartmann said. “It
comes down to doing it on the day. I
was in position, but couldn't close it
and that's the key.”
Senior Michael Kasahun was the
only other Oregon runner in the
men’s race. The Ethiopia native
capped his Oregon cross country ca
reer with a 65th-place finish in a time
of 31:26.
“During the race, I was in control,
but couldn't close it up,” Kasahun said.
“My legs basically froze up on me at
the end. I was trying everything I
could, but just couldn't get it out.”
The Oregon men’s team failed to
qualify for the NCAA meet after a
fourth-place finish at the Western Re
gional meet Nov. 11. Hartmann and
Kasahun qualified, though, by placing
second and fourth, individually.
“Obviously, [Hartmann and
Kasahun] were disappointed that the
team couldn't be here but still ap
proached the race as mentally tough
as they could,” men’s head coach
Martin Smith said. “This is tough
cross country weather and if you
weren't mentally prepared and men
tally strong enough, it could have a
major impact.”
Underdogs took home most of the
trophies in the men’s race. Providence
College's Keith Kelly outkicked de
fending national champion David Ki
mani of Alabama and Stephen Ondieki
of Fairleigh Dickinson to win in a time
of 30:14.
Turn to Cross country, page 12
Geoff Thurner Oregon Media Services
Sophomore Jason Hartmann bundled up for the men’s NCAA championship race, where he earned
All-American honors.
Men s hoops hits the road to face waiting Denver
Azle Malinao-Alvarez Emerald
Oregon senior forward Bryan Bracey exploded Friday for his first career
double-double in points and rebounds and will be looking to do more of
the same tonight.
■ The Ducks know they will be playing a
Denver team that will be looking to
avenge last season’s blowout at Mac Court
By Peter Hockaday
Oregon Daily Emerald
For the Denver men’s basketball team, revenge
is spelled O-r-e-g-o-n.
The Pioneers suffered their worst loss of the
season last year in Eugene, a 101-53 defeat at the
hands of the Ducks.
Tonight, Denver will have the
home-court advantage.
“We had a good win against
Denver last year and they’re
looking for revenge,” Oregon
senior center Julius Hicks said.
“They felt we ran up the score
last year, which wasn’t the
case.”
Oregon head coach Ernie Kent thinks the re
venge factor will be good for his team.
“If it’s a hostile environment and they’re a little
bitter, then that’s a good test for us,” Kent said.
“Certainly we’re going to find those environments
down the road when we get into conference
play.”
The game will be the Ducks’ second of the sea
son and their first road test. Oregon handily de
feated Mississippi Valley State, 85-70, in its sea
son opener Friday.
Denver may be emotionally excited in its first
game of the season tonight, but it may not be
able to overcome the talent difference between
the two teams. The Pioneers finished with a 6
22 record last year, despite playing in the lowly
Sun Belt Conference. In two exhibition games
this year, Denver defeated World Basketball Op
portunities 109-102 and the Nantucket Nectar
Naturals 80-70.
Despite the Pioneers’ track record, the Ducks
are taking the team seriously.
“Anybody can beat you on any given night,”
junior forward Freddie Jones said. “We’ve got to
go out there and play with intensity or they’ll
sneak up on us.”
“They’re going to get up for this game, an op
portunity to play a Pac-10 school,” senior forwar d
Bryan Bracey said. “We know they’re going to be
holding a grudge after last year. We just have to
come and be ready to play.”
Kent will be looking to put all his team’s puz
Turn to Basketball, page 8
We had
a good win
against
Denver last
year and
they're
lookingfor
revenge.
Julius Hicks
Oregon
center jj
Cheer up, there are still plenty of reasons to be a proud Duck
PEZ SEZ
SCOTT PESZNECKER
So, did anyone watch the
Civil War Saturday?
I did, and let me tell
you, it wasn’t Oregon’s
best performance ever. In fact, it
ranked right up there with the
worst I’d seen in its last two sea
sons.
So many things went wrong in
that oh-so-important game.
Where was the passing defense in
the first quarter? Was the O-line
actually trying to protect quarter
back Joey Harrington? And why
did Harrington, who thrives on
pressure, throw five intercep
tions?
It’s funny how the hands of fate
can be so cruel; how one moment,
a team controls its Rose Bowl des
tiny, and the next, the BCS bowl
representatives are snuggling up
with the other team. And not just
any other team, but a heated in
state rival.
How can it be?
Oregon fans were stunned and
shocked after the loss. One can
only imagine how electric Eugene
would have been that night had
the Ducks won — but they didn’t.
Today, I’d bet that many Oregon
football fans are still trying to
shake away the cobwebs, still try
ing to get a grip on the grim reality
at hand.
No Rose Bowl, no BCS bowl, no
10-win season — at least not yet.
My response? No problem.
You see, Oregon fans, there are
still plenty of reasons have Duck
pride.
For starters, there’s the Oregon
women’s basketball team. True, the
women lost point guard Shaquala
Williams, their best player, before
the start of the season. However,
backup Kourtney Shreve has shift
ed into the starting role well, re
cently scoring the game-winning
four points to beat North Carolina
State on the road.
Guard/forward Lindsey Dion is
healthy for the time being — an
other plus for Oregon — and the
tall, athletic Alyssa Fredrick has
calmed down on the floor to be
come a steady inside force so far
this season.
And, even though Williams is
on the bench for the season, spec
tators at the Ducks’ two exhibition
games saw a rare thing from her: a
smile, for real.
Oregon was picked to finish sec
ond in the Pacific-10 Conference,
but with the way it played on the
road last weekend, this team could
do more. Can you say “three
peat?”
Turn to Pesznecker, page 12