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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (March 15, 2001)
Thursday \ Best Bet NCAA Tournament: Regional First Round action 9 a.m., CBS SPORTS EDITOR: JEFF SMITH Smittside@aol.com Duck wrestlers chase individual NCAA titles Seven Ducks are gunning for titles at the NCAA Championship in America’s wrestling capital: Iowa City By Robbie McCallum Oregon Daily Emerald Since early September, the Oregon wrestling team has been training for this weekend. For two seniors, the training began five years ago. The 2000-2001 wrestling sea son comes to a finale this week end in Iowa City, Iowa, for the NCAA Championships, which run Thursday through Saturday. Seven Ducks will be vying for individual titles. Oregon hasn’t sent so many entrants to the big meet since the 1980-81 season. “We feel we’ve yet to prove ourselves on the mat,” Oregon head coach Chuck Kearney said. “We have one goal left: Place in the top 10 at nation als.” Senior All Americans Doug Lee and Chael Sonnen enter the meet as Oregon’s high est seeds. Both are seeded No. 6 in the 34-man brackets, and both are chasing their third top-eight finishes at the NCAA meet. WRESTLING Lee, who is 184 pounds and 32-5 this season, makes his fourth consecutive NCAA ap pearance and faces unranked Jeffrey Moskyok of Duquesne in first round action. Lee’s biggest obstacle at 184 pounds will be arguably the greatest wrestler in collegiate history: Iowa State’s Gael Sanderson, who is undefeated in college with a 114-0 record. “Doug’s goal is to win a na tional championship,” Kearney said. “And he wants to wrestle Turn to Wrestling, page 10 Adam Amato Emerald Senior Pac-10 champion Doug Lee (right) faces Duquesne’s Jeffrey Moskyok in the first round of the NCAA Championships. Spring Preview Emerald Sophomore pitcher Andrea Vidlund is aiming to help lead the Ducks to the College World Series. UO expects improved play as season opens in March ■The quest for a fourth-straight postseason berth will rely on Oregon’s ability to consistently score runs down the stretch By Adam Jude Oregon Daily Emerald For any other sport, the season would probably be over already. But 35 games is only the preseason for the No. 24 Oregon softball team. After participating in four tournaments since the beginning of February, the Ducks are a mediocre 20-15, far below many expectations after last season’s trip to the NCAA Tournament. “We started off a little rocky and had a few more losses than we had hoped,” sophomore pitcher Andrea Vidlund said. “But we’ve done better lately and have come together as a team.” Oregon lacks a solid core of seniors, but that doesn’t mean the Ducks are inexperi enced. Nine Ducks return to the lineup this season, with seniors Kelly Planche and Triawn Custer lead ing the charge. Custer led the team in 2000 with a .331 average and was named to the Pacif ic-10 Conference sec ond-team. Junior Connie Mc Murren, the team’s ace who posted a 1.79 ERA last season, and Vidlund are the team’s top hurlers. Mc Murren is 8-5 so far, while Vidlund is 7-3. Of the nine newcomers, sophomore Lisa Wangler has stood out as a key figure, leading the team in batting average, runs Turn to Softball, page 12 rar .1 Emerald Oregon junior pole vaulter Niki Reed hopes to qualify for this year’s NOVA Championships meet. Women's track is motivated by NCAAs being at Hayward ■The Ducks will try harder than ever to qualify for this year’s NCAA Championships as they’re being held in right here in Tracktown By Peter Hockaday Oregon Daily Emerald When you think of Oregon track and field, you think about Steve Prefontaine. You think about Hayward Field, one of the most beautiful and legendary track venues on the West Coast. When you think of Oregon women’s track and field, you think dominance and tradition. This season, behind the strength of re turning all-Americans, young talent and a few experienced additions from other schools, the Duck women will try to re store the fading glory of Tracktown, USA. “We’re a very young team,” Oregon head coach Tom Heinonen said. The women will use strong field and distance units to improve on its ninth place performance at the Pacific-10 Con ference Championships last season. A spark for the Ducks this year will be the NCAA Champi onships in late May and early June. The NCAA’s would normally b.e mo tivation enough, but this season they will be held at Hayward Field, and the Oregon athletes say that will drive them to run, jump and throw even farther. “We’d like to have as many people as possible qualify for the national champi onships,” senior transfer Hanna Smed stad said. “Since it’s here, that will be very exciting.” Turn to Track, page 12
