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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 24, 2001)
Tuesday Best Bet NHL Playoffs: Pittsburgh at Washington 4 p.m., ESPN SPORTS EDITOR: JEFF SMITH Smittside@aol.com R. Ashley Smith Emerald Senior Jerilyn White, currently in fourth at the Pac-10s, is coming off the first win of her career. ■ Senior Jerilyn White has carried the Oregon women’s golf team in her final season as a Duck By Peter Hockaday Oregon Daily Emerald Seventy-seven. That’s .the number that has haunted, motivated and eaten at Jerilyn White since last year’s NCAA Championships. White, in her fourth year at Oregon and now the undisputed leader of the Ducks, took 77 strokes — five over par — in the final round of the 2000 NCAAs at Sunriver as her team plummeted from third to 11th overall on that final day. “It goes through my mind day after day about that final round,” White said. “More than anything, that gives me a reason to get back to nationals.” White is on the verge of mak ing it back to the NCAA Cham pionships in Howey-on-the Hills, Fla., this season. If she and the rest of the Oregon golfers can perform well at this week’s Pacif ic-10 Confer ence Cham pionships and the NCAA Re gionals in two weeks, White will get another shot on college golf’s biggest stage. This year, White will enter the postseason with a winning streak. The Salem native was hot ter than she’s ever been this win ter, and she won medalist honors for the first time in her career at the Peg Barnard Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., on April 14. In five tournaments this winter, White has placed seventh, third, 16th, 12th and first. “She’s going in on a high,” Oregon head coach Shannon Rouillard said. In the fall, the only things high for White were her scores. The senior entered 2000-01 with lofty expectations of be coming the second-ever All American women’s golfer at Oregon, but averaged a 77 — there’s that number again — or above at each tournament of the fall season. She placed in a tour nament’s top 20 only once, at the Hawaii Fall Classic, where she ended up in 14th. White came back from winter break with something to prove. She started off the 2001 season Turn to White, page 8 Pac-10 race close, UO ninth ■ The Oregon women’s golf team is second-to last after one round at the Pac-10s By Peter Hockaday Oregon Daily Emerald The Oregon women’s golf team can’t catch Jerilyn White. After one round at the Pa cific-10 Conference Champi onships in Tempe, Ariz., Ore gon senior White is in fourth place and within striking dis tance of the individual crown. Unfortunately, the rest of the Oregon team didn’t do as well, and the Ducks stand in ninth overall. California, ranked 41st na tionally, is the surprise leader at the Pac-lOs. The Golden Bears were led by Sarah Huarte’s 3-under-par 69 over the first round at the Karsten Golf Course. “It’s a good time for every thing to come together,” Cal coach Nancy McDaniel said. “The last two tournaments we’ve been closing the gap on teams ahead of us.” Cal is beating out national powerhouses such as No. 2 Arizona, No. 21 Arizona State and No. 4 Southern Califor nia. The Wildcats are six strokes behind the Bears, while the Sun Devils, Trojans and Cardinal of Stanford are knotted in third place, seven strokes out of first. The Ducks’ highlight Mon day was the play of White, Turn to Women, page 8 Six more Oregon football players get chance at NFL Despite not being drafted, a few Ducks have an opportunity to make a pro team as free agents U Obviously, I would have liked to get drafted— everyone does— but it did n't workout Matt Smith linebacker By Jeff Smith Oregon Daily Emerald After a long weekend of waiting by the phone and watching the tube to no avail, six former Oregon football play ers not taken in the NFL Draft signed free agent contracts Monday. Linebacker Matt Smith, who was one of the more surprising names on the Ducks’ non-draftee list, was picked up by Indianapolis. Smith will be. joined on the Colts by teammate Enyi Nwamuo, a 6-foot-4, 248-pound tight end. Defensive end Saul Patu signed a con tract with the New York Jets and wide receiver Marshaun Tucker was picked up by the Tennessee Titans. Oregon’s fi nal two NFL free agents were defensive end Jason Nikolao with Jacksonville and punter Kurds Doerr with Seattle. “I’m very pleased and proud for our young men to sign pro contracts and get that opportunity,” Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti said at Monday’s practice. “Certainly, you’d like to see more of them get drafted like I think they truly deserved.” The only Duck to be selected in the National Football League Draft was back-up quarterback A.J. Feeley, who went to the Philadelphia Eagles with the 155th overall selection in the fifth round. Smith had been projected to be draft ed between the fourth and seventh rounds and admitted that he was somewhat surprised he didn’t hear his name. “Obviously, I would have liked to get drafted — everyone does — but it did n’t work out,” said Smith, who led Ore gon in tackles last season with 90. “I’ve heard through people that sometimes it’s better to have an opportunity to pick your own team and your own sit uation and hopefully this is the case here.” Smith said that he hopes to make the Colts as a special teams player and a reserve linebacker. He also noted that his fiancd is from Michigan, and she liked Indianapolis because it was a close drive. “But I’d have to make the team first,” Smith said. “I have school throughout this term and then this summer I’ll give it all I got.” Smith was working out in the Turn to Football, page 12 Tom Patterson Emerald Defensive ends Saul Patu (48) and Jason Nikolao (98) will bring their intensity to their NFL camps.
