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NHL Eastern Conference Finals: New jersey at Pittsburgh
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SPORTS EDITOR: JEFF SMITH Smittside@aol.com
‘Give me the job’: Former star wants to coach
■ bev brrutn, arguably the best basketball player to ever wear
an Oregon women’s uniform, is the first to interview for the
vacant women’s basketball head coaching position
By Adam Jude
Oregon Daily Emerald
Nearly a quarter of a century ago,
Oregon was recruiting Bev Smith.
Now, Bev Smith is making a pitch
to come back.
Smith, the former Oregon stand
out who is second on the school’s
all-time scoring list, met with Ath
letic Director Bill Moos Wednes
day to discuss her interest in be
coming the fifth women’s
basketball coach in the program’s
28-year history.
Smith is the first person to be in
terviewed for the head coaching
position since Jody Runge resigned
April 30.
Moos and Smith met Wednes
day morning for more than an
hour.
“To come full circle and come
back into this community with the
experiences I’ve had — to give
back what they gave me when I left
here — I don’t think there’s too
many people in North America
that would have that opportunity,”
Smith said. “I’m just very happy to
be here.
“Give me the job.”
For the last four years, the 41
year-old Smith has coached the
Canadian na
tional team,
leading the
team to a 10th
place finish at
the Olympics
last year.
During her
career at Ore
gon, from 1978
to 1982, Smith
averaged 18.8
points per
game and set school records for re
bounds (12.4 rpg) and steals (3.2
spg) en route to being named a
two-time all-American.
Smith helped lead the Ducks to
their first NCAA Tournament in
1982, her senior season.
Whoever is chosen to be the
Ducks’ next coach will inherit a pro
gram from Runge that has made
eight consecutive NCAA Tourna
ment appearances and compiled a
160-73 record since the 1993-94 sea
son.
Moos could not be reached for
comment Tuesday, but has said
that he expects to fill the vacancy
by the beginning of June. He also
anticipated receiving a large pool
of applications by the May 21
deadline.
Several other candidates have
reportedly shown interest in the
position: Denver’s Pam Tanner,
Florida State’s Sue Semrau, Utah’s
Elaine Elliott, Pacific’s Sherri Mur
rell, Xavier’s Melanie Balcomb and
Cheryl Burnettof Southwest Mis
souri State.
Moos is expected to interview
several more applicants on cam
pus in the next week.
Meanwhile, the women’s basket
ball team is continuing its spring
workouts under the guidance of
interim coach Dan Muscatell.
Although he said there may be
some distraction in the team be
cause of the unknown future, Mus
catell said the team is trying to fo
cus only on getting prepared for
next season.
“I’m sure there’s some apprehen
Turn to Smith, page 16
1
UP TV
Junior Niki Reed will have perhaps her best shot ever at an
NCAA title this postseason
By Peter Hockaday
Oregon Daily Emerald
When you pole vault over a 13-foot
bar, the motion is the same each time.
Run up, launch, twist, go over the
bar.
Sort of like Niki Reed’s Oregon ca
reer.
Now, as Reed enters the postsea
son of her junior year, she has the ex
pectations of a team and her own 14
foot standards — literally and
figuratively — to live Up to. It could
be the last twist be
fore she goes over
the top of her ca
reer as a Duck and
down into the real
world.
The Newport
native is the
fourth-ranked vaulter in the nation
this season. She is one of only 10 ath
letes nationwide to jump the NCAA
automatic mark of 13 feet, 5 1/4 inch
es. That mark tied the school record
— which she set last year.
The scary part is that Reed is only
getting better.
“She’s a lot stronger and faster
now than she has been,” senior
vaulter Holly Speight said.
“I’m so proud of her,” senior all
American vaulter Karina Elstrom
said. “I think she can do really well
[this postseason].”
Not only is Reed faster and
stronger than she once was, but the
junior has also developed as a leader.
“I’m trying to be someone for the
young girls to look up to,” Reed said.
“I don’t try and be like a coach to
them.”
Those younger pole vaulters —
freshmen Kirsten Riley and Geor
gette Moyle — have both qualified
for the Pacific-10 Conference Cham
pionship meet this year, meaning the
pole vault squad will send five ath
letes to Berkeley this weekend for the
league competition.
Before Reed emerged, it was El
strom and Speight who were the
queens of the Oregon vault.
“When I first came in, I was intim
idated and amazed by both of them,”
Reed said. “As the years went on, I
realized that they were just there to
help.”
Reed now has a chance to have her
most successful season at Oregon.
The junior finished second in the
Pac-10 her freshman year, then was
taken out of the hunt in 2000 because
of injuries. She was able to come
back for the NCAAs last year and fin
ished 13th in the outdoor meet. Her
most impressive finish, though,
came at the NCAA Championships
during her freshman year, where she
finished fifth overall.
The important thing to note about
all those finishes is that none of
those vaults were over 1? feet high.
This year, Reed may need to go
above 14 feet to finish in the top-five
at the NCAAs.
“I want to jump in the 14s, that’s
my goal,” Reed said. “There are a lot
of girls jumping over 14 right now.”
If there’s any place to do it, the
NCAAs at Hayward Field May 30
June 2 could be the place. Reed de
scribes Hayward as a “great place to
jump.” Her family comes to meets.
Turn to Reed, page 16