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Pre 1,500 set for an encore
■ buzy Favor Hamilton
returns to the Pre Classic this
year and will aim to win the
race she barely lost last year
By Jeff Smith
Oregon Daily Emerald
Those who witnessed last
June’s Prefontaine Classic will
probably never forget the thrilling
show put on in the women’s
1,500-meter race.
In the race, Romanian Gabriela
Szabo edged out Suzy Favor
Hamilton in the most exciting
race of the day.
Szabo’s surge near the end of the
race was just enough to win by .06
seconds over Favor Hamilton, who
collapsed after she crossed the fin
ish line. Szabo’s win set a new Pre
Classic meet record with a sizzling
time of 4:00.73.
Unfortunately, the rematch of
that race won’t happen this year,
but Favor Hamilton will return to
the Pre Classic and will face an
equally tough opponent. Poland’s
Lidi Chojecka was announced
Thursday as a participant in the
1,500-meter race at the May 27th
meet at Hayward Field.
Chojecka ran the fifth-fastest
1,500 time in the world in 2000
and was ranked No. 4 in the world
by Track and Field News. Favor
Hamilton, however, might be the
favorite, as she ran the fastest
1,500 time in the world last year.
Favor Hamilton was ranked No. 7
by Track and Field News.
Szabo will not be available for
this year’s Classic, as she is train
ing in South Africa.
Favor Hamilton’s fastest time
from a year ago was set in a race
in Oslo, where she ran the 1,500
in a time of 3:57.40. Chojecka’s
fifth-fastest time was also set in
that race when she broke the four
minute barrier as well by finish
ing in 3:59.22.
The rest of the women’s 1,500
field includes Lyudmila Vasilye
va of Russia, Mardrea Hyman of
Jamaica, Faith Macharia of
Kenya, Leah Pells of Canada,
Hareg Sidelil of Ethiopia and
Americans Cheri Kenah and
Shayne Culpepper.
The Pre Classic takes place
Sunday, May 27, at Hayward
Field and will last from 11:45
a.m. to 1:50 p.m. The meet will
be televised nationwide on Fox
Sports Net. Tickets for the event,
which are $21.50 for reserved
seats and $15.50 for adult general
admission, can be purchased by
calling 1-800-WEBFOOT.
Strawberry sent to rehab... again
TAMPA, Fla. — A “very sick” Darryl Strawberry was
given yet another chance Thursday when a judge sent the
former baseball star to rehab instead of prison for going
on a four-day drug binge.
“You are at bat in the bottom of the ninth with two
strikes against you. You are a proven winner on the field.
Now you must prove you are a winner off the field,” Cir
cuit Judge Florence Foster said.
Strawberry, 39, was ordered into a treatment program,
as he had requested. He is to serve two years there, then a
year of probation.
The eight-time All-Star, who has battled colon cancer
and depression along with drug addiction, has five times
violated the terms of his release on a 1999 conviction for
drug possession and solicitation of prostitution.
If he violates his release again, he faces 18 months in a
Florida prison under the judge’s order.
Strawberry showed no emotion upon hearing his sen
tence, handed down after he pleaded for leniency.
“This case is not about Darryl Strawberry, the baseball
player,” Strawberry said. “This is about a person who is
very sick, who’s been very sick for a very long time and
needs a lot of help. I just thank God I’m alive today to be in
front of you to deal with the situation. ”
Strawberry is battling colon cancer and has mental
problems more severe than previously known, his doc
tors said. Psychiatrists said there are signs of brain damage
from years of cocaine use.
Prosecutors and Strawberry’s probation officer had
wanted the one-time slugger sent to prison for 18 months.
“We hope he can succeed this time,” said Pam Bondi, a
spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office.
Strawberry is also required to serve 100 hours of com
munity service speaking to young people.
Dozens of supporters, including Strawberry’s wife,
Charisse, asked Foster not to send Strawberry to prison,
saying he is a typical addict who will relapse many times
before overcoming addiction.
“We are very relieved and very happy with the re
sults we were able to achieve,” said Joe Ficarrotta,
Strawberry’s lawyer.
Last year, Foster placed Strawberry under house arrest
after he left the Tampa drug treatment center where he
had been living.
Strawberry returned to the center and stayed clean for
five months until March 29, when he disappeared with a
woman who was supposed to be taking him to an Alco
holics Anonymous meeting. He surfaced four days later.
The judge said she treated the celebrity like any
one else.
“I hope my decision helps Mr. Strawberry,” Foster said.
“Now everything is up to him... which is true with every
addict who passes through my court. ”
Strawberry, who played for the Mets, Giants, Dodgers
and Yankees, was suspended from major league base
ball last year — his third cocaine-related suspension in
five years.
The Associated Press
Softball
continued from page 7A
Gamez and the Ducks expected
great things from junior ace Con
nie McMurren, who finished the
2000 season with a 16-19 record
and a 1.79 ERA. This season,
however, McMurren was just 9
18 with a 3.45 ERA (per seven in
nings), which included a losing
streak of 12 games from March 12
to May 9.
Offensively, the Ducks hit a re
spectable .263, which was tied
for last in the Pac-10, the toughest
softball conference in the coun
try. Defensively, the Ducks were
the worst fielding team in the
conference with a .952 fielding
percentage.
In addition, as the unnamed
Oregon fan alluded to in the sea
son’s final game, Gamez said the
Ducks lacked the team chemistry
and strong commitment that
many successful teams seem to
relish.
In the heart of the Pac-10 race
this season, with Washington and
then-top-ranked UCLA coming to
town, the Ducks skipped prac
tices for an entire week, meeting
on at least one occasion to air out
grievances. After the meeting,
sophomore Lisa Wangler said the
team chemistry improved and the
Ducks finished the season play
ing for pride.
“It was a combination of
things. A lot of different areas
didn’t work out and things just
didn’t gel,” Gamez said. “We
have to put this behind us all.”
But can a team just up and for
get such a disappointing and
frustrating season?
“I don’t think it’s going to be that
easy to put this behind us,” said
Wangler, the team MVP and hon
orable mention all-Pac-10 selec
tion. “All we can really do is keep
improving and keep learning.”
Oregon was the only Pac-10
team not to make it to the postsea
son. Gamez had led the Ducks to
three straight NCAA Tournament
appearances before this season.
'“This program has been a na
tional caliber and to say that
we’re on our way down would
not be exact,” Gamez said. “We
will get back to where we were.
I’m very confident of that.”
The future, however, is not
clear for Oregon softball. Many
have speculated that Gamez’s job
is in jeopardy.
“I really have no idea,” senior
Triawn Custer said when asked
what will happen to the program
in the off-season. “I don’t have
feelings one way or another. I
don’t have any inclination. I
haven’t heard anything. I have no
idea. There’s a lot of talent left on
this team, and whether coach
Gamez is here or whether these
girls are here, this team still has a
lot of potential.”
One thing is for sure, though.
Gamez, as every Oregon coach
does, will meet with Dave Heeke,
an Athletic Department official
who oversees softball, and Ath
letic Director Bill Moos for a sea
son-ending evaluation. Heeke
was present at the Ducks’ final
game Saturday.
Despite the rough season,
Gamez said he does not fear that
he will lose his job.
“As far as I know, I’m going to be
here,” said Gamez, who has a 168
164 record at Oregon. “We’ll talk
about how to rectify this season,
and I’m sure we’ll have a good dis
cussion on all of the issues.”
On a positive note, the Ducks
lose only Custer, the starting first
baseman, to graduation, and will
add five others next year (four
freshmen and one junior college
transfer).
Among the returnees are Wan
gler (the team’s top hitter with a
.367 average), sophomore Andrea
Vidlund (who led the team with
11 home runs), Missy Coe (who
finished second with 30 RBI),
starting third baseman Lynsey
Haij and sophomore Alyssa Laux,
who hit .353 en route to being
named to the all-region team.
McMurren said she hopes she
will not forget the bruises of this
season, but rather work that
much harder in the off-season to
not have a repeat next year.
“I may not be one of the top 10
pitchers, but I know I can com
pete in the Pac-10,” McMurren
said. “I just need to have the con
fidence to get the job done, which
is something that got away from
me this year. I just need to come
back as cocky as ever.”
And so, too, do the Ducks.