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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 2001)
Sports Editor: Adam Jude adamjude@dailyemerald.com Assistant Sports Editor: Jeff Smith jeffsmith@dailyemerald.com Best Bet NFL: Buffalo at Jacksonville, 5:30p.m., ESPN lbursday, October 18,2001 Courtesy of Oregon Media Services Art Skipper, a former Oregon javelin thrower, was killed Tuesday in a small plane crash near Sandy, Ore. Skipper won the 1992 NCAA Championship. Former track star dies in crash ■ Oregon alumnus Art Skipper, the 1992 NCAA Champion in the javelin, lost his life Tuesday in a fatal plane crash By Jeff Smith Oregon Daily Emerald Former Oregon track and field star Art Skipper, 31, died Tuesday after noon in a plane crash near Sandy, Ore. Skipper, who one friend described as “fearless” and “invincible," graduated from the University in 1992, the same year that he won the NCAA Champi onship in the javelin. The small single-engine aircraft crashed into a rural Clackamas Coun ty area about 3:55 p.m. Tuesday, killing Skipper on impact and seri ously injuring his 37-year-old cousin, Ted Skipper, who was the only other passenger. Alice Lasher, spokeswoman for the Sandy Fire Department, was first on the scene and described the area as be ing “rugged terrain,” making access to the crash difficult. “The plane was pretty twisted, so it was difficult to decide who had been flying," Lasher said. “It was raining hard and was foggy and took 15 to 20 minutes to remove (Ted).” Ted Skipper was transported to Ore gon Health & Science University, where he is listed in serious condition. The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the FAA, though offi cials said the 1950 fixed-wing Piper may have clipped a tree before falling to the ground. While at Oregon, Art Skipper won the NCAA title with a javelin throw of 251 feet, 8 inches. He was awarded two All-American awards and placed at least third in the Pacific-10 Confer ence all four years of his collegiate ca reer. “Art was one of the best athletes that came through the Oregon program. He was dedicated to the team and competed even when he may have been injured or not at his best. Hell be missed by many. ” Bill Dellinger retired track coach “Art was one of the best athletes that came through the Oregon program,” said legendary coach Bill Dellinger, who guided the Ducks men’s track and field program from 1973 to 1998. “He was dedicated to the team and compet ed even when he may have been in jured or not at his best. He’ll be missed by many.” Skipper also still holds the nation al high school javelin record throw of 259-10, which he set at Sandy High in 1988, the year he was selected as the National High School Athlete of the Year by Track and Field News Maga zine. But more than his accomplishments, friends said that it was the way he car ried himself and how he treated people that made him stand out. “Art was larger than life,” said Brian Juenemann, 31, Skipper’s classmate at Sandy High and at the University. “He seemed like an invincible character. He lived his life fearlessly and always had you shaking your head in amazement at some of the stuff he did. “He wouldn’t think twice about get ting in that small of an airplane.” The Skipper family owns the Coun try Squire Airpark located about one mile from the crash and 30 miles from Portland. Skipper’s father and uncle are also both involved with the Portland Fire Department, and Skip per himself had just finished his first year as a member of the Portland Fire Bureau. “We are really grieving,” Deputy Chief Jim Klum said. “We lost a valued and loved member of the department.” Skipper had recently married fellow former Oregon track and field athlete Kamala Kohlmeier. As a prep athlete, Skipper was also a standout in football and wrestling. Skipper’s wrestling coach in high school, Chuck Kearney Sr., is the father of current Oregon wrestling coach Chuck Kearney Jr. Turn to Skipper, page 10 DOUBLE TROUBLE The Ducks’ two newest players have entered the Pac-10 with a vengeance, and are showing no signs of letting up By Hank Hager Oregon Daily Emerald When the Chicago Bulls dominated the NBA in the 1990s, they had the tandem of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen leading the way. The same went for the Oakland Athletics and their “Bash Brothers” of Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. Heck, even the Seattle Mariners haVe Jamie Moyer and Ichiro Suzuki. Now, the Oregon Ducks have Closs and Mar tin. Lindsay Closs and Stephanie Martin, that is. Martin, a junior transfer from the College of Southern Idaho, is a middle blocker with a soft side. Listed as 6-foot-3, but plays much bigger, Martin is the prototypical volleyball player. Her arm swing produces shots upward of 100 miles per hour, forcing those below to cringe and hope for the best, and her vertical jump is rivaled by very few in the Pacific-10 Conference. Closs, on the other hand, is almost the exact opposite. Her demeanor is vicious on the court, and her play this season has elevated her to the top of the conference. While she is not as intimi dating as Martin, the 6-foot-l transfer from Fres no State sneaks up on opponents at their worst moments. Together, these two make up the core of the Oregon offense, but more important, they are the future of Oregon volleyball. And both are ready to take on No. 7 Arizona when the Wildcats visit McArthur Court at 7 p.m. tonight. While both are juniors and just beginning thjejr Oregon careers, they have already made their marks. Martin has led the Ducks in kills in the last four matches, and her 26 kills Sunday against Idaho State represent the second-most kills by a Pac-10 player in a match this season. Closs, while not posting the type of numbers that Martin has, is also crucial to the Oregon of fense. But it might be her defense that is her strongest suit. At 1.25 blocks per game, she is ranked sixth in the Pac-10. Her nine total blocks against Idaho State also tied her season best. And after each successful block, Closs fills the court with a scream that deafens the ear and makes her oppo nent uneasy. “They’ve been phenomenal,” head coach Carl Ferreira said. “I don’t know if their shoulders are sore or not — because they’ve been carrying the load. I’ve been extremely impressed with them. I’m extremely impressed with their consistency, their physicality and their resiliency.” But it wasn’t always going to be this way for the duo. Martin was a highly celebrated player coming out of Westwood High School in Mesa, Ariz. She earned all-East Valley and all-state accolades fol lowing her senior season, but because of aca demic reasons, she decided to spend two years at the College of Southern Idaho. After an outstanding sophomore year for the Golden Eagles, Martin received national honors after taking the squad to the NjCAA National Turn to Volleyball, page 10 3 Junior Lindsay Closs has come in strong in her first season, and has helped give the Oregon offense a presence in the middle. In her first full season as a Duck, junior Stephanie Martin has shown off the prowess that made her the National Junior College Player of the Year last season. m I Photos by Adam Amato Emerald
