Sports Editor:
Adam Jude
adamjude@dailyemerald.com
Thursday, April 25,2002
Oregon Daily Emerald
Best Bet
NBA playoffs:
Portland at L.A. Lakers
7:30 p.m., TNT
“I don’t want anything like that to happen again. ”
—Trevor Woods, on no heighting in the 2002 NCAA Championships
of the Woods
Sophomore pole vaulter Trevor
Woods has left behind last
season’s disappointment
to reach new heights
By Peter Hockaday
Oregon Daily Emerald
Trevor Woods still has the news
paper, even though it’s yellow
with age and tattered, as if it’s
fought many weary battles
with the reader.
The faded piece of newsprint is the
May 31, 2001, sports section from The
World, the local paper from Woods’
hometown of Coos Bay. On May 30,
Woods had suffered a pole vaulter's
worst nightmare by no-heighting at the
NCAA Championships at Hayward
Field, and his hometown paper didn’t
mince words on the subject.
So now, Woods
keeps the newspaper
stuffed into the bot
tom of his backpack,
even if a normal per
son might burn it.
“If I feel like I’m
lacking motivation, I
can pull that out,”
Woods said. “I don’t want anything like
that to happen again.”
II Woods keeps his current torrid
pace, he may never know pole-vaulting
disappointment again. He recently
vaulted 18 feet for the first time at the
Washington Dual and the jump proved
that Woods, one of the most heavily-re
cruited athletes out of Oregon two
years ago, is only getting stronger,
Turn to Woods, page 16
Adam Jones Emerald
Sophomore pole vaulter Trevor Woods, a Coos Bay native, celebrates after clearing 18 feet at the
Washington Dual on April 13. Woods had improved by 16 inches since his senior year in high school.
Duck softball
sweeps PSU
in two games
■ Oregon softball takes two off Portland State
—the Ducks have won three of their last four games
By Chris Cabot
Oregon Daily Emerald
The Oregon softball team is back on the winning track.
In a Wednesday afternoon doubleheader against
Portland State, the Ducks won the first game 7-1, be
fore edging the Vikings 4-2 in the second. Oregon’s
record improves to 20-22 overall (0
12 Pacific-10 Conference), while Port
land State falls to 17-26 overall (6-8
Western Athletic Conference).
“It was nice to see the Ducks battle
today and come out on top,” head
coach Brent Rincon said.
With the game tied 2-2 heading into
the bottom of the sixth, Oregon’s
Kristi Hall hit a deep fly ball to right field that Portland
State’s Monica Martell dropped, allowing Hall to reach
second. After Ashley Richards struck out for the
Ducks second out, right fielder Rachel Tommasini
ripped a line drive for the game winning RBI. Center
fielder Amber Hutchison added an insurance run for
Oregon as she followed with an RBI triple that scored
Tommasini.
Portland State made a bid at a two-out seventh-inning
rally with two consecutive infield hits, but Oregon es
caped the scare when Tommasini made a diving snag of a
ball oft the bat of Portland State pinch hitter Rose Rut
ledge that was twisting down the right field line.
Although Connie McMurren gave up 10 hits to the
Vikings, she managed to escape a few dangerous situa
tions, including bases loaded jams in the second and fifth
innings. McMurren threw all seven innings, allowing
one walk to go along with five strike outs.
Offensively in Game 2, Oregon received an outstand
ing output from the bottom of its line up. Hutchison was
3-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored, and Tommasi
ni hit 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Freshman Mari Lyn Petrick may have had the best of
Tum to Softball, page 16
SOFTBALL
‘Mr. Consistency’ takes UO into Pac-lOs
■ Senior Aaron Byers has been solid at No. 1
for the Ducks as they chase a Pac-10 title
By Jesse Thomas
for the Emerald
When senior Aaron Byers began hitting the
plastic whiffle balls with plastic clubs in his
backyard almost 18 years ago, he never thought
he would be the top golfer for a Pacific-10 Con
ference team.
Today, Byers leads the Oregon men’s golf team
as it begins its quest for a Pac-10 title.
At the age of 6, Byers had his father to teach him
the game of golf— and it just seemed to come nat
urally.
"He is very blessed with a great deal of natural
talent,” Oregon head coach Steve Nosier said. “His
swing is about as natural as anyone I have ever had
the pleasure of coaching.”
The success Byers has had throughout his career
began at West Albany High. In 1997 he was the
Oregon prep champion for West Albany and was
named the Player of the Year by The Statesman
Journal in Salem.
After spending a year at a junior college in Texas,
Byers was heavily recruited to play at Oregon and
had no problem making the commitment because
he said this is where he always wanted to be.
“I’ve always wanted to play golf at a high level,”
Byers said. “It has been the best playing Pac-10 golf
and for coach Nosier.”
Someone who knows Byers as well as anyone is
fellow teammate junior Chris Carnahan. The two
have played together since they were eight years
old and were teammates at Albany High.
“It’s pretty special,” Carnahan said. “He is Mr. Con
sistency. He gets the job done day in and day out.”
Consistency and getting the job done is what it
has taken for Byers to become Oregon’s No. 1 play
er. His career statistics include an
average drive of 290 yards and a
career-best 66 at the Duck Invita
tional last year. Just about the
only thing he hasn’t done is win
a tournament as an individual.
“I wish that I would have won
one individual (title),” Byers said.
“But when we have been success
ful as a team, that is my biggest thrill.”
Time is running out for Byers with only Pac-lOs,
regionals and possibly nationals to win an indi
vidual title. But there is always the chance to com
pete professionally.
Byers plans to make a decision at the end of the
summer as to whether he will tryout for the PGA
Tour, but he said the decision will not be an easy one.
“I realize its going to take a lot of heart and de
termination,” Byers said. “But I can see myself
doing it.”
Turn to Golf, page 14
Jonathan House Em
Senior Aaron Byers, Oregon’s No. 1 golfer, heads toward his hometown of Albany as the Ducks start
the Pac-10.Championships, today injCoryallis.