Sports Editor
Peter Hockaday
peterhockaday@dailyemercild.com
Thursday, November 21,2002
-Oregon Daily Emerald-—
Sports
Best bet
NCAA Football:
Pittsburgh at Miami
4:30 p.m., ESPN
Blazing-fast Amundson stops to chat
Adam Amato Emerald
Allan Amundson (34) said he 'just tries to help out7 on the football team,
whether that means taking kickoff returns or playing running back.
Q&A: Senior Allan Amundson,
the Ducks’ fastest athlete on
paper, says he wants to win
more than he wants the ball
106th Civil War
Adam Jude
Senior Sports Reporter
Allan Amundson, Oregon’s senior tail
back/kick return specialist, sat down
with the Emerald as he prepares for his
final regular season game.
The San Rafael, Calif., native is third
in the Pacific-10 Conference in kickoff
returns at 22.4 yards, and he has 31
rushes for 149 yards and one touch
down as a backup running back. He
has also caught three passes for 48
yards for the Ducks (7-4 overall, 3-4
Pac-10).
For his career, Amundson has 114
rushes for 490 yards (a 4.3-yard aver
age) and four touchdowns. He ranks sec
ond on Oregon’s career kick return list
with 67 returns and 1,561 yards.
Amundson, who has a team-best 4.53
second 40-yard dash, also participated
on the Oregon track team last spring.
Q) What’s your most memorable
Civil War?
Unfortunately, my most memorable
one is the one we lost two years ago in
Corvallis. It was tough because all of the
Beaver fans came out of the closet, and
then there were Beaver flags every
where, and that was tough to see. And
you just have to live with that until the
next Civil War. You can’t just shake it off
because you’re reminded of it every
time you see one of those flags.
Q) How do you want to end your
Oregon career?
Right now, I just want to get in there
and play and play well. I’ve had some
opportunities, but they haven’t really
worked out. To get in there and do great
would be awesome.
Q) Describe what’s its been like for
you here the last couple years.
It’s been a little difficult, but I still
have fun. It seems like every year there’s
been at least one awesome running back
in front of me. That’s not easy to handle,
but I’d still rather have them on our
team as opposed to some other team.
Winning is more important than the
number of carries that I get. It’s fun to
watch them. I have nothing against
them; I love them to death. Of course I’d
like to play as much as I can, but I’ve
had some people in front of me that are
better. I’ve accepted it, and it pushes me
to try that much harder.
Q) What is your role on this team?
With some of the younger guys that
haven’t had a lot of experience, some
times they come to me with questions,
and I’ve been here for four years and I
usually know the answer. I just try to
help out as much as I can. I don’t get
that many reps, so I have to do as much
as I can with every one. It seems like a
Turn to Amundson, page 14
Humble harrier
Jason Hartmann is nearing the
end of his cross country career
Mindi Rice
Freelance Sports Reporter
As the only senior on the Oregon
men’s cross country squad, the
roles of captain and leader have
fallen into Jason Hartmann’s lap.
But it’s not like he’s complaining.
“He doesn’t say much, and when
he does, it’s pretty powerful,” team
mate and roommate Brett Holts
said. “He leads by example. He’s
more casual, more laid-back. He’s
not so outspoken with the team in
general, but he makes it known
what’s expected of you.”
Hartmann will run his last col
legiate cross country race Mon
day, marking his fourth consecu
tive appearance in the NCAA
Championships.
“I’d like to make it my best one,”
Hartmann said. “I just want to walk
away from the last experience,
with the team and with me, seeing
the fruits of our labor, and walk
away happy.”
Hartmann is a two-time All
American in cross country. He fin
ished as the top American fresh
man at the NCAA meet in 1999,
placing 37th and earning an All
American honor. One year later, he
improved his finish, moving up to
35th, earning his second All-Amer
ican honor.
After missing a third honor by
10 seconds last season, finishing
50th, Hartmann has the opportu
nity to become the eighth Duck
to win three or more All-Ameri
can honors.
“Having (Hartmann) there defi
nitely helps me,” redshirt sopho
more Ryan Andrus said. “When
he’s there it’s a reference point I’m
familiar with. He’s a great runner
that’s been running at a high level
for a while. He’s fully capable of
having his best nationals finish.”
Andrus has finished just behind
Hartmann in this season’s Pacific
10 Conference Championships and
Western Regional Championships.
When it was time to choose
where he would be going to college,
Hartmann had his pick of champi
onship-caliber schools. As one of
the top-five prep distance runners
in the country, he heard from
many schools, all wanting him to
join their cross country programs.
Hartmann narrowed it down to
two: Oregon and Wisconsin. Ore
gon head ctSach Martin Smith was
Turn to Hartmann, page 13
GeoffThumer Oregon Media Services
Jason Hartmann has led the Oregon cross country squad since coming to Eugene from Rockford, Mich.
Volleyball seniors have no regrets as season ends
Oregon’s three seniors are
about to play their last
matches of their career
Volleyball
Hank Hager
Sports Reporter
For the three Oregon volleyball
seniors — Sydney Chute, Lindsay
Closs, and Amanda Porter —
tonight’s match against Washington
State and Friday’s against Washing
ton at McArthur Court represent
the end of the line.
The end of the road. Their ca
reers, differing in longevity with the
Ducks, are about to be finished.
It’s a sad fact they must face. But
they understand that .all things
riiti^t cohie'toahend*.
“Every week, we prepare for
the match — that’s the only thing
on our minds,” Chute said. “Obvi
ously, this one’s going to be
sweeter because its the last home
game, and my last one. So, I want
to go out with a bang and make it
memorable.”
A win for Chute against the
Cougars or Huskies would be
something to remember, as the
only player on the Oregon roster to
have played for four seasons as a
Duck has never defeated Washing
ton State and has defeated Wash
ington just once. Combined, she
has gone just 1-13 against Oregon’s
Northwest rivals.
As for Closs and Porter, the road
has been less bumpy, albeit because
of a shorter time with the Ducks.
Both transferred as juniors last sea
son — Gloss from Fresno State and
Porter from Idaho — and have com
bined for just one Pacific-10 Confer
ence win while with Oregon.
Still, there’s no hard feelings,
or regrets.
“It’s been emotional,” Gloss said
about her time with Oregon. “It’s
been a learning experience and I
think I’ve grown up for it.”
What the three have brought to
the Oregon program is not best rep
resented on the statistical sheet.
Sure, Chute will leave the Ducks as
the top assist-getter in three of her
four seasons, and Gloss will know
that she accumulated the most kills
in a season — 393 to date — since
Madeline Ernst’s 593 in 1998.
No, the three will know that the
younger players looked up to them,
learned, and based on their leader
ship, became better players.
“I know — definitely to us un
derclassmen, and I know the jun
iors feel the same way — (they
are) the best role models, and
they’ve set great examples for us,”
sophomore Lauren Westendorf
said. “They’ve set the standard for
Oregon volleyball.”
“Our coaching philosophy from
when I’ve got here involves upper
division leadership,” Oregon head
coach Carl Ferreira said. “Sydney,
Porter and Gloss have done an ex
cellent job in providing great guid
ance and leadership to not only
the freshman, but everyone in the
program. You can’t really put a
price tag on the value of what they
do for the program. It’s well be
yond statistics.”
As tradition goes, each can ex
pect a gift Friday night from Ore
gon as a token of appreciation for
their service with the squad. In ad
dition, families are encouraged to
attend the final match, are
brought onto the court with their
kin and given a round of applause
from the Oregon crowd.
For Chute, especially, that will
mean so much more. Being from
Santa Rosa, Calif., she said her par
ents only have a chance to watch
her play twice a season — when the
Ducks visit California in Berkeley
and Stanford in Palo Alto.
“Pretty much, I’m going to thank
everyone for supporting me and
helping me through, because you
definitely have to work hard
through your four years, because it’s
not easy,” Chute said. “And just for
Turn to Volleyball, page 13