Ducks’ day overshadowed by Cougars
Several Oregon golfers have
career rounds, but are out
played by Washington Stated
Kim Welch on the final day
Golf
Scott Archer
Freelance Sports Reporter
If only Oregon could shoot like
this everyday. If only Washington
State wouldn’t show up in Oregon’s
backyard and dominate like it did
Tuesday. If only Washington State
sophomore Kim Welch wore green
and yellow. If only.
Oregon, hosting its own Duck In
vitational at Shadow Hills Country
Club in Junction City, had its best
round of the season Tuesday at the
par-72, 5,953-yard course.
The Ducks carded a team-low
299 in the last of three rounds Tues
day, led by freshman sensation
Therese Wenslow’s round of 74,
which placed her in a tie for 10th
place. It was also Wenslow’s third
top 10 finish in seven tournament
appearances. Oregon leapfrogged
one spot in the final round, finish
ing the tournament 7th overall with
a combined score of 940.
Oregon’s spectacular final round
was upstaged by the defending indi
vidual champion, sophomore Kim
Welch of Washington State.
Welch shot a one-under-par final
round to finish an amazing 7-under
par, ahead of San Diego State’s
Shayna Miyajima by 14 strokes.
Maria Kostina of Washington State
finished third overall at 226 and,
along with Welch, led the Cougars
to a team total 896 and an 18-stroke
victory over SDSU. Missouri came
in third at 916, followed by Portland
State, Colorado and Idaho.
Welch, who set a course record
during Monday’s second round with
a 4-under-par 68, earned her second
consecutive Oregon Duck Invita
tional individual title. The Sacra
mento, Calif., native won the event
last year at Mallard Creek Golf
Course in Lebanon.
Junior Lacy Erickson finished in
the second-highest position of her
career. She tied for 27th with a
three-round score of 237. Erickson
finished 15th at Arizona State as a
freshman. Freshman Erin Andrews
posted her best finish as a Duck with
a 238, tying for 29th overall.
Oregon fielded two teams in the
event, the second of which was led
by senior Annie Davis, who shot a
career-low 75 Tuesday, which culmi
nated in a career-best finish, 36th.
Sophomore Jess Garlyon tied for
34th overall at 239, also the second
highest finish of her career. The
Ducks’ second squad moved up one
spot Tuesday to 10th at 978.
Oregon continues its season in the
UCLA Bruin Classic, March 24-26.
Scott Archer is a freelance writer
for the Emerald.
Mark McCambridge Emerald
Brian Helquist is one of the players who attends regular pre-game chapel service.
Faith
continued from page 1
tough time doing that.”
The coaeh and most of the play
ers on his team are Christian.
They hold chapel before games,
say a prayer before heading onto
the court, say a prayer at the end
of the game and at least half the
team, according to Jackson, goes
to church every Sunday. They
have a team pastor, Pastor Keith
Jenkins, who facilitates most of the
religious activities.
Kent, by law, can’t force his team
into any kind of religious practices.
Not that he would if he could. Kent
himself has strong faith, but he de
scribes it as just one of the many
choices he gives to his team, like
where they want to live or what they
want to eat on the road.
It just happens that most every
one on the team, on this issue,
chooses the same meal.
“The only thing I try to do is say,
‘Here’s a room — here’s a place you
can go,”’ Kent said.
For the Ducks, their faith is some
thing much deeper than a prayer,
much more intangible than a chapel
service. It’s a path, and the Ducks
are a band of young scouts, sticking
to the trail.
But there are those who choose a
different route. There are only two
players who don’t regularly attend
chapel, but they and the rest of the
players are quick to point out there
is no separation of “sinner” and
“saint” on the squad.
“Everybody’s different,” said
Robert Johnson, one of those who
doesn’t attend chapel. “It’s just
something they do, something I
don’t do. It’s not like I look down
on them or they look down on me.
It’s like a brother who does some-,
thing different. You appreciate
what they do, give them much re
spect for what they do.”
Johnson, who is in a unique situa
tion to judge such things, also com
mented on the toughness issue.
“(Faith) has nothing to do with
how tough you are,” Johnson said.
“They come out and prove it every
night. These guys are really strong
in their beliefs and really strong
on the court.”
Marcus Kent, the son of a preach
er man, er, Ernie Kent, has perhaps
the strongest convictions of any
body on the team. He’s needed
them. He played for Oregon last
year before an injury forced him
into a managerial role with the team
this season. He’s in the process of
starting a Christian fraternity and
sorority on campus, and he spoke
the words his dad couldn’t speak.
“Last year and this year, especial
ly, there’s just been a peace and a
calm that exists on our team,” Mar
cus Kent said. “I think it’s there be
cause the presence of God is with
our team. We’ve got guys that are
depending on God for a lot of things
in their lives, and it just brings you
that peace and that confidence.”
For the Lukes, their faith has
been like an umbrella for the storm
of Pacific-10 Conference hoops.
When Ridnour turned down an offer
from Playboy magazine to be a Play
boy Preseason All-American earlier
this season, he cited his religion as
his reason for defecting.
“The naked women and things
like that; it’s not something I can be
seen on if I’m going to state my faith
to people,” Ridnour said. “The Lord
just humbles me, keeps me hum
bling him, and just lets me know
that everything I do is to glorify him.
Anything I get is not for me, it’s for
him. It keeps me level-headed and
makes everything easier.”
It comes back to that post-game
circle. Ridnour and Jackson, the
stars, the best friends, the look-alikes,
never stand next to each other in that
huddle. The Christian faithful stand
next to the nonbelievers.
Sure, they pray. But they stand as
one. As a team.
Contact the sports editor
atpeterhockaday@dailyemerald.com.
Women's
continued from page 5
the final four games, Oregon can only hope
for a better go-around next winter. The
Ducks will return four of their five starters.
Seniors Alissa Edwards and Kourtney
Shreve part ways with Oregon. Kraayeveld
will return for a senior season and Kedzie
Gunderson, Bills and Brandi Davis all re
turn as juniors.
Transfers Gorrie Mizusawa and Chelsea
Wagner will enter the lineup as guards after
cheering from the bench this season. The
Ducks will be expecting more guards in in
coming freshmen Ashley Allen and Kaela
Ghapdelaine along with 6-foot-6-ineh post
player Jessie Shetters.
“They’re going to be young and going to be
a little bit raw, but they are going to bring
something that will contribute to our team
immediately,” Smith said.
In 2003-04 it will be a different team with
many new players. The expectations will
again be there. And hopefully for the Ducks,
the winning will return.
Contact the sports reporter
at jessethomas@dailyemerald.com.
Forwards
continued from page 5
Okwumabua may not start on a regular basis
while at Oregon, but could easily step into a
pivotal bench role.
“I look forward to a lot of things next sea
son,” Bills said. “We have more big people
coming in. As long as everybody stays healthy
next season, we should be ready to compete.”
The new forward Bills spoke of is 6-foot-6
inch Portland native Jessica Shetters. She will
become the second-tallest player in program
history, and should be valuable off the bench, al
though it will undoubtedly be in a learning role.
It was a long year for the Ducks, and an es
pecially longer one for the forwards. With
Kraayeveld out, that group turned into a
three-player rotation. That’s not easy.
But let’s let Kraayeveld tell how it was.
“It did seem like one thing, and then we got
over that, and then there was one more
thing,” Kraayeveld said. “Finally, we were all
healthy, and then somebody else (got hurt).
We tried to push through that and not focus
on it and do what we could.”
Contact the sports reporter
at hankhager@dailyemerald.com.
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Men's
continued from page 5
flicked on.
Jackson, despite being thrown
off by a finger injury for several
games, still finished the regular
season in the top 10 in Pac-10
points, rebounds and assists. He
still has the size — he’s officially
listed at 6-feet-7-inches and 210
pounds — to play in the NBA. He
just doesn’t have the hype he had
at the beginning of the season.
Cross-eyed
Lost amid the hustle and bustle of
Ridnour winning the Pac-10 Player
of the Year award Monday was an
other Duck honor. Freshman Ian
Crosswhite was named as an honor
able mention on the Pac-10 All
Freshman team.
Crosswhite finished the regular
season averaging eight points and
3.8 rebounds per game. He shot
.457 from the floor, good enough for
third on the team.
Add Bracketology
The Ducks remained a No. 12
seed in this week’s edition of Brack
etology, but at least the Ducks
moved closer to home.
Lunardi projects Oregon will
play No. 5-seeded Oklahoma State
in Spokane, Wash., in the first
round March 20.
Contact the sports editor
atpeterhockaday@dailyemerald.com.
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