Sports Editor
Peter Hockaday
peterhockaday@dailyemerald.com
Tuesday, April 29,2003
-Oregon Daily Emerald
Sports
Best bet
NBA Playoffs:
Lakers at Minnesota, Game 5
6:30 p.m., TNT
Williams’,
Acevedo’s
situations
harm UO
This past weekend saw all sorts of ac
tivity for a number of Oregon athletes.
You had Onterrio Smith, George
Wrighster and Keenan Howry learn
where they were going in the NFL.
There was also Shaquala Williams
getting the nod from Cleveland in the
WNBA Draft, and unfortunately for
the volleyball team, Dariam Acevedo
had to announce she was leaving the
team for financial reasons.
The situations of the latter two
deserve some sort
of discussion on
the state of
Oregon athletics.
First, there’s
Williams, the for
mer star point
guard for Oregon
women’s basket
ball. Who knows
what she did that
warranted a sus
pension, and ulti
mately, a dismissal
Hank
Hager
Behind the dish
from the team ?
Of course, she does and so does
head coach Bev Smith. But neither
has publicly disclosed what the cir
cumstances were, so everyone out
there is left to rely on their own
imaginations.
Had Williams not been kicked off
the team, or had the two maybe said
what was happening, the Portland na
tive’s selection could have added to the
hype the Duck programs received over
the weekend.
Instead, it was just another Friday at
the Casanova Center. Williams had a
small press conference, attended by a
half-dozen members of the Eugene
media.
In other words, it seemed to be a
non-descript day for one of Oregon’s
best players in recent memory. It
shouldn’t have been that way.
If either of the two had told of
Williams’ negative actions at the start
of the year, or whatever it was, there
could have been a peace surrounding
the program. Smith and Williams
would have gone their separate ways
— which they did — but instead it fol
lowed the team the rest of the season.
Now, Williams is forced to show
that what she did or didn’t do doesn’t
make her a bad person or a bad play
er. She has to win back her detrac
tors and prove she can become
Oregon’s greatest woman athlete.
Next, you have Acevedo and a situa
tion that rivals some of the worst in
Oregon history.
The offensive star for the volleyball
team was a key component in a season
that ended 1-17 in Pacific-10
Conference play. The scary thing is
that was an improvement from the
year before, a season in which the
Ducks finished 0-18 in conference
play.
Now, obviously, there is a trend
shaping up for the Ducks, especially
after five players defected from the
team in January. Acevedo said that
had nothing to do with her decision,
Turn to Hager, page 10
Vaulters pair up off the track
Junior Kirsten Riley and redshirt senior Niki McEwen
both enjoy serious relationships with UO athletes
Women’s track and field notes
Jesse Thomas
Sports Reporter
For junior Kirsten Riley, life can be just as busy off the
track as on it.
Riley, a third-year pole vaulter, held a bridal shower on
Sunday with her track friends to celebrate her upcoming
marriage in July. The Eugene native would not disclose any
of the gifts presented at the bridal shower.
“It was a time to come together and be spoiled,” Riley said.
The 21-year-old will marry sophomore Luke Larwin, a
wrestler for Oregon, in July.
“We understand each other,” Riley said. “Maybe some
college couples struggle, but we understand the demands of
school and sports.”
Riley and Lanvin were engaged after about a year of see
ing one another, and even early in the relationship, Riley
said she knew that marriage was in their future.
Even with the stresses of an upcoming marriage, Riley
has continued to excel on the track. She ranks third all-time
at Oregon and has successfully cleared 13 feet, 3 1/2 inch
es this season. Riley was an NCAA provisional qualifier and
Pacific-10 conference scorer in 2002.
As Riley’s happy day lies ahead, redshirt senior Niki
McEwen has had the time to enjoy the early days of mar
riage. McEwen was married to Duck defensive line starter
Seth McEwen last summer.
“In a way, it’s easier that we live together,” McEwen said
of balancing track and field and a marriage. “I really enjoy
being married. It’s like living with your best friend.”
The former Niki Reed and McEwen were engaged and
married all within a year. McEwen said that it isn’t as diffi
cult as one might think to juggle a marriage, track and field
and school all at the same time.
“He does a lot of homework and cooks the dinner,” she
said. “I don’t really do so much homework.”
McEwen said her husband does all the little things around
the house, such as walking their two dogs and cleaning up
while she is in the heart of track season.
How the Ducks stack up
In the April 20 release of Pac-10 Conference outdoor
track and field bests, Oregon still dominates in field events.
In the pole vault category, redshirt senior Becky Holliday
and McEwen rank first and third, respectively. Holliday
holds the top position by a narrow 1/4-inch margin over
Arizona’s Amy Linnen.
The Duck javelin duo of sophomores Elisa Crumley and
Roslyn Lundeen hold the second and third positions with
Turn to Track, page 10
Emerald
John Ellis is tied for12th and leads the Ducks at the Pac-10s.
Mark McCambridge Emerald
Junior pole vaulter Kirsten Riley is planning to marry Oregon wrestler Luke Larwin in July.
Ducks open Pac-10
tourney in fifth place
SeniorJohn Ellis’ consistent play
paces Oregon in the opening round
of the Pac-10 Championships
Men’s golf
Scott Archer
Freelance Sports Reporter
In arguably its most important tourna
ment of the year, the Oregon men’s golf
team is receiving consistent play from its
veterans and rookies alike, putting the
team in prime position for a big finish in
the concluding weeks of its 2002-03 sea
son.
Oregon currently sits in sixth place at
the Pacific-10 Conference Champi
onships, hosted by No. 11 UCLA at the
par-72, 6,736-yard Oakmont Country
Club course in Glendale, Calif. The
Ducks shot a two-round team total 34
over-par 754 in the tournament’s open
ing two rounds.
As has been the pattern much of the"
season, senior John Ellis led the Ducks
on Monday, opening the first round with
a 3-over-par 75, then proceeding to shoot
an even-par 72. His score was good
enough to tie Ellis with USG’s Ben Hayes
and Chris Nallen of Arizona at No. 12
overall.
The Ducks also received strong per
formances from senior Chris Carnahan
and freshman Gregg LaVoie, who both
shot 6-over for the day, tying each other .
at 25th overall. LaVoie rebounded from a
less-than-stellar opening round, in which
he shot a 6-over 78 but followed up in the
second round with an even-par round to
finish tied with Carnahan.
Redshirt freshman Kyle Johnson sits
tied for 33rd overall with Arizona’s An
drew Medley, who both shot 9-over *
rounds. Rounding out the scoring for the
Ducks was junior Mike Sica, who sits on
the heels of Duck teammate Johnson at
Turn to Golf, page 10