Sports Editor:
Hank Hager
hankliager@dailyemerald.com
Thursday, Oaober 9, 2003
Oregon Dailv Emerald
SPORTS
Best bet
MLB playoffs:
Boston at N.Y. Yankees
5 p.m., FOX
Somewhere
to run
Magdalena Sandoval feels at home at Oregon,
even if it took a detour for her to reach Eugene
By Scott Archer
Freelance Reporter
There was a time when things weren't so clear for
Magdalena Sandoval.
As a senior out of Los Alamos high school in Los Alamos,
N.M., the talented cross country runner wasn't planning on at
tending Oregon. In fact, Sandoval wasn't even going to be near
the West Coast.
She chose Rice University, a small private school in
Houston, Texas.
"I discovered it was the wrong place for me," Sandoval said. "1
really have no regrets about attending Rice. It helped me find
what was important to me. 1 chalk it up to experience."
Sandoval was recruited out of high school by former cross
country coach lorn Heinonen, and shortly after discovering she
didn't prefer Rice anymore, Sandoval made the call to Eugene.
"I'm absolutely 100 percent sure Oregon is the right place
for me," Sandoval said. "I love it here; I really do love it."
It seems the toughest adjustment for Sandoval has been
the weather.
"I'm leery of the rain, but I'm able to handle it," she said.
There doesn't seem to be much the senior can't handle. Af
ter all, Sandoval has led Oregon in its past two races. San
doval finished second at the Sundodger Invitational and the
Willamette Invitational.
Her passions reach much farther than running. The oldest
of six children, the senior loves to cook and has a strong in
terest in photography. A double major in geology and pho
tography, she finds time to make "pumpkin cheesecake, pizza
dough, vegetable pizzas with my own pizza sauce and veg
gies, three inches thick."
Sandoval hasn't had much success in other sports, though.
"I don't have any hand-eye coordination," Sandoval said.
"So, soccer and basketball were out."
That left swimming and cross country, but it didn't start
out that way.
"In seventh grade, I moved from discus and high jump to
the mile in track," Sandoval said. "From there, I went to
crosscountry."
It turned out to be the right move.
"I knew I wanted to run in college," Sandoval said. "I like
to compete."
It was geology that kept Sandoval away from her team
mates and new coach Mamie Mason during the recent sum
mer months.
"I interned at the Los Alamos National Laboratory,"
Turn to RUN, page 14
Lauren Wimer Photographer
Senior Magdalena Sandoval has taken the lead in Oregon’s last two races.
Emerald
Former Duck David Jackson (left) returns to McArthur Court tonight when the Blazers
play the Kings. He averaged 3.5 points per game in two seasons with Oregon.
Former UO guard
ready for return trip
to Mac with Blazers
Since graduating from
Oregon, David Jackson
has played professionally
in three foreign countries
By Hank Hager
Sports Editor
When David Jackson trans
ferred from Utah to Oregon in
1999, the Ducks were just a few
years away from starring in the
NCAA Tournament.
The Portland native played two
seasons with Oregon, ending his
career in 2001. Jackson, however,
got the chance to step on the floor
just 17 times in those two seasons
with the Ducks.
Injuries hindered the former
Wilson High School star from
establishing any kind of presence
with Oregon. Tonight, he will get
the chance to step on the McArthur
Court floor again when the Port
land frail Blazers take on the Sacra
mento Kings in an exhibition
game. Ihe first tip is set for 7 p.m.
"1 love playing at Mac Court,"
Jackson said. "When you play
your home games at Mac, it's
kind of like you and your fans
against the world."
Jackson began his collegiate ca
reer with Utah. He played in 32
games for the 1997-98 Utesteam,
which ended up losing the na
tional title game to Kentucky that
season, 78-69.
I le transferred to Oregon after
his sophomore season and played
Turn to BLAZERS, page 14
Ferreira,
Ducks set
for return
to Mac
The Oregon volleyball team
returns home to face the
Washington schools after
two months on the road
By Jon Roetman
Sports Reporter
After playing 12 of its first 14 matches on
the road, the Oregon volleyball team is glad
to be home.
The Ducks play
five of their next sev
en matches at
McArthur Court, in
cluding contests
with Washington
State and Washington this weekend.
After tough road losses to UCLA, USC
and Oregon State, Oregon is looking for
ward to having crowd support back on its
side.
"We really need the fans," Oregon head
coach Carl Ferreira said. "It's been almost
two months (of traveling). The fans mean
so much in terms of your energy and in
terms of your atmosphere so playing in Mac
Court is very special in and of itself.
'The fans are truly awesome for a young
team," he said.
Oregon (3-11 overall, 0-5 Pacific-10 Con
ference) will travel to Arizona after battling
the Washington schools, then it's back
home for matches against UCLA USC and
Oregon State starting on Oct. 23.
Friday's match against Washington State
will be a battle of young teams fighting for
respect. The Cougars had a 2-0 lead over the
No. 8 Bruins before falling in five games on
Saturday. I«rreira said he hopes Oregon fans
will come support the Ducks the way Wash
ington State fans support the Cougars.
"With Washington State and Oregon
you have two similar styles of teams," Fer
reira said. "There's a lot of youth in both
teams, and there's a lot of learning going
on in terms of what it is you want to ac
complish and why.
"Washington State has the best volley
ball atmosphere in the conference."
Saturday's match against the No. 13
Huskies will present the Ducks with yet
another opponent ranked in the top 25.
Washington is 11-4 but has lost four
matches in a row to top 15 teams.
"(The 1 luskies) run a nice effective sys
tem," Ferreira said. "Ihey score points, they
minimize errors. They play within them
selves very well."
DUCK
VOLLEYBALL
Bitter's block party
The Ducks have been getting solid play
from middle blocker Kristen Bitter. The 6
foot-4-inch freshman from Roseburg has
been a block machine of late, including six
in last Thursday's Civil War. She also had
five solo blocks on Aug. 30 against Tem
ple, which stands as the highest solo block
total for a Pac-10 player this season.
"Kristen's been exceptional," Ferreira
said. "She has a very, very high learning
curve in terms of providing her with infor
mation and her ability to turn around and
apply that information.
"1 don't think she's had a bad day in
two months."
With a jump touch of 10-feet-3-inches,
Bitter has a size and athletic ability that
Turn to VOLLEYBALL, page 14