Oregon wrestlers prepare for Pac-10 tourney
The Ducks hope to make
some noise at the Pac-10
championships that start
Sunday in Tempe, Ariz.
By Scott Archer
Freelance Reporter
The season comes down to the up
coming Pacific-10 Conference Tour
nament for
Oregon's top
wrestlers.
However, the
tournament,
held Sunday
and Monday, provides a few Ducks a
chance to prolong their season by
earning a berth to the 2004 NCAA
Championship.
DUCK
WRESTLING
In all, 10 Oregon wrestlers will
compete beginning Sunday with a
conference crown and a trip to St.
Louis on the line.
The Pac-10 Tournament sends 41
wrestlers to compete in the NCAA
Tournament. The Pac-10 champion in
a respective weight class will also be
joined at NCAAs by three or four run
ners-up in the same class. The Pac-10
also hands out 11 wildcards to
wrestlers to represent the Pac-10 in the
NCAA Tournament but who did not
finish high enough to earn an auto
matic berth.
But for the Ducks, it's more about
putting the season behind them and
focusing on upcoming matches that
will determine if the young wrestlers
have learned from their mistakes.
"We want to demonstrate improve
ment over the course of the season,"
head coach Chuck Kearney said.
"(And) that we beat people we've lost
"We want to demonstrate
improvement over the
course of the season.
(And) that we beat people
we've lost to. If we do that
enough times we qualify
people to the NCAA."
Chuck Kearney
Oregon Head Coach
to. If we do that enough times we
qualify people to the NCAA."
Although Kearney wouldn't say
specifically how many Ducks he
wants to qualify for the NCAA tour
nament to make it a successful trip,
he believes that anywhere from three
to seven Ducks will be selected for it.
Not quite veterans
Sometimes it's easy to forget just
how young Oregon is.
The Ducks have three freshmen
starters: Joey Lucas, Cody Parker and
Cyle Hartzell. Junior Dustin Fisher is
in his first year as a starter, along with
sophomore Joey Bracamonte.
"We have some young guys who
are just starting out their college ca
reers," sophomore Chet McBee said.
"You are looking at six to seven guys
that are making their first Pac-10 tour
ney, and they don't have a whole lot
of experience in that area."
For a third of Oregon's starters this is
the first tournament atmosphere since
high school. It's impossible to overstate
the changes and challenges that come
with competing against the Pac- 10's
best compared to where some of the
freshmen were just a year ago.
"High school tournaments are
nothing compared to this," McBee
said. "It's a joke. In a tournament like
this there is immediate consequences.
If you lose, you're done. Season's over.
For some their careers are over, and if
you do win you get three more weeks
(of preparation for the NCAA tourna
ment) and it's something everyone
strives for."
Scott Archer is a freelance reporter for
the Emerald.
DEFENSIVE
continued from page 13
Gunderson was used to scoring.
The former KingCo Conference Most
Valuable Player averaged at least 14
points per game in each of her last
two seasons at Bellevue and figured
she would eventually play a signifi
cant role in the Oregon offense.
After witaessing the offensive skills
possessed by players around the Pac-10,
however, Gunderson knew something
would have to change.
Realizing that she was outgunned
when it came to pure offensive tal
ent, the feisty Gunderson chose to
switch her focus to defense. The 6
foot forward worked relentlessly to
become a better defender, knowing it
was her best chance to see playing
time as a freshman.
Now a junior on the Oregon
women's basketball team, Gunder
son's hard work and determination
has helped her become the Ducks'
best defensive player.
Getting to this position, however,
wasn't easy for her.
"When I came here, it was funny,
because I was like, 'I'm not a defen
sive player, I've always been a scorer
in high school,'* Gunderson said.
"Coming in here and seeing how
much talent there is in the league,
and even on this team, I knew my
role was going to be different.
"I made a tremendous effort to
say, 'You know what, my effort is
going towards defense,' because no
body was really stepping up, no
one was really saying, 'Hey, I want
to do that.'"
Gunderson's quest to become a
better defensive player wasn't with
out obstacles. A lack of playing time
during her freshman year left her
frustrated and yearning to con
tribute. Despite her dissatisfaction,
Gunderson continued working and
listening to the advice of coaches and
teammates.
Tim Kupsick Freelance Photographer
Kedzie Gunderson is third in rebounding for Oregon with 3.2 rebounds per game.
"When you come in as a fresh
man, it's really frustrating," Gunder
son said. "You're working so hard
and trying to learn everything. If I
was to give advice to any freshman
coming in, it would be to under
stand that your freshman year is go
ing to be a learning time for you.
"Don't get frustrated with it, don't
criticize it and really try to absorb
everything... If you don't, it's almost
like you wasted a year."
As time passed, Gunderson's
defense improved and she started
seeing more playing time. The coach
ing staff liked her competitive fire,
her never-ending hustle and willing
ness to do the dirty work.
Now in her third season, Gunder
son is trusted with shutting down an
opponent's most prolific scorer.
Whether it's Stanford's Nicole Pow
ell, Washington's Giuliana Mendiola
or Arizona State's Betsy Boardman,
Gunderson works her butt off to
make sure the opposition's star
doesn't score an easy basket.
"I really take pride in stepping up
to the challenge," Gunderson said.
"I love the fact that my challenge is
(the opposition's) best player. I like
to get them frustrated and get in
their head."
Smith said she and the rest of the
coaching staff knew immediately
that Gunderson would make a quali
ty defensive player.
"We saw the potential with
Kedzie," Smith said. "We saw the de
termination and we saw the smart
ness. Kedzie's not the most powerful
player, she's not the most aggressive
tribute on the offensive end. Rather
than trying to create off the dribble,
she has looked to score more in the
post, on mid-range jump shots and
finishing on fast breaks. Gunderson
matched a career-high with 13
points against Washington State two
weeks ago.
Though her offensive contribu
tions are welcomed, it's Gunderson's
defense that helps set the tone for
Oregon's aggressive style of play. The
Ducks have been at their best this
season when they play strong de
fense, and Gunderson's teammates
appreciate her hustle.
"She never gives up," guard Kayla
Steen said. "She's extremely hard
working. She knows what her role is
and knows we definitely need her on
piayer in terms or
explosiveness and
quickness. She'd
admit to that.
"But she's a
very smart player
and she knows
how she can play
defense with her
mind more than
her body."
Along with her
defensive im
provement, Gun
derson eventually
discovered how
she could con
the defensive end."
Chelsea Wagner, another defen
sive standout for the Ducks, said that
playing tough defense is just as im
portant as having a big scoring night.
"We both kind of feed off each
other in that aspect," Wagner said.
"We just try and get some steals and
try to get the team going. That's how
we can contribute our scoring with
the team. Even though we don't get
the two points, we're giving us an ex
tra possession to get some points."
Entering tonight's game against
No. 10 Stanford, Gunderson is aver
aging 5.1 points and 3.2 rebounds
per contest. Even
though she does
n't sport All
American num
bers, her
contributions to
the team are end
less.
She has emerged
as one of Oregon's
on-court leaders.
Gunderson uses
hustle — during
games and practice
— to motivate her
teammates rather
than veiling and
screaming at them.
"She's the one that's always grind
ing it out and the one who's always
giving that second and third effort
on possessions," Smith said. "She's
not a very loud leader. She doesn't
speak a lot but her actions speak for
her. That's how she feels she wants to
be represented. Those are the kind of
people who walk the walk and not
just talk the talk."
Gunderson has finally arrived, as
she is now trusted to slow the oppo
sition's best player and is emerging as
a team leader.
Sounds like she made the right
decisions.
Contact the sports reporter
at jonroetman@dailyemerald.com.
"I really take pride in
stepping up to the
challenge. I love the
fact that my challenge
is (the opposition's)
best player. I like to
get them frustrated
and get in their head "
Kedzie Gunderson
Oregon Forward
AIMS
continued from page 13
almost five points more per game at
home during Pac-10 play.
"(Brooks) is quicker and gives
you another, quicker defender on
the ball," Kent said. "Defense is a
priority to him. He loves to play it,
he loves to pick up the ball. He
loves to stick people and lock them
up. So just his mentality will help
us somewhat."
Most important, however, will
be Oregon's play in the post. Ike
Diogu walked all over Oregon's
defenders in Arizona State's win
on Saturday. The Golden Bears
present a different kind of chal
lenge than Diogu, who is primarily
an inside player.
Tamir is like Jackson. He can post
up or shoot from the perimeter. He
is sixth all-time at California with
126 three-pointers.
That's not bad for a 6-foot-10
forward.
He was, however, held in check by
the Ducks earlier this season. He
scored two points after connecting
on two free throws. He was 0 for 8
from the field.
"Of course he's going to be fired
up," Crosswhite said. "He's going to
want to have a good game, especially
since he's had good games against us
before. It's his last year. He's got five
more guaranteed games and he's go
ing to be playing his hardest."
Powe represents the newest breed
of Pac-10 freshmen and is a potential
future all-conference player. He al
ready leads the conference in re
bounding with 9.2 per game and av
erages 14.6 points.
That number, though, is a bit
skewed — he has not scored more
than 10 points in California's past
three games. Coincidentally, the
Golden Bears have lost their past
three.
"He's tough," Platt said. "He's a
man under there, he's not your av
erage freshman. He bangs and he's
decent from 15 (feet) on in and can
shoot it out there. We just need to
play solid and we'll probably get the
trap on him and try to force it out of
his hands."
After the Ducks play California,
they visit Stanford. Much like Haas,
the Ducks have had very little success
at Maples Pavilion. Oregon hasn't
won in Palo Alto since 1986.
Oregon has four games left this
season. It will be interesting to see if
the Ducks can find a way to beat
those guys.
Contact the sports editor
at hankhager@dailyemerald.com.
ON-COURT
continued from page 13
dual-match singles.
"We've had some benefit of playing
a couple of other guys up higher,"
Russell said. "They've got some confi
dence playing against better players.
That's been good to see."
However, the true test lies ahead for
the men when they confront two top
20 teams at home — No. 8 Rice and
the Ducks' Pacific-10 Conference
opener against No. 18 Washington.
Women jump in polls
Even though the Oregon women
had their nine-match winning streak
snapped last weekend against fourth
ranked Washington, they still felt that
they played well enough to win.
"It was a close, hard-fought match
we played up there," Oregon
women's head coach Nils Schyllan
der said. "We felt like we were in po
sition to win."
Nevertheless, their 9-1 start to the
dual match season is becoming recog
nized nationally. The Ducks im
proved significantly in the polls this
week by jumping 18 spots from No.
42 to No. 24.
So far this season, the women have
dominated their opponents in dou
bles as they have assembled a 26-4
doubles record. However, Schyllander
said singles is an area in which he
would like to see his team improve.
"I think doubles right now is phe
nomenal," Schyllander said. "We
just need to make sure that we get
more productive throughout the
lineup in singles."
Alex tam is a freelance reporter
for the Emerald.