Returning track women see new leadership system
Oregon
redshirt junior
Sarah Malone
won the javelin
at the Oregon
Preview with a
throw of 175 -
7 after sitting
out last season
as a redshirt.
Erik R. Bishoff
Photographer _J
New Head coach Martin
Smith brings a to Oregon
a philosophy focusing
on an all-around team
By Alex Tam
Sports Reporter
A new year. A new coach. A
new system.
A new era dawns upon the
Oregon women's track and field
team heading into the 2004 sea
son. With longtime track and
field head coach Tom Heinonen
retiring after 27 years at the helm
of the
women's
program,
a recog
nizable
name
came in to fill the vacancy left be
hind. Sixth-year men's head
coach Martin Smith steps in to
revive a struggling women's pro
gram.
Redshirt senior heptathlete
Abby Andrus said there is a bright
outlook for the squad with the
new coaching staff.
"As a team, we're all looking
pretty good," Andrus said. "As a
team, I think we are improving."
Andrus is one of the Ducks'
top athletes this season as she
ranks in the top 10 in Oregon's
all-time lists in hurdles. Andrus,
a Peoria, Ariz., native, is seventh
all-time in the 100-meter hurdles
WOMEN'S
TRACK
at 14.00 seconds and sixth
all-time in the 400-meter hur
dles at 59.90 seconds.
Andrus said she has many
goals she wants to accomplish in
her last year as a Duck. One of
those is earning All-American
honors for the multiple events
she competes in, including the
high jump and long jump.
Redshirt junior Sarah Malone
is another Duck with high
hopes coming into this year. Af
ter sitting out 2003, Malone
said she is glad to return to the
field of competition as a javelin
thrower under the guidance of
new assistant coach and four
time Olympian Lance Deal.
Malone, a two-time NCAA
qualifier, holds the javelin
school record at 179-2 from the
Oregon Twilight meet two years
ago at Hayward Field. Despite
missing last season, she came
back to earn first place in the
javelin throw at the Oregon Pre
view meet two weeks ago with a
mark of 175-7.
Even though the women's
team is in a rebuilding period,
Malone said she has set high
standards for herself.
"Our team goals are not ex
actly where we want them to
be," Malone said. "My person
al goals are to be a Pac-10
champion and contend for the
national title."
Long jumps are another focus
area that have seen improve
ment behind a new team philos
ophy that emphasizes both field
and running events.
Junior Maegan Traver said she
has benefited from that new phi
losophy.
"So far this season, it's a com
plete 360 from last season,"
Traver said. "We've been special
izing in the jumps ... (and also)
speed and power." Traver set a
new personal best in the long
jump with a mark of 38-2 at the
Stanford Invitational meet last
weekend. But she still sees room
for herself to grow.
"It was good, but it's only the
beginning of the season," Traver
said.
In the high jump, redshirt
junior Rachael Kriz leads the
Ducks after taking first place in
the event with a mark of 1.68
meters at the Oregon Preview.
Kriz said she is happy about her
efforts so far.
"High jump is taking off," Kriz
said two weeks ago. "Hopefully
that's going to excel and it's great
to have some great coaches."
Nevertheless, Kriz said the
transition toward combining
the men's and women's pro
grams has not had a big effect
on her as the goals remain the
same.
"It's pretty much same old,
same old," Kriz said. "We're here
to get the job done, so whatever
is going to get the job done bet
ter, let's do it."
Contact the sports reporter
at alextam@dailyemerald.com.
Skipper headlines track squad with high expectations
Tommy Skipper leads
a talented Oregon men’s
track and field squad into
the tough outdoor season
By Jon Roetman
Sports Reporter
Tommy Skipper stood at the be
ginning of the pole vault runway
during the Oregon Preview on
March 20, disappointed with the
attempts to dear a height well below
the 18 feet-8 1/2-inch mark he set
during the indoor season.
It wasn't the type of day the fresh
man envisioned having during his
first meet at Hayward Field.
"Terrible," the Sandy native said.
"I'm ashamed of myself."
Funny thing was, he won the event
after dearing 17-6 1/2.
Talk about high expectations.
Skipper may well be the crown jew
el of this season's Oregon men's track
and field team. The 2003 Track and
MEN’S
TRACK
performance
he had just
given.
He had
failed three
consecutive
Field News' Boys Athlete of the Year is
one of Oregon's most highly decorat
ed recruits. His mark of 18-8.75 was
tops in the nation during indoor com
petition. Skipper also finished second
at the NCAA Indoor Championships
and earned All-American honors by
clearing 18-4 1/2 in Fayetteville, Ark.
While Skipper was unable to carry
the momentum of All-American hon
ors at the NCAA Indoors to his per
formance at the less-decorated Ore
gon Preview, his mere presence
created a buzz.
Despite being a low-profile meet,
2,331 people were on hand to see the
phenom make his Hayward Field de
but. Even though Skipper wasn't at the
top of his game that day, there will be
plenty of other opportunities for the
young pole vaulter.
"I was really excited to give it my
best in front of a great crowd," Skip
per said at the meet. "I know things
will continue to get better, and I tried
to use the winds the best I could.
(Even after last week's NCAA runner
up finish) I tried to come in here fo
cused with the same type of energy. If
you don't get up for all meets equally,
you can get over-excited for the bigger
meets, and not be ready for the ones
you need to take seriously."
Although Skipper is an attraction,
he is only one of many talented ath
letes on the Oregon squad.
Sophomore Eric Mitchum has been
impressive during the early part of the
season. The Calumet City, 111. native
earned All-American honors at the
NCAA Indoors with a time of 7.74
seconds in the 60 hurdles. He also
won the 110 hurdles at the Oregon
Preview where he ran a 13.91.
Mitchum said he has been looking
forward to the outdoor season.
"Outdoors," Mitchum said, "is
what track and field is all about."
Redshirt junior Leonidas Watson is
one of Oregon's top jumpers. Watson
made his outdoor jumping debut last
weekend in Tucson, Ariz., winning the
long jump at the Jim Click Shootout
with a mark of 25-4 1 /2. During the in
door season, Watson garnered All
American honors in the long jump
with a mark of 25-2 1/2. He also
placed first in the 100 meter dash at the
Oregon Preview with a time of 10.66.
Before coming to Oregon, Watson
was a two-time junior college national
champion in the triple jump and a two
time national runner-up in the long
jump at St. Louis Community College
Watson said he has enjoyed the
perks of moving to the Division I
Erik R. Bishoff Photographer
Freshman Tommy Skipper hopes to continue the success he experienced during the
indoor season. His mark of 18-8 3/4 was tops in the nation during indoor competition.
level, which include better training fa
cilities, stiffer competition and, best of
all, increased fan support.
One of his favorite experiences came
during the Oregon Preview when he
heard the crowd cheering him on.
"It was a good turnout fan-wise,"
Watson said. "We never really had
home meets (at SLCC) so it was cool."
It got even better during his victory
lap after winning the 100.
"It felt good," Watson said. "People
actually knew my name."
Contact the sports reporter
at jonroetman@dailyemerald.com.
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