Sports Editor
Hank Hager
hankhager@dailyemerald.com
Friday, April 16,2004
-Oregon Daily Emerald
SPORTS
Best bet
NBA Playoffs:
Boston vs. Indiana
11 a.m. Saturday, ESPN
Softball heads to streaking UW, sinking UCLA
The Ducks have a travel-heavy
weekend against two of the
Pac-10 Conference's top teams
By Mindi Rice
Senior Sports Reporter
It is one of the stranger road trips in the Pacific
10 Conference.
In Pac-10 softball, there is no Southern California
and no Washington State, which means that No. 3
UCLA and No. 5 Washington are travel partners.
So when it comes time, as it will this weekend,
for No. 14 Oregon to face the schools on the
road, the Ducks have a long weekend of traveling
in store for them.
Oregon (30-10 overall, 4-2 Pac-10) faces
the Huskies (28-7,4-0) at 1 p.m. today before flying
to Los Angeles. The Ducks face the Bruins (27-5,0-4)
at 2 p.m. on Saturday, and then at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
"It's the most bizarre road trip that I've ever gone
on," Oregon head coach Kathy Arendsen said. "To
know that you're going from Eugene to Seattle, and
then flying after the game the same night to LA, to
play the next afternoon against the defending na
tional champions is incredible. But everyone does
it, so we're all at the same disadvantage."
One of the more enjoyable parts of this wacky
roadtrip is how many of the players will return to
their home state in the same weekend.
Six Californians — Beth Boskovich, Julie Jaime,
_ Lindsey Kontra, Jenn Poore,
rH I 1 Syr Breanne Sabol and Ann
IUPMarie Topps — and four
SOFTBALL Washingtonians — Dani
- Baird, Suzie Barnes, Kristi
Leiter and Ashley Richards
— will be a bit closer to home for at least one day
this weekend.
Baird, a Mt. Vernon, Wash, native, will have
her parents at the game, although they aren't
strangers to Oregon softball. Baird said that her
parents travel to most of her games in Oregon
and even to some in California.
"It's always a nice feeling to look up in the stands
and see familiar faces," Baird said. "Last year, my
whole high school team came down and supported
me, so 1 have a lot of hometown support."
Last year, Oregon swept the Huskies in two
games in Seattle. This year, the Huskies are 4-0 in
the Pac-10 for the first time in Washington history,
coming off a two-game sweep of UCLA.
"(This weekend) is scary because
Washington is playing incredibly well," Arendsen
said. "We beat them twice in Seattle last year, I'm
sure they haven't forgotten that."
The trip to Easton Stadium, the Bruins' home,
won't be any easier. While the 0-4 start makes UCLA
look like the weak link in the Pac-10, the defending
national champions are still one of the more feared
Turn to HEADS, page 10
Adam Amato Senior Photographer
Dani Baird is one of four Washington natives
who will play in their home state Friday
afternoon when the Ducks face Washington.
Duck men face
JMt. SAC Relays,
Oregon Invite
Skipper leads a quartet of Oregon pole vaulters into
the Mt. SAC Relays this weekend in California
By Jon Roetman
Sports Reporter
The Oregon men's track and field team will compete in the Mt.
SAC Relays this weekend before heading home for the Oregon Invi
tational on April 23-24 at Hayward Field.
The Ducks will see action in five events during the Walnut, Calif,
meet, highlighted by Tommy Skipper competing in the pole vault
and Eric Mitchum running the 110-meter hurdles on Sunday.
Skipper, who cleared 17 feet, 5 inches at the Pepsi Team Invita
tional on April 10 at Hayward Field, said that Oregon pole vaulters
are focusing on improving their technique for bigger meets, such as
the Oregon Invitational or the Pacific-10 Conference Championships
in May, rather than worrying about height.
"We're trying different things," Skipper said after the Pepsi Team
_ Invitational. "We're all trying to improve our
technique right now. None of us are worried
about our height at this point. Obviously it's
nice to come out and jump 18 feet every day
- but that's not what we're trying to do."
Skipper broke the Oregon pole vault record
when he cleared 18 feet, 8 3/4 inches during the indoor season in
Nampa, Idaho. The previous Duck record of 18-6 1 /2 was set by Kory
Tarpenning in 1985.
Also competing in the pole vault for Oregon will be Trevor Woods,
MEN’S
TRACK
Jon Derby and David Moore.
Woods, an All-American from Coos Bay, finished second (16-9
1/4) to Skipper at the Pepsi's.
On the track, Mitchum is coming off a successful showing at the
Pepsi's where he won the 110 hurdles (13.70 seconds) and 400 hur
dles (51.47). The Calumet City, 111. native had added motivation
down the stretch of the 400 hurdles as teammate
Brandon Holliday finished a close second (51.52).
"It always helps to have someone there with you," Mitchum said.
Turn to FINAL, page 9
Lauren Wimer Photographer
Tommy Skipper said that Oregon pole vaulters are focused on improving
their technique. He'll compete in Walnut Creek, Calif., this weekend.
Oregon women
confident going
into California
The Oregon women hope their confidence
stands heading into this weekend’s meets
A positive attitude is beginning to surround the Oregon
women's track and field team.
One week after their surprising win at the Pepsi Team In
vitational, the Ducks look to continue their momentum
heading into this weekend's meets, starting with the Mt.
SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif., on Saturday. A split squad con
sisting of eight women will compete at the Long Beach In
vitational in California.
The talk among the women is about what record is going to
be broken next. Several personal bests are falling after each sub
sequent meet which is a sign that things are improving for the
women's program.
Senior Kirsten Larwin, who finished second at 13 feet, 1
going to go in there focused and try to make everything on my
first attempt because that's really important."
Larwin, a Eugene native, said her consistency at clearing
bars more than 13 feet this year gives her confidence head
ing into every meet.
'This outdoor season has been going exactly how I wanted
to," said Larwin, who ranks third all-time in Oregon history at
the pole vault. Things are shaping up the way I want them to."
Her leadership is helping guide her fellow pole-vaulter,
freshman Emily Enders, through her first year at Oregon.
Enders will compete alongside Larwin in the pole vault at
the Mt. SAC Relays.
Enders, a Snohomish, Wash., native, is one of several
By Alex Tam
Sports Reporter
WOMEN'S
TRACK
3/4 inches in the pole vault at the
Pepsi Invite, said she is satisfied with
her performance thus far and her
goal remains the same Saturday.
"I'd like to PR just like I want to do
every weekend," larwin said. "I'm just
Turn to CONFIDENT, page 8
UO defense set to pick up where it left off in 2nd scrimmage
Having appeared a bit rusty at first, the
Ducks are recovering from the loss of
a few of their key players this season
By Hank Hager
Sports Editor
The first time out, the Oregon defense
proved to be ahead of the game.
This time out, can it do the same?
Jerry Matson sure hopes so. The linebacker was a
mainstay during the Ducks' first spring scrimmage
last week. Oregon playsin its second on Saturday.
"Round two, it's always interesting, the
buildup," Matson said. "You always get the lit
tle conflicting things between the offense and
defense."
As much as the rustiness of the Oregon of
fense was expected in the first big workout of
the spring season, the defense's ability to play
together was a surprise. Not because it's still
early in the year, but because of who the Ducks
have lost.
Oregon has lost players at each facet of de
fense — at the secondary, linebacking and line
positions.
Matson, for one, must feel like he's on an
island out there. With Kevin Mitchell and
David Martin having departed, the senior is
the only returning starter at linebacker.
"I think it's uncertain at this point simply
because Anthony Trucks is not practicing,"
__ Oregon head coach
!“%! Mike Bellotti said. "I
UP InL think there's great com
FOOTBALL petition right now be
-- tween (Reggie) Kerney
and (A.J.) Tuitele. I
think that's created a competitive environment
at that same back position. I think at the will
backer position, Ramone Reed has shown up
and done some very good things."
Igor Olshansky left the Ducks early and
Haloti Ngata is still recovering from a torn an
terior cruciate ligament in his left knee. To
compound the team's lineup problems, Devan
Long has not been cleared for the spring and
Robby Valenzuela was banged up early on,
most notably with a sprained ankle that has
not completely subsided yet.
“We like to have a lot of depth because we
can look back and see guys who can step up
and play for us," Valenzuela said. "Right now,
Turn to SCRIMMAGE, page 9