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WONDER
continued from page 7
fourth in a 400-meter race which in
cluded the top junior athletes from all
over Europe.
"I was caught in the finish line, and
after that I started getting serious
about it," Abildtrup said.
Three years later, she decided to
take a year off from running to con
centrate on her studies. Abildtrup
questioned whether she would ever
return to the track, but the hunger
resurfaced. She resumed her training
and found it to be a difficult process.
"It was somehow kind of hard to
run the times when I was 16 again,"
Abildtrup said. "But on the other
hand, I knew 1 would be able to get
back." In the fall of last year, Abildtrup
arrived to Eugene to spend time with
her boyfriend, former Oregon pole
vaulter Piotr Buciarski. She presented
the coaches with her times, and the
next thing she knew, she had a schol
arship waiting for her.
Abildtrup now ranks among the
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Sofie Abildtrup plans on moving back home to Denmark after the end of the track season.
best sprinters in Oregon history. Her
time of 54.49 seconds in the 400 at
the Pepsi Invite moved her into
ninth all-time. This past Sunday,
Abildtrup ran the 200 in 23.93 sec
onds at the Mt. SAC Relays to place
her seventh all-time. Abildtrup was
also named Pacific-10 Conference
Women's Track Athlete of the Week
one week ago.
Her impact is being felt throughout
the whole team.
"It was very uplifting knowing that
we could compete in the Pac-10 with
her, and that one person can make a
difference," Donovan said.
First-year women's sprints coach
Rock Light also acknowledges
Abildtrup's effect on the team this
year. Light said he is impressed with
the way she has handled herself as an
athlete and as a person.
"She's had a huge impact on the
team," Light said. "Her ability, her
leadership — she motivates the entire
team. She's as pleasant and grounded
an athlete that I've ever coached in my
life and that I've coached at her age."
The positive feelings between the
two are mutual, as Abildtrup credits
her individual coach as a huge inspi
ration. Both also have had to adjust to
their first full season at Oregon.
"He has a mentality that makes us
feel that we can really get much bet
ter," Abildtrup said. "He really be
lieves in us and I think that's really
important."
But the chances to see Abildtrup
compete at Oregon are dwindling as
each day passes. Her plan after this
year is to return home to Denmark,
where she wants to continue studying
architecture.
"1 decided to take a year off because
I wanted to focus a bit more on track
and I felt like traveling a bit,"
Abildtrup said. "Everything worked
and I had the ability to come here.
"The thing is, if I want to go back
and continue school in Copenhagen,
I can't really take more than a year off.
So that's the main reason for going
back," she said.
With the Pac-10 Championships
coming up in three weeks and the
school year winding down, Abildtrup
will reflect on her Oregon track expe
rience with positive feelings.
"The students here are really into
sports and they feel like they're a part
of the team and I think that's great,"
Abildtrup said.
While she will always appreciate the
opportunity to compete at legendary
Hayward Field, her desire to become
an architect is what drives her.
"Track is something that's a part
of your life for a short period, and
you have to take advantage of it
when you have the ability to do it,"
Abildtrup said. "But at the same
time, my education is what's going
to affect my life in the future and I've
always focused my time on doing
good in school."
Contact the sports reporter
at alextam@dailyemerald.com.
REMATCH
continued from page 7
hurdles that day may be all the moti
vation Holliday needs when he com
petes in the event Saturday at the Ore
gon Invitational.
"I'll definitely store it and think
about it when I'm getting ready to
run another race," Holliday said. "I
definitely don't want to lose again,
so I'll probably be going over that in
my mind."
Along with Holliday, other Oregon
athletes who will compete Saturday
include 2003 Pac-10 javelin champi
on Adam Jenkins, Tommy Skipper
(pole vault), Leonidas Watson (long
jump, triple jump) and Mitchum (110
hurdles, 400 hurdles).
Thursday’s results
The Oregon Invitational opened
Thursday with heptathlon and de
cathlon competition.
Competing unattached, Oregon
redshirt freshman Ben Looney
ranked sixth with 3,404 points after
five events in the men's decathlon.
The Coos Bay native finished ninth
in the 100 (11.46), eighth in the high
jump (6 feet), eighth in the long
jump (21-7 1/4) and 10th in the shot
put (35-8 1/2). He completed the
day with a "disappointing" time of
51.77 in the 400.
"I wanted to break 50 (seconds),"
Looney said. "Times were slow today;
it was frustrating."
Looney said he has enjoyed his
competition time during his redshirt
year, despite going up against some
of the nation's best athletes. His ex
perience included a chance to com
pete in the Oregon Preview during
spring break.
"Just to be practicing with (quality
athletes) and wondering what it's
like to be a Division I athlete (is mo
tivating)," Looney said. "It was pret
ty good running the hurdles with
Eric (Mitchum), A.K. (Ikwuakor)
and (former Oregon athlete Santia
go Lorenzo)."
On the women's side, senior Abby
Andrus sat in fifth after Thursday's ac
tion (3,072).
Her first-day highlight was a sec
ond-place finish in the 100 hurdles
(14.15). The Peoria, Ariz. native's first
day total was 46 points off her per
sonal best (3,108).
"It was a decent first day," Andrus
said. "But the way I've been practic
ing I was hoping for more points, so
it is still a little frustrating. My 100
hurdles was pretty good; I was a little
close to the bar and a little fast in the
high jump."
Contact the sports reporter
atjonroetman@dailyemerald.com.