Sports Editor:
Hank Hager
hankhager@dailyemerald.com
Wednesday, May 5, 2004
Oregon Daily Emerald
SPORTS
Best bet
MLB:
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7 p.m., ESPN2
Danielle Hickey Photo Editor
. Oregon’s Ashley Richards leads the Ducks with a .322 batting average, 10 doubles, eight home runs and 27 RBIs. The junior from Richland, Wash., has started all 49 games this season, primarily at third base.
' No. 10 Oregon hosts Portland State at Howe
The Ducks break into the top 10 as
they prepare for two nonconference
games at 2 p.m. today at Howe Field
By Mindi Rice
Senior Sports Reporter
A1-2 weekend against two teams ranked in the
top 10 kept Oregon moving ahead in the polls.
Instead of dropping from the No. 11 spot the
Ducks held last week, Oregon moved up in the
ESPN.com/USASoftball Poll released Tuesday.
Now, the No. 10 Ducks round out six Pacific
10 Conference teams ranked in the top 10.
"Strange, isn't it?" Oregon head coach Kathy
Arendsen said. "Strange that we break the top
10 when we lose two out of three. I believe that
we have been a top 10 team for a few weeks
now. It's great for promotional stuff and re
cruiting, but ultimately what counts is, can you
win when you get to regionals?"
Today, the Ducks (35-14 overall, 9-6 Pac-10)
take their No. 10 ranking into Howe Field for a
nonconference doubleheader at 2 p.m. against
Portland State (19-34 overall, 10-10 Pacific
Coast Softball Conference).
"The games against Portland State are really
big for bringing people ready to play for the
rest of our games for the rest of the season,"
pitcher Ani Nyhus said. "We can't look over
Portland State. We had two really close games
against them in Portland."
Oregon needs to win one of today's two
games to win the state competition. The Ducks
took two of three from Oregon State and have
already taken two games from Portland State.
On Wednesday, the Vikings upset the then-No.
18 Beavers, 4-2, for their first win against a top
25 team this season.
DUCK
SOFTBALL
The two games against
Oregon are the final
games of the season for
Portland State.
"We can't underesti
mate them," second baseman Erin Goodell said.
"Those are two games that we need to win. They've
got nothing to lose, so they're going to be coming
in here ready to win. We can't let that happen."
Last year, the Ducks swept the Vikings in four
games, shutting out Portland State in both
games in Portland, 4-0 and 5-0. The Vikings
managed two runs during each game in Eugene,
but Oregon made sure to stay ahead of Portland
State, 7-2 and 3-2.
Portland State head coach Teri Mariani
makes sure the Vikings are ready every year for
their games against Oregon State and Oregon,
giving her players the chance to beat top 25
teams each year.
"Their pitchers shut us down when we were
in Portland," Arendsen said. "We have the
chance to get momentum back offensively. I'd
like to see more consistency offensively
(against Portland State)."
When the teams faced off in Portland, Oregon
took the doubleheader, 5-2 and 1-0. Nyhus
Turn to SOFTBALL, page 10
Alex Tam
Holding court
Looking
for tough?
Pole vault
provides it
Track and field is the ultimate test of
athletics.
It combines all the skills and talents
required for every athlete competing in
sports. Strength and power are necessary
in field events, including the shot put
and javelin. Try hurling an elongated
stick weighing around a pound and a
half at least 17 5 feet — and do it without
throwing your arm out.
Also, only a rare group of athletes are
. Turn to TAM, page 10
Malone assumes team’s leadership role
Erik R. Bishoff Photographer
Junior Sarah Malone has become Oregon’s leader of the track this season.
Team meetings before every meet has helped the
Oregon women achieve success this year
By Alex Tam
Sports Reporter
Sarah Malone has taken it upon herself to assume a leadership
role on the Oregon women's track and field team this season.
As the new era of the women's program began under head
coach Martin Smith, Malone believed it was important for the
women to realize what being a team really is. She felt it was an el
ement that was nonexistent the past few years.
"I never really had that team feeling the first couple years I
was here," Malone said. "1 took it upon myself to try to bring
this team together."
Since the Pepsi Team Invitational three weeks ago, Malone has
organized team meetings a couple days before each meet to dis
cuss goals for the ensuing weekend. The
discussion goes around with each athlete
sharing their goal for the upcoming com
petition. They also state how each team
mate can help fulfill them, such as help
encourage crowd support.
WOMEN’S
TRACK
"I started it as a pep rally of sorts," said Malone, a redshirt junior
and javelin thrower. "I really think we needed it." The Newberg
native has generally received positive feedback from her team
mates. The impact of those meetings was immediately felt when
the Oregon women won the Pepsi Invite over Colorado, Min
nesota and Washington, lhe Ducks conjured up seven event wins
and set seven new personal bests during that meet.
At I layward Field's Oregon Twilight this past Saturday, the
Turn to WOMEN, page 12