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Sports Editor: Hank Hager hankhager@dailyemerald.com Thursday, May 6,2004 -Oregon Daily Emerald SPORTS Best bet NBA Playoffs: Miami vs. Indiana 6 p.m.,TNT Oregon tennis teams earn NCAA invitations Both Duck teams believe they hold a distinct advantage in the first round of the NCAA Tournament next weekend By Clayton Jones Freelance Reporter The Oregon men's tennis team's season was resurrected as the tennis gods shed light upon their darkened hopes for a postseason berth when the NCAA committee announced Wednesday the Ducks are worthy of an invitation to this year's NCAA Tournament. The invitation was a relief for the team, according to head coach Chris Russell, and it gives the players new life "It's like we've been reincarnated," Russell said. "At the same time we put ourselves in this situation and we're responsible for that." The announcement marks the third time in the program's history the Ducks will be participating in the NCAA Tournament. "We haven't been able to do this in four |"E INI NIS years, so this is - a big step in the right direc tion for our program," Russell said. Oregon will travel to Oxford, Miss., where it will face No. 22 Vanderbilt, the 2003 NCAA Tournament runner up, in the first round on May 15. The Ducks won't go in without any NCAA Tournament experience: Sopho more transfer Markus Schiller played at Auburn University last year and partici pated in the NCAA Tournament. "I went to Mississippi last year with Auburn and 1 know it is a very hostile place," Schiller said. "But the NCAA Tournament is a fun atmosphere." "He knows the environment and he knows the players, so it should be an advantage," Russell said. Russell believes his team will face new challenges in Mississippi. "That's tennis country and the heart of the (Southeastern Conference)," he said. "Not only will we be represent ing Oregon, we will be fighting for the bragging rights of the Pac-10." Also announced Wednesday was the Pacific-10 all-conference teams. Junior Sven Swinnen earned first team honors and junior Manuel Kost garnered second-team honors for the second consecutive year. Women open at Washington The Oregon women's tennis team got its wish and received a berth from the NCAA committee as well, which will take the Ducks to Washington. "We're really excited to stay close to home and hopefully some of our fans can make the trip up," head coach Nils Schyllander said. The No. 32 Ducks (16-8) will face 31 st-ranked New Mexico (20-4) in their first-round match May 15. Though Schyllander says they aren't looking ahead, the Ducks are excited to be in this bracket because it gives them the best chance to advance to the round of 16 in Athens, Ga. "I think our best chance to win is in this bracket instead of having to go to Stanford or Cal," Schyllander said. Schyllander believes the team has been rewarded for a great season by be ing placed in the Washington bracket and earning a first-round match-up against a team with a similar record. "We're very excited to have a chance to possibly play Washington again," Schyllander said. "But first we have a very tough match against New Mexi co. We have a lot of respect for their program." Individually, junior Daria Panova was honored by the Pac-10 Wednes day with a first-team all-conference se lection. This is the second year in a row the Moscow, Idaho, native has earned this honor. Clayton Jones is a freelance reporter for the Emerald. Tim Bobosky Photographer Therese Wenslow looks to get her strong play back on track at the NCAA Regionals, which begin today and are hosted by Stanford. a style all her own Sophomore Therese Wenslow looks to help the Ducks advance past the NCAA West Regional for the first time since 2000 By Brian Smith Freelance Reporter Imagine being a member of the women's golf team heading to the Eugene Country Club for a practice round, driving down Country Club Road and seeing a golf bag on wheels. Agolfbagonabike. More specifically, a golf bag on the shoulders of a player riding a bike. Pulling up alongside, and seeing that she is a teammate, an offer for a ride is made. The girl on the bike politely says no and continues on. Another offer is made and still she refuses. Persistence does not persuade and the overwhelming thought is, "That's Therese for you." Sophomore Therese Wenslow is described by teammates in a number of ways, but the consensus seems to be that "determined" and "focused" are the best adjectives to label the native of Bunkeflostrand, Sweden. "She's very focused in her game," teammate Michelle Timpani said. "She's always walking fast and doing her own thing. She is also very calm. I've never see her get mad and throw a club or display poor sportsmanship. Therese is a very hard worker. She's always the first one here and last one to leave." Head coach Shannon Rouillard agrees. "Her dedication and her work ethic, her strive for excellence, to be the best she can be at whatever she does, plays a part on this team," Rouillard said. "It has helped take this team to the next level. I know it has forced Michelle and Kim (McCready) and Erin (Andrews and Johnna (Nealy to get out there and practice and not just sit home." Much of the dogged determination and discipline can be attributed to the three years Wenslow spent at the prestigious Swedish Golf High School in Klippan, where at 16 she lived with three other students in an apartment, taking classes early in the day and playing golf in the afternoon. "It was a great way to leam to take care of myself," Wenslow said. "After coming here, I knew it wouldn't be that hard. I knew that I was independent and capable of doing those basic things when you live on your own." Independence wasn't the only reason Wenslow decided on the golf school. "It was more like I had access to more golf courses, since the school was in the south and I was from the north," Wenslow said. "In the south, you have a longer time of the year to play golf. That was the main reason I went." Turn to STYLE, page 14 UO senior prepared to defend javelin title Adam Jenkins knows last weekend’s winning mark won’t cut it at the Pac-10 Championships next week By Jon Roetman Sports Reporter Adam Jenkins has been working hard during the past couple weeks to prepare himself for the Pacific-10 Conference Championships in mid-May. So it was no sur prise when the de lEIM S fending Pac-10 TRACK javelin champion _ showed up to last weekend's Oregon Invitational physically drained from near ing the end of his training cycle. Along with the difficulty of battling back from a shoulder injury suffered earlier in the year, the senior simply wanted his efforts at Hayward Field on Saturday to produce a respectable mark. "From the moment I stepped on the track, I didn't feel very good," Jenkins said after the event. "I'm coming off some training and my body is real tired." When all was said and done, the Turn to TITLE, page 16 Oregon takes two from Portland State Oregon’s Ani Nyhus was named to the Canadian Olympic team before the Ducks swept Portland State on Wednesday at Howe By Mindi Rice Senior Sports Reporter Even when she pitches less than an in ning, Oregon's Ani Nyhus tops the news. Nyhus, who earned her second save of the season in Oregon's 1-0 win Wednesday against Portland State, was also named to Team Canada Wednesday, the club that will represent Canada in the 2004 Olympics. The junior faced four batters to close out the Ducks' victory in the first game of a doubleheader at Howe Field. Sophomore pitcher Amy Harris started the game for No. 10 Oregon (37-14 over all, 9-6 Pacific-10 Conference), facing 20 batters in 6 1/3 innings. She struck out four and allowed none to reach base via hits. The Ducks' lone run came on a home run by left fielder Dani Baird down the left field line in the bottom of the third inning. Oregon managed just three hits aside from the home mn. "We came out a little flat today," Har ris said. "I think all of us were kind of hurting for some energy." Senior pitcher Anissa Meashintubby pitched a complete game shutout in the second game of the doubleheader, im proving her record to 11-2 on the season. Meashintubby struck out seven batters and gave up three hits. In the second game, the Ducks again scored one run in the bottom of the third, this time when left fielder Julie Jaime scored on an error by Portland State. It looked to be another 1-0 game until the bottom of the sixth, when the Ducks bit, * Oregon catcher Jenn Poore said. After third baseman Ashley Richards Turn to TWO, page 14 broke out of an of fensive slump. DUCK SOFTBALL "We started off kind of slow, but by the end of the sec ond game we picked it up a little Tim Kupsick Photographer Amy Harris threw 6 1/3 hitless innings Wednesday in the first game of a doubleheader against Portland State. Oregon swept the Vikings this season and now heads south to take on Arizona and Arizona this weekend to finish its 2004 Pac-10 road schedule.
