Duck softball can learn lessons in offseason
It was another terrific ride for the
Oregon women's softball team this sea
son.
Through the ups (a 14-game win
streak) and the downs (a three-game
shutout weekend in Arizona), the
women of the team became the talk of
the town for the second consecutive
season.
I lowever, now that the season is over
— one win away from the Women's
College World Series that began Thurs
day in Oklahoma — there are a few les
sons and reminders that you, the Ore
gon softball team, must keep in mind
before the 2005 season kicks off next
winter, and they are things that can be
applied off the field as well.
• Lesson one: Play like winners. It
doesn't matter if you win, lose or get
taken to 13 innings by the last-place
team from the Mid-Continent Confer
ence; Oregon softball is now on the list
of teams to beat.
Last season, it was OK to swing with
the ups and downs. Ihe program was
still new to winning after the 24-30 sea
son in 2002. Ihis season, it was less OK,
but still excusable. In 2005, after 2003's
37-19 season and 2004's 42-21 season,
you ladies should realize: You're expect
ed to win. Use Arizona as your role
model if you will. When the Wildcats
lose, they get mad. And you can bet
they come back twice as hard the next
game.
• Lesson two: Start well, end well.
Yes, the beginning of the season is time
to work out the kinks and rust, but the
end of the season is not the time for a
1-6 slump in the Pacific-10 Conference.
It's that consistency issue that kept
surfacing during the season, not just
consistency during a game, or on a cer
tain aspect, but for a season. It's diffi
cult, but it's possible.
Mindi Rice
The girl and the game
• Lesson three: Know that your
time will come. Everyone but Jenn
Poore, Anissa Meashintubby, Julie
Jaime and Heather Munson will re
turn next year. Add four recruits who
have signed — Elmira's Alicia Cook,
Tigard's Kristi Jorgensen, Tualatin's
Lovena Chaput and Joanna Gail of
Poway, Calif. — and that's a mixture
with pure potential written all over
it.
Challenge each other for starting
positions. Maybe put Beth Boskovich at
first base, Amie Morris at catcher and,
who knows, maybe Amy Harris will re
turn to the ace role next season? It could
be anyone, anywhere, and that will
make the team stronger. Even after start
ing roles have been won for the begin
ning of the season, keep pushing each
other.
• Reminder one: Keep doing what
you're doing. Keep sharing the hero
role, being open and friendly with the
media, amazing fans, encouraging each
other, knowing how to calm each other
down or pick each other up and work
ing hard. These things that you already
do unconsciously as a team are what
make you such an easy team to enjoy
covering. Whoever is the softball beat
writer next year is in for a treat with this
squad.
There are so many stories within this
team that it is impossible to tell them
all — like the three roommates raising
puppies together, the players spending
part of July participating in the Canada
Cup, the return of Oregon recruits to
the Duck squad, the head coach who is
already of member of seven hall of
fames and will be inducted into an
eighth this November — there aren't
nearly enough notes packages, features
or columns in a season.
• Reminder two: Have fun. Forget the
media, forget the opponents, forget the
rushed days of traveling — enjoy your
selves and the rest will fall into place.
With all of these lessons and re
minders in mind, the softball team
should have another successful season
around the comer with head coach
Kathy Arendsen at the helm.
Contact the senior sports reporter
at mindirice@dailyemerald.com.
Her opinions do not necessarily
represent those of the Emerald.
WOMEN
continued from page 7
10 in the West.
Sofie Abildtrup enters the 400
meter dash rated fifth with her
personal best of 52.92 seconds
from the Pac-10 Championships.
Abildtrup has been bothered by a
hamstring problem recently, but
is confident going into this week
end.
"Last week after Pac- 10s, I rested
a whole lot," Abildtrup said. "My
"I think I have an
outside shot (at
nationals). I'm
definitely going to go
in and try. I have
nothing to lose and
everything to gain."
Laura Harmon
Oregon runner
first hard workout was this past
Sunday. I'm seeded fifth right now
and if I can hold that position,
then I'll qualify for nationals, and
that's my hope."
Laura Harmon goes into the
5,000-meters ranked ninth in the
field with her season best of
16:46.97 from the Stanford Invita
tional in late March. I Iarmon said
she hopes to improve her time af
ter resting the past few weeks.
"I think I have an outside shot
(at nationals)," I Iarmon said. "I'm
definitely going to go in and try. I
have nothing to lose and every
thing to gain."
Other Oregon representatives in
running events include Sara Schaaf
in the 800-meters (seventh,
2:08.08) and Kayla Mellott in the
400-meter hurdles (17th,
1:00.72).
Contact the sports reporter
at alextam@dailyemerald.com.
MEN
continued from page 7
(25 feet, 4 1/2 inches) and seventh in
the triple jump (51-5). Holding
ground in the long jump will be
enough to advance, but he will likely
need to add three inches in the triple
jump to secure a spot at nationals.
Coming off a sore knee and what
he called a "poor" performance at the
Pac-10 Championships, Watson said
he's determined to qualify in both
events.
"I didn't feel like I had a good
workout going into Pac-10s," Watson
said. "I was resting, trying to be injury
free before Pac- 10s. Now that I'm not
worried about injures, I've been work
ing hard."
Two Oregon athletes who have an
easier path to nationals are Tommy
Skipper and Eric Mitchum.
Skipper automatically qualified for
nationals when he cleared 18-8 3/4
during an indoor meet in Nampa,
Idaho, in early February. This clear
ance was also a school record for Skip
per, breaking Kory Tarpenning's 19
year-old mark of 18-6 1/2.1116 Sandy
native holds the second-best outdoor
height in the West (18-3 1/4) behind
Fullerton State's Giovanni Lanaro, but
has repeatedly said he's more con
cerned with improving his technique
at regionals, rather than winning.
Mitchum owns the nation's sec
ond-best time in the 110-meter hur
dles (13.50) and would almost cer
tainly be selected for an at-large bid if
he were to falter at regionals.
Other Oregon athletes who enter
weekend competition ranked in the
West's top five include: Matt Scherer
in the 400 (fifth, 45.95), Brett Holts
in the 3,000 steeplechase (fifth,
8:44.57), Ryan Andrus in the 10,000
(fifth, 28:56.67), Jeff Lindsey in the
high jump (fourth, 7-1 3/4), Adam
Jenkins in the javelin (fifth, 227-4)
and the 4x400 relay team of Travis
Anderson, Holliday, Kedar Inico and
Scherer (third, 3:03.49).
Contact the sports reporter
at jonroetman@dailyemerald.com.
Lauren Wimer Senior Photographer
Junior Leonidas Watson enters the
weekend ranked fourth in the long jump.
The transfer is one of a number of Oregon
athletes that will look to qualify in their
respective events for the NCAA
Championships. Some Ducks are already
bound for Austin, Texas - the site of the
2004 NCAA Championships — but others
can qualify for the final collegiate meet
with a top five finish at the 2004 Western
Regional in Northridge, Calif.
[018852
w-' ■- V \
WE BUY
YOUR COMPUTERS,
DESKTOPS OR LAPTOPS
(WORKING OR NOT, PARTS ALSO)
FURNITURE, TV, DVD, VHS
FOR TOP DOLLAR!
We will pick it up! Call us.
Make some money now!
Jackpot 688-8569 or 543-3055
2699 Roosevelt Blvd.