Sports Editor
Hank Hager
hankhager@dailyemerald.com
Wednesday, June 2,2004
Oregon Daily Emerald
Best bet
MLB:
Houston vs. Chicago Cubs
11:20 a.m., ESPN
Alex Tam
Holding court
The ABC's
at the UO,
this year
and next
I present you with the ABCs of Oregon
athletics — as I see them — for this past year
and the upcoming year.
Aaron Brooks takes charge in his first full
year as the starting point guard and becomes
the general of an exciting high-octane of
fense. Hopefully, though, no more punches
to inanimate objects.
Bill Moos fortunately stays as Oregon's
athletic director, having recently and politely
dedined the Washington job opening.
Colorado's basketball team witnessed
firsthand the impact of the crowd at
McArthur Court and Luke Jackson's 29
straight points in an NIT first round loss in
March.
Daria Panova wins her third consecutive
Padfic-10 Conference women's singles title
and returns next year as the best tennis play
er in Oregon history.
Emily Enders, women's pole vaulter, earns
an automatic bid to the NCAA Champi
onships after besting her teammate, Kirsten
Larwin, in a jump-off at the NCAA West Re
gional.
Foreign-born players play key roles on
various Oregon sports teams this year: Aus
tralian Ian Crosswhite, Canadian softball
pitcher Ani Nyhus and Swedish golfer
Therese Wenslow, to name a few.
, Gladstone native Adam Jenkins, a senior
javelin thrower, is poised to make his first
ever trip to the NCAA Champioinships on
June 9.
Haloti Ngata makes his comeback and
will be a force on Oregon's defensive line
next season after injuring his left knee in the
very first game of the season last year.
The women's lacrosse team's inaugural
season kicks off next season with two high
school All-Americans and a three-time
Maryland state champion joining a sport
that keeps on growing.
Jordan Kent deddes to move away from
his storied track and fidd career to concen
trate on basketball.
Kdlen Clemens continues Oregon's line
age of potential NFL quarterbacks. Hey, if Ja
son Fife can earn a spot, then I'm sure
Clemens could.
Luke Jackson.
McArthur Court, Best Damn Sports Are
na, Period.
No squirrel fishing as a dub sport next
year. That is not a sport.
Oklahoma is Oregon's first opponent on
the road next season. The Ducks will need to
bring their best to just compete against the
national powerhouse Sooners.
Pit Crew continues to show why they are
one of the nation's dite college sports fans,
with their support and creativity.
Quinn Dorsey former Oregon defensive
lineman, signs a contract with Super Bowl
champion New England and will compete
for a spot as linebacker.
Ryan Gilliam, a two-sport athlete in foot
ball and track, ran the 100-meter dash in a
blistering 10.72 seconds at the Pepsi Team
Invitational meet this year.
Turn to TAM, page 8
Lindsey jumps at chance to go home
Danielle Hickey Photo Editor
Jeff Lindsey qualified for nationals with a third-place finish at the NCAA West Regional on Friday.
Sophomore high jumper Jeff Lindsey will get to
return to his home state of Texas for the NCAA
Championships, held in Austin in two weeks
By Jon Roetman
Sports Reporter
TRACK
Jeff Lindsey will be going home a week earlier than he planned.
The sophomore high jumper from Mansfield, Texas, finished
in a tie for third during Friday's NCAA West Regional Qualifier in
Northridge, Calif., assuring himself a trip to Austin, Texas, for the
NCAA Championships June 9-12.
Lindsey cleared 7 feet, 1 inch on his third try to advance to
NCAAs, an achievement that was made even better by the fact the
sophomore missed out on nationals by half an inch during the
indoor campaign.
"What a way to make up for indoors,"
Lindsey said. "1 was going home to Texas
the week after classes, but my family and
friends will be stoked to see me a week ear
lier for nationals."
Battling back pain, Lindsey cleared 6-9 on his first attempt, but
needed all three attempts at 6-11 and 7-1 to qualify for third. He
had the bar moved up to 7-2 1 /4 but failed to clear.
It was the third time he had cleared 7 feet during the outdoor
season.
"My back was bothering me a little coming in," Lindsey said,
"so I was a little nervous. I still smoked 6-9, but then cut it close
on the next two bars... My attempts at 7-2 1 /4 were pretty good —
better than everybody else other than (California's) Teak
(Wilburn). Overall, the conditions weren't bad — it wasn't hot or
cold and there was a little headwind. The surface wasn't nearly as
fast as Hayward Field, so I had to give it everything I had speed
wise. "
Along with the chance to go home early, Lindsey will get to
travel with a friend since teammate Teddy Davis also qualified for
nationals, finishing in a third-place tie with Lindsey.
Davis cleared both 6-9 and 6-11 on second attempts, but like
Lindsey he needed all three tries to clear 7-1. The final clearance
was a 3/4-inch personal best for the sophomore from White
Turn to HOME, page 10
Jackson estimates first-round selection
Former Oregon forward Luke Jackson
has worked out for a number of teams
in preparation for the NBA Draft
By Hank Hager
Sports Editor
Luke Jackson is a basketball player.
Forget the belief among many that Jackson is
considered a tweener — not a small forward,
but not a guard. Think of the overall package.
That's the view Jackson and his agent, Mark
Bartelstein of Priority Sports & Entertainment,
are taking when it comes to the 2004 NBA
Draft.
Jackson, who is expected to be a first-round
pick, at the very least, has been impressive in
recent workouts, according to most accounts.
"He's doing terrific," Bartelstein said. "He's
surprising people with his athleticism."
Jackson has visited Chicago, Portland, Sacra
mento, the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State,
Atlanta, New Jersey, Cleveland and Tuesday,
Boston.
The common denominator among those
teams? Nothing, really.
The Warriors, Blazers, Bulls, Hawks and Cav
aliers are all in the lottery, choosing their first
round selection in the first 14 picks. Boston,
the Lakers, Kings and Nets all made the NBA
playoffs, with Los Angeles advancing to the
NBA Finals earlier this week.
Turn to JACKSON, page 9
Women’s tennis inching closer to the elite
Oregon improves by seven wins from 2002-03
and earns berth for the NCAA team tournament
along the way; it loses just one player next season
By Clayton Jones
Freelance Reporter
A team on the verge may be an old cliche in the world of sports,
but this year's Oregon women's tennis team personified that phrase
A program that was once destined for the cellar of the Pacific-10
Conference has risen from the floor to find itself inching closer to
great things, not only in the Pac-10 but across the nation.
The Ducks were on the verge of beating rival Washington in the
_NCAA team tournament regional finals, but
fell one heart-breaking point away in the
seventh and deciding match. Washington,
"J"|r N N13 ranked 10th in the nation, moved on and
_ ended the season one win away from the fi
nal four.
"With our last match coming down to two match points, you
can't even imagine the emotions that our team was going through
unless you were there," head coach Nils Schyllander said. "The ener
gy was awesome and we can use it as a carrot in front of us for next
year."
Junior Ester Bak believes it was a defining moment for the pro
gram.
"We were so close to victory," Bak said. "But it will help us for next
Turn to CLOSER, page 8
Erik R. Bishoff Photographer
Anna Leksinska (left) and Dominika Dieskova went 20-10 in doubles this season, ranking them
second all-time for victories in a single season at Oregon. The pair, returns next season. .