Danielle Hickey | Photo editor
Freshman forward Kristen Forristall hasn’t let comparisons to senior Cathrine Kraayeveld affect her game this season.
Oregon City native Kristen Forristall doesn't shy away
from comparisons, hut strives to make her own mark
BY BRIAN SMITH
SPORTS REPORTER
Comparisons, in sports, can be a
double-edged sword.
They can be harmless. Saying two
players have a similar looking shot is
one such example. But comparisons
can also be unfairly saddled with
expectations, forcing a player to
become something they are not.
So when a freshman on a Division
I college basketball team is compared
to a senior ending her illustrious
career, it can add a lot of pressure.
Freshman Kristen Forristall has
heard talk of her possibly becoming
the type of player senior Cathrine
Kraayeveld has been.
But that’s fine with her.
Because she isn’t focused on
becoming the player Kraayeveld is.
She’s focused on the player Kristen
Forristall can become.
“I think I see similarities,” For
ristall said. “We’re both aggressive,
tall players that play inside and out
side, but you never want to see your
self as a younger someone else. I
want to be a better passer than
Corrie (Mizusawa},* I* want to - be a
better rebounder then (Andrea Bills),
I want to be a better scorer than Cat.
It’s always wanting to be the best that
you can be.”
In the beginning
The hype didn’t begin right away.
Before, it was Forristall experiencing
life as a freshman at the University.
“In the beginning, it was really
tough,” Forristall said. “I came in, and
it was like, bam, you’re thrown right
into the fire. Conditioning was hard;
running was hard, and I felt inferior
playing with the girls. It was a big
step. Then everything progressed.
(I) just kept hitting the grind everyday,
and it finally paid off.”
Her decision to come to Oregon
was a tough one. Ever since she
was a kid, Forristall had a desire to
attend college somewhere east of the
Mississippi River.
“The summer before my senior
year was huge ... I was looking at
Vanderbilt really seriously, Boston
College really seriously, Indiana and
Oregon,” Forristall said. “It came
down to Vanderbilt and Oregon and I
> just> felt* that I >had a 'better. Sit at
Oregon — the players, the program,
the coaches. I felt like the coaches
had nothing to hide. They weren’t
playing with me all the time; they
weren’t trying to build my ego, and
they weren’t telling me stories of how
I would play all the time.”
Forristall indeed saw limited min
utes for the first few games of the
season. Then again, the lineup
included three seniors, a junior and
a sophomore.
“(Coming in) there were seniors
that knew they were seniors,” For
ristall said. “And there were under
classmen that were fighting for spots,
and I was just another player, and I
knew I was going to have to work my
butt off if I wanted any time.”
For the first eight games of the reg
ular season, Forristall averaged
12 minutes of playing time and just
over two shots per contest. In addi
tion, there were the inevitable fresh
man mistakes, the most infamous
coming against George Washington
in the Pape Jam at the Rose Garden
in December.
Forristall was lined up on the block
awaiting a George Washington free
throw attempt. On the miss, she
snagged the rebound and while
everyone else was running down to
i > \ \ \ s > » m » i FORR1SJALL, page 118
^Ujjffcheck **£££
TRAVELING SOUTH ON 1-5
DURING SPRING BREAK?
There are several 1-5 road projects from
Sutherlin south which are creating lane closures
and one way traffic in each direction. Please
provide additional travel time for unexpected
delays.
If you have the opportunity to move your travel
to off peak times (i.e. midday during the week
or weekend mornings) please do so as traffic
backups and slow downs are anticipated in the
construction areas during the holiday period.
For up to the minute road conditions dial 511,
or go to tripcheck.com.
Road conditions by phone, dial Sll
V l kit side l JrptjOi i, (SO 3) SHH~ P<) 11
£*fcudorrb Ctaddis-t
-for -test Vo laundhry
□ Meet (cr PIZ7A AKD A BRBw!
Introducing...
Ambrosia's Wednesday Night Student Special
An authentic wood-fired pizza with choice of one topping,
and your choice of beer or soft drink - $9.95!
541.342.4141 • 174 E Broadway • www.ambrosiarestaurant.com
Does not apply to *to-go' orders, student ID required, other restrictions apply.
Just in case
cupid points an
arrow in your
direction this
Valentine’s day.
FREE
Birth Control
Supplies &
Services
Danebo Eugene Springfield
463-9731 344-941 1 744-7121
Planned Parenthood
Health Services of Southwestern Oregon
The Competition*/ Clo/e!
Keep UO #1!
Why Recycle? Recycling 1 ton of paper saves:
^ 17 trees
I 462 gallons of oil
y 4077 KWhr of energy
6953 gallons of water
““ 586.5 lbs of air pollution
® 3.06 cubic yds of landfill space
During 2003-04, the UO saved 15,402 trees
by recycling paper.
PI7SM IaI!