Awards: Justin Phinisee's memorable quotes earn him 'Best Interviewee' Continued from page 11A deficit with a 15-foot jump shot by Gabrielle Richards, a three-pointer by Kraayeveld (who finished with a team-high 23 points) and two free throws by Richards to trail by just one. A couple of Brandi Davis three pointers and Kraayeveld’s clutch free-throw shooting sealed the deal, and the Ducks moved on to the sec ond round to face eventual national champions Baylor. Best Play: Sarah Malone's record-setting javelin throw Malone added another accom plishment to her already impressive resume when she broke her own school record by seven feet, three inches with a toss of 186-10 at Re gionals. After securing the event win in her first few throws, the Newberg native let ‘er rip on her fifth throw and came up golden. Male Rookie of the Year: Galen Rupp The Portland native didn’t take long to show Oregon fans that the hype surrounding his prestigious prep career was warranted. In just his second race donning a Duck uniform, the freshman smashed the U.S. junior 10,000-meter record by more than 17 seconds with a time of 28 minutes, 15.52 seconds. Rupp also finished second in the 10,000 and fourth in the 5,000 at the Pacif ic-10 Conference Championships. Female Rookie of the Year: Lovena Chaput The freshman from Tlialatin earned the starting left field position four games into the Duck softball season and never relinquished it. As the leadoff hitter, the left handed hitting Chaput finished first in runs (34), hits (57), doubles (10), triples (3) and total bases (88), and second in batting average (.310) and home runs (5) while helping the team to another NCAA berth. She was also named Co-Pac-10 Player of the Week in late March after going 6 for 13 with a home run and three RBIs. Most Improved Male Athlete: Terrence Whitehead After spending his sophomore season as a member of Oregon’s “running back by committee” of fense, Whitehead emerged as one of the Ducks’ most potent offensive weapons in 2004. The Los Angeles native became the unquestioned starter at tailback and rushed for 1,144 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught 44 passes for 405 yards and two scores on his way to all conference honors. Most Improved Female Athlete: Katie O'Neil The senior libero was named MVP of the Oregon volleyball team in 2004 after improving her dig total of 266 in 2003 to 363. The Corbett native recorded 43 digs in a match against Washington State, good for fourth all time in Pac-10 history. Best Interviewee: Justin Phinisee The defensive back always had something colorful to say, regard less of the situation. Some of his better lines include: “The history of Oregon defense is that we’re going to dominate the offense. I don’t care what they run, how they run it or who they’re running it with, we’re going to dominate.” Let’s not forget this one heading into the 2004 Civil War: “ (The Beavers) can be as hungry as they want to, but we know what’s going to happen. We don’t plan on losing. We don’t look to lose. We plan on beating this team by as many points as possible. ” On top of producing great quotes, Phinisee is also a solid cornerback, safety and punt returner. Most Entertaining Male Athlete: Aaron Brooks The feisty point guard was both fun to watch and fun to interview. Whether he was throwing a no-look pass, blocking the shot of someone a foot taller than he or talking about his relationship with teammate Adrian Stelly, Brooks gives onlook ers the most bang for their buck as far as shock value goes. Most Entertaining Female Athlete: Brandi Davis The shooting guard is adored by McArthur Court fans in a way few will ever experience. Davis is an up tempo player who is capable of rip ping off five three-pointers in five minutes. When she’s able to keep herself under control, she’s ar guably one of the best offensive players in the conference. Best Male Athlete You've Never Heard of: Scott Barker The senior was a stud for the Ore gon wrestling team, helping the Ducks to a third-place finish at the Pac-10 Championships. The 197-pounder finished the year with Kellen Clemens completed 60 percent of his pass es for 2,548 yards and 22 TDs during the 2004 Oregon football season. Emerald a 32-7 record and a career mark of 91-25. Best Female Athlete You've Never Heard of: Jen May The midfielder led the Oregon lacrosse team with 41 goals in 17 games. The freshman from Davidsonville, Md., helped the Ducks to six wins in their inaugural season and should be an important element in their success for the next three years. claytonjones @ dailyemerald.com jonroetman@dailyemerald. com 022516 begins Tuesday, June 21 Oregon Daily Emerald The independent campus newspaper for the UO Community